Maybe going vegetarian isn't so bad after all....

[RickM]

What the heck is going on? Seems species jumping disease is on the rise.

Human Bird Flu Cases Confirmed in Thailand

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=2&u=/nm/20040123/ts_nm/birdflu_dc_10

[BlueSkyJaunte]

If you saw the conditions that food animals are raised in you wouldn't ask what's going on, and you'd already be vegetarian.

[DonDavis]

Blue,
My wife has been reading up on a lot of that stuff and while she's never been a big fan of beef or meat in general, this is really impacting her. Can't wait till we all get together again. I can imagine I'll be fighting for car talk while she fights for food talk.

Here's a question for you.....I know you have a very specific diet but is there any circumstance under which you would eat beef? What if it were not from the "Big Industry" and not subjected to those conditions?

BTW, aren't we due for a drive? We could come out in the Volvo.

[RickM]

I have a close friend who founded the Food Safety Institute. A few years ago he visisted a US chicken "processing" operation. Let's just say he didn't eat chicken for quite sometime afterwards.

The stories he tells me about the state of our food supply are nothing short of stomach turning.

[singpilot]

It's funny. Growing up in SoCal, I had the usual preteen jobs in SoCal.

Working in the fields harvesting whatever was in season.

After you've done a strawberry harvest, you'll never eat another strawberry.

After a tomato harvest, never another tomato.

After an avocado harvest, never another avocado.

After a lima bean harvest, never another lima bean.

Onions. same.

A summer harvest in Hawaii, never another pineapple.

OK, just turned 50. The mad cow thing. My best friends' mother succumbed to BVE. Mad Cow Disease. Here in the states; they say there has never been a case here. They say that because she had travelled to Great Britain a year ago, and 'blame' the disease on them.

So what do we do now?

Another friend, a non-meat eater, has been ill, now they discover she has mercury poisoning from the fish she eats (staple in her diet).

Hmmm.

I have never heard anyone get sick from Milky Way bars.

I still remember that scene in Woody Allen's "Sleeper" where they discover that the only humans that survived the enviornmental onslought of the future were people who ate at McDonalds. The preservatives in the foods there had hardened them to the pollutants, and allowed only those people to survive.

"Would you like fries with that sir???"

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by DonDavis
Here's a question for you.....I know you have a very specific diet but is there any circumstance under which you would eat beef? What if it were not from the "Big Industry" and not subjected to those conditions?

Don, the problem is that I was a strict lacto-ovo vegetarian (also eat dairy and eggs) for 12 years before I had to start the gluten-free (no wheat) diet. Because nearly all of the "meat replacers" I was eating were made with gluten I thought I was going to have to start eating meat again. I was actually ready (philosophically) to start eating fish again but in the end just couldn't bring myself to do it (psychosomatically). Fortunately I've found some things like gluten-free burgers etc. and my lovely wife is an artiste in the kitchen.

If I absolutely HAD to start eating meat again I would only go with certified organic stuff. That way you're reasonably certain there are no hormones, antibiotics, etc. pumped into the animals. Not to mention that organic farms don't feed animal products to herbivores! To maintain their organic certification, farms have to undergo rigorous inspection etc...much more than the FDA or Dept. of Ag. insist on.

BTW, aren't we due for a drive? We could come out in the Volvo.

Yes we are! Somebody should organize something!

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by singpilot
I still remember that scene in Woody Allen's "Sleeper" where they discover that the only humans that survived the enviornmental onslought of the future were people who ate at McDonalds. The preservatives in the foods there had hardened them to the pollutants, and allowed only those people to survive.

"Would you like fries with that sir???"

John Varley expanded on this idea in his book (later made into a low-budget Kris Kristofferson flick) Millenium. The main character has to take hits off an inhaler filled with pollutants, so she can keep her lungs healthy.

[LeeH]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
Yes we are! Somebody should organize something!

OK... let's meet at my house to watch Soylent Green!

You guys are making me want to give up food altogether!

[vash]

no kidding. i understand what singpilot is talking about. if ever given the chance to go into a restarant kitchen, dont. just a few weeks ago, i was doing #1 in the men's room, eyes forward, no talking. i finished, washed my hands. the gentleman next to me, didnt wash his hands. i followed him out and into a restaurant where my gfriend was waiting for me. the dude went straight to the menus grabbes a stack and brought us two. i grabbed her and left immediately. he was the manager! granted i am a bit of a germ freak, but that was gross.

blue, one of my best friends had to go gluten free. until we all adjusted, we just couldnt even eat with her. now i dont even flinch when she pulls out her bottle of soysauce from her backpack.

[RickM]

Quote: "if ever given the chance to go into a restarant kitchen, dont."

That's why you'll never catch me in a Diner...knew too many people that owned them. I also think that the state of cleanliness in the bathroom reflects the kitchen's.

[Adam]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte:
... a low-budget Kris Kristofferson flick...

Ahh, is there any other kind?

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Yeah, Blade was pretty high budget. But you got to see Kris get his ass kicked in it.

[Victor]

Don't eat anything that didn't used to have a face.

[expat]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
Don, the problem is that I was a strict lacto-ovo vegetarian (also eat dairy and eggs) for 12 years before I had to start the gluten-free (no wheat) diet. Because nearly all of the "meat replacers" I was eating were made with gluten I thought I was going to have to start eating meat again. I was actually ready (philosophically) to start eating fish again but in the end just couldn't bring myself to do it (psychosomatically). Fortunately I've found some things like gluten-free burgers etc. and my lovely wife is an artiste in the kitchen.

If I absolutely HAD to start eating meat again I would only go with certified organic stuff. That way you're reasonably certain there are no hormones, antibiotics, etc. pumped into the animals. Not to mention that organic farms don't feed animal products to herbivores! To maintain their organic certification, farms have to undergo rigorous inspection etc...much more than the FDA or Dept. of Ag. insist on.

Alright brother - another Gluten allergy sufferer. You ought survive in Asia without Gluten. Damn well eveything is made with wheat products as thickener or cooked with other items that have wheat

I hope the US is better for the Gluten free diet people.

Sanitary conditions in Asia suck - there is absolutely no doubt why these diseases are coming out of here.

The government brought in rules about live animal market cleaning in just the last two years here in HK. They are finally forced into closing down once a month and cleaning their markets.

The transport of live pigs, chickens, fish etc occurs in trucks that drive right through highly populated areas and the 'waste' the animals produce is allowed to flush out onto the road as they drive along. If you get caught behind one of these trucks, you wanna back off real quick. Smell notwithstanding!

Asia has wonderful people, awesome culture, and beautiful resorts and natural beauty....but they have no clue about hygiene.

They call Hong Kong a world city....ROTFLMAS

WOW.....two rants in one...I'm getting good at this

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Expathk,

So...another celiac in the fold...I feel for you brother!

I've been dying to travel to Japan again (post diagnosis) and train with my iaido master in Himeji but have no idea how I'd do it with my diet. A man can't survive on plain rice for more than a few days. Damned Asian food...