back to bacon.. (1 Viewer)

[magicbastarder]

there have been those reports in the UK too.

 

[Mormon Nailer]

Polish people eating them as well?

 

[magicbastarder]

actually, the report i saw was in reference to fish, not swans:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6941262.stm

 

[billygannon]

Polish people eating them as well?

I'd Polish off a swan burger any day.

 

[Wobbler]

I'd Polish off a swan burger any day.

boom boom

 

[jane]

dunno about that jane, maybe they don't have the "luxury" of eating meat. The worlds a big place and as you well know is full of many different eating patterns.

I just meant that most of the world doesn't have the means to choose their diet based on the ethics of eating meat or abstaining from it. For us in the first world, it's consumer choice, which is a luxury in its own right. Most of the world doesn't have the money to make the kinds of dietary choices we do. I just worry that when we think about the ethics of eating meat, we should also take into account the ethics of eating in general, and that it is only when we are living in a food secure environment that we have the luxury of debating it. That's not to ignore the fact that if people in first world countries ate less meat, there'd be more food to go around,just that being able to make the choice to be veggie is something we shouldn't take for granted.

I found it hard to be veggie in Bolivia, for example. People didn't eat a lot of meat, but it was in loads of stuff. And then if you went to places that had veggie options, they were generally owned by unscrupulous locals who weren't exactly considerate of the needs of their fellow Bolivians. There's no easy solution, but it did make me think very carefully about where and how I spent my money, and the ethical minefield of 'consumer choice'.

Then again, I have that luxury. Being vegetarian in a developed economy is sort of like how pacifism is generally a luxury that only comes with living in a country where there is no war.

 

[jane]

Both have been spotted, but I think we'd be happy to do without the grey ones. Dad reckons he will probably have to start tapping the maples to try and save them as the squirrels are pulling the bark off some of them to get at the syrup.

Syrup? Fruit trees? Can I come live in your utopia? I can be the blueberry taster. I can taste every single blueberry that is picked, just to make sure they're okay. But maple syrup!? OMG. I could drink the stuff straight. I remember once as a kid, we got to go out into the woods behind the school and tap some of the trees for syrup. That was great. Didnt' get much out of it, but it was way fun.

In other news, I happened to pass a butcher that I know to be very good, so I stopped in to buy a steak for Mr Jane. Dude was like, "What kind?" And I'm all, "Uh, there are...kinds?" So I was like, "Look, I don't have a clue about meat. Can you just cut me off a man-sized portion of something nice?" I was all, this must be somewhat similar to what it's like for dudes to try to buy lipstick for a lady.



PS: Sweeping generalisation #54453: Isn't it funny, though, how the same sort of people who will ooh and aaahh over a swan will also be the first to complain that the hooded teens hanging around outside the shop are society's greatest menace?

 

[Squiggle]

Syrup? Fruit trees? Can I come live in your utopia? I can be the blueberry taster. I can taste every single blueberry that is picked, just to make sure they're okay. But maple syrup!? OMG. I could drink the stuff straight. I remember once as a kid, we got to go out into the woods behind the school and tap some of the trees for syrup. That was great. Didnt' get much out of it, but it was way fun.

Well, if you fancy doing some damson or apple picking in the next month or so I'm sure my parents would welcome you with open arms. There are so many damsons that a branch came down last weekend just with the weight. You could eat, take away as many as you like. Mum is making jam and wine and freezing them, but there is only so much room in the freezer.

I Dude was like, "What kind?"

Rib-eye is the tastiest cut. Striploin is ok too.

 

[Mormon Nailer]

PS: Sweeping generalisation #54453: Isn't it funny, though, how the same sort of people who will ooh and aaahh over a swan will also be the first to complain that the hooded teens hanging around outside the shop are society's greatest menace?

huh?

 

[jane]

Well, if you fancy doing some damson or apple picking in the next month or so I'm sure my parents would welcome you with open arms. There are so many damsons that a branch came down last weekend just with the weight. You could eat, take away as many as you like. Mum is making jam and wine and freezing them, but there is only so much room in the freezer.

Really? OMG that sounds like so much fun. Let me know when you're going down or summat because I would LOVE IT.

Rib-eye is the tastiest cut. Striploin is ok too.

I got him sirloin. It's a pretty big one, too.

 

[jane]

huh?

Swans being the part of the landscape of the middle-class, middle-England fantasy. And the similarity between the behaviour of geese/swans and that of teenagers is striking.

 

[RSJ]

Dunno about that jane, i haven't seen many teenagers in tracksuits floating peacefully down any rivers lately.

 

[Squiggle]

Really? OMG that sounds like so much fun. Let me know when you're going down or summat because I would LOVE IT.

Sure thing

 

[Mormon Nailer]

Swans being the part of the landscape of the middle-class, middle-England fantasy. And the similarity between the behaviour of geese/swans and that of teenagers is striking.

Oh.

(that was a bit complicated)

 

[jane]

Oh.

(that was a bit complicated)

I know. Sorry.

And RSJ, I was referring to the similiarity between them in that most of the time, they're not up to much except milling around and hanging out with their mates, but they have also a tendency to go for just about anyone at any time, even if you're generously throwing them bread.

 

[RSJ]

Ah i see. Lesson to be learned: Don't throw bread at dudes in trackies.

 

[jane]

Sure thing

Cool! Yay!

 

[flashback]

I'd Polish off a swan burger any day.

Ah jesus Billy. No need for that filthy talk of yours here. Bitta decorum like.

 

[plug]

getting back to squirreldz. fuck greys. reds are the awesomest though. beautiful little things. greys have almost taken over the entire country. I think they're down as far south as mitchelstown at this stage. little bastards. fucking it up for the lovely, littler reds. I saw a feature on nationwide (you'd almost swear I watch that show deliberately) a while back about this forest farmer guy somewhere up the country. anyway, he was having major trouble with grey squirrels wrecking his trees to death, so he had to start trapping and killing them. basically, castch 'em in a box and blast 'em with a shotgun. but in an admirable waste-not-want-not move, he would also eat said squirrels in a delicious-looking casserole.

red squirrels are protected, where I believe there is an active campaign to scale back, or even eradicate the grey squirrel. basically where greys thrive, reds suffer. boo. there's a website where you can report grey squirrel sightings. can't find it at tho mo.

good spot to see reds: fota island/wildlife park. it's one of the only red squirrel sanctuaries in the country at this stage. aw...

geesse are way bigger pricks than swans imho. they're funny though. honk!

 

[magicbastarder]

i've never understood why the botanic gardens don't try to trap their greys. serve them in the canteen.