Emma and I don’t have much to report this week dearest blog reader. Don’t get me wrong we are still having a superb time. But do you really want to hear about us going to the beach again? Have we not bored you enough with our tales of mooching around the finest shops, eating nice lunches and enjoying the sunset? We will be having some adventures and exploring new parts of L.A. soon, but not this week. You will have to wait until then for those great anecdotes.
I actually would like to mention that we did play chess on the beach this weekend. This was brilliant. On Santa Monica beach they have benches and tables with chess boards on. The idea is that you bring your own pieces and you have a nice relaxing game in the sunshine. On Sunday after I had spoke to my Mum via webcam (!) Emma and I thus had a short walk to the beach where we set up our game. Emma is new to the world of chess so it was more about learning for her. She is picking it up quickly and it won’t be long before I am properly challenged.
It does annoy me that I am not as good as I used to be. I was probably at my chess peak at around ten years of age. I was a member of Chess Club back then (yep, I’ve always been dead cool). My Grandad taught me how to play and we would spend hours on a Sunday afternoon trying to outwit each other. I don’t think I ever won or gave him much of a proper match as he was brilliant. But I was taught well enough to easily beat my friends. I do want to get good at it again though, especially since Emma got me a lovely chess set. Anyway, our game on the beach was superb and a great way to spend Sunday. We even got properly made lemonade each from the kiosk type thing. This was delicious and most refreshing.
One thing I have been doing this week is some research. Now this bit of the blog isn’t really about L.A. but it is about life dear reader, so hopefully it will be of interest to you. I have been attempting to investigate how many vegetarians there are in the world. There is a lot of conflicting information, and differing poll results. It’s a minefield trying to find out the truth. Not literally otherwise you would end up with no legs, and then fellow missing legger Heather Mills would visit for some charity work. In a nutshell though it seems the UK has around six percent of people being veggies (not eating meat or fish is the barometer) and the U.S. has a measly three percent.
When you look at the world’s most populated countries (China, India, United States, Indonesia and Brazil) only one of them has a large vegetarian population, which is India. Almost a third of the Indian population is completely vegetarian. However, the percentage of vegetarians in China and Brazil is practically Barry Zero. In a survey conducted in Hong Kong, of these dudes only 1.5% consider themselves vegetarians. Apart from us Brits (and the Dutch who reckon 4.4% of them are veggie) there are hardly any vegetarians in Europe. France has 0.9% and the Germans have 1.2%. And best not be a veggie in Poland as only 0.2% of those crazy ex commies commit to not eating meat.
Summing up the stats then, even if you include India, you can assume that ten percent of the world’s population or less is vegetarian. There are more gays and left handed people (of which I am one. A left hander that is, not a gay). I reckon if you count dudes who eat fish it may go up to twenty percent but to me fish are just as much meat as a chicken is. In fact fish are fantastic. Fish are some the most beautiful animals in the world and are certainly more attractive and better than ugly old chickens. When I went snorkeling in the Maldives I saw some of the best fish in the world. Snorkelling is brilliant, how rubbish would it be without fish? Anyway, I digress.
Why am I going on about this you may ask yourself? It’s because I am wrestling with myself dear reader. Not in a physical way. I am not practicing to join the WWE, unlike my brother when he was thinking about turning into ‘Shawn Jonson’ (see previous post for more info). Some days I feel guilt ridden about eating animals. And on other days I think that we humans are the big daddies and we can eat what we like. And then I watch a program about how most animals are farmed and I feel sick and I go back to feeling bad again. But then I have a chicken sandwich and it’s so delicious in my tum tum that I forget about the horrid farming. So, as veggies are small in number in reality, do I join this minority, or just carry on (even with a niggling feeling at the back of my bonce).
I haven’t eaten red meat for about a month. And as it stands I don’t plan to again. I tried this before but I forgot and had a burger. I’m even more serious now though. If I was a popstar I would call my album on the subject “But, Seriously” had Phil Collins not got there first a few years back. Even though I haven’t made my mind up whether eating meat is indeed evil I do know that I couldn’t kill a cow, sheep or pig myself. I love cows and think they are skill. I could quite happily kill a chicken though. Not for fun you understand, but if I was a farmer or something I could do it I think. So my current view is if you can’t kill it, then don’t eat it. That phrase reminds me of the mantra my old boss Tony Jones used to say “If it’s not measurable, It’s not manageable”. Interesting eh?
Part of me doesn’t want to be vegetarian though. I have decided I can live (just about) without bacon and sausages. They taste amazing but I can cope with the veggie versions. It isn’t the same but it will do. I love the taste of meat, especially the lovely little fishes, and I like going to nice restaurants. Most top chefs or ace restaurants don’t cater really for veggies, so if you don’t eat fish or chicken at least then you are scuppered. If I become a proper veggie I will miss out on so many great dishes. Food is one of my most favourite things in the world. Am I being silly depriving myself of things I really like?
So the question is, do I join the ten percent of the world that don’t eat meat? I don’t think I will for now. In very simplistic terms though I am not going to eat what I couldn’t kill. I have decided that. Emma doesn’t eat meat but she eats fish. I will join her in that and just add poultry into the mix, as turkeys are ugly little shits as well. If you have a view about all this post it below. I don't want to encourage an argument as I think we should all love each other. But a gentle mass debate is always nice.
As well as having a think about what I put in my body I have been getting stuck into my job. It’s getting really interesting now and I am working on some TV shows that I really like, and could do very well. The only bad thing about work is that they have a softball team. I am always a fan of getting involved in work activities. I think you should show willing by mixing with your work colleagues whether it be for a drink or for a planned activity. The only trouble with this is that I know I would be so terrible at softball. My co-ordination at sport isn’t the best. I am fit and can run and fun, just don't ask me to do anything other than that! I doubt I could hit the ball and as for catching it… I’m going to have to play soon though. Any advice dear readers? I think I should just do it and not worry about being a laughing stock. That is easier said than done eh? The written word, whilst vibrant and wonderful does not suffer the slings and arrows of the softball. or something...
Have a lovely week,
Marc x
p.s. Happy Birthday Becky Rice. I hope you have fabtastic day.
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Friday 1st June 2012
2 days ago
9 comments:
eating meat is brilliant. utterly brilliant. if you feel bad about the horrible farming, which is absolutely right in my book, just buy ethically farmed meat, or as you suggest, go out and kill them yourself...there must be some animals you think are right bastards, just eat them.
I had Zebra not long ago, it was lovely.
I think I like most animals - that's the problem dear Maximilian. Most of the time animals are nicer than humans. Obviously they aren't as clever but is that a bad thing? Hitler was dead clever and look at him.
The only animals that get on my nerves are poultry. I see nothing redeeming in a chicken or a turkey other than they taste good. But I do like eggs and they make them, so I shouldn't forget that. And I do think the way they are battery farmed is totally disgusting.
What did the Zebra taste like as a matter of interest?
Chess is all in the playing - if you play loads you'll easily get back up to your Chess Club best.
re. meat... well you've heard my rants more than most! I'll email Sarge to remind me of the name of the best Chinese all-veggie restaurant in the world, which is in LA. it's not posh, 'all you can eat' almost in a tapas style (though they get cross if you don't eat everything all up) and loads of proper Chinese people in there too.
It was also in LA that I saw people eat live horned lobster in a Japanese place, cut in half but still definitely alive-alive-o. euch!
Do you think the amount of vegetarians will ever go up Chris? Or do you think it will always be a 'minority' concern? (I know there are millions of vegetarians worldwide but you get my drift).
I know the stats are flakey but numbers seem to have remained on a constant level of 4-7% in the UK over the last 15 years.
I ask this because surely with advanced technology scientists can surely replicate both the taste and texture of meat in the near future.
I can remember some interesting chats we've had in the past but I'm not sure if we've covered your thoughts on why numbers still remain quite low.
I think for me to ever be a proper veggie there has to be ample choice with regards to eating out. We are lucky in the UK that non meat eaters are catered for, and that is true to a lesser extent in the States. Obviously the more vegetarians there are the easy it is. Sadly I am no pioneer. And I wish the boffins could invent fake steak that tasted like fake steak. I will miss it but I don't want to eat a cow.
Hey Marc
does that mean no more roast beef dinners for you, or will you be joining Em with my special veggie options?!
Being a fellow meat eater I too have come up against the issue of animals bred in battery farms and so am now completely free-range. I am quite happy being a veggie unless I know that the animals had a good life whilst they were alive. Is free range an option for you in the states?
Missing you both loads
g xx
zebra was lovely, thank you for asking. slightly gamey, quite rich and very lean so healthy too.
you can't like all animals. what about little yappy dogs that get under your feet. not necessarily suggesting you eat them, but they are dickheads.
I don't think we'll see any big increase in veggie-ism in the current economic/political/social climate. It was on the rise in the early 90s but then the free-range / organic movement replaced 'actual' vegetarianism - people switch to 'good' meat, instead of giving it up altogether.
I think, like progressive non-self-oriented thinking about most stuff (our feeble attempts to get greener for example), it'll be a minority concern until there's a massive economic and cultural overhaul throughout the world.
Ms. Challingsworth - Hello, lovely to hear from you. Sadly Roast Beef is on my list of things not to eat anymore. If I am ever lucky enough to have one of your delicious roast dinners in the future then I shall join the Emster in what she has. Thinking about it, when Emma and I return to Britain for good you should welcome us back with one of your sunday lunches. Isn't that an ace idea? he he...
Say hello to Simon for me,
marc x
Chris - Clever, thought provoking comments as always. x
Firstly, chickens and turkeys are not ugly, they are beautiful sentient beings capable of feeling fear & pain the same as any other animal or human. They are also the most absued animals in the intensive farming industry and are not protected by the same welfare laws as other animals, which means they suffer the most abhorrent cruelty. Geese are my favourite poultry & have personalities way superior to any cat I have ever met.
I don't think it should matter if the percentage goes up, eveyone counts. You need to choose what is right for you. I belive that if you can't kill it you shouldn't eat it and if you can you have a responsibility to ensure it has been humanely raised and killed. Over 85% is still factory farmed. Buying the odd free range chicken from a supermarket doesn't count if you are still eating at restaurants that do not source free range meat- most don't.
Some things to consider are:
Grain stocks are at a 30 year low.
It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of edible animal flesh.
Every year in the UK we feed our livestock enough grain to feed 250,000,000 people while 30,000,000people die of starvation. A large percentage of this grain, is imported from third world countries. Where there are children dying from starvation every 3 seconds.
If the USA reduced their meat consumption by 10% it would free 12,000,000 tonnes of grain, enough to feed 60,000,000 people.
Many pescetarians end up eating much more fish, with stocks at an all time low there are many people who depend on eating fish to surive, you have to wonder if this is any more ethical. Aside from the fact that for every edible fish caught in fishing nets there are 10 non target creatures killed, including thousands of dolphins and turtles.
I have never heard a good argument for eating meat and fortunately I have never been so hungry that I could justify authorizing the death of another being.
I could go on...
You should give it a try, your conscience will be clear, your health better and Morrissey would be proud!
:)
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