Rusty and I have the Clumsies
Seems like today is a clumsy day. This morning, I managed to wack my forehead on the side of the closet. I seriously have no idea how I managed that. I reached in there to grab something (I was trying to avoid stepping into the closet, save time... dumb move) and when I straightened up, "thwack!" Forehead meets door jamb. That was fun.
Then in Mysore, I did a number on the two last toes on my right foot. I hope I didn't break them because they still hurt 3+ hours later. I was trying to jump though from down dog and stubbed them -- hard. I also had a very hard time coming up from backbend -- fell on my ass twice. Managed two good stand-ups. It was a clumsy practice. I had that stand-up move down two weeks ago, now it feels like it's almost back to square one.
I was not the only member of the house that got bit by the clumsy bug. Rusty was a mess this morning, out of nowhere, really, because he was fine yesterday. He is really starting to show his age. He was not stable on this feet - he kept falling over. He would try to do his morning "shake" that he does when he steps out of his crate, and just collapse on the floor. When it was food time he didn't want to eat. He ate a slice of ham and a dog bone just fine (I wanted to see how bad he was - if he wouldn't eat the good stuff, I probably would have called the vet this morning), but his regular grub didn't appeal to him. Which is a little strange since this is the dog that won't leave me alone at 5pm because IT'S TIME TO EAT. He will "talk" from 5pm on, hovering around you, until you feed him. So, I'm not sure what to make of it. Hopefully it is just a phase and he will be eating and walking fine when I get home tonight.
Beef, It's Not What's for Dinner
Ok, how scary is the latest 143 million pound beef recall (Hallmark/Westland in nearby Chino, CA)? Goes back 2 years. I mean, beef from two years old has likely been consumed and pooped out a long time ago. And how horrible are these people (slaughterhouse workers) to treat the animals that way -- prodding them with electronic shock cattle prods to make them stand up as they scream in pain -- just before you're going to kill them? Ugh, I am disgusted, and my decision to not eat meat is so much more re-enforced.
I was reading today's WSJ (Wall Street Journal) article about it and it's just yucky. Aside from the fact that they sold Downer cow meat (Downer cows: the ones that can't seem to stand up -- they have a higher probability of having Mad Cow disease), even the process of slaughtering bugs me. I guess the cows have to walk a 90 foot path before getting to the slaughter box, and the path is inclined and meanders some so the cows don't realize what's going to happen to them, what they are walking into. I mean, so the reality is, if the path was straight these animals would now exactly what the deal was and freak out. They don't want to die anymore than we do. If I imagine myself as one of those cows I get REALLY bummed out, it's not right.
I wish as a country we could eat less meat. I'm not saying everyone should immediately stop eating all meat, but I think we don't need to kill as many animals as we do -- we don't need to eat that much meat. And it would be great to not have to put animals through the large-scale slaughterhouse process we have today. Wouldn't it be nice to think the cow you are eating at least lived on a farm, was comfortable for a while, was treated well? Instead of the awful, crowded, disgusting conditions they exist in now? I don't know, I am standing here on my soapbox with likely few to no people reading/listening, but I am putting this out to the universe that we need to have more respect for living things.
Stepping of my soap box now.
Then in Mysore, I did a number on the two last toes on my right foot. I hope I didn't break them because they still hurt 3+ hours later. I was trying to jump though from down dog and stubbed them -- hard. I also had a very hard time coming up from backbend -- fell on my ass twice. Managed two good stand-ups. It was a clumsy practice. I had that stand-up move down two weeks ago, now it feels like it's almost back to square one.
I was not the only member of the house that got bit by the clumsy bug. Rusty was a mess this morning, out of nowhere, really, because he was fine yesterday. He is really starting to show his age. He was not stable on this feet - he kept falling over. He would try to do his morning "shake" that he does when he steps out of his crate, and just collapse on the floor. When it was food time he didn't want to eat. He ate a slice of ham and a dog bone just fine (I wanted to see how bad he was - if he wouldn't eat the good stuff, I probably would have called the vet this morning), but his regular grub didn't appeal to him. Which is a little strange since this is the dog that won't leave me alone at 5pm because IT'S TIME TO EAT. He will "talk" from 5pm on, hovering around you, until you feed him. So, I'm not sure what to make of it. Hopefully it is just a phase and he will be eating and walking fine when I get home tonight.
Beef, It's Not What's for Dinner
Ok, how scary is the latest 143 million pound beef recall (Hallmark/Westland in nearby Chino, CA)? Goes back 2 years. I mean, beef from two years old has likely been consumed and pooped out a long time ago. And how horrible are these people (slaughterhouse workers) to treat the animals that way -- prodding them with electronic shock cattle prods to make them stand up as they scream in pain -- just before you're going to kill them? Ugh, I am disgusted, and my decision to not eat meat is so much more re-enforced.
I was reading today's WSJ (Wall Street Journal) article about it and it's just yucky. Aside from the fact that they sold Downer cow meat (Downer cows: the ones that can't seem to stand up -- they have a higher probability of having Mad Cow disease), even the process of slaughtering bugs me. I guess the cows have to walk a 90 foot path before getting to the slaughter box, and the path is inclined and meanders some so the cows don't realize what's going to happen to them, what they are walking into. I mean, so the reality is, if the path was straight these animals would now exactly what the deal was and freak out. They don't want to die anymore than we do. If I imagine myself as one of those cows I get REALLY bummed out, it's not right.
I wish as a country we could eat less meat. I'm not saying everyone should immediately stop eating all meat, but I think we don't need to kill as many animals as we do -- we don't need to eat that much meat. And it would be great to not have to put animals through the large-scale slaughterhouse process we have today. Wouldn't it be nice to think the cow you are eating at least lived on a farm, was comfortable for a while, was treated well? Instead of the awful, crowded, disgusting conditions they exist in now? I don't know, I am standing here on my soapbox with likely few to no people reading/listening, but I am putting this out to the universe that we need to have more respect for living things.
Stepping of my soap box now.
I wouldn't worry too much about the beef. Yea, we are fed hormone, pesticided GMO'd scary stuff, but it is easily avoided. I don't typically care about what I eat when it is low on the food chain (read plants). Back to worry... the recall was because some inspections weren't performed. Not because bad beef was found. At least not that I know about. I could be wrong about all this though...
ReplyDeleteyep, someone's reading!
ReplyDeletei just found your blog and was so happy to read this, especially 'cause i'm loving your blog and wasn't expecting to read about veg stuff!
just to add my two cents to your soapbox speech...don't forget the horrendous life of a dairy cow and the nasty fate that awaits their babies!