The Big Picture

"Food in our culture is one aspect of a larger nightmare."
First question is...what is the nightmare? People I'm sure have different opinions about it, it is only what you take from it. What I think is the nightmare is the idea of life. Now life is all based on industry in our government, the way we live, learn, and when it comes down to it, almost everything is industrialized and it in my words it is disgusting. Humans used to be happy, even though they still had to do some work, they kept themselves fit and healthy. People just expect that they can just get their fast food, which now delivers and be obese 'stupids'.
The world seems to me like it is just screwing up and ruining everything and you know that pisses me off a lot. I know saying it is stupid, but you know, I wish there was something I could do and change the world for the better. Our government has really F*cked with us, and I feel cheated. Cheated in the sense that all that we do is judged and the reality is we dont do anything on our own.
I didn't mean to get off the subject there,sorry.
FOOD-The food industry is a very scary thing. From Martin Heidegger's quote of comparison between agriculture and gas chambers, "the same things as blockades and the reduction of countries to famine..." His quote is very strong and grabbing.
A lot of people (most) are unaware of industrialized America and even Earth.
We are only destroying the planet and before anyone can finally make it clear to the population of the world, it will be too late. Peak Oil and many other things will just destroy the world. It is sad and scary, so live your life to the fullest!

The Past, Present, and Future of Food (1)

For most of the human existence, humans have practiced Hunting and Gathering. Men and women going around hunting all sorts of animals, eating the correct amount of food and keeping healthy. Only a few problems were the extinction of some of the animals they would hunt. otherwise, it seemed to work and fulfill their food supply. At least until agriculture was begun. Humans now could use animals to help them grow food as opposed to hunting them. Because of this, the people would no longer need to move along between different places. Now they could stay in certain places and continue to grow in population size. Communities were now able to form. From this, new vehicles were created to do man's job, for a lot less money and a lot easier.
The industrialization of food was started in the 1950s during the 'Green Revolution'. It was soon after WWII, when the deadly chemicals used as war weapons were altered to help kill off the bugs(thus, pesticides). Now because of this chemical use, the amount of varieties of food had plummeted. There was a new limit on the types of food that could be grown. Like the veggies, the animals that we eat (consisting of chickens, cows, and other big animals) were cramped into small stalls where they were treated like the Jews in the concentration camps. Except now, instead of no food, they were forced to eat lots and fatten themselves. So, in order to feed the animals, humans needed to grow more CORN, which just so happens to be 97% air (Omnivore's Dilemma). Not only do the humans need all these vegetables, but they also required meat, and they needed to be fed, so the amount of corn necessary to feed everyone was increased an incredible amount. To grow all of this food (not only corn, although corn is a huge component)not only do we need to use pesticides but we also are burning fossil fuels.
These things we are doing are so bad for mother Earth and are destroying it, leading to Global Warming and the full annihilation of the world. So, now we have a possibility of destruction of the Earth, the possibility of extinction of many animals, and not to mention PEAK OIL. What are we to do when all of our oil runs out and there is nothing we can do. If you have farms or friends/family with farms or farm land, take advantage of it and start growing.

You eating Healthy?

THE JDIET

JD Leonard

Eat Like Me

Eating is something that is one of the utmost important things we do in order to live. Usually people would like to think that they are eating ‘healthy’ or ‘correctly’, but in reality they do not understand that what they are eating is indeed not so good after all. They believe that they are in good shape, but their diet is atrocious. A lot of people’s lives are put at risk for the foods that they consume every day. I think that a ‘good’ and healthy diet would have to be the JDiet. (Just Don’t Ingest, Eat It!) This diet is made up by few foods of all different origins, mainly fast made food. Hamburgers, pizzas, chickens and all sorts of drinks. Although it is all high on carbohydrates and fat, they also have many calories easy for energy use. All of the food that this diet consist of are all mostly easy to get and at the tip of your fingers. Although many underpaid workers are in slaughter houses working many hours to prepare our fatty and meaty foods, it is disappointing to eat all of these foods. But depending on the person, if they care for the animal rights or not, the animals are the inferior species to us. The JDiet is a good way to eat and stay in shape.
When eating these foods from the JD, you need to find a balance of correct carbs and cals. Because without the balance, the diet is useless. Too many of each can cause bad things both in arteries and too much unwanted fat. But being active, which is another part of the JD, needs enough calories. Being active, meaning running, biking, and exercising are all key to stay fit and healthy. To be able to do all of this, it is necessary to have enough cals, and not too many carbs. As nice as it is to chow down on fatty delicious foods, it must be limited to small portions spaced out in time.
Meats should only be eaten once a day, usually dinner is recommended.(MUSC) Eating meats like: steak, ham burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and a few others are all good, but they are also high in fat, cholesterol, and calories. Thus, eating limited amounts and not eating too frequently can help to create a balance between it all. Doctors have recommend that carbs should make up 50-55% of our total daily energy intake. Ingesting both complex and naturally occurring sugars are especially recommended. (MUSC)
Proteins make amino acids (lipids and fats) which are good for nutrition, that is, if they are correctly marked. Protein are found in many different vegetables, fruits, and meats. But not all of these have the correct proteins needed for cellular creation. Fruits should be a huge part of your diet, both being delicious and usually nutritious, besides all of the natural sugars. Fruits such as apples and oranges are very low on fat, although obvious, people like to give an excuse of too much fruit. (ntwrks) In the JDiet, you can never have too much fruit, just too much of the same fruit. But it is quite healthy and helps you to digest the food.
Eating different foods at different times can really be difficult, depending on what it is exactly that you are purchasing. In the JDiet the food that it consists of are all very easy and mostly affordable. For breakfast, waffles (245 cals & 13g of fat) or a bagel (200 cals & 2g of fat) with butter, which is not your best friend. High on fat! So those three are all easy to buy and they make enough.

For lunch, pizza with no toppings is recommended (9g of fat & 39 carbs-wow that’s a lot). (MUSC) Pizza is definitely not one of the best healthy foods in this diet, but it is most certainly the easiest to get your paws on. Pizzerias are found everywhere, and prices vary. It is quite easy to have pizza, but make sure it is good. Hamburgers are not as easy to find, but in all of the major fast food chain restaurants you can get every type of burger. I do not recommend eating too much or even at all in the fast food nation. All of them are full of fats and too much stuff that is not good for your body. But burgers are fairly easy to find in smaller known places, not as healthy, but a good amount of bread for the day.
For dinner there is a wide selection, or all different meats, pastas, and lots of vegetables. This food is easy to find to buy, but then again, to be prepared for eating is the hardest part. But if there is someone that can prepare the food, well then your set.
A lot of people find it ‘wrong’ to eat certain things, being animals or any fast food products. A lot of other people do not really even care at all. It all depends on how you would like to eat. I think, if you like it, that’s all that matters, as long as it is not a fellow human. “According to Aristotle, there is a natural hierarchy of living beings. The different levels are determined by the abilities present in the beings due to their natures. While plants, animals, and human beings are all capable of taking in nutrition and growing, only animals and human beings are capable of conscious experience. This means that plants, being inferior to animals and human beings, have the function of serving the needs of animals and human beings. Likewise, human beings are superior to animals because human beings have the capacity for using reason to guide their conduct, while animals lack this ability and must instead rely on instinct. It follows, therefore, that the function of animals is to serve the needs of human beings. This, according to Aristotle, is "natural and expedient" (Regan and Singer, 1989: 4-5).”(UTM) I completely agree with my good friend Aristotle, he points out the good points of how exactly I think about animal rights and ethics on how people consume meats.
This brings me to my next point, of an opposition. Someone could bring up the topic of how incorrect it really is to eat animals or any of their ‘products’. Calling them a Vegetarian I would have to say that I would have to disagree with their point of animal wrong doing. I think if the species is an inferior type, then it is ok to consume them. No I am not saying that eating something inferior is ok, because then they could say how some humans are obsolete compared to others. Eating these things are ok if you’re alright with eating the animals that are already going to die early in the first place, then this is ok to push the Vegetarian diet to the side and open yourself to the JDiet.
This diet is easy to stay with, as long as you are able to purchase the food, and prepare it. Most of it is easy anyway to make. It is not the best way to eat, but if you eat it and you exercise enough and use it all in the right way, it can be great and completely helpful, not to mention healthy. The JDiet is easy to follow through with, and if used correctly, it can be one of the best ways to eat, both enjoyable and healthy.

IFS Paper

IFS Paper

IFS Paper

I’ve never really looked into what exactly my chicken nuggets from Wendy’s were made of, let alone where it comes from. When the door was opened to this information, I swallowed it all whole. Its scary to think about all the truths of the Industrial Food System, how our food is processed and the path it follows to land in our lap at any of our convenient fast food restaurants.
Most of all, everyone is completely clueless and doesn’t question where it all comes from. It is sad and sickening to realize, but it is reality.

Industrial Food System (IFS)
The creation of Industrial Food from plants and factories is really a very scary thing for the people who truly understand the concept of it. Things like animals plants, and even humans get dragged into this so-called machine in order to be used as things. People are taken advantage of and a lot of them don’t know, or even understand. How Does it Work?
Crops are created by using pesticides and other hormones, which are said to “help” grow them faster and healthier. But, in fact, these chemicals are all poisonous and could end up in our overall food. The corn is used to feed the cattle and steer, which helps them to grow fast, meaty, and strong. That sounds a lot like what they’re doing to the crops. These animals grown to eating perfection are sent to the slaughter houses and killed there. They are completely chopped open and separated at almost every part of their body. The meat is sent to different places, called lines and what not, to further inspect it and distribute it.

Who is Involved?
The government is involved in it a lot, making profit from their inferiors in Fast Food businesses such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and many other restaurants. These different “bad guys” are able to burn images and catchy theme songs by using different forms of communication via television/radio. Its called propaganda and its absolutely disgusting and horrible to see. The worst of it is, that the people who do realize what’s happening, don’t even care and they kind of let it slide.
The IFS is based off of consumer products, aka convincing you, the consumer, that their product in particular is the absolute best and no one else’s can even compare. People learn to accept this and are so set on purchasing this certain brand. Brainwashed!

My Experience With the IFS
All of my childhood, going to McDonald’s with my Grandma to get McNuggets and dip them in the McFrosty was one of the highlights to visiting family. I would live off of it and beg parents for it. Progressing into more privileges, I was able to go out for lunch. So why not get fast food every time, its good and its easy. Thinking that I was eating good and cheap food was really bad because of the ignorance I had, the oblivion that overcame me, and just me not caring, I was eating IFS food, and I still do, but not nearly as much and only when its somewhat necessary.

All the time, money, and skills...

If I had infiniti time, unlimeted money, and infinite skill, I would most certainly want a lot of bacon!! FOr my first breakfast, I would want all of my favorite cereals, bacon, and a huge glass of any drink desireable. I want a huge T-Bone steak with juices running off the plate, delicious as can be for my lunch the first day. Including a huge Pepsi chilled in a frozen mug. For my dinner, I want corn on the cob smuthered in butter and salt, a big baked potato, and a couple of burgers.

Intro to Locally Available Berkshire Jam

What is it?
Berries are grown on a really big plantation(Obviously). After being picked, they must be thoroughly cleansed. After completely clean, the berries are placed in a big mechanical bucket and start to crush them into a "pulp." After smashing them, one cup of water is added for every four cups of berries.(¼ for every cup) Then, added flavor is put in and there you go, you got delicious Jam, not plain old boring Jam.
Why is it good to eat?
it has good nutrients in it, not to mention tastes good!Jams contain anti-oxidants, which are definetaly good for you, because it flushes your system getting all crappy chemicals out.
Who sells it here?
Berkshire Berries is owned and operated by Mary and David Graves. They work on the farms and they have people that work for them to sell the jam. They also sell the jam personally.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c21p6.html
http://www.annecollins.com/calories/calories-jelly.htm
www.berkshireberries.com

The PASTA!!

So, I filled up the bowl my family uses to cook pasta in. I took out some pasta and put it on the side. I turned the heat up on the stove and let it sit. I also added some salt to the water to give the pasta some flavor. I got very impatient and checked it every once in a while. Finally I see the bubbles at the bottom of the bowl, and then after 10 minutes of waiting, it finally starts to boil. I poured the pasta in and let it sit, after stirring a little. I had it stirred every 1 1/2 min. until 9 min had passed, and I checked it, but it was a bit too hard still. I let it be and then tried it a minute later, PERFECTION!!

My second meal

So, I was gonna have some Popeye's chicken, then I decided I wanted more hamburgers, then after my mom told me we had a Turkey leg in the fridge, so I put some salt on it. I bit into it, and I felt the slat immediately on my lips and tongue. The salt actually kind of burned my lips. The turkey was dry and cold against my tongue, and then my pallet was kinda scraped by it. I chewed on it using my back teeth. The salt gave it a tang and when I chewed it, it would crunch, and the turkey was not so smooth. Being dry, I had to drink some water, and the salt took it away. I had to use my tongue to pull the tendens from the leg, and it was a bit strained from that.

My food

my meal

Ok, so I decided to make a couple burgers. i put them in the toaster, and broiled them for 10 min on each side. I had to go out and buy some buns. It is cold outside!! I took the burgers out, after toasting the buns on the top. I got a pickle 1/2 out of the fridge, and put it on the side. These burgers were big and juicy. I bit into one, I didn't have juices run down my cheek or anything, but it was moist and warm. As I bit into the burger, the closer I got to the middle, the more rare and raw it was. I didn't mind it, it was red and it tasted good, so I was happy.
I soon finished the first burger, and it was really good, but my stomach was still fairly open. I took a bite of the 1/2 pickle, and spit out the tip. I bit and swallowed some, and it was not exactly what I wanted, and it was not good! I don't know, it was kind of too tangy, and I didn't really want it. I wound up eating 1/2 of the 1/2, which makes a 1/4 of a pickle.
Then, I bit into the second burger, somewhat dryer from sitting there. the bun soaked up the juice as well. I had to give up a bite to my dad. It was a bit more rare then the first one, but I usually enjoy it if its not cold. When ever I have a burger, theres always this little thing in it. Its kind of like a pit. It is so weird! It was enjoyable and I was full when I was done.
I reccommend to anyone who likes burgers to come downtown to the Royale!!! Its my friend's bar, and it is AMAZING!!see you there(ave c BTWN 10 & 9th streets)