.tiny thoughts.particularly revealing.: insomnia and kosher eats

so today is all about random thoughts....so here it goes:

I began watching Meet your Meat and I could not bear it...it was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen..I stopped it about 10 minutes into it...I felt slightly bad for the animals--not for the slaughter, but for the way it is done. However I do not think that I could ever take on the role of a vegetarian ...I don't know why. Maybe it's because I have come across many "scene vegetarians".

These "scene vegetarians" put more effort into letting people know they are, in fact, vegetarians rather than actually being vegetarian. Most of these people associate themselves with liberal and/or revolutionary ideals, but they are so judgmental to people who do not choose their dietary beliefs. I am not to name anyone, I have come across a person who claimed to be a vegetarian--a scene vegetarian with PETA banners all over their myspace profile, and yet they once stated that they could not give up In N Out burgers because they were so good! Is it me or are not in 'n' out burgers made from the same cows that are being mistreated at the slaughterhouses? Does the taste justify it? Possibly....but if you chose to make others feel bad with your PETA banners, make sure to really make the commitment, or just be honest and fair.

There is nothing wrong with eating the animal if you enjoy it, just stop putting on a facade.

So these 'scene vegetarians' have made vegetarianism such a turn off. There are people who I admire, my sister Giselle and my bestie Jess. No, not because they are close to me, but because of their subtle approach. My sister has been a vegetarian 5 plus years. She began at the tender age of 11. It was extremely difficult for my parents to comprehend the concept of vegetarianism and she suffered from it. She never gave in though, and now my parent support her by buying organic foods for her and succumbing to meat alternatives. However I must state that my family is kosher so we have never been too hung up on meat. In fact, we eat steak/beef once a month and chicken breast every other week. My family has never been too unhealthy.

My sister never shows off about her vegetarianism. In fact, she does not talk about it until she is in the situation. She does not reprimand or scold at those who do not choose her dietary choices. I admire her tolerance, something that all those scene veggies should have, because if they really want to convert others, it will not be through reprimands.

Now my bestie Jess, she became a vegetarian around Jan-March 2005 and a vegan a couple of months ago. At first I believed that her decision was drastic, but totally admirable. I kind of freaked out going to her house because I asked myself, 'what does she eat?' Once I went to her house, I saw first hand how she deals with it and it actually was not that bad. I figure that the first month must be the hardest, but afterwards you get so used to it that you don't miss it. I guess if you really feel it in your heart, then it does not feel like a burden. She, too, does not scold others. She is a big pet lover and that is her reason for not eating their products. I am grateful that these two never tried to convert me into their beliefs, because no one has the right to convert others by reprimand, I have many ideals, but I would never try to change your own beliefs.

I hope these girls never become scene veggies, that would be a shame...

anywho, I have two official pets...or rather animal companions..a little doggy named Brownie and a baby kitten named Bubba Boo...they are both the most annoying and most wonderful creatures i have come across. Their loyalty is amazing....

Now, I have two other animal companions, and these two are my favorite...
I have a cat which we refer to as "street cat"...because he in fact is a street cat....he is a baby kitten who appeared in our back yard about a month ago..he would steal our other animals' food. When we got our baby cat Bubba Boo, this street cat befriended him and now they are bffs....they play and sleep in the sun...we never let "street cat" in the house because he is kinda gross, but from time to time we leave the screen door open and he comes in...we kick him out, but we secretly love him--we feed him. He is so cute, gray with hazel eyes....though he still remains as "street cat" but he has become part of the family.

Our last pet is the most interesting...I have a love-hate relationship with him..
he is a rooster which we refer to as "rooster". He is really cool and beautiful. He has a great red coat and cool feathers. He is tough...a bully, he bosses the kitties and doggy. He jumps on top of them and hits them with his beak. He steals their food...including chicken and beef...which is truly disturbing...it disgusts me
He only comes into our house to poo, then I have to pick it up...

I was born into Jewish/Christian religion and my family is kosher for the most part. The basic gist of it: We NEVER eat pork or even touch it. We never eat seafood, unless it is a fish who has BOTH scales and fins, such as Tilapia [sp?], Tuna, Red Snapper and Salmon. We cannot eat animals that do NOT have divided hoofs, cleft-footed and chews the cud. So this includes, cow, lamb, sheep, chicken, duck, etc etc. There is so much more to it, and if you are interested go to Leviticus 11 and read it.

Anywho, my family and I have lived this lifestyle to the utmost, meaning I've never tried bacon and I gag at the sight of pepperoni. I 've been told that I'm missing out on lobster, crab, and shrimp, but I could never eat it. This dietary choice began due to my religion, became a lifestyle when we converted to Christianity, and now that I am contemplating converting to Judaism [I am a pluralist and I am still a Christian and have Muslim views as well] I have explored the Jewish kosher diet even more. I have found that the kosher life I live is kosher, but not the hardcore version. Basically they are extremely hardcore. For instance, meat (except for fish) for and dairy can never be mixed meaning no cheeseburgers! I would just alternate to hamburgers, duh! However, to truly live the kosher lifestyle you have to buy kosher approved products. I wouldn't mind if I weren't a broke college student. Kosher approved foods are so expensive. I was reading about wine products and basically I cannot drink any wine that is not a product of a Jewish wine maker & I cannot eat grapes or any real fruit for that matter unless they are approved kosher. The reason? Little bugs (which are definitely not kosher) get into the fruits, making them not kosher. There are more restrictions and I felt a tad intimidated. However, I learned that only extremely fundamentalist orthodox Jewish people follow this.

I told my dad about my interest in the hardcore kosher lifestyle and he was surprisingly supporting. He told me that when I was born we lived that kosher diet. He told me that living this lifestyle is very healthy and even offered to stock me up with kosher products including wine! I am going to slowly take on this lifestyle because I feel that it is not only important to my religion, but to a lifestyle I desire.

todays photographs: