Sitting in a "cash-only" cafe on the fringe of farm and ranch country, having the early-bird special. One guy who raises chickens talks about the perils of overfeeding them too fast, because they put on weight faster than their bones grow. "No surprise that most of 'em got broken bones." These, I judged from the context and comments, are the chickens destined to be rotisserie chickens at Costco. Another guy was talking about the costs and perils of raising cattle, and said, "you gotta love animals to do this job." Then his conversation switched to complications of getting them ready for and into the slaughterhouse. I know it's a necessary industry, and that good people do the best they can to treat their animals humanely, and I'm no PETA pollyanna, and I know there are relatively humane ways to slaughter cattle, but I couldn't help but note the disconnect between loving animals and slaughtering them.
Have you ever worked on a ranch? Spent hours looking for a cow that strayed ,or gone out in a blizzard to pull a calf, or risked life and limb to cut a recalicitrant bull out of the tangle of barbed wire he managed to find in the ditch he failed to jump? It's not just a matter of saving the merchandise, but one of genuine concern for an animal that needs help. While our beef cattle are in our care, we do care for them and about them, and give them the best life we can, all the while knowing their fate. A paradox, perhaps, but not a disconnect.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, fat man clubs were popular. "We're fat and we're making the most of it!" was their mantra. "I've got to be good-natured; I can't fight and I can't run," was their motto. Members had to be at least 200 pounds, pay a $1 fee to enter and learn a secret handshake and password. The Forgotten History Of Fat Men's Clubs
The guy on the right looks a bit like Fatty Arbuckle. I don't think it's him though. If it was it would doubtless be mentioned.
He does, kinda. If memory serves, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle lost his career due to a scandal involving a dead starlet. Spoiler: Fatty Arbuckle
There was a time when only the rich could afford diets high in sugar and fat, and obesity was seen as a sign of wealth. In The Arms of Krupp, William Manchester relates the following (scraped from Google books, pretty sure this is fair use and all):
My in-laws were immigrants from Europe under Communist rule. They remember well the scarcity of food during WWII and the Communist rule that followed. You had to turn over those bushels of turnips. Food became very important.
I was expecting you to reply, and I have no argument with your response. I know you folks genuinely do care for the animals during their time with you; he was talking about raising cattle in the Nebraska sandhills, and described many of the problems you list. I eat beef, intended no negative judgment, and kudos your efforts. Perhaps paradox is the better word. Maybe it was simply the close juxtaposition of the phrases "love the animals" and "get them to the feedlot" that caught my attention.
It's all good. I didn't take it as negative judgement, just lack of grokking due to lack of experience.
Invented in 1936 by Isabella Gilbert of Rochester, N. Y., the Dimple Machine consisted of a “face-fitting spring carrying two tiny knobs which press into the cheeks.”
When I was a little girl, I wanted dimples in the worst way and may've given this a try. One of my friends had gorgeous dimples, though she insisted only one was a dimple and the other was "a dent."
I was wondering the same. I mean, that's Scotland!! Should be filled to the brim!! Maybe those areas are rocky wastelands where nobody lives but wild men and sheep.
One there's not many people up there, and two many of the people there are, are Methodists or Presbyterians and don't drink. Your hard drinking street fighting lunatic scots are more found down in the Glasgow/Edinburgh belt (Aberdeen being an exception)
I just noticed—look at the difference between Ireland and Northern Ireland!! Maybe also a religious thing? Come on, the Irish are a hard drinking people! At least according to all the stereotypes.
According to google there are just over 7000 pubs in the republic of Ireland (as freidrich says its because the map is uk only...) it wouldn't be a religious thing because Eire is Catholic, and Catholics by and large don't see a problem with alcohol... temperance is the preserve of the more extreme protestant
Ah yeah, that explains it! I figured I was missing something obvious. For a moment I thought "Maybe the Irish don't call them pubs... " and then I slapped myself across the face. Of course they do!! Faith in the Irish restored.
I just did a Google Map search for pubs in Ireland, it showed maybe a dozen total. Then I tried pubs in England, it showed about 15 I think. Something is off here. Or I'm using the wrong search terms.
I grew up in a small town with a population of about 5,ooo (including hinterland) that was serviced by 44 functioning pubs. There's fewer now, though, sign of times. Still, my current location in arse end of nowhere and I could walk to the nearest pub in less than 10 minutes. 10 minute drive and I've choice of five or six pubs.
This site uses the same map but it is interactive: Data for the UK pubs TSP. And, according to Reddit, it just includes the pubs with a website.
