Friday, February 26, 2010

FOOD INC.

I thought it was time for this to be discussed. I will probably post it some other time.....in my political blog.

Food Inc. has become the most popular film as far as food is concerned. There have been others, but I have not seen any documentary that has caused some upheaval. The film industry has always benefited from a dependency on the effectiveness of media. and I am seeing that happening as I listen to friends freak out about their food. There are undoubtedly other films that have been made telling the public that if you eat this and that, you will die. The good news, we are all destined to face that particular fate-death.
The way I view this whole situation, is the same way I view the big vs small government. The two are going to kick each other, until one of them wins. Everyone has an opinion. If there is anything controversial, there will be vast opinions.
Now if I wanted to have my voice heard, and get more people to buy my "organic" food, I would start by getting a socially conscious director. Aka Robert Kenner. I have nothing against the man, he makes good films, its just that, I doubt that the world needs another Michael Moore.

I have recently discovered my own amazement at people who are willing to change their lifestyles based on films and books. Before I get myself into too much hot water, let me state that I do admire these people...if for nothing else they put a lot of effort to make those changes. Additionally, I am a supporter of health, and anyone who seeks to be healthy is golden in my book. I think that total well being ie spiritually, mentally, physically, environmentally etc is important and for people to be truly happy, they have to achieve health in all those areas. Not everyone would agree with this, but to each his own.
My puzzlement has come from getting to a place where people have a choice of whether they can eat meat or not. Organic or not. I LOVE meat. Friends and family know of this fact, and maybe tease me a bit too much. But I have balanced that with a good dose of vegetables.
Anyways, what gets to me mostly is the the judgment that come along with the pursuit of vegetarianism. To be fair, these judgments are passed on without one being aware of it.
My first irk moment, is when I am being told the reasons why I should become a vegetarian. I am sure you've heard the classic one: Our bodies were not meant to consume meat. Now, I am a history junkie, so naturally, I want to know how it is that our bodies were not meant to consume meat...how come history shows man from the earliest times eating meat. I mean, these people were hunters and gatherers. and they ate ALOT of meat, and surprisingly they did not kee over and die. So forget all that old rubbish, people are sophisticated and need to improve themselves, and since they are better off...No Meat.
My other favorite argument, "We are the only animals that eat the product of the other animals".
First of all, it is offensive for those of us who enjoy chicken, cheese, milk, the goodness of desserts and the occasional steak. You might wander why it might be offensive....Well think about for a minute, think about it for a minute. You are indirectly telling those that are eating chemically induced muscled chicken that they are defiling their bodies. Second, that scientific notion that we are animals has ruined people really. Unless I am off this one, not very many people will enjoy being compared to a chimpanzee, or a squirrel. Thirdly, we (if we are animals) are not the only ones eating other animals or their by-product....Lions, tigers, bears oh my! I am sure if you walked over to any of these animals, they will gladly use you as an experiment to see if they liked eating other animals' by-products. But don't take my word for it.
It is good to aspire to be healthy, but we are looking for a BALANCE. Eliminating food groups from your diet, not so smart. Although again, that is purely a matter of opinion.
But lets go back to the original topic...FOOD INC.
I would like to have this film shown anywhere else but America. The difference between the West and the rest of the world is that the media has ALOT of influence on people's lifestyle. But again, I am skeptical of a lot of things. I keep imagining the faces of Europeans who are being told that they should give up their cheese because it is a by-product of another animal, or give up their steak and poulet. Oh and the Africans who can barely afford food, being told that they can't have the food they barely get because it is not organic. They would look at it exactly the same way I look at it...BONKERS!
Now referencing to a blog I wrote a while back on organic food trending, organic food is not a new thing. Africans have been doing it for a long time. But the politics and economic demands of the west dictated that subsidies become the norm of agricultural production. Therefore, this film is not a new revelation, but it reveals a deep seated struggle between government and small scale farmers.
To take such a film seriously and life changing, is like watching a Michael Moore film and taking it as the political gospel and basing one's lifestyle and beliefs on the writings of Ann Coulter or the ramblings of Rush Limbaugh. Being open minded is good, wanting to always improve one-self is an admirable goal. But changing a lifestyle all because food Inc. says so, or some "brilliant" writer says so is just not rational or smart. Like most everything else in life- take it with a grain of salt.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Tourism in South Africa

These questions about South Africa were posted on a South African Tourism Website and were answered by the website owner.
Q: Does it ever get rainy in South Africa ? I have never seen it rain on TV, so how do the plants grow? ( UK )

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see elephants in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Durban to Cape Town - can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden )

A: Sure, it's only two thousand kilometres. Take lots of water...

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in South Africa ? ( Sweden )

A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in South Africa ? Can you send me a List of them in JHB, Cape Town , Knysna and Jeffrey's Bay? ( UK )

A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: Can you give me some information about Koala Bear racing in South Africa ? ( USA )

A: Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the pacific. A-Fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe which does not.... Oh forget it. Sure, the Koala Bear racing is every Tuesday night in Hillbrow. Come naked.

Q: Which direction is north in South Africa ? ( USA )

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into South Africa ? ( UK )

A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Do you have perfume in South Africa ? ( France )

A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in South Africa where the female population Is smaller than the male population? ( Italy )

A: Yes, gay nightclubs.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in South Africa ? ( France )

A: Only at Christmas.

Q: Are there killer bees in South Africa ? ( Germany )

A: Not yet, but for you, we'll import them.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Cape Town and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )

A: No, we are a peaceful civilisation of vegetarian hunter- gatherers. Milk Is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in South Africa who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )

A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca, which is where YOU come from. All South African snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: I was in South Africa in 1969, and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in Hillbrow. Can you help? ( USA )

A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Hadithi, Hadithi,- The power of the Narrative

As a child, my friends and I loved to play a lot of games, that somehow have become potent as I look back.
One of the games involved become a story teller. We would seat in a circle, and the "leader" would say "Hadithi, Hadithi" and the rest of us would respond with "Hadithi Njoo". Loosely translated...."Story, story" "Story come!"
We would collaboratively tell a story, that began with "Once upon a time...." or "there was this man..."
I had forgotten about this game until my professor who had spent sometime in Kenya reminded me of this. That was the interesting part. This particular game, had a point to make with how we were raised. You see, narratives are very important. What is your narrative? who gave you that narrative, or rather how did that narrative develop?
we look at politics, or societies, and we interpret them from that perspective.
So for the last couple of days, I am trying to jot down on how my narrative has affected my view of the world....
interesting....