Even though I haven't seen anything resembling a turkey since I've come to China (well, okay, chickens do resemble turkeys, so I take that back), I've recently fallen in love with 火鸡 - their name in Chinese. Say it with me: "huo ji." Literally translated, it means "fire chicken", so I've now got all sorts of pictures in my mind of turkeys running around with fire helmets and capes on, or jumping motorcycles through flaming hoops a la Evel Knievel.
Also been thinking a lot about vegetarianism a lot, especially since Jane's been discussing it in her three environmentalism classes that she's been teaching. So I thought that this post was worth sharing - about a guy in the Los Angeles area who raises and (very infrequently) slaughters his own poultry. The authors warn that the content is "not for everyone", but, no, I think it is for everyone. Something to get a good post-Thanksgiving discussion started, anyway... I've got more thoughts on the issue, but will leave it at that for now.
A last note - Homegrown Evolution is a great site on urban homesteading, gardening, and simpler living in general. Check it out!
Slaughtering Turkeys for Thanksgiving
Homegrown Evolution homepage
After seeing wild turkeys almost every day for the last few years, white domesticated ones look really weird. And I was vegetarian for a long time and still consider going back. I don't know if I could slaughter my own food...
ReplyDeleteI doubt if it's possible for everyone to slaughter their own food, but I do think that everyone needs to see it done at least once or twice. (And/or become vegetarian if you're not comfortable with the idea!) And know where your food comes from, as well...
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