Wolf Panic, Shaking Milk, and Being “Flab-ulous”

Blog Fodder Roundup 10 January 2012 – Thought I’d just toss out some recent items of interest this week. Enjoy!

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One of Oregon’s Wolves has crossed into California: Let’s all panic

No really. You know what happens when wolves eat after midnight and then get wet? They’re worse than tribbles.

Lone wolf causes stir as it stays in California’s far north

Excerpt:

Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong, when asked about wolves last week by the Los Angeles Times, said “we would like to see them shot on sight.”

She would not repeat that sentiment when contacted by The Bee on Wednesday. But she said the new transient wolf is alarming to local residents, some of them cattle or sheep ranchers struggling to live off the land.

“It’s unfair to ask people to live with this dangerous predator,” she said. “It’s romantic, maybe, for urban people. But this affects our quality of life. It affects when we go out to get mail from the mailbox: Do we have to carry a gun?”

Speaking of Wolves, Liam Neeson parodies Simpson’s character Groundskeeper Willie in his latest movie, The Grey. Because we don’t have enough panic about wolves. I have always admired Mr. Neeson, have always regarded him a great actor – but this is a movie I won’t be seeing and won’t promote with a link. If you’re curious, here’s the plot:

I’ll defer to WildEarth Guardians for more information about the virtues of allowing wolves to exist.
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Shake, Shake, Shake, Senora…

The dairy industry has tried for many years to protect its market niche. From the days when margarine had to be tinted pink (to make it look unappetizing and prevent people confusing it with the bovine breast milk product.) – to their most recent conniptions over the use of the word milk to describe non-dairy products.

Never to be defeated, the ever-innovative dairy industry wants you to know: shaking up your soy/almond/oat/rice/hemp/coconut – milk turns you into a monster. The video speaks for itself – as does the reason for this child’s nighmares. Does his mother turn into a spastic demon when she serves him orange juice too? Is she perhaps trying to make alternative butter with the milk by churning it so violently? I hope she remembers the pink dye.

Is “flab-ulous” even a word?

Love Yourself As You Are – the Super Secret Blog Project

I am so happy for the women in this video and the blog’s author. I love that they are happy and confident, loved and accepting of themselves. I believe that people (and all other living beings) have inherent worth and dignity. No one’s self-love or acceptance by others should be determined by their physical appearance.

But can I just confess something? I don’t accept being overweight for myself and whenever I read these blogs I do feel that is a terrible character flaw. I accept that I will never be thin – at a healthy weight, I look like a miniature amazon. Although I embrace those genetics now, I fought them for most of my life in pursuit of the ideal skinny. I’ve been up and down the scales more than Mozart and currently stand somewhere near “middle C.” But some six months and forty pounds ago, I wasn’t happy with myself. I wasn’t confident about my appearance. I couldn’t do things I really wanted to do. And I’m still working on it.

I’m not trying to slam the fat acceptance movement but to be honest, and with all respect, accepting and loving oneself isn’t mutually exclusive to self-improvement. The truth is, obesity and health are not often long-term companions. If it turns out to be that way for someone, more power to them. But some people really are in complete denial about this and I don’t think it’s kind or accepting to enable it.

I need to add this: Sorry – flab-ulous and fat-tastic are not words. Just… no. Call me that regardless of my weight and we will have a problem.

NEW! This blog now has its own Facebook page – go give it a like, it’s feeling sad and lonely…