THE RANT THREAD!

[Ophidia]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

How can you be back at school tomorrow?! No other school I know goes back until the 9th. You have to have 2 weeks holiday over Christmas and schools didn't go off until the Thursday before Christmas so you still have at least a few days!

I don't know about European schools, but in the US many of our schools have 'track breaks' to kind of space out how many children we have roaming lose and uneducated at the same time. One of the high schools that is between where I live and the post office I use has the first three weeks of December off, so this year the school was back in session on Dec. 26th. Spring break can run anywhere from the end of February til the beginning of May.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I had a sweet tooth (all the spices in India do this to me) ...and I ate an entire pack of cheap cookies.

Damn it.

[Amelia-Mary]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

How can you be back at school tomorrow?! No other school I know goes back until the 9th. You have to have 2 weeks holiday over Christmas and schools didn't go off until the Thursday before Christmas so you still have at least a few days!

We broke up on the 15th, And it was definitely today lol XD

[FantasyWitch]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

That's weird.
No other school is back...

[Amelia-Mary]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Down here quite a few are back

Another rant: I have to sing opera -tomorrow- for somebody who I don't even like, I don't even get a say >.>

[volcaniclastic]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I just sat at a bar with an American from NYC who acted gay, but was hitting on me and repeatedly apologizing for it, who wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise, but continuously asked me questions, and then told me I was wrong, or to "oh my god, shuuuutup!", and who came out of the conversation thinking that we "really connected".

Yeah, the last two hours of my life have been interesting. <facepalm>

[shadow1982]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

That's weird.
No other school is back...

A lot of schools in england started back yesterday but they break up earlier than the schools in Scotland.

On Topic- I am so bloody tired all the time. Getting up in the dark and getting home in the dark is really hitting me hard this year (normally I am fine) plus my diet is pretty crap. I really need to sort out my eating habits, but I don't even know where to start!

[Corvus]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

My brother is finally in rehab which I guess in itself is a good thing but the entire family is still freaking out.

[habbalah]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

My brother is finally in rehab which I guess in itself is a good thing but the entire family is still freaking out.

I hope he comes out better for it.

I've been promised good news next week. If I'm just going to be let down again, I'm going to be very upset.

[Ophidia]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I'm normally not much of a politics-follower, and I like it that way. I've slowly changed my political stance over the past year.

At first, I was positive there was no way Obama would be re-elected, and I was kind of 'meh' on the whole thing. Then, once the Republican whack-job nominees were announced, and I became more sure that Obama would be re-elected.

Now that I'm witnessing just how crazy these potential candidates are, I'm actively praying that Obama is re-elected. And I'm pissed off that I started paying attention in the first place.

[LadyGarnetRose]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I'm normally not much of a politics-follower, and I like it that way. I've slowly changed my political stance over the past year.

At first, I was positive there was no way Obama would be re-elected, and I was kind of 'meh' on the whole thing. Then, once the Republican whack-job nominees were announced, and I became more sure that Obama would be re-elected.

Now that I'm witnessing just how crazy these potential candidates are, I'm actively praying that Obama is re-elected. And I'm pissed off that I started paying attention in the first place.

The 4b's


Beans, Bullets, Band Aids, and Butt Wipe ....


People thought the last 4 years were rough .....

They were nothing compared to what's coming.

Stock up and strap in now folks .. cause it's gonna be a bumpy ass ride.

[thalassa]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Now that I'm witnessing just how crazy these potential candidates are, I'm actively praying that Obama is re-elected. And I'm pissed off that I started paying attention in the first place.

And sadly, the ones that *aren't* coo coo (John Huntsman, who I don't agree with and still wouldn't vote for but I could at least take seriously and respect in the morning) won't get selected...

[Trinity]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I'm a bit peeved that so many raw meats have something added to them. I am starting a clean-eating diet and was checking prices on meats so I can make a price list to find out how often meat goes on sale and discovered a horrible truth (at least to me).

Now, I don't mind when meat has a little retained water to it, that's fine. It's just water after all. But when chicken has chicken broth added to it and various meats have "natural flavoring" added, that just ticks me off. First off, what the heck is "natural flavoring?" What has the company stuck in the meat that they can't actually put down in an ingredient list? If "natural flavoring" just means herbs and/or spices (such as parsley, pepper, thyme, etc.) why can't they just put that down? Why do they have to be vague about it? It's a bunch of crap.

I didn't realize buying raw meat would be so hard.

[Dez]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I'm a bit peeved that so many raw meats have something added to them. I am starting a clean-eating diet and was checking prices on meats so I can make a price list to find out how often meat goes on sale and discovered a horrible truth (at least to me).

Now, I don't mind when meat has a little retained water to it, that's fine. It's just water after all. But when chicken has chicken broth added to it and various meats have "natural flavoring" added, that just ticks me off. First off, what the heck is "natural flavoring?" What has the company stuck in the meat that they can't actually put down in an ingredient list? If "natural flavoring" just means herbs and/or spices (such as parsley, pepper, thyme, etc.) why can't they just put that down? Why do they have to be vague about it? It's a bunch of crap.

I didn't realize buying raw meat would be so hard.

Sounds like you'll have better luck going with meats that are 1) organic, 2)special ordered (things like buffalo,goat, or goose,that don't do factory farming conditions...and thus aren't fiddled with so much), or 3) start eating more fish!

[thalassa]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

First off, what the heck is "natural flavoring?" What has the company stuck in the meat that they can't actually put down in an ingredient list? If "natural flavoring" just means herbs and/or spices (such as parsley, pepper, thyme, etc.) why can't they just put that down? Why do they have to be vague about it? It's a bunch of crap.

Non-officially, the hubby worked at a hamburger-making facility...their "natural flavorings" for their basic patty were garlic, salt, and pepper. For their 100% beef patties, there were no additives. For their (oh-so-delicious) pizza patties their additives were powdered pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Their pork cutlets were injected with what is essentially saline+vitamin C, which acts as both a preservative and to make the meat more "juicy" when you cook it. But either way, they don't tell you exactly what they put in there because each company has its own recipe/formula, and its considered a trade secret.

This is actually pretty interesting, I watched it a while back...60 minutes did a special about "flavorists", the people that distill and enhance flavors for your foods.

the definition of “natural flavor” under the Code of Federal Regulations is: “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional” (21CFR101.22). Any other added flavor therefore is artificial. (For the record, any monosodium glutamate, or MSG, used to flavor food must be declared on the label as such).

<snip>

So what about the flavorings used in organic foods? Foods certified by the National Organic Program (NOP) must be grown and processed using organic farming methods without synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers and sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Organic livestock cannot be fed antibiotics or growth hormones. The term "organic" is not synonymous with "natural." The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) defines “natural” as “a product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled natural.” Most foods labeled natural, including its flavorings, are not subject to government controls beyond the regulations and heath codes.

source

ETA:

Sounds like you'll have better luck going with meats that are 1) organic, 2)special ordered (things like buffalo,goat, or goose,that don't do factory farming conditions...and thus aren't fiddled with so much), or 3) start eating more fish!

Unfortunately, it seems that organic meats are often still enhanced (which is the technical term for injecting meats), as is fish...and even the buffalo I have in my freezer. There are actually valid reasons (since we live in a supermarket culture) that meat is injected--mainly shelf-life (it reduces the oxidization of fat which causes meat to go rancid and prohibits bacterial growth), appearance (injecting meats prevents what is called "purge"--the "discharge" that accumulates at the bottom of the package) and cookabilty (since most people overcook meat, particular poultry and pork, it keeps them moister), along with some other reasons. I actually would recommend finding your local butcher shops...talk to the butchers about where they get their meats. If they come from local farmers, chances are there is minimal processing (you can ask about that too). Another option (though you'll have to wait for a while to try it) is to go to your local country fair type of event and check out the livestock and talk to the people raising them--see where they take them for processing and where you can buy them (the problem I've found with this approach is that you often have to buy a whole or half of the animal...which means you need a deep freezer).