On vegeterianism: The choices we make or not

I am getting tired of people using their vegetarian habits to gain "street creeds" in the current environmentalism and greening of our environment wave. why would someone want to make me feel inferior because of their eating habits?.
I have never eaten beef since 2004, I have been vegan since 2006, No..no..no...I don't eat that....and that, you should stop eating beef you know.




well i grew up in Nigeria and like many other developing countries we have lived on a vegan diet for a better part of our lives...albeit not by choice. Growing up most families ate meat or meat products 3 times in the year...new year day...Easter day...and Christmas day...give or take some extra days in between. eating meat in this context does not mean an all out KFC wipe out...or Popeye patrol...no no..no.




one family consisting most times of mother, father, more than four kids and the complement of relatives living in the household, extended family at its best...get to share one 6lb hen...or some pounds of goat meat...and atimes beef. you will be lucky if you get a whole thigh(hmmmmm).....you might be unlucky and the lower jaw of a hen....

Now how many of you self professed vegans know that a hen has a "jaw". we get to learn a lot of anatomy growing up, that's why Nigerians make good doctors( ha ha ha). If you get the head of the hen...you might be required to give the jaw to a younger sibling...you then get the skull...the brain(hmmmm), and the eyes.



So next time you tap me on the shoulder to tell me no...no...no.. to the meat, remember that I have been a vegan for almost 20+years, and that I'm currently in recovery. I would also want to remind you...YES YOU self proclaimed vegan...why do you wear leather shoes, belts, jackets and other leather accessories, I wish to remind you that wearing them is as good as eating 'em.

Deaf in New York

Scene one:

Loud voice on the public address system @ 135st subway station "there is no number 2 train going to the Bronx, there's been an accident at 42nd street, to get to the Bronx go upstairs and take the bus to 149th and catch the 5 or 6 to the Bronx"

I felt a slight tap on my should a gentleman well dressed, asked what was that?, I'm partially deaf and i think I heard some noise over the speakers...I carefully relayed the sad message to him and we all headed out.

Scene two:

Waiting for the elevator at a Manhattan hospital " will the owner of a grey BMW number .....come and remove your car from the ED entrance"

A tall lady about 6ft, came over and asked me what the static she heard meant...I explained to her what was said. She then told me that she was deaf...so I had to use the little ASL that i knew to convey my message...I guess she got the message.

I did a little investigative snooping , went to several hospitals in the Manhattan area, public libraries, and I noticed a common trend. The building planners and administrators, the MTA, completely ignored the deaf in new york. I expect to see neon board, LED board or any other form of message boards that would send out the same messages we hear on the PS A's for people that cannot hear. Is that too much to ask for?

What are they waiting for ? maybe the cost benefit analysis, or cost effectiveness of taking care of the deaf people in New York has not been reached. maybe we have not reached the critical mass of deaf people in New York for message boards to be worth the trouble.

Well they don't have to wait too long. Riding in the subway everyday, I see people with their head phones on and I can hear the sound of kanye singing welcome to the good life wafting from their earpieces two subway cars away...at this rate the MTA, city administrators and hospitals would not have to wait too long to achieve the critical mass.

On Feminism and Politics

I did a quick survey of some of my wives friends and they all said no...NO NO !!

How come anytime a politician or super athlete commits adultery...for that's the correct word for cheating on your wife. The wives stand with stoic faces behind them, giving them the proverbial moral support.

I have come to take most thing I see on television with a lot of skepticism, now, I guess i have been vindicated. what these politicians and super athletes

make us believe is not in anyway true. Jim McGreevey, was there with his lovely wife, Eliot spitzer was there with his visibly shaken wife, Senator Craig was there with his confused wife, Kobe Byrant was there with his beautiful wife, President Clinton was there with his obviously angry wife.

Granted, like someone said that the wives stand behind them because the men are going through a lot of fire and they needed someone to be by them, and later they will give them a piece of their minds. Like JimMcGreevey's wife asked for and got a divorce.

I look forward to the day when adulterous politicians and super athletes...those that get caught that is... will stand there all by themselves and tell the world their tale of shame, without the support of an angry, disappointed, partner.

Everyday Psychology

Have you noticed that people tend to do so many thing instinctively, without much thought to their action.

This scenerio repeats everyday at my job:

I press the elevator button going down or up and button lights up.

Second person comes and he/she is going up...the button is blinking showing that it has already called the elevator..but what happens..second person still goes ahead and presses the button again

Third person come along and repeats the same process.

Luckily the elevator comes and we all get in.

I press the down button for the lobby (1), and so many other hands come over my shoulder to press the same button, even though it was already blinking showing that (1) has already been pressed.

My questions:

1. why do we all have to do the same thing over and over again, re-inventing the wheel

2. Does it have anything to do with "trust"we do not trust people to do stuff for us ?

3. Does it have anything to do with "instinctive dibs"..like laying a claim to the movement of the elevator

4. Does it have anything to do with color blindness...or just not paying attention?

A Day in the

Waking up to the sound of traffic in the street below, and the ever present police sirens..welcome to the Bronx. Grab my weights,and go through one of a series of routines.. while i listen to the drone of the BBC reporter. Done with that. Grab a cup of hot coffee or hot chocolate depending on my mood, a slice of multigrain bread...trying to live healthy, and a teaspoon of peanut butter.

Run in to the shower hoping that my super would not be in one of his forgetful moods and forget to put on the hot water source. Luckily he did, several angry phone calls from me , threats have finally puckered him up. dry meslf....use my mitchum man finally got caught up with their adverts..dress up , shirt...run to the other closet grab a pant...run back and grab a tie...run back and grab a shoe..sock...dressed.. a dab of perfume to make me smile.

walk the 10 meters to the number 5 train..and ..strp hang all the way to 149 grand concourse...i keep asking meself what is grabd about the grand concourse..switch to the 2 train and get to 135th street...climb up to the street level..grab the evrpresent metro and am..long live free and run across the mlk blvd and into harlem hospital..to the shout of id card out please..from the hospital police...and jostle to get into the elevator..and as we get ready to move..one person runs in and sticks a finger..and another and another until we are packed like we are in the subways..do we always have to straphang..jostle..

well i say to meself..welcome ot new york.