If you use meatitarian, read this

Have you seen this Wendy’s television commercial?



The term “meatitarian” has been sweeping the nation. I know this because I was recently called one. Just to be clear, I hate vegetables. All of them. In a good year I might eat 1 salad, of just lettuce or plain spinach, or maybe a few in a can of soup. So to be clear I love to have meat in each meal. Or just meat as a meal. A good steak is fine all by itself, and sliced pepreroni is a great for a snack food. (potatoes are perhaps the only exception)

Thus I understand where the reasoning comes from in calling me a “meatitarian”. But the only thing I get from the commercial and the term is the unbridled idiocy of those using the term.

Seriously, are some people so dumb as to not understand that a word for this already exists? It’s called carnivore. So anyone using this word created by Wendy’s might as well just scream out loud “I am a lemming! I have trouble adding 1+1. And I run with scissors in my hand on wet floors!”

There really is no way to insult someone’s intelligence after they have uttered this term in a sentence. You just can’t reach lower than they have. Even Don King has better validation for the imaginative concoctions and combinations he utters as words in English. I really just can’t drown out the voice in my head that wants to choke such a person with a spoon (another term belonging to gowks – and yes I had to look up that word myself).

Perhaps I should look at this from a different perspective. Maybe a more British take on this will help. Only a complete plank would use such a term. The use is gobshite.

I think I’ve been very clear here, but for those that think this is a great word and useful (they are out there) I will be even more blunt. You are obviously the product of a defective gene pool, please do a favor to the human race and never procreate.

Now in reflecting on the matter, a friend brought up a great observation. Vegetarians are just herbivores. It’s the same kind of dumb, recessive gene, make up a term because you can’t read the actual word logic. And I have to say that this is correct.

Why is vegetarian good then? Who cares. Nobody cares what those emaciated, odd colored, odd smelling, too healthy to live, 2-legged cows call themselves.

But for the sake of being fair I looked up the definition and etymology of vegetarian. In fact the 2nd definition of vegetarian is herbivore. And they are those that eat fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts (which I personally think you have to be to not eat meat – and I’ve had an ex that proves it).

The words seems to have first appeared in 1839, is noted to be the irregular formation from vegetable (n.) + -arian, as in agrarian, etc. It’s popularity and use came from "… largely due to the formation of the Vegetarian Society in Ramsgate in 1847." This society believed that the word they created, vegetarian, was from the Latin 'vegetus' meaning 'lively' (which is how these early vegetarians claimed their diet made them feel).

Now in 1839 the word OK was first used. Belgium became a kingdom that year. The first state passed a law allowing women to own property, modern rubber was first created, and the first Opium War starts. In general people were uneducated and stupid enough to not realize that a vegetarian is just a herbivore. And the term just stuck as did the idea of eating grass as a meal.

I seriously hope this trend dies, because as dumb as Americans are joked around the world to be, this term proves it.

Fast Food: Some choices are healthier than you think

There is no end to the surveys, studies and pundits that mention men don’t see doctors or get annual physical exams. Recently there was a June 2007 survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians that showed that while 79% of men said they were in good health, 42% were diagnosed with chronic conditions. Obviously waiting for unbearable pain or illness to motivate a trip to the doctor is not a good idea.

But what can be done in the meantime? How can you keep your health up, and be motivated to live better? And how can you keep from going to the local fast food restaurant, which everyone knows is bad for you but tastes so good.

Well there might be a bit of help found in the question of fast food. A recent article I just ran across deals directly with the restaurants and foods that we love to consume. And the results are surprising. It seems that not everything you though was good for you is, and some are better choices than what’s been often lamented.

Now some things are obvious. Like the Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing. The number 1 worst fast food in America. Not that you would be surprised. Also on the no surprise list are Bob Evans Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes or Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger among others.

But also in the Top 20 worst foods are Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips from McDonald's (5 pieces) with creamy ranch sauce, Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger, and On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef. Each of these trying to lure in consumers with the notion that they are “health” because of what they are comprised of or their name. A salad, chicken and turkey burgers all sound healthy, but that isn’t necessarily so.

There are quite a few “healthy” foods that just don’t make the grade. Take yogurt with fruit on the bottom, granola bars, chicken caesar salad, and the oft mentioned bran muffin. Each of them just aren’t what they are cracked up to be.

So now that you know a few of the bad choices and some of the hidden unhealthy choices that are presented as good for you; the question is who is the best and worst?

Well topping the very best fast food restaurants to eat at are Chick-Fil-A, Boston Market, and the favorite of Jared – Subway.The worst? Macaroni Grill is hands down at the bottom of the list. Only slightly better is Pizza Hut. And believe it or not the middle ground is held by (in order of best to worst) Taco Bell, Wendy’s, McDonalds, KFC and Burger King.

There is much more on the good and bad fast food out their. I’ve only scratched the surface of the full article. If you want to see how everyone really breaks down, and what is definitely bad and what the health nuts claim is good but isn’t, check out http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/index.html

Until your next annual physical (which you need to go to) this might help a little. Still a few push-ups won’t hurt either.