Things I Love Thursday…28/53

So Yayyy… we’re at the 28th Thursday of the year… (out of 53) and ummm i usually don’t go for mainstream promotion of organizations but I think this one deserves it… so for this post I will be talking about PETA!!!! Yes i know u must be thinking this will be a lecture from me about poor kfc chicken and dont wear fur. but I’m not going to get into all that.

I feel bad for the way our animals are tortured before we eat them.. I really do… I think in a perfect world there wouldnt be any torture…. and all the animals would live happy lives until they are chosen to die… and all would be administered painless anasthesia overdoses when the time comes to eat them… but then life’s a b*tch and the world still turns and moves on… and so it is…

Im glad PETA is there to keep an eye on the sick f*ckers who dont take care of the livestock and animals… but honestly would God have made bacon… crispy yummy bacon taste so good if he didnt want us to eat it????? so yeah Im not a vegetarian as you can tell… I think it’s great if u have the control to be one but I live my life only once and will enjoy everything while I’m still living on this planet… but I also believe theres always a tactful righteous way of doing things.. so if mr piggy has to be on a farm till he’s fried as bacon… he better be living a good life… lolll… okkk… im rambling now… anyways my point is…

im not really into PETA but I was amazed at how they handled this… I’m an animal pet lover…. I have had cats and dogs both as pets… and loved them royally… and they make good companions and family members… and its a lot of fun… i dont really have to explain the joys of having a pet in the family if you’ve ever had one… so yeah… well you can imagine the horror i was going through when a colleague of mine showed me the link to this site… It’s called Bonsai Kitty…
here’s the link: http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/

So here I am thinking its some dinky little clay bonsai kitty trinket thing online store or something… and I find out there’s some sick b*stard selling live kitties online in glass jars… and drugging them up to mutilate them into the shape of the jar…. I couldnt believe stuff like this could exist… and worse… i went to the guestbook page to find out that people were actually out there buying them!!! it really tugged at my heart strings and made me really messed up to think people really were that sick… i know theres a lot of sick messed up people in this world… but cmon.. little kitties… torturing them like this???…..

this is a pic of the bonsai kitty off the website :(  such a cutie patootie… and he’s all scrunched in there…. :(
So then I decided to go to Peta and report this website and see what they could do….
so here’s what I wrote….

Please someone from PETA please please have a look at this website and act quickly. I can’t believe there are monsters out there who do this to little kittens and worse is there are actually consumers out there buying into this :(  Please do something about this website and stop this cruelty to kittens… It breaks my heart thinking there are monsters out there like this…. Check the links below…

http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/bkmethod.html

http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/

and within 24 hours I got this reply… usually big organizations are too busy to reply with personal responses and send out auto generated replies to the masses…. but not PETA… they gave me the inside scoop…. told me they’ve already been tracking the website and to my delight told me it was just a big hoax and there’s no one torturing kitties and making them into stunted glass bonsai kitties… !!! :)   I was really really happy to hear from PETA and really really impressed that they took the time to assure me it was just fake and let me know what’s happened… So here’s the response from PETA below…

Dear ^^^^,

Thank you for contacting PETA about the Bonsai Kitten Web site.

Although the images on this site were computer-simulated, we share your disgust with this offensive content which makes light of animal abuse, and we fear the actual abuse that it might inspire. We have received word that the FBI, acting on the many calls and e-mail messages that it has received from outraged citizens, has decided to investigate Bonsai Kitten. Please add your voice to the protest by filing a complaint at http://www.ic3.com, a Web-based reporting center developed by the FBI to combat Internet fraud and other forms of Internet crime.

Although BonsaiKitten.com is apparently intended to be a “joke” (http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/bonsai.asp), we feel very strongly that it is neither appropriate nor funny. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has investigated the site’s origin and discovered that the name and address under which it was originally registered (Dr. Michael Wong of New York) are false. The site was reportedly created by an M.I.T. student as a joke among friends. When it initially appeared, a local humane organization investigated but found no evidence of actual animal abuse. It seems that the Web site’s creator was simply trying to draw attention with offensive content.

So far, actions against this and similar Web sites have been an uphill battle, since the one law that even approaches the issue of offensive Web-based content is a law against sending obscene material via e-mail. Unfortunately, unless the site violates its host’s user agreement, it is not illegal. The Bonsai Kitten site has been shut down several times before but continues to reappear with different Web addresses. However, with enough complaints, we are hopeful that Bonsai Kitten will be shut down permanently. To learn more about dealing with Web sites depicting cruelty to animals, see http://www.PETA.org/actioncenter/onlinecruelty.asp.

While the cruelty depicted on this Web site may be nothing more than a sick joke, the reality is that billions of animals suffer under horribly cramped conditions on factory farms. Chickens, calves, and pigs are crammed into cages so small that they can’t even turn or stretch. Veal calves (“byproducts” of the milk industry) are chained in small crates for the duration of their short lives, chickens are squeezed into overcrowded cages where they can barely move, and pregnant and nursing pigs are similarly confined. For more information about how animals suffer on factory farms, please visit http://www.GoVeg.com/factoryFarming.asp.  To learn more about helping cats and other companion animals, please visit http://www.HelpingAnimals.com.

Thank you again for taking the time to express your concern for animals’ safety. We appreciate all that you do to help animals.

Sincerely,

The PETA Staff

http://www.SupportPETA.com

So yah… that’s it… and I’m glad that PETA is not just letting it go as some hoax and following up and making sure this sick jokester is found and brought to trial for making people think this was actually happening… cool right??? at least i thought it was… hmmm….. well im done for todayyyyy……let me know if u’ve come across websites like this…. what do u think about peta??? holler back…  this light is turned off…

Currently listening to
Grey’s Anatomy
By Various Artists

What is the weirdest thing you have eaten?

The weirdest things I have eaten in no particular order… Squid, snails, bear and alligator. The squid ive had on several occasions and its really good. it reminds of the texture of scallops…kinda rubbery but good. Ive had it in seafood restaurants and some in chinese restaurants. snails I had it once when my mom spoke of having escargot and the fact that its a delicacy in France and so she brought them home and made them and forced me to try one… not the most exciting thing to have. I think moreso tried to swallow it down quickly so i wouldn’t have to taste much. lol… Bear I had at a thanksgiving feast once. I didnt taste anything different to what probably chicken would taste like… Alligator I had when I went on a trip to the Everglades. It was part of the tour to have some at a diner nearby since it is a delicacy that they eat in Florida and also a way to keep the alligator population under control. It tasted like chicken. lol..

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Currently reading
New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)
By Stephenie Meyer

New Year’s Eve

Well I havent posted lately cuz Ive been so focussed on just spending every minute I can with my dad while he’s in town visiting. I have been having a great 2-3 weeks spending every evening with my dad, spending all of my weekends with him and just being around him as much as I can. Growing up, especially when I hit highschool things really soured between me and my dad and it left a little void in my heart since then. These past two years things are turning around and we are both focussing on getting to know one another better and having a healthy relationship with each other. He’s also realized Ive grown up and Im doing the best I can at being a substantial and healthy and good citizen of this world and he’s also come to terms with the past so it’s really been good spending time with him these past couple of weeks. My dad is really an amazing guy. I know it sounds silly, me being his daughter making such a statement (it’s as if Im complimenting myself) but he really is. My dad’s pretty old actually which makes me more focussed about spending as much time as I can while’s he’s here. I know one day Im going to really really miss him when it’s his time to go and that’s why I want to make the best of my time while he’s here. living and breathing. I guess we grow up thinking we’ll all live in one happy family forever and ever but after a point, (For me it’s my 20′s) you come to terms with reality that we’re all going to pass on one day. This trip, my dad coming to visit me in India has been an emotional milestone for me because he’s really opened up and was able to tell me about pieces of his life and experiences I had never heard of before. These stories were so profound, it felt it was an honor to be told about these memories of his. Most of his stories went into his years when he first came to America, his college days at Columbia University, how things were back then, finding work after graduating,  people that meant something to him, his relationship with his dad and mom, etc. I love listening, discussing, and reading about life experiences. I think that’s why I enjoy reading certain autobiographies and biographies with a passion.

Anyways, because of my dad being down I didnt get a chance to write about my new year’s eve night. It was really fun. I was in two minds about whether to go or not. I was going to this college friend M’s house for new year’s and I wasnt sure I wanted to be there because my ex-husband’s friends were possibly gonna be there and I didnt want to be the focal point of the gossip getting back to him.( I got married in 2006 to who I thought was the love of my life only to find out after 6 months that he wanted to divorce me because he didnt love me anymore and had fallen in love with a 16 yr old bimbo) My friend M has a tactful apparently unconcious way of bringing up people and subjects that touch a nerve, either making me feel uncomfortable or pissed off. And I had a feeling I wouldnt enjoy myself at her party. I have been tactfully avoiding her throughout the year, taking only sporadic phone calls of hers and conveniently being busy when she’s in town. But I knew it had to stop somewhere. So I faced her. I told her I was rethinking about coming because she brings up bad memories and people in my past that I dont want to remember and I dont want to bump into certain people at her party. And she nicely apologized for doing all that and assured me those certain people were not going to be present at this party and begged me to come. I ended up having a great time, for a party that was pretty much put together last minute, with a handful of people with no plans for new year’s, getting together to do nothing! lol.. it was great. I just told myself before getting there that I was going to enjoy the night and not worry about who thought what.  I met most of my college friends who I don’t meet up with often so it was fun catching up with them. I had not been feeling well that whole week and so I didnt feel like drinking any alcohol. I stuck to my one non-alcoholic sugary sweet love: Apple Juice  and enjoyed chicken kathi rolls with a pasta mayo salad (which i made and brought over) and yummy hot brownies with ice cream.

I hope all of you partied happily and safely. (I saw a car completely flipped over upside down in front of Meridien on the way home at 2am after partying on New Year’s Eve. I just hope everyone involved in that accident was ok!) Id like to take a moment out of my blog to wish everyone, all of you out there a HAPPY NEW YEAR! And as I SMSed everyone this year, (not just forwarded a cheesy corny new year msg) but actually took a moment to reflect on what I wanted to say to everyone…

“Here’s to looking forward to 2009, a fresh 365 days for all of us to learn to be better than we already are, rectify any mistakes made in the past and conquer our dreams.”

With all this birthday – christmas – new year’s eve festivities and family get togethers with dad being in town, i really have been pigging out on good food.  I went to Barbecue Nation the other night with some family which turned out to be this amazing barbecue joint (duh!) an all-you-can-eat for just Rs.450 a head with tons of different barbecues to try and a really nice buffet. I had a lot of fun there with my family just pigging out on one delicious thing after another. I seriously have never eaten the way I did that night. I didnt eat anything the next day until dinner that’s how stuffed i was. But it’s a great place to go to enjoy some REALLY good food. The best barbecues were the potatoes which tasted like a crispy baked potato dunked and oozing with cheese, the fish was really good and so was the chicken. They had a number of different dipping sauces like mint green chutney, chilli sesame sauce, mango chilli dip. Trying out a different barbecue with a different sauce in every bite was like having a different meal in every bite. My personal favorite was the mango chilli sauce. I think im going to experiment and try to make that dip at home for a party I have next time. It was like a sweetish mango pulp softened and pureed into a smooth dip with some chilli pieces added into it, to give it that perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Here’s a picture from my night at Barbecue Nation to make your mouth water. (I took this pic myself)

The trick to getting the maximum for your buck is to skip a meal before you head out to Barbecue Nation. So, if you plan on going there for dinner, skip lunch so you have enough room to stuff yourself with all the food you like. The desserts at the buffet were pretty good, I thought they could have been better. The hot mini gulab jamuns with ice cream were to die for though. yummy stuff.

Now that all the festivities, partying and get togethers are dying down I have promised myself as a new year’s resolution to shake off some pounds and be more physically fit. Im not fat or anything but I want to be healthy not just slimmer. hehe. As they say, just got a lil junk in the trunk! So wish me luck people, to losing some weight being healthy and quitting smoking. Those are my new year’s resolutions so far. what are yours?

Currently listening to My Love ft. T.I.
My Love, Pt. 1
By Justin Timberlake

Dad’s birthday weekend…

Well this past weekend was absolutely great! I don’t think I know anyone who would ever want their weekend to end, but some weekends in particular when you’re really having fun or enjoying them immensely you just try and hold onto every second as hard as you can!! That’s how my weekend was. On Friday evening is when my weekend started. My dad’s come down to P to visit me from California, . When my dad comes down or any family that we meet after a long time, we usually have a family dinner at someone’s house where all my relatives from my dad’s side get together for some drinks and yummy dinner. Its usually my aunt, my uncle (dad’s brother), my cousins, my cousins kids, my brother in law and so forth. We just all have a blast drinking and eating the night away, recalling good memories and having some laughs. Between my dad’s list of errands to do,  his dentist appointments, his meetings with his old IIT college buddies it becomes difficult to figure out when everyone’s free to plan dinners and family get together. But last minute on thursday night we somehow figured out that Friday night would be good. I wanted to try and do it on the weekend so I would have time to cook some stuff since Ive been practicing a lot lately but then Friday was free for everyone so had to grab whatever opportunity I could. I was pretty tired after coming home from work on Friday but by then we had gotten some mutton curry made by Mangal one of our maids who’s really good at making it and rice and other accompaniments had already been arranged. I decided since I couldnt cook the main meal I’ll make something to go along with the drinks so I decided to make onion pakodas (or fritters). When I was growing up onion pakodas were always so yummy to eat and they seemed so complex to make. But after learning how to make them I really was shocked at how simple they are to make! thinly Slice up some onions and add besan (gram flour) till you have a goey type paste and add salt to taste. How easy is that! Then you just deep fry them till their golden brown. So I made that and some cucumber/tomato raita to go along with the mutton curry. I was super nervous cuz since I had moved into my apartment (It’s been one year) I havent invited my family over to see how I set up the place.  Everyone was laughing and having a good time talking about movies and golf and all sorts of discussions. It was really a good night . It was really a lot of fun. We all missed my mom a lot though because she would have loved this dinner. The next morning on Saturday my dad went to Bombay to meet some college friends and he came back on Sunday morning the day of his birthday. I got him a white cotton kurta really smart with white embroidery. He complained that he doesnt get the chance to wear kurtas in California but I know he doesnt have a white kurta and this will look very good on him whenever he does get the chance to wear it. We spent the whole day lazing around in the house on Sunday. I took a nice cat nap in the afternoon. Then in the evening my uncle, aunt, my dad and I went to Magnolia a thai restaurant to celebrate his birthday. It was really delicious food. I am not much of a soup person but they have this amazing soup which is chicken in coconut milk with lemon grass thai soup which I cannot get enough of. I have it every time I go there. Then on the way home we picked up some natural’s ice cream (Roasted Almond) and had it with freshly cut strawberries. All in all it was a very wonderful exciting and relaxed weekend. oh and I officially want to say just for the sake of saying it. I am addicted to Facebook.

Currently listening to Thum Ho Tho
Rock On!! OST