The Weekly Meat

The VGT Omnivore's 100

Thanks to Dean Clean for steering me to this excellent social exercise in Omnivorous braggadocio cataloging. And not a moment too soon — as I am juggling three meatier posts and was hoping to serve somewhat lighter fare this week....

I’ve eaten 67/100. I’ll skip 4. Looking forward to (most of) the other 29.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile [Alligator]
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp [possible, but not sure]
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses [possible, but not sure]
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian [Okra]
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Running the Table

Every so often, a confluence of three major events occurs in my life. Sometimes I can see these trifectas coming, sometimes I can't.

In the spring of 2004, the Philadelphia Flyers (over which, longtime readers will recognize, I'm a bit fanatical) went deep into the hockey playoffs and had a good shot to win the Stanley Cup (a feat they haven't accomplished since I was 9); superhorse and Philly native Smarty Jones had a legitimate shot at winning the Triple Crown; and my wife and I were trying our damndest to get pregnant. Not a one happened.

A few months later, John Kerry was vying for the White House, while my local if not lifetime obsession, the Red Sox were vying for their first World Series in 86 years, and still, my wife and I were trying our damndest to stay pregnant. At least one of those three turned out well.

The latest confluence, I could see on the horizon for the past month now, and (somewhat shockingly and for maybe the first time in history) this time the deals have all gone down in my favor.

Within the span of a week, my hometown Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, Barack Obama won the election, and I was not one of the hundreds of employees at my workplace to be laid off.

Three major deals. And it would be a lie to say I haven't toyed with their order of priority many times during the weeks leading up to their occurrence. It was possibly the biggest throwdown of my life. Or, as my brother emailed in regard to the Phillies and Obama victories, "It overstates nothing to say that we've witnessed two of the most exciting moments in our lives within the last 7 days." And he wasn't even in danger of being laid off.

I know full well, as we all should by now, that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results, but damn, I don't generally run the table like this. I mean, in addition to the election of Obama, all state races and ballot initiatives even went the way I voted.

Now, of course, because fate is too often a cruel wench, I find myself wondering if there is a fourth unforeseen shoe waiting to drop. As anyone familiar with the parimutuel windows knows, it's painfully possible to hit the trifecta but miss out on the superfecta. Because typically, when the hits just keep on coming, I'm being beaten down and feeling pimped by life, not lifted up.

Which is why the latest trifecta success seems to be almost a referendum on how I see myself. I mean, as a guy from a city of underdogs as also-rans, can I allow that not only do "bad things happen to good people" but that sometimes good things actually happen too. And when they do, can it possibly be without adverse consequences (possible longer term presidential missteps notwithstanding)?

Who knows? Funny though how a phrase like "run the table" creeps into my thinking — as if I ran the table. Yes, I've been a Phils fan for a long time, went to a game while in Philly this year; yes, I donated to Obama's campaign, advocated his candidacy on this blog, and proudly voted for him Tuesday; yes, I do my job well and try to make myself invaluable to the team at work. Clearly, though, these scenarios that affect me hugely — emotionally, economically, spiritually, professionally — are being played out by those far above my pay grade.

But still. It's been a hell of a week.

GOTV

Reminder to get out the vote:

The Sound of Change

It's that time once again, where we get our vote on — and hopefully change the downward direction of this country. So let's do it. Early and often, and with songs of change playing loud.

In compiling a solid playlist, we'll need tunes from the following tried and true political musical genres:

The Man:

Sex Pistols — "God Save the Queen"

God bless the Sex Pistols. You can just about hear the spit and bile coming from Johnny Rotten's maw.

God save the queen
She ain't no human being
There is no future
In England's dreaming

Five Man Electrical Band — "Signs"

Sure, I could substitute Gil-Scott Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," (which I do most definitely dig, brother) but it would be too predictable in that self-consciously hip sort of way. So I'll roll with a tune I used to love back when I was pissed off that I'd surely been born in the wrong decade — namely, this one-hit wonder's fantastic anti-ode to The Man.

And the sign said, "Long haired freaky people need not apply"
So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said, "You look like a fine upstanding young man, I think you'll do"
So I took off my hat, I said, "Imagine that- huh- me working for you..."

Billy Bragg — "It Says Here"

There are loads of other Billy Bragg songs to pick from, but I'm a big fan of this bare-bones critique of the press. The simplicity of the voice, electric guitar, and the message rocks.

Those braying voices on the right of the House
Are echoed down the Street of Shame
Where politics mix with bingo and tits
In a strictly money and numbers game
Where they offer you a feature on stockings and suspenders
Next to a call for stiffer penalties for sex offenders

Civil Rights:

Marvin Gaye — "Inner City Blues"

Make me wanna holler I wish Marvin was still hollering. The message never sounded so soulful.

Crime is increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God know where we're heading
Oh, make me wanna holler
They don't understand

Sly and the Family Stone — "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey"

The name says it all. It took all of Sly and company's interracial funk kung fu to pull off these straightforward, confrontational lyrics (not to mention that wah-wah pedal) in this 1969 classic that surely made Richard Pryor proud.

Well I was down, across the country
And I heard two voices ring
They were talkin' angry to each other
And neither other could change a thing
Don't call me "nigger," whitey
Don't call me "whitey," nigger...

Public Enemy — "Fight the Power"

This tune plays like a Greek chorus (and to excellent effect) in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. Chuck D has the strongest and most authoritative voice in rap.

Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me, you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Motheruck him and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps

War:

Stiff Little Fingers — "Wasted Life"

I first heard this song on an old mix tape. It got cut off after about a minute, but that minute of raw power introduced me to SLF and their outstanding brand of Belfast punk, and made me run out to buy the album.

I could be a soldier
Go out there and fight to save this land
Be a people's soldier
Paramilitary gun in hand
I won't be a soldier
I won't take no orders from no-one
Stuff their fucking armies
Killing isn't my idea of fun

U2 — "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

Another classic against The Troubles in Northern Ireland and about the Derry incident in particular.

Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I wont heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall

Bob Dylan — "Masters of War"

While most of these songs of protest type lists cite "Blowin' in the Wind," it's not anywhere close to my top 25 Dylan tunes. So for my money, I'll take one that is.

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

The Cult of Personality:

The Ramones — "My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)"

Boy, that early-'80s 1–2 punch of Reagan and Thatcher did nearly as much to inspire great music as bad relationships. About Reagan's ill-advised 1985 trip to Bitburg cemetery — where several dozen SS troops are buried — this isn't the most rocking Ramones' tune, but it's arguably the one with the most soul driving it.

Shaking hands with your highness
See through you like cellophane
You watch the world complain, but you do it anyway
Who am I, am I to say...
Bonzo goes to Bitburg, then goes out for a cup of tea...

Dead Kennedys — "California Über Alles"

Great song despite the fact that the lyrics are a bit flawed, message-wise. Still, a campy, witty, anarchic, fantastic look at unchecked power from the far left.

I am Governor Jerry Brown
My aura smiles
And never frowns
Soon I will be president...
Carter Power will soon go away
I will be Fuhrer one day
I will command all of you
Your kids will meditate in school...

Eminem — "Mosh"

A bit of an odd pick for me. I'm not a huge fan of Eminem, but this is a particularly excellent rant against Bush the younger. I remember well when this video came out before the 2004 elections, and it looks as good and has as much power now as it did then.

Let the president answer a higher anarchy
Strap him with an AK-47, let him go, fight his own war
Let him impress daddy that way
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain't loyal
If we don't serve our own country, we're patronizing a hero
Look in his eyes its all lies
The stars and stripes, they've been swiped, washed out and wiped
And replaced with his own face....

Alright, which other tunes have I missed? Think on it while you listen.

Billy Bragg — It Says Here
Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey — Sly & the Family Stone
Wasted Life — Stiff Little Fingers
Mosh — Eminem