So the angry Brit visited the angry state a few weeks ago. Yup, I finally did it. I visited THE place I've been wanting to go ever since childhood. Growing up on a diet of American sitcoms and cartoons Id been like a dog with a bone for years telling myself that next year would be the year I would finally cross that big pond.
It was actually a spur of the moment decision. Faced with yet another year of longing and having pretty much zilch to look forward to in 2013, I banged the whole thing on the credit card and thought fuck it!
Over the years with my various internet antics I have met a large group of people who have been a huge part of my life over the last 8 years especially so figured this was a good time to go and possibly get murdered down a dark alley in the middle of Manhattan. I have to say that I'm very disappointed that not one of them were freaks!
Let me say firstly that a week isn't long enough to see and do everything. As a honorary American, I'm not a typical ignorant Brit that assumes that all Americans live in a 10 mile radius and everyone knows each other but I just couldn't get over the size of the place. In my travels over the week I visited the city to do the typical touristy stuff, I stayed on Long Island (aptly named) was in New Jersey at one point, Brooklyn for a very short space of time, Queens which I loved (I know I will get the piss ripped out of me for that one) The Bronx (big shout out to D!) and a few other places I just kinda drove through.
Oh yeah, did you know they drive on the wrong side of the road??? I kept getting in the wrong side of the bloody car which amused my yank friends no end. After 35 years of getting in on the opposite side of the car this became frustrating but funny non the less.
The city, was amazing. I didn't see everything that I wanted to and some places I loved so much I went to several times. I had been warned that it was smelly and dirty and the people were rude but my experience was far from that. The only thing that was smelly and dirty was the bathrooms in Macys. Really Macys I expected more from you!!! Grotty just isn't the word. And what is the deal with the bathroom stalls across the pond??? The doors have gaps. I felt like I was on show every time I needed to go pee.
I loved it though. Rockefeller Center was everything Id hoped and more. Ok, I didn't get to experience my childhood dream of skating under the huge tree but now good ole NY just doesn't seem that far away so I know I will get to do it eventually. The Empire State Building was fantastic and thank you to my very knowledgeable tour guides (much love to M and F) I learnt a lot about the city that I've probably already forgotten.
Ok so the flying is a bit of a ball ache and I think next time I might just do a direct flight (I flew to Ireland then to JFK) but that huge pond now feels like a puddle although I may need to sell a few of my organs to fund the next trip. Its relatively cheap to eat and do stuff but I bought a lot of souvenirs.
I could continue. I could list everything I did but I wont bore you any further. I know this blog is a complete departure from my usual blogs but I wanted to note it.
But before I go and normal programming resumes...
The best thing though were the people. Without the friends I visited it would've just been a trip to the states. With them it was an experience of a lifetime that I will repeat soon.
Watch out New York, the Redcoats are coming again!
Monday, 24 June 2013
Friday, 8 February 2013
Unexpected item in the bagging area!!!
There has been a lot of coverage lately in the news about horse meat found in burgers and other beef products being sold in the UK. People are horrified. Products are being removed from sale and there is just generally a big scandal.
From the news I've read (which includes many sources) I'm beginning to think that someone in those companies knew exactly what they were sending out to the supermarket shelves. I mean come on, some companies will stop at nothing to turn a huge profit. This has been a universal truth since the dawn of time. They do their own fucking tests as well as the FSA (Food Standards Agency) and this wasn't picked up? Just how long has it been going on? Well if you believe some papers, probably years!
But here's a question - Am I the only one that really doest give a fuck about this?
I am more bothered about the shit they put in our food that we don't know about. If they can get away with sticking horse meat into our burgers and frozen lasagnes then what the hell else is in there?
I think the question that isn't being asked and really should be is, where are these horses coming from? Are they cared for properly? Are they slaughtered properly? Are they old horses that have come to the end of their blissful life of trotting round a lush field for the last 10 years or are they animals that were purely reared for their meat?
I mean come on people, you're cramming Burger King and frozen lasagnes down your throat for fuck sake, neither of them have any natural nutritional value, it all has to be added artificially and you're crying coz there's horse meat in them? Well it must've tasted fine or you wouldn't have fucking eaten it!
Horse meat isn't a a bad meat or an illegal meat. The French eat it (ok, maybe not the best example coz the French people I know personally will eat anything!) but it is a recognised food substance. I mean come on, really, are you just getting pissy coz horses are cute and you ride them at fairs and watched too much black beauty as a kid?
The same shit happened with rabbit. Rabbit was a very huge part of the staple diet here in England at one time and I'm sure that was true of the rest of the world. Rabbit is a great meat, its low fat and it pretty much takes care of itself as an animal. They're wild and they breed like, well, rabbits! There is always tons of the little fuckers about. But suddenly they become pets and appear on Easter cards and now no one will eat them. Personally I blame Bugs Bunny. (I would've had no problem eating him, annoying little shit)
For me all this argument should be about is the safety of the meat used and the welfare of the animal. Period. Besides, come the zombie apocalypse, we will all be eating rat burgers eventually anyways.
From the news I've read (which includes many sources) I'm beginning to think that someone in those companies knew exactly what they were sending out to the supermarket shelves. I mean come on, some companies will stop at nothing to turn a huge profit. This has been a universal truth since the dawn of time. They do their own fucking tests as well as the FSA (Food Standards Agency) and this wasn't picked up? Just how long has it been going on? Well if you believe some papers, probably years!
But here's a question - Am I the only one that really doest give a fuck about this?
I am more bothered about the shit they put in our food that we don't know about. If they can get away with sticking horse meat into our burgers and frozen lasagnes then what the hell else is in there?
I think the question that isn't being asked and really should be is, where are these horses coming from? Are they cared for properly? Are they slaughtered properly? Are they old horses that have come to the end of their blissful life of trotting round a lush field for the last 10 years or are they animals that were purely reared for their meat?
I mean come on people, you're cramming Burger King and frozen lasagnes down your throat for fuck sake, neither of them have any natural nutritional value, it all has to be added artificially and you're crying coz there's horse meat in them? Well it must've tasted fine or you wouldn't have fucking eaten it!
Horse meat isn't a a bad meat or an illegal meat. The French eat it (ok, maybe not the best example coz the French people I know personally will eat anything!) but it is a recognised food substance. I mean come on, really, are you just getting pissy coz horses are cute and you ride them at fairs and watched too much black beauty as a kid?
The same shit happened with rabbit. Rabbit was a very huge part of the staple diet here in England at one time and I'm sure that was true of the rest of the world. Rabbit is a great meat, its low fat and it pretty much takes care of itself as an animal. They're wild and they breed like, well, rabbits! There is always tons of the little fuckers about. But suddenly they become pets and appear on Easter cards and now no one will eat them. Personally I blame Bugs Bunny. (I would've had no problem eating him, annoying little shit)
For me all this argument should be about is the safety of the meat used and the welfare of the animal. Period. Besides, come the zombie apocalypse, we will all be eating rat burgers eventually anyways.
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