So here I sit, a rainy night in Paris, listening to the Beatles. Life is good, and wine is tasty.

Once again, my thoughts drift towards food. Today, I had andouillette at lunch today, and I have to admit it isn't too bad. All the French people were watching me intensely, waiting for my reaction on my first bite, and hey it was decent. Now, not all of you out there in cyber land will like it, but with a decent mustard sauce, it's an interesting culinary experience. Speaking of culinary experiences, my food goal for this weekend is to find a horse steak as France is one of the few places in the world I could enjoy this delicacy. I've heard nothing but good things.

This brings me to my second point of the post. I think, as being from North America, we think too much about our food in some respects. I say, shut up, eat it, and enjoy it fer chrissakes. I meet almost no vegetarians out here, when I mention the idea, people look at me like I'm stupid. The idea of humanizing animals is utterly foolish. Do we ever see animals with ethics? No, of course not. Mother animals only care for their young because evolution dictates that they do because that results in their genes propagating the best.

But this brings me to my third point, despite the fact that I think it is entirely acceptable to eat animals, we still have to respect what it is we have taken from them for our food. I remember watching a Jamie Oliver show when he was in Italy. The locals had killed a wild boar, and brought it back to the village. They brought the children out and had them watch as they slaughtered and cleaned the animal. As this was happening, one of the adults was talking to the children about how this is life is and this is where your food comes from. I think in Western society we lose touch with this, most people don't really think of the cow which was killed when they go to the supermarket to buy their steak. It is very disconnected, and I really lament this. I still remember being 8 or so, and my uncle taking me to the slaughterhouse where my other uncle worked to get the ingredients for head cheese. While it was a little disturbing at the time, I realize now the importance of such an experience. This is what is required, there is a consequence for the food that you eat. I think that everyone who eats meat should have to go out and see how the process is done for their food. This is life folks, stop hiding behind your televisions and experience and realize it.

So, this brings me to my fourth points (I know, I was really on a roll today!). I was talking with about this a bit with my Finnish friend at work and he completely agreed. He then mentioned to me that he knows a few people that go on wild boar hunts here in France and that he's been on them. So we've tenatively planned to try to go on one in November. Apparently they hunt with spears, how cool is that? They have people who flush the boar out of the bushes (haha, probably me) and then surround it with horse riders who spear it. That would be an utterly European and intense experience. The idea of tracking your food is something really enthralling to me.

Speaking of cool, how cool is Peter MacKay? Pretty damn cool: click! God I love that guy, from the comments on Belinda Stronach to every hilarious comment on politics in general, he's great. I'd love to see him in a leadership position in Canada in a few years.

So this weekend the plan is to go to Harry's New York Bar in Paris where Hemingway used to hang out at so I can have an overly expensive coffee. Take pictures of the Basilica and Panthenon, buy some books and wander parks. It should be exciting.

Oh, and don't drop Nutella containers on tile. They blow up and chocolate with shards of glass go everywhere. Especially not at midnight...after a few glasses of wine. Le sigh.

Party on everybody, and I'll see some of you soon and others, well, less soon.

EDIT: I realized I had one last rant left in me. Click!
Who the hell does MADD think they are? They have no right to start criticizing how much people drink when THEY ARE TAKING THE FUCKING TRAIN! This stupid corporate entity (yes, look it up, it's not a non-profit organization) are trying to retain their relevancy after they have already met their goals. Yes, this is true folks, MADD has done what their original founder wanted accomplished, setting the law for 0.08 BAC level as the legal limit. In fact, they fired the founder and adopted a corporate structure just so they COULD CONTINUE TO EXIST. The government already tells us what drugs they think we can do, they regulate our alcohol consumption, the tax the hell out of our cigarettes, do we really need a proverbial nanny telling us all the time as well? Hell, it wouldn't be so bad if they actually cared about us, but no, they are just doing it so they can make money. The government and corporations especially, should stay out of people's private lives and specifically their private "victim-less crimes". NOTE: I see no victims in enjoying some intoxication with friends and when you aren't behind the wheel of a car.

*breathe out* ok, got that out. Ranting done...for now.