Pigs in Paradise

It’s unanimous! Folks from Maine to Georgia and most Midwesterners have had enough winter weather. We’re freezing here in the States, so how come temperatures rose to almost sixty degrees at the Olympics in Sochi? Apparently Sochi temperatures can hover in the fifties during this time of year. Who knew? Based on the groundhog’s forecast, winter’s sticking around for a while. Wouldn’t a warm, sunny beach feel great about now? They say it’s better in the Bahamas. Let’s see what’s going on there.

                                                   http://youtu.be/O89DvVdthDY 

Did you know pigs could swim? I guess they jumped in the ocean to escape the Caribbean heat. If you plan a trip to the Bahamas—don’t feed the pigs unless you want a few new friends. Maybe the island’s tourism department will change their slogan to something like this: It’s better in the Bahamas when you swim with the pigs!  That probably misses the essence of the Bahamian experience. The island looks like a little piece of paradise. If it’s not the perfect place for you, where’s your paradise?         

 

The Hogzillian Problem

Cable shows draw me in like a magnet. They broadcast stories about people with unusual habits and lifestyles, cooking shows, home shows, history shows, crazy animal tales, and much more.  If you like interesting animal shows, try to catch Hogzilla the next time it airs.

About eight years ago, rumors of an enormous hog living in the back woods circulated among folks in Georgia. One day a hunter shot and killed the legendary wild hog that measured over seven feet long and weighed nearly eight hundred pounds. That’s a lot of bacon! Anyhow, the episode told me all I needed to know about pigs, which is why I enjoy these shows!    

  

If farm-raised pigs escape into the wild, within weeks they revert to their wild nature and often attack without provocation. Their voracious appetites annoy farmers because the pigs devour huge quantities of crops. I also learned that pigs continue to grow as long as they have enough food—hence Hogzilla. Down south, farmers struggle to control the wild hog population and the problems the animals cause.    

Everyday we face a variety of problems ranging from worries over the hogzillian national debt to decisions about what to buy family members for Christmas. Here’s a guy who understands something about problems:

                                         http://youtu.be/D2p5svFJ9cQ

The song is a reality check that helps keep our focus on real problems. What’s the biggest problem you’ve faced and how was it resolved?     

The Raw Truth

“Why are you doing this to us?”

Don’t worry, no foul play here. That’s the question I heard at the dinner table when I told the kids to eat their lima beans. I can think of worse things to eat. As a child, I was curious and didn’t mind tasting various foods. I’ve eaten liver, the dreaded brussels sprouts and several parts of a pig that I wouldn’t touch now.

I don’t know how I survived eating grade school lunches. Back then, my classmates seemed to have an unspoken rule for not admitting that we enjoyed any of the meals, even after grabbing  second helpings. Despite the school administration’s attempt to make the lunches nutritious, the vegetables still tasted awful. Many times they arrived cold, undercooked and flavorless. The school cooks should have skipped the cooking and served the veggies raw.  Most people probably prefer raw vegetables anyway, except in this video. Forget flavor, these people think certain vegetables are downright dangerous.  Take a look:

                                          http://youtu.be/MPMGqvLo7fM

I’m sure my kids would love to toss lima beans off their plates. Unfortunately, following our initial instincts doesn’t always cause us to choose the best option. What do you resist doing, but muddle through because it’s the wisest decision?