It's just been too long since a post, so let's get the ball rolling again! Here I am, studying for my last final, and there's nothing to distract me? Come on.

Uhhh, what's on your mind?

- what are your favorite baked goods for Christmas?
- was the 2nd season of Eastbound & Down a little emotionally heavy or what?
- what was the best album of 2010?
- what are you doing to stay warm during the cold snap?
- read any good books lately?

Summer Reading Roundup: Eating Animals

I'd never read anything by Jonathan Safran Foer before, but I was always drawn to his cover art. Eating Animals was no different, plus it was on a topic that matters to me, and I may have bought it for Robert this Christmas because I wanted to read it. Well folks, I finally got around to reading it, a mere 7 months later!

I get preachy enough on JOP that I'll spare you a point-by-point summary of this book, but you should know that it is really good, really thoroughly researched, really well written, and I am vividly sicked-out by the bacon that just a few weeks ago I (a "vegetarian") ate.

The premise is that we all know animal slaughter is disgusting; we all know factory farming is wrong. The information is there for all of us and nobody doubts how awful factory farms are for us, for the environment, for communities, and finally for the animals. So why do we ignore that and keep eating meat? "Because it tastes good." Weak! Don't start with the "protein" junk, either. Americans get way too much protein and it has a lot to do with our cancer incidence.

But don't take my word for it! Eating Animals, which is a quick, page-turning read, gets the solidest A.

Thirtysomething

Am I crazy for loving this opening sequence as much as I do?? Forget Fireproof: let's watch Thirtysomething! I'm willing to start at the beginning of Season 1 if you guys are into it. IT IS REALLY GOOD.

PS: is it significant that the creator of this video (on youtube) is "tiggstiggstiggs"?

Not to detract from Haiti relief, but I gotta talk about Twitter.

Let me level with you folks. I joined Twitter maybe a week ago and it's been rough going. That stuff is great for making fun of celebrities and being the "first" to know about viral videos, but as far as real-people go, it's horrible. Probably because none (1% ?) of the real people in my life are on it, so it's nowhere near as compelling/entertaining/wtf-ing as facebook. So this is me saying: are you on Twitter? Should I even bother?

The reason I think I should bother is because it's a big deal in my department. Twitter this, crowdsourcing that...honestly people, I think it's here to stay. If not in this version, then the next, but it's coming for us. If you're a heretofore anonymous reader and you follow me, I won't reveal your identity. And it won't be weird! Twitter isn't weird, right?!???

So what do you say? Surf into the future on the Twitter wave with me?

Upcoming on JOP...

Do you hear what I hear (that is, if what you hear is a "2009: the Year in Pictures" series)????

Visit your other sites for recaps of the decade; here at JOP we are concerned with one thing only: 2009! and that includes a big big big big big backlog of unanswered advice questions.

So Merry Christmas to you, and STAY TUNED!