The Importance of Animals

Animal torture or cruelty should not be thought of nor should it have been achieved ever. It hurts my heart knowing we kill animals in the most gruesome way just so we can survive. Deep down animals are just like humans in a subconscious kind of way. Meaning animals have their own way of thinking and learning. On top of that we don’t think about their feelings. It comes to mind to wonder how much different are we to animals. The difference between animal and human beings is of course by size, body shape, and certain organs. By me saying that we should treat animals with compassion. Opinions about farming methods differ, but ultimately natural farming is the most humane option. 

I recently found out that there's a thing known as commercial farming and natural free farming. Industrial farming has heaps of animals in captivity in small spaces where it's continually uncomfortable. Not handiest is it unpleasing however the animals are forced to live in a chaotic experience before dying. Natural free farming is when animals are feed well, have limitless walking space, and can clearly experience their lifestyles until demise. When it comes right down to farming, I accept as true with it is better to do matters the natural manner rather than being tortured to death. Not only do animals have to stay in these situations, but also commercial farming is detrimental to the earth. Once more free farming is ten times better; now not just for the animals itself but for us as well. I want to prevent commercial farming and start free farming the natural way. 

When it comes down to commercial farming there are multiple flaws we are not noticing or taking any action of. Industrial farming consequences our meals pleasant by means of injecting meds and antibiotics into the animal. With that being stated its most probably for them to capture an ailment. If the animal catches the sickness then the meals supply will be poor and which could impact our health. Also, with an animal catching a sickness it is an excessive danger that it'll spread. A sickness spreading through a factory will cut down on food supply better yet bad food quality. Another manner for farm animals to capture a sickness is from unclean conditions in the facility. Meaning the blood and organs need to be cleaned as soon as possible. All this can be avoided if we didn’t have to slaughter a large number of animals at one time. 

The overcrowding of animals can cause an effect at the surroundings of the environment just by the amount of wastes they produce. This can affect land, air, and water pollutants. However, if the factory isn’t large enough to hold all animals they jump straight into deforestation. Deforestation is important because the trees give off oxygen and supplies crops. Without the forest we won’t get our nutrients from the crops, plus greenhouse gases will be in the atmosphere. Due to those conditions this form of farming is dangerous to global warming because the emissions are going into the atmosphere, animal habitats that are being destroyed, and food supply decreases. 

Animals deserve to live a free life before they die for our human desires. It didn’t occur to me in the beginning whether or not animals had feelings or what goes thru their head because we are constantly controlling their lifestyles starting from birth. I may be a meat eater but I disagree with how animals are being treated. Kingsolver the author of "You Can’t Run Away on Harvest Day," feels that the only way it’s possible for her to eat meat is if the animals are treated with kindness such as food, water, and unlimited walking space. Living this way is better for animals instead of being crunched up in a single spot and treated poorly till death day. 

There is a film called “Dominion” that’s shows how awful animals are being treated before they are slaughtered. I witnessed how sheep are being punched, pigs being kicked, baby chicks getting their fur pulled off, and hens being thrown into the wall several times just before they die. The workers even use a stun gun that doesn’t take effect the first time so they have to keep torturing the animal til death. They even put the animals into a cut up machine with their alive or cut their throats so they can bleed out. I couldn’t with stand to watch the full video it was just to disturbing to watch.  

There is a phrase most people know, it goes by “slow and steady wins the race.” In this predicament I find that true because with industrial farming they give good quality at a fast paste but we can get even better quality If we switch over to natural farming. Natural farming makes our whole environment healthier. Natural farming is especially critical to the soil and it protects it from erosion. The natural agriculture reduces nonrenewable strength which decreases chemical compounds polluting within the air. Natural farmers in recent times are dropping cash due to seeking to compete with business farmers. Eliot Coleman who is actually a local farmer states that “industrial organic is now dead as a meaningful synonym for the highest quality food. Those of us who still care need to identify not only that our food is grown to higher, more considered standards but also that it is much fresher because it is grown by a local farmer (268).” Coleman believes in local farming helps improve soil for better quality food and wants everyone to know it’s better to be natural. 

Industrial farming brings unfortunate conditions we can’t manage. The major step we need to take is what are we able to do to save anymore harm. We should start off by of course switching completely over to natural farming. An environmentalist named Bill McKibben gives important suggestions of how he will only eat meat if local farming is done the right way because he disapproves of factory farmed meat. Not only doesn’t he like factory meat, but also he cares more about the ecosystem and agriculture. Mckibben advises that “The key technology here is the single-strand electric fence...That means shifting from feedlot farming to rotational grazing is one of the few changes we could make that’s on the same scale as the problem of global warming.” McKibben's proposal knocks out two problems easily with no negative impact. Another way to prevent any more damage is letting animals fertilize the soil so crops can grow. Once the crops are grown in and healthy the animals can get the right nutrients they need to produce consistently. 

Different evaluations range from which farming method is better. Industrial farming is currently the maximum efficient way of producing mass quantities of animal protein. It gives off a greater need for higher performance systems of food output. When it comes to industrial farming meat manufacturing has also been growing, which means that lower monetary expenses of animal merchandise. Needless to mention, that is directly due to the growing volume of cattle owned by large meals companies coupled with the heightened performance of industrial farming. Supporters of industrial farming consider that it is the first-rate way for massive meals organizations to be able to feed tens of millions of human beings in the shortest time frame possible. 

My opinion nevertheless stands that animals deserve freedom. They are our food supply so we ought to keep in mind the maximum humane manner to farm is for the greater good of treating animals with kindness. Despite all the wrong doings on a living species is uncanny. We can do improve the environment as well by just switching over to the future method of natural farming. 

Page Break 

Work Cited 

Coleman, Eliot. “Real Food, Real Farming,” Food Matters, pp. 266-269 

Kingsolver, Barbara.” You Cant Run Away on Harvest Day.” Food Matters, pp. 218-228 

McKibben, Bill.” The Only Way to Have a Cow.” Food Matters, pp. 229-232 

Monson, Shaun.” Dominion.” YouTube.com, Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Sia, Sadle Sink, and Kat Von D. Directed by Chris Delforce, Publisher Aussie Farms, October 9, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQRAfJyEsko 

"Animal Farm" by Danuta Stawarz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

"Animal Farm" by Danuta Stawarz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

Red Lobster

Have you ever walked into a place and all of a sudden felt a strong positive vibe? No? Well it’s this one place I know as soon as you walk through the doors you sense happiness, joy, delight, and pleasure. Not only can you sense it, but you see multiple families with all types of smiles and laughter. I couldn’t believe my eyes nor what I was feeling. Red Lobster’s scenery was very overwhelming. I’ve been going to Red Lobster for years and not once did I have a bad experience. Until recently that all changed. One weekend I was on vacation in Orlando with my mom, sister, and one of her friends. We were dying of hunger but didn’t want to go far from the house since we had been driving all day to get there. My sister brought up a theory saying “Hey I saw a Red Lobster down the street. Why don’t we just go their instead?” We all agreed to go but little did we know it was about to go downhill. I normally have great moments at red lobster but this one was not.

In my head all I'm thinking about is what delicious plate I should order. Arriving to Red Lobster it was a slight delay on getting us seated which was odd because they usually have great customer service. The waitress got us settled in a booth. Each one of us ordered our drinks and browse the menu. Once we received our drinks, I noticed an insect swimming in my lemonade like it was pool. I was shocked and disgusted so I received another lemonade. I didn’t have a bug in this one but it wasn’t even cold, everybody else’s beverage wasn’t cold either. So far, I'm not liking this experience. 

Red Lobster started around March 1968 in Lakeland Florida. Darden restaurants was the original owner until 2014 when Golden Gate Capital became its new owner. Darden restaurants actually sold RL to generate higher value for the company and shareholders. They have expanded to 700 locations in 11 countries. Red Lobster is also known to be one of the best family friendly restaurants that sell overpriced seafood. Their source of food comes from different seas over the globe such as the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Based off these facts it’s been claimed that Red Lobster is a five-star restaurant. If the ratings say its five stars then why did I witness a two star experience. 

I took notes on other things while sitting at the booth waiting to be served. I noticed how the waitress was a little slow moving between tables. She would also forget what you would ask of her; for example a refill of your beverage. She maintained having a smile on her face and was polite throughout the night. Another thing that caught my attention was there weren't many people on the floor serving. I assumed they were low of staff that night. Other tables were having the exact same problem of how slow the wait time was just to get served. 

There was only one thing that I truly enjoyed while being at the restaurant. I was speechless every time a fresh batch of biscuits hit the center of our table. I savor every moment when i take a bite. The flavor kept my mouth watering hoping i could get unlimited biscuits forever. It’s like the flavor swept me off my feet. Not only was it the biscuits. I was also served my meal which was a simple shrimp and fries but this didn’t taste like your average shrimp and fries. Each bite made it feel like they put something magical into the food. I'm not a big fan of seafood but the taste was ever lasting on my tongue. I suddenly had the erge to try different dishes.

My family wasn’t pleased with the overall experience. Not even the food changed their mind. Throughout the night we only enjoyed each others presence and conversation. We wondered why we actually sat their hoping things would be better. At that point we just wanted to hurry up to eat so we can leave. 

I began to wonder why this Red Lobster was so much different. It started to hit me and I realized what if this happens a lot just in different locations. A lightbulb clicked in my head and I got the idea of finding what Red Lobster is really about. I wanted to know what their goal is, what symbolizes their restaurant, where does their supply come from, and do they even have a nutritious menu.

I couldn’t resist much longer, I needed to know more information. In my head I cut on a switch and I instantly became a Sherlock Holmes Jr. Instantly I felt the nerve to actually interview an employee or manager. I took the time to go to a Red Lobster near me so I can interview a manager to help me understand what they symbolize. I met up with a manager named Johnathan Grey and I asked him what their top goal is on a daily basis. He told me, “Red Lobster’s main objective is to give off great customer service and sales.” Red Lobster is trying to earn their keep of being one of the top restaurants serving seafood all across the world. Red Lobster has set high standards since they first opened up and still wants to continue to exceed. They explain to the people that “Our commitment to creating and upholding standards that ensure availability of seafood for generations” (“Seafood with Standards”). Behind the scenes they receive their food supply from a special company that delivers to them. Also, I realized that within their menu they have a diversity of food. The menu contains a no gluten free section, but most of the menu is 85% sea food, and 15% land. With that being said everything is majority healthy and you can tell just by looking at each dish to see how many calories with quantity count. An exciting fun fact to increase sales bartenders are able to make their own drinks and sell them. Red lobster goes out their own way to satisfy whoever walks through the door. It's important to them that they want to keep a long-term commitment of the seafood they serve. 

This restaurant has way more to offer then just food. They also give back to the community. One way they give back is Red Lobster having their very own shares program where they donate food to local food pantries and different organizations almost every week. It’s been said they have donated 20 million meals. Another way they help people is an employee emergency assistance fund. Each employee tabs in a certain amount for whenever a team member needs to cover unexpected expenses. Last but not least since Red Lobsters headquarters are in Orlando, they save tons of money for the Boys & Girls Club, supply and toy drives.

I don’t know about you but Red Lobster still has me on its side. I know running a restaurant isn’t easy but they play it off smooth with no hesitation that we the people are their true goal. Their goal is our satisfaction and of course our money but, in a way, they earn it. In my perspective I see that the bad experience I had was just a night that wasn’t planned out the way they hoped. I’m still a little curious to go to different locations to see how they function. 

Whether its customer service, the food, or even the sales goal to reach after every night it’s their job to achieve greatness and success. I started to believe that within any restaurant there will be bad experiences going to happen because nothing goes perfect all the time. Even if I experienced one bad night, I still drag myself to eat their whenever I can. One incident can’t rewrite the good memories had. I see It as a balanced, there will be good times and bad but don’t expect too much. 

Works Citied

"Red Lobster" by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

""Red Lobster"" by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

Grey, Johnathan. Personal Interview. 25 Sept. 2019

“Seafood with standards.”  Red Lobster, 25 Sept. 2019, https://www.redlobster.com/our-story/seafood-with-standards/our-beliefs

The Ultimate Dish

I have been hiding this secret for a long time, but I realized it's time to let the world know the truth. Spaghetti is hands down the best dish you’ll ever eat. It holds no comparison to even your favorite junk food that you eat on a daily basis. You see spaghetti is much more than just noodles in a bowl, it’s a way of life. I remember I was at my aunts for the weekend and she decided to cook spaghetti for the family. In my head, I was only thinking was it as good as my grandmothers. You would think the best quality comes from a restaurant. In all my years this far was the best I've ever tasted. I remember asking “can I please have seconds”. Never in my life do I ever ask for seconds no matter what's in front of me, but I don’t know what just came out of me. I felt as if I was evolving just by the wonderful taste. I started assuming she put her foot all in the pot because I had to keep going back for more. I’ve enjoyed many amazing experiences in my life, but this by far tops the charts.
I find it amazing that there are different types of food all around the world within cultures we know nothing about. I may be from the United States but my appetite is diverse. It's been told the top three culture foods are from Italy, China, and France. Frances best dish is Escargot (pests), China offers the best sweet and sour pork, of course, Italy serves the very best of SPAGHETTI. This dish is a well-known perk in life to deal with physical issues, yes, it's true I speak of the impossible becoming reality.

The secret behind spaghetti is that no one pays attention to how it affects our body physically. Why is it a secret you might ask? It may be pasta but its literally good for you. I've heard that this particular pasta “can be part of a healthy diet”. Also “it is lower in calories and carbs but higher in fiber and nutrients”. You can't tell me this isn't a two for one special when it comes down to this dish. I bet there's nothing that can compare.

It has always remained a mystery to me of how we come up with the ideas for all these delicious recipes being made throughout the world. Better yet behind the scenes, we don’t know who are the creators of tasty foods. It’s a little complicated, but it's been said: “it was invented in China and Marco Polo brought the knowledge of this food to Venice.” I just know I'm truly grateful that he made a dish so heavenly. Marco Polo was in China for some time trying out new pasta here and there to see which was the best. While in China he decided to spread the knowledge all the way to Italy. When you think of the dish now its seems so simple. You just boil noodles and add sauce, how hard could it be. However, the dish hadn’t even been thought of before Marco Polo. It’s intriguing to think of all the amazing desserts and dishes that are developed simply because we were either hungry or feeling creative. Everybody has their own way of making spaghetti. My way of making the dish is to have music blasting throughout the house to set the mood. What can I say when making a great dish you match it up with the exact same energy. The original way is: have water boiling in the pot, add salt to the water (more flavor), add pasta, stir the water and pasta, then drain the paste after a taste test. After those easy steps boil the noodles to make them become noodly. I recommend when you have finished making the ingredients and finally put the noodles with the pasta in the bowl, it's MANDATORY that you add Parmesan cheese for the ultimate flavor. All of these ingredients can be found in any local grocery store or if you prefer a more economical approach, I’m sure most can be self-grown right at home. There isn’t really much need to limit yourself to only one or two specific brands for your ingredients. You can’t really go wrong with pasta and well the sauce is all made from tomatoes; which I’m pretty sure all taste quite similar. Nonetheless, whether your heavier on the garlic for added flavor or prefer a nice and simple tomato paste, it is the experience of this legendary pasta dish that makes it so amazing.

I found it fascinating that I don’t ever get tired of eating spaghetti. It certainly raises questions about how simple food is capable of making us so happy. We often link our meals to childhood memories which creates an additional sense of happiness surrounding the thought of that meal. For me, my grandma used to consider spaghetti the ultimate family meal. She prepared it at times when she was expecting to have all of the grandkids to the house and needed a large enough meal to go around. Most families serve the dish all mixed together in one pot, but my grandma was all about presentation. She served each component of the meal separately with beautifully ordained utensils to get as much as you’d want. There would be a giant bowl in the middle of the table, overflowing with noodles, and just to the right a swelling bowl of spaghetti sauce. Not to mention the garlic bread she kept warm in the oven until we all sat down to eat. In a way, thinking of spaghetti makes me happy not only because I love the taste, but because I think of the connection it holds to my family. I instantly think of the bond and love shared at that table with all of my family. We unconsciously couple these memories together and will find ourselves so deeply connected with materials we don't even realize the deeper meaning it holds to us.

I believe there is a reason certain dishes and foods are traditions in cultures all around the world. Food provides us with the nutrients and support we need to keep our bodies strengthened. That same food also brings us happiness and delight through taste. We build so many memories around food alone that our bodies are not only dependent on it for survival, but we have built a mental connection. We share the love for our favorite dishes by passing along recipes to our families and generations to come.

The Ultimate dish means something different for us all. It can be a dish you ate for day after day because you couldn't get over the taste or a dish your favorite grandma made for you each time you came to visit. For me, the ultimate dish will forever be spaghetti. It's not just pasta but it’s THE PASTA.  It may just be noodles in a bowl but it makes me complete. Who would've known something so small can cause a huge impact on my life. If this dish never existed, I honestly don’t know what would be my second choice. Not only does it affect me in a positive way and I've also had multiple fun and great memories with my family. This bond I share with spaghetti will never fade or perish as long as it's still around. We all have a dish we hold near and dear. And if you don’t, it’s never too late to try new things and create new memories. Food does not have to be all about nutrients and health. Allow yourself the pleasure of diving into a world full of taste and wonder by trying ‘The Ultimate Dish” of different cultures and new people. You’ll be surprised by how much you learn and share. You may even experience a whole new world.

Work Cited:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-pasta-healthy

"10.01.08"by SuomiRokks is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0