oink

February 22, 2009 at 5:13 AM

Tonight, I played a concert with a little orchestra that performs in a small town turn-of-the century opera house. Today was a rehearsal/concert day for a program featuring Mozart Symphony #40. After the dress rehearsal, the orchestra always gets a nice free meal (lasagna tonight). Tonight's dinner was hosted by a church one block away. Next to the church is a very busy barbeque restaurant. Parked in the restaurant's parking lot were two trailers housing pigs. So we talked to the pigs while dressed in tuxes and long black. Poor piggies. So friendly and yet unaware of their imminent demise. I can relate to those pigs right now-some things are just out of your control but are stinky nonetheless. Like my cold which immediately turned into laryngitis. Or my 80 yr old mother having her first heart attack. Or my husband's quartet residency getting axed from a state university due to budget cuts. Mozart had it rough when he wrote his 40th symphony, though I don't know if he ever talked to pigs about it.

From Tobias Seyb
Posted on February 22, 2009 at 9:04 AM

Yes, many things are beyond our control. But many years ago I found out that I can control some things. Since then pigs don't have to be afraid of me no more. I order my lasagne without meat. Every single vegetarian reduces the demand (and therefore production) for helpless piggies. It's the little things that count.

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on February 22, 2009 at 2:33 PM

Can I tell something that I don't say very often because it looks childish at my age. Last year, I was going to a violin lesson and had to take the highway. Many trucks with pigs going to the slaughter house passed just beside my car and we didn't go fast because we were in a trafic jam. My car window was opened, it was summer. The trucks had big holes, big ennough so that the pigs could put their entire head out. These curious beasts were looking at us, people in the cars and their little ears were flagging with the slight wind. I felt so awful that I burst out crying unfront of everybody at 19!!! I have forever said that the animals that we eat are mistreated. A veterinairian said that when you picture their whole journey at the slaughter house, you really think this is the animal Aushwitz. (Hollocost). I have often read acticles by veterinarian on the topic and heard that they were not shot or killed instantly like I though. I'll save you from the details here because it's too horible. Pigs are as intelligent as dogs according to many studies. Too intelligent to be put in little cages, nuter and burned without freezing, never see the sun put packed in a truck without food and water and there we go! It's not because an animal has no name (pig vs your pet) that we can be mean to it! You shouldn't abuse of animals for economical reasons. While I have nothing against those who eat meat, I seriously consider becomming vegetarian when I will not live in the family house anymore for ethical reasons. We can not pretend to be responsible and close our eyes on such things.

Just my two cents. At least, these pigs will have seen that friendly humanbeings exist because of you!

Anne-Marie

From Terez Mertes
Posted on February 22, 2009 at 3:37 PM

>Like my cold which immediately turned into laryngitis. Or my 80 yr old mother having her first heart attack. Or my husband's quartet residency getting axed from a state university due to budget cuts.

Oh, YUCK. What can one say, during times like these, but... oink. (That's pig-speak for "sympathies.")

From Ray Randall
Posted on February 22, 2009 at 7:41 PM

Don't worry. THOSE pigs you saw were on their way to Washington to be put in the stimulous bill as pork.

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