Vinson: The good, bad and ugly
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 12:08 pm By MIKE VINSON Right off, I'll let you know that other than wording in the title this column has nothing to do with actor Clint Eastwood and the Spaghetti Western film that helped catapult him into iconic superstardom. (NOTE: The film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was directed by Sergio Leone, starred Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach, was released in 1966, and is considered a cult classic in the movie industry.) The riddle: What is craved by kings, forces a skilled survivalist to drop his guard and become lax, and even causes well-educated people to behave in the most depraved manner against their close friends?! Sex? Drugs? Money? Though each is a logical guess, none are the answer. A hint at solving this riddle: Each of you are guilty of this on a daily basis--and have been guilty for many years! "Gossiping?" you might answer. Though you just told on yourself, gossiping is not the answer I'm looking for. *The Great: "Cook-off" contests were held the whole time Brenda and I were there (about 2 hours). Approximately 200 food vendors had stations set up featuring an A-Z list in cuisine, and yes, it was food fit for a king. After some creamy chicken & dumpling soup, a piece of 3-cheese ravioli, and a meatball, I was very disappointed . . . disappointed that I was already full and couldn't eat more! Still, many of the vendors had on display the latest in restaurant equipment and utensils. All-in-all, I had a great experience at the 2014 "Spring Food Show." However, while having a "great" time at the food show, for whatever reason, I gave some thought to the downside of food, as it relates to the human race. Lesson learned: If you're hungry enough, you just might drop your guard to score some food, and the consequences could be "bad." *The Downright Ugly: Let's up the ante in the last sentence of the preceding paragraph and say, "If you're hungry enough, you'll do anything for some food! Case-in-point: On October 13, 1972, a rugby team was on a flight from Montevideo, Uruguay, to play a match in Santiago, Chile. The plane encountered blinding snowfall and strong winds and crashed in South America's rugged Andes Mountains. Of the 45 total passengers aboard (players, along with crew and others), only 16 survived the harshest of conditions, being rescued over 70 days later, on December 23, 1972. The 16 survivors admitted to resorting to "cannibalism," eating their dead friends in order to stay alive.
|