The happy meal is not happy. Or a meal.

The chickpea is also not a chick or a pea. 

Let's Discuss.

(but first - a love letter)

Dear San Fransisco-

You have enamored me yet again. Thank you for taking such a Giant step in pursuits of 'food justice'. Wow, I even just love that Supervisor Mar uses the words 'food justice'. But I digress. Do not worry about the mainstream on anything and focus on the facts you have clear handle on - that it is a survival issue, a day to day fight that needs such due diligence. It's more of a stop talking start doing feeling and I, for hopefully not just one, am in full support of the measure.

Signed, 

A parent who cares about a healthy future for my child.

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Fast Food Fury! Beginning December 2011 (gosh thats a long time from now, wonder how many obese kids will die in that time...) - this new San Fransisco ordinance restaurants may only include a toy with a meal if "
the food and drink combined contain fewer than 600 calories, and if less than 35% of the calories come from fat"
The McDonalds spokesperson Ms. Proud (you cant make these things up),  says it's not what customers want or asked for. McDonalds is "fast" food, no? Fast- convenient. If I'm not mistaken, all a customer wants out of McDonalds is tasty food that wont kill them instantly and is um, fast. Applying the hard and not so fast hand of the law and regulation to the standards by which that want is available to the masses - does nothing to affect that.
What does it affect? Childhood obesity. Here's a fact sheet on that which also mentions costs related to toys in meals and costs of healthcare.
The notion that anything, any regulation that can only have a positive effect (and lets face it, I'm not even touching the affect of less crappy made toys that last a day and serve no purpose) is "disappointing" to a great symbol of American culture like McD's.. well, that's just .. Disappointing. And reminds me I wont be feeding my child anything from there anytime soon, toy or not.

Entitled

Hello! Welcome to the Moreversation! My name is Abby, and this is not my first blog. Nay, it's not even my second or third. And yes, that can be viewed as a direct commentary on this fickle beast blogging and it's implications. All of my blogging experiences hinged on the social interaction portion. When that is minimal or I have tests or trials that hinder my energy to meet such a qualitative practice... I tend to just let the whole thing lapse. Recently I've been thinking a lot about the notion of 'self care' (and truly thats another post, or series thereof) and that brought me to the need to interact this way more regularly, to not let it escape my attention. The positive side affects keep me interested in the world around me. If I'm interested in the world around me I will be a greater participant thereof. If I am a greater participant thereof the possibilities continue to be limitless. Selfish? Sure. All conversation is at it's very root.

Back to the plot - so I've been regularly reading the local newspaper's blogs and when I have something to contribute, doing so. I realized how clearly I needed this back on a regular basis, not just on whatever post may or  may not have been written by someone else and was potentially a good conversation. And hey, wait, remember me... you know, the non-aspiring writer who organizes thoughts well and throws in oddly placed metaphors and references and jokes to make it a unique reading experience? Me? Oh yes, I remember - And I'm back. With less wah more yeah. With more questions and conversation. Moreversation! Please!

The final motivational piece, and name for this initial post - Entitlement. Yesterday morning, via the facebook circuit, I came across this well written article about the age of entitlement we seem to be living in. Shortly thereafter I was saw this blog post, asking the same question - what does this say about us? Recently I've made use of the word entitled an awful lot. I'm entitled to, I deserve etc... All of these things coming from a deep need to value myself - so the irony in putting a materialistic slant behind the firm feeling word 'entitled' is not lost. I'm very much a lead with my heart and work within my means as much as possible type. I'm going to raise my child with that same steed. To be frank, (he always says it so well afterall) it scares the bojangles right into me that so many families raise their children to be entitled to anything other than what morals, value based living and hard work bring. I've tried for probably too long now to block out those around me in society who take advantage of charity when it's not needed, who act irresponsibly in the name of a material want (though they would never be able to verbalize it to that end, which is even sadder). The way I look at it, I didn't cause them to make those choices, I can't change how they view the world or what they believe they are entitled to, and the only way to cure it, is to cure myself and life the best life I can (and naturally, pass that on to the younger generation and so on). But that doesn't mean it's not out there. But I'm entitled to better choice making in my life and I'm entitled to happiness.
So, dear ones who so graciously came here for moreversation - What are you entitled to? What does that mean to you? How have we let a society of 'Entitlement' get so far out of hand?