Monday, December 27, 1999, 8:55:56 PM, you wrote:
GLG> Was the comment about the sow and the judge really necessary?
It wasn't supposed to be taken personally, although food is a pretty
personal issue anyway, and it's hard to compare experiences that one
hasn't lived. People tend to read publications that jive with their
own line of thought.
I thought the sow and judge anecdote was interesting, although once
again - I've had no personal experience with sows at that level. But
then, in my own case I was raised in the city and didn't farm until I
was an adult. In other respects the man involved was a wise judge, as
well as being an excellent blacksmith - he didn't forge them himself
but was *very* good at putting horseshoes on horses, mules and donkeys
(most anecdotes relating to sodomy occur within the latter context,
rather than the porcine one).
In terms of sustainability (which was what I responded to in this
thread, as expressed by Gwyneth Harris), I would have to call the
whole thing a dead end - both as a sanet topic and in terms of genetic
selection - but then, mules don't reproduce either, poor things.
(Perhaps that makes them more energy efficient though - a mule can do
the work of a horse while eating only half as much - so the donkey -
horse cross does have it's functional aspects).
And while there are certainly general differences that exist between
the people and the animals I've known and lived with, I can't say that
people are necessarily the better of the bunch - although we all - as
individuals and as a species - have different skills and capacities
anyway, as well sensibilities.