John Ruel was walking his dog in Oldsmar, Florida, on March 20 when he saw an alligator stuck in the sewer. He then filmed as a local animal trapper pulled the gator out. The trapper, from the State of Florida Wildlife, taped up the gator?s mouth and eventually freed the animal by pulling it backwards up through a manhole. Credit: John Ruel via Storyful

Alligators have a surprisingly sweet tooth, which baiters use to their advantage. Picture: Jane Canaway

THE yell rings out across the weedy swamp waters, and echoes through the groves of the moss-covered trees towering out of the ooze.

Here piggy, piggy, piggy, piggy, calls the captain of our flat-bottomed boat, which is drawn right up to a bayous muddy bank, pitted with hoof marks.

Here piggy, piggy, piggy, piggy, he calls again until a quiet rustle in the undergrowth swells to a crashing charge as a herd of about 20 black and white pigs hurtles into the clearing.

The men who run tours deep into the Louisiana swamps are pig whisperers, gator baiters and bird spotters extraordinaire.

They have a secret weapon to lure the wildlife some visitors have travelled halfway around the world to see: marshmallows.

A small alligator jumps for its treat in the swamps of Louisiana. Picture: Jane CanawaySource:Supplied

Aww. Alligators seem cute in comparison to Brutus, a saltie who lives near Darwin.Source:News Corp Australia

Yes, impale a large white marshmallow on a long, pointy stick and you have the perfect tool for teaching an alligator to jump.

While Australian croc tour operators spoil local reptiles with fresh meat, in the swamps outside New Orleans the southern fare is sugar.

The wild pigs obviously love it, too, coming right up to the boat so that Captain Anthony is able to hand feed them although he keeps his fingers safely out of reach.

Both male and female hogs have razor-sharp tusks and they eat like, well, pigs gobbling down as many marshmallows as they can and chasing away piglets that get too close.

The feral swine are a real problem in Americas wetlands.

One sow and her offspring can produce 250 piglets in four years, and a couple of years after that the numbers are in the thousands. Anthony tells us the herds are descended from Eurasian wild boar, probably crossed with domestic pigs.

The alligators, on the other hand, are barely changed from their prehistoric ancestors, who predate the dinosaurs.

And while their record-breaking jaw strength (scientists believe they could out-snap a T-Rex) has evolved to crush turtle shells, many now scrounge soft, sweet treats from the tour boats that cruise the waterways every day.

An alligator greedily eyes marshmallows while lurking near a tourist boat. Picture: Jane CanawaySource:Supplied

Captain Anthony stops the boat and splashes the water with the marshmallow-laden stick a clear invitation to dine for the prehistoric reptiles and instinctively an Alligator mississippiensis swims across to check out the menu.

Hes a tease, lifting the stick high out the water to make the alligators jump for the tourists, then flicking it away at the last minute to make the snapper come back a second time. Finally the critter snaps up its treat, and the boatload of visitors breaks out in applause.

Each alpha male gator guards his own patch of river about 2.5 kilometres apart, with a harem of about 20 females, and the guides have named them: Big Al, Bruce, Sydney and Scarface. Captain Anthony repeats his trick with a couple more floating logs with teeth before its time to head back downstream.

Along the way we pass flooded forests of white oak and black willow, but its the termite-resistant bald cypress that adorns many of the heritage buildings in the French Quarter.

Louisianas swamps are incredibly beautiful, but full of dangerous beasts. Picture: Jane CanawaySource:Supplied

Todays parade of tour boats barely rates a glance from those living in the riverside homes some in good repair while others hold out against gravity.

Anyone can tow in a house boat, tie it up to a tree and live for free without paying property tax, Anthony says, while fixed homes can be built on privately owned land but dont expect any insurance company to cover you.

The golden rule for river living is apparently dont mess with your neighbours catfish lines and stay indoors after dark, when all the wild beasts are about.

Louisiana and Florida both have about one million wild alligators that can grow up to five metres and live up to 100 years, however they are typically less aggressive than Australian saltwater crocodiles and attacks on humans are rare.

According to Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Alligator program co-ordinator Ricky Flynt, attacks become more likely when humans feed them.

A tour guide coaxes a herd of wild pigs from the dense undergrowth. Picture: Jane CanawaySource:Supplied

The alligator (the name comes from early Spanish explorers who called them el legarto or big lizard) is able to hibernate through cold winters that would kill most crocodiles, but is less tolerant of salt water.

It has a more rounded snout and its bottom teeth are fully covered by its top jaw when its mouth is closed, so it doesnt have the same toothy grin of Aussie crocs.

Luckily for them, however, they share the ability to regrow any teeth that fall out.

No matter how bad their dental hygiene may become on their sugary diet, they can always rely on a new set to come through.

Jane Canaway is a freelance writer. She tweets @janusflytrap.

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Alligators have a surprisingly sweet tooth - NEWS.com.au

Every year on this trip theres a handful of moments that seem to make the entire trek worth while. Not that the whole exercise isnt super fun, but like any other vacation, theres really only 2 things youll remember: 1) the overall vibe and 2) 3 or 4 remarkable moments. Leodys walkoff will be in the latter group. As will David Garcias 1.82 pop time. And a late entrant into the memory cache will be most of today bumper car action. My pal and yours, Scott Lucas and I spent the entire afternoon caromming from field to field because finally, on my last day in Surprise, the heat really came out. The names you know and the ones you soon will seemed to all be in action somewhere today. Speas, Ragans, Enright, Taveras, Palumbo, Martin, Morgan, Tiedemann, Cody, and Roberts. All doled out varying levels of look at me today. It was an absolute blast.

Before I go any further, Ive got to once again implore all of you to pencil in this trip next year or sometime soon. Its the best. Id also like to thank all the scouts and front office folks (particularly the Rangers guys) who put up with my bizarre obsession. Truth is, Im not much more than a mouthy fan and they all seem to tolerate it. So thanks. Now go Fly A Flag, dammit.

On to the juice. Ill cut right to the chase. Joe Palumbo was the most impressive Rangers pitcher not named Cole Hamels I saw on this trip. Id heard all about the progress he made in Hickory last year and the weight and strength hed addedall leading to a bump of about 6mph on his FB. Heard it all. Now Ive seen it all. He looked like a future MLB starting pitcher. Not a superstar, but a guy whos gonna get there and compete. The FB sat 93-94 and touched 96 twice in 3ip. He got two swinging Ks with the CH and at least one with his CB. The CB is truly nasty and safely projects as a plus offering. He commanded the FB well and held his velo. Seemed poised and to have a plan. Also, he has a lot of tattoos. Not necessarily a tall kid, but he gets decent plane and good movement on his FB. Get this dude a knife and fork and let him start eating innings. Reps and experience will be key over the next 2 seasons, but if I woke up from a coma in 2020 and 25 year-old lefty Joe Palumbo was Texas number 4 starter, I wouldnt be shocked.

Cole Ragans is straight out of central casting. The reports of his Hamels hankering are accurate and I got a chance to chat with Ragans about that for a little while and I couldnt be happier he has Hollywood to try and emulate. Ragans is as polished as they come for his age and experience level. Affable and polite on non-pitching days, I saw a decidedly different demeanor today. Focused and workmanlike. He threw all FBs in a live BP session and they were 89-92 and it had plenty of shake and wiggle. In warmups, he snapped off some of the patent--pending CHs hes learned by watching Hamels. Its gonna be a plus pitch. An easy 64 with room to add weight to what Id guess is about 200lbs, hes exactly what it looks like. Gonna be a fun few years tracking this kid.

Brett Martin threw 4 frames and was mostly 91-93 with the FB and the damn thing comes off a mountain top. Serious extension from his 65 frame. His velo has a chance to play up because of the angle he creates. Its pretty awesome. He wasnt particularly sharp until his final frame when he became a whiff machine with both his 84/5mph CH and his 79-81mph bender. When he has all 3 going, he can strike out 15 batters in 7 innings of a playoff game. Hes got a couple more years to go, but could be prettayyy prettayyy salty when he gets there.

Alex Speas threw in the same live BP session that Ragans did, and he too was on an all-fastballs diet. But he has juice. Serious juice. He threw easy 93-95 and ran out a handful of 96s. He can pump it into the upper-90s anytime he wants. He throws very hard. As I mentioned previously, hes pretty raw mechanically, but his arm speed is a sight to behold. Or to not see at all. Its moving that quickly.

Pedro Payano threw and hes a guy to keep in the back of your mind because he throws 4 pitches and will most definitely get to the upper levels. Hes fully healed from the broken forearm that ended his season prematurely last year and hes ready to eat innings. Way crazier things have happened in this game than a guy like Pedro Payano collecting a few big league check(s) before its all said and done.

I asked around and it seems likely my favorite 17 year-old switch-hitting catcher David Garcia is likely ticketed for the Dominican Summer League. Former UTA Maverick and Mansfield High alum Chad Comer is a coach down there and he is a highly respected catching instructor, so it appears the powers that be are gonna stash my lil buddy in the DR for 2017. See you next year, kid!

Heres a name not many people are talking about- Kyle Cody. Id heard good stuff about him this spring from a couple of scouts and got a chance to see it in action for a few innings today. Its good. Real good. Really promising. A hulking 67 22 year-old former Kentucky Wildcat, Cody appears to be a near lock for a rotation spot in Hickory. And why the hell not? He sat 93-96 today and broke off a few mega-legit SLs. It could very well be a plus pitch. He threw a fair number of CHs and thatll most definitely be his working on this offering for 2017. But theres plenty to be excited about. He touched 98 and seemed to be able to manipulate the depth on the SL a bit. More reps and more reps can only help and Id love to see this kid make 18-20 starts this season.

Demarcus Evans is interesting because hes a 20 year-old big bodied righty (64 240lbs) who gets massive extension on his arm and seems to spin the holy hell outta the FB. I say that because he misses bats in the 91-93 velo band and misses them by a fair margin. Thats sometimes attributable to spin rate and when you see how high his release point is and how massive his hands are, it all kinda makes sense. Member that name.

Kyle Roberts is another name to sock away. Hes left handed and threw 94-95mph today. Last summers 5th round pick is, unlike Demarcus Evans, not 64. Hes 66. 100% certain Texas would win a prospect pickup basketball tournament.

Tyree Thompson has a bit of helium as well. The 19 year-old righty, and New Orleans native, signed for $100,000 after being taken in the 26th round last year. Hes listed at 64 and 165lbs. Now, as you probably know, the listed weights are often inaccurate and usually on the low side. Occasionally, theyre wildly inaccurateon the low side. In this case, Id say its probably just about right. Regardless of his weight, I know his velocity is accurate because I saw it being measured by several different devices today and it was routinely 91-93.

You know who Im hopeful for this summer? Yey Yey, thats who. Yeyson Yrizarri has tools and will probably play in the big leagues because he can play on the left side of the infield and can throw with jet propulsion. But last year in Hickory, he was far from fearsome with the stick. He hit .269, but drew 9 walks in 479 plate appearances and posted a .681 OPS. I think hes better than that. And he needs to be better than that. He just turned 20 years old, so theres more than ample time, but Ive always said Id like Yey Yey to get on that back leg a bit and try to lift the ball. I know he can do it because Ive seen it. Heres a long F7:

Here he is getting positive encouragment from some other baby sluggers all trying to pump bombos. (He hits first and leeeeeans back)

Miguel Aparicio was held out of game action after picking up a slight shin cut when he met a spike sliding into second base, but I was soundly impressed by what I saw. Basically, hes Leody Taveras-lite. Which still makes him a prospect. Possibly a very good one. Hes not big and only turned 18 a week ago, but the ball leaps off his bat. A centerfielder, he runs very well and is most definitely a name to remember. This time next year, Miguel Aparicio might be a dude of notable order.

Josh Morgan caught again and hes lightning quick back there. Took a foul ball square off the mask, so it probably wouldnt have been a good day to ask if he loved catching. But he did well back there and handled some really good arms in Cody, Palumbo, and Thompson. He posted a 2.09 pop time and nearly caught former Oregon Ducks centerfielder Austin Grebeck at 2B. Josh remains a very intriguing prospect, even without catching. Adding catching to his game makes him a VERY intriguing prospect. Have I mentioned he can hit?

So thats it. Thats all she wrote for another year in Surprise. Im sure youre all tired of hearing me implore you to get out here for a few days in March, but until I meet and shake the hand of each and every one of you on a backfield, my mission will remain incomplete. Ive uploaded a bushel full of videos to my YouTube page, so feel free to check them out and dream a little dream. Until we meet again, Surprise. Farewell, my love.

As Always, Enjoy Baseball!

Love Ya!

-Tepid

Link:
Raising Arizona V. 2017 Part IV - Lone Star Ball

Katey Sagal was the heartbeat of the popular '80s sitcom "Married... With Children" for 11 years.

Playing the big-haired, smart-mouth matriarch Peg Bundy, it was her first lead TV role.

"I read the script, I thought, 'Oh this is perfect for me because this is so outside the box,'" Sagal said. "We hadn't seen anything so outrageous on television before... and I really thought, 'Oh this won't last very long.'"

But the show became a cult hit that lasted 11 seasons. Sagal said Peg was originally written to be "very slovenly," but she added her own flair.

"My take on her and that relationship between her and [husband character] Al Bundy was that there had to be something hot between the two of them to sustain this marriage for so many years," Sagal said. "So I just went into my audition all dolled up."

The big hair was actually a wig, which Sagal said is now safely stored behind a big plexiglass box "in a safe place."

"People are always like, 'Do you wear it?' And I'm like, 'No,'" she said, laughing.

There is so much more to Sagal than the mouthy Peg Bundy, as she revealed in her new memoir, "Grace Notes."

For one, she has a beautiful singing voice, which she will showcase in ABC's 30th anniversary musical remake of the movie, "Dirty Dancing."

"I play Vivian," Sagal said. "In the original movie, you saw her... the lonesome sexy divorcee. I sing and dance and seduce the young guy in the movie."

And there was that time when she was a teenager and the band KISS came to town. Sagal says she started an affair with the band's frontman Gene Simmons.

"There was just this band of boys sitting at the table and I was their waitress and I sang them a song and, one thing led to another and I started this romance with Gene," Sagal said, laughing. "It was so long ago."

Sagal said her first love was music, and said she traveled all over the world singing back-up for Bette Midler and Bob Dylan, who ended up firing her.

"He fired all the singers," Sagal said of Dylan. "I was so intimidated by him that I knew I was singing the wrong parts, but I didnt say anything."

As her music career struggled, Sagal began looking at other options.

"I met a casting director that I will never forget said to me, You will never work in television," she said. "This was in the days of 'Dallas and Dynasty.' Everybody looked extremely glamorous... I didnt look that way. I was a musician, I was in bands. I wore a lot of black make up, a lot of black clothes."

"Years later when my struggling music career was just not going full steam ahead I said yes to being in a rock musical," she added. "From there my now manager discovered me."

A little arm-twisting later, she auditioned for and landed a role on the TV show, "Mary," with Mary Tyler Moore, then came "Married... With Children."

For 11 years, she and Ed O'Neill, who played Al Bundy, lit up the small screen with their chemistry.

"We loved each other, Id say instantly," she said. "Hes such an everyman down to earth guy, and hes such a guy guy."

Sagal's parents were also in show biz. Her mother was a screenwriter and her father was a director, but both died when Sagal was young.

My mother had been ill for a good part of my life," she said. "It wasnt quite as big a shock as my father who I had literally spoken to the day before."

Sagal's father was killed in a helicopter accident on a television set.

"One of the reasons I wanted to say some of this in the book is that my way of dealing with things in the moment was to very much check out, was to kind of anesthetize myself, numb myself," she said. "It wasnt until I changed my lifestyle that I felt the full effect."

Sagal said she had been hooked on diet pills, prescribed by a doctor, since her teenage years. Coupled with booze, marijuana, a little cocaine and acid, she said it all became a problem.

"I had a drug and alcohol problem that lasted through my 20s," she said. "I had a tendency to sort of run with a crowd that had the same kind of problems that I did, or bigger ones."

It was a chance meeting on a TV set that helped her turn her life around.

"I met a person on a job who was sober. And she talked to me about it," she said. "Suddenly out of nowhere popped up a lot of people who were living clean and sober. And I didnt know about that. "

Sagal said she has been clean now for 30 years, but she still says she takes it "one day at a time."

"What I've learned is I can do anything for 24 hours," she said.

Sagal is still acting and still making music. Her more recent projects have been starring in TV's "The Bastard Executioner" and "Sons of Anarchy," both written and directed by her husband, Kurt Sutter.

Even though there have been a lot of TV comebacks and reunions, Sagal said she doesn't see that happening with "Married... With Children."

This summer, she is touring Southern California with the band The Reluctant Apostles.

And now she also has "author" on her resume.

"I had written pieces... just writing about my life with the intention to give it to my children at some point," Sagal said. "Im not super comfortable. Im pretty private actually. Apparently not anymore."

Read more from the original source:
Katey Sagal talks explosive new memoir, past drug addiction and how she met and dated KISS's Gene Simmons - ABC News

By Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images.

Chris Pratt is on a diet. He's been here before, having posted the gym-selfie-seen-round-the-world when he first bulked up for Guardians of the Galaxy, and since then kept up that buff bod for the sequel and, now, Jurassic World 2. All his food comes in individualized packages, which is public knowledge because he keeps posting about it in a series called #WHATSMYSNACK on Instagram. (Along with #jurassic2, just in case we forget that he's doing this all for a very specific, well-paid purpose). The diet itself, however, doesnt appear to be paying him. Theres no #ad in the caption. Yet.

As a super-buff movie star who started as a shaggy comedian, Pratt has spent the last week pulling back the veil of celebrity diets in a way only hea man with a sense of humor and only a fraction of the pressure to be slim that women experiencecan do. His snacks are gingerly labeled snack, for clarity in good times but especially for clarity under the duress of a diet-addled mind. In the Instagram videos, he gets progressively more unhinged, obsessing over crumbs and even sharing a moment of weakness when he cant help but devour an olive oil pistachio cake intended for the next day. He sweats. His under-eye circles are deep and dark. Hes unable to keep his cool around a Fuji apple. These are all familiar tropes of dieting, played for laughs by the once-chubby Andy Dwyer.

And then comes the flood. The body-shamers descend, calling the actor too thin. He posts a not today, haters type of Instagram, except the photo is of a literal skeleton from a Tyrannosaurus rex head. Well, just because I am a male doesn't mean I'm impervious to your whispers. Body shaming hurts, Pratt wrote in the caption. So to prove my security in the way I look I'm posting a current selfie of me at what I consider a very healthy weight. 500lbs. Zero percent body fat. Totally JK guys. This is a T Rex skull. Nailed you so bad. Omg.

WHATSMYSNACK is effectively a brand building effort that helps hone his Hey, Chris Pratt here anchorman persona on his preferred platforms, Snapchat and Instagram. The series was likely born out of those film experiences, as Pratt tries to get out ahead of all the diet questionsor the actors adept understanding that people and fans are fascinated by actors and actress bulking up or slimming down. He cant repeat the gym selfie that made the Internet double-take with Chris Pratt has a muscle; what? incredulity, and this method is more authentic to his goofy-guy brand anyway.

As much as hes being tongue-in-cheek and owning it, Pratt is part of the familiar cycle no one can really avoid. A celebrity goes on a diet or flaunts his or her body in some way; shamers come through; celebrity says he or she is proud and gets to appear more human and also mentally strong. Its not a great cycle, maybe, but it is a familiar one. Pratt doesn't have the power to change it, but in making fun of it, he makes it a bit more tolerable. (Even if hes still hungry.)

Continued here:
Chris Pratt Spent a Week Parodying Celebrity Diets (While Dieting) - Vanity Fair

The chicken Parmesan at Patsys is one of his favorites. Photo: Noah Fecks

You definitely know Tony Danza from his acting career he famously starred in Taxi and Whos the Boss? but if you spend time in New Yorks Little Italy, youve also likely seen him at Alleva, the cheese shop he co-owns. A perk of the job, of course, is that he gets to name a sandwich after himself and eat it all the time (along with the chicken Parmesan and broccoli rabe). Plus, Alleva provided him with the necessary fuel for another job this week, singing and dancing at 54 Below. Read all about it in this weeks Grub Street Diet.

Thursday, March 16I enjoyed the morning with my coffee and practiced on my ukulele. Every day, I have a big glass of Metamucil and then I work out. Its my meditation, and I need a good sweat in the morning to feel right. Usually, I do interval training with weights and cardio to get my heart rate way up. I lie to the stationary bike and enter my age as 50, so it pushes me. [Editors note: Hes 65!]. Had half of a sandwich, a banana, and a couple of breadsticks with the rest of last nights tea. I make a big cup. The breadsticks are addictive, but I control it with the banana.

I did an AOL Build interview and, in the car, some radio for the Philly talent show Im hosting at Northeast High School. I owe the school such a debt of gratitude from the year I was there. Then down to Alleva. Got the driver, Graham, a Tony Danza, made by the sandwich artist Joe Marone. A Tony Danza is thinly sliced roast beef, Swiss cheese, hot peppers, lettuce, and spicy mustard on a dug-out Italian roll. I love the cold cuts, but you dont want to eat too much of that processed meat. Got myself one, too, plus some more soup, chicken Parm, and broccoli rabe. I have shows Friday and Saturday and need to stock up, as I wont be back until Sunday. Everything, lately, is from my store. I used to cook! Got home and had half of the sandwich with some chips and a salad of iceberg lettuce, garlic, onions, and cucumbers.

I came to own Alleva because my former boxing manager, Cha Cha, is from the neighborhood, and he was clocking that store because its on the best corner in Little Italy. He said to me, I think we can buy this store. This guys got no more kids! He kept asking, and finally the guy said yes. So a few of us bought the store. I was just the silent partner. And then my friend got sick and unfortunately passed away, and I decided to see what I could do with it. Now, I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility, not just to him, but to keep a 125-year-old store alive. I want to try to turn it into a heritage brand. Its hard to believe its one of the oldest things in America. So I became the big cheese.

Danny DeVito, my pal, made his Broadway debut in The Price. He was great! Didnt go to the after-party, I have to work tomorrow night at 54 Below. I had the other half of the sandwich with some tortilla chips and a glass of red wine. Made my green tea, lemon, and honey, and turned in.

Friday, March 17Normal morning. Coffee, Metamucil. Workout and newspaper. Banana and three breadsticks. Tap class at 12:30.

Picked up an iced coffee after my walk to 54th Street. Stopped in to see my acting teacher, and then went down to Nola to tap dance for an hour with the great Patty Lochery. Walked home and had a bowl of lentil soup, and the eggplant Parm on a piece of toasted Italian bread. Put a beer in the freezer before I ate, and it was really cold with my sandwich.

At 4 p.m., I went to a sound check at 54, again on 54th Street. Walking back and forth is harder today because of the mounds of snow and St. Pattys Day. Lots of people out in green. Quick sound check and back to my place. Bowl of soup and the other half of the sandwich. Youve got to always have a sandwich in your refrigerator. Im telling you.

Did my show. It went well. Sang and danced pretty well. Michael Feinstein and Marilu Henner were there. Afterward, Marilu and I went to Patsys on 56th Street, and I had vodka on the rocks with a twist of lemon, and a glass of red wine with a half-order of chicken Parm. I guess I like that. Finished with some great grappa. Home, tea, and bed.

Saturday, March 18I woke up and my voice felt weird, and I got nervous for the show tonight. But as usual, after my workout, I felt better. Its amazing what vigorous exercise will do. I started the day with coffee and my usual Metamucil, banana, and breadsticks. I was glad to have the food I grabbed from Alleva, and I continued to live on it. I went to the market and got some potatoes, onions, broccoli, and garlic for a side dish with the chicken Parm. I worked on an opening for the show and killed the afternoon.

The weather was bad, so I grabbed a cab to the club and went on at 8 p.m. I had a really good show. I know because I had so much fun doing it. The chef at the club made a recipe for shrimp scampi from my cookbook, Dont Fill Up on the Antipasto. My father would be proud. He did most of the cooking when I was young, and taught me how to cook.

After the show, the kitchen sent me a great grilled-chicken sandwich with avocado, tomato, and lettuce. Lynn Bound, the chef at Feinsteins 54 Below, can really cook. The food there is so good that it puts pressure on the entertainment. I was jazzed after the show and hung out at the club, and had a few vodkas on the rocks, twist of lemon. Got home late, made tea, and felt good.

Sunday, March 19Paid the price for last night and woke up with a serious hangover. Once I got moving again, my workout saved me. I had a date to meet my daughter at 1:30 p.m. in Little Italy. Shes a yoga instructor and had a class to teach earlier. I had coffee, and then my usual banana and breadsticks, before I left my apartment. Took the B train to Grand Street and walked to Alleva. Beautiful day.

My daughter met me, and we went to La Mela on Mulberry Street. We love the baked clams, and had two orders with bread and Pinot Grigio. Then we both had a big bowl of pasta e fagioli. Finished with a double espresso and went back to the store. My daughter got some stuff for home, and I grabbed some, too.

Later, watching some news show, I cut up some fresh carrots, celery, broccoli, and potatoes, and defrosted a container of turkey soup that I had in the freezer. I added the vegetables and it was really good. Ate it all. Two bowls with a bunch of breadsticks. Thank goodness for the freezer. Tea, an apple, and some chocolate.

Monday, March 20Spent the day preparing for Northeast High Schools talent show getting the prizes and beginning to write the show. I got the list of acts, and its going to be a long show. I cant wait. Im also trying to cast a play Ive written. I had it in my head. I took a one-day playwriting course from eight in the morning to six at night and got it out. Therell be a reading for directors and investors on April 26 at the CAA offices in the Chrysler Building. Im excited about hearing the play out loud. I have three of the seven parts cast. Good actors. I also called some old friends, uncles, and aunts, and said hello and checked on them.

I took my tuxedos and shirts to the cleaners so that they will be ready for the shows next weekend. After a workout, I had my Metamucil and a banana with some breadsticks. Never got down to the store, but had a bowl of lentil soup, half of a medium container of cabbage in garlic and oil, and the last of the eggplant and chicken Parm. I wish I could be more accurate, but ayy yo, give me a break.

Tuesday, March 21I had a radio tour to support the talent show in Philadelphia four interviews with Philly morning-radio shows. Ive done them all before, as this is the sixth annual Teachers vs. Students talent show at Northeast High School, and they are nice enough to put me on to publicize the show. I had my second cup of coffee during the interviews; and then when I finished, I did the banana-breadstick thing.

I had a photo shoot at Patsys restaurant on 56th and Eighth for this story at 1 p.m., and I got there about 15 minutes before the photographer. Sal, who owns the joint, again made a plate of chicken Parm for the shoot, and I took it with me after we got the shot.

I took the B train to Grand Street and got to the store about 1:30. Another beautiful day to sit in front of the store and watch the world go by. I had some chicken oreganata and a combo of cabbage, chickpeas, onions, and anything else our chef, Danny Paolucci, could find. So good! I got some breadsticks and some fresh breaded, deep-fried chicken cutlets. I will freeze them. The verdict is in: I eat a lot of chicken.

Got home with the food and made potatoes, onions, and broccoli in garlic and oil. Lots of bread, and after the vodka, I got to the red wine. Two Tates double-chocolate cookies and green tea, lemon, and honey.

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President Trumps proposed budget calls for cutting federal funding for the service.

The meal-delivery start-up also bought Bill Nimans BN Ranch.

From very affordable to professional-grade, all-stainless to space-saving.

Mercy for Animals says the new welfare standards will reduce the suffering of millions of chickens each year.

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Tony Danza Eats Breadsticks Before Tap Dancing - Grub Street

As I write this, I am about to leave for Boston to speak at iV, the Ivy League Vegan Conference, at Harvard.Prominent voices will gather there and collectively, one anticipates, make the case for veganism.

The timing is a bit ironic.A paper was just published in the Lancet, describing the lifestyle and health status of the Tsimane.The paper generated considerable excitement, and widespread media attention, because the Tsimane, a population in the Bolivian Amazon described as living a subsistence lifestyle of hunting, gathering, fishing, and farming, were found to have the lowest reported levels of coronary artery disease of any population recorded to date.

The Tsimane, obviously, are not vegans, as the references to both hunting and fishing indicate.On the other hand, they are not hunting for meat in the supermarket, as I pointed out to one correspondent who sent me the study and asked if his penchant for meat was now exonerated.My answer was perhaps, provided it was satisfied by advent of bow and arrow and involved no cellophane.

The Tsimane, in common with our Stone Age ancestors, eat the meat of wild animals and fish they obtain the hard and old-fashioned way.Those animals, in turn, get their food the hard and old-fashioned way, too; they are not fed copiously in captivity.Consequently, their own bodies are lean, and represent the fats they derive from their food sources.The result is that the Tsimane diet has virtually no trans fat, is very low in saturated fat, and is quite low in total fat.The study authors report a diet that is 72% carbohydrate, 14% fat, and 14% protein.

Of course, this diet made up of foods direct from nature is very low in simple starches, and sugars as well.The authors note that the carbohydrate sources in the Tsimane diet are generally complex, and high in fiber- just as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds are.These, of course, are the plant foods all but universally recommended for health promotion.

While the inclusion of meat in the Tsimane diet, conjoined to stunningly low levels of atherosclerosis demonstrated by CT imaging of the coronary arteries, might seem a rebuke to vegan diet advocacy, it is a mild rebuke at most.The nutrient composition of the Tsimane diet is much more akin to high-quality vegan and vegetarian diets than to anything remotely like the meat-heavy diets that prevail in the U.S. and many industrialized countries.

But even a mild rebuke, born of evidence, may deserve respect and certainly warrants reflection.

I have long noted, with all due respect to the ardent vegans among my colleagues, that we lack evidence to prove that any one specific diet is the singular best for human health.This should come as no surprise when you consider what kinds of studies would be needed to generate such evidence: randomized trials of optimized versions of competing diets in large populations over a span of decades with incident disease and mortality the outcome measures.The diet producing the greatest combination of longevity and vitality would be the winner.Such a study has not been done, and dont hold your breath.

What we do know, from a veritable sea of confluent evidence, is the basic theme of the optimal diet for Homo sapiens.Famously described by Michael Pollan as food, not too much, mostly plants, it is just so: a diet of minimally processed, wholesome foods, mostly plants, in any balanced and sensible combination.The Tsimane diet represents such a combination.So do the Blue Zone diets, encompassing traditional Mediterranean, Asian, vegetarian, and omnivorous variants.

Our species is constitutionally omnivorous.That makes it unlikely the kind of meat to which we are natively adapted, the kind of meat the Tsimane consume, would be bad for us as some contend.It does nothing, however, to exonerate the fatty meats of domestic animals and the processed meats that many eat under a Paleo diet halo.

In fact, all it really means is that our species, by virtue of our anatomy and physiology, is endowed with a particularly wide array of dietary choices.

I cant support the argument I sometimes hear from colleagues that a vegan diet is best based on human health considerations alone.In fact, we know that a strictly vegan diet is sure to be deficient in at least one nutrient essential to our species, vitamin B12.Supplementing B12 is easily done, however, and a well-balanced vegan diet is certainly among the contenders for best diet laurels.

There are, however, considerations other than our own health.The meat that feeds modern appetites is overwhelmingly the meat of animals raised not just in captivity, but relatively confined spaces.Often, it is the meat of animals not fed the diet native to, or optimal for, their own species.Animal husbandry may at times involve use of hormones and antibiotics, as we have all heard.And, there can be cruelty in the mix that most of us would find distasteful, if not disgusting, if ever we saw it.There are, therefore, arguments for veganism related to ethics, the decent treatment of our fellow species, and the avoidance of exposure to harmful food contaminants.

There are compelling environmental arguments as well for veganism and approximations of it.The domestic production of meat, and beef in particular, is associated with high environmental impact in every area of importance: water consumption, land allocation, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity.

I can imagine an anti-elitist rebuttal, protesting the high cost of produce- but that argument is specious.For one thing, the relative costs of foods reflect our cultural priorities, not natural law.If beef is inexpensive relative to kale, its because we direct subsidies to make it so, subsidies we could redirect whenever the will is mustered.For another, many of the best foods beans, lentils, whole grains- are already exceptionally economical.And, if so inclined, we could enable the economically disadvantaged to afford better food in ways that would likely reduce health care costs into the bargain, as some are already doing.

This, then, is the message I am taking to the iV conference, as I add my voice to a chorus singing the praises of well practiced veganism.We are omnivores, and we have choices.A good vegan diet is not the only option for health promotion, but it is among the best.When the case is broadened from the health of people to that of the planet, too, the case for veganism is very much fortified.After all, the Tsimane are few; we are many.

Senior Medical Advisor, Verywell.com

See the article here:
Choices, Voices, and Veganism: Diet for the Many - Huffington Post