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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Citizens like calling it Rodeo -- veggie burgers won’t change that |
| 2003-10-23 |
| Our friends at PETA strike again, or attempt to. Hope the ELF doesn’t burn down the town as a reprisal. The good people of Rodeo -- who like animals as much as anyone else, especially for breakfast -- declared Tuesday that their precious heritage is worth more than $20,000 in veggie burgers. "They can keep their veggie burgers,’’ said Doug Boyum. "I’m not going to sell out for a veggie burger. I’m not going to sell out, period.’’ The great veggie burger debate was the talk around town, after an animal rights group from Virginia sought to heat up its campaign against rodeo shows by suggesting that Rodeo change its name to something else. It offered the unincorporated town $20,000 worth of veggie burgers ("they’re high in fiber! ’’) to do it. Yes, they’re high in fiber. They also taste like shit. Shit with no flavor. "Our request may be unique, but it is sincere,’’ said Lisa Franzetta, a coordinator from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, pleading her cause to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. She got exactly three minutes before the board did what all good bureaucracies like to do - it referred the matter to a committee. Bye, Lisa. We’ll...ummmmmmmm...let you know. But the 8,717 people of Rodeo, tucked between San Pablo Bay and a bunch of refineries down the road, did not need a committee to know that their town is not for sale, especially not for chump change. The PETA offer works out to a half dozen veggie burgers per person. What a deal! At Flippy’s coffee shop in the middle of town, the entire citizenry seemed to be chewing over the offer, in addition to bacon, sausage and hamburgers. Owner Joe Cho said that changing the name would be "unreasonable" and his wife, Vickie, said the idea was "dumb." MMMMMMMMMMMMMM...red meat. "Why don’t they change the name of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, if they want to change something?’’ she said. "We’re a small town. We like things the way they are." "Rodeo is a nice name,’’ said Michael Wall. "If they change the name, I’d still call it Rodeo.’’ I think they should change it to Tasty Cow, or Beefeater. The town was named in 1890 by a soon-to-be-bankrupt meatpacking company. PETA suggested the town call itself Unity, an idea about as popular as a refinery fire. Unity? Kumbaya, losers. "Rodeo has been Rodeo every since I was a kid,’’ said Michael’s father, Charles Wall. "If they take it away, there goes part of your life.’’ Not coincidentally, the veggie burger pitch coincides with the opening Friday of the annual Grand National Rodeo at the Cow Palace in Daly City. For years, PETA members have picketed the rodeo at the main gate, often finding themselves ignored. Oh, I’ll bet they don’t like that. The group said it was time to try something new, although its name-change ploy is growing whiskers of its own. In recent years, the group has offered $15,000 worth of veggie burgers to the towns of Hamburg and Fishkill in New York if they would change their names. Both said no, and PETA said it is running short of suitable outrageously named towns to offer veggie burgers to. Stupid and cheap. Oh, well. The media does their publicity for them on the arm, so that’s a savings. "They didn’t do it for $15,000, so we decided to up the ante,’’ said PETA protest director Bob Chorush. "But we’re not trying to buy the town. We’re just trying to make a point.’’ What’s the PETA Protest Director job pay, Bob? Down the street from Flippy’s, at the Rodeo Bait and Taxidermy store, animals are popular, too. On the wall over the counter, a sign proclaimed that bass fishing is good right now at the town pier and that the Bait of the Month is pile worms, for $6.50 a dozen. Owner Harmit Singh said he treats his worms ethically. He also said that changing the town name would be "stupid.’’ He treats his worms "ethically". Oh, thank God for that!!! "Why change it? Rodeo is a good name," he said. "If you change it, everyone has to pay money for new signs and new business cards and everything else.’’ But, Harmit? Veggie burgers! Six of them! For EVERYBODY! One of his customers, with a tackle box under his arm, said it would take more than a few veggie burgers to get the ball rolling. "They can keep the stupid veggie burgers,’’ he said. "A bunch of people from Virginia can’t just come to town and wave around a few veggie burgers and think they own the place.’’ Yes. Yes we do. These bumpkins don’t realize how noble we are. Let’s get outta here. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #16 My own animal companion, Roswell the Atomic Poodle, declares that the PETA-heads are a direct threat to his existence since he is 13 years old and weighs about 6 pounds, and would therefore have a very tough time feeding himself if meat-processing were prohibited. Personally, I think the little moocher is too lazy to catch ground squirrels (hope he doesn't log on here, poodles are smart). Actually, I think PETA does goofy stuff like this just to look, well, goofy; and therefore harmless. Goofy they are, harmless they are not. PETA will boast of their ties to ALF terrorists out one side of their mouths, and deny it out the other. They are not shy about excusing and even gleefully celebrating various ALF outrages. They are basically playing Sinn Fein to ALF's IRA. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2003-10-23 7:16:13 PM |
| #15 How about changing it to 'Clubbed Seal, CA'...... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2003-10-23 7:14:54 PM |
| #14 Rodeo is just up the road to Sacremento from Berkley. Now, would anyone like to take a bet on what the Contra Costa county commissioners will eventually end up doing? When I lived in the Bay Area they tried to change the name of the county during the Iran-Contra boohaha. What makes you think these left-coasters won't do the "contra-ry"??? |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2003-10-23 6:00:59 PM |
| #13 When we were kids we used to eat tofu from time to time. We called it toad-food. Being a pisces and an Alaska resident, I like fish. PETA seems to have more money than brains when it picks on Rodeo, CA. Bloody bandwidth burners. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-10-23 5:04:17 PM |
| #12 And Frankfurt should call itself TofuTown... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2003-10-23 4:12:33 PM |
| #11 I just found out there's a city in Germany that's also called Hamburg.It's just awful,isn't it?I'll send the mayor an e-mail - they should change the name to Veggieburg! |
| Posted by: El Id 2003-10-23 3:12:35 PM |
| #10 There is a price for which the people of Rodeo would sell out... Last I saw, it would be about $150,000 per person. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2003-10-23 1:44:10 PM |
| #9 Gasse Katze---Yes, we see that PETA bumper sticker on lots of vehicles in Alaska, mainly pickup trucks. LOL! People Eating Tasty Animals. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-10-23 1:29:26 PM |
| #8 Too bad that Rush is not on the air just now. He could have a lotta fun with PETA on this one. AP, is it true that Alaska also has a PETA org.--People Eating Tasty Animals? LOL at BH's choices for alternate names. |
| Posted by: Gasse Katze 2003-10-23 1:15:25 PM |
| #7 Am I the only one that gets hungry for a steak after I read a PETA article? Well I am off to Sizzler for lunch! :-) |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2003-10-23 1:02:50 PM |
| #6 Veggie Burgers?! How I wasn't even aware they had cash value. |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-10-23 12:41:55 PM |
| #5 If I'm Rodeo, I ask PETA for the 20 gr in cash and then change the name of the town to Strangled Lamb or Dead Buffalo Corpses. The new town seal might be kind of unpleasant to look at but money's tight these days and it's not good government to turn down free jack. |
| Posted by: Christopher Johnson 2003-10-23 12:34:24 PM |
| #4 Hey, let's suggest Reno change its name to Big Game! How about changing Evergreen, Colorado, Elk City? And while we're at it, let's change New York to Hamburgerville! We can play these games too, with about equal results, and for a lot less money. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-10-23 11:36:27 AM |
| #3 What they need is some really some town. I drove through Fifty Six, AR. There couldn't be more than 20 folks there. They should have all the PETA members quit their current jobs and start to live in Fifty Six. IF they did, one day they could VOTE to change the name of the very small town. I really hope the folks at PETA don't follow through with that idea. The poor folks at Fifty Six would hunt me down. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-10-23 11:36:23 AM |
| #2 Tenderloin, CA. Has a nice ring to it. Or Veal City. Or Cheese Burger Flats. |
| Posted by: BH 2003-10-23 11:21:14 AM |
| #1 PETA members have picketed the rodeo at the main gate, often finding themselves ignored. They're lucky to be ignored. Rodeo folk are friendly...... but very tough. Come to think of it, maybe that's why they don't picket the performers entrance. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-10-23 11:06:16 AM |