Sonoran hot dog

The arena is ready!  The challengers have been chosen!

(Cue drum roll)

In one corner is El Guero Canelo.  The cinnamon blonde is ready and snapping his tongs.

In the other is BK Carne Asada and Hots Dogs, wielding a mesquite log.  He whispers something in Spanish to his sister and translator outside the ring.  She yells, “Bring it on!”

The fans go wild!

These two establishments are very similar.  They both have 12th Avenue restaurants on the south side that appear to have sprouted around humble hot-dog carts.  Each opened second restaurants on the north side about the same time.  Both serve Sonoran dogs.  You would think a Sonoran dog is a Sonoran dog.  However, many Tucsonans seem to have very strong opinions that one is better than the other.

And so, these restaurants have been in an epic hot dog battle since the early 90’s.  Tucson print and electronic publications usually list these as the top two, and they often take turns in the #1 spot year to year.

So, the debate may be settled once and for all next weekend when the Travel Channel comes to town to shoot an episode for a new series that will be visiting towns across the country and featuring their iconic food dishes.  The show will be a companion to their popular Man V Food series and will air in the spring.  They will pit food establishments against each other, interview fans, and choose Superfans.

So if you are one of those Tucsonans with a strong opinion in the Sonoran dog debate and consider yourself a big fan of either establishment, you are welcome to attend the shoot of your favorite (show your love), and have a chance to be crowned a Superfan.

They will be shooting at their 12th avenue locations:
January 28th (Thursday):  BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs
January 29th (Friday):  El Guero Canelo
January 30th (Saturday):  Both restaurants.

Exact times have yet to be announced but will be early afternoon or evening.  I will update this post with the times if I hear more.

If you think you qualify as a Superfan for either restaurant, email FoodFanCasting@gmail.com and let them know about your love.

Are you an El  Guero Canelo fan?  This is your chance to be crowned the ultimate Superfan and get featured on a Travel Channel TV show.

I wrote about  Sonoran dogs and El Guero Canelo in another post where I mentioned they had been highlighted on the Travel Channel’s Man V Food show.

There is now a new series in the works that will be a companion to Man V Food, and they are coming to Tucson to prove if El Guero Canelo really does have the best Sonoran dog in Tucson.

They are welcoming fans to the shoots where they will conduct interviews and then feature the ultimate Superfan on the show.  They will also be pitting El Guero Canelo Vs a challenger.

If you are a fan who would like to go to one of the shoots, send an email to foodfancasting@gmail.com.  There will be two shoots – January 29 (a Friday) when they shoot at the 12th Avenue location and January 30 when they pit El Guero Canelo Vs a challenger.

Dichos are a part of Mexican folklore - sayings and proverbs.

Dicho in English:

With patience and a little hook, even a fortune can be obtained

Dicho in Spanish:

Con paciencia y un ganchito, hasta una fortuna se alcanza.

Lately, when I try to be positive and optimistic about the future, and mention a dicho like this.  I often get a form of “this isn’t true in America today.”

The funny thing is, this is an old dicho from Mexico.  As far as I know they didn’t have anything like the “American Dream.”  They eked out an existence with what they had – which usually wasn’t much.  There are many positive dichos (proverbs/sayings) like this based on faith, hope, and hard work.  I guess it all depends on what your definition of a rich life is.

Things may not be as extravagant as they once were.  However, we still live like kings compared to many on our planet and this dicho is still very true.

I have found another way I can apply this dicho to my life today.

Out of coincidence I have had numerous friends this past week describe their anxiety over what they feel is hopelessness for the future.  This goes beyond the economy and goes into climate change and resource depletion.  They feel we are doomed and there is no way things will change.  They feel the majority of people will never change or “get it” that we need to stop letting corporations control the world and that we need to conserve our resources.  They feel we are leaving our children a pretty sorry legacy.

I mentioned to them that they and others who write books or websites often aim the information at the choir, but small things might make a difference.  They could use more common language and concepts to get the everyday Joe’s on board – not just the ones who are already literate in ecology and history and such.  They could think about their approach and who they are approaching to avoid turning people off.

I told them start a blog or website themselves or just talk to one person today.

Nah, they said, it’s too late – there is no hope.

I’ll tell you what though, negativity won’t help anything.  To you I give you this dicho.  You never know what may happen.  We don’t know everything and life is full of surprises.

See a list of all my dicho posts here.

Do you have dichos to share?  If so, email them to comments@bjaysplace.com.

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About Bjay

Bowl of menudo from El Molinito Restaurant

For many Tucsonans it’s not Christmas without menudo for breakfast and tamales for dinner.  Menudo is a traditional Mexican stew made up primarily of white corn and beef tripe (cow stomach).  It is usually garnished with lemon or lime, salt, red pepper flakes, green onion and  cilantro.

Because Arizona sits above the Mexican state of Sonora, you will most likely find white Sonoran-style menudo served here.  You may also find red menudo that has come to us from the Mexican state of Chihuahua and the American states of New Mexico and Texas that sit above it.

Menudo is thought to have curative powers as a detoxifier and hangover cure (said to banish the demons of drink).  It is often referred to as “the breakfast of champions” because those who enjoy it feel they have been fortified after eating it.  In the early 1900’s south Texans called it “cafe de hueso” or “bone coffee”  which some thought was a reference to it’s medicinal value.

There are many theories about the origins of menudo.  Some say it’s a pre-Colombian dish.  Others cry foul, pointing out cows did not come until later.  There probably were versions of it in pre-Colombian times with other meats.  If common people made it back then, there is a good chance it was a plane-Jane, bland version of today’s dish just as the common version of the tamale back then was bland and low-fat. Excessive spice was not often used in everyday common food.  It was considered rude by many to use too much chili or other spice because it left less for others.

So where did the modern beef version come from?

It is thought menudo originated in Sonora.  Sonoran folklore says during the Mexican civil wars, people slaughtered their cows, dried the beef and sent the jerky off with the soldiers.  They had to make due with what was leftover.

This could be true, or partly.

However it originated, you can gaze into a steaming bowl of menudo and gain more understanding of Mexican culture and plight and understand how this dish came to be.  The white corn or maiz has been a long-standing important staple of the Mexican diet – the object of songs, poems, prayers, life and death.  The lemon/lime, chili, oregano, green, onion and cilantro are traditional flavors and were easy to grow or pick wild.  They were important foodstuffs and curatives in their own right.

Then we have the tripe and other common ingredients most people fail to mention – calf or pig feet.  I know it’s gross to think about, but when you are a poor peasant, you learn to be creative and not waste a single thing.

Well-off ranchers in Mexico and along the United States/Mexico border were a major source of income for poor Mexicans.  The ranchers would keep the good parts of the cows and “allow” their poor farm hands to keep the head, tough beef skirts, feet/hooves and entrails.  These farm hands turned what was considered junk into gastronomical delights that nourished and provided strength – tacos de cabeza (head meat tacos), barbacoa (usually head meat), menudo, tripas (intestines), carne asada and fajitas (made from skirt steaks).

Generations later, many of us offspring are still enjoying these creations.  When you pass by certain restaurants and stands grilling up these dishes or encounter a family in the park making carne asada, you are witnessing the influence of a our local version of ranch-hand cooking.

Because of the labor required to make menudo, many people only make it themselves for special occasions – such as the holidays.

If you have not had a chance to try menudo, I do NOT suggest you get a recipe and try to make it.  It would be horrible to spend hours making it, only to find you don’t care for it.

If you have friends who make menudo, perhaps you can ask them to let you try it when they make a batch.  There are many restaurants around Tucson that serve menudo – usually on Sundays.  Some places in Tucson make lousy menudo, so get recommendations.

I have read in the Weekly that local folklore expert Jim Griffith is picky about his menudo and prefers the Saturday menudo at Little Mexico Steakhouse on Valencia road.  I can’t think of a better recommendation than that.

If you do not live on the south side (where you will find the best menudo in my opinion), there are other options.  El Molinito restaurants serves a good menudo and has locations on Pantano/Wrightstown, 22nd/Craycroft, and off of Ina/Thornydale.

Another favorite of mine is El Sur restaurant off 22nd/Craycroft.

I will admit, I have an affinity for Juanitas canned white menudo (only the “white menudo” version) and this will be the closest I get to a recipe in this post.  It tastes really close to homemade.  Warm it up, add some chopped green onion, cilantro, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes along with a few squeezes of lemon juice.  Slice a bolillo or french roll in half, butter and toast it.  Pretty damn good!

Maybe I’ll talk my dad into sharing his recipe…  Do you have one to share or a restaurant to recommend?

Did you grow up hearing Mexican dichos or sayings/proverbs?

Dicho in Spanish:

El que por su gusto corre, nunca se cansa.

Dicho in English:

Who for his pleasure runs, never tires.

This one is pretty straight-forward – if you are doing something you really enjoy, you don’t tire.  You look forward to doing it and can’t get enough.

I recently spoke to a young friend who had a full-ride scholarship to the U of A, a nice student job, and what I perceived to be a very bright future.

He didn’t like it.  It stressed him.  While in school he started to live life more for happiness and started to supplement with non-traditional jobs he really enjoyed.  The latter began to take up more of his time.  His traditional opportunity started to slip, and he didn’t have the fire in his belly to hold onto it.

He is now a body-piercer specializing in genitalia piercings and is taking culinary classes.  I’m sorry, that sentence just looks WRONG, I had a chuckle typing it.  (If you are looking for piercing, check out Justin “Bear” Naffziger at Black Rose Tattooers.)

Anyway, he’s scraping by.  His car is a piece of poop.  He often doesn’t have money to go out.

He says he’s happy.  I believe him.  He enjoys what he does and looks forward to his day – a lot different from the stressed-out  kid I saw before who just didn’t feel like he fit in or wanted to go through his day.   So what means more?  Money or sanity?  My hubby has the “life is tough, get over it” attitude.  My hubby is a really hard worker, but I can vouch for high stress levels.

Is this a case of irresponsibility or greatness in the making?  I don’t know, only time will tell.  At least he’s less likely to burn out.

See a list of all my dicho posts here.

Do you have dichos to share?  If so, email them to comments@bjaysplace.com.

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About Bjay

Local restaurant El Guero Canelo (Guero is pronounced: weh doe) has been getting a lot of attention lately – due to the increasingly popular Sonoron hot dog.  Take a look at when it gets visited by Travel Channel’s Man v. Food in this video.

By the way when you watch that video, I love the shot of “The Old Pueblo, Tucson, AZ.”  It looks like we are just a collection of about fifty structures in the the middle of the desert.  Can anybody identify what they got a picture of?

Sonoran hot dog stands are often found here in Tucson, Phoenix, Nogales, Douglas, and Sierra Vista.  Residents of these cities don’t have to drive far to find a cart or restaurant serving up these dogs.  In Douglas, many city parks are regularly lined with hot dog trucks.  Here in Tucson, we could quite easily have over 250 hot dog stands serving Sonoran hot dogs.   These stands are also popping up outside of Arizona, from New York to San Francisco.  In comparison, they make chili dogs seem bland and boring.

These little babies are thought to date back to at least the 1960’s, but didn’t become more mainstream until the 1980’s.

The basic make-up of a Sonoran hot dog is a bacon-wrapped hot dog shoved into a soft Mexican roll topped with pinto beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeno sauce, cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard.  They usually come with a roasted chili on the side – sometimes even with roasted green onions.

There are many variations and these hot dogs continue to evolve.  It is rumored some Tucson vendors have even started topping theirs with crumbled potato chips.  In Mexico, the variations become more elaborate with the option of chorizo, sour cream or crema, avocados, pineapples and more.

Some stands here in town use regular hot dog buns.  However, many feel the roll is important for the true taste experience.  Usually it’s a Mexican bolillo roll (pronounced: bo lee yo roll), that is sometimes steamed to make it extra soft and fluffy or it’s toasted.  The roll is so soft and fluffy, sometimes they seem to go down like cotton candy.

Of course you don’t have to go to a hot dog stand, these dogs are really easy to make.  I once served them to a large crowd for my son’s birthday party at a park ramada.  We just grilled the bacon-wrapped dogs and had pre-chopped and prepared toppings ready to go.  It was cheap and easy.

Sonoran hot dog recipe

• Get a beef hot dog and wrap it like a mummy with bacon.  Mesquite bacon is good.
• Fry it on a griddle until the bacon gets crisp.  Some people like to fry the bacon a little first and then wrap it around the hot dog and then fry them both in the bacon grease.
• Take a hot dog bun or bolillo roll that has been slit to make a pocket in the middle.  If you want you can toast them a little or, in the case of the bolillo roll, steam it for a minute to make it soft.  Work with what you have on hand or what you feel like.
• Put mayo, mustard and ketchup on the bun and insert the bacon-wrapped dog.  If you want to squirt the mayo on top, like they do at the stands, mix it with a little lemon juice or water to thin it out.  Put it into a squeeze bottle or sandwich bag with a corner cut off and squeeze it on top when you are done, along with the mustard and ketchup.
• Add warm pinto beans, cheese (shredded Mexican cotijo cheese, cheddar, whatever), chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, sliced or blended jalapenos or some type of jalapeno/green chili salsa.
• “Just stick whatever you want on there, and whatever amount, to make it taste good.”  (You hear this talking to many Mexican cooks)

Roast a chili pepper to go on the side and have some cold coke ready (even better if in a glass bottle) for the complete experience.

If you don’t feel like cooking, take a trip to a Sonoran hot dog stand.  Yesterday my sister and I had lunch at El Guero Canelo on the southside on 12th avenue.  It was her first time there.  She had been fearful of trying them for some reason. One bite and she was hooked.  She was also amazed by the price.  She got a Sonoran hot dog, chips, salsa, bottled water, grilled onions and jalapenos, and a buffet of salsa and veggie condiments for around 4 bucks.  I got a Sonoran dog, a large quesadilla, a diet coke, a bottled water, onions, jalapenos, and the salsa/veggies for about 8 bucks.  The hot dogs were on special yesterday for under 2 bucks each.

Here are some pics.  Ordering can be confusing, but after you get the hang of it, it’s a piece of cake:

Sonoran hog dog from El Guero Canelo on 12th Avenue

Roasted green onions, chilis and other condiments

Ordering can be confusing. You order at one of these windows and get your drinks.....

You pick up cooked food items at this window - except for the hot dogs. I love the sign "Do not forget your hot dogs. We are not responsible anymore." haha

You get your hot dogs from the hot dog cart.

You stroll out to the condiment bar and get your veggies and salsas. The roasted onions and peppers are to the far right and covered. In the meantime listen for the order number to be called in both English and Spanish.

From what I’ve been told, this restaurant started as a simple hot dog stand and was added onto.  You are kind of sitting outside, kind of not.  You’ll have to go to know what I’m talking about.  I told my sister it wasn’t hard for me to imagine the place on the beach in Rocky Point.  I closed my eyes and imagined hearing the surf.  Then I gulped down my dog.

Did you grow up hearing Mexican dichos or sayings/proverbs?

Dicho in Spanish:

Ande yo caliente y riase la gente

Dicho in English:

As long as I am warm, let people laugh

I thought this was a good one for this morning (43 degrees at 10:46 a.m.).  I am totally prepared to live the entire year in shorts, flip-flops, and T-shirts.  I used to be successful at that until I got older and could feel the cold seeping into my aging bones.  Now cold weather throws me into a state of confusion, clothing-wise.

Earlier this morning I took my son to school.  It was much colder.  I was wearing brown doggers (cheap version of crocs) with white socks.  When I was young I swore I would NEVER wear socks with sandals.  Oh well.  Funny how that happens.

I threw on some jeans that were still in a suitcase from a Vegas trip months ago that had questionable cleanliness (the jeans, not the trip).  I topped that with two short-sleeved shirts never meant to be layered or worn in the winter – one a T-shirt and the other a gauzy summery shirt with beading on the V neckline.

I also wore a “jacket.”  I’m not sure if the “jacket” qualifies as such.  It’s more decorative than functional.  Something only sold in the summer to people who live in hot deserts for about $10.  Plus it still had some dog blood on the white fringe from when a dog claw got clipped too close this weekend and tons of dog hair all over it’s dark navy-blue fuzziness (from hugging the dog all night to make up for the claw).

That was my only choice since I pretty much own two jackets.  The decorative one and one suitable for running a dog sled race in Alaska that I bought 8 years ago when I was freezing my gluteus maximus off in NY City when the decorative one failed to protect me against a NY winter.  Let me tell you, exiting the airport there was quite a shocker for this native Tucsonan!  It’s hard to move my arms and steer the car in my second jacket, and it wasn’t THAT cold yet, so it wasn’t an option.

Because I was thrown for a loop by the cold weather, that meant no time for make-up and hair shoved into a very messy, awkward pony tail.  When I ran into Circle K, I looked down at my shoes and realized they were not only dirty and stained from gardening but they didn’t match either.  The white socks only made the fact that one shoe had circular holes and the other rectangular more obvious.  Oh well, I thought, at least I’m warm.  It could have been worse – I could have worn my black shiny dress shoes with thick white athletic socks.

When I arrived at the school, I saw most of the other parents were totally pulled together with cool-looking jackets, mittens, hats, winter shoes.  Some even had bags that matched their shoes or matching hat, scarf and mitten combos.  Everything looked shiny and new.  No doubt many of them come from far off lands where snow is common this time of year and they have acquired the skills of maintaining winter and summer wardrobes and switching out clothes at the appropriate times.

For me putting winter clothes in storage means folding a couple sweaters and putting them on a high closet shelf.  But then when winter rolls around, they have a layer of very fine dust and moth holes (I have a swamp cooler and a poorly sealed house), and  I don’t even want to touch them.  I probably have sweaters that have sat up there for over 15 years.  So then I have to resort to my summer gear until I get into the swing of things (don’t worry, I usually hit my stride by spring).  Yes, I’ll incorporate plastic bags into my storage routine at the end of the season – just like I said I would do last year.

At the school I thought, oh screw it, let them laugh as I trudged my son to the gate (don’t worry he had a new jacket and matching hat and mittens – purchased last night).  I’m warm and that’s all that matters.  So right now when I sat down and saw this dicho in my dicho files, I thought it was perfect for today.  “I’m warm, go ahead and laugh.”

It brings back memories of my grandma wearing her dark dress sandals with white athletic socks and either a mumu-type dress or a bright polyester outfit with a big lumpy 70’s sweater thrown over it.  When I would laugh at her, she didn’t care and would say, “Ay yay yay, que Betty Jo” which pretty much means “Oh my gosh, that Betty Jo.”

Of course this dicho applies to much more than just the literal meaning and can be used in many situations.  I’m sure you get the drift if you think about it.

Enjoy.  I’m off to hunt down the matching shoe mates, scrub them down and wash my jacket and jeans in time for pick-up.  I may be ghetto and nerdly but at least it can be relatively clean ghetto nerd style. 

See a list of all my dicho posts here.

Do you have dichos to share?  If so, email them to comments@bjaysplace.com.

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About Bjay

The internet can provide some diabetes education and help cut down on rising diabetes costs.

Fellow blogger Karen Nelson wrote an excellent post about a new study published in Diabetes Care about the rising costs of diabetes.  She shared physical and monetary costs and what can be done to help prevent or control diabetes.

I have had diabetes for over 15 years with no complications (knock on wood).  In 2001, I started DiabeticMommy.com and it has a good active following.  I have learned a lot trying to keep on top of the diabetes landscape and from the members as well.

I would like to share what inspires me and my members to try to take care ourselves:  Virtual diabetes internet social communities.  If you have a loved one with diabetes, or at risk for it, hopefully you will pass this on.

When I was diagnosed in my early twenties, I had likely had it for a while.  Because I had so many family members with it (blind, amputee, and recently deceased family members) I thought I already knew everything.  At that time my education consisted of a sheet of paper with diabetes info and dietary exchanges on it, and a nurse that said, “Oh mejita, I’m so sorry.  I would rather have cancer than diabetes.”  I figured there was not much I could do.

Fast forward to today – if I miss appointments, my doctor doesn’t call to see what’s up.  My insurance company occasionally sends me two-page newsletters with diabetes info.  I have probably seen two diabetes educators and two diabetes nutritionists in my lifetime – about four hours of education.  Don’t get me wrong, those four hours are invaluable, but they are certainly not enough.  To learn what you need to know about diabetes, it would require an education at least equal to a bachelor’s degree.  Diet and exercise are vital, but education is right up there in importance.

Many of us, doctors included, are still in the dark ages of diabetes knowledge.

When I decided I wanted to get pregnant (about 9 years ago), I made an appointment with my doctor to ask what I needed to do.  My blood sugars were out of control, and he patted me on the back and said “have fun.”  That was it.  So I did.

Little did either of us know, there were preconception steps we should have taken.  Among other things, to get my A1c to 6 or lower, stop my oral medications when I got pregnant and switch to injected insulin.

After I got pregnant, my levels got harder to control.  I mentioned maybe I should see a diabetes educator.  My doctor arranged for one, and at that meeting, all hell broke loose.  She put the fear of diabetes into me.  I left upset that I could be hurting my baby.  I started searching for information, read all I could.  I got into tight control and lowered the risks to the same level as those for non-diabetic pregnant women.  What I really hoped for, but never found, was a peer support group.

After my son was born, I created DiabeticMommy.com for others who were in my situation.  Still today, newcomer after newcomer appears in our forum or emails me with a story similar to my own, desperate for help and information. I get emails from women both in the U.S. and abroad, including many from women living on military bases overseas.

Later others began to offer similar socially-oriented sites.  Two of my favorites are TuDiabetes and SugarStats.

TuDiabetes has it’s fingers on the pulse of the diabetes world, and the founder, Manny Hernandez, has created a welcoming community and encourages members to participate in fun and meaningful ways.

Sugarstats, founded by Marson Alfred and based out of Hawaii, is unique and innovative in that the community revolves around blood sugar levels.  It provides easy ways for members to send in their levels (as well as medications, food, and activity) and share with their friends on the site.  They can do it via mobile phone, internet and even Twitter. Members have profiles and friends like MySpace of FaceBook.

Little did we know, how valuable sites like these would become to people with diabetes.  The medical establishment is taking notice with study after study showing the benefits, and they are starting to provide similar community-oriented sites.  I’m very excited about it and wonder what kind of impact they can have on the severity of diabetes or even prevention.  Go Internet!

Diabetes Spectrum, an American Diabetes Association journal, published Overview of Peer Support Models to Improve Diabetes Self-Management and Clinical Outcomes in 2007.  They cite other studies that found people with chronic diseases like diabetes have better self-management with higher levels of social support.  In addition, when people provided support to others, the benefits were the same or even greater.

The report discusses various support methods such as face-to-face groups, community health workers and phone-based support.  Common problems are obstacles patients encounter for the scheduled meetings and no support between contacts when the patient has to deal with meals, exercise, blood sugar monitoring and medications on a daily basis.

It acknowledges that Internet support can help overcome those problems.  Social web sites are promising in that they are an alternative to other more expensive resources as these sites are often relatively low-cost for both the provider and user and information flows easily and quickly.

Instead of being cut-and-dry sources of diabetes news and information, many of these sites allow you to share not only your diabetes history but yourself and life.

You share your struggles when you are frustrated.  Health accomplishments get lots of pats on the back from others who totally understand what it took to do it.  It’s also a forum where you can just get on your little soap box and rant and rave about how much diabetes sucks.  The motto for my site is:  LIFE with diabetes, not diabetes with a little life thrown in.  That type of attitude makes these sites so much more appealing rather than visiting a static site with just page after page of information.

And all the while, unknowingly, members are getting a diabetes education.  They share stories and experiences or doctor advice.  They read books, studies, and news stories related to diabetes and discuss them.  They often get to talk to diabetes experts.  They are usually the first to find out about new studies, advancements, new products and drugs.  In fact, these communities are fast becoming the go-to place for finding clinical study participants so the members are often privy to those developments when the general public is not yet.  People come to the sites as newbies and before they know it, they have acquired enough knowledge to help others.

Members form subgroups that work on diet, exercise, weight loss and they encourage one another.  They ask how are your blood sugars today?  What was your A1c result?  Did you lose weight this week?  An absent active member might get emails or phone calls from other members asking where they are, and if they are okay.  It’s a constant reminder to keep on top of your health.

I cannot express enough how important I think it is to plug into one of these communities.  Have a lonely friend or family member with out of control diabetes?  Teach them how to use the computer or Internet if you need to and have them connect with one of these groups.

There may be local groups in your community where you can meet face-to-face that should be checked out.  However, when you are part of an Internet community, you can check out the site daily (or several times a day) in your jammies with a cup of coffee.  Thinking about diabetes and your health becomes part of daily life.

If you have diabetes, and you haven’t become part of a diabetes-related virtual community, it wouldn’t hurt to check one out and learn something new.

• Did you know your menstrual cycle, the weather, stress, certain medications can make your blood sugars harder to control?
• Did you know that steroids might actually cause or worsen diabetes?
• Did you know you can get false blood sugar highs after strenuous exercise?
• Did you know you CAN have sugar if you know how to integrate it into your diet properly?
• Which came first the chicken or the egg (diabetes or the weight challenges)?
• What is intra-abdominal visceral fat and what does it do?
• What is an insulin pump and would it help type 2 diabetes too?

These are some things you may learn more about while just talking to some friendly people and maybe even improve your health.    Check it out!

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About Bjay

Did you grow up hearing Mexican dichos or sayings/proverbs?

Here is today’s dicho.

Dicho in Spanish:

Si quieres el perro, acepta las pulgas.

Dicho in English:

If you want the dog, accept the fleas.

Traditionally, this dicho means if you can’t stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen -  or love me, love my faults or stuff you don’t like.

I thought this was appropriate considering my last post on Adam Lambert’s American Music Awards performance and the outrage it has caused.

In a nutshell my point was if we allow commercially-minded artists to promote themselves by pushing the envelope and allow advertisers and the media to use sex more and more to sell, attract, and influence us, then we have made our bed and are laying in it.  If we want to accept that as part of our culture, then we have to accept and even expect the fleas that come with it.  On the other hand if we decide we don’t want to accept that anymore, then it has to be across the board and not just for one gender, sexual orientation, or particular artist.

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Should Adam Lambert apologize for his American Music Awards performance?

Former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert is at the center of a lot of controversy over his performance at the 2009 American Music Awards on ABC.  He kissed a guy, groped male and female dancers, dragged a girl around by a leash, and gyrated (with a guy’s face against his crotch).  Oh ya, and he flipped everyone off too.

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Lambert said, “Female performers have been doing this for years — pushing the envelope about sexuality — and the minute a man does it, everybody freaks out.”

Is he right?

The Parent’s Television Council urged viewers to complain.  About 1,500 complaints were promptly phoned into ABC about the AMA performance and Adam Lambert’s performance on Good Morning America was canceled.

I totally think we had this coming, and don’t understand why we are complaining NOW.  Why are we so shocked when we’ve become so permissive and accepting of behavior that pushes the limits.  Our current society is built on the notion that that sex sells and advertising messages are everywhere and get bolder every day.

I’m not trying to be a prude.  I can understand sex as art.  However sex is often disguised as art or freedom, when it’s just being used as a tool to sell or influence.

Anybody look at the little girl’s sections of clothing stores?  When I was younger I would have thought most of it was hooker attire.  I bet you know a little girl under eight who has mastered the art of gyrating like their favorite artist (and their moms are so proud).  It’s okay for women over 35 (even married women) to want to be cougars or a MILF (and purchase things to help them become one).  Some daytime soap operas come pretty close to soft porn. How many times in everyday life have you seen the image of a woman or girl sensuously licking a lollipop, popsicle or their own finger?  Or a woman straddling something in a sexual way?  How many little kids see it?  We seem to accept this.

The line in the sand has been moved time and time again.  Sex is to entertainment and advertising as sugar, salt and fat are to fast food.  They are all lures they hope we are fish-brained enough to bite.

Is Adam Lambert’s behavior at the AMA performance unprecedented?  Madonna has shared open mouth kisses with Brittany Spears and Christina Aguilera.  Madonna and Janet Jackson are crotch grabbers and have had their dancers in submissive sexually-suggestive positions with groping.  During a live performance at the MTV Video Awards the musical act t.A.T.u. included hundreds of young-looking girls dressed as school girls who stripped down to what appeared to be underwear and they gyrated and interacted in ways that were suggestive of an orgy.  The act concluded with lots of girl-on-girl kissing.

Katy Perry’s song “I Kissed a Girl” (and I liked it) has enjoyed much commercial success and was nominated for a Grammy.  It was even nominated for favorite song at the 2009 Kid’s Choice Awards.  This is a song that includes lyrics like “I got so brave, drink in hand, lost all discretion”  and “No I don’t even know your name. It doesn’t matter.  You’re my experimental game.”  What if Adam Lambert had tried to sing “I Kissed a Boy” (and I liked it) at the AMA’s?  Would it be nominated for a Kid’s Choice award?  I have a hard time seeing that.

So why did the malleable line in the sand become a barricade for Adam Lambert?  On Wednesday, Sherri Shepherd of ABC’s The View offered an explanation on the controversy:

Shepherd said, “The thing about Adam versus Janet and Madonna, is he hasn’t earned that position yet.”  This was met with applause from the audience.  She continued, “He just came off American Idol.  I’m not saying you earn a right to do that…but what I’m saying…is we’ve grown up with Madonna.  We didn’t even know Adam Lambert.”

Say what?

I agreed when Whoopie Goldberg responded that was bull and that it should be one standard for everybody.  However I don’t remember that drawing much applause from the audience.

Lambert’s actions certainly aren’t hurting his album sales and he is a hot topic now.  The stunts by Madonna and Janet have helped them pull through stale moments in their careers.  Art or manipulation?

When Lambert’s appearance was cancelled on ABC’s morning show, CBS snatched him up for the Early Show.  However, curiously, it’s been reported when they showed clips of both Lambert’s and Madonna’s same-sex open-mouth kisses, Lambert’s clip was blurred out.  Madonna’s was not.  According to Extratv, when questioned why they did that, a rep for CBS said, “We gave this some real thought.  The Madonna image is very familiar and appeared countless times including many times on morning television.  The Adam Lambert image is a subject of great current controversy, has not been nearly as widely disseminated, and for all we know, may still lead to legal consequences.”

Did Adam Lambert cross the line, or did the novelty of his maleness show a problem we had become blind to in a new light?  He feels the outrage is due to being a gay male.  Maybe.  I think it was more of a shock to see a male, with all the perceived physical power that entails, than a woman committing those acts.  It’s become so “uncool” to bring up questions of what is too sexual for the general public, that we’ve let so much slip through the cracks in a non-threatening way.  But is it fair?

I wasn’t offended by the performance, rather it induced eye rolling.  These music award shows usually feature something shocking so I expected something like it.  His antics reminded me of a high schooler resorting to sex jokes or sexy dress for easy attention when they have nothing else to offer.  Hmmm, reminds me of many current music videos.  The thing is Lambert did have more to offer and the performance itself actually suffered, but the statement he’s trying to make is a valid one.

I’m the type of person who has TMI (too much information) limits regardless of who it is.  I don’t want to see anybody groping and slobbering over each other in public, regardless of sexual orientation.  I wouldn’t want me, my parents, or my best friend to show off  sex moves in a public venue aimed at a general audience as Lambert did.  However, he is definitely not the first and it is not uncommon.

In spite of the controversy, Lambert refuses to apologize.  Should he?  I don’t know.  As I wrote before, I think we asked for it and it’s our own fault.

PS:  I think I need to mention, Lambert claims the moves were unrehearsed and unplanned.  Did the dancers know they were going to be grabbed, fondled, and a face planted into his crotch?  I haven’t seen that question raised.  Hopefully it’s because most of us don’t believe him.