'The Big Lay-Off' A mix tape by Chip Kinney

I’ve noticed that you regular readers have been checking for my updates and I appreciate that. For some reason, things at work blew up like Nevada when the atomic bomb was invented. Suffice it to say… I’ve been busy. And although one shouldn’t say things like this… I’d almost welcome a nice relaxing coma right about now.

Let me get to business…

After I dropped Kristina off at the RDU Airport, I hoofed it on back to Greensboro. I had to attend one of our regular meetings at the radio station. We seem to have a lot of them.

While driving back, I pulled along side a livestock transport. I don’t know why, but I always look inside them to see what animals are being carted around on our highways. In a sense, I want to know what dinner or breakfast items are being delivered.

As I looked inside, I locked eyes with a brown cow. I swear that I could see the fear in that animal’s eyes. Although I felt sad about the cow’s appointment at the slaughterhouse, I couldn’t help telling the cow through the glass that I’ll see it on the dinner table.

I was being smug. I’ll admit it. I enjoy my place on the food chain. It’s just the nature of things. I didn’t mean to sound cold about it, but it’s true.

If you think about it a moment… As far as I know, we humans are the only species that corral and raise food to eat. Lions can’t do that sh*t. Tigers aren’t out building fences. And you sure as hell won’t find cheetahs tending to livestock. I think that if they could comprehend abstract thought and possessed fracking thumbs, they’d be building fences like mofos. They’d be putting up barns to house their livestock. They would make their quest for food a lot easier by raising it themselves.

I also got to thinking that it’s only natural because we humans are predators. But I have to admit, there’s a little cold-heartedness in raising, caring for, and slaughtering those animals. They must get some sort of false security as they’re being cared for. And one day, they’re shoved into a truck and they hit the highways. They don’t know what’s going on. But I know that cow was scared. I know that the cow knew that it wasn’t going out for a joyride. I feel that it knew it’s time left in the hourglass was running out.

It makes me think about how cruelly we treat our food… But the bottom line is that it’s all about survival. PETA is always pointing it’s fingers at how we care for and slaughter our meals, but you won’t find them condemning lions, tigers, cheetahs, bears, and other predators. Sure, their ways are just as murderous and often times cruel. It’s just nature. So I don’t feel so bad. I can accept my animalistic needs and desires. I love meat. I just don’t want to raise or butcher the animals that I eat.

But if I had to… I would.

Here’s the play list for Chip’s mix tape.