Vegetarians

Starfox

Anyone here a vegetarian? Opinions on them? I know a few and think they're nuts.

Apreche

Meat is yummy.

Rym

I'm generally indifferent to what other people eat, so long as it isn't me.

I could never be one for two simple reasons: a love of raw red meat, and a need for a lean protein source that doesn't taste like a protein bar. ^_~

Andrew

I'm generally indifferent to what other people eat, so long as it isn't me.

Agreed. Just as long as they aren't Peta.

HungryJoe

Grains. . . GRAINS!

HMTKSteve

I'm a non-beef eater due to allergies.

Hitman Hart

I've never liked the argument of vegetarians about not eating something with a face or such. Plants are alive too, and they do die when they are picked or what have you to make your meal. If you don't like how animals are kept at the big farms, that's one thing, I agree that free range is better, but human beings are built to be omnivores, we eat meat and plants. Now, if you really feel you have to be vegetarian, that's fine, but don't stuff it down other people's throats(no pun intended). I remember I ended up missing the last day Air America was on here because I turned it off when they had a PETA wacko on

HungryJoe

I had a couple of dates once with a girl who was a vegetarian, a chiroprator, and a scientologist.

Jason

If it doesn't have meat, it's not a meal. I need beef on my grilled cheese sandwiches. I mix pulled pork with my cereal. Fish is always better if it's cooked in bacon. And the only thing better than a steak is two steaks.

*Munches discontentedly on his wife's turnip, potato, and carrot stew...

Jason

I had a couple of dates once with a girl who was a vegetarian, a chiroprator, and a scientologist.

Triple threat!

HungryJoe

One thing you can say about the chiropractors: some of them end up making pretty good money. Not all. Some. Of course, if she ever made any money, she'd probably spend it all on E-meters and crap.

Apreche

One thing you can say about the chiropractors: some of them end up making pretty good money. Not all. Some. Of course, if she ever made any money, she'd probably spend it all on E-meters and crap.

The same can be said for all of the other varieties of scam artist. Guess what people, crime pays.

HungryJoe

I'm not sure, but I would bet that there's more opportunity and more liklihood of success in chiropractic than in the medium business. That is, I'll bet a person would have to be a REALLY good medium in order to make good money when a person could probably be a run-of-the-mill chiro and still make pretty good money.

Apreche

I'm not sure, but I would bet that there's more opportunity and more liklihood of success in chiropractic than in the medium business. That is, I'll bet a person would have to be a REALLY good medium in order to make good money when a person could probably be a run-of-the-mill chiro and still make pretty good money.

I think you missed my point. Chiropractors and mediums are all in the same business, fraud.

HungryJoe

I didn't miss your point at all and did not dispute that chiros and mediums both engage in fraud. I said that it's probably easier to make money as a chiro fraud than a medium fraud.

Rym

Man, I always think that I should have just sold snake oil, cold reading, and reflexology. I could be making six figures -now- without all of that wasted money for an "education." ^_~

HungryJoe

I'm not sure, but I think there might even be some chiropractic schools that only require a high school diploma for admission . . .

Kate Monster

I do eat meat, but I love all varieties of food and enjoy vegetarian meals. I do not think that meat is necessary in a meal- but my family was pretty poor when I was very young, so I got used to meatless meals like beans and rice.

Jason

My family was pretty poor when I was young, so I got used to meatless meals like hotdogs.

gomidog

I've been thinking a lot about this lately...I am in the middle of reading a book called The Omnivore's Dilemma. (Rym has a copy, as does my mom) Very balanced and interesting study of the food industry. The point is, I feel I am in a quandry lately. I like how meat tastes...I like all kinds of food, and the idea of giving up such savory morsels makes me oh so sad...but I have been on my soapbox about animal cruelty lately, so in fear of being labled a hypocrite I have been experimenting with vegetarianism. Last week I only ate one meal of flesh (feeesh) but then Rym cooked Rosemary chicken and it was sooososo good. Ah well. Moderation. So I eat meat, but think that vegetarian means can be great too. Village Temple, a little korean joint by school has all the nine kinds of kimchi I like best and is completely vegan. Yuuuummmm.

My main gripe with meat is the animal husbandry practices. Animals in the wild kill and eat other animals, and the human digestive tract is set up to encourage a certain amount of omnivorous habits. My issue is that relatively intelligent animals capable of feeling pain and fear are tormented their entire lives under a factory farming system. Cows used to be a solar system, now they are petroleum based (grass vs. corn fed in other words) which not only destroys their digestive systems, but uses natural resources as well. For me there is a sliding scale. I rarely eat beef or pork, eat chicken occasionally, and devour clams and shrimp with nary a pinch of guilt, and have caught and prepared my own freshwater fish.

I would not, however, eat Rym's African gray parrot which seemingly has the mental capabilities of a small child and refers to itself and its feelings.

Besides, on the PETA issue, do you want to know what is really cruel to animals? Making a dog eat vegetarian. Those people are crazy. (refer to Futurama Tofu eating lion...)

Andrew

My main gripe with meat is the animal husbandry practices. Animals in the wild kill and eat other animals, and the human digestive tract is set up to encourage a certain amount of omnivorous habits. My issue is that relatively intelligent animals capable of feeling pain and fear are tormented their entire lives under a factory farming system. Cows used to be a solar system, now they are petroleum based (grass vs. corn fed in other words) which not only destroys their digestive systems, but uses natural resources as well. For me there is a sliding scale. I rarely eat beef or pork, eat chicken occasionally, and devour clams and shrimp with nary a pinch of guilt, and have caught and prepared my own freshwater fish.

I have to disagree with your issue against animal cruelty. They way I see it, I would put thousands of cows through pain and kill them if I could feed just one human. Animals are a natural resource, they are not even close to being equal with humans.

tuttle88

One of my friends is a new vegetarian, she made the mistake of telling me that Hitler was a vegetarian. Now I tease her mercilessly.

HungryJoe

WIP: Once again I believe it depends on individual facts and circumstances. I've known people who aren't worth one cow, much less thousands. I've known some people not worth one brine shrimp.

Mamath

I have a friend who's vegetarian for more unusual reasons. She'll only eat things that she would willingly kill herself. This actually makes sense to me. And when I say "kill herself" I mean that she could face it down and take a weapon to it without feeling so bad about it - not that she has to use her bare hands. At the moment she eats fish and lately she's been thinking that she might be willing to kill small birds (quail) and that might lead to chicken which would make cooking for her easier. Her stance comes from her disapproval of animal husbandry practices (probably the same ones gomidog mentioned) and mankind's removal from the whole process. Few people understand what it's like to actually kill something and take it apart. It is gross and unpleasant.

The father of another friend is vegetarian for different reasons again. You can feed more people on crops from a piece of land than you can on animals raised on the same land (energy loss along the process, obviously). You could argue that the lives of the animals and biological diversity in-between the crops and the humans and is worth more than the extra food but there doesn't seem to be a definite right or wrong answer there. The issue is more relevant when you keep in mind how many people starve to death globally.

I can't really fault people who are vegetarian because they don't want to eat things with faces, I guess. I won't touch crabs or prawns because I think they are freakin' adorable. I just have a soft spot for crustaceans. Cows, pigs and chickens, though? Fine. I daresay I'd eat crustaceans if I was hungry enough but in a situation where I have so much choice it's incredibly easy to just...not.

I also know people who don't eat meat purely because they don't like the taste. That's fine. I've eaten plenty of vegetarian meals that tasted great! I quite like "vegetarian" food. In fact, labelling a meal "vegetarian" feels kind of weird to me. It's food that just so happens to not contain meat. Big deal. The whole "it's not a meal if there's no meat in it" thing is dumb.

ALSO: People in first world countries generally eat too much meat. Per meal. You only actually need about a-deck-of-cards-size of meat with your meal. That's not even every meal. Half a plate of vegetables = actually good for you. It's what was ideally rationed out during World War II (pretty sure that was the one) and they did just fine (bombs notwithstanding). Even without becoming vegetarian you could be eating a lot more economically just by being a better omnivore! Your digestive system would appreciate it, too.

/RANT

Mamath

My main gripe with meat is the animal husbandry practices. Animals in the wild kill and eat other animals, and the human digestive tract is set up to encourage a certain amount of omnivorous habits. My issue is that relatively intelligent animals capable of feeling pain and fear are tormented their entire lives under a factory farming system. Cows used to be a solar system, now they are petroleum based (grass vs. corn fed in other words) which not only destroys their digestive systems, but uses natural resources as well. For me there is a sliding scale. I rarely eat beef or pork, eat chicken occasionally, and devour clams and shrimp with nary a pinch of guilt, and have caught and prepared my own freshwater fish.

I have to disagree with your issue against animal cruelty. They way I see it, I would put thousands of cows through pain and kill them if I could feed just one human. Animals are a natural resource, they are not even close to being equal with humans.

Additionally: I would put a slough of animals through pain and death to SAVE one human* but not to just FEED one. If there are ways to feed people while minimising unpleasantness for animals then I say everyone should endeavour to use them. It may be a little more inconvenient but not being a jerk is worth it.

*Okay, so that may depend on the human and animals in question.

Loganator456

... I won't touch crabs or prawns because I think they are freakin' adorable. I just have a soft spot for crustaceans....

I also have a soft spot for crustaceans and also frogs. ^_^

Mamath

Heh, I'm not alone! Most people think they are smelly and ugly. :<

Cramit

My girlfriend has the cutest frog. It' an african clawed frog. It's fully aquatic.

HMTKSteve

It's an animal that is being raised as a food stock. As long as it is given adequate care to insure the meat is safe to eat who cares? I look forward to the days promised to us in the Jetsons where we eat food tabs!

TheWhaleShark

I've been thinking a lot about this lately...I am in the middle of reading a book called The Omnivore's Dilemma. (Rym has a copy, as does my mom) Very balanced and interesting study of the food industry. The point is, I feel I am in a quandry lately. I like how meat tastes...I like all kinds of food, and the idea of giving up such savory morsels makes me oh so sad...but I have been on my soapbox about animal cruelty lately, so in fear of being labled a hypocrite I have been experimenting with vegetarianism. Last week I only ate one meal of flesh (feeesh) but then Rym cooked Rosemary chicken and it was sooososo good. Ah well. Moderation. So I eat meat, but think that vegetarian means can be great too. Village Temple, a little korean joint by school has all the nine kinds of kimchi I like best and is completely vegan. Yuuuummmm.

My main gripe with meat is the animal husbandry practices. Animals in the wild kill and eat other animals, and the human digestive tract is set up to encourage a certain amount of omnivorous habits. My issue is that relatively intelligent animals capable of feeling pain and fear are tormented their entire lives under a factory farming system. Cows used to be a solar system, now they are petroleum based (grass vs. corn fed in other words) which not only destroys their digestive systems, but uses natural resources as well. For me there is a sliding scale. I rarely eat beef or pork, eat chicken occasionally, and devour clams and shrimp with nary a pinch of guilt, and have caught and prepared my own freshwater fish.

I would not, however, eat Rym's African gray parrot which seemingly has the mental capabilities of a small child and refers to itself and its feelings.

Besides, on the PETA issue, do you want to know what is really cruel to animals? Making a dog eat vegetarian. Those people are crazy. (refer to Futurama Tofu eating lion...)

The animal cruelty argument doesn't go very far, because you're generally just replacing animal cruelty with plant cruelty. The only difference is that a plant can't vocalize its distress, so it doesn't appear to be cruel.

In order to survive, you must eat SOMETHING. Pretty it up however you want, you still have to end the life of something in order to continue your own.

Bromley

Few people understand what it's like to actually kill something and take it apart. It is gross and unpleasant.

Then I guess I should shy away from posting my hobby on eHarmony...