Welcome to reality

[delle]

This thread reminds me of the first time I heard the term Vegan back in the 90's. I handled tech support for 2 major candle making sites and after a particularly trying morning of answering baffling emails came across one that sent me over the edge:

"Is there is any way to make a good candle without using beewax? I am Vegan and don't use any animal products."

I was quite sure that someone was pranking me because although Vega is a fairly close star, no one from Vega was likely to be sending me email.
My Reply:

"I've never been to Vega so I'm not sure how things are done in your solar system, but here on Earth we just use paraffin wax which has no animal components."

It was probably the snarkiest reply I have made to a customer or potential customer. In retrospect I am not proud of it, but it seemed funny as hell at the time. It was over a year later when I heard the term Vegan again and realized it was not a prank.

Hahahahaaaaaaahaha! That was just freaking BEAUTIFUL!!!

Edited because in my fit of laughter I hit the submit button too soon by accident: As a corporate email responder myself, I can't even begin to lower my upper body (arms extended) to you enough times for going with your gut on that one.

[Eric]

I'm going to chime in as a 24 year vegetarian who's "mostly" vegan by default (dairy allergy):

just wondering how you dealt with that allergy for the other 30 years of your life?

Um, first- I'm not 54 yet. I hope I look this good in 7 years but I'm not in a rush to find out.

Second- Fishy's correct. It wasn't until a full-spectrum antibiotic wiped out my stomach flora in 2008 that the dairy allergy became highly problematic. Before that I would have occasional issues, after it too much dairy can literally cause me to pass out (not to mention the sweats and other lovely side effects...).

I can get away with cheese once about every 4-6 weeks (but my doctor would prefer I didn't), if I eat it a second time I'm asking for serious trouble. I love cheese, I will take occasionally passing out it a sweaty mess for it.

[graidawg]

I'm going to chime in as a 24 year vegetarian who's "mostly" vegan by default (dairy allergy):

just wondering how you dealt with that allergy for the other 30 years of your life?

Um, first- I'm not 54 yet. I hope I look this good in 7 years but I'm not in a rush to find out.

Second- Fishy's correct. It wasn't until a full-spectrum antibiotic wiped out my stomach flora in 2008 that the dairy allergy became highly problematic. Before that I would have occasional issues, after it too much dairy can literally cause me to pass out (not to mention the sweats and other lovely side effects...).

I can get away with cheese once about every 4-6 weeks (but my doctor would prefer I didn't), if I eat it a second time I'm asking for serious trouble. I love cheese, I will take occasionally passing out it a sweaty mess for it.

from most of your previous posts i was under the impression you prefer to make the hot boys pass out in a sweaty mess. though cheese appeal i do understand, i challenge you to find some food cheese doesnt go with

[theCryptofishist]

Chalk?

[Elderberry]

I just love a good tech support story!

This thread reminds me of the first time I heard the term Vegan back in the 90's. I handled tech support for 2 major candle making sites and after a particularly trying morning of answering baffling emails came across one that sent me over the edge:

"Is there is any way to make a good candle without using beewax? I am Vegan and don't use any animal products."

I was quite sure that someone was pranking me because although Vega is a fairly close star, no one from Vega was likely to be sending me email.
My Reply:

"I've never been to Vega so I'm not sure how things are done in your solar system, but here on Earth we just use paraffin wax which has no animal components."

It was probably the snarkiest reply I have made to a customer or potential customer. In retrospect I am not proud of it, but it seemed funny as hell at the time. It was over a year later when I heard the term Vegan again and realized it was not a prank.

[MyDearFriend]

I just love a good tech support story!

This thread reminds me of the first time I heard the term Vegan back in the 90's. I handled tech support for 2 major candle making sites and after a particularly trying morning of answering baffling emails came across one that sent me over the edge:

"Is there is any way to make a good candle without using beewax? I am Vegan and don't use any animal products."

I was quite sure that someone was pranking me because although Vega is a fairly close star, no one from Vega was likely to be sending me email.
My Reply:

"I've never been to Vega so I'm not sure how things are done in your solar system, but here on Earth we just use paraffin wax which has no animal components."

It was probably the snarkiest reply I have made to a customer or potential customer. In retrospect I am not proud of it, but it seemed funny as hell at the time. It was over a year later when I heard the term Vegan again and realized it was not a prank.

Bwahahahahahahahahaha, me too.

[Lassen Forge]

By the way... MOST but not ALL vodkas are Vegan Friendly. ALL vodkas are Arcturian Friendly. Do they drink Vodka on Vulcan? I hear they drink Ale on Romulus. Goes well wtih Lunar Cheese...

I remember when they changed the pronounciation just to stop the running joke about little green men... Before, it was Vay-Gahn, then all of the sudden it became Veee-gahn. (does this make me old or what?)

(BTW... I do know... Makers Mark *is* vegan. The boobs that warm it in my flask? NOT vegan. Don't hold that against me, OK?)

[ygmir]

By the way... MOST but not ALL vodkas are Vegan Friendly. ALL vodkas are Arcturian Friendly. Do they drink Vodka on Vulcan? I hear they drink Ale on Romulus. Goes well wtih Lunar Cheese...

I remember when they changed the pronounciation just to stop the running joke about little green men... Before, it was Vay-Gahn, then all of the sudden it became Veee-gahn. (does this make me old or what?)

(BTW... I do know... Makers Mark *is* vegan. The boobs that warm it in my flask? NOT vegan. Don't hold that against me, OK?)

they may well drink vodka on Vulcan, but, alcohol does not affect them.
Romulan ale is sector famous, as we all know,
and, if you can get your hands on it "Tranya", is delish!!

[Eric]

By the way... MOST but not ALL vodkas are Vegan Friendly.

There is so much alcohol that's not vegan that there's a website devoted to letting "us" know what doesn't use animal bits.

I'm not a militant vegan (or vegetarian), I don't go crazy worrying about this. As long as there's no dairy in it I'm all good.

As for your boobs warming the booze- that's fine. I have no problem eating meat that wants me to...

[deutlich]

I think there is merit to asking us to eat less meat (depending on how much you're eating already) and that eating humanely raised and slaughtered meat is perfectly reasonable (depending on income). But the idea that we did not evolve to eat meat is laughable. "Paleo" is far closer to the truth. And expressing moral superiority through food is weird.

Ohmygod exactly!

[RedHeaven]

Fakin bacon is NOT allowed on my grill.

Soy is destroying the Earth and is bad for you!!!

[trilobyte]

I like to think that since we're all unique and special snowflakes (just like everyone else), we each have our own individual eco-system. Stuff that one person enjoys and thrives upon makes another person turn their nose up or get sick. For me, it's omnivore all the way.

Great job in giving it right back to the recruiters. Whether it's their intention or not, when they start to get into preach mode it really gets annoying. I usually respond with 'if vegan is so great, why are so many of the dishes named after what I eat?' Or if they do the animal cruelty thing, I point out the likelihood that plants are sentient (talking to them/playing music affects growth, etc).

[Elderberry]

So does a fan, it's the vibrations. Saying that's sentient is stretching it a bit. Though it's probably a good argument to use on a vegan.

I like to think that since we're all unique and special snowflakes (just like everyone else), we each have our own individual eco-system. Stuff that one person enjoys and thrives upon makes another person turn their nose up or get sick. For me, it's omnivore all the way.

Great job in giving it right back to the recruiters. Whether it's their intention or not, when they start to get into preach mode it really gets annoying. I usually respond with 'if vegan is so great, why are so many of the dishes named after what I eat?' Or if they do the animal cruelty thing, I point out the likelihood that plants are sentient (talking to them/playing music affects growth, etc).

[Nipple]

It's really not... that line of thinking has it's root in a 70s book called "The Secret Life of Plants". It's pretty thoroughly debunked elsewhere. The book itself delves into orgone energy and auras and gets kind of ... out there.

If you go further with that line of reasoning... it sounds like it's a function of mental power that determines what you can eat. Grass through cattle seem to be ok... why not people who are in a persistent vegetative state?

I think the vocal people from either side of the fence are pretty awful to deal with, be they fundies or hardcore athiests, vegans or carnivores.

I'm a vegan and it's entirely a personal choice that doesn't extend beyond me. It's a choice decided for me, by me, and has 0% to do with anyone outside of my head.

BUT... I don't even like talking about it because it always seems to go somewhere that's a total bummer either because of past vegans who've pissed people off, or people who disagree on a gut level and want to have big opinions about what I eat (Even though I don't care what you eat. We can sit down and you can have a steak! If you want to hold hands and I can pretend to cry about it, that's cool too).

[Elderberry]

We can sit down and you can have a steak!

You're a credit to your cult.
But seriously, if more vegans would have that attitude I wouldn't mind vegans as much.

[Eric]

We can sit down and you can have a steak!

You're a credit to your cult.
But seriously, if more vegans would have that attitude I wouldn't mind vegans as much.

You'd be amazed at how many do have that attitude, but, like liberal Christians, reform Jews and modernizing Muslims, you don't hear about them that much. Just like we hear more from the "how dare you don't eat meat" police a lot more than we meet people who don't care about our food choices.

[Milayna]

Trilobyte, I totally agree.

I recently gave the paleo diet a try (you eat only meat and vegetables, no grains, beans, dairy, etc) because, as someone mentioned earlier, it's supposed to be closer to what our ancestors ate, and therefore what we are genetically meant to eat. WOAH, apparently I am descended from some people that NEED GRAINS. I got sooooo ill, eventually I was in bed for 5 days, and considering a hospital visit. The real kicker was that the online community that was at first so kind and helpful in getting me started TOTALLY tore me apart when I decided after a few weeks I couldn't continue because I was so sick. They acted like I was making it up or something, like of course this is the ONLY way ANYONE should eat.

I never understand people's need to push any lifestyle choices onto others, live and let live, it just makes everything so much easier.

[trilobyte]

There are a couple really interesting BBC documentaries on the subject of what our ancestors ate. The only one I can think of offhand is BBC Horizon, episode entitled "Did Cooking Make Us Human?" - really fascinating look at the impact that not only eating meat but cooking food had on humans from an evolutionary standpoint. The argument made by some of the extreme/special diet groups (food that's closer to what cavemen ate is somehow better for you) is a potentially dangerous oversimplification. Glad to hear you were able to avoid the hospital visit

[Beanz]

The BCC special you mentioned Trilobyte sounds interesting. I love that kind of stuff. I agree, one size (diet) does not fit all. Not quite as simplified as the Paleo diet is the Blood-Type diet. I thought that sounded hokey until several of my family and friends read about it and discovered that following it made them feel better, including myself. To me it makes sense that we have various types of blood out there, each evolving at different times in the evolution of the human diet.

For everyone whose blood-type I know, I have also noticed that their preferred diet fits that recommended by the Blood-Type theory. For example, one of my sisters and I both physically feel better when we don't eat meat and that fits the diet for our blood-type (A+); my husband and other sister love and crave their meat which fits their blood-type (O). Granted it is just a theory...but it seems to make sense to me.

For all those meat lovers who also would like to lighten their eco-footprint, have you heard that scientists are in the early stages of culturing meat in the laboratory (recent New Scientist Magazine). Maybe not fit for human consumption in our life-time...but wouldn't that be amazing if we could someday eliminate the need for farm raised animals?

[theCryptofishist]

So does a fan, it's the vibrations. Saying that's sentient is stretching it a bit. Though it's probably a good argument to use on a vegan.

I like to think that since we're all unique and special snowflakes (just like everyone else), we each have our own individual eco-system. Stuff that one person enjoys and thrives upon makes another person turn their nose up or get sick. For me, it's omnivore all the way.

Great job in giving it right back to the recruiters. Whether it's their intention or not, when they start to get into preach mode it really gets annoying. I usually respond with 'if vegan is so great, why are so many of the dishes named after what I eat?' Or if they do the animal cruelty thing, I point out the likelihood that plants are sentient (talking to them/playing music affects growth, etc).

jBecause vegans don't recognize sentience reliably?

[theCryptofishist]

For all those meat lovers who also would like to lighten their eco-footprint, have you heard that scientists are in the early stages of culturing meat in the laboratory (recent New Scientist Magazine). Maybe not fit for human consumption in our life-time...but wouldn't that be amazing if we could someday eliminate the need for farm raised animals?

I dunno. I wouldn't want to think of the chemistry in that "meat". Although, it would be okay to eat veal again... (And perhaps cheaper.)

[Ugly Dougly]

The best meat is that which one may slaughter personally.

[ygmir]

The best meat is that which one may slaughter personally.

[Nipple]

Because vegans don't recognize sentience reliably?

Unrelated: When ever I log in to Yahoo mail, I get IMs from like 20 women, who all want to have sex with me. Do you think they know each other?

[MyDearFriend]

Unrelated: When ever I log in to Yahoo mail, I get IMs from like 20 women, who all want to have sex with me. Do you think they know each other?

Yeah and they are all talking about you, on boards just like this one...

doesn't everybody go to the interwebs for advice on choosing partners?

[Nipple]

Unrelated: When ever I log in to Yahoo mail, I get IMs from like 20 women, who all want to have sex with me. Do you think they know each other?

Yeah and they are all talking about you, on boards just like this one...

doesn't everybody go to the interwebs for advice on choosing partners?

Worst message board ever.

[skibear]

Vegans are annoying.

Our neighbor suddenly became Vegan. What's annoying is he (the cook) won't prepare any carnivore food
for the wife and his 2 teenage kids who don't share this lifestyle. Close to an open revolt going on.

[lucky420]

What's annoying is he (the cook) won't prepare any carnivore food
for the wife and his 2 teenage kids who don't share this lifestyle. Close to an open revolt going on.

Guess they better figure out how the stove works then...

[davink]

Regarding JK's comment about processing euthanized dogs/cats into burgers and warm jackets...

I'd rather eat a lean leg of a pit bull than the asshole or intestines of a cow. But then again those street taco carts are pretty good. I can't argue your point there.

Now for a happier moment of enlightenment that I had this last Saturday at the farmers market, a cute farm girl encouraged me to eat an ear of corn raw. So I did. And I will never cook corn again. I swear that had to be the single best piece of produce I've ever eaten in my life. And I'm upset at society, myself and my parents for raising me thinking you had to boil or bbq it. I'm disappointed in myself for never thinking of just shucking it and eating it raw. Wow!

I've had 3 more since Saturday now. haha.

I have plenty of vegan friends, I've been trying to get to at least half of my diet being raw/vegan. But you know what else? I love shicken! And fish! And Cheese! So there will never be a day that I will give up 100% of those things. I DJ at a vegan dinner party every month and enjoy all the goodies they bring, and respect their views on it all. But they never push me to go full fledge, and I never push them to eat a burger. I tease them that I'm veg-curious and that's all. Just like religion, nobody should force themselves on you.