Though I am not prone to seeking out vegetarian-only style restaurants on my own, some visiting friends took us to Silence Heart Nest in Fremont a summer or two ago for breakfast. Their mango waffles (a special of the day only, sadly) were pretty awesome.
Separately, Nico & I wonder if you have heard of the "Challenge Nation: Ultimate Urban Scavenger Race" that's occurring in Seattle on 8/28/10? We found out due to Groupon selling a deal for it today:
Though the puzzle portion of it seems intriguing, we think we personally lack the walking/jogging speed to be a first completer on this. We'd probably do it anyway if not for needing to help someone move that day, though.
Meatless Mondays
anonymous
August 15 2010, 16:34:24 UTC
Thanks for the mention, Mike!
There's a "programme" that's gaining some traction in the US and Canada called "Meatless Monday." It's pretty easy to understand -- cut out meat just one day a week and you'll dramatically reduce animal suffering in the world and do your body some good. Certainly not everyone's going to go veg, but every non-meat meal benefits both the eater and the not-eaten.
Re: Meatless MondaysselinkerAugust 15 2010, 16:40:17 UTC
Happy to spread the love, Mark.
I've figured out the diet I will go on if I ever decide to go "vegetarian" again: I will eat nothing but vegetarian food and bacon. See, I like meat of all types, but I love bacon. I can't imagine eating it all the time, though, so my overall meat consumption would plummet, but I wouldn't go through withdrawal. It's kind of like deciding to cut sugar out of your diet except for the Dilettante truffles. Just a theory, and probably unlikely to be put into practice any time soon.
While I do sympathize to the plight of animals and the cruelties the food industry has placed upon them, I can't see myself ever becoming a vegetarian. It's unnatural for humans in the most strictest sense. Our teeth have evolved to their current state as being designed to eat plant and animal matter.
That and meat is so wonderfully tasty.
Besides, I've yet to see much cry from any plant right groups. It's been common knowledge for years that plants are living and breathing. More recent studies have shown they actually feel pain on a remarkably concious level similar to other animals. Ye they're treated far harsher by the food industry than animals are.
That said, I certainly don't buy the "plants are people too" argument. They suffer trauma, like when you rip them out of the ground, but they don't have brains. They have no higher-order functions, and very few of them have lower-order functions. Killing animals is vastly more rapacious than killing plants. For more information on the speciousness of this argument, see this page.
Not so much 'plants are people too' as they feel as much as animals do. It's a thing that I fall back on when vegans go on about animal cruelty. There's more an more science that points to the range of plant emotional states and feeling in the news these days.
I mean is the basis of animal cruelty higher order functions or the fact they can feel at all?
While I don't disagree with the overall sentiment, I'm not sure I'd elevate it to "Most Beautiful" status. Surely something like "The rise of education for girls" is more deserving?
Perhaps I feel this way because I don't really see vegetarianism as dramatically more civilized than meat-eating. (I don't think horses are notably more civilized than cats.) To my mind the signal virtue of vegetarianism (and my main source of guilt at being miles from vegetarian myself) is that it's vastly more efficient environmentally than meat consumption. (I do consider many modern western farming practices horrifying and barbaric, but that's a rather different issue.)
It was a very close call between this and Title IX, which will probably get its own column at some point. I have a lot to say about that.
Did I not list the environmental argument in my list? I should have. That's another strong reason to look toward vegetarianism as the way to go. Unless you have a particular taste for methane, that is.
I remember having conversations in high school about the seemingly-unbelievable hypocrisy of Jefferson and other champions of liberty owning slaves. Someone made the point, "the way we feel about their slave-owning is how future generations will feel about our meat-eating." I still eat meat, but I certainly admire those who don't.
Comments 24
Reply
Reply
http://www.challengenation.org/
http://www.groupon.com/seattle/
Though the puzzle portion of it seems intriguing, we think we personally lack the walking/jogging speed to be a first completer on this. We'd probably do it anyway if not for needing to help someone move that day, though.
Reply
Reply
There's a "programme" that's gaining some traction in the US and Canada called "Meatless Monday." It's pretty easy to understand -- cut out meat just one day a week and you'll dramatically reduce animal suffering in the world and do your body some good. Certainly not everyone's going to go veg, but every non-meat meal benefits both the eater and the not-eaten.
http://www.meatlessmonday.com/
Reply
I've figured out the diet I will go on if I ever decide to go "vegetarian" again: I will eat nothing but vegetarian food and bacon. See, I like meat of all types, but I love bacon. I can't imagine eating it all the time, though, so my overall meat consumption would plummet, but I wouldn't go through withdrawal. It's kind of like deciding to cut sugar out of your diet except for the Dilettante truffles. Just a theory, and probably unlikely to be put into practice any time soon.
Reply
this really hit my funny bone :)
And I like the idea. A lot. It's pretty much what I do now, if you were to add chicken wings. :-P
Reply
Reply
That and meat is so wonderfully tasty.
Besides, I've yet to see much cry from any plant right groups. It's been common knowledge for years that plants are living and breathing. More recent studies have shown they actually feel pain on a remarkably concious level similar to other animals. Ye they're treated far harsher by the food industry than animals are.
So, I'm an omnivore and proud of it.
Reply
That said, I certainly don't buy the "plants are people too" argument. They suffer trauma, like when you rip them out of the ground, but they don't have brains. They have no higher-order functions, and very few of them have lower-order functions. Killing animals is vastly more rapacious than killing plants. For more information on the speciousness of this argument, see this page.
Reply
I mean is the basis of animal cruelty higher order functions or the fact they can feel at all?
Reply
Look, I don't feel guilty about eating animals. But I don't kid myself that harvesting wheat is on the same level of cruelty as killing a lamb.
Just my opinion, though. I also wear leather, own a down comforter, and watch horse racing. So being judgmental isn't really my thing.
Reply
Perhaps I feel this way because I don't really see vegetarianism as dramatically more civilized than meat-eating. (I don't think horses are notably more civilized than cats.) To my mind the signal virtue of vegetarianism (and my main source of guilt at being miles from vegetarian myself) is that it's vastly more efficient environmentally than meat consumption. (I do consider many modern western farming practices horrifying and barbaric, but that's a rather different issue.)
Reply
Did I not list the environmental argument in my list? I should have. That's another strong reason to look toward vegetarianism as the way to go. Unless you have a particular taste for methane, that is.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment