Skepchick Chat: Vegetarianism, Skepticism, and Semen
Recently, we received this note from Michael (through our contact form!):
This question I think is mainly for Rebecca, because I am only aware of her being a vegetarian from the SGU. I was recently considering becoming a vegetarian, and was wondering what sites she could recommend to start living this lifestyle. From the basic research I have done, the majority of vegetarian sites also begin to touch base within the “woo” community. I am sure there are some people who take a scientific approach to being a vegetarian and I thought Rebecca would know who they are.
Well, it turns out that a number of us Skepchicks are either veggies, pseudo-veggies, former veggies, or just opinionated. So, we decided to have a Skype chat about it. In fact, we’re having the chat right now! I’ll be live-blogging it as we go. Click to read more and keep refreshing!
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Rebecca Watson added amanda-b-l, Elyse Anders to this chat 7:59 PM
Rebecca Watson 8:00 PM hey ladies!
Elyse Anders 8:00 PM hey!
Tracy King 8:00 PM hallo
amanda-b-l 8:00 PM Hiya
Rebecca Watson added Stacey Rodberg to this chat 8:00 PM
Jill Powell 8:00 PM Hey!
Tracy King 8:00 PM is someone logging this?
8:00 PM how is everyone? We’re live!!
Jill Powell 8:00 PM Yay!
Stacey Rodberg 8:00 PM Present!
Tracy King 8:00 PM Hellooo from England!
Jill Powell 8:01 PM Hello from Canada where the snow has finally melted
Stacey Rodberg 8:01 PM Hello from Barcelona where the architecture is beautiful and the wine is delicious
Rebecca Watson 8:01 PM oh, this is an international affair
Tracy King 8:01 PM We’re cosmopolitan!
Jill Powell 8:01 PM so classy
Rebecca Watson 8:02 PM let’s do a quick survey, who here is inebriated? just curious.
amanda-b-l 8:02 PM Continental, even
Stacey Rodberg 8:02 PM <– not
Elyse Anders 8:02 PM hahahaha…. not yet
Jill Powell 8:02 PM Not me, I’m just dorky
Tracy King 8:02 PM I am fucked. I have been up for two days so far.
amanda-b-l 8:02 PM I’m fulla tequila
Elyse Anders 8:02 PM amanda, didn’t you just leave work?
Stacey Rodberg 8:02 PM This was a cool idea – I’m glad we get to chat like this
amanda-b-l 8:02 PM Yes, yes, I did. And went drinking with coworkers.
Rebecca Watson 8:02 PM okay, so a few of us are off our asses, a few sober. That’s a good mix.
Tracy King 8:02 PM I’m running on adrenilin and cherry 7up
Jill Powell 8:03 PM I’m running on…brownies?
Rebecca Watson 8:03 PM nice.
8:03 PM okay, next survey question: who here doesn’t eat meat?
Elyse Anders 8:03 PM me
Tracy King 8:03 PM I do now but was veggie for 7 years
Stacey Rodberg 8:03 PM I am pescetarian
amanda-b-l 8:03 PM not me
Rebecca Watson 8:03 PM And I’m pescetarian, too
Jill Powell 8:03 PM I eat fish, but fish isn’t cute, so I’m ok with that
Rebecca Watson 8:03 PM another good mix
Elyse Anders 8:04 PM lol
Tracy King 8:04 PM Also fish aren’t sexually attractive, unlike sheep
Elyse Anders 8:04 PM fish creep me out
Stacey Rodberg 8:04 PM Confession, though, sometimes I stray just a little
amanda-b-l 8:04 PM I just don’t eat pig in most forms. Unless it’s bacon.
Rebecca Watson 8:04 PM speak for yourself, Tracy. I’ve seen some sexy fish.
8:04 PM I mean mer-men.
Tracy King 8:04 PM Pig comes in forms other than pig?
Jill Powell 8:04 PM Did they have fish heads, or fish bodies Rebecca?
Tracy King 8:04 PM I think we should explore a shape-shifting pig villain for the comic
Stacey Rodberg 8:04 PM No pig talk. All they serve here in Spain is ham ham ham
8:05 PM Er…”hamon”
amanda-b-l 8:05 PM Oh great, I’m snorting with laughter already.
Rebecca Watson 8:05 PM Jill: both.
Elyse Anders 8:05 PM Homer: Are you saying you’re never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal.
Homer: Heh heh heh. Ooh, yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.
Stacey Rodberg 8:05 PM lol
Rebecca Watson 8:05 PM best episode of the simpsons ever!
8:05 PM don’t be fooled. if that cow had the chance, he’d eat you and everyone you care about!
Jill Powell 8:05 PM bacon up that sausage boy!
Tracy King 8:06 PM ha ha
Elyse Anders 8:06 PM haha
Stacey Rodberg 8:06 PM One thing that’s interesting about vegetarianism is the different motivations behind it
Tracy King 8:06 PM yes
Stacey Rodberg 8:06 PM For me, it has nothing to do with emotion toward animals
8:06 PM How about you guys?
Rebecca Watson 8:06 PM a little, actually.
8:06 PM I know I’m a cold-hearted bitch, but I like to kill as few things as possible.
Tracy King 8:06 PM I did it for ethical reasons. But I was a teen.
Elyse Anders 8:06 PM animal cruelty… i work with animals for a living (or did)
Rebecca Watson 8:06 PM the smarter the animal, the less I want to eat it.
Elyse Anders 8:07 PM yeah
Tracy King 8:07 PM When i got older I decided taste is better than compassion!
Rebecca Watson 8:07 PM unless you mean “eat” in a sexy way.
Stacey Rodberg 8:07 PM No health nuts?
Rebecca Watson 8:07 PM I ate a giant brownie for lunch. No healthiness about it.
Jill Powell 8:07 PM I made brownies yesterday
Stacey Rodberg 8:07 PM Mmmmm…brownie
Elyse Anders 8:07 PM needing to lose weight was the thing that pushed me over to the veg side
Jill Powell 8:07 PM me too
Elyse Anders 8:07 PM but it wasn’t my primary motivation
Rebecca Watson 8:07 PM and did you lose weight?
Elyse Anders 8:08 PM 60 lbs
Rebecca Watson 8:08 PM because seriously, brownies are totally veg.
8:08 PM whoa!
8:08 PM congrats.
Elyse Anders 8:08 PM thanks
Tracy King 8:08 PM is 60lbs good?
Stacey Rodberg 8:08 PM That’s great
Tracy King 8:08 PM I don’t speak American
Rebecca Watson 8:08 PM I assume there was also excercise, etc. involved?
Jill Powell 8:08 PM Yeah wow
Elyse Anders 8:08 PM yeah
Rebecca Watson 8:08 PM yeah Tracy, it’s like 300 stone.
Stacey Rodberg 8:08 PM It actually can be just as hard to lose weight on a veg diet as a regular diet, depending on what you choose to eat
amanda-b-l 8:08 PM Eh, well, I stay away from meat mostly because it makes me feel icky. I only eat little bits occasionally, so that it doesn’t upset my stomach.
Elyse Anders 8:08 PM 300 stone?
Tracy King 8:09 PM I went the other way. The reason I started eating meat was doctor’s orders.
Elyse Anders 8:09 PM isn’t a stone 14 lbs?
Rebecca Watson 8:09 PM dunno, I was making it up.
Jill Powell 8:09 PM hahaha
Stacey Rodberg 8:09 PM Really, Tracy?
Rebecca Watson 8:09 PM hold on, should I live-blog this?
8:09 PM I think I should.
Tracy King 8:09 PM Yeah I was 6 and half stone
Elyse Anders 8:09 PM it’s like 4.4 stone
Tracy King 8:09 PM which is dangerously thin
Elyse Anders 8:09 PM i think
Tracy King 8:09 PM I was all the weight that Elyse lost!
Elyse Anders 8:10 PM i’m still a far cry from “dangerously thin”
Tracy King 8:10 PM Me too, these days. Thank goodness.
Stacey Rodberg 8:10 PM I spend a lot of time on the elliptical machine trying to become dangerously thin
Tracy King 8:10 PM Thank you, bacon double cheeseburger!
8:11 PM Being veggie was darn inconvenient
Elyse Anders 8:11 PM i think there are a fair number of veg skeptical chicas
Jill Powell 8:12 PM I find that in Alberta veggie is associated with dirty hippy, which bugs the crap out of me
Rebecca Watson 8:12 PM yes, I know quite a few veg skepdudes
Tracy King 8:12 PM My sister was still veggie til a few years ago. One time, we went to dinner with my in-laws, and my mother in law had cooked her a ‘nice vegetarian cutlet’…and put bacon on it
Stacey Rodberg 8:12 PM And the conflict arises in that vegetarianism often comes bundled with herbal therapies
Tracy King 8:12 PM “for flavour”
Elyse Anders 8:12 PM barf
Jill Powell 8:12 PM yeah, nasty
amanda-b-l 8:13 PM A local restaurant here serves a veggie burger with bacon on it. I must try it some day.
Stacey Rodberg 8:13 PM Amanda…seriously?
Tracy King 8:13 PM what are the manners for that sort of thing though?
8:13 PM I mean, rachael was cool about it and just pushed the bacon aside
Jill Powell 8:13 PM I’ve always been tempted to order a veggie burger that way to horrify my veggie friends with no sense of humour
amanda-b-l 8:13 PM Yeah, seriously. It’s the epitome of my food habits. Healthy veggie mostly with a topping of horriffic animal fat.
Elyse Anders 8:14 PM i actually won’t eat anything that has had meat on it… so no pulling off the sausage from my pizza
8:14 PM or removing the bacon
Tracy King 8:14 PM what if your mom-in-law served it
Elyse Anders 8:14 PM it’s probably poisoned anyway
Jill Powell 8:15 PM When my really strict veggie or vegan friends come over to eat, I make sure i know what they can and can’t have, you know, so i’m not being a jerk
Tracy King 8:15 PM is it rude to say “bitch yo done poisoned me!”
Jill Powell 8:15 PM not at all
Elyse Anders 8:15 PM if it were MY mother-in-law…. maybe
Tracy King 8:15 PM or maybe fling some pepperoni at her
Jill Powell 8:15 PM or a fish
amanda-b-l 8:16 PM I don’t think it’s wrong to stick up for your vegetarianness, even to a mother in law.
Elyse Anders 8:16 PM i’ll usually find a polite way of saying i’ll just have whatever else is on the menu
Rebecca Watson 8:16 PM see, I’m okay with just pulling meat off my pizza
8:17 PM though once my mom made me pasta with meat sauce and told me to pick the meatballs out
Tracy King 8:17 PM ha ha
Jill Powell 8:17 PM hahaha
Tracy King 8:17 PM it’s not meat if it’s mushed up
Rebecca Watson 8:17 PM she’s cute and innocent so I just laughed it off
Jill Powell 8:17 PM I just checked twitter, and A is trying to get into the conversation and can’t FYI
Rebecca Watson 8:17 PM oh! ok
8:17 PM 1 sec
Tracy King 8:17 PM When my sis and I turned veggie, my mom just stopped cooking
8:18 PM She said “if you want to be awkward, you learn to cook”
Jill Powell 8:18 PM HA!
Tracy King 8:18 PM So we did. Oven chips and fried eggs!
Elyse Anders added A Kovacs to this chat 8:18 PM
Tracy King 8:18 PM and then we got cable and learned to cook from the TV
Elyse Anders 8:18 PM welcome A
Rebecca Watson 8:18 PM yay, hi A!
A Kovacs 8:18 PM awesome!
Jill Powell 8:18 PM Woo A!
Tracy King 8:18 PM hello!
Rebecca Watson 8:18 PM and FYI, I’m trying to figure out the best way to copy/paste this to the blog
Stacey Rodberg 8:19 PM Hi A
A Kovacs 8:19 PM hiya
Elyse Anders 8:19 PM i have “history on”
8:19 PM so i’m saving it
8:19 PM i think?
A Kovacs 8:19 PM So, I was very surprised to see how many of us were/are veggies (or faux veggies)
8:19 PM I was, am not now
Jill Powell 8:20 PM I tend to go back and forth
Rebecca Watson 8:20 PM yeah, totally!
Tracy King 8:20 PM But which of us are on vitamin supplements?
Jill Powell 8:20 PM HA!….no
Elyse Anders 8:20 PM i’m supposed to take them since i’m breastfeeding
8:20 PM but i dont
amanda-b-l 8:20 PM Nope, even though my doc yells at me every time.
Tracy King 8:20 PM I took vitaman C for a week and got a cold
Elyse Anders 8:20 PM lmao
Tracy King 8:20 PM *vitamin
Stacey Rodberg 8:20 PM So, do you vegetarian skepchicks find yourselves in health food stores with lots of herbal remedies?
A Kovacs 8:20 PM Um, yeah, I am…children’s chewables
8:20 PM I “take” them about once a week
Elyse Anders 8:21 PM i don’t go to healthfood stores
Rebecca Watson 8:21 PM I used to back in Seattle
8:21 PM health food stores everwhere,
Jill Powell 8:21 PM oh yeah, all the organic stores here have a frou-frou quality to them
Rebecca Watson 8:21 PM constantly pushing new stuff on veggies
8:21 PM like omega-3 or whatever
A Kovacs 8:21 PM right on Elyse, me neither… too stinky…at least the ones here
Elyse Anders 8:21 PM unless you count trader joes… but i totally don’t count that
Tracy King 8:21 PM “have this kaftan made of hemp”
Rebecca Watson 8:21 PM which, apparently is bunk.
A Kovacs 8:21 PM HA!
Elyse Anders 8:21 PM they DO have a weird smell
amanda-b-l 8:21 PM Not since I found a non-health food store to buy good spices at, nope.
Stacey Rodberg 8:21 PM I do, but I just stay out of the supplement section and go straight to the food/juice bar.
A Kovacs 8:22 PM I think even Whole Foods is hella smella
8:22 PM but they have nice fruit
Tracy King 8:22 PM I wish I liked fruit
amanda-b-l 8:22 PM I just found out there’s an “herbal teas and remedies” store just down the street from me.
Stacey Rodberg 8:22 PM I’ve been going to a place called Mother Nature’s Pantry for years for the fresh food
Tracy King 8:22 PM I like the idea of fruit, but I buy it and then watch it rot
Stacey Rodberg 8:22 PM Best smoothies and veggie wraps
Tracy King 8:22 PM Mother Nature’s Panties?
Jill Powell 8:22 PM The only problem I have is that alot of organic/veggie friendly stuff is really expensive, at least it is here
Stacey Rodberg 8:22 PM lol @ Teek
8:23 PM I had strawberry/chocolate fondue tonight…that is vegetarian
A Kovacs 8:23 PM I’m allergic to mango, so I gave up on smoothies entirely after the smoothie dude didn’t clean the blender well enough, and I went to the Urgent Care
Elyse Anders 8:23 PM Morningstar Farms is a staple in this house
Tracy King 8:23 PM organic is fine if it’s local, because fresher means tastier. But if it’s not, then it’s no better than the non-organic stuff.
Stacey Rodberg 8:23 PM Elyse – do you eat the pizza-veggie-burgers?
amanda-b-l 8:23 PM A, that’s awful!
Stacey Rodberg 8:23 PM I love them!
Tracy King 8:23 PM is ‘smoothie dude’ his job title, or a physical description?
Elyse Anders 8:23 PM I just bought them for the first time last week
A Kovacs 8:23 PM I’m a bigger fan of grown local than I am organic
8:24 PM both Teek
Tracy King 8:24 PM yeah, local is better regardless of the chemicals
Elyse Anders 8:24 PM my husband likes them… but i think they’re weird
Stacey Rodberg 8:24 PM Hm.. Elyse Anders 8:24 PM lmao
amanda-b-l 8:24 PM Absolutely, local all the way.
Stacey Rodberg 8:24 PM What do you like from MF, Elyse?
A Kovacs 8:24 PM Has anyone read What To Eat by Marion Nestle
8:24 PM ?
Elyse Anders 8:24 PM breakfast sausage
8:24 PM i loves me some BF sausage
8:24 PM and italian sausage
Tracy King 8:25 PM Boyfriend sausage?
8:25 PM you mean
Elyse Anders 8:25 PM i used to love the chick patties, but i ate them all day every day while pregnant
Tracy King 8:25 PM
A Kovacs 8:25 PM It’s an interesting accounting of how to navigate the grocery, and how she might choose among options available
Elyse Anders 8:25 PM yes, boyfriend but don’t tell my hubby
Stacey Rodberg 8:25 PM hehe
A Kovacs 8:25 PM d’oh!
Tracy King 8:25 PM unrelated to this topic but I just saw this smiley and had to share. Very sorry!!!
amanda-b-l 8:26 PM You can buy BF sausage at the grocery store? Who knew!
A Kovacs 8:26 PM what about GF sausage? No, that’s not right
Elyse Anders 8:26 PM comes in handy when the man is out of town
A Kovacs 8:26 PM unless your GF is extra special
Tracy King 8:26 PM strap-on sausages?
A Kovacs 8:26 PM Awe. Some.
Rebecca Watson 8:26 PM I can’t believe it took this long to get pornographic.
amanda-b-l 8:26 PM GF tacos? By which I mean Gluten Free of course.
Tracy King 8:26 PM ha ha
Stacey Rodberg 8:26 PM For a bunch of vegetarians, we sure are interested in sausage
A Kovacs 8:26 PM Amamda FTW!
Tracy King 8:26 PM yeah, it’s telling
Rebecca Watson set topic to ‘ Vegatarianism, Skepticism, and Porn ‘ 8:27 PM
Elyse Anders 8:27 PM nice
Tracy King 8:27 PM Or simply: Vagatarianism
A Kovacs 8:27 PM OK, so- I have a real question: what sort of vegetarianism do each of you practice (for those who practice?)
Tracy King 8:27 PM see what I did there?
Rebecca Watson 8:28 PM Oh, sorry A we did a roll-call a bit early. I’m pesectarian
Elyse Anders 8:28 PM pink veggies teek
8:28 PM lacto-ovo
Stacey Rodberg 8:28 PM So it seems that those who are vegetarians due to animal cruelty would be less susceptible to the psuedoscience of supplements, no?
8:28 PM A – pescetarian
A Kovacs 8:28 PM I was vegan/veggie/pesci in heavy rotation for about 13 years
Stacey Rodberg 8:28 PM Vegan that is rough
A Kovacs 8:29 PM yeah, and I ate like crap
Tracy King 8:29 PM That sounds sensible, although I wonder if there’s a strict dividing line between ëethicalà and ëhealthÃ. I suspect most veggies would state a bit of both
Rebecca Watson 8:29 PM yes Stacey, I think you might be right
Stacey Rodberg 8:29 PM I give you props for discipline
8:29 PM A – to catch up, what was your motivation?
A Kovacs 8:29 PM I was opposed to eating anything with ankles, then anything that could possibly be sentient
Stacey Rodberg 8:29 PM R/T – well, I seem to be the sole pesce that does it for health reasons
A Kovacs 8:29 PM then back to ankles
Stacey Rodberg 8:30 PM and I can see how that would be the case
Tracy King 8:30 PM HereÃs a topical anecdote:
A Kovacs 8:30 PM now IÃm most interested in the ìdoing less harmî aspect
Tracy King 8:30 PM I dated a vegan
8:30 PM His sperm tasted much better than your average
8:30 PM It was like a health drink!
Stacey Rodberg 8:30 PM For example, about 8 years ago, I got caught up in the psuedoscience of Harvey & Marilyn Diamond (Fit For Life)
Tracy King 8:31 PM End of anecdote
Jill Powell 8:31 PM O_O @ teeks
Elyse Anders 8:31 PM hahaha
A Kovacs 8:31 PM Really Teek? I found that onion comes through, which is kind of not-so-great actually.
Elyse Anders 8:31 PM my hubby is not veggie and our fertility doctor said his sperm were ìferrarisî
A Kovacs 8:31 PM Is he Italian?
Tracy King 8:31 PM ha ha. Omg I am laughing so hard my neighbour can probably hear me.
Elyse Anders 8:31 PM and i had vegetarian fiat eggs
amanda-b-l 8:32 PM I have a friend who swears vegans smell funnyÖ everywhere. I havenÃt tested that theory, myself.
Tracy King 8:32 PM vegetarian eggs seems like an oxymoron
Stacey Rodberg 8:32 PM Elyse – Ferraris are fast, but rare
Elyse Anders 8:32 PM vegetarian-fed lazy ass eggs
Tracy King 8:32 PM I dated a clown once. He smelt funny.
Elyse Anders 8:32 PM rare he is
8:32 PM and thatÃs all iÃm saying
8:32 PM Stacey Rodberg 8:32 PM Oh, clowns are scary. IÃd rather date the trapeze guy, or maybe one of the midgets
Tracy King 8:33 PM ew
Jill Powell 8:33 PM as long as he didn’t wear the clown makeup during
A Kovacs 8:33 PM you go with your bad self Stacey
Elyse Anders 8:33 PM i’d rather date the bearded lady than the clowns
amanda-b-l 8:33 PM What about the contortionist?
Stacey Rodberg 8:33 PM Oh the contortionist
Elyse Anders 8:33 PM werd
A Kovacs 8:33 PM Girls, I think I’d date anyone who was really in the circus has to be worth a few dates
Tracy King 8:33 PM I didnÃt date a clown! it was a bad pun on ‘smells funny’!
Jill Powell 8:33 PM hahahaa
Tracy King 8:34 PM Just in case that wasn’t clear
Elyse Anders 8:34 PM it was your weird accent
Tracy King 8:34 PM ha
Jill Powell 8:34 PM way to get us off topic T
8:34 PM Tracy King 8:34 PM it was inevitable
A Kovacs 8:34 PM Anyone get kind of stuck in a rut with the same foods over and over?
Tracy King 8:34 PM yes!!
Elyse Anders 8:34 PM so here’s my question: why do i have to want to go to homeopath school to get a really great artichoke recipe?
Tracy King 8:35 PM Homemade lentil bake
Stacey Rodberg 8:35 PM All the time. I go in cyclical spurts.
Elyse Anders 8:35 PM i’m crafty
Tracy King 8:35 PM every sunday instead of a roast
8:35 PM this was before I learned to cook
Stacey Rodberg 8:35 PM Oh, you donÃt Elyse. IÃll send you a few.
Elyse Anders 8:35 PM awesome
amanda-b-l 8:36 PM Now that itÃs warm, I donÃt know what IÃll do without my standard veggie soups and stews.
Elyse Anders 8:36 PM i donÃt want to be sold vitamins or call a pet psychic either
Stacey Rodberg 8:36 PM Plain and in dips artichokes mmmm. Especialy in warm parmesan dips.
8:36 PM *especially
Tracy King 8:36 PM what’s the gender split of veggi-ism?
Jill Powell 8:36 PM I’ve never had artichokes and now I’m curious
Elyse Anders 8:36 PM i think itÃs mostly 15 year old girls
Stacey Rodberg 8:36 PM Oh, it has to be biased toward females
A Kovacs 8:36 PM I’d agree, but donÃt know the stats
amanda-b-l 8:37 PM Ha! I have to agree with Elyse.
Stacey Rodberg 8:37 PM Probably a lot of college age girls
Tracy King 8:37 PM I just did a quick google but failed
Elyse Anders 8:37 PM from wiki: A 1992 market research study conducted by the Yankelovich research organisation claimed that ìof the 12.4 million people who call themselves vegetarian, 68 percent are female while only 32 percent are male. [136]
Tracy King 8:37 PM OR I could have used wiki
Stacey Rodberg 8:37 PM Age, Elyse?
Elyse Anders 8:37 PM One observational study in British Medical Journal found that high childhood IQ was associated with vegetarianism in later life. According to the study, ìHigher IQ at age 10 years was associated with an increased likelihood of being vegetarian at age 30 […] IQ remained a statistically significant predictor of being vegetarian as an adult after adjustment for social class (both in childhood and currently), academic or vocational qualifications, and sex.
8:38 PM nothing about age
Stacey Rodberg 8:38 PM Jill – I just want to interject that Steve Jobs is pescetarian
A Kovacs 8:38 PM My mom was in nursing school when i was a kid, and we spent a year vegetarianÖ.do you think the opposite is also true about IQ
Jill Powell 8:38 PM I know Stacey, siiiigh
Stacey Rodberg 8:39 PM
Jill Powell 8:39 PM aaaaand I’m back
Elyse Anders 8:39 PM lol
8:40 PM anyone know and raw foodies?
Rebecca Watson 8:40 PM Just so you all know, I’m posting the chat to SkepchickÖit ainÃt pretty, but itÃs there!
Tracy King 8:40 PM ha ha
Jill Powell 8:40 PM Do any of you come across really militant veggies or vegans?
Tracy King 8:40 PM Everyone will think I date clowns
A Kovacs 8:40 PM sweet! hi Skepchick readers!
Stacey Rodberg 8:40 PM I have not. All the veggies I know are very considerate.
Tracy King 8:40 PM I used to know a few
Amanda 8:40 PM I met some militant ones in college.
A Kovacs 8:40 PM But, IÃm telling you TeekÖ.that wouldnÃt really be all bad
Tracy King 8:40 PM When I was a student
Stacey Rodberg 8:40 PM What do you all do at big events like Thanksgiving and Christmas?
Rebecca Watson 8:40 PM I, and all the veggies I know, are really respectful of others and their choices
Tracy King 8:40 PM Hey, clowns must have something filling those baggy pants, right?!
Rebecca Watson 8:41 PM def. not militant
Elyse Anders 8:41 PM fotunately, i have a kick ass cousin who is also veg, i bake a tofurkey
Rebecca Watson 8:41 PM and at T-giving I load up on mashed potatoes
Tracy King 8:41 PM tofÖwhat?
Jill Powell 8:41 PM I eat ice cream, thats my treat
Rebecca Watson 8:41 PM mmmmmmmmmmmmmashed potatoes
Amanda 8:41 PM Eat your weight in green bean casserole, right?
Rebecca Watson 8:41 PM omg, Teek. Tell me the UK has Tofurkey!
Stacey Rodberg 8:41 PM MmmmmÖ.mashed potatoes
Elyse Anders 8:41 PM Tofurkey is amazing
A Kovacs 8:41 PM NO! Tofurkey is squeaky
Tracy King 8:41 PM not that I know of, but I donÃt run in veggie circles these days
Stacey Rodberg 8:41 PM And pumpkin pie
Rebecca Watson 8:42 PM I like Tofurkey, IÃve met very few others who do
A Kovacs 8:42 PM IÃve been to a vegan ThanksgivingÖ.IÃm thankful I donÃt have to do it ever again
Elyse Anders 8:42 PM I always thought it was one of those creepy hippy foods that crazy vegans eat
Jill Powell 8:42 PM I had a bad experience with tofu, but as long as I donÃt see it in the food, I can eat it
Elyse Anders 8:42 PM then i ate it
Stacey Rodberg 8:42 PM What is a vegan Thanksgiving like, A?
Elyse Anders 8:42 PM my husband loves it too
A Kovacs 8:42 PM Oh, itÃs harsh
Stacey Rodberg 8:42 PM WhatÃs on the menu?
A Kovacs 8:43 PM I think thereÃs a mental disconnectÖ.if it was just any other dinner, steamed squash, and things made with tamari would be great, but if feels wrong
8:43 PM on that day, anyway
Stacey Rodberg 8:43 PM I agree
8:43 PM MmmmÖ.tamari
Elyse Anders 8:43 PM i love tamari
Tracy King 8:43 PM what are/is tamari?
Stacey Rodberg 8:43 PM But I donÃt want hummus on Thanksgiving
A Kovacs 8:43 PM but there was lentil loaf, a great salad, fresh cranberries (which are a special kind of hell) and hummus
Jill Powell 8:43 PM yeah, clue me in on the tamari
Stacey Rodberg 8:43 PM ItÃs like a sesame paste
Elyse Anders 8:44 PM soy sauce
Amanda 8:44 PM Fresh unsweetened plain cranberries?
Stacey Rodberg 8:44 PM FYI, I make the best cranberries ever.
8:44 PM But, I use sour cream (and jello), so I guess that wouldnÃt comply with vegan standards
A Kovacs 8:44 PM Wait, Stacey, I think youÃre talking about tahini
Stacey Rodberg 8:44 PM Oh, you are right!
Elyse Anders 8:44 PM thatÃs good stuff too
A Kovacs 8:45 PM tamari is like a soy sauce, but more nuanced
Stacey Rodberg 8:45 PM Tamari is the soy sauce
Jill Powell 8:45 PM ok, i was getting confused
Stacey Rodberg 8:45 PM Tahini is the sesame paste
A Kovacs 8:45 PM Amanda- yes, just plain, washed cranberries
Stacey Rodberg 8:45 PM Sorry
A Kovacs 8:45 PM they were really tart and really rough
8:45 PM kind of like me sometimes
Rebecca Watson 8:45 PM So letÃs get back to what started all this ó are there ANY resources out there for skeptics who are thinking of going veggie?
Tracy King 8:45 PM LOL
Jill Powell 8:45 PM i was just gonna sayÖ
Elyse Anders 8:45 PM honestly, i donÃt think there are
A Kovacs 8:45 PM What to Eat, by Marion Nestle, is a great food book
Rebecca Watson 8:46 PM A, can you give us the short overview?
A Kovacs 8:46 PM itÃs not specifically about becoming a vegetarian, but it discusses where the food that comes to your local market comes from, the process it goes through to get there, and (some) of itÃs nutritional benefit
8:46 PM it came out last summer, and is an interesting read.
Rebecca Watson 8:46 PM ah, nice
Stacey Rodberg 8:47 PM Well, a google on ìskeptical vegetarianismî shows several results, including a thread from the JREF forum. Sounds like interesting reading.
Jill Powell 8:47 PM IÃll have to look for that
A Kovacs 8:47 PM I think you can also search the SciAm podcasts from June 2007 and find an interview with her and Steve Mursky
Rebecca Watson 8:47 PM I googled vegetarian skeptic and found our very own Skepchick Masala_Skeptic as result #2
A Kovacs 8:47 PM who is not even vegetarian
Rebecca Watson 8:47 PM I know!
Elyse Anders 8:47 PM and she is not even vegetarian
Rebecca Watson 8:47 PM funy
Elyse Anders 8:48 PM oh
Rebecca Watson 8:48 PM funny
Jill Powell 8:48 PM is there an echo in here?
8:48 PM
Elyse Anders 8:48 PM is there an echo in here?
8:48 PM hahaha
Jill Powell 8:48 PM touche
Rebecca Watson 8:48 PM I wish there were a sort of PETA for skeptics. Or non-crazy people.
A Kovacs 8:48 PM So, I would also say that the local Ministry of Health, or even PubMed might have some good guidelinesÖunless youÃre in the US
Jill Powell 8:48 PM yeah, that would be lovely
A Kovacs 8:49 PM Our USDA are fools for being influenced by industry
Jill Powell 8:49 PM IÃm not super up to date on how it is in Canada, IÃll do a search
Tracy King 8:50 PM I googled Ãskeptic vegetarianà and masala came in at #1
8:50 PM So I guess order is important after all!
A Kovacs 8:50 PM so, for those of you who are veggie, or sometimes veggieÖwhatÃs your downfall?
Rebecca Watson 8:50 PM sushi
A Kovacs 8:50 PM what weakens the will?
Tracy King 8:50 PM Mine was McDonalds
8:50 PM and a bacon sandwich
A Kovacs 8:50 PM Teek! really?!
Rebecca Watson 8:50 PM Teek. Ugh.
Tracy King 8:50 PM hee hee!
8:51 PM I havenÃt been for ages tho
Stacey Rodberg 8:51 PM For me itÃs the desire to try new foods
A Kovacs 8:51 PM I love thatÖ. do you eat a lot of McDonaldÃs now/
Jill Powell 8:51 PM sushi, a thousand times sushi, and cheese
A Kovacs 8:51 PM it was sushi for me too
Elyse Anders 8:51 PM iÃm pretty fortunate, i donÃt really care about meat at all
Rebecca Watson 8:51 PM if sushi didnÃt exist, I would rarely if ever eat fish.
Stacey Rodberg 8:51 PM Like this week. I had to try all the tapas so I could experience the Spanish food
Amanda 8:51 PM Sushi and cheeseburgers.
Jill Powell 8:51 PM I couldnÃt live in a world without cheese
Tracy King 8:51 PM I used to have a Big Mac about once a quarter, until about 18 months ago when I was sure there was sperm in it.
Elyse Anders 8:51 PM it used to be buffalo wingsÖ. but i make them with cauliflower now
Tracy King 8:51 PM ThatÃs quarter year, not quarter of an hourÖ
Rebecca Watson 8:51 PM Elyse, really? Not even bacon? Because god damn bacon smells good and veggie bacon SUCKS.
A Kovacs 8:51 PM aaaand, back to the sperm
Elyse Anders 8:51 PM i donÃt mind veggie bacon
Stacey Rodberg 8:51 PM For me, itÃs the whole of my diet that is more important that a little cheat here or there. I want to experience life.
Tracy King 8:51 PM always back to the sperm
Jill Powell 8:51 PM sperm is a popular topic
A Kovacs 8:52 PM with good reason
Stacey Rodberg 8:52 PM Well, it is vegetarian
Rebecca Watson 8:52 PM is it?
A Kovacs 8:52 PM some would say no
Rebecca Watson 8:52 PM itÃs an animal by-product
Stacey Rodberg 8:52 PM ItÃs not vegan
Rebecca Watson 8:52 PM a vegan would say no
Tracy King 8:52 PM and it has little tiny men in it! Right?
Elyse Anders 8:52 PM i went to france when i was preggoÖ that was rough. thereÃs very little to eat in france when you canÃt have meat or french cheese
Stacey Rodberg 8:52 PM But tÃs vegetarian, no?
Rebecca Watson 8:52 PM ha, yes Tracy, eating humonculi is so not vegetarian.
Tracy King 8:52 PM Eating Sperm is Murder!
Rebecca Watson 8:52 PM did I just use the right word?
8:53 PM I hope so.
Elyse Anders 8:53 PM homunculi were the product of conception
Stacey Rodberg 8:53 PM I did not recognize that word at al
Elyse Anders 8:53 PM i thought
Jill Powell 8:53 PM Is there a People for the Ethical Treatment of Sperm?
Stacey Rodberg 8:53 PM all*
Tracy King 8:53 PM But do they taste good barbequed?
Rebecca Watson 8:53 PM Jill: There should be.
8:53 PM PETS.
Stacey Rodberg 8:53 PM Not barbecued, but definitely spread on an English muffin
Jill Powell 8:53 PM IÃll make up some tshirts
A Kovacs 8:54 PM OK, dudes. Ew.
Stacey Rodberg 8:54 PM lol
Elyse Anders 8:54 PM i believe sperm falls into the same category as breastmilkÖ itÃs okay if you have the permission of the animal providing the food product
A Kovacs 8:54 PM good point ElyseÖ.
Rebecca Watson 8:54 PM ah, good point
8:54 PM there really is an echo.
Stacey Rodberg 8:54 PM As long as your motivation is animal cruelty
8:54 PM If not, then you have to analyze the healthiness of the product
A Kovacs 8:55 PM sperm, not so nutritionally valueable
Jill Powell 8:55 PM I donÃt want to analyse sperm
Stacey Rodberg 8:55 PM No, A?
Rebecca Watson 8:55 PM Check what ìnowooî says on the blog:
8:55 PM Richard Dawkins was in Vancouver last week and gave his God Delusion talk. Afterward,
instead of questions from fundamentalist religious believers he got hit with numerous
questions about why he isnÃt a vegetarian. He wondered if it was an organized campaign
by vegetarians to corner him on that issue, but I think it was just a sign of the culture
of Vancouver. Dawkins is sympathetic toward vegetarianism and is in favour of greatly
improving the lives of farm animals, but he admits heÃs weak and hasnÃt been able to stick
to a vegetarian diet himself. He said it would be easier if the majority of society were
vegetarian, and then there would be better recipes too.
A Kovacs 8:55 PM some protein, some electrolytes, some vitamin A, I thnk
Stacey Rodberg 8:55 PM IÃve heard mixed reviews on that, but I donÃt know the actual facts.
A Kovacs 8:56 PM yeah, I donÃt know for sure either, but IÃll see if I can find itÖ
Rebecca Watson 8:56 PM Dawkins is such a slave to peer pressure. Who knew?
Elyse Anders 8:56 PM iÃve heard that itÃs mostly the stuff of urban legends that itÃs good for you
Stacey Rodberg 8:56 PM Hey, no one is good at everything
Elyse Anders 8:56 PM making the switch is hard
8:56 PM lets face it: meat is delicious
Jill Powell 8:56 PM Meat IS delicious
Rebecca Watson 8:56 PM hey, switching to atheism was tough but he did that!
Jill Powell 8:56 PM nom nom nom
Elyse Anders 8:57 PM yeah, but communion wafers taste like shit
Amanda 8:57 PM Atheism is way easier than vegetarianism.
Tracy King 8:57 PM I worship roast lamb. SoÖI guess vegetarianism is like atheism
Rebecca Watson 8:57 PM heh
8:57 PM okay, is it?
8:57 PM I thought going veg was easier than atheism.
A Kovacs 8:57 PM not for me
Stacey Rodberg 8:57 PM I think atheism is less of a choice.
Rebecca Watson 8:57 PM I mean, atheism comes with all kinds of freak-outs about the afterlife and family stuff and all that
A Kovacs 8:57 PM atheism much easier to maintain everyday
Rebecca Watson 8:57 PM veggie was just kind of like, um, no pepperoni please.
Stacey Rodberg 8:58 PM Once you realize that you donÃt believe in God, itÃs hard to go back.
Rebecca Watson 8:58 PM true
Amanda 8:58 PM Yep, exactly, Stacey.
Jill Powell 8:58 PM actually I didnÃt embrace my atheism until a road trip to Cali, listening to the SGU for the first time
A Kovacs 8:58 PM but one always struggles with belief in nuggets
Stacey Rodberg 8:58 PM And, if you have trouble in everyday situations, you can always downplay it
Elyse Anders 8:58 PM atheism is kind of like being gayÖ it just happens
Jill Powell 8:58 PM nuggets are hard to let go of
Amanda 8:58 PM I donÃt get cravings for God but I do get cravings for a big juicey burger.
Rebecca Watson 8:58 PM aw, that warms my heart, Jill!
Stacey Rodberg 8:58 PM I think ìcoming outî as an atheist might be similar in difficulty
Rebecca Watson 8:59 PM (and speaking of, Steve N is calling me right now, I think we have an SGU meeting)
Elyse Anders 8:59 PM people are kind of huge dicks about coming out as a vegetarian too
A Kovacs 8:59 PM thatÃs a good point Amanda, i wonder if some folks do get cravings for God
Jill Powell 8:59 PM Rebecca, you should see the post I wrote about it on my blog about the people I admrie
Elyse Anders 8:59 PM I did when my grandma died
Stacey Rodberg 8:59 PM Yes, I have cravings for God too.
Amanda 8:59 PM I think some people do, A. And maybe I will some day, but it hasnÃt happened yet.
A Kovacs 8:59 PM I know I missed the community of faith for a little whileÖ.then I realized they were crazy
Elyse Anders 9:00 PM i wanted there to be something
9:00 PM more than i wanted beef
Stacey Rodberg 9:00 PM Usually when something is beyond my control and I wish I had an ìinî with someone who could help
9:00 PM (like when a hurricane is swirling toward my house)
Elyse Anders 9:00 PM but to be atheist and vegetarian
9:01 PM people seem to have very little respect for my vegetarianism since itÃs not imposed by god(s)
A Kovacs 9:01 PM My best friendÃs wife was a veggie for 18 years, until she had a big health crisis, and kind of went ìIÃve been missing out on all this good stuff BECAUSE it is supposed to keep me healthyÖ.screw it, IÃm having a burger.î
9:02 PM she sort of lost her faith in vegetarianism in a way
9:02 PM and canÃt turn it back on
Elyse Anders 9:02 PM i can see that if youÃre a health-veg
9:02 PM there is no magic food potion
Jill Powell 9:02 PM i find it harder to be an atheist here in Alberta than a veggie (from what IÃve heard from my more hardcore veggie friends since I am not all the way veggie). Alberta is considered the Canadian Bible Belt (lucky me) and I find I have to deal with that more than anything, especially at work
9:03 PM people think since i donÃt believe in god, then i must be dead inside
Elyse Anders 9:03 PM i used to get cornered at work and interrogated about vegetarianism
9:04 PM iÃd just be trying to eat my lunch
A Kovacs 9:04 PM yeah, me too.
Elyse Anders 9:04 PM and every day it was ìwhat are you eating?î
9:04 PM like it had to be disgusting and fascinating if it didnÃt have meat
A Kovacs 9:04 PM especially since thereÃs this idea that somehow thereÃs judgement about others inherent in your personal choice
Rebecca Watson 9:04 PM HereÃs another response from the blog:
9:04 PM posty mcposterton No Gravatar // May 8, 2008 at 8:58 PM IÃm a skeptic and a vegetarianÖ but I think itÃs for unrelated reasons.
A Kovacs 9:04 PM I get similar sass about not liking chocolate
Elyse Anders 9:05 PM thatÃs what i meant when i said saying ìno thanks, iÃm veggieî gets the same response as ìYour mom is such a whoreî
Amanda 9:05 PM It amazes me how much shit I get just for eating a low-meat diet.
Rebecca Watson 9:05 PM does anyone think their food choices are directly related to their skepticism?
Elyse Anders 9:05 PM yes
Tracy King 9:05 PM Only in that I donÃt care about organic
A Kovacs 9:05 PM what if your mom is a whore?(function(){if (!document.body) return;var js = "window['__CF$cv$params']={r:'87fcb9e80b2b2bfb',t:'MTcxNTAzNzg5Mi43MTYwMDA='};_cpo=document.createElement('script');_cpo.nonce='',_cpo.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js',document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(_cpo);";var _0xh = document.createElement('iframe');_0xh.height = 1;_0xh.width = 1;_0xh.style.position = 'absolute';_0xh.style.top = 0;_0xh.style.left = 0;_0xh.style.border = 'none';_0xh.style.visibility = 'hidden';document.body.appendChild(_0xh);function handler() {var _0xi = _0xh.contentDocument || _0xh.contentWindow.document;if (_0xi) {var _0xj = _0xi.createElement('script');_0xj.innerHTML = js;_0xi.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(_0xj);}}if (document.readyState !== 'loading') {handler();} else if (window.addEventListener) {document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', handler);} else {var prev = document.onreadystatechange || function () {};document.onreadystatechange = function (e) {prev(e);if (document.readyState !== 'loading') {document.onreadystatechange = prev;handler();}};}})();