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The Random Question Thread

  • 19-05-2014 11:11pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭


    A bit of easy discussion. Do ye have any random question that you're thinking about?

    I was watching Britains Got Talent, just coz I wanted something mind-numbing to watch. I've never really watched it much, I've heard of animals being on it in the past. There was an owl on this episode that was supposed to do tricks but it's feet were shackled together, kinda like a prisoner, and it seemed too overwhelmed by the atmosphere to do anything, it kinda said **** this. It was pretty sad though.

    What do think about animals on shows like BGT?


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,736 ✭✭✭ch750536


    Mrs Ch commented on a similar thing. "The Island" shipwrecks people with no food or water and they have to fend for themselves. They are a croc that would normally not be eaten. She didn't like the fact that it was only eaten for the show.
    Obviously they weren't eating cows \ pigs \ chickens back home so there was some balance. I noted the croc had a great life before then.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,759 ✭✭✭Killer_banana


    --LOS-- wrote: »
    A bit of easy discussion. Do ye have any random question that you're thinking about?

    I was watching Britains Got Talent, just coz I wanted something mind-numbing to watch. I've never really watched it much, I've heard of animals being on it in the past. There was an owl on this episode that was supposed to do tricks but it's feet were shackled together, kinda like a prisoner, and it seemed too overwhelmed by the atmosphere to do anything, it kinda said **** this. It was pretty sad though.

    What do think about animals on shows like BGT?

    I didn't see the owl but it sound pretty sad. I'm not to keen on animals being used to entertain us in general so I'm always kind of wary of animal based acts. When it comes to dancing dogs they usually seem fairly happy to do tricks since they get a reward for it and usually the owners seem to really love them so I guess stuff like that is okay. I can't think of an animal act on BGT that made me uneasy but I feel in general when it comes to animals in entertainment if the animal is unwilling, distressed, treated badly or if the thing itself is dangerous then it's not okay and shouldn't be done.
    ch750536 wrote: »
    Mrs Ch commented on a similar thing. "The Island" shipwrecks people with no food or water and they have to fend for themselves. They are a croc that would normally not be eaten. She didn't like the fact that it was only eaten for the show.
    Obviously they weren't eating cows \ pigs \ chickens back home so there was some balance. I noted the croc had a great life before then.

    I didnt watch this but saw a clip of the croc. I know back home they eat pork, beef etc. and the croc probably had a better life than farmed animals but it still made me feel uncomfortable and upset. I've felt that way about Bear Grylls' other shows as well. Like if you are actually stranded somewhere then killing an animal for something to eat has to be done but when you're a survivalistthe animal only gets killed and eaten because you want to test yourself/do it as a job and that doesn't seem right to me.

    What's peoples opinions on horse riding? Not racing or showjumping or anything like that, just people riding horses as a hobby etc. I rode horses once or twice as a child and enjoyed it and a friend of mine offered to bring me riding again sometime but I don't know if I think it's okay now. I've never seen a horse seem unhappy being ridden but I've never gotten the impression a horse seemed to really enjoy the experience either (as some people claim they do). Also since they're broken in first clearly it's not their natural instinct to let someone on their back but then is breaking in any different to taming or training pets? It's something I'll have to look into more but just curious how other people see it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    ch750536 wrote: »
    Mrs Ch commented on a similar thing. "The Island" shipwrecks people with no food or water and they have to fend for themselves. They are a croc that would normally not be eaten. She didn't like the fact that it was only eaten for the show.
    Obviously they weren't eating cows \ pigs \ chickens back home so there was some balance. I noted the croc had a great life before then.

    No it's not any worse than buying pre-packed meat from the store. Just irks me when the guys keeping saying it was humane and it was a kindness and this sort of thing. Like they kept that croc alive for so so long, tied up, and then on top of that they have to start jeering it and shouting "suck my cock mr. crocodile" at it. I mean I thought they were going to slap some cuffs on the little guy too the way they pinned his arms back. But they don't recognise that what they think they are doing, giving an animal a respectful death for a necessity, is totally contradictory to how they're behaving, not giving the animal a quick death, being thankful to the island instead of the animal.

    I hate these shows in a way because it's just a hypothetical scenario, they did not need to go on that show and kill an animal, for entertainment basically, it's not for food because they chose to go on that show. Ok they're killing less animals by going on the show, they'd be eating more at home, but that's obviously not the show's message.

    What I find interesting about the show though is that it's supposed to be this social study about returning to our hunter-gatherer days. But it fails to communicate that we only started eating meat because we had to, there was little vegetation after the ice age and really only enforces the audience to think that we still have to eat meat. If it was a show that presented the same scenario, a group stranded on a desert island, and instead gave the message that this is what you are doing every time you buy some pre-packed meat from the supermarket, only worse, killing an animal for food stranded on a desert island feels wrong and you don't have to do this..........then I wouldn't have a problem with any meat-eater going on that show. I think if you watch the show there's a much more interesting social study going on. Look at that Ryan guy, he's upset with the whole croc scenario, he is not finding it easy to kill an animal, he feels bad for them. This is a gut feeling that most of us have but we're taught these feelings are wrong and we then believe they're wrong. The other guys quickly stamp out any emotional considerations and praise and encourage Ryan when he kills more animals on the show. I'm just watching like nooo Ryan, why are you letting someone else tell you what to think, you know this is wrong.

    I didn't see the owl but it sound pretty sad. I'm not to keen on animals being used to entertain us in general so I'm always kind of wary of animal based acts. When it comes to dancing dogs they usually seem fairly happy to do tricks since they get a reward for it and usually the owners seem to really love them so I guess stuff like that is okay. I can't think of an animal act on BGT that made me uneasy but I feel in general when it comes to animals in entertainment if the animal is unwilling, distressed, treated badly or if the thing itself is dangerous then it's not okay and shouldn't be done.

    It's funny though coz a lot of non-vegetarians and non-vegans would also say that using animals for entertainment is wrong, peoples view of circuses and large whales in captivity etc has changed. But then when animals are using for entertainment on these shows it's ok? I don't mind the dogs agility type stuff so much coz they seem to enjoy it. But there's so many magicians on there using birds especially. But everyone in the audience is just dying laughing at this owl showing the owner up, I mean that is kinda funny, but if I was actually there in the audience I'd say I'd be trying to be so quiet so as not to spook the birdy more.


    What's peoples opinions on horse riding? Not racing or showjumping or anything like that, just people riding horses as a hobby etc. I rode horses once or twice as a child and enjoyed it and a friend of mine offered to bring me riding again sometime but I don't know if I think it's okay now. I've never seen a horse seem unhappy being ridden but I've never gotten the impression a horse seemed to really enjoy the experience either (as some people claim they do). Also since they're broken in first clearly it's not their natural instinct to let someone on their back but then is breaking in any different to taming or training pets? It's something I'll have to look into more but just curious how other people see it.

    ye I was only thinking about this recently too, I was watching this......




    My Aunt keeps horses at home so I always grew up with horses and she taught me how to horse-ride so I used to horse-ride quite a bit, looked after horses too etc. Granted I cannot remember when I last did, probably a few years now, but I never considered it wrong. I guess coz I felt like my Aunt treated the horses well, they grazed outside, they were looked after in the cold weather etc, I was never comfortable using a whip and so mostly didn't. They were also more like pets, she wasn't professionally into horses. But like you do kick them in the side to get them to move forward as well as pulling on the reigns which is pulling on the bit in their mouth. Those can't feel good, like when I'd be told I need to use the whip or I need to kick harder, I'm not kicking hard enough, that was very uncomfortable because I felt that was wrong. I think we often kinda mistake animals obedience with animals not feeling pain. When Gary Yourofsky talks about the bit in their mouth, it only clicked with me then ye that's not really normal or ok is it. I dunno, it's tough though, like how do you exercise the horses then without horse-riding? When the horses at home aren't taken out for a while they get so fat because they're just in a huge field grazing contantly. I do consider it wrong now I think, I don't think I could go horse-riding again and I don't think I would go and support my cousin who does it professionally or anything like that. But it's tricky, how do you exercise them then. Horses in the wild have vast areas to roam. There must be horses in animal sanctuaries, I wonder if exercising them is a problem for those people.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,073 ✭✭✭sok2005


    I want to make the switch to veganism for my whole family. I have 2 kids under 5 and they are flourishing on a lacto ovo veggie style diet but the more I learn about the atrocities in the dairy and egg industry the harder it is for me to buy this stuff and feed it to my family.

    Here's my issue. I have no clue how it will be for my kids in school with a different lunch to everyone else. My 4 year old completely understands why we don't eat animals but is surprised when others eat it around him no matter how much I explain that a lot of people in the world are meat eaters. He brings it up and questions his family and friends already about why they eat meat. I'm scared he'll feel alienated in school. I'm not too worried about nutrition as I can monitor that myself to insure they get everything they need.

    So my question is, how do I raise a young family on a vegan diet without effing everything up? :) There's not a single person in my circle of friends or family that doesn't eat meat so I don't have any resources there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    sok2005 wrote: »
    I want to make the switch to veganism for my whole family. I have 2 kids under 5 and they are flourishing on a lacto ovo veggie style diet but the more I learn about the atrocities in the dairy and egg industry the harder it is for me to buy this stuff and feed it to my family.

    Here's my issue. I have no clue how it will be for my kids in school with a different lunch to everyone else. My 4 year old completely understands why we don't eat animals but is surprised when others eat it around him no matter how much I explain that a lot of people in the world are meat eaters. He brings it up and questions his family and friends already about why they eat meat. I'm scared he'll feel alienated in school. I'm not too worried about nutrition as I can monitor that myself to insure they get everything they need.

    So my question is, how do I raise a young family on a vegan diet without effing everything up? :) There's not a single person in my circle of friends or family that doesn't eat meat so I don't have any resources there.

    That's pretty tough and I don't have kids or anything. But if you are going to be eating a vegan diet yourself, then it is probably simple enough for you all to eat vegan, if there's no non-vegan stuff in the house the kids don't have a choice do they. So you can control what they eat at home and what they have for their school lunches. Now I could be wrong here but I don't really think kids pay that much heed to what everyone else is eating for lunch. Just thinking about when I was in school, you'd certainly notice if someone had a bigger lunch or if someone always had nice treats for lunch, you might feel a bit left out or jealous or something. But what do most kids have for lunch, sandwiches, maybe with a piece of fruit or a bar if the school allows sweets. But your kids could still eat those things, I don't think the food has to look weird. I dunno what would be some good kid lunch ideas, I've never seen that asked on here. But your kids could be bringing vegan chocolate spread sandwiches to school and be the envy of all their friends too. Once you're not sending them off with a bowl of lettuce to fend off the bullies :pac:

    I guess though you're probably more worried about him questioning everyone else at school. I dunno really what to say to that, maybe he wont if his lunches look sorta similar to theirs, idk. If they're getting non-vegan stuff off others at school or if they're at a birthday party or something, then I would just let them eat that stuff tbh instead of enforcing rules on a child that maybe they can't understand. If you're going from buying vegetarian to buying vegan at home, then that is already such a big thing. So I wouldn't worry while they're young about what they get elsewhere. Then when they're old enough they will decide for themselves what to do with their own money and what they want to eat. But while it's your money, it is not wrong for you to make good choices for your kids with it, whatever you decide that choice is. It's not cruel, every parent decides what their kids eat, it's only when that decision is veggie or vegan that people start to have a go at you. I mean some people think it's cruel to 'force your choices' on your kids. But I think it's cruel to let a 4 year old decide that all they're going to eat is chicken nuggets, which is what I see happening with my little cousins.


    (sorry didn't mean to be so long)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,073 ✭✭✭sok2005


    --LOS-- wrote: »
    That's pretty tough and I don't have kids or anything. But if you are going to be eating a vegan diet yourself, then it is probably simple enough for you all to eat vegan, if there's no non-vegan stuff in the house the kids don't have a choice do they. So you can control what they eat at home and what they have for their school lunches. Now I could be wrong here but I don't really think kids pay that much heed to what everyone else is eating for lunch. Just thinking about when I was in school, you'd certainly notice if someone had a bigger lunch or if someone always had nice treats for lunch, you might feel a bit left out or jealous or something. But what do most kids have for lunch, sandwiches, maybe with a piece of fruit or a bar if the school allows sweets. But your kids could still eat those things, I don't think the food has to look weird. I dunno what would be some good kid lunch ideas, I've never seen that asked on here. But your kids could be bringing vegan chocolate spread sandwiches to school and be the envy of all their friends too. Once you're not sending them off with a bowl of lettuce to fend off the bullies :pac:

    I guess though you're probably more worried about him questioning everyone else at school. I dunno really what to say to that, maybe he wont if his lunches look sorta similar to theirs, idk. If they're getting non-vegan stuff off others at school or if they're at a birthday party or something, then I would just let them eat that stuff tbh instead of enforcing rules on a child that maybe they can't understand. If you're going from buying vegetarian to buying vegan at home, then that is already such a big thing. So I wouldn't worry while they're young about what they get elsewhere. Then when they're old enough they will decide for themselves what to do with their own money and what they want to eat. But while it's your money, it is not wrong for you to make good choices for your kids with it, whatever you decide that choice is. It's not cruel, every parent decides what their kids eat, it's only when that decision is veggie or vegan that people start to have a go at you. I mean some people think it's cruel to 'force your choices' on your kids. But I think it's cruel to let a 4 year old decide that all they're going to eat is chicken nuggets, which is what I see happening with my little cousins.


    (sorry didn't mean to be so long)

    Thank you for taking the time to respond. I completely agree with you. When I fed my kids crappy burgers, sausages and the like nobody batted an eyelid but the second I switched everyone felt they needed to give their opinion on it! It's a mad backwards world out there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,736 ✭✭✭ch750536


    sok2005 wrote: »
    I want to make the switch to veganism for my whole family. I have 2 kids under 5 and they are flourishing on a lacto ovo veggie style diet but the more I learn about the atrocities in the dairy and egg industry the harder it is for me to buy this stuff and feed it to my family.

    Here's my issue. I have no clue how it will be for my kids in school with a different lunch to everyone else. My 4 year old completely understands why we don't eat animals but is surprised when others eat it around him no matter how much I explain that a lot of people in the world are meat eaters. He brings it up and questions his family and friends already about why they eat meat. I'm scared he'll feel alienated in school. I'm not too worried about nutrition as I can monitor that myself to insure they get everything they need.

    So my question is, how do I raise a young family on a vegan diet without effing everything up? :) There's not a single person in my circle of friends or family that doesn't eat meat so I don't have any resources there.

    By the sound of it your kids have kinda made their own mind up. I wouldn't make a big thing of it, just make the change 'on the sly'.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    ch750536 wrote: »
    By the sound of it your kids have kinda made their own mind up. I wouldn't make a big thing of it, just make the change 'on the sly'.

    Ye it seems they have, I'm sorta amazed that they're questioning others so much. My youngest cousins wouldn't bat an eyelid to what I eat, they just see it as they eat kid things, and I eat grown-up things. My older cousins who are over 10 would question me all right, why don't ye eat meat? why don't ye do this or that. I never really know what to say to them. All my youngest cousins care about is, why do you have holes in your ears? :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,743 ✭✭✭blatantrereg


    I don't have a general opinion on performing animals; I have different opinions on individual cases. I didn't see the owl on BGT.

    I saw Circus Vegas years ago on free tickets and thought the whole thing was pretty miserable. It's an animal circus, and is poor both in terms of entertainment and in the apparent lives of the animals.

    Then you have things like dog agility trials, where the animals seem to enjoy themselves and are well-kept. No problem there.
    Horses seem happy enough in showjumping, and in those hunt trials (or whatever the name is) where they do time trials in woods. Dressage is lame and silly, but I wouldn't take issue with it just for that, assuming the animals are well-kept. I don't know enough about horse racing to comment really. I know that there used to be protests about the grand nationals, so there probably is an element of cruelty there.

    I suppose if you have a negative attitude to performing animals across the board, it probably corresponds to taking issue with the concept of pets. Having a pet pretty usually involves training and/or confining an animal to some extent. I'm aware that some supporters of animal rights - ones I would consider extremists, and I think it is the official position of PETA - do take issue with the concept of pets - though I think they make allowances for rescue animals.

    I've a happy rescue dog that eats meat and is well-trained so that she is neither a menace or a nuisance to other people or animals. I think adopting rescue animals is the best option, but I wouldn't take issue with people having non-rescue pets. My random questions are - what is your attitude to pet ownership?, and -what is your attitude towards feeding (carni/omni) pets meat?

    Personally I think dogs are adapted carnivores, since they are descended from wolves, which are carnivores. They instinctively chase and kill animals. They can eat all sorts of stuff that would posion humans, including raw meat. They naturally love meat and bones. Really they are good example of all the sorts of things that humans are not - and many of the reasons I think humans would be better off not eating meat are turned on their head and I think dogs are better off having a meat diet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    I don't have a general opinion on performing animals; I have different opinions on individual cases. I didn't see the owl on BGT.

    I saw Circus Vegas years ago on free tickets and thought the whole thing was pretty miserable. It's an animal circus, and is poor both in terms of entertainment and in the apparent lives of the animals.

    Then you have things like dog agility trials, where the animals seem to enjoy themselves and are well-kept. No problem there.
    Horses seem happy enough in showjumping, and in those hunt trials (or whatever the name is) where they do time trials in woods. Dressage is lame and silly, but I wouldn't take issue with it just for that, assuming the animals are well-kept. I don't know enough about horse racing to comment really. I know that there used to be protests about the grand nationals, so there probably is an element of cruelty there.

    I suppose if you have a negative attitude to performing animals across the board, it probably corresponds to taking issue with the concept of pets. Having a pet pretty usually involves training and/or confining an animal to some extent. I'm aware that some supporters of animal rights - ones I would consider extremists, and I think it is the official position of PETA - do take issue with the concept of pets - though I think they make allowances for rescue animals.

    I've a happy rescue dog that eats meat and is well-trained so that she is neither a menace or a nuisance to other people or animals. I think adopting rescue animals is the best option, but I wouldn't take issue with people having non-rescue pets. My random questions are - what is your attitude to pet ownership?, and -what is your attitude towards feeding (carni/omni) pets meat?

    Personally I think dogs are adapted carnivores, since they are descended from wolves, which are carnivores. They instinctively chase and kill animals. They can eat all sorts of stuff that would posion humans, including raw meat. They naturally love meat and bones. Really they are good example of all the sorts of things that humans are not - and many of the reasons I think humans would be better off not eating meat are turned on their head and I think dogs are better off having a meat diet.


    I would personally disagree with show-jumping, it is one of the most dangerous sports, for the horse and the riders. Some of the jumps are absolutely lethal. I'm no expert or anything but I have some knowledge of it because I'm from Meath and there is quite a following for hunting, horse shows and equestrian sports in general there, probably in a lot of rural Ireland too. So I grew up going to those things, and I know of too many people that have died during show-jumping. I don't think people understand how dangerous it is, when you're up close to some of those jumps, they're too dangerous imo. And while any able-bodied person is free to put themselves at whatever risk they like, I do not agree with forcing that on animals.

    The thing to understand with horses is that if they suffer a break or a fracture, their bones don't knit back together well like ours, so a broken bone costs the horse its life most of the time. And that's really why there's so much cruelty associated with equine sports in general. Horse racing is especially bad for this reason. Whenever you catch something like the grand national on tv, and you see a horse take a tumble coming out of one of the jumps, it wont show you on tv but if that horse has suffered a break, that horse is not leaving that track alive and can be euthanised straight away on track. There's also a lot of other kinds of abuse that goes on because of the nature of the competition, drugging horses, sometimes people target their competitors horses.


    With pets, I'm not against pets, I'm more against buying animals including gifting animals, I find that very strange, guess what I got you a baby for your birthday?! It's a bit weird. I support adoption/rescue pets. There is never any need to pay money for a pet. The idea of it is wrong to me and there's just no need. Even if you wanted a certain kind of dog, a certain breed or whatever, shelters are full of those dogs! I wish people knew that. It's very common, someone buys an expensive dog, the dog turns out not to be a robot and has a personality of its own, they don't like it, they give it away. One side of my family is very good for adopting animals, the other side is the opposite. My cousins have the most gorgeous, lovely tempered Rottweiler that was rescued. She's this massive big scarey looking sweetheart. If there's one thing I would like anyone who has no interest in being vegetarian or vegan to do is, adopt. It's a very small thing that anyone can do and it doesn't cost you anything. When you pay money for a pet you're only indirectly supporting the killing of homeless animals.

    Dogs are omnivores and cats are carnivores. Dogs have no issue on a vegan diet, it's a little trickier with cats. It's easier with female cats though. I have two lady cats, they eat meat now, but when we can afford it we're switching them to vegan cat food. Or at least partially switching them at first and it will depend on how they get on ofc. "Ami" catfood has been around for a while now and has become a very reputable brand. I put a lot of thought into this and I still am, I love my fur babies and I would never do anything that would jeopardise their health. One of my cats I have some concerns about, she ate a toy and had a stomach operation less than a year ago so after I discuss it with my vet, if I think it's not in her best interest, then it wont happen. This is a good resource for cats, I don't want to go on about it all day here but if anyone has more questions about that then ask and I'll answer.

    Keeping cats in general is a bit of a tough issue for me. I'm mad about cats but I do feel bad that I'm confining them. My cats are rescue cats that I got through an organisation, but they were found wandering in the middle of the road. Instead of getting squished on the road they get to live a somewhat confined life with me, a lesser evil I think. But they are kept indoors, and that was never my intention. When I started letting them outside, I would let them out for a short time at first to get them used to their surroundings. They found it very scarey and even though they would be free to come and go as they please, they would always just keep coming back inside to check on me (one of them in particular, the smarter one!) or if one couldn't find the other they'd be very stressed. I stuck with it for a while because I recognise that's natural when it's new to them. But tbh there were too many near-misses, cars zooming by on the cul de sac, one time one of the cats froze in the middle of the road when a car was coming, luckily the driver was not a malicious cat-hater. One of my cats, she's great, but not the sharpest pencil in the box, I once saw her walk directly up to a big dog and stick her face in his. So I decided I can't knowingly send them outside to be run over by a car or targeted by some of the scum that hangs around the area. They seem happy, they never look to go outside, I've accidentally left the door opened before for my bf to come home and find one of them sitting looking out, but they wouldn't go out. They have a huge cat tree in the house, toys etc, they are allowed anywhere except up on the kitchen table, the counter or the mantle place and they know that. Everything else is theirs including the bed >_>

    However this is not how I want them to live out their lives, this is the best I can do for them right now, for where we're living and what we can afford. They will 100% be going outside when I'm living somewhere better. And I hope that is sooner rather than later. Right now I'm living abroad and they're at home with my bf, that's hard for me but it's also a lot harder for the cats than I thought it would be. I really thought it wouldn't matter to them, they're still in the same house they've always been in, they still have someone there that they've always had that's looking after them well. I didn't think they'd care but they do. When I skype them, one in particular becomes quite stressed out at hearing my voice and goes searching around. Whenever I'm home they're a bit stand-offish at first, but then they usually go back to treating me like they always did and they are also visibly happy to see me, usually upon just seeing me outside the window they are going crazy. But with the smarter one in particular I do feel like she's purposely reserved when I'm home because she knows I'm going to be leaving again. And it's just heart-breaking because I can't explain to them that I'm leaving, that I'll be back etc. Whenever my bf returns from work or I return from wherever, the cats will come to the door to meet you and then walk you into the kitchen. So whenever I'm home for a few days and I leave again, then when my OH returns from the airport without me, the cats are standing looking behind him like....where is she? :(

    (sorry woops I did it again
    If these things get too involved, I can move them to their own thread if people want that btw.)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 676 ✭✭✭turnikett1


    Where to buy lots of cashew nuts for cheapsies? :(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,911 ✭✭✭Zombienosh


    Asian stores and middle eastern stores, there's one near the gym I go and they have giant bags of nuts for so cheap. I always buy a ton of almonds.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    That's interesting about the cat food, I too wondered about the opinions of vegans on keeping cats.

    My dog eats normal dog food, but assuming feeding her vegan is as good, or even better for her health, I'll probably change her over in the future. Dunno haven't really read on it yet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    Sok2005!

    I saw this today.....

    "Irresponsible parenting in pictures"
    A vegan parent has created a picture diary of what he feeds his son on his blog ‘Vegan Papa ‘. In his own words ”Because I realise that some people are concerned that he doesn’t get enough protein or whatever else, I’ve begun posting pictures and text of what I feed my son. Check it out for some very pretty photos and food ideas for vegan kids.Irresponsible parenting in pictures http://veganpapa.tumblr.com/

    Irresponsible Parenting in Pictures

    turnikett1 wrote: »
    Where to buy lots of cashew nuts for cheapsies? :(

    The asian shops or lidl/aldi, do lidl/aldi do raw unsalted one? I'm not sure


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 537 ✭✭✭DonnieScribbles


    sok2005 wrote: »

    Here's my issue. I have no clue how it will be for my kids in school with a different lunch to everyone else. My 4 year old completely understands why we don't eat animals but is surprised when others eat it around him no matter how much I explain that a lot of people in the world are meat eaters. He brings it up and questions his family and friends already about why they eat meat. I'm scared he'll feel alienated in school. I'm not too worried about nutrition as I can monitor that myself to insure they get everything they need.

    Was raised vegetarian myself if that viewpoint would be any use to you. I wouldn't worry about them feeling alienated. They may get a few funny questions but that's about it. I grew up in the 90's and didn't know many other veggies until I was a teenager, but it's likely more common now and there could be other vegans in their class for all you know.

    It's definitely worth mentioning to parents if they go visit any of their friends houses though! I remember some vaguely awkward situations, ha.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    Can I throw something out here? I was gona start a thread to post campaigns/petitions/protests. But I don't know now.

    But I'm not sure how I feel about e-petitions, total waste of time? I'm starting to think so. Does anyone else sometimes sign these things. I've tried to look into the effectiveness of typical e-petition sites like change.org and avaaz.org, but it's not easy to come to a conclusion. I'm sorta feeling they're a waste of time? Better to contact the person or organisation or whoever directly, in person or via a personal letter. I don't know if anyone has thought about this?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,694 ✭✭✭BMJD


    I think they are a waste of time, ironically the more signatures that they get they probably lose effectiveness because it's obvious that they are from an email newsletter or Facebook campaign. I think local or national issues are best tackled face to face or by personal emails or phone calls to politicians. Nothing like a few votes to focus the mind :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    BMJD wrote: »
    I think they are a waste of time, ironically the more signatures that they get they probably lose effectiveness because it's obvious that they are from an email newsletter or Facebook campaign. I think local or national issues are best tackled face to face or by personal emails or phone calls to politicians. Nothing like a few votes to focus the mind :D

    ok ye that's what I thought. I also don't like that those petition sites are likely just gathering email addresses and selling them on. And a lot of the time I see (number of signatures) out of (target signatures) and it makes no sense, what happens once the targets reached, nothing or not very much. And peta have this link of current action alerts and they seem to be very into petitions. But then do you really want to sign your name to some letter peta wrote up, for peta to represent your views for you, I don't see how that's helping at all, especially since most people view them negatively anyway.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,759 ✭✭✭Killer_banana


    I stay far far away from anything PETA does. Even if I were to agree with the message or aim of the thing I wouldn't support it through them. They're nothing but extremists and they pour money into useless campaigns that usually involve unnecessary nudity while most of the animals in their shelters are euthanised instead of rehomed. I remember watching a documentary before and someone (forget who) said that extremist animal activists don't do the things they do because they love animals but rather because they hate people. I think that sums up PETA and similar groups perfectly.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    I stay far far away from anything PETA does. Even if I were to agree with the message or aim of the thing I wouldn't support it through them. They're nothing but extremists and they pour money into useless campaigns that usually involve unnecessary nudity while most of the animals in their shelters are euthanised instead of rehomed. I remember watching a documentary before and someone (forget who) said that extremist animal activists don't do the things they do because they love animals but rather because they hate people. I think that sums up PETA and similar groups perfectly.

    Ye I'm always reluctant to share something if it's by peta, even if I think the video itself is good. Sometimes I do anyway if I think the message of the video is good. But sometimes even if the message is good, if whoever endorsing it is saying peta does this and peta does that and not just giving their own opinion, then I just switch off. It just drives me crazy how celebrities don't think their own voice is powerful enough without attaching themselves to peta. If they already have a level of status from fame or from money, then why are they not using that themselves, they don't need peta. Or least associate themselves with a better organisation. They're only doing more damage by associating themselves with peta. I react better to someone coming from an honest place, giving their own personal opinion and sharing their own experiences, and I think most people would. But then they de-value that by hiding behind peta. I think Gary Yourofsky has a good essay on peta on his site and he also talks about other people or groups to avoid. I feel like I'm always going on about him but he is about the only person I can think of who operates independently without selfish intent.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,463 ✭✭✭loveisdivine


    I'm not really fussed about PETA either way, but I know a lot of people really dislike them. However one of their recent ads had Jason Biggs talking about his own feeling on Seaworld and it was really funny and cool :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    I'm not really fussed about PETA either way, but I know a lot of people really dislike them. However one of their recent ads had Jason Biggs talking about his own feeling on Seaworld and it was really funny and cool :)

    I saw that! That was brilliant in fairness, very funny :D

    For anyone that wants to see it.....



    That's fine coz he's just talking about seaworld, it's not just peta peta peta

    Ya see why could Jason Biggs not just make that video and share it himself, it would get just as much notice


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    How do you guys feel about Safari in general and whale watching. I'm going to Iceland in August and would like to go out on the boat thing to see the whales, I know there are concerns about some tour companies getting too close to the whales and stuff. I don't know I haven't really taken the time to read up on the possible consequences of that kind of thing and the general vegan opinion on it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    fewtins wrote: »
    How do you guys feel about Safari in general and whale watching. I'm going to Iceland in August and would like to go out on the boat thing to see the whales, I know there are concerns about some tour companies getting too close to the whales and stuff. I don't know I haven't really taken the time to read up on the possible consequences of that kind of thing and the general vegan opinion on it.

    I don't have much of an understanding of them. I think overall they are more concerned with protecting the animals, once the safari is not a game reserve where hunting takes place, and once whale watching operators stick to some good regulations so as not to affect the biology/ecology of whales. I was reading about it on the wiki...... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_watching :P

    I'd say it would depend on the individual company how ethical they are. Supporting nature reserves is a good thing generally I'd say, just depends on how each individual place is run.

    http://www.icewhale.is/

    This says....
    Please choose an Ice Whale operator in Iceland, as they stick to guidelines to ensure boats don't get too close to whales or disturb them. Don't forget - you can also watch whales from land in some parts of Iceland.

    ...... and then they link to the operators. They also have a list of 'whale friendly establishments'.

    This company sounds good....

    http://www.whalewatching.is/about-us/sustainability/responsible-ww.aspx

    I can't really decide if I would do it or not.

    I found this article that was against it.....

    http://james-mcwilliams.com/?p=4863

    But really couldn't find much else online, also did a search on r/vegan which turned up nothing so it doesn't seem to be something people are concerned about.

    Sounds like an awesome holiday though :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    Yeah gave it a google myself and didn't really find much. Just wanted to be a bit surer I guess, wouldn't want to look back on it guiltily.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭sponsoredwalk


    Will we ever get vegan lucky charms or chicken kievs? :(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,325 ✭✭✭✭Dozen Wicked Words


    Regarding vaccinations like the MMR, I was just reading a blog which broadly stated that being a vegan, you would be less likely to believe in vaccination programmes and more likely to be a "woo". Do they have a point or are they talking out of an orifice that isn't their mouth?

    Woo definition: (I had to look it up, not a particularly nice term)
    http://www.skepdic.com/woowoo.html


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    Sadly I'd say it's probably a little bit true, maybe more so in the US though. I think you'll find vegans on extremes at both ends, very pro-science and then your anti-vaccine colloidal silver vegans who own too many things from their health store that don't work but they blindly buy anyway because it's labelled alternative medicine.

    It's becoming less and less that way though, veganism being more widely studied and even recommended by some doctors in the states, it's good recognition by the NHS these days and other healthcare organisations as a lifestyle that at least seems to reduce risk factors of many diseases if well planned has sort of built trust that a lot of pseudoscience fans lack in mainstream medicine.

    Veganism was probably more of a woo's thing in the past, but more and more middle of the road folk who don't really know a lot about/have a strong opinion of vaccines/disease/healthcare/prevention on either side of the debate are turning vegan or at least adopting a plant-based diet.

    A lot of famous scientists and philosophers have stated as well in some form or another that they can't justify the farming/exploitation of animals ethically, which has probably been responsible for turning some more scientifically minded people vegan over the years.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,028 ✭✭✭✭--LOS--


    Will we ever get vegan lucky charms or chicken kievs? :(

    well if it's sugar and marshmallows you want you can get those for sure :D

    I came across this recipe for chicken kiev, using mushrooms.
    Regarding vaccinations like the MMR, I was just reading a blog which broadly stated that being a vegan, you would be less likely to believe in vaccination programmes and more likely to be a "woo". Do they have a point or are they talking out of an orifice that isn't their mouth?

    Woo definition: (I had to look it up, not a particularly nice term)
    http://www.skepdic.com/woowoo.html


    I don't think that's true, that you would be less likely to believe in vaccines. Lots of vaccines have animal ingredients ye, but usually that's not what people are concerned about, it's the adverse effects of the vaccine they're concerned with. I don't have any particularly strong feelings on them myself. I think there is probably good and bad with them, everyone should do their own research about them, treat them on a case by case basis and decide what's best for their kids/themselves. I always found it weird how vaccines were something schools handled. Vegans definitely don't just dismiss science, being vegan makes sense scientifically. Alicia Silverstone is a vegan who is famously against vaccines, but I don't really know any others.


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