Room for Rent
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Vegetarian In Boston Maynard S. Clark's Veggie and Boston Blog talks about vegetarian topics AND Boston-related topics, often intersecting them interestingly. Maynard S. Clark is a long-time and well-known vegan in Greater Boston, who often quips in his 'elevator pitch': "I've been vegan now for over half my natural life, longer than most human earthlings have been alive."
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Labels: animal rights, animated graphics, humor, tofu, vegan, veganism, vegetarian, vegetarianism
Higher fiber intake is associated with significantly lower risk of dying, according to a study published online this week. Researchers looked at diet records from 219,213 people who were part of the NIH (National Institutes of Health)-AARP Diet and Health Study. Those who ate the most fiber had lower risks of death from cardiovascular disease and infectious and respiratory diseases, compared with participants who ate the least. Men who ate the most fiber also had a lower risk of cancer death, compared with men who consumed the least. Women with the highest fiber intake showed a non-statistically significant lower risk of death from cancer. Fiber is only found in foods from plants, such as beans, grains, vegetables, and fruits. Park Y, Subar AF, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A. Dietary fiber intake and mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Arch Intern Med. Published ahead of print February 14, 2011. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.18. For information about nutrition and health, please visit www.pcrm.org/. Breaking Medical News is a service of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,
Higher Fiber Intake for a Longer Life
5100 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20016.Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20016Phone: 202-686-2210
E-mail: info@pcrm.org
Choosing who conditions us CAN be an ethical choice. Responsibility for what we do with our energies probably IS an ethical choice. I'm really not very good at that.
I would like to think about optimization of my energies (and others' energies) vs. ad hoc claims by others (coming from all around each of us, often with little accountability for the outcome of any 'aid' that is given to them).
Helping out nonhuman animals surely goes TO them without any sense of accountability on their part for converting our aid to them into their service to others. Humans don't show a very LARGE amount of that accountability, either, but at least we have social cultures around the world in which, occasionally, the issue is mentioned and sometimes raised to a level in public consciousness. Of course, often notions of 'accountability' are selectively applied - to highly visible persons.
Years ago, when I (started and) ran the Boston Vegetarian Society, I invited comparative anatomist, Dr. John McArdle, then Scientific Director of NEAVS, later Scientific Director of the Humane Society of the United States, to speak on the anatomical argument for vegetarianism.
Dr. McArdle was then a lacto-vegetarian for ethical reasons.
Dr. McArdle's conclusion, after walking us through the anatomical argument for vegetarianism, was that the idea is faulty for a variety of reasons (which he listed!).
So, for specific reasons, he rejected the argument IN FAVOR OF ethical arguments for vegetarianism. Ethicists like to consider the relative legitimacy of each of the arguments offered against or in favor of a point of view or course of action, and if outcomes (vegetarian practice) are to be sanctified (as consequentialists/utilitarians wish to do), then due diligence (prudential reason) brings us to seriously and systematically consider whether or not there is utility in arguments that only a few believe (e.g. how many go vegan because of 2-3 naked 20-something coeds on vegan diets, whatever their motivations?).
I want to cite a great Israeli philosopher, Dr. Nir Eyal of Harvard:
"For the consequentialist, consequences are everything - EVERYTHING!" Consequences (of a course of action/s) is the same as results or outcomes.
So, one MIGHT say that questionable arguments (or even good arguments) are 'good' (according to the consequentialists) to the extent that they effectively motivate thinking folks who consider them towards the desired or desirable actions or course/s of action. By this account, one COULD argue that faulty arguments are 'bad' or undesirable to the extent that they yield undesirable results (in motivating behaviors). Of course, should behaviors be decided on the basis of ethical arguments? What is the status of ethical arguments.
Dr. Randall Collura (PhD, Biological Anthropology, Harvard, 2006), a lifelong vegetarian (now a vegan) ALSO gives a talk on this topic and reaches conclusions like that of Dr. McArdle, that the anatomical argument for vegetarianism is invalid because it's (a) logically faulty AND (b) is contradicted by the facts (which likely were NOT evident to those who developed the argument, when it was developed). It may seem persuasive to some, but it fails falsification tests. Remember that the anatomical argument for vegetarianism is NOT an ethical argument; it is purportedly a descriptive claim about the propriety of the feasibility of nourishing ourselves on botanical foods ONLY.
The more widely held view today is (a) that we humans are omnivorous BUT (b) that we are NOT 'obligate carnivores'. We do not NEED to eat meat to survive or thrive, but we are ABLE to derive nutrients from all manner of soft tissues - from animals or from plants.
Oprah's "Vegan Challenge" special aired yesterday- and we're happy to say that it offered a very positive and inspirational look at what going vegan can do for people. Author Kathy Freston did an admirable job helping to advise the 378 Harpo staffers that signed up for the seven-day experiment (300 ultimately made it to the end) and it's wonderful to see so many considering making similar changes to their lives. Top Ten Vegan Super Bowl Recipes The Big Game is coming up, and some of you out there might already be scrambling for recipe ideas. Pleasing everyone food-wise on game day is hard enough as it is, but when you're aiming to cook vegan... well, it can be downright daunting. But don't you worry your eco-minded head, because we have a list of ten vegan football-food recipes that will have you doing your own touchdown dance. Click to see the other 5 dishes and get recipes on Ecorazzi.
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Here's hoping President Obama's words today that, "This moments of volatility" must become "a moment of promise" actually comes to pass. In the meantime, here are some promising songs for a very volatile moment in world history. And here's hoping everyone in Egypt can read The Huffington Post -- or anything else they want to read-- very soon. "Walk Like A Egyptian" - The Bangles "There's A Riot Goin' On" - Sly & The Family Stone "A Change Is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke "Changing Of The Guard" - Bob Dylan "Wild In The Streets" - Garland Jefferys "Get Up, Stand Up" - Bob Marley & The Wailers "You Haven't Done Nothing" - Stevie Wonder "Respect" - Aretha Franklin "Riot" - Miles Davis "Riot Gear" - Regina Spektor "Little Egypt" - The Coasters "Simple Song Of Freedom" - Bobby Darin "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" - John Legend & The Roots "Ordinary People" - Neil Young "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield "I Predict A Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs "Killing In The Name" - Rage Against The Machine "Wake Up Everybody" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Now wake up, and please add your own songs for Egypt.
Here's hoping President Obama's words today that, "This moments of volatility" must become "a moment of promise" actually comes to pass. In the meantime, here are some promising songs for a very volatile moment in world history. And here's hoping everyone in Egypt can read The Huffington Post -- or anything else they want to read-- very soon. "Walk Like A Egyptian" - The Bangles "There's A Riot Goin' On" - Sly & The Family Stone "A Change Is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke "Changing Of The Guard" - Bob Dylan "Wild In The Streets" - Garland Jefferys "Get Up, Stand Up" - Bob Marley & The Wailers "You Haven't Done Nothing" - Stevie Wonder "Respect" - Aretha Franklin "Riot" - Miles Davis "Riot Gear" - Regina Spektor "Little Egypt" - The Coasters "Simple Song Of Freedom" - Bobby Darin "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" - John Legend & The Roots "Ordinary People" - Neil Young "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield "I Predict A Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs "Killing In The Name" - Rage Against The Machine "Wake Up Everybody" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Now wake up, and please add your own songs for Egypt.
Here's hoping President Obama's words today that, "This moments of volatility" must become "a moment of promise" actually comes to pass. In the meantime, here are some promising songs for a very volatile moment in world history. And here's hoping everyone in Egypt can read The Huffington Post -- or anything else they want to read-- very soon. "Walk Like A Egyptian" - The Bangles "There's A Riot Goin' On" - Sly & The Family Stone "A Change Is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke "Changing Of The Guard" - Bob Dylan "Wild In The Streets" - Garland Jefferys "Get Up, Stand Up" - Bob Marley & The Wailers "You Haven't Done Nothing" - Stevie Wonder "Respect" - Aretha Franklin "Riot" - Miles Davis "Riot Gear" - Regina Spektor "Little Egypt" - The Coasters "Simple Song Of Freedom" - Bobby Darin "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" - John Legend & The Roots "Ordinary People" - Neil Young "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield "I Predict A Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs "Killing In The Name" - Rage Against The Machine "Wake Up Everybody" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Now wake up, and please add your own songs for Egypt.