I am curious as to what science has demonstrated this. The only remotely scientific information on this topic that I have been able to find are Temple Grandin's observations (now over a decade old), which indicate that the actual killing process of Kosher preparation, when done correctly, does not cause animals distress (the handling processes, on the other hand, can, but as those processes are not dictated by religious law, they have been modified in at least some localities). Likewise, some forms of Halal preparation, although not as quick as in Kosher preparation, allow for stunning the animal first. Of course, the problem with Grandin's observations is that lack of reaction does not necessitate lack of pain.
I followed a reddit comment to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechita#Animal_welfare_controversies:
Various research papers on cattle slaughter collected by Compassion In World Farming mention that "after the throat is cut, large clots can form at the severed ends of the carotid arteries, leading to occlusion of the wound (or “ballooning” as it is known in the slaughtering trade). Nick Cohen wrote in the New Statesman, "Occlusions slow blood loss from the carotids and delay the decline in blood pressure that prevents the suffering brain from blacking out. In one group of calves, 62.5 per cent suffered from ballooning. Even if the slaughterman is a master of his craft and the cut to the neck is clean, blood is carried to the brain by vertebral arteries and it keeps cattle conscious of their pain." [14]
A cursory search at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halaal#Criticisms located some more. It does seem as if there are more criticisms of the holding and stunning process than the actual killing. I aim to study this further, as to sharpen extra arguments against religious tradition.
You might want to look into what vegetables you are eating. There are many that, depending on your genetics, will never taste good. I hate cilantro, which appears to be because I am a super-taster for some of the aldehydes in it. My wife, on the other hand, loves the stuff but can't stand broccoli, again, it seems, because of her genetics. A surprising number of vegetables are this way: you might want to research some of the ones you eat often to see if there are others who dislike them and if it might be a genetic revulsion.
I can't wait to undertake this. I recall some kind of fluffy news story years ago that vegetables evolved bad taste to deter being eaten. Probably an overgeneralization and a case of bad pop science, but damn; I've wanted to run with a scientific basis for bad taste ever since. I guess now, I'm honestly hoping my taste will change with enough effort. My diet was so bad for a long time... Rather than alcohol or drugs, my chosen recreational substance endorphin-generator is sugar. After all, for a pricey drink, you could be so much candy and soda it's ridiculous! ZUcchini and yellow squash slices do seem to taste great, but I always worry that thoroughly boiling something removes the flavor and the nutrients. More study is needed. More study is needed. On so many topics. Ugh. What I'd fucking give for a device that could stop time and aging and let me research all kinds of things for a long time before resuming.
texture than taste
Bell peppers destroy me with this. They're so bizarrely fleshy. I force myself to eat the red ones, though. More Vitamin C than oranges? Who knew?!
A person who likes dogs won't feel comfortable when he/she sees someone trying to eat them, no matter how many people think that is acceptable. But how to take action is another story, it could be really hard.
Yeah, that's hard for me. More than other animals, and sometimes with cases of human-on-human crime in the news, dog abuse destroys me. I guess I've got a case for dogs of whatever 4chan has for cats. These are loyal, domesticated, dependable animals with an inkling of consciousness somewhere down in there and a capacity for emotion and friendship, no matter how small or dim. And they are completely at the mercy of human civilization and their masters, like other pets. Those who would abuse or neglect them...it brings me to tears, and makes self-control nearly impossible in thirsting for blood.
Also, Nutella. But that is an import
Oh, my god. I shared that love after discovering it. Sadly, I ate so much in a short period that it's been relegated to mid-tier status. That aversion wears off in time, though
![Very Happy :D](https://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/Smileys/default/icon_biggrin.gif)
my friend also got me to try eggplant-based stuff. I've flirted with Czech garlic toast, but my confidence level is still near zero. More time, more time...
I've used Rippetoe videos a lot as a reference for form; I really need to get my hands on Starting Strength, because he is definitely one of the most reliable-seeming people I've found in the free weights world, and because a) I can't afford a personal trainer and b) a personal trainer may not know what they're talking about anyway, and I don't want to pay that much money to find out!
Oh, I've read some of his blog and Q&As about personal trainers, and he often waxes angrily on the fitness industry and explains the origins of this evil. You're probably already aware if you've read any of his works, but for others... In the 1970s, Nautilus machines debuted with such effective marketing and charm that many gyms purchased them to recruit more casual strength-training customers. The machines created a powerful image of working muscles in isolation on futuristic equipment, with little attention to form or technical execution. Add in 30 years of saturation, marketing, and word of mouth, and you have a populace that believes Nautilus machines are the norm. The kinesiology intelligentsia is fragmented and decentralized; there are thousands of specialists who draw upon the generalized norm of these machines for strength training. There are few robust intellectuals to carry the truth outward (probably hampered by the attraction of "meatheads" to the fitness industry). It's a perfect storm of unfortunate ignorance. My own Health & Wellness book, produced
only from scientific studies and consensus, advocated machine-training with little attention to free weights or dieting for mass-building.
"New Rules of Lifting for Women,"
Ooh, I read that too! Rippetoe outlines an "advanced novice program" at the end of Starting Strength, after which I want to try some of the NROL programs. Those superset requirements are sick, though, in terms of claiming equipment or working in. Have you had to deal with running two or three alternating exercises, yet? I'm not sure how this is going to be possible at my local gym. My aforementioned friend is also going to start NROL + Female Body Breakthrough soon; she's curious if you've already seen results and how the diet's worked out for you so far.
I'm not sure the meaningfulness and fullness of one's life is worth the sacrifice. You have to strike some kind of balance between being passionately invested in the world around you and your own, well, psychological survival.
Ah, yeah; I forgot to reply in that other thread. I have a hard time comprehending the virtue of perfect altruism for this very reason. I've tried to align my long-term desires and short-term motivations in a way that maximizes the raw pleasure of fighting for justice, but there is only so much a person can do. Do you really believe there are perfectly altruistic people out there who freely martyr themselves? In history, there's always another factor; the martyr's a religious fanatic, or enjoyed a life of royalty and was quite fulfilled before opting to surrender everything, and so on. I'm really curious if there are people wired to give all of themselves to others, as it slightly influences my own ethical self-image. I once read a reliable scientific study that those with extremely high or low ethical opinions of themselves enjoyed greater decisiveness and overall emotional strength. Whether I'm "selfish" or not... There's still a lot of beautiful anti-hero quality to being selfish if altruism is the gold standard of character. Haha, I guess it's impossible to escape narratives in explaining life and oneself.
There's another thread to this, though. I sometimes worry, what if the overall course of civilization and impact on the environment will be enough to destroy humanity if action is not taken immediately? What if my actions would constitute the thinnest margin that makes or breaks the future? It's rather "far out", but still, motivation for making a difference often comes down to faith in the meaningfulness of one's actions.
It feels helpless.
Yeah. I guess there's positivity in that we're at least up to this point. Civilization's already tackled a lot of huge problems, so now we're at the insidious, complex, hard to beat ones. I had no idea about rat city, my god... I want to resort to education somehow. I guess shock images are always a double-edged sword, but somehow, people should be taught where their food is coming from. Down to the earliest step in the chain. Kind of like how people should be educated about puppy mills.
I have to give it credit for damn near shattering the unintentional comedy scale.
Haha, truth. Fuck, dude, I wish I lived in LA sometimes. I could be another body in the crowd for your shows. That nasty system of "how many friends and acquaintances can you pack in night after night to fake a crowd and pay cover" sounded really ugly. I want to help even the playing field.