I think religion and food choices are the 2 things people get most worked up about.
It's like being in a group for a meal and someone wants everybody to say grace and you say no. I have seen the same sort of reaction by just ordering a vegetarian meal when I go out with people. Immediately, they start to defend their choices and condemn mine and I don't even have to say anything. Why is it such a big deal?

Thank you, some calm in the storm. Maybe I should have posted this in the vegetarian/vegan group but then I wouldn't have had as much fun. lol

@JackPedigo are you vegetarian too?

@confidentrealm I am (except for an occasional fish from our waters - I am reducing that) and, except for honey (also local) I am vegan.

@JackPedigo I eat fish on occasion too bit I'm not vegan. I still eat cheese. I do cook some vegan dishes. It would be nice to do total vegan. It gets complicated with my family

@confidentrealm We have a family that fishes in Alaska. They have a large boat and filet, vacuum pack and freeze the fish. They come to the islands twice a year and people really line up. It is mostly Salmon but there are other kinds and shellfish. I want to support the family but am having problems with the amount of over fishing in these waters and the plight of the Orca's. I don't have family to worry about but when others come here I only make vegan food and don't allow people to cook meat (ready made or cold cuts are another matter). I can't stand the smell of burning flesh.

@JackPedigo same here. But I have to put up with it. I'm the crazy artist person anyways, I'm expected to not like normal food. I be never cared for mammal or bird

Gee, I never heard that before lol. Human beings (at least some) also have brains and can eat any foods they choose. Go to Asia and see what real omnivores eat (everything even if it moves or doesn't). You left out fruits which are actually the easiest food for our bodies to digest. Yes, some of us choose not to eat the flesh of animals.That makes us herbivores.

@JackPedigo Well why don't you and your ilk start trying to re-educate the TRUE Carnivores, i.e. the BIG Cats, foxes, cats, etc, etc, then?
Or would that be far too difficult?

@Triphid True carnivores actually need meat to survive. I think people (at least some) are a little smarter and are not trapped in only one food type.

@JackPedigo Humans evolved as Omnivores, that is seen by the different types of teeth we evolved with.
Even chimps, our closest genetic Primate relatives btw, eat meat and often even hunt for it as well.

As I mentioned earlier HUMANS are NOT 'trapped,'' as you put it, in ONLY one Food type, we ARE Omnivorous by nature and evolution.
Do a bit of in-depth Anatomical and Historical RESEARCH and do so with an OPEN mind and you may come to the conclusion that I and other recognized Scientist are CORRECT.

@Triphid Being trapped is believing being omnivore means we have to eat meat. We do not and just because we have 2 canine teeth also does not limit us. All these arguments I have heard a million times. Having an open mind often means looking at what our habits do to us and the planet and adapting. It seems the 2 things people get most upset about are religion and food choices. More meat eaters might start to understand what their choices do to the planet and other life forms on it, including humans, if they bothered to look at some sites that show the impact of this food choice. I was a meat eater for a long time but when I found out what that meant for myself and others I quit.

My nephew once asked my late partner why she was a vegetarian (she was the director of the school he went to so he was very respectful of her opinion). After she listed a myriad of reasons, he said he could never be a vegetarian. Her reply to him (and one that applies to others) was "you don't want to be a vegetarian." (people can usually do what they put their mind to). He agreed.

@JackPedigo Then, by your OWN comment above, you too are 'trapped' into the belief that you are meant to be herbivorous.

@Triphid It is a belief based on evidence. Some of us care about the planet, our own bodies and the torture of sentient beings for our own pleasure. This discussion is closed. I will correspond no more. Some people just don't (or won't) get it.

Do you have the turf worm that raccoons eat?It has gotten to be a big problem in much of BC and my brother-in-law (N.Vancouver) can't get a lawn started as the coons destroy it overnight.

@JackPedigo ,
not aware of it. our fairways, greens have been in good shape since we got out of the deep
freeze early this month. where i live we have lots of green spaces between houses & haven't heard of or noticed any damage caused by coons.

@callmedubious It seems to only affect turf that is rolled out. The worms get between the soils between the grass and ground. People are in a hurry to get a green lawn which has only made the problem worse. If the lawn is planted this does not occur.

I think we prefer to spread information instead.

@JackPedigo 'Information' or Indoctrination?

@Triphid No one can make another adhere to a particular food regime (unless you're dining with tRump). Unfortunately, often, even just going out with others and ordering a vegetarian dish puts others ill at ease and they start defending their eating meat and we get branded as some sort of food terrorists. I have experienced this many times. Information is not coercion and shouldn't be seen as such.

So many people got upset whenever any of us vegetarians posted something a separate group was made. Maybe I should have posted my item there but then so many would be robbed of the 'pleasure' of responding.

@JackPedigo My dear Sir, I derive no 'pleasure' from responding to inanities, etc.
But, imho, Vegetarianism/Veganism is akin to Religions and to that I say the following;
Religion/Vegetarianism, etc, is fine, it IS your choice just like having a penis,
be proud of it if you want, worship it if you wish, BUT, don't go around shoving it everyone else's face.

@JackPedigo "the royal we"" ? As the cleaner of the queens toilet remarked

@Triphid What is it with you and associating anything you don't agree with,with religion? Geesh!

@BeeHappy Well, in my opinion the Vegan/Vegetarian Community are simply doing the same as religions do, i.e. preaching their beliefs in order to 'convert' any and all to their ways since they so readily seem to assume that theirs IS the only way.

@Triphid I suppose that applies to ANY community that are passionate about what they believe. Oh say... the atheist community, the scientific community, environmental community, etc. You can continue to throw religion at everything you do not like but using your own analogy... you're sounding like a religious fanatic.

The truth is that people are enthusiastic about things they believe, no matter what and, yes, including religion. Not everyone is fanatical or pushy about their beliefs. But yes some are. My question is why do you get so upset about this topic? I'm not a vegan, but I try, not very well, to be vegetarian. So yes, I like to hear about this topic. If I didn't, I'd scroll on by. Which I would suggest you do. But you go ahead and do you. I don't suspect you will listen to me anymore than I will you.

@BeeHappy I often have vegetable only based meals BUT that does NOT make a vegetarian/vegan.
As a Nurse for numerous years I learned much about Human Anatomy, Digestion, etc, etc, and as such learned that Human Digestive System is more attuned to the digestion of meats and meat products than it is to vegetable based products.
For example, Herbivores have multichambered stomachs and an appendix in their intestinal tracts where bacteria, etc, are STORED solely for the purposes of assisting with the breaking down of harder outer coverings of plant materials, seeds, etc, to enable digestion of said materials. Our appendix is extremely small, unused ad often becomes infected leading to Appendicitis with the possibility of Peritonitis or even Death if not attended to or treated simply because the bacteria that herbivorous animals rely upon are no longer stored there.
We humans are equipped with Incisors to cut through and aid us to actually tear off articles of food, just like herbivores do with plant materials, but we also have pre-molars, to which those self-same bits of food are passed onto, that are evolved to further shred meat before they reach the molars for finally grinding before passing down the gullet into a stomach filled with digestive juices and acid strong enough to dissolve the meat fibres and release the nutrients contained within them.
However, those 'juices' are NOT strong enough to dissolve and release the nutrients contained within the harder outer coatings that surround plant based materials since to do that we would a series of Rumens such as those found in sheep, goats, cattle, etc.
For example, Has anyone ever noticed/wondered Why it is that after eating corn, for example, a large percentage of the corn kernels, though chewed up thoroughly, simply passes out of the body as faeces almost untouched and undigested?

Not sure I get your point.

Funny you should mention the tarantula and the wasp. It was on the same episode as the tick ("Weird Wonders of the World" ).

Yes, I believe nature is trying to tell us something! There are simply too many of us and we have invaded every corner of the globe and our rapacious activities have caused major harm to the planet and, in the end, ourselves. Our activities have clearly created the environmental disasters including Climate Change and more and more things like ticks and sand flies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leishmaniasis) are living in areas they normally were't before. Nature is telling us life is very complicated and our simplistic ideas don't and won't work and we need to pay attention and change.

My late partner asked her 2nd graders "What is more important, people or dirt?" We have forgotten we are not the center of the universe/planet that religion tells us. Letting go of god also means letting go of our human centerdness. We have talked on this site that in Darwin's theory fittedness did not mean strongest or smartest but those most adaptable to change. If I have a problem I try to understand it is a sign I need to change my ways. Again, these are my beliefs.

Hives...I once broke out in hives for a year or more and I never knew what caused it! Now, I wonder...that was 60 yrs ago, but it was such a mystery all my life!

The video showed that this tick is spreading worldwide. [cdc.gov]
There is another,even more frightening disease called Leishmaniasis which is spread by the sand fly. It is also spreading because of Climate Change. [en.wikipedia.org]

Funny, I had remembered there was a chemical but forgot the name until another member mentioned it. I should have included it with the original post. Thanks for the reminder. [alpha-gal.org]

Alpha gal has been documented down under.

On the video in "Weird Wonders of the World" (Netflix) it showed a global map which indicated this tick is spreading everywhere.

@FlyingGodess Thank you for mentioning the chemical. Perhaps we should look up what this chemical does in the human body. [alpha-gal.org]

Should we forgo the pleasures of the outdoors so we can continue to eat meat? Some places (like where I live) staying indoors would actually be miserable and it would probably shorten our lives because of reduced activity.

@JackPedigo Yes. It’s dangerous outside with the sun and bats and peoples.

@indirect76 I have a theory that those who live in environments that are suppressive try to do just that. Those who live in environments that are life affirming want to preserve it. No matter where one lives we are a part of nature not apart from it. We cannot exist without the natural environment. Where I live makes me see things differently than a lot of others.

@JackPedigo That’s quite a theory, but it’s destroyed by ticks.

@indirect76 It's being destroyed by lots of things. The problem is that we don't appreciate nature and don't care if we destroy it. Just like I said, if we don't care it will go away and then what do we do? Escape in our homes, until a tornado flood or some other catastrophe comes and takes even that away. Sorry, I am a rabid environmentalist.

@JackPedigo If nature be ticks, I hide in bricks.

Is that like getting the vapors?

Specifically mammal meat. The alpha Gal carb is present only in mammals. there is only one subset of mammal that doesn't have this . That would be Old World Primates. Like Apes, Chimps, Orangutans, and humans. We don't have this . So human babies are still on the menu for Atheists with Alpha Gal allergy Youre welcome!

It's not permanent. I've had friends get it and they eventually tested non allergic, after months of a crash diet.

Maybe nature is trying to tell us something. We need to go to more plant based foods.

@JackPedigo PLEEEAASE... tell me you're joking.. ??

@JackPedigo What? That makes between none and zero sense.

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but once you get bit, you'll most likely actively attract those ticks. Granted it could only be temporary, possibily permanent, but a lot of insects that feed on blood seem to have evolved a mechanism that alters or adds to your "smell" to signal others that you're good prey. Even more so if they're carrying a bloodborne virus or bacteria. If you're not already, you should prepare ways to repel them when you go out in their area.

@FatherOfNyx Dude... ticks are, and have always been,,, attracted to furry animals... with blood.. Me being bit by one doesn't make me any more susceptible than before.. May I suggest a quick course in entomology.. Fascinating stuff really... [sciencing.com]

@Captain_Feelgood It actually does.. Yes, they are attracted to body heat and CO2, but they're also attracted to chemicals.. pheromones. We've learned that when a mosquito passes malaria along, it alters the persons pheromones and makes them more appealing to mosquitoes. Many people who contracted Lyme or another illness from a tick bite claim to have become a tick magnet after being bitten. Pheromones travel further than body heat and probably further than CO2, drawing in more blood sucking insects from greater distances.

@FatherOfNyx Mmmmm... nope.. having been bitten before is not a lure.
If one asks; Is it a biochemical matter? Are there any indications that one
person rather than another would be more susceptible to these insects?
What is the reason for such preferences?

Yes, it is – at least in part - a biochemical matter. Mosquitoes and ticks
are attracted to ammonia, carbon dioxide, and fatty acids. But there are
numerous other chemicals emitted by humans and animals, e.g. hexanal, 2-
heptenal, nonanal, furfural, benzaldehyde, and 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde,
heptanal, 2-, 3-, and 4-methylbenzaldehyde, 2-nitrophenol, 4-methyl-2-
nitrophenol, gamma-valerolactone, and many more. All named above can be
detected by ticks (and mosquitoes) and influence its behavior.
Now add perfumes, hair spray, soaps, washing detergents, deodorants,
repellents, …. Everything that causes us to smell differently can cause
different attraction to mosquitoes and ticks.
Therefore it can not be easily predicted who gets most bites. It is not
"the more you have the more often you get bitten", instead certain
combinations of these chemicals seem to be viewed as "very delicious" by
some mosquitoes and ticks.
The attractivity of a person for these blood suckers depends on age, sex,
if a female then also what time of the monthly cycle, and on the bacterial
flora you have on the skin. All these factors influence which and how many
chemicals you emit.

In addition being bitten by a tick it is also depended on physical
properties, mainly: size, color, movements, body temperature, and humidity
in the exhaled breath. Even the best smelling object will never be bitten
if it does not have around 37 degree Celsius.

And finally the number of bites depends on behavioral factors. A person
that slowly walks along a path but never leaves it and never stops gets
much less bites than one who leaves the path two or three times to observe
something, stopping for several seconds or minutes, especially if lots of
leafs and grass are around – favorite spots for ticks to wait for a host.

Why not just stop eating meat?

@Captain_Feelgood Sorry, absolutely not joking. If we care about life and future generations we need to pay attention and take personal actions now.

@Captain_Feelgood, @Storm1752 It really is not that hard. When I became vegetarian I discovered I had more energy, it was better for my health and so many doors opened to foods I didn't even know existed. There are recommendations to ease into this lifestyle slowly and forego meat only a few times at the beginning. This is how I (and a previous partner) did it and we were able to find new, replacement foods. My late partner went cold tofurkey and she had problems for a month.

@Captain_Feelgood, @Storm1752 I saw this on a Netflix show, "Weird Wonders of the World". It talked about a chemical in the body that the tick actually amplifies and makes the body react to meat.

@indirect76 ?? What item were you referring to? Nature always sends us messages and some of us are attuned to those messages. When something bad happens that tells me I need to change my ways. Of course that's just me.

@JackPedigo One can live very easily without red meat And poultry. Think of all the atmosphere-destroying Methane (cow shit) we'd be eliminating.

@Storm1752 Agreed. There is a great video on Netflix called "Terra". [imdb.com]