The Coffee House-Come & Chat With Us (November 2019)

[shyvas]

This is VF's random chat thread. You can jump in and out at any time. You don't have to stick to any topic of conversation, you can post whatever you like. There's no pressure to backread or post regularly. We begin a new one every month and start afresh, so that it's easier for new chatters to join in.

If it's your first time in the Coffee House please let us know so we can be extra welcoming! If we're talking about stuff and you have no idea what we're on about, feel free to ask us and don't feel intimidated. A lot of us have been chatting for years together but we're always delighted to have new friends too.

 

[Nekodaiden]

Hello shyvas. I was wondering if you have an introductory thread here that I missed. I ask because I noticed you have super moderator status (undoubtedly due to trust/experience on the site with which this one has merged) but list as a vegetarian, and I have to wonder a little about this, as this was formerly a strictly vegan site. Will you moderate as if this is a vegan website for vegan support, or otherwise? I do not want to assume bias, but I think it's a valid question I as well as others may have on their mind.

 

[Second Summer]

Hello shyvas. I was wondering if you have an introductory thread here that I missed. I ask because I noticed you have super moderator status (undoubtedly due to trust/experience on the site with which this one has merged) but list as a vegetarian, and I have to wonder a little about this, as this was formerly a strictly vegan site. Will you moderate as if this is a vegan website for vegan support, or otherwise? I do not want to assume bias, but I think it's a valid question I as well as others may have on their mind.

I will answer this, if you don't mind I don't think shyvas has posted an intro thread here yet. I was going to say you could read her intro thread on VV, but looking at it now it's actually not particularly informative! That's because she already knew everyone there at the time as she, like most other members at the time, had come there from VeggieBoards.

As I understand it, VF has accepted non-vegan members for a while now, and I intend to continue this practice. However, VF is still a vegan forum, meaning we promote a vegan lifestyle and provide vegan support. So, in other words, no changes there!

 

[hungryraccoon]

This is what the forum needed

 

[shyvas]

I will answer this, if you don't mind I don't think shyvas has posted an intro thread here yet. I was going to say you could read her intro thread on VV, but looking at it now it's actually not particularly informative! That's because she already knew everyone there at the time as she, like most other members at the time, had come there from VeggieBoards.

As I understand it, VF has accepted non-vegan members for a while now, and I intend to continue this practice. However, VF is still a vegan forum, meaning we promote a vegan lifestyle and provide vegan support. So, in other words, no changes there!

That's right and as we are merging very shortly, I didn't think that it was necessary to introduce myself. However, I will do so when I have a spare moment. Nothing really passionate or outstanding about my lifestyle so you're not missing out on much.

I have been on VV since 2012 and a moderator since 2013. You can be assured that there is a lot of hard work done to promote a vegan lifestyle on VV and we will continue to do so on VF.

 

[shyvas]

This is what the forum needed

It's a l great thread isn't it hungryraccoon ? I think that it's bar far the most popular one that we have.

 

[KLS52]

I found it! Ok, time to start the shaking! Lol

 

[KLS52]

I wonder if IS is worried that our VV motley crew will come over and wreak havoc, lol!
Actually, we are quite a mild bunch. Most of us like to hang out in the chat thread and just offer love and support to each other and share our daily goings on. We would love to have the group expand and make new friends.

 

[shyvas]

I wonder if IS is worried that our VV motley crew will come over and wreak havoc, lol!
Actually, we are quite a mild bunch. Most of us like to hang out in the chat thread and just offer love and support to each other and share our daily goings on. We would love to have the group expand and make new friends.

Speak for yourself KL.

 

[KLS52]

Speak for yourself KL.

Sometimes you feel like a nut...sometimes you don’t! Lol

That may go over the younger members’ heads. (It’s an Almond Joy/Mounds candy commercial.) I’m definitely a nut.

 

[shyvas]

Sometimes you feel like a nut...sometimes you don’t! Lol

That may go over the younger members’ heads. (It’s an Almond Joy/Mounds candy commercial.) I’m definitely a nut.

Yeah, most days more like a nut...

 

[shyvas]

The weather is still on the gloomy side but it's warming up. I'm very busy today as we are having our owner's annual meeting tonight.

I'm making a cottage pie for lunch and will have a persimmon for dessert. The season is so short so I try and make the most of eating them on a daily basis.

 

[PTree15]

I am going to have that candy jingle in my head all day. At least it is shorter than the Baby Shark song that has been stuck in my head since the Washington Nationals won the World Series. My great-nephew Nolan loves that song.

 

[Sax]

Okay I'll play.

The other day I learned some apples are coated in shellac. Yeah, even god damn apples aren't always vegan. I'm not sure how much I'll concern myself with that.

 

[KLS52]

Okay I'll play.

The other day I learned some apples are coated in shellac. Yeah, even god damn apples aren't always vegan. I'm not sure how much I'll concern myself with that.

Yes...please come play more often!

 

[shyvas]

Yes...please come play more often!

That's all we do all day long.

 

[Second Summer]

I read a BBC (well, CBBC) article that said avocados aren't vegan because apparently they use slave bee labour to produce them. (I think a lot of plant foods would suddenly become un-vegan if we go by that interpretation, though!)

 

[Lou]

I read a BBC (well, CBBC) article that said avocados aren't vegan because apparently they use slave bee labour to produce them. (I think a lot of plant foods would suddenly become un-vegan if we go by that interpretation, though!)

We have discussed this here before. I think avocados and almonds both fall into vegan grey areas. It's probably best not to jump up and down about this. Just let each and every vegan decide how vegan they want to be.

but... I'm personally convinced that the almond crop probably does more damage to bees than honey does. So if you don't eat honey cause you are concerned with bee exploitation, you probably shouldn't eat almonds.

On the other hand, something like 50% (or more) of our crops is dependent on commercial beekeeping. Maybe one-third (or more) of the plant foods we eat rely on commercial bees. So if you take this to the logical conclusion you are going to have a tough time at the grocery store.

But it's pretty easy to pick on almonds. Almost every American commercial beekeeping operator heads to California in February. Almost 2 million hives are trucked into California in Semis. From as far away as Florida. That is something like 80 billion bees.

and we still don't know what is causing colony collapse disorder. but I wouldn't be surprised if this is at least one of the causes.

Part of the problem is how profitable almond growing has become. And a lot of that has to do with how popular almond milk is. And as far as the lesser evil, I will take almond milk over cow's milk every day of the week.

 

[Mischief]

We have discussed this here before. I think avocados and almonds both fall into vegan grey areas. It's probably best not to jump up and down about this. Just let each and every vegan decide how vegan they want to be.

but... I'm personally convinced that the almond crop probably does more damage to bees than honey does. So if you don't eat honey cause you are concerned with bee exploitation, you probably shouldn't eat almonds.

On the other hand, something like 50% (or more) of our crops is dependent on commercial beekeeping. Maybe one-third (or more) of the plant foods we eat rely on commercial bees. So if you take this to the logical conclusion you are going to have a tough time at the grocery store.

But it's pretty easy to pick on almonds. Almost every American commercial beekeeping operator heads to California in February. Almost 2 million hives are trucked into California in Semis. From as far away as Florida. That is something like 80 billion bees.

and we still don't know what is causing colony collapse disorder. but I wouldn't be surprised if this is at least one of the causes.

Part of the problem is how profitable almond growing has become. And a lot of that has to do with how popular almond milk is. And as far as the lesser evil, I will take almond milk over cow's milk every day of the week.

Colony collapse disorder is happening across the board, including to small, static, colonies that are never moved.

(I do agree that the commercial practice of moving bees from place to place has to be incredibly stressful to bees, since they are so place oriented.)

 

[Lou]

Colony collapse disorder is happening across the board, including to small, static, colonies that are never moved.

(I do agree that the commercial practice of moving bees from place to place has to be incredibly stressful to bees, since they are so place oriented.)

Yeah, the local honey guy at the farmer's market lost two hives last winter.
But we don't really know what causes CCD. The honey guy thinks it is pesticides. I read somewhere it might be a mite or a parasite or a virus. or maybe some combination of stress and all the above.