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Ask Laurin (or: Ask a 20-year-old).
Laurin, this question regards animal welfare.I know many people who claim to support the rights of animals. They donate their money and time to no-kill shelters, they push for people to adopt pets from shelters or adoption agencies rather than through pet stores, and they support free-range farms....but they still consume meat and get a lot of backlast from vegans and vegetarians for it, who claim that unless one completely abstains from the consumption of meat and dairy products, one can never truly be a "animal lover" or supporter of animal rights.
My question then is, how would one reconcile their meat and dairy consumption with their philanthropy to animal rights causes? Can one eat meat and still love animals? Or is it like the comedian Denis Leary said "we only care about the cute animals"?
Laurin is curiously absent from this thread.
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I'm wondering if she's boycotting the thread.
She might be resting her brain after the Walmart thing.
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Laurin, take your time with this one.Do you think it's unfair for an employer to ask middle aged workers to wear Santa hats at Christmas time?
Laurin, if you won the Powerball, would you take the "cash now" option, or take it as a 20-year annuity?
Since Laurin is not answering, I'll try to answer in the way I think a 20-year-old female mind works.From message 1: Laurin, as we sit here (many of us) inside America, various issues confront us. What three issues, in order of priority, concern you the most?
answer: 1. boys 2. boys 3. Justin Bieber
(note: I may be off a decade or two)
From message 2: My question then is, how would one reconcile their meat and dairy consumption with their philanthropy to animal rights causes? Can one eat meat and still love animals? Or is it like the comedian Denis Leary said "we only care about the cute animals"?That's a wicked hard one. And I guess it can be like when I see a puppy I'm like "OMG that's SOOO cute!" but when I'm at Chik-Fil-A you know I'm getting those chicken nugget thingies and not like the salad. Or maybe the ice cream.
message 3:Do you feel that, as a whole, our current de-evolution as a society was brought on by the Internet or the invention of the "smart" phone? Do you think we will get to a point where a family will all sit in one room but no one will say a word to each other because everyone is either texting on their phone, on their laptop or on their tablet (playing Angry Birds)?You can always text to each other, even if you're in the same room. Right?
message 13: evie wrote: "Laurin, take your time with this one.Do you think it's unfair for an employer to ask middle aged workers to wear Santa hats at Christmas time?"
You'd rather wear them in the summer?
Félix wrote: "Laurin, if you won the Powerball, would you take the "cash now" option, or take it as a 20-year annuity?"I don't know what an annuity is, but I would share at least half the winnings with Cyril.
I think Laurin more equipped to take on such questions as, "How do you think the Right To Work Bill will affect Michigan?"
Thanks Bdubs! I was just coming back to fix that. :)
BunWat wrote: "psst - can you believe we ever thought Susan was a troll? Crazy!!"Favorite comment. Ever.
::glomps Bdubs::
Wow, I didn't know this happened. Well, I'll start answering now.
Lobstergirl wrote: "In this thread you may ask Laurin anything. Laurin, besides being an actual person, is also our resident 20-year old, so if you have a generic question for a generic 20-year old, perhaps she will ..."The fiscal cliff, LGBT rights, Right to Work in Michigan.
Christopher wrote: "Laurin, this question regards animal welfare.I know many people who claim to support the rights of animals. They donate their money and time to no-kill shelters, they push for people to adopt pet..."
I love my cat, yet I love bacon. I don't necessarily think that in order to love animals, I can't eat them. Also, I hate vegetables, so there isn't really anything else I could eat.
Zardoz is in the Tardis wrote: "Laurin,Do you feel that, as a whole, our current de-evolution as a society was brought on by the Internet or the invention of the "smart" phone? Do you think we will get to a point where a famil..."
I do think that is a problem. I think that we're losing the ability to really communicate with people in person. A lot of people my age are so socially awkward, because the only way they know how to communicate is via a smart phone/the internet. I really enjoy technology, but I also enjoy a great one-on-one in person conversation.
evie wrote: "Laurin, take your time with this one.Do you think it's unfair for an employer to ask middle aged workers to wear Santa hats at Christmas time?"
I absolutely hate Christmas season, I'm a huge scrooge. I hate how the carols are played incessantly at EVERY store, I hate how xmas has creeped to right after Halloween. I enjoy the actual day and giving gifts to people I care for, but I hate the seasonal crap.
Félix wrote: "Laurin, if you won the Powerball, would you take the "cash now" option, or take it as a 20-year annuity?"Cash now, because the impending fiscal cliff would mean a higher tax rate in the future.
Cyril wrote: "Since Laurin is not answering, I'll try to answer in the way I think a 20-year-old female mind works.From message 1: Laurin, as we sit here (many of us) inside America, various issues confront us..."
I actually really don't like Justin Beiber. My generation was more of *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.
Susan wrote: "I think Laurin more equipped to take on such questions as, "How do you think the Right To Work Bill will affect Michigan?""It has pros and cons. I don't like how the republicans are forcing it through the legislature without allowing the citizens to speak their mind. Protesters were locked out of the capital building, and thus not allowed to speak their minds.
I see why people want it, and I also see why people are against it. I understand where the union is coming from. It isn't fair to them to pay dues to receive these benefits, and then someone can come along and refuse to join the union and receive the same benefits. I also understand the other side. I don't think that I should be forced to join the union just to work at a certain place. I am the grandchild of GM shop workers, and my family has never liked the unions and what they represent. They can be very greedy, and I don't want to give my money to an organization like that. Look at what they've done to Hostess. That company might go out of business, theses people will be jobless, but they still refuse to make concessions. I understand that they shouldn't be the only ones to give things up, but they need to attempt to make concessions to keep the company in business, and keep their jobs.
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It really annoys me when texting speak weasels its way into written communication. My boss writes the most atrocious emails. I've also proof-read papers for people that used "ur", etc.
evie wrote: "I'm not good at texting."Aside from lol, idk, and omg, I write out most everything in a text message. I do it so I don't fall into the habit of abbreviating everything.
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idk? Just in case my daughter uses that in one of her texts to me...
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Okay, WTF is an exception. I use WTF all the time but that preceded texting, I think.
Yes, it dates pre-text.
Susan wrote: "Yes, it dates pre-text."Does it? ::blushes::
How about text shouting? My daughter accused me of that because I used upper case in a message I sent to her. I'd never heard of that!Now I know, I can use it.
evie wrote: "How about text shouting? My daughter accused me of that because I used upper case in a message I sent to her. I'd never heard of that!Now I know, I can use it."
Typing in all caps means that you are shouting.
BunWat wrote: "Lobstergirl wrote: "Well, I will say this: even for people who reached adulthood before texting, the advent of email and texting has provided some relief for those of us who do not really want to h..."I totally feel the same way. I just hate when I try to start a conversation with someone and they just keep staring at their phone. Hello, I'm speaking to you!
BunWat wrote: "evie wrote: "idk? Just in case my daughter uses that in one of her texts to me..."idk = I don't know."
Thanks.
evie wrote: "Susan wrote: "Yes, it dates pre-text."Does it? ::blushes::"
I know. Scandalous.
BunWat wrote: "Laurin wrote: "I totally feel the same way. I just hate when I try to start a conversation with someone and they just keep staring at their phone. Hello, I'm speaking to you! ..."Wait, what? I t..."
Maybe I read that wrong. Oops. But I also agree that there are some people that I don't want to talk to on the phone.
Laurin's not a typical 20 year-old because she says "fiddlesticks." :)
Félix wrote: "Laurin's not a typical 20 year-old because she says "fiddlesticks." :)":)
I've been told I'm mature for my age.
Félix wrote: "Nothin' wrong with that."I have too much that I want to do with my life to do something stupid like get an MIP, etc.
I have family members that have worked as UAW reps and as line workers. I do feel the UAW has taken advantage of their position in recent years. However, it saddens me to think of all the grievances that were endured before unions were instituted. The right to have unions was a hard won battle. I fear what may be in the future if unions are brushed aside.This is an interesting reaccount of life in GM pre-union:
www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspap...
Laurin wrote: "Christopher wrote: "Laurin, this question regards animal welfare.I know many people who claim to support the rights of animals. They donate their money and time to no-kill shelters, they push for..."
You hate vegetables? Do you eat any at all?
I'll get us started.
Laurin, as we sit here (many of us) inside America, various issues confront us. What three issues, in order of priority, concern you the most?
Here's a list to get you started (inclusion on the list does not necessarily imply severe importance), or you may choose any issue not on the list: national debt, climate change, Medicare solvency, America's fertility rate, the educational system, our tax code, religious freedom, the legalization of drugs, gay marriage, healthcare, neighborliness, immigration, energy policy, sex predators, internet bullying, political corruption, pension reform, federalism, animal welfare, poverty, the cost of living, income inequality, farm subsidies, gender equality.