Yes you read the title right, being a vegetarian is bad for the environment. I've long stated this fact to any vegetarian and vegan continuing their doctrine that it's better for the environment. Well now I have scientific back-up in this department by way of a study commissioned by environmental group WWF; but more on that later.

The vegetarian/vegan argument goes something like this. 1 cow used to produce meat will produce [x] amount of methane and consume [y] amount of food and take up [z] amount of space. On contrast vegetarians argue that a wheat plant takes up [a] amount of space and doesn't produce methane and doesn't eat food.

This on the surface when said quickly and not thought about to much might sound like a reasonable statement. But just think about it for a moment, actually read over it again and think about it. It's actually a rather illogical statement, in that you're comparing a whole cow which will feed 20+ people to a single wheat plant which will feed, wait for it... NOT EVEN ONE (1) person. Add to that the pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals required to grow any large sized crop and it quickly becomes clear that, being a vegetarian is more harmful then good.

While you're at it take this on board as well, it takes 14.5 KILOGRAMS of broccoli to equal the same amount of iron content as 500g of steak. Not only is it near impossible to eat that amount, but can you consider the amount of land it requires to grow 14.5 KILOGRAMS of broccoli? Let alone enough for everyone in a country to eat that amount of broccoli every day! But there is more and this is where the study kicks in.

UK's Cranfield University was commissioned by the WWF to conduct an independent study on the effects of a vegetarian or vegan diet on the environment. The study found that meat substitutes such as soya, chickpeas and lentils where MORE harmful to the environment because they are imported into the UK from other countries. This is also true for countries like the USA, Australia and New Zealand. The study found that the carbon footprint left by importing these products was far greater than the environmental harm caused by livestock.

The study, agreeing with my argument also concluding;

"A switch from beef and milk to highly refined livestock product analogues such as tofu could actually increase the quantity of arable land needed to supply the UK."

and went on to say that meat substitutes are often highly processed foods, requiring vast amounts of energy to produce. Energy which runs on coal power. So here you have a raw product which was imported from overseas, was then processed using vast amounts of energy, and it's apparently meant to be more environmentally friendly then a cow in a field? A cow which I might remind you is an animal which is meant to exist. When you really think about it, it's laughable that anyone ever really thought being a vegetarian or vegan is better for the environment.

So now with the claim about the diet being beneficial to the environment gone, and piles of other evidence that the diet is also really bad for your body; one can only wonder why anyone is continuing this diet, let alone promoting it. I've included some interesting links at the bottom of this post which may help you to see clearly when next a vegetarian friend tries to guilt you into their way of life.

Links;

Telegraph Article on WWF study
The Independant Article on Vegetarianism making you ill
29 Common Reasons Why Your Vegetarian Diet Isn't Working
Beyond Veg
Pavlina: Why Vegetarians are unhealthy
Disadvantages of going Veg

I got through a 419 scam today, so keeping in the same vain as my previous post about scammers I figured I'd play around with him. This is what he wrote.

From: "Roselyn J. Ghang"

Reply-To: joernestine@aim.com
Subject: Important: Reference Number: 87K4/336/T071/0010
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:04:01 +0700
Received: from smtp.saigonnet.vn ([221.133.1.3]:34579 helo=mailserver.saigonnet.vn)

Reference Number: 87K4/336/T071/0010
E-mail: BALIWANE@aim.com
Dear Winner,
This is to officially inform you that you have been approved for a lump sum pay out of Five Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars in this year GLOBAL INDEPENDENT E-LOTTERY PAYMENT RECONCILIATION BOARD UK,Reference Number: 87K4/336/T071/0010.
You are advice to Contact: Dr.BALI WANE, Foreign Service Accredited Attorney Overseas Subscribers Agents EMAIL: BALIWANE@aim.com

1. Full Name : ........................................
2. Address : ..........................................
3. Marital Status : ...................................
4. Occupation : .......................................
5. Age : ..............................................
6. Sex : ..............................................
7. Nationality : ......................................
8. Country : ..........................................
9. Telephone : ........................................
10. 1Fax Number : ......................................
11. Email Address : ...................................

Congratulations on behalf of the entire managment.
Yours faithfully,
Roselyn J. Ghang
Online National Co-ordinator,
Global Impact Lottery.

What I find very interesting is how ANYONE could possible fall for these scams. I mean the English is incredibly poor, there are NO LESS than THREE different email addresses associated with this email. It's sent from a server originating in Vietnam and more over NO ONE entered the "GLOBAL INDEPENDENT E-LOTTERY" because well, it doesn't exist. If you didn't enter a lottery draw why would you believe it when someone emails you of all things tell you that you've won. Especially when they ask for a bunch of details that lets face it if you'd entered it and forgotten you would of already had to have given them. It truly amazes me that there are people out there with so little common sense as to fall for this sort of scam. Anyway I replied twice to different email addresses. The first reply is to the listed replyto address joernestine@aim.com

0 12:54:02 +1000
From: my email
To: joernestine@aim.com
Subject: Re: Important: Reference Number: 87K4/336/T071/0010

Hi Joe,

Was nice to hear from you. How's Nancy and the kids going? All good I hope. I see your English still isn't doing very well, but if you keep practicing I'm sure you'll get there in the end. It was interesting that you mentioned Dr Wane, I haven't spoken the him in agers, how is he going? It's strange the a man who has worked so tirelessly to restore peoples gentiles after they've been attacked by swarms of hungry sand flies; would now be working for a lottery draw. Are you sure he's working there now? At any rate can you tell him I said 'hi' next time you see him and ask him how his transgender surgery is going.

All my love to Nancy and the kids,

Peter.

I wrote this email to see if there is actually life on the other end of joernestine@aim.com if there is this opens up new possibilities for fun. The second email is addressed to the one the scam said to reply to BALIWANE@aim.com and provides the details requested only in fake form.

Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:25:32 +1000
From: my email
To: BALIWANE@aim.com
Subject: Reference Number: 87K4/336/T071/0010

Dear Rev Wane,

It was so good to hear from Jackie that I had won the national dependent e-lottery with a sum of half a million dollars. Of course I make several times that amount of money each week but I've never been the type to snub my nose at free money. I have provided my details below as Jackie requested.

1.Full Name : Peter Frapton
2.Address : 810 Whickermore Drive, Branson Missori
3.Marital Status : Married
4.Occupation : Senior stock analysist at First Canada Capital Inc.
5.Age : 38
6.Sex : Male
7.Nationality : Canadian
8.Country : Canada
9.Telephone : (417) 334-3300
10.Fax Number : (417) 337-9246
11.Email Address : I don't have one, sorry.

I am very excited, will my picture be in the paper? I am very much looking forward to the big ceremony where I am presented with the giant cheque. I've been given one of those before and it was a great day. The giant cheque still decorates my penthouse as a bit of a joke ey. Anyway thank you so much for letting me know I have won, I will be awaiting your reply.

Regards,

Peter

Things to note about my reply. I referred to him as Rev and not Dr. I referred to the person who wrote me the first email as Jackie instead of Roselyn and I gave the impression I was extremely rich so their greed would take over completely. In my details you'll know that I said I'm from Branson, Missouri and purposely misspelt Missouri. I then claimed I'm from and live in Canada which of course isn't near Branson Missouri. The best bit about the lot is of course I'm in Australia so if they fall for it, it shows how computer illiterate they are and opens up more opportunities for fun.

The most important thing however to note is that the phone numbers I have provided both originate in Branson Missouri, one at the Branson Police Department the other (fax) at the White Oaks Police department. When the scammer calls he is definitely in for a surprise. I'm hoping though that he will chose to email me back first so I can lure him in a little deeper before he calls, meaning his more likely to say something incriminating when he calls the police.

Is it just me or has anyone else in the area I live in noticed the sudden over whelming smell of curry? Seriously it's everywhere, I went for a run just before and the air was sickenly thick with the smell of curry. What happened to the smell of backyard barbecues? Of burnt meat, open flame and seafood? That's my Australia, not a land of curry.

Have the amount of immigrant Indians really reached such a number already that the place stinks like India does? This is Australia, we have our own culture here, I don't agree with the number of Indian immigrants coming into the country but if they're going to come in they could at least have enough respect to take on our culture. If they wanted to live in a country with the culture they grew up with, smelling the way the country they grew up in did and everything like their native land, DON'T IMMIGRANT!

If you're going to immigrate to another country then seriously have some god damn respect. You don't need to try and make my country the same as your country. No only is that disrespectful, but it's illogical. You move to a new country because you like the culture, lifestyle, etc of the new country and thus you assimilate into the new country. If you're not willing to assimilate into Australia then LEAVE and take your stinky curries with you.

Ok so it's 3:16am and this aboriginal show called "message stick" is on the ABC. This Aboriginal woman was just on and tried to claim that aboriginals are *cough* invisible to Australia. Excuse me? How do they figure that one? Invisible people don't get their TV shows aired on the government run ABC. They don't have special warns put at the front of TV shows which have people who have died in them because that effects their culture. Invisible people don't have land rights like in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Invisible people aren't counted as citizens and aren't allowed to vote. Invisible people aren't given special payments from the government and invisible people aren't allowed government provided lawyers even when everyone else isn't allowed one.

Fact of the matter is Aboriginals get a LOT of liberties afforded to them, a LOT of them. There is a great inequality going on which is now in the favour of Aboriginals and they have the nerve to complain and say they're invisible? WTF? And they want a treaty allowing them to take some powers away from the state governments because they were here first? They're not even joking, they're being serious..

Seriously, how many of them where alive in 1788 when Australia was colonised by the British? Oh right that would be zero. Ok, so what about the generation immediately after that, how many of those are alive today? Oh right, that would be zero. So what they're saying is NO LIVING Aboriginal has EVER lived in an Australia which wasn't colonised by the British. But beyond that, NO LIVING Aboriginal has EVER lived in an Australia which didn't contain WHITE AUSTRALIANS, that is to say white people BORN in Australia. Excuse me but if you've never known a world other then the one you live in now outside of stories, then seriously what makes you think for a second you have a right to go back to it?

EVERY country on the planet has at some stage in its history had people who invaded and took over. Deal with it. Stop living in a past that you've never known, we're talking about something almost 300 years ago here!! Seriously! You don't deserve ANY special rights at all, NONE!

You're an Australia, no better than any other Australia. Stop making excuses to get special treatment, because nothing is going to make all the white people pick up and leave, nothing is going to turn the clock back 300 years and NOTHING is going to make Aboriginals in charge of Australia. Deal with it.

I'm getting fed up with all this nonsense, it's seriously time to move on with yourselves. Stop beating each other up and breaking the law. Stop getting drunk off your head all the time and chroming. Stop all the anti-social behaviours and blaming white people for them. Take some responsibility for your own damn actions. GET A JOB! And don't give me some crap about no one will give you a job because you're Aboriginal because that's just utter bullshit now days. Sure there was once a time that was true, but now days it's an utter lie. Not only will employers give Aboriginals a go if they have the right skills, but there are even employers and jobs that ONLY aboriginals are allowed to apply for, which in itself is absolute bullshit. Apparently the anti-discrimination laws don't apply if you're a healthy, normal, fully functional white person who is discriminated against.

I'm tired of the excuses from Aboriginals, and I think most Australians are getting fed up with them too. There were a lot of people 10 years ago who were behind the Aboriginals, who helped fight for their rights and junk who now can just see a lack of movement by the Aboriginals themselves to better themselves. People who once backed Aboriginals, can now just see Aboriginals are all about excuses and getting something for nothing. It's stupid and it needs to end.

And I'm sorry but none of this is racist. Racism means that I am prejudice against someone because of their race. I don't dislike Aboriginals, I'm not trying to harm them, I'm not saying they shouldn't have equal rights, I'm not trying to belittle them or anything else along those lines. What I am saying is that they are getting ridiculous in their claims and their demands. What I AM saying is that instead of talking about something from 300 years ago, instead of talking about how different they are and their delusional land rights, they need to accept themselves as AUSTRALIANS. They need to accept the COUNTRY THEY LIVE IN and they need to focus on how they are the same as other Australians, what they have in common with other Australians and just become productive, useful members of society.

That's a decision each individual person in the Aboriginal community will need to make for them self. That instead of sitting around fighting to have more power and junk, put all that energy into bettering the country for ALL Australians not just a select minority. If we want to stop racism to stop then those who feel persecuted against have to stop making themselves out to be so different. Stop going on that you're black, you're aboriginal, you need this special treatment or blah blah blah. Just get on with it and people will follow suit. Geez, common sense much.

So I know I don't normally talk about my personal life but I thought you might like to know that I'm going to an intake session tomorrow to decide if mediation between Tanase and I would be of benefit in getting her to agree to let me see Z and AJ again. I know I could take her straight to court and have her found in violation of a court order. But the consequences could be jail time for her and what sort of a parent would I be to my sons if I had their mother put in jail? I have to try all other options first and mediation is the last on that list before court. Fingers crossed people, I have a feeling I'm going to need it; Tanase isn't exactly the most stable person on the planet after all.