some miscellaneous things

by Alison Green on August 20, 2012

Some random notes —

* Some of you have asked for the ability to subscribe to the comments feed for one particular post, rather than having to sign up for comments on all of them. Thanks to the wonderful and talented Laura Moore of Smallest Decisions, you can now do this!  At the bottom of every post (just below the comments box), you’ll see an option to access the RSS feed for comments on that particular post and that post alone.

* Speaking of comments, this new “how to comment” page includes things like instructions for bolding or italicizing text in your comments. You can always find it via the link in the sidebar directly to the right (it’s in a grey box).

* I also updated this list of favorite posts (which hadn’t been updated for three years).

* This is a really good article on how to do informational interviews.

* I linked to this in the comments on the recent post about the pushy dietician, but thought others might be interested too:  This is an article I wrote for the Washington Post 17 years ago on etiquette for meat-eaters when around vegetarians. (I was only 22, so be kind.) And while I’m at it, I’ll also share this article, which I wrote for the Post when I was 19 — about living on my own for the first time and having ridiculous expectations about how it would work.

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{ 31 comments }

{ 31 comments… read them below }

  1. Your Mileage May Vary*

    Woot!! Great additions! I love that you are so hands-on with your blog. Not every writer I follow is like that and I think it helps make this place so wonderful.

  3. Carrie in Scotland*

    How much more awesome can you make this blog!? Loving the additions/improvements and the readers updates!

  4. bemo12*

    Cool article about vegetarians, but I’ve found the opposite to also be true. I have been out with vegetarians who hem and haw about my choice of a rare steak and invariably trying to get me to convert.

    I don’t care what anyone else eats and I’ve had vegetarian products before and liked some of them (although not boca burgers, taste like soggy cardboard), just don’t like when vegetarians complain about what I eat.

      1. bemo12*

        Tell that to the Jehovah’s Witnesses that knock on my apartment door every Saturday morning ;)

        1. mh_76*

          re: Jehovah’s Witnesses – a family friend told a story about how he got them to stop knocking on his door: it was a hot day and he was working outside, wearing his sneakers (or work boots…don’t remember…rural area, plenty of privacy). The missionaries drove up the driveway, he walked over & asked if he could help them, they looked horrified and drove away. I don’t remember the exact wording or turn of events but ’tis a true story (and, I’m sure, not the only one like it).

            2. mh_76*

              yep…at least that’s how he told the tale…oh darn, did this submit already? changing the wording…should read that’s what he said.

    2. Anonymous*

      THIS. I have found that more often than not, when I dine with vegetarians they are almost always the ones hemming and hawing over people eating meat.

  5. Kelsey W.*

    Wow, I definitely appreciate the time difference- people treat vegetarians a lot differently in 2012, post Michael Pollan and Forks Over Knives, Food Inc., plus probably more documentaries I can’t remember.

  6. jmkenrick*

    Love the article about living on your own. My parents always did an excellent job taking care of me and my sisters.

    To the point where, in my head, I kind of just assumed that basic necessities were magically covered (rent, food, toilet paper, doctor’s trips). Such a rude awakening when I realized I had to factor all that into my budget alongside the “fun stuff”. Ouch.

  7. Snow*

    Love your piece of vegetarianism. I’ve been one too for 20 years, and it never ceases to amaze me how often I hear comments like, “But fish is not meat!” In my teens, I was an active animal-rights activist; these days, I rarely make known my diet because I’m not in the business of converting people (unless they seek out my help/advice).

    1. Jessica*

      Part of this issue comes from some vegetarians. I work with at least five vegetarians who are “completely” vegetarian (their wording, not mine). Except they all eat fish. (I work with other vegetarians and vegans that I do not believe eat meat. Except one vegan that has an extremely soft spot for cheese and honey. Heck, so do I, so I can’t fault her for those!) I’m only thinking about this, because at lunch today, one that has been militantly, adamantly vegetarian (trying to convert me and others who aren’t) fought me for a tuna salad sub sandwich on the tray. I pointed out the whole tray of veggie subs (because of her outspoken vegetarianism), but she said, “Oh, I eat tuna salad! Fish isn’t meat!” I just had to chuckle at that one.

      I don’t take any of it personally (I’m a picky eater anyway, so I’m not going to start eliminating those things that I actually do eat and I’m not about to argue with someone else about what they eat), which I think is part of the key to eating with others.

      1. Jessica*

        I should have worded that as “…do not believe eat ANY meat,” which would include fish and/or chicken.

      2. Kerry*

        I am extremely irked when people who eat fish call themselves vegetarians. I don’t care what other people do or don’t eat, but please don’t call yourself that, because then my mother-in-law tries to get me to eat fish. And I don’t. Because I’m a vegetarian.

        Also, I’d like to see an anonymous email service that sends that article to people who hassle me. Except it would have to have a paper-mail option, because my mother-in-law does not have email.

        1. Jessica*

          I brought this article up to two of the fish-eating “vegetarians” that I mentioned above (the two that I am actually friends with and not just a coworker), and one said, “But you know there are different kinds of vegetarians, right?”

          I kind of laughed at that, because… ;~) I’m guessing she should be saying she’s a pesco-vegetarian. Or pescetarian. I should tell them that they have to stop saying they are vegetarians, because they are confusing the real vegetarians’ mothers-in-law. :-D

          If you find that service, will you let me know about it? I have a few emails I’d like to send out, too…

  8. Jen*

    I’m also writing to thank you for the article on vegetarianism. My favorite is when carnivores feel the need to say things like “mmm, BACON!” as they bite into their food. I’m not sure if they think they’re making me jealous or trying to gross me out or piss me off, but it just makes me want to bite into my food and say “mmm, SPINACH!” So silly.

    1. Anonymous*

      Well…. it’s BACON! but why not say “mmmm spinach”? It’s not going to make people jealous, grossed out or pissed off.

    2. Jessica*

      Bacon is pretty much the only meat that I might comment on eating. I don’t eat it often, and I love it so much. However, I do also absolutely love spinach, so I’m just as likely to be found picking up a forkful of spinach and saying, “Mmmmmmmmmm, SPINACH!” This is mainly because I’m a somewhat picky eater, and people seem to think that if you don’t like mushrooms then you can’t like spinach or something. Spinach — raw only, please — is DELICIOUS!! It’s the best veggie in the world.

      1. Jen*

        Lol, to be honest I had my coworker in mind when writing that. I think I may be the first vegetarian he’s ever met. He’s one of those people who hates pretty much all vegetables other than corn and potatoes, so the spinach comment probably would gross him out. He has an insatiable sweet tooth, but I’ve brought in vegan chocolate chip cookies twice and hste won’t touch them, even after my boss comments on how delicious they are.

        1. Jessica*

          Oh gosh, I wish you’d bring them to my office! One person I work with makes the most delicious chocolate pie in the entire world and it’s vegan. I didn’t know pie could be that delicious without butter, but it’s amazing.

  9. Argh!*

    Hah! Love the vegetarian article. I have been one for 9 years. I personally live the astonishment at my husband’s family get togethers, where they cant inderstand how I could possibly celebrate Thanksgiving without turkey. I also love when I am told “So that’s why you are thin!” or “Well, you should eat meat so you can put some lead in your arse!” These amuse me as I have not gained nor lost weight since becoming vegetarian!

  10. Grace*

    I’ve been living in my own apartment for 3 months now and haven’t had to starve to pay the electricity bill yet, but it’s a close thing. The hardest part for me is learning how to cook for one: I come from a big family and just came from a house with 11 (eleven!!!) roommates so I always end up with spoiled food.

    1. Natalie*

      Your freezer is your friend. Not everything will make it through freezing (potatoes, in particular, always seem to go bad), but there are lots of good tips online.

  11. Kerry*

    I for one enjoyed the reference to “seasoned vegetarians” in the article (mmm, vegetarians). :)

    I’ve been mostly-vegetarian for nearly a year now – meaning my kitchen is vegetarian (kosher milchig), and I only eat meat if it’s both ethically raised and going to taste amazing – USDA Prime or equivalent. It’s really opened my eyes to how hard it is to find vegetarian food now that I don’t eat mediocre meat. What’s also funny is when I order a veggie main – a chickpea burger or similar – and people ask me how long I’ve been vegetarian, and are surprised when I say I’m not. As if omnivores *have* to eat meat for every meal!

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