[JonBon]

What New Year's resolutions have you made, and have you kept them?

I have gone a bit mad this year by making three of them.

Firstly, I am only going to eat and drink Fair Trade tea, coffee and chocolate, because the vast majority of these products are made through the exploitation of Third World countries and populations (for example, slavery, indentured labour, economic oppression etc)

Secondly, I have decided to becopme vegetarian (again). I used to be vegetarian from the age of about 10, but during my under-graduate days I fell from Grace, so I have decided to get back on the wagon, as it were. This is mainly because I don't believe it is justifiable to kill and eat animals in an age when, in the West at least, our nutritional needs can be met without resorting to slaughter.

And thirdly, I have given up smoking .... and it is HELL!!!! - I am on my third day now and i have to say that the physical withdrawal symptoms are pretty uncomfortable!!!!

So what resolutions have you made, and how difficult are they?

[Shehzad]

I've decided to get some more sleep this year, and try to eat a little better. Life is difficult enough as it is.

[Sammie]

Originally posted by JonBon
Firstly, I am only going to eat and drink Fair Trade tea, coffee and chocolate, because the vast majority of these products are made through the exploitation of Third World countries and populations (for example, slavery, indentured labour, economic oppression etc)

Secondly, I have decided to becopme vegetarian (again). I used to be vegetarian from the age of about 10, but during my under-graduate days I fell from Grace, so I have decided to get back on the wagon, as it were. This is mainly because I don't believe it is justifiable to kill and eat animals in an age when, in the West at least, our nutritional needs can be met without resorting to slaughter.

I'm sorry, but i have to ask........in this case, how do you get around the moral dilemma involved in eating chocolate? Chocolate contains milk. Cows only produce a decent milk supply if they breed......and half of all calves are male. Male calves cannot be kept together when they grow, and so, by necessity are ALL slaughtered. Does this not bother you? Your chocolate habit is killing cattle - and frankly it's somewhat less of a nutritional need than meat is.

If you want to be a vegan, then total respect to you........but imo vegetarianism is just another word for hypocrisy.

Oh - my New Year's resolution........to spend more time 'doing' and less time typing!

[JonBon]

Originally posted by Sammie
I'm sorry, but i have to ask........in this case, how do you get around the moral dilemma involved in eating chocolate? Chocolate contains milk. Cows only produce a decent milk supply if they breed......and half of all calves are male. Male calves cannot be kept together when they grow, and so, by necessity are ALL slaughtered. Does this not bother you? Your chocolate habit is killing cattle - and frankly it's somewhat less of a nutritional need than meat is.

If you want to be a vegan, then total respect to you........but imo vegetarianism is just another word for hypocrisy.

I know, I know, I am fully aware of the hypocrisy inherent in vegetarianism, and i haven't really got much of an excuse to be honest. All I can say is that it's a step in what i feel is the right direction, and i will hopefully be able to take it further at a later date. But for the moment I think I have to devote more energy to giving up products such as chocolate, tobacco, tea and coffee etc, which result in the exploitation of humans. Unfortunately, animals will have to wait a little for now.

[Jacquin]

Stop smoking, cut back on drinking, generally get fitter and sort out my damn finances...

Not doing too well so far, but there's plenty of the year left.

J

[kahnovitch]

I gave up smoking last year, just quit stone cold as I wanted to see how tough it was. Although I wasn't a particularly heavy smoker in the first place ( I smoked a 50g pack of tobacco lasted me around 10 days) so maybe it helped.
My top resolution is to start editing my big novel (which has been looming over me like a gas giant!) and start on some new ideas for a couple of short stories that have been buzzing around inside my head the last few months.
And of course the usual getting fit promise I make to myself every year.
I don't intend to cut my drinking by much though (A man's gotta have some fun!)

[JonBon]

Originally posted by kahnovitch
I gave up smoking last year, just quit stone cold as I wanted to see how tough it was. Although I wasn't a particularly heavy smoker in the first place ( I smoked a 50g pack of tobacco lasted me around 10 days) so maybe it helped.

I probably smoked a little bit more than you, but it was a comparable amount. I am quitting stone cold with no patches or gum or anything as well. How hard did you find it?

[kahnovitch]

The craving last about 48 hours for me, but then I woke up on the third day feeling nothing for ciggies at all.
I've smoked on or two since then at pubs etc, and although I enjoyed them (like you'd enjoy a cold beer) I didn't suddenly become addicted again.
A firend once told me that anything in moderation is okay, although I'm sure many people would argue that it's not the case with cigarettes.
Good luck by the way and just keep telling yourself "I don't need them" and "I'm strong enough to quit, just because I want to."

It's a good test of personal will-power.


P.S. I did get a bit cranky and aggressive during quitting, but nobody noticed the diffference! :eek: