An Immense World covers human beings, spiders, octopi, ants, snakes--just about all life you can imagine, but I'm not sure that it covers the sentient beings in factory farms.  Today I plan to go to West Portal and find the print book.  I've been reading with my ears.  

If he doesn't consider factory farmed animals, is that because we've normalized thinking of them only as meat, eggs, and dairy?  Does he not want to study caged animals because he's interested in what's natural and knows that caged animals and animals otherwise used as food can't follow their instincts?

Tonight I was listening to the chapter on pain.  It appears that regardless of how animals behave or react, there will always be people who say they can't feel pain--not the way that we human beings do.  I'm afraid there are still people who think that some human beings don't feel pain the way we do, that they don't value life, their lives don't mean as much as ours do.

 We had a mostly-vegan luncheon at the China North Dumpling Restaurant on Noriega yesterday, but I'm using that only to have an illustration.  

I finally responded to a very nice person who I thought believed in vegan causes but may not wish to "push" the cause in any way.

I have a lot of respect and affection for you.  I also really want to support the vegan cause both for animal welfare and for the environment.  I'm aware that a lot of people, while aware of some animal abuse in the production of meat, are not aware of what goes on with dairy and poultry, so it was my hope that I could simply provide an alternative to the products with eggs and milk. Before I became a vegan, I had no idea that cakes and cookies could be made without the eggs and milk I usually used.   But when I brought home-baked cookies, you opened the ones that Lisa had brought, and I'm sure they were delicious but not what I hoped people would be trying.  You also announced that Lisa would be providing cookies and coffee/tea for the next gathering in person, so I decided you preferred to go back to the milk and egg products, and that disappoints me, but I'm not angry with you.  You do a wonderful job keeping the Sunset Book Group going while also being very active in a lot of other activities.

I'll be in flight on October 9th, so I won't be able to attend our next discussion, but I'll write something about my reading of Women Talking so you can count me in!

Thanks again for all you do even if it isn't always supportive of the vegan cause!