The Guardian and Vegetarian Robots

Is it just the Grumpy Vegan who read today’s report in The Guardian, Flesh-eating robots turn vegetarian, with irony that was never intended?

Apparently, the U.S. military in conjunction with a commercial company is developing an “unstoppable military robot that powered itself on everything in its path” but not, as it turns, on “dead bodies.”

We are focused on demonstrating that our engines can create usable, green power from plentiful, renewable plant matter.

In other words, Go Vegan!

The commercial applications alone for this earth-friendly energy solution are enormous.

Again. Go Vegan.

US officials hope the steam-powered engine can be used by the military to create a self-sufficient robot that could survive on its own for months at a time.

Didn’t you hear me? Go vegan.

The early version of Eatr runs on twigs, wood chips and other plant-based material. This is fed into an engine that burns it and uses it to create propulsion.

Sigh. Go vegan.

Another of the robot’s inventors, Dr Robert Finkelstein of Robotic Technology Inc (RTI), said that Eatr had built-in systems that would help it determine whether material that it ingested was animal, vegetable or mineral.

Yes, yawn, go vegan.

“If it’s not on the menu, it’s not going to eat it,” Finkelstein told Fox News.

Not unless it’s vegan!

Eatr can also use more conventional fuels, such as petrol, diesel or cooking oil, to keep going. But the group reiterated that it would be illegal to create a robot that used dead bodies for energy.

Whose dead bodies?

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Baltimore City Resolution

Two years on from leaving Baltimore, MD I received in the mail this week (don’t ask) this City Council Resolution in recognition of my “Outstanding Leadership and Commitment to the Canton Community.” Canton is the great neighbourhood where I used to live. The resolution is signed by the Council President, Stephanie Rawlings Blake, and the First District Councillor, James B. Kraft. Jim’s district includes Canton and through my involvement with the Canton Community Association I had many opportunities to work with him. He’s a fine man and a great councillor.

Thanks Jim!

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Gulls Update

Regularly readers will be familiar with the family of gulls breeding and raising their young near to the Grumpy Vegan’s seat. First, the sad news. A neighbour reported seeing late one night a fox run off with a baby gull. Given the sighting and the date observed it’s probable that one of the family of four we’ve been watching fell off the roof late one evening. Nonetheless, three baby gulls remain. And, as the photograph testifies, they’re growing and encouraging each other to fulfil their destiny. There are at least two more families of gulls in close proximity. In the coming days we will see increasing numbers of baby gulls taking their first flights as they take short hops from roof to roof. The gulls are enormous fun to watch but they are very noisy and like to indiscriminately decorate the Old Town. Also spotted in the Old Town recently was another neighbour’s badger, well, one of them. The Grumpy Vegan named him Edward (or Edwina if we ever discover the gender) regardless of which ever one we see. Once, we saw three together. During the recent spectacular weather we spent one glorious evening in the pub garden. We watched above us swifts swooping and diving for insects to eat. On a nearby roofs yet more baby gulls with hopeful parents attentively watching us to see if we had any food. Sadly for them we were having a liquid dinner.

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