They were talking about me

From the London Independent:

"It's official - vegetarians really are smarter. But it is not because of what they eat. Bright children are more likely to reject meat and opt to become vegetarians when they grow up, a study has shown."

Check. I stopped eating meat at age 18. Far too late, to my eternal shame, but better late than never to grow a brain.

"We veggies are good thinkers. We think about what we eat for a start."

Check. Do you put anything unthinkingly into your mouth?

"It is unclear whether bright children choose to become vegetarians for the health benefits or for other reasons, such as a concern for animals, or as a lifestyle choice."

Check. It's the economy, stupid. Cows eat 4 grain calories to return 1 meat calorie. Chickens only return 1 in 12. And how can you eat Babe? Or Bambi's mother? Or Thumper?

Robert Hutchison told the British Medical Association in 1930: "Vegetarianism is harmless enough though it is apt to fill a man with wind and self-righteousness."

Well, fair enough. You try eating your beans and pulses without breaking into wind. Much better than red-meat related colon cancers, I'd say. Just watch that chip on my shoulder.

"As well as being brighter, the vegetarians were better educated and of higher social class but the link with intelligence remained statistically significant even after adjusting for these factors. Despite their intelligence they were not wealthier and more likely to be working for charities or in education. "It may be that ethical considerations determined not just their diet but also their choice of employment," the report said."

Check. Point well-made. Why are you still eating meat?