Joel,

> for what it's worth, i haven't just researched this on the web.  i've read
> (somewhere, i can't recall where) that vegans on sea vegetables still get
> pernicious anemia.  to me, that's conclusive.

Maybe we have different definitions of "conclusive."  But if you
recall
where you read it, let us know.

> could you summarize what cousens says that makes his minority opinion
sound
>persuasive?

Well, I wouldn't say it's necessarily persuasive, but what he was
saying
seemed reasonable to me.  He doesn't just make assertions without
giving
some kind of citation or basis to back it up.  He cited a number of
studies
suggesting that dietary B12 deficiency is rare among healthy vegans
and all
other types of vegetarians.  He says that low serum levels, without
neurological, hematological or any other clinical evidence of B12
deficiency, is not necessarily an accurate way to diagnose B12
deficiency.
He says research shows that between 23.7% to 96.4% of B12 is destroyed
by
boiling or baking, depending on the food type and the length of heat
processing.  He goes into the causes of B12 deficiency, signs of B12
deficiency, and he has recommendations for what to do when you have
it.
There's lots more, but maybe that gives you a basic idea.

> there are serious financial and health consequences to the dietary choices
> one makes, and many contesting claims to validity that need to be weighed.
> one has to choose something - one obviously can't defer about what to eat
> forever, so one is reduced to making the best judgement one can given
> incomplete and biased information.  so, i've gathered that as a mostly
> vegan, it's in my best interest to make sure i'm getting some artificial
> b12.  but i'm certainly open to new information that would affect that
> decision.

Yeah, I'm considering supplementation as well.  I've avoided it in the
past
because I was under the impression that all B12 pills came from
dessicated
beef livers or sewage sludge from porta-potties.  But I understand
that
Hallelujah Acres is selling a vegetarian B12 pill now.

Mark