veganelder

Life isn't fair....

2012-02-09T17:18:00.000-06:00

at least that's what I've been told countless times. And I've probably passed on the same notion to others. I vividly remember being upset and crying numerous times when I was a child over some situation or another where I was devastated by the "unfairness" of something. Often it was a situation that didn't resolve itself in my favor or to my satisfaction, but not always. Looking at some of

Words fail me....

2012-02-08T07:54:00.002-06:00

Clever wordplay with imagery. This poster for a vegan event knocked me out. I've seen a number of parody uses of 'tricky Dick' and his strange postures but this one left me speechless...and laughing.

Sue Coe...

2012-02-02T06:28:00.000-06:00

is an artist whose book "Dead Meat" was one of the first 'veganized' books I purchased. Her images are haunting and powerful. Wikipedia writes: Sue Coe (born 28 November 1951 in Tamworth, Staffordshire) is an English artist and illustrator working primarily in drawing and printmaking, often in the form of illustrated books and comics. She grew up close to a slaughterhouse and developed a passion

Sometimes I presume that "everybody" has....

2012-01-29T12:59:00.002-06:00

read or seen or heard or thought something way too often. I apologize. Several years ago I ran across this video/song by Madison Park called Opus One. It was and still is one of the most powerful combinations of song and imagery I've ever encountered. I would caution you that it is heart-wrenching and overwhelming (at least it is for me). Here is the link to the video over on youtube if it

A modest proposal...

2012-01-23T14:57:00.000-06:00

(with apologies to Jonathan Swift)...it is worth consideration that all who embrace ethical veganism arrange their affairs that...upon their life's end all their resources be bequeathed to a vegan animal rescue facility/operation and/or vegan advocacy group(s). A proposal that is a bit less modest: Why not configure society such that upon life's end all acquired resources revert to agencies/

Some interesting passages I ran across...

2012-01-20T20:23:00.000-06:00

in a book titled: "The Ptarmigan's Dilemma" by John Theberge and Mary Theberge. The biosphere is under assault. Climate change is happening faster than species can adapt. Ecosystems are under threat. Tropical forests are falling at the rate of a football field per minute. Amphibians worldwide are going extinct. Passerine birds are declining. The sixth great global extinction is well underway,

Playing in the snow...

2012-01-14T07:51:00.000-06:00

is an activity that various animals enjoy...including crows. Here's a crow in Russia snowboarding by using what is apparently the lid of a jar. Enjoy. Hmmm...maybe the video will expand perceptions of the other animals (here's hoping so). I'm doing lots of reading and notions are gestating/percolating...hopefully some more writing to come soon.

Winter Solstice...2011...

2011-12-20T07:09:00.000-06:00

The December solstice will occur at 05:30 (or 5:30am) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on December 22, 2011. Greetings and best wishes to you and yours on this holiday occasion. Please make this a peaceful and caring celebration time by living as an ethical vegan. These images are available from VeganPeace and you can visit there if you would like to send electronic vegan holiday greetings to

Poetry can be...

2011-12-13T06:12:00.000-06:00

a wonderful thing. I am lucky enough to have a couple of friends that write poetry, both are published poets and I am in awe of their talents and efforts. Some time ago I ran a cross a poem by a woman named Ella Wheeler Wilcox (November 5, 1850 – October 30, 1919) that I thought was (and still do) just great both because of the wording and the meaning of the poem. Here is a photo of her (from

Bird brain?

2011-12-05T11:31:00.000-06:00

Bird brain is a phrase often used pejoratively to describe some behavior or being that is considered to be not very bright. Actually, birds are no more 'stupid' or unintelligent than any other species when engaging in the activities of life. This was brought dramatically to my attention yesterday afternoon when I was escorting Nessie Rae (the rabbit we share a house with) outside for the second

Veganlandia, home of the harmless human animals...

2011-12-01T07:01:00.000-06:00

Well, why not? There could be Veganburgs (small villages of vegans), Veganvilles (vegan towns) and Veganopolises (big towns/citys of vegans....all located in Veganlandia or on the planet VeganEarth. Naming places aside, something I find missing in the writing and advocating and such around notions of ethical veganism are speculations about cultural or societal configurations that would/could

Know any cows?

2011-11-29T06:20:00.013-06:00

Most of us lead lives that do not include hanging out with large animals. Cows are very interesting and excellent beings and I recently ran across a video that does a pretty good job of showing some of the playfulness and friendliness that many cows possess. It is true that some cows are grumps just as some humans are grumps but Snow Flower (the star of the video) isn't. Stay with the video, at

Do you recognize this fellow?

2011-11-26T06:57:00.000-06:00

Dr. Helmut Kaplan He is an Austrian psychologist who is a major advocate for all animals. He has written a number of books using the German language and some of his writing has been translated into Japanese and French but...so far as I can tell...none have been translated into English. I hope this is rectified at some point because his works would be a valuable resource for readers of English.

Enough said?

2011-11-23T08:03:00.000-06:00

Thanks to all vegans. Enjoy the holiday everyone My apologies to all the animals (especially turkeys because of the time of the year) that we harm, will harm and have harmed. Someday....

The "Master" species...

2011-11-19T10:01:00.001-06:00

For those familiar with WWII, you may know that that exhibition of human intellectual and moral disconnect from reality resulted in the death of an estimated 60 million human animal lives. The two nation groups principally responsible for the onset of the violence and destruction were Japan and Germany. A similarity between the cultural world-view of those two nations existed that is rarely

The pleasures of the Earth.

2011-11-14T06:53:00.000-06:00

They are there to be shared by each and every single one of the children of the Earth. Molly, Judy and Midnite enjoy the sunshine... Sunbathing is often a pleasurable experience, especially when the air is crisp or chilly. The three folks above were spotted when I arrived at Heartland Rabbit Rescue one cool morning. The wind was coming out of the north but they had found a perfect spot

After abolition, what will it be like?

2011-11-12T07:10:00.000-06:00

Once we recognize the truth that a life belongs to the being that posses that life and start trying to behave that way...then what? Pretend human animals have grown-up or awakened or learned, finally, that you treat those with less power with care and consideration. That you don't exploit them or harm them simply because you can...and...if you do there are moral, cultural and legal sanctions.

Hearing someone scream in pain or terror...

2011-11-10T08:33:00.000-06:00

is shocking and scary. Hearing a bunny scream is especially frightening because they are so small and vulnerable. Recently I was serving up lunch to the south warren bunch of buns at Heartland Rabbit Rescue when one of the bunny folks screamed/shrieked three times in succession. The screams were sort of brief but loud and full of urgency and alarm and pain or terror. I ran over to the area the

Veganacious posted these statements...

2011-11-07T06:47:00.000-06:00

on November 1, 2010. They are excellent and well worth disseminating widely. I agree with everything written here...and that's so refreshing. Let's work toward making everyday World Vegan Day. (the complete post is reproduced below) World Vegan Day We advocate peace, ahimsa, non-violence. We believe that veganism is a philosophy, not a diet. We believe in the interconnectedness of all living

Wild...

2011-11-06T11:09:00.000-06:00

Earlier I wrote a bit about the word 'domesticated' and how often summary words serve to obscure and hide sometimes complex and weighty phenomena. Wild is also such a word especially when applied to our animal relatives. According to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary site, wild means: "1a : living in a state of nature and not ordinarily tame or domesticated b (1) : growing or produced

Subverting my usual stance...

2011-11-01T06:01:00.000-05:00

of rarely noting some "day" or other I offer this salute and recognition to one particular "day" I wholeheartedly agree with. That is the "World Vegan Day"...someday in the not too distant future I hope that ethical veganism is no more unusual that daybreak or nightfall. Since that isn't the case currently...Happy World Vegan Day!! Remember...ethical veganism is for this small child pictured

Backyard bunny...

2011-10-31T06:47:00.000-05:00

The October days in central Oklahoma can be spectacular and Sunday the 29th was just one of those days. Nessie Ray routinely goes outside for a morning period and then again around 5:30 in the afternoon. This past Sunday afternoon was exquisite, absolutely no wind, temperature around 60 degrees F. and the last sunshine of the day spilling like gold over everything. The mums are blooming, there is

Domesticated...

2011-10-26T06:22:00.001-05:00

I previously wrote a little about 'domestication' but it is a phenomenon that deserves quite a bit more attention. Like many summary words, domestication condenses some very complex and weighty behaviors down into just one little bit of sound and/or meaning and along the way can easily obscure and hide things that need to be examined and evaluated in order to fully understand what that summary

Goodbye October...

2011-10-22T04:49:00.000-05:00

you were and are the most gorgeous month of the year here in central Oklahoma. The weather is perfect, sunflowers and goldenrod and many many other wildflowers are putting on their last burst before their winter sleep. The air is cool and crisp and the sun bright without being oppressive, the angle of sunlight makes for a golden look and feel. Exquisite. Some of the gold. The purple More

Still one of the saddest graphics...

2011-10-17T10:59:00.001-05:00

...I have ever seen. I was reminded of this bit of information recently because I ran across a story that included a photo I had not seen before. The story itself was posted with this photo: The man crying in the photo is George Gillette: "who in 1948 was the chairman of the Mandan, Arikara, and Hidatsa tribes of North Dakota, crying because the tribes’ homeland on the fertile floodplain of

Newer bloggers of the ethical vegan ilk are...

2011-10-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

always a welcome addition to the arena. I noted this blog some time ago but wanted to let the infant grow a bit before being assured that ennui and circumstance wouldn't snuff it out early on. Well Kara Kapelnikova (great name!) seems to be in for the long haul and has written some energetic and excellent posts. Her most recent prompts me to suggest that you read it and explore all the posts and

You animal you....

2011-10-07T06:51:00.000-05:00

If you're reading this, and avoid classifying yourself as an animal, then take a look at this. Now relax, if you were concerned about being considered...gasp...an animal. The above drawing is apparently inaccurate even though it was widely used in textbooks for many years. The drawing is attributed to Ernst Haeckel who was the proponent of recapitulation theory ("ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny"

I'm currently reading a book titled:

2011-10-03T10:01:00.000-05:00

Original Wisdom by Robert Wolff. The author also maintains a modest web presence and on that site I found the following writing that resonated fairly strongly with me. ...As I age I feel more and more obsessed by simple. Doing without rather than getting more. One of my favorite authors, Ursula K. LeGuin, writes "Owning is owing; having is hoarding." Very true, very wise. The human world is

A few photos found on facebook...

2011-09-30T07:06:00.000-05:00

Mundane horror... More mundane horror. ???? We murder, imprison or fear and avoid any being...that we perceive to be..."different" from ourselves. In a poem, Ralph W. Emerson once wrote: "Things are in the saddle and ride mankind...". Observing the kinds of behaviors we direct toward those we perceive to be "different" makes it difficult to believe that whatever impels human animals to

An obvious conclusion ignored...

2011-09-22T20:51:00.000-05:00

In the well done movie Contagion , currently playing in theaters, we are given a look at a potentially deadly problem. The ending presents an obvious conclusion and solution. This conclusion and solution is apparently eluding reviewers and probably most audience members too. It is serendipitous that I attended this movie right after the previous post. Once again in a movie we are presented with

The Pledge is a movie...

2011-09-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

that I have watched several times. I have a tendency to review or reread (sometimes multiple times) books or movies that resonate with me. For instance, Thelma and Louise is a movie that stuns me each time I see it and I have watched it multiple times. Ridley Scott, the director of Thelma and Louise was one of the first to place a female human into the role of 'hero' of a movie way back in his

Quinn (the Mighty)...

2011-09-16T07:50:00.000-05:00

is a major cutie. His fur coat is grey with some brownish highlights and sort of fluffy so that he looks a little scruffy even when he isn't. Quinn's name was inspired by the Manfred Mann song "Quinn the Eskimo" which was written by the genius Bob Dylan. Quinn came to Heartland Rabbit Rescue back in August as a result of a call from a local municipal shelter. It seems that Quinn's time had run

When regrets outnumber hopes...

2011-09-11T14:41:00.000-05:00

...so the saying goes, then you are old. I'm old. I have something like 5,326 regrets and only a few hopes. My regrets are too numerous to specify and I only have one hope that I choose to share. I hope enough humans begin living as ethical vegans in time to prevent the transformation of this planet into a poisoned desert surrounded by polluted seas populated only by human animals and those

All of us animals...

2011-09-04T16:00:00.004-05:00

is a phrase that sometimes offends or upsets those humans who are ignorant about their own origin and makeup. "Animal" is a word that carries a lot of human social and psychological weight, most of it negative. Earlier I wrote about the fact that the constituents of our DNA are the same for all inhabitants of the planet Earth, no matter what sort of living being we happen to be called. I wrote: "

Proxy morality (zwei).

2011-08-30T17:17:00.000-05:00

Earlier I wrote about the astonishing disconnect that exists in our lives due to the fact that many of the items (and services) that we use for our lives are made, grown, carried-out or manufactured by organizations and peoples that we do not know and that we have no effective control over. I didn't mention that, in some instances (not all by any means), we can gather information about items...

Pippin, a bunny with a zenlike demeanor is...

2011-08-28T17:56:00.000-05:00

...a new fellow that lives out at Heartland Rabbit Rescue. Pippin is an elder and has shown himself to be a mild-mannered guy with an deep calmness in his demeanor. Pippin, looking somewhat pensive. His fur is a beautiful golden color with some white markings on this left shoulder. In the next picture you can see him lit up by the early morning sun. Pippin in morning sunshine. The Pip

"What's in a name?"

2011-08-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The quote is from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The astute Juliet is pointing out to Romeo that it isn't his name that she is infatuated with, it is him. In other words not the referring device (a name) but the being or thing referred to (him, Romeo Montague). I ran across a study some time ago about names that has kept

And babies grow up...

2011-08-21T07:43:00.000-05:00

Back in June Linda Barcklay, the founder and director of Mindy's Memory Primate Sanctuary, was brought 3 baby cottontail rabbits someone had found when mowing their lawn. Linda knew I volunteered out at Heartland Rabbit Rescue and asked if I could help out. Linda, like most rescuers and sanctuary operators, often ends up with animals belonging to species other than the ones they concentrate on.

Morality (or justice, ethics and fairness) by proxy...

2011-08-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

Morality generally refers to notions about what constitutes 'good' or 'bad' behavior...in whatever way someone chooses to define slippery words like good or bad. In general we evaluate our own actions according to our structure of morality, deciding whether something we do is a good thing or a bad thing. Now, how someone goes about determining to themselves what is 'good' or 'bad' is a

While blundering around on the internet...

2011-07-26T07:15:00.000-05:00

I ran across a reference by Jack Norris to a website I had glanced at before but never taken the time to actually read. Just goes to show ya how inadequate 'glancing' can be sometimes. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jack Norris, he's a vegan nutritionist who works diligently to put out accurate information about nutrition and the vegan diet. He, along with Ginny Messina and the

Opal is about three years old...

2011-07-22T21:04:00.000-05:00

That's the best 'guesstimate' based on her having been at Heartland Rabbit Rescue for about a year and the information furnished about her. She ended up at Heartland after being picked up by animal control folks in Edmond, Ok. They had been called because a bunny had been spotted running around in a neighborhood, they corralled her in a a backyard and took her to the Edmond animal facility and

She has two eyes...

2011-07-08T07:42:00.000-05:00

four limbs, two ears, a nose, a mouth, a body, a covering of skin and one head. She can see, hear, taste, smell, detect heat and cold, feel the wind, feel pain, feel fear and joy. She breathes air, eats food, drinks water and urinates and defecates. She feels hunger, thirst, tiredness, sleepiness and anger. She sleeps each day and will often seek shelter when the weather is not to her liking. She

A smart bunny deals with summer

2011-07-03T16:30:00.000-05:00

by opting for the coolest area she can find. I mentioned Nessie Ray's favorite lounging spot...the air conditioning vent in the floor in her living room. These photos are used with her highness's gracious permission... She covers the whole vent ( Is that not a magnificent tail? ). With this 2nd photo you can see a small bit of the vent. Small portion of vent showing under her right hand.

The weather here is not pleasant...

2011-07-02T07:43:00.000-05:00

except for a brief time in the morning (and not always even then). June is usually relatively bearable here in central Oklahoma, not as nice as April and May but still ok. Not this year, the heat arrived early and has dug in. July, August and part of September is scorching here usually...this year June can be added to that list. Quite remarkable. As of June 30th in Oklahoma: (source) Today marks

Last night I couldn't get to sleep...

2011-06-27T11:20:00.000-05:00

my thought set added a thought that belongs to a group of concepts which invariably disturb me. I thought about the baby cows taken away from their moms so the milk meant for them could be taken and sold. So some human could drink it and some other human(s) could make a profit...and in the process harm cows, harm the planet and steal from other beings. Thinking about the fear and turmoil and

Unfather's Day...

2011-06-18T06:04:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, June 19th 2011, is designated as "Father's Day". I am mildly off-put by these "days" mainly because they have...over time...become primarily excuses for selling crap. No disrespect to anyone or anything but jeez...spare me. If you cared for your dad or your mom...great honor and respect them continuously and diligently. The juvenile and commercialized artificial "day" just sort of

A comment that just grew and grew...

2011-06-12T06:39:00.000-05:00

I began writing a comment to a post over on Provoked (a superlative blog authored by Bea Elliot) and suddenly had written too much to be contained in a comment. I could have, I guess, split it into multiple parts and “commented” but it seems easier to just post it here. Bea (and companions), on behalf of all the animals that are terrorized, injured, killed and disrespected because of human

Dancing rabbit?

2011-06-10T06:11:00.000-05:00

Is she dancing? Twirling? Being silly? I don't know, watch and decide for yourself. What I do know is that several times a day, Nessie Rae will burst out of her 'area' and bounce over to the throw hanging over the back of a chair and do her thing. One of the mandatory items in the room now is a throw draped over a chair because it serves as a prop for her sporadic 'dancing'. If you happen

Interesting images.....

2011-06-04T06:39:00.000-05:00

These images are all from the South African Animal Rights Activists Community photo albums on facebook. The image below is interesting because it clearly presents some of the contrasting assumptions and positions that differentiate between animal welfare and animal rights. Giving a cat the right to vote for the presidency conjures up a strange picture (although it is arguable that cats or any

Advocating for those without a human voice...

2011-06-03T05:45:00.000-05:00

can be sometimes dismaying. Not because of those who harm animals, curiously, but because of those who are supposedly in agreement with you. Several months ago on facebook someone posted something about Amazon selling rabbits feet. You remember those grotesque body parts supposed to bring "good" luck...obviously they don't represent good luck for the rabbit. I shared the post and complained to

In Memoriam...

2011-05-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

This American holiday is supposed to honor those humans who happened to die "in our nation's service." I'll reserve commenting about that here and instead use this post to turn the honoring and remembering to those beings who died because of humans. This is a good time to remember the billions who die each year to add profit to some group of money hungry humans. This is a good time to remember

Rabbit Awareness Week....

2011-05-25T08:23:00.000-05:00

is being publicized in Great Britain right now. We can publicize it here too especially because the RSPCA put together a great video emphasizing some elements of bunny care that are often neglected...space and stimulation. Bunnies need a goodly amount of exercise and access to a spacious...protected and supervised...yard is best for this...bunnies also need lots of environmental stimulation. Take

New being in the household...

2011-05-20T10:48:00.000-05:00

This is Nester (although I call her Nessie Rae). She is now sharing our home. She has been here for several months now and seems to be settling in to her new place. Nester is around 7 years of age (likely around 40 to 60 in human animal years, uncertain what that is in dog animal years). Nessie Rae (Nester) lounging in the living room...April, 2011 Nessie is descended from a long line of

The Rainbow Bridge...

2011-05-16T12:57:00.000-05:00

Early on when I began volunteering to help rescue our fellow Earthlings, I would hear references to the death as "crossing over the bridge". After a time I did some research and came across the story of the Rainbow Bridge. There are a number of variations floating around, here is one: The Rainbow Bridge Just this side of the final home for spirits is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an

The Ethical Vegan community...

2011-05-14T04:47:00.000-05:00

offers a never-ending source of inspiration and support. One of my favorite blogs to read is Animal Liberation. A video was recently posted there that is just too terrific to not share, my gratitude to Patty for discovering it. The storyline on the cat is that he was a stray (he's now 3 years old and lives in Taiwan) and that he often brings much joy to his human companion. Migou (the cat)

Anytime money enters the picture...

2011-05-12T06:15:00.000-05:00

then our animal sisters and brothers will pay with suffering, misery and death. Anytime some advantage is seen for a human animal, then our animals siblings will pay with more suffering, misery and death. American Bison skulls, circa 1870 The annihilation of the vast Buffalo herds offered a dual benefit to the United States, the killing of the Buffalo also helped destroy Native American

FYI on this Mother's day....

2011-05-08T07:35:00.000-05:00

To expand your knowledge about this occasion you might want to read this: The first North American Mother’s Day was conceptualized with Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870. Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on Mother’s to come together and protest what she

A day for Honoring all Human UnMothers.....

2011-05-07T08:22:00.000-05:00

On my behalf and on behalf of all sentient beings I want to thank and honor all of you human animal females who have avoided becoming mothers. Thank you Thank you and Thank you! You have chosen to not participate in or contribute to the ongoing and accelerating destruction of most of the current habitant and environment of the planet Earth. The human overpopulation of the planet is destroying

"Slothful" Sunday......

2011-04-24T05:20:00.001-05:00

Smile a bit.....(thanks to Shelly Williams for finding this) Meet the sloths from Lucy Cooke on Vimeo. As always...All sentient beings deserve the chance to be "slothful" and live their lives however they choose, and to have fun. The most important way to help ensure that is to live your life as an ethical vegan. Please begin to do so if you haven't already. Thanks.

Neal Barnard has written an excellent essay...

2011-04-19T04:40:00.000-05:00

about our thinking about other animals. You can read it online over at the PCRM website, the title is The Psychology of Abuse and is well worth your time. For instance he writes: There is reason for some long-range optimism about human psychology. As we develop in infancy, our capacity to act on impulses matures before our capacity to inhibit or modulate those actions. So, we go through a stage

A Boy Named Sue...

2011-04-17T06:04:00.001-05:00

is a strange little song that was rather well-known at one time after being sung by Johnny Cash. The song itself was written by a rather quirky fellow name Shel Silverstein. He also wrote several books for children that did quite well. A Light In The Attic, was a book of poems for children that stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 2 years (1981). I remember that some of the poetry in

Exercising with other animals...

2011-04-13T19:41:00.000-05:00

....can be interesting.... Is there any doubt that the cat person was having fun? As always...All sentient beings deserve the chance to live their lives however they choose, and to have fun. The most important way to help ensure that is to live your life as an ethical vegan. Please begin to do so if you haven't already. Thanks.

Like us, they are somebodies, not somethings.

2011-04-11T07:09:00.000-05:00

The title is a quote from Tom Regan, Ph.D. The video embedded in this post is from about 12 years or so ago. Dr. Regan talks about animal rights and when I first saw the video about a year ago I was very impressed with the clarity of his arguments. I also was (and still am) curious about what my reaction would have been to his talk if I had heard (and watched the video) around the time it

Saturday magic.....

2011-04-09T05:57:00.000-05:00

Bobby Ray, the rescue tabby cat being that lives here, sat in my lap and watched this video with great fascination. (Thanks to C.A.L.F for giving a heads up about the video)...if the video doesn't display correctly simply click on it and you will be taken to youtube where you can watch it. With no intimation of condescension or judgment, I will comment that if you are a human animal and you

Go see some "eye candy"...

2011-04-06T07:12:00.000-05:00

This graphic from the NY Times compresses almost 100 years of information about human mouths and the misery caused thereby into one almost stunning chart. Think of the pain, the terror, the children torn from their mothers, the death, the fear....all compressed into some innocent appearing lines on a background. An abstraction of atrocities. Another graphic from Civil Eats provides an

Sentience....

2011-03-28T07:26:00.000-05:00

I ran across an elaboration on the meaning of this word that I liked very much...Sentience: Sentience is a capacity to have the basic experiences—called “qualia” in the Western philosophical tradition—that are fundamental to being alive: seeing, hearing, smelling, experiencing pain and pleasure and emotional attachment. This is not the same as human consciousness: when animal rights advocates

More endeavoring to not use animals...

2011-03-27T06:48:00.000-05:00

I recently wrote about a childhood incident that resonated strongly with me. Krissa, one of my most prized readers, commented on that piece in such a way that led me to believe I hadn't expressed myself very clearly or fully regarding how I felt about human animal interaction with beings that don't happen to be human. What I was trying to get to is the notion that no being should be interfering

Cat house....

2011-03-23T05:13:00.000-05:00

I would like to visit Cat House on the Kings someday..... All sentient beings deserve the chance to live their lives however they choose. The most important way to help ensure that they have that chance is to live your life as an ethical vegan. Please begin to do so if you haven't already. Thanks.

Saturday cuteness (the weekday name is accurate this time).

2011-03-19T06:25:00.000-05:00

Take a look at this cat and see what you think is happening... Here is a strange human animal product. Maybe useful for when your cat person's hair is just a mess? Now the next video is for those who may not have heard the voice of a bunny. Pay close attention because it is not very loud, but it is there for those willing to listen... If I had to choose between watching (and/or interacting

Endeavoring to not "use" animals...

2011-03-16T07:10:00.000-05:00

In response to one readers comment to a post (Sunday Cuteness) I made the statement that I am not a vegan because I am a good person. I am a vegan because the other animal people are terrific and fun and interesting and wonderful and I don't want bad things to happen to them...the cuteness helps remind me of what treasures each and everyone of them are...what hubris is involved in thinking we

Sunday cuteness.....

2011-03-12T06:26:00.000-06:00

The numbers on Youtube indicate this brief video has been viewed over 43 million times...if you were left out then here is your chance...(no images of cruelty) Here is another video from Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, a tour conducted by Jenny Brown (the Director)...(no images of cruelty). Enjoy. These (and all) sentient beings deserve the chance to live their lives however they choose.

Consciousness raising...

2011-03-09T07:08:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a recent post on Kiss Me I'm Vegan I was exposed to this video available on Youtube produced by Farm Sanctuary. The story itself is wonderful but I was strongly struck by the portion of the video where Dienna Capers, a Coordinator at New York City Animal Care & Control spoke about Maxine's impact on her. She begins speaking at 1 minute 27 seconds into the video. I am giving a precise

Dancing?

2011-03-07T05:53:00.000-06:00

You decide whether this fellow is dancing or not. The event occurred at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in June of this past year. At first I thought he was just frightened but....take a look: Whatever was going on, it is fun to watch. Make life more fun for all animals...begin living as an ethical vegan.

Animal Rights...

2011-03-05T07:20:00.000-06:00

I was poking around on one of the various websites and blogs I visit and ran across something by Roger Yates on the "On Human-Nonhuman Relations" blog where he wrote about animal rights. One of the links in the entry connected to a page where there was something written called a Universal Declaration of Animal Rights. Inasmuch as there is ample evidence that many animal species are capable of

Who says the other animals don't learn from us?

2011-03-02T07:31:00.000-06:00

I was alerted to these videos by Janet Weeks V over on facebook. This cat seems to have decided to imitate one of the "darker" behaviors of human animals. (Note: no cruelty or graphic images are present in either video) Enjoy! The following eye-candy video shows a chipmunk person filmed in slow motion (400 frames per second) ... astonishing to watch. Living as an ethical vegan

More Shelly Williams.

2011-02-28T06:50:00.000-06:00

Because I like her videos and because I found this one to be funny. She amusingly and adroitly addresses one of the more bizarre "arguments" advanced sometimes by corpse crunchers to justify their torture and obliteration of living beings. Thanks to So I'm Thinking of Going Vegan for her comment that inspired me to post this effort by Ms. Williams. The "bad" words are bleeped out but you'll be

...Alone and afraid...

2011-02-25T06:37:00.002-06:00

"..alone and afraid in a world I never made.." comes from A. E. Houseman. You can read the full work containing this phrase here. The video is of a Canadian dairy cow that has reached a point in her life where the human or group of humans that had her enslaved have decided she is no longer "profitable" in terms of the amount of milk her body is able to produce so she is awaiting "sale".... after

Moo louder....!!!

2011-02-21T06:21:00.000-06:00

Shelly Williams, the perky blond Australian youngster that created a remarkable video I featured when writing about "Hope for the Future" (September, 2010 post) has crafted another informational video. In this she takes aim at the many euphemisms associated with the benign sounding "dairy industry" (August, 2010 post) and more accurately names and describes what exactly is inflicted upon the cow

Friday "cuteness" continued...

2011-02-18T07:27:00.000-06:00

Some more video of the "notorious" 9...the children born to a bunny rescued by the Heartland Rabbit Sanctuary folks. To recap, mom was captured while running loose in a neighborhood, then on January 4th, 2011...just a few days after her arrival at the sanctuary she gave birth to 11 children. Of those 11....9 have survived and, as you will see on the video, are thriving. The first part of the

Repair....

2011-02-17T21:22:00.000-06:00

I recently watched a movie titled: "Leaves of Grass"...Edward Norton was the main character (he's not my favorite actor) but the movie actually turned out to be sort of good..there is a scene where the Norton character is telling a female Rabbi that his brother murdered someone and he stumbles and asks her for some sort of way to make up for what his brother did.... She (the

Hands Helping Paws, TNR and Help!...

2011-02-16T07:08:00.000-06:00

I ran across this great video created in support of spay and neuter programs by the Alliance For Humane Action. This is an organization in Lake Villa, Illinois (near Chicago) that works to obtain low cost spay and neuter services for feral and companion cats. Give a look and listen...you will enjoy it: Low cost spay and neuter programs in conjunction with TNR (trap - neuter and release)

It is rare...

2011-02-15T07:49:00.000-06:00

that we encounter reference points that are impossible to ignore. Those points can consist of different things......events, experiences, pictures, words.... Once Upon A Vegan wrote an entry for February 14th containing words that are so true they should be repeated far and wide, often and strongly...again and again and again. She wrote: "It doesn't matter if it's a horse's heart, a goat's

Happy Valentine Day..

2011-02-13T20:07:00.000-06:00

best wishes and thanks from me on behalf of all the animals you help... Sending you good Valentine Day wishes...right after breakfast. Enjoy your day!.....(and help other animals enjoy theirs by living vegan).

Publicizing companion animal adoption...part 2

2011-02-12T06:29:00.001-06:00

I ran across this video because of a post over at the Mehitable Days blog (lots of great pictures and writing and recipes there) and, with the exception of the use of the word "pet", thought it was a well done spot promoting companion animal adoption. Pretty clever really...take a look: Now that you have maybe had a laugh, you can "cool down" with a smile from watching this next video from

Friday "cuteness"...

2011-02-11T07:02:00.000-06:00

Here are a few videos I ran across featuring some fellow Earthlings that you might enjoy. (Note: the first 3 videos are very brief so watch closely.) Bunny sneeze: Kitten sleeping: Bunny imitating an impolite human animal: Finally, a bit longer slideshow/video showing some cross-species friendships, this is from the website of a photographer, Tanja Askani, who lives in Germany. Enjoy and

Publicizing companion animal adoption...

2011-02-10T06:39:00.000-06:00

The Winnipeg Humane Society has a video posted on YouTube publicizing adoption for cats that is both amusing and somewhat disturbing: The amusing part is self-evident, the unsettling part is that the video reinforces the societal attitude toward companion animals as being property, just the same as furniture (the human speaker in the video is a furniture store owner) or any other object. The

For the birds....

2011-02-09T08:19:00.000-06:00

There are many relatives of Alex the parrot who end up with much less benign lives than the one experienced by Alex. Some do get lucky and are looked after by caring folks. This video shows the efforts of the people at Chicken Run Rescue in Minnesota to make life a little better for the feathered people (no graphic images of abuse or cruelty). The frequency (in terms of the number of lives)

Gary Yourofsky is an interesting fellow....

2011-02-08T05:54:00.000-06:00

If you are unfamiliar with him, you can visit ADAPTT.org and learn more. At the website you can learn about his arrest record and the fact that he has been banished from 5 countries. Why? Because he promotes the notion that Animals Deserve Absolute Protection Today and Tomorrow (the source of the acronym ADAPTT), nor is he adverse to taking direct action to protect animals...including releasing

Bertrand Russell once said...

2011-02-07T20:02:00.000-06:00

"The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more often likely to be foolish than sensible. There is no impersonal reason for regarding the interests of human beings as more important than those of animals. We can destroy animals more easily than they can destroy us;

Taking by violence or force or threat of violence or force....

2011-02-06T05:37:00.000-06:00

"....Even now, it seemed to her, people had what they had from foundations built by the sweat of horses. Their hoofbeats should echo in human hearts. But what statues had been placed in their honor? What horse-named streets and counties? What volumes of poetry...?" pages 77-78, Reprisal, by Mitchell Smith I ran across the above passage in a novel I was reading the other day and it made me think

February snow, complaining cat and tufted titmouse...

2011-02-05T05:27:00.000-06:00

It snowed most of yesterday here in Norman. The video shows some of the visitors to the bird feeder in our courtyard...also featured is Gracie Rae voicing her bitter displeasure at not being allowed to go outside. If you look closely beginning at about the 1 minute 54 second mark, you will see a brief appearance by a tufted titmouse...very brief...several cardinals appear throughout the footage.

Forced choice? ....

2011-02-04T07:08:00.000-06:00

Consider these viewpoints. According to one author: In many Native American spiritual traditions, nature is not seen as being subordinate to humans. Rather there is a sense of egalitarianism: humans and nature are seen as equals. Spirituality often needs the harmony of humans and nature, the ability of humans to become one with nature.Notice how similar this notion sounds to one advanced by

Ethical veganism...

2011-02-03T18:56:00.000-06:00

is a minimum standard of decency. For you who are unfamiliar with or are on your journey to becoming more acquainted with this way of living, this video is a well done presentation of some thoughts about ethical veganism. There are 6 photos of cruelty (briefly shown) that are painful to see...avert your eyes if you must (you really have no right to not look if you participate in maintaining these

A day in the life of a fox and a human...

2011-02-03T07:22:00.000-06:00

I ran across this video and am posting it without knowing the pedigree too well. I am fairly certain this is the same fox (and fellow) who were present in a previous video I posted last August...but I am uncertain. The referents to mice and rats as vermin are suggestive that the human animal in the video is not a practicing ethical vegan...but he certainly is being a good friend to the fox. Many

I am somebody...

2011-02-02T19:34:00.000-06:00

I feel joy, just like you. I feel pain, just like you. I feel love, just like you. I feel fear, just like you. I play, just like you. I have friends, just like you. I feel sorrow, just like you. I love my life, just like you. I am a cow. I am a chicken. I am a pig. I am somebody. (the video contains no graphic images) Causing those who have done you no harm to suffer and die is wrong. Their

It was 6 degrees this morning..

2011-02-02T08:59:00.000-06:00

at my house. The change in the weather here that has occurred since my last post on January 30th is astonishing. Today, just 3 days later it is by far the coldest it has been here in many years. We have been snowed in for 2 days now...which gave me time to complete this video compilation. The video incorporates some clips from the first two videos of the new babies along with later footage of

70 + degrees in January...

2011-01-30T07:50:00.000-06:00

In central Oklahoma the last few days have been warm and sunny offering an opportunity to get the bunnies at Heartland Rabbit Rescue some outside time. This makes for a lot of work for the Director but the reward of getting to see antics such as are depicted in this brief video make it all worth it. The star of the show is Veronica, who was featured previously in some October exuberance. As you

"By-product".....

2011-01-29T07:19:00.000-06:00

this video (no graphic images) came from Farm Sanctuary and shows three baby cows who were the result of the "artificial insemination" (rape - penetration without consent) of their mothers who were dairy (previous post) cows. Their mothers were impregnated (against their will and for the benefit of the dairy owner) so they would continue to produce milk. The babies were not wanted and were

Remembering a remarkable being...

2011-01-26T21:34:00.000-06:00

For those of you familiar with Alex the parrot this will likely trigger some memories...however many are not familiar with this very special being and this video can serve as an introduction and a farewell. I remember feeling a sense of loss when I heard about his loss several years ago. The New York Times story re his death can be read here. The book, Alex and Me, by Irene Pepperberg is a

Sometimes...

2011-01-26T07:27:00.000-06:00

...justice occurs. This from a story in the Vancouver Sun: MOSCOW - A wounded fox shot its would be killer in Belarus by pulling the trigger on the hunter's gun as the pair scuffled after the man tried to finish the animal off with the butt of the rifle, media said on Thursday. The unnamed hunter, who had approached the fox after wounding it from a distance, was in hospital with a leg wound,