Extend Your Kindess to Those Who Need it Most - Go Vegan

Elaine Vigneault at Vegan Soapbox does some incredible vlogging for veganism on youtube... But this is my favorite video of all: I'm sure we all like to believe we are kind... But most of us never really question what kindness truly is... If kindness, compassion, generosity, peace or justice is to have any meaning at all... If it is to be genuine.... Surely it does not do so by excluding those who are most vulnerable. It does not do so by denying those most able to benefit from "kindness and compassion". Suppose there was a contest to help the most needy person in the world... This person who "won" would receive clean water, shelter, electricity, food, etc. Now, the only thing is, the person must register to be a contestant for this prize. Of course, this unfortunate person does not have food or bear essentials --- Let alone a telephone, internet or a postage stamp to fulfill the requirements to "qualify"... And any reasonable person hearing this would say the contest was a sham! Likewise, nonhumans who are most at the "mercy" of man's exploitations... Also cannot "register" or "enroll" in our "prize" of compassion. Indeed some people try to deny kindness to animals because they lack a "soul". Of course a soul isn't a tangible thing --- And the concept could have very well been invented by man in an effort to justify his using of animals to begin with... Are you with me? The crux of it is... Are you extending your compassion to those who truly need it? To those who suffer and are violated most? Or is your "gift" of kindness limited to only those within your pre-determined ((human) group? And more importantly, do you exclude some from the "prize" because you enjoy hunting them, wearing their skin, riding their backs, watching them perform; Or because you use them for experimentation, breed them for income, or kill them for the eating of their flesh? What kind of person are you? Do you limit your generostiy to those who benefit least, or to those who are the most missed? Come on! You know you're a good person! You know you want to align your actions with your values! By going vegan you can do just that!

Dairy Sickens Residents - Some States Care - Wisconsin Could Give a Cow Turd...

When my neighbors had a contractor who fowled up their renovations... I listened to them. I made sure I didn't call the same unreliable and unprofessional people to do my work.

Similarly, when my friends had their car engine poorly serviced by Mr. X mechanic --- I made sure I kept my vehicle out of his hands...

Logical - right? You learn by mistakes made by others... Well, such is not the case with the two neighboring states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

You see, the residents of Thief River Falls, Minn. have been in a 3 year battle with Excel Dairy.

"People who live within a mile of the dairy were sickened by the stench from uncovered manure pits. They complained of headaches, nausea, breathing problems and sore throats from foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide emissions that shrouded their homes."

"The operators had more cows in the barn than they should have had, they built a feed pad without permission, and they tried methods of treating manure that weren't approved. Cows were removed from the dairy after an agency order a year ago. Excel has not fulfilled another part of the order, to clean up three manure lagoons that still emit gases", Assistant Attorney General Jeff Grell said. "The dairy also left a pile of feed on the property, in defiance of the state, and rats and other animals have moved in. They also ignored orders to repair and empty manure ponds and failed to cover manure ponds that can hold 33 million gallons of manure."

Neighbors for more than a mile around have been enduring extremely high levels of hydrogen sulfide. (intense rotten egg smell)

One resident said: "I used to be happy all the time, and now I feel like I'm drowning. We feel like we have no control of our life with the barn's odor trespassing on our property all the time. It is not a manure smell, it burns your eyes, your throat; you cannot be in it. It is so brutal, it takes your breath away, you cannot breathe it, [and] it goes through the walls of your home." During the warm months of 2008 and 2009, the dairy exceeded safe levels of hydrogen sulfide nearly 800 times. The Minnesota Department of Health said the fumes were so bad, people living nearby were evacuated.

So, you'd think that their sister state of Wisconsin would benefit from this ordeal and be cautious about the health considerations of their own citizens... But not so.

Despite environmentalists' concerns that manure might poison groundwater supplies, a Wisconsin dairy farm has been given permission to double its herd from 4,000 to 8,000 cows...

I guess it's true what they say... People get exactly what they deserve.

I'm taking bets now... Within 4 years this "new dairy" will be responsible for the same ill health that the townspeople in Minnesota are suffering.

Oh yeah, I'm also wagering too - That the additional 4,000 cows will be just as "happy" as the original 4,000. Happy to be confined. Happy to have their calves stolen from them. Happy their young are going to grow up to be nice little "veal chops". Happy they themselves too - will meet the "humane" captive bolt, and that their hides will be immortalized as tomorrows and yesterday's fashion accessory.

If you don't like environmental pollution - If you don't like air and water contamination - If you don't like animal suffering AND use - Please... Go Vegan

Economic Misery for Meat/Dairy Industry - Then and Now

I keep an eye on what happens in US economics. These are volatile times, for sure. And yes, I admit too - that what I pay attention to regarding the animal and "meat" industries, has special meaning for me... I suppose it's the 10 billion animals I'm keeping track of. Erik Marcus of Vegan.com did a comprehensive recap 2009 Year of Meat , citing the spills, trials and woes of the meat industry. Most were by their own demise... Some tweaked along by outside forces. It's a wonderful read that truly illustrates the waste and blunders this enterprise has been bailed out of. Mostly it was the dairy industry that lost 45% of it's profit... Could have been financial ruin... If not for the taxpayer hand outs. Funny thing though... Taxpayers "paid" dairies to stay in the black... Now, taxpayers are paying more for the dairy they oddly still wish to buy. What strange and corrupt symbiotic relationship! Consumers wish to exploit cows for their milk... The government sucks on consumers for money to pay to dairy folks. A fairy-milk godmother --- so to speak. But here's what one analyst has in view for the meat industry in 2010: In addition, American meat consumption is starting to trend downward, he said. Even chicken consumption, which has trended up or stayed consistent for years, is starting to drop. American per capita consumption of meat is 43 pounds. of chicken, 39 pounds. of beef, 27 pounds. of pork and 7 pounds. of turkey. Perhaps it's so, that more and more people are starting to get the message: The meat industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars lying to the public about their product. But no amount of false propaganda can sanitize meat. The facts are absolutely clear: Eating meat is bad for human health, catastrophic for the environment, and a living nightmare for animals. Go Vegan

Sick American and Oriental Pigs - Growing Safe Swine

This just discovered - swine flu in Hong Kong pigs. Of course their pigs are just as "safe to eat" as our own sick animals are!

The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. ~ Gandhi ~

Treat animals fairly. Please - Go Vegan

Earthlings! Got Cabin Fever? Feeling Cooped Up?

Yeah... It's brutally frigid everywhere isn't it? Half the lucky world is hunkered down, protected from the bitter cold- But even four warm walls can become a prison after a while... Imagine a whole "life' of captivity? So, if you're a bit stir-crazy being temporarily home bound... But you still don't get the urgency of ending animal use AND suffering; Now would be a great time to - Watch Earthlings

Dairy Father - Invites Sacrificial Cow to the Table

This provincial effigy, fashioned from 1,000 pounds of 100% butterfat, is meant to be a tribute to the dairy industry. I know my friend and ally Ben at Suicide Foods could do a much better job assessing the irony in this image... But honestly, I just can't help my myself...

Here we have the classic portrayal of female servitude... Slave serving slave so to speak, as we see the human mother extending the plate in the direction of the nonhuman mother... Almost as an offering of solidarity; Or at least in recognition of mutual circumstance. They know they've done their jobs well - breeding sons... Some for veal - Some to be raised as veal eaters. But when we see into the bovines eyes, can we not detect a ruefulness? Perhaps she wonders where her babies are? Three births and still, a childless life. Could she be longing for her herd mates - missing the gossip at the milking polar? Or maybe it's the florescent lights that bother her? Cow people enjoy the sun and sky that nature provides... She will no doubt see them on her next ride in the transport truck.

At that destination, she will continue her dutiful contributions in the "food chain"... McDonald's will encourage other human families to dine on her fluids and flesh - Her rank is secured on the dollar menu; And consuming her "souless" body will be presented as a practice as "wholesome" as this paradigm... Returning to the table of plenty... and of "thrift" - We see Father... pouring the wealth of white abundance! Things are looking good for him with the recent government bailouts! Whew! That was a close one! The reality of the market place almost had consequence! Oh Father Provider! Thank you for buttering the palms of the other men in power! Father may we never ask how much money/energy it costs to keep this chilled spectacle "alive". May we never wonder about the e-coli in the burger... Or the manure in the rivers... May we never question, or be "lactose" intolerant... Father, maker of all things with cholesterol and saturated fat - may we never doubt your archaic methods of domination and force... Long live the patriarchy! Or at least as long as it takes for this obscene, excessive, vulgar, iconic charade to melt into a greasy pool of rancid goo! There... I had my say - You know the rest... Go Vegan.

Absurd? Dairy Cow Chooses Life & Calf Over Beds & Music!

Humm - Let's see... If I was a dairy cow, would I be happier with a waterbed and some tunes... Or my life and my calf? Waterbed/tunes??? Life/calf??? Waterbed/tunes??? Life... calf??? Decisions... Decisions... Gee... I think I'd take my life and calf! So sorry dairy folks - Am I anthropomorphizing too much? File this under yet another absurd, desperate ploy by the dairy industry to hoodwink consumers! Human milk is for human babies. Cow's milk is for cows. Learn the truth about dairy at Vegan Peace.

Dairy Links to Prostate Cancer - Vegan for Health

Unfortunately there are men I love who are still eating dairy (and meat): Please guys... (and gals) Make other choices:

See How Animal Producers Do Their Job!

I'd like to refute this from the pork people: "The biggest issue we face is that the American people are so far removed from agriculture and the way livestock and their meat is produced that they accept the emotional arguments which are not fact-based that the animal rights groups use to pass legislation to restrict the way producers raise animals," Stallman says. "We do care for our animals. We would not be successful otherwise and we do take care of their welfare. We just have to do a better job of telling that story to a public that really doesn't understand much about production agriculture." The biggest challenge for those who produce "meat" is that more people now know how those animals are raised than ever before. A mere decade ago this information was not available... Consumers had to rely on what images they were given that would prevent "emotional" entanglement or question... Technology has given everyone the opportunity to get all the facts they need with a few Google searches. And too the marvel of living today is that it's never been easier to eliminate animals from one's diet or lifestyle. There are so many healthy and tasty alternatives to choose from... A simple Google search will pull those up too! So Animal Rights activists will continue to tell the story, as I'm sure the livestock deadstock industry will as well. But here's the rub... Animal ag industries say they "care" about animals, and this is the result: Likewise, Animal Rights activists say they "care" about animals, and proceed this way: There's nothing "emotional" about it! We can thrive on a plant based vegan diet! The killing of animals is neither kind nor necessary. We are more informed than ever to make this choice - and to know that it is the right thing to do...