A Snap-Shot of the Cruelest Food in the World... Say Cheese!

I am born of French descent. I was raised with the daily taste of countless varieties of "formage". Hardly a meal was had without a slice, a wedge or chunk. My first job was at Hickory Farms where I sampled dozens of "gourmet" cheeses from around the globe... But this is why it's all repulsive to me now... This is why it's so very easy to say NO! to dairy:



Honestly... If I can do it - Anyone can! Ditch dairy. Find your ethical core. Live kindly. Go vegan.

Catskill Animal Sanctuary - On Mothers, Cows and Milk

• The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Delicious Dairy-Free Cheeses.
• Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love.
• The Gentle Chef - The Non-Dairy Formulary

Butter Cow - Bloody Cow - The Irony

For the sake of educating the public about dairy, a cow is annually fashioned out of butter. Just like all milk products, it is made from the cream that should have nourished calves.  All these butter sculptures come at great cost and bitter loss to the cows. But the dairy industry chooses to display these symbolic, trophy-spoils to represent the rich and "delicious" side of their business. It's a "tradition" as valued as the Golden Calf.

This year, there was more than usual trouble and fuss over the golden-butter cow, as it also had to be restored after red "blood" paint was used to make another point about dairy consumption. One that unknowing consumers might be disturbed by. For those who profit from the butter-cow, image is a sacred thing to preserve. They worked into the night to return said cow to a presentable state. There shall be no bloody cows at the fair!

Meanwhile, the irony is... They don't seem to mind the ocean of hidden blood spilled for the making of the golden-butter-cow.

Please reject blood-foods in any form and choose to be the cream that rises above the social norm. Be vegan.

Taking Lives - And Stealing Milk From Children

"And the calves weren't crying "just like children", calves are children." 

This is the profound statement made on the veganelder post: There are none so blind as...

For those who think that it's anthropomorphism to say, consider that even the industry calls the off spring of cows "sons" and "daughters".  And anyone with just a bit of knowledge who understands the maternal imperative knows that indeed... Calves are children.

With the truth in mind we can empathize with the horror of having your baby stolen and the terror of being a stolen child:


But what do the robbers say when their (swiped) "goods" are snitched? Listen to what a dairy/veal operator says after the discovery of some missing 1 month-young calves. 

A minute in he says "Right now they're living a pretty good life. From here who knows where they're going." The reporter notes how difficult it must be to get into the "cages". The operator goes on to say that they do their best to keep "these things" fed and well maintained... Then Mike Steward of Hilmar Farmwatch states "They don't care it's a calf. They don't view it as a life. They view it as income. And that's sad." He continues that each calf "is worth" about $600.00. The story concludes that these calves are their future... But it's no secret what the fate is for the calves or their mothers.

In a follow up piece a reporter informs us that the calves are in the cages hutches so as to be "protected from predators and bacteria".  And Hilmar reaffirms the "watch" is on for those baby rustlers! 

The crime is obvious because behind him are the mommas searching for their missing babies! 

And here are the children plucked and torn from their mothers!

Hilmar was the one that mutilated this youngster's ear... And "tagged" the pirated life as theirs.

Hilmar is the bandit who usurped this baby from his mother and prevented her from nourishing him. The sour products made from her milk may be labeled "Hilmar" but the milk was pillaged nonetheless. 

The final truth is that if you support the industries that steal milk, you support the industries that steal children too.

You can do better than that. We all can. We can wean ourselves and let babies stay with their mothers. We can opt for an ethical vegan life. Thanks to all good children on the planet who do. 

And we can all also hope that these calves were rescued to live in sanctuary. They would then surely be one of the Lucky Ones.

Dairy Fools - Not Unique to April 1st

I wish I could say this was a prank... An Onion piece... Or an April Fool's joke - But it's not.

Choopan Dairy in Iran just made claim to the world's record of the largest ice-cream cup. The celebration was in Tehran where thousands gathered to share in the media-blitz event. The ice-cream cup contents weighs 11,023 lbs topping the 2005 previous record holder Baskin Robbins.  Citizens are a-glow in "national pride" over the "achievement".

"I'm here with my family to see the biggest ice-cream in the world in Iran and Iranians are making it and I think everyone is having fun," said another person attending the event.

Well... We in the know --- The ones who aren't fooled by the dairy lies, are certain that not everyone is having "fun" making ice-cream.

We also wonder where Iran is getting all the feed for the cows and all the water to process milk. Especially considering that it takes about 2,000 gallons of H2o to make 1 gallon of the stolen, liquid poison. Hum?

As a friend mentioned today... It's no coincidence that the word "evil" is "live" only inside-out. It's backward. It's contrary to everything that's true. For these cows and calves, for the U.S. and eventually Iran too - The lies will catch up when droughts, hunger and ill health abound because wrong, wasteful models of gluttony and greed have been hailed as "progress". 

He screams in the making of ice-cream

Best Vegan ice creams: Two scoops - Hold the dairy.

Irony - Flamed or Frozen Dairy Cow Teats

In a strange bit of irony not uncommon in an industry that claims to "kindly" enslave and kill it's "stock" - The dairy industry tries to figure out cures for teat frost bite, a problem exacerbated by the use of wet teat dips meant to ward off mastitis.











Protecting the udder and teats is imperative to assure a cow’s longevity in the herd. Damage to the mammary gland, in any form, can be devastating to the usefulness of the dairy cow.

While trying to prevent frost-bitten teats, at the same time this industry throws hot flames to the cow's udders in an effort to remove hairs that might even possibly help protect her in colder weather.

Page 216 from http://www.msschippers.com

Stealing cow's milk is unnatural. It's unnecessary. And it's terribly unkind.

Go Vegan and leave Sonny's milk to him!

Dairy - Wholesome Goodness or Wholesale Corruption?

The dairy industry loves to sweet talk its consumers about how beneficial its products are. Meanwhile, it's trying to gain approval to add the questionable chemical aspartame to its liquid poison -- and without additional labeling, mind you! As a weaned adult, I find this move by the dairy industry troubling at best. See http://www.activistpost.com/2013/02/aspartame-in-milk-without-label-big.html

And as a weaned taxpayer, I find the Milk Income Loss Contract Payments even though they're legal -- objectionable as well. Why should my money go to support an industry that has trouble keeping its products marketable? Hum? 

Meanwhile Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is in court over allegations that it manipulated trading in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Cheese Spot and Milk Futures markets to drive up the price of dairy products across the US. Again there was trickery because there was an unwanted "excess" of their "cheese" products: http://www.dairyreporter.com/Manufacturers/Dairy-Farmers-of-America-facing-court-over-alleged-manipulative-dairy-trading

As if those questionable activities aren't bad enough, what about the deceit on the farms regarding the employment of illegal workers? A legal case involving a Michigan dairy, filed in 2007, just came to a close. The investigation revealed that the Bad Axe dairy operation employed 78 different illegal aliens from approximately 2000 to 2007, which constituted almost 75 percent of its workforce over that time period. 

And in Idaho the dairy industry admits that between 75% to 90% of employees are here and employed "illegally". Bro Jeb Bush is on the task force, along with a bishop with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento to create a "compassionate approach to foreign workers." I imagine the tasks are vile and the pay is low. Luckily these immigrants found kind "overseers" who supplied them with the work no one else wanted. I suppose picking cotton was once like that too. :/

            

Courtesy of New York Historical Society

Also, in case you didn't know, The DairyHerd Network reports that Illinois is the 4th state to allow undocumented workers driver's licenses. It's for the good of everyone on the road don't you know?

Now here's the big question: If cow's milk is in such "demand" (enough to create cows that "yield" almost 13 times more than her calf could ever drink)... If dairy is such a "vital" part of the economy... If "cheese" eating is all that "powerful," then why all the underhanded practices and seedy shenanigans? Why not pay legal employees a proper wage? Why all the wholesale corruption? 

If you're still drinking cow's milk and you're wondering what other things this industry has lied about...
There's abundant good reason to Dump Dairy. The black-and-white fact of it is... Milk isn't wholesome at all!

Art Work by Sarah Kiser

An Unweaned Super Bowl Hero? Milk Malarkey!

The dairy industry has managed to buy some Super Bowl air time. In this commercial starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is seen abandoning all reason in order to got get-milk... Even to the point of dismissing a poor kitty caught up a tree!

But since cow's milk comes at the cost of so many, many baby calves lives... Why in the world should Rock or any other unweaned human care about a cat??? Hum???

And speaking of unweaned humans: 

Ha, Ha, Ha!!!

Only YOU can be a super hero to the cows, calves and your own health!

SAVE OUR BONES! 

with Silk Power or any of the other wonderful plant based alternatives!

We all know that real men are kind to animals...



And that there's strength in compassion:

Please live in a just, ethical way... Go vegan. ;)

It's Not Nobel to Lie: Dumb Down --- Drink Dairy

The dairy industry has been citing a scientific journal article as evidence that Nobel Prize Awards frequently are given to men and women from Sweden because they eat chocolate and drink more milk per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Milk drinkers win Nobel Prizes, researchers claim

The claim also is that while Sweden has won an overwhelming number of Nobel Prizes because they drink so much milk, China was awarded a total of zero because they do not drink much milk:

Nations that consume a lot of milk also tend to produce a lot of Nobel Prize winners, a letter published in Practical Neurology has suggested.
"They found that Sweden, which boasts 33 Nobel laureates per 10m population, also consumes 340kg of milk each year - the most milk per head in the world. Switzerland, which has an enviable Nobel Prize haul of 32 consumes 300kg of milk per head per year.
China, which consumes just 25kg of milk per head per year, boasts no Nobel Prize winners.

got truth? The dairy industries junk science 

The truth is that in the past 5 years 63 men and women who have been awarded Nobel Prizes were from the following countries:

The United States was awarded 27 of those prizes. 

Japan received 6 

France received 5. 

China actually was awarded 4 Nobel Prizes. 

Sweden received only one.

What follows are the names of the recipients of
the awards from 2008 through 2012.
__________________________________

2012 
PHYSICS
Serge Haroche FRANCE
David J. Wineland UNITED STATES
CHEMISTRY
Robert J. Lefkowitz UNITED STATES
Brian K. Kobilka UNITED STATES
PHYSIOLOGY/MEDICINE
Sir John B. Gurdon GREAT BRITAIN
Shinya Yamanaka JAPAN
LITERATURE 
Mo Yan CHINA
PEACE 
European Union (EU)
ECONOMY
Alvin E. Roth UNITED STATES
Lloyd S. Shapley UNITED STATES

2011 
PHYSICS
Saul Perlmutter UNITED STATES
Brian P. Schmidt UNITED STATES
Adam G. Riess UNITED STATES
CHEMISTRY
Dan Shechtman UNITED STATES
PHYSIOLOGY/MEDICINE
Bruce A. Beutler UNITED STATES
Jules A. Hoffmann FRANCE
Ralph M. Steinman CANADA
LITERATURE 
Tomas Tranströmer SWEDEN (poet who wrote about long Swedish Winters)
PEACE
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf LIBERIA
Leymah Gbowee YEMEN
Tawakkol Karman LIBERIA
ECONOMY
Thomas J. Sargent UNITED STATES
Christopher A. Sims UNITED STATES

2010 
PHYSICS
Andre Geim GREAT BRITAIN
Konstantin Novoselov RUSSIA
CHEMISTRY
Richard F. Heck UNITED STATES
Ei-ichi Negishi UNITED STATES
Akira Suzuki JAPAN
PHYSIOLOGY/MEDICINE
Robert G. Edwards GREAT BRITAIN
LITERATURE 
Mario Vargas Llosa PERU
PEACE 
Liu Xiaobo CHINA
ECONOMY
Peter A. Diamond UNITED STATES
Dale T. Mortensen UNITED STATES
Christopher A. Pissarides GREECE

2009
PHYSICS
Charles Kuen Kao CHINA
Willard S. Boyle CANADA
George E. Smith UNITED STATES
CHEMISTRY
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan UNITED STATES
Thomas A. Steitz UNITED STATES
Ada E. Yonath ISRAEL
PHYSIOLOGY/MEDICINE
Elizabeth H. Blackburn UNITED STATES
Carol W. Greider UNITED STATES
Jack W. Szostak UNITED STATES
LITERATURE
Herta Müller ROMANIA
PEACE
Barack H. Obama UNITED STATES
ECONOMY
Elinor Ostrom UNITED STATES
Oliver E. Williamson UNITED STATES

2008
PHYSICS
Yoichiro Nambu JAPAN
Makoto Kobayashi JAPAN
Toshihide Maskawa JAPAN
CHEMISTRY
Osamu Shimomura JAPAN
Martin Chalfie UNITED STATES
Roger Y. Tsien CHINA
PHYSIOLOGY/MEDICINE
Harald zur Hausen GERMANY
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi FRANCE
Luc Montagnier FRANCE
LITERATURE
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio FRANCE
PEACE 
Martti Ahtisaari FINLAND
ECONOMY
Paul Krugman UNITED STATES

So the lie of Nobel Prize winners and dairy is exposed. 

Likewise the evidence is clear that dairy consumption increases the risks of heart disease, bone disease, cancer,asthma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and irritable bowls. It also is responsible for the terrible "health" to cows and calves! (warning graphic)


Aside from the horrendous, vicious lies about the "care" of innocent beings for cow's milk - There are more lies from the author of this "study" that will be published in the February 1 issue of The journal Practical Neurology. The editors and peer-reviewers are clearly ignorant of the facts regarding human health as well as the unacceptable practices in the process of making cows "give" milk.

Please send your respectful letter of protest
to one or more key players of this journal:

Publishing Assistant: Jenny Hudson
Email: info.pn@bmjgroup.com

Production Editor
Email: production.pn@bmjgroup.com

Journal Manager: Claire Langford
Email: clangford@bmjgroup.com

Publisher: Janet O'Flaherty
Email: joflaherty@bmjgroup.com

For further details please contact Claire Langford (Journal Manager):
Email: clangford@bmjgroup.com

Caroline White (BMJ Journals Press Officer)
Email: cwhite@bmjgroup.com

Emma Dickinson (PR Manager, BMJ Group)
Email: edickinson@bmjgroup.com

Portions originally Posted by Robert Cohen from NotMilk

Thank you... And if you haven't already done so --- Get smart! Please, please dump dairy and all animal use as the whole lie is terribly unjust, unkind and unhealthy.

Dairy: The Real Story without the Show

I'd like to unpack a story regarding what happens behind the scenes of a dairy show as told through the eyes of the teens who compete with their "project" animals. I'm cherry-picking the phrases that make me cringe most... 

Farm Show after dark: dairy barns never sleep
"When all the people leave, the party starts,"

"there's no question the atmosphere had relaxed."
"It's as if - when the daily throng of jostling visitors emptied from the cattle barns - everyone exhaled."
"Throughout the day, all had been on their best behavior, aware that they were the face of agriculture for tens of thousands of  people."
"While the gates are open to the public, the dairy exhibitors know it's their job not only to make sure their cows are presentable, but also to upend common stereotypes and misperceptions [sic] about farms and farming."

How obvious that what the public sees is just a show! They white-wash the dark side of dairy. If they're holding their breaths to "finally exhale" - It's just further truth that they've much to keep hidden.

"All the cows have been trained to step forward - or back up - at the tug of a halter"
"When a milking cow stands before a judge, she looks best if the hind leg toward the judge is placed slightly forward, she looks best if the hind leg toward the judge is placed slightly forward, and the other slightly back. If the judge walks around to her other side, her feet should be shifted accordingly. "

Teaching cows tricks... I wonder what the cow remembers of that special way to stand when the man holding the stun gun is her "judge"? :(

"He actually is getting better," said Nell. "He was switching feet and everything."
"You can only lay beside a cow for so long before it gets up."

Why is a "milking cow" being called "he"? Or even worse an it?

The story then goes on about the grooming, clipping and bathing of the cows. All treated like stars! But gee - Do any of these cow "owners" care so much about their "prize" cow when she no longer wins ribbons or can no longer be milked? Do they preen and groom her before she steps on the kill floor? Or do they stop giving a crap about her as they move on to the next animal "project"?

Speaking about "crap"... "If their tails pop up, you'd better start running," she said. If a cow were to lay in it, it makes washing it in the morning all the more onerous."... Is it "it" the tail or "it" the cow?

Cow Tail Costumes

"In a few hours, the doors will open, and thousands of people will begin streaming in to experience the sights and sounds of the Farm Show."

But it's all a show - isn't it? A big pretend, fake lie of omissions that keeps the public unaware and those in the industry safe behind their theater of illusions. Here with no primping, no spotlights or pretensions Mercy for Animals offers the Real Story:

Please set the stage for a compassionate life... Choose cow-friendly alternatives. ;)

The Twelve Days of Dairy Death

The United Dairy Industry of Michigan and The Dairy Princess Cheyenne Saumier in Pennsylvania wanted to remind consumers to eat lots and lots of cheese by re-writing the Twelve Days of Christmas.

The Michigan farmers are caroling

• 12 artisan cheeses
• 11 bowls of ice cream

Falla blah, blah, blah...

And Ms. Princess' version of the Twelve Days praises the dairy harmer as he had to "clean his barn, plow fields, grind feed" Yadda-yadda... 

She also includes a recipe for a "White Christmas" pizza that calls for almost 4 cups of cow's milk cheese - Oh yeah and a bit of butter with a few slices of pig's flesh as a topping.

Now I'm no poet but here's my rendition:

On the first day of Christmas the harmer impregnated the cows.

On the second day he removed the cows' tails and horns.

On the third day he lobbied Congress for more money.

On the fourth day he checked for mastitis pus in milk.

On the fifth day he smelled the manure lagoon.

On the sixth day he scheduled next week's cull.

On the seventh day he stole the babies from their mothers.

On the eighth day he placed ear tags on the new slaves.

On the ninth day he chained the male calves up in stalls.

On the tenth day he shipped them off for veal.

On the eleventh day he told a big lie that his practices are humane. 

On the twelfth day dairy gave everyone constipation.

So for all you cheese heads and cow's milk consumers - My best advice would be to ask Santa to put (along with your coal) - some of these great laxative products in your stockings:  

And under the tree:

You know... It's really naughty to rape cows, steal their babies, and kill others just so they can "contribute" to your White Christmas cheese addictions!

Even Santa knows it's nice to: 

Action for Animals Sweet Vegan Recipes

Just do it for goodness sake!

Dairy Cows as Partners... Their Sons as Veal

It's been on my mind for a while to mention some ads I've seen in the dairy and pork newsletters. And just while I'm doing so well procrastinating... Freeheal Vegan posts this blog featuring a "What If She Can't Get Pregnant" ad for Bovi-Shield.

Well, now's as good a time as any to let all their ugliness hang out at once:

What if she can't get pregnant and then has to pitch in for the firehouse Dalmatian dog?

What if she can't get pregnant and then has to resort to giving "pony" rides?

And the ad posted at Freeheal that is the most unlikely - but most vulgar of all - She can help her "master" retrieve shot at, wounded and killed birds!

Let's face it... These harmers are fixated in the "husbandry" aspects of the female cow's reproductive cycles - 

Always waiting for the stork to bring in the next batch of money makers:

Because of course we know that she's there to make the babies, that make the milk that make the money:

But they're partners though... Right?

Sure they are! These cows are the most valued of employees!

...But gosh darn - When it's time to "retire" it sure isn't a gold watch that awaits these young, worn out, crippled cows. No siree! Not a full day of mothering even through all those births and they still wound up exhausted and spent from nursing... Go figure! :/

So I suppose it's only right that dairy and meat consumers would feel relieved knowing that the stolen young calves would at least wind up in a happier pasture:

Of course this little fantasy has nothing to do with the truth... Here's just some of the reasons I dumped dairy. If you haven't done so yet and are looking to lead an ethical life as a compassionate, weaned adult --- What are you waiting for? 

There's never been a better time or more compelling reasons to align your values with your actions by going vegan. Just do it! ;) 

Dairy Cows go to Central Valley Slaughterhouse... With Bells On!

In the video below Erica Meier, Executive Director of Compassion Over Killing explains what was documented at the Hanford, California Central Valley Meat Company. 


This is the investigation video...

Or you can take my word for it that it shows:

• Downed dairy cows, unable to walk to the kill floor, shot in the head two, three, even four times, and workers often walking away while the animal continues to struggle and kick.
• Some downed cows who were still alive after being shot in the head were then suffocated by workers who stood on their mouths and nostrils preventing the cow from breathing.
• Cows being tortured — repeatedly hit, jabbed, electrically shocked, and sprayed with hot water — in a narrow chute leading to the kill floor.  One cow was electrically shocked over 40 times.
• Sick or injured cows repeatedly being shocked and workers pulling or lifting them by their tails in an attempt to force them to stand and walk.
• Improper stunning of animals prior to slaughter — many cows were thrashing, kicking, and clearly breathing after being shot in the head. Yet these animals are moved through the slaughter process onto a conveyor belt and then hoisted upside-down by one leg.

This "roughing" up of "livestock" happens all the time --- Following "humane" protocol or not.  All of it is heartbreaking. Sickening. Vile. I just don't have enough words to say how horribly ugly the whole deal is! 

But as we all know it's not only the used-up nonhumans that get bullied around:

In in Dec. 2011, Central Valley Meat Co. was also cited for violations in worker’s death.

"Leopoldo Gutierrez, a sanitation worker, was killed in a meat blender accident in February. Gutierrez’s neck was broken when another employee, thinking the machine was empty, turned it on while Gutierrez was cleaning it.

"Cal-OSHA found the company didn’t ensure that the machine was de-electrified and locked out so workers couldn’t accidentally flip the switch on. The agency hit Central Valley Meat Co. with $49,920 in fines." -- Seth Nidever

However, by their logo - You could never tell that a single "hare" was out of place! 

And so this queer visual mishmash of lollipops and blood reminds me of the other cute guy that represented Westland Hallmark when they were found "processing" 143 million pounds of questionably "unsafe" meat.

And finally, not to be outdone the last of the folksy images meant to represent victims - comes from the MeatingPlace Daily News. Here's Ol' Bessie Cow with that adorable bell around her neck! Don't you know everyone of their "ladies" wear these right down to their last dance on the kill floor! After all... They tell us time and again that these dairy cows are treated "just like family".

Tired of being a part of roughing-up precious lives? Compassion Over Killing has great resources for those seeking information on becoming vegan. For those who have already done so - Be relieved that you have no hand in these brutal atrocities. Thank you. <3

The Irony... Aged Cheese and Young Veal

There's a dairy that has a museum of sorts - Documenting their history and the process of on-site cheese making. 

Here are some of the illustrations in their collection:

 And here is the kicker in this presentation:

So with consideration to the maturing time of "strong flavored" cheese we can see that most often, the bacteria in the cheese lives longer than the male calves to whom the original milk was denied.

Oh the irony! 
Yet even MORE dairy irony!