I've recently decided to delete the myspace profile I've had for 4 years. As a result, I'm moving over most of the 200+ blog entries to my blogger account. Anything related to AR/veganism goes here. Many of those are from my vegan infancy and, therefore, a bit misguided. I've learned a lot since I made the life-changing decision to go vegan and maybe these old entries will be educating, whether positive or negative. I'll be adding them in order, by year.

Why I'm posting PETA videos
07 Oct 2005 Friday
This is my fucking space to post whatever I want. If you don't like it, you're welcome to leave. These videos need to be seen. Ignorance is not bliss. This shit happens everyday, all over the world and it simply has to stop. How anyone can continue to wear fur and/or support that industry should be skinned alive. I mean it. If they know, and most do (they're not that stupid), they are aware of the misery that went into the clothing they don. I am at a loss for words after watching both of the fur farm videos. I was crying and sobbing so hard that Beaumont came wandering into the office to see how I was doing. God, I hope that my babies never have to endure something like this. I read that some of those poor dogs had collars around their necks, signifying they once belonged to someone. If that ever happened to my dogs....well, we won't go there. I've been reading some posts in many of the AR/vegan/vegetarian groups and I'm just plain disgusted with the animosity towards vegans. These videos are why I'm vegan and why I will never purchase animal products to wear. Simple as fucking that! And for all the little wussies who complain about the violent content, boo-fucking-hoo. If they are not shown, I feel that those animals will continue to suffer horrifically and that their deaths were worthless. What really got me was that the animals were still fucking ALIVE when that monster started skinning them. I don't even want to get started about the way they casually slammed them into the ground or stepped on their heads to finally snuff out their protracted agonized deaths. I think I'm tired now. I forgot how horrible and inhumane those videos were. My stepdad used to force us to watch Faces of Death, when we were children, but I am far more disturbed by these videos and images. My life may be but a flicker in the tapestry of life but at least I can say I tried to live it compassionately. And that 4 dogs named Max, Minna, Beaumont, and Panchito had a mama that loved them and let them be who they were.
22:40


Fur farms:Why they're hell on earth for the animals who will be clothing
08 Oct 2005 Saturday

Current mood: infuriated

Category: Pets and Animals

I've copied this from PETA becasuse it gives a great breakdown on why the fur farm industry is evil. I will never wear an animal's misery and this is why. Eighty-five percent of the fur industry’s skins come from animals living captive on fur factory farms.(1) These farms can hold thousands of animals, and the practices used to farm them is remarkably uniform around the globe. As with other intensive-confinement animal farms, the methods used on fur factory farms are designed to maximize profits, always at the expense of the animals. Painful and Short Lives The most farmed fur-bearing animal is the mink, followed by the fox. Chinchillas, lynxes, and even hamsters are also farmed for their fur.(2) Sixty-four percent of fur farms are in Northern Europe, 11 percent are in North America, and the rest are dispersed throughout the world, in countries such as Argentina and Russia.(3) Mink farmers usually breed female minks once a year. There are about three or four surviving kits for each litter, and they are killed when they are about half a year old, depending on what country they are in, after the first hard freeze. Minks used for breeding are kept for four to five years.(4) The animals—housed in unbearably small cages—live with fear, stress, disease, parasites, and other physical and psychological hardships, all for the sake of a global industry that makes billions of dollars annually. Rabbits are slaughtered by the millions for meat, particularly in China, Italy, and Spain. Once considered a mere byproduct of this consumption, the rabbit fur industry demands the thicker pelt of an older animal (meat rabbits are killed at the age of 10 to 12 weeks). The United Nations reports that “few skins are now retrieved from slaughterhouses,” and countries such as France are killing as many as 70 million rabbits a year for fur, used in clothing, as lures in flyfishing, and for trim on craft items.(5) Life on the “Ranch” To cut costs, fur farmers pack animals into small cages, preventing them from taking more than a few steps back and forth. This crowding and confinement is especially distressing to minks—solitary animals who may occupy as much as 2,500 acres of wetland habitat in the wild.(6) The anguish of life in a cage leads minks to self-mutilate—biting at their skin, tails, and feet—and frantically pace and circle endlessly. Zoologists at Oxford University who studied captive minks found that despite generations of being bred for fur, minks have not been domesticated and suffer greatly in captivity, especially if they are not given the opportunity to swim.(7) Foxes, raccoons, and other animals suffer equally and have been found to cannibalize each other as a reaction to their crowded confinement. Animals on fur factory farms are fed meat byproducts considered unfit for human consumption. Water is provided by a nipple system which often freezes in the winter or may fail because of human error. Pests and Parasites Animals on fur factory farms are more susceptible to diseases than their free-roaming counterparts. Contagious diseases such as pneumonia are passed from cage to cage rapidly, as are fleas, ticks, lice, and mites. And disease-carrying flies thrive in the piles of rotting wastes that collect under the cages for months. Video footage and photos taken by undercover investigators show animals suffering from severe infections and injuries, untreated and left to die slowly. Unnatural Habitats Fur factory farm cages are often kept in open sheds that provide little to no protection from wind or harsh weather. Their fur alone is not enough to keep them warm in the winter, and in the summer, minks swelter because they have no water in which to cool themselves. When minks learn to shower themselves by pressing on their drinking water supply nipples, farmers will modify the nipples to cut off even this meager relief. Poison and Pain No federal humane slaughter law protects animals on fur factory farms, and killing methods are gruesome. Because fur farmers care only about preserving the quality of the fur, they use slaughter methods that keep the pelts intact but which can result in extreme suffering for the animals. Small animals may be crammed into boxes and poisoned with hot, unfiltered engine exhaust from a truck. Engine exhaust is not always lethal, and some animals wake up while being skinned. Larger animals have clamps or a rod applied to their mouths while rods are inserted into their anuses, and they are painfully electrocuted. Other animals are poisoned with strychnine, which suffocates them by paralyzing their muscles in painful rigid cramps. Gassing, decompression chambers, and neck-snapping are other common fur-farm slaughter methods. The fur industry refuses to condemn even blatantly cruel killing methods. Genital electrocution, deemed “unacceptable” by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) 1993 Panel on Euthanasia, is a fur factory farm killing method that causes animals the pain of cardiac arrest while they are fully conscious. In 1994, Indiana became the first state to file criminal charges against a fur factory farm after PETA investigators documented genital electrocution at V-R Chinchillas. The chinchilla fur industry considers electrocution and neck-breaking “acceptable.”(8) In 1995, one district attorney filed charges against pelt supplier Frank Parsons of Salisbury, Md., for injecting a mixture of rubbing alcohol and weed-killer into the chests of minks. PETA undercover investigators videotaped Parsons using an illegal pesticide, Blackleaf 40, to painfully kill the minks. Would You Wear Your Dog? An undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States, reported in a 1998 Dateline NBC piece, revealed that dog and cat fur is a multimillion-dollar industry in Asia and found that coats and toys made with domestic dog fur are being sold in the U.S. “There are no federal laws preventing anyone from importing dog and cat fur into this country,” reported Dateline. “If the imported item costs less than $150, the importer doesn’t even have to reveal what it’s made of.” Dateline footage shows a German shepherd, tail wagging and head stuck in a restraint, moments before he is skinned alive. A cat, crowded in a cage, watches and waits his turn, as one by one, his cagemates are choked, slung up, and hanged just inches away.(9) New legislation outlawed the import or sale of clothing containing dog or cat fur, but the fur still enters the country illegally since it is intentionally mislabeled and can only be detected by expensive DNA testing. Environmental Destruction Contrary to fur-industry propaganda, fur production destroys the environment. The energy needed to produce a real fur coat from ranch-raised animal skins is approximately 20 times that needed for a fake fur.(10) Nor does fur biodegrade, thanks to the chemical treatment applied to stop the fur from rotting. The process of using these chemicals is also dangerous as it can cause water contamination. About 44 pounds of feces are excreted per mink skinned by fur farmers. Based on the total number of minks skinned in the U.S. in 1999, which was 2.81 million, mink factory farms generate approximately 62,000 tons of manure per year. One result is nearly 1,000 tons of phosphorus, which wreaks havoc in water ecosystems.(11) Fur in Sheep’s Clothing As fur sales decline, sales of shearling—the skin of lambs with the wool attached—have risen. Some fur manufacturers have actually taken to disguising mink as shearling.(12) Many people are unaware of shearling’s origins or that shearling sales are an incentive for sheep ranchers to increase their stock, thereby adding to the plight of sheep (see PETA factsheet “Inside the Wool Industry”). In Afghanistan, karakul sheep are now raised to produce lambs for the high-end market in “Persian lamb” coats and hats. For “top-quality” lamb skin, the mother is killed just before giving birth and her fetus is cut out. The pelts of the unborn lambs are prized in the fashion world for their silk-like sheen. It takes the skin from an entire lamb to make one karakul hat.(13) Industry in Decline Austria and the U.K. have banned fur factory farms, and the Netherlands began phasing out fox and chinchilla farming in April 1998.(14) In 2003 there were 307 mink farms in the U.S., down 5 percent from the previous year.(15) In a sign of the times, supermodel Naomi Campbell was denied entry to a trendy New York club because she was wearing fur. Said the club’s owner, “I really love animals, and I wanted us to be the good guys.”(16) Humane Choices Consumers need to know that every fur coat, lining, or item of trim represents the intense suffering of several dozen animals, whether they were trapped, ranched, or even unborn. These cruelties will end only when the public refuses to buy or wear fur. Those who learn the facts about fur must help educate others, for the animals’ sake. For more information, visit FurIsDead.com.
20:51


Sunday
09 Oct 2005 Sunday

Current mood: contemplative

Today was a nice day in that Mark and I spent most of the day in our bathrobes. The dogs napped and we read the newspaper and watched the first season of Lost. I gave him a haircut and we made delish vegan burritos for dinner. Then, I began reading my fashion magazines and was horrified to see all the ads and spreads of models and celebrities wearing fur. Even Uma Thurman, who is currently posing for Louis Vuitton, is sporting fur. UGH! What an ugly, abhorrent trend. Allure featured a spread about the Cossack look. Last I checked, the Siberian cold is not an occurence in the US. So, now I am stopping my subscriptions to Allure and InStyle, both mags that I been receiving for years. I'm simply sick of the fur use in the fashion industry and am trying to educate myself as to which companies are responsible for its use. Money is the only thing that wil make these bastard companies pay attention. They don't give a fuck about the pain and torture an animal must go through to achieve the "sumptuous pelts" designers and celebrities and their followers want. I can't think right now, I'm so mad.
22:34


Talk about diligence! I got rid of all of my subscriptions because I don't see the need to waste the paper that I rarely get the chance to read. I still get BUST, though. You'd like that.
Posted by ☠brooke☠ on [10 Oct 2005 | Monday] - 11:55



"I have given every green herb for meat"
10 Oct 2005 Monday

Current mood: mischievous

Category: Religion and Philosophy

I found this post in my Vegan No edge group and thought it was very interesting. Meat-eater tend to quote that hoary-old "We have dominion over the animals so we get to eat them" blahblahblah. Take that! GENESIS (regarding creation): 1:28 And God blessed them [humans], and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. hmmm, the last time i checked, animals aren't herbs nor do they go on trees. so per haps god intended for us to be vegans?
12:21



I'm not Christian but...

I love quoting that when people try to argue religion as a reason for eating animal flesh. Also, God made a covenant with animals after Noah saved them. Noah, in respect of God's covenant became a farmer. And in Revelations, God has four animals sitting around his throne. Which would imply that animals do have souls.

I read a ggod book called 'God's Covenant with Animals' not long ago. Quick read, but filled with some great info.
Posted by Caleb Hutchinson on [10 Oct 2005 | Monday] - 12:53


A posting from a group against animal cruelty (not mine)
11 Oct 2005 Tuesday

Current mood: mischievous

Category: Pets and Animals

"Yeah, I guess the animals will go to hell too then. They torture animals much worse than us. Ever look up the stats on animals eating eachother? How sanitary is that web that the insect gets stuck to and bound in and then wound up until it cant even breathe freely. Then slowly digested with acids while it is still alive? What about the honey badger or the hyena? What about the mouse or the cat? These animals kill for sport. If you own even a housecat you will know that. They will often eat their own babies. They will eat eachother while still alive. They will attack things due to shear annoyance. They will attack an area of the body that will not allow the creature to die right away. What about those who paralyze its' prey and lay eggs inside of the body of the prey. When the eggs hatch, the babies eat the prey from the inside out. ANIMALS ARE NOT INNOCENT! They are your food. Stop thinking like children! The woods are not full of pooh bears, care bears, or Big Birds! They are ruthless animals daring to kill anything in it's path....and we happen to be better, AND more compassionate. You guys will never win this argument...you ARE wrong....I am sorry. You cannot debate who is meaner. You cant fight over who is the most immoral. It is animals."

****My two cents:**** Wow..... Sometimes the things people believe really baffle me. This would be one of them. Animals being the immoral ones rather than humans. It would be hilarious if not for his adamant belief this is true. *sigh*
10:34


More pearls of wisdom
12 Oct 2005 Tuesday

Current mood: annoyed

"CHICO'S OPINION (and that's all it is, nothing more). And of course we have the haters (hemp-vegans). Yes, the vegans that hate everyone who isnt a vegan because they wont follow them, and most people think it is corny. So they walk around with a frown and hope that maybe the ozone layer will burn open and everyone will die so that they can all get a taste of their own medicine. They are always at rallies and fighting for the animals while their kids are at home alone. They smoke pot often, like the PETA march here in a week is supported by, and forsake bills, real matters, and responsibility as a human being to take care of ones self. They are the common culprits to conspiracies theories about anybody that is more powerful than them, such as presidents, large companies, and the government. Common sense is not this vegans' forte. Then we have the calm, educated vegan (flower-child vegan). This person is calm and well-spoken. They do not try to push it on anyone, although many can tell their distaste for anyone who has a normal diet. They tend to stick to veganism for staunch reasons as well as living in a futuristic mindset...."What if life could be THIS way?" Although it isnt something that will ever happen. They love their pets, but not many animals in the wild, because they really dont spend that much time out in the real wildlife to see what animals are really like. The vegan for health reasons will often be different personalities. The vegan that eats for health reasons and turns their purpose to animal cruelty is often feminine. Those who only do it for supposed health reasons seem to do it for both reasons. This person usually doesnt really care all that much about the animal issue, they just want to stay healthy, and so they think that if they dont eat meat then they will get thin...hence why men arent chasing this health plan. This is where the line starts to get shady, because the health vegan is not so worried about the animals, and will eat dairy products and so forth more often. Then we have the common "half & half" eater. They call themselves vegans but eat chicken. They call themselves vegans but eat eggs and drink milk. They dont mind if animals get killed, because they realize that we are omnivores, but they dont really care for the taste of meat that much, and obviously dont like animal cruelty. These people are usually the most healthy of the vegans because they get more vitamins per tonnage yet do not "OD" on meat alone as some people seem to do. They are usually balanced mentally pretty well and are the easiest vegetarian to debate with because of the level-headedness. Now we have the omnivore. This person is much like the vegan "half & half, " but he doesnt go by any terms. He allows his body to tell him what to eat, because he knows it is already built correctly just the way it is. People such as this are usually healthy naturally and havent ever dealt with major diseases or anything like that which would force them to get more involved in their diet. The difference is that food is not a vice for them, so if their body tells them to eat, they will, but wont gorge themselves. They eat what their body is asking for, such as chicken or pork, salad or eggs. This is a very large percentage of people. Last but not least, the person who really doesnt care. Enough said....they dont care about anything, lost their wife because they are lazy, dont have a real job or degree to embetter themselves, or even get a shower everyday. This person is rather worthless on every level of society and will use and abuse taxpayers' money on welfare if at all possible. And finally, the carnivore. This person prides himself in the fact that he eats meat. He does this to the point of annoyance. He doesnt realize that this is not only a corny thing to pride oneself in, but he doesnt realize that there is a correllation between that and his wasteline. He is commonly called a hick, and is usually the very few that actually do commit animal cruelty. They are loveable and have great hearts, but can be as annoying sometimes as the "hemp-vegan." Their worst enemies are the flower-child vegans, because they easily outdebate the carnivore, because the carnivore has little education whether he is right or not. Because of a feeling of inadequacy, this will force him to become withdrawn and have a lack of outward show of feeling or affection. These are usually male."

***This is what I think: According to the sage and wise, all-knowing Chico....I think I fall somewhere between the "hater(hemp-vegan)" and "flower-child vegan". Though, after reading most of his bullying posts, I lean toward hater. I'm done wasting energy on this close-minded indivdual. But, I do think his posts offer good reading. Am I learning anything from them? Yes, but nothing I'd care to be. Viva Veganism!***

9:00


. . . . . . ....I only have limited time with my friends MAC bawt I

. . . . . . ....Shall return to give this a better reading,, Hmmmmm,


My new motto: "The eating of flesh extinguishes the seed of great compassion"

Current mood: calm
01 Nov 2005 Tuesday

It wouldn't fit in my headline so I went with the doggie quote. I believe this quote, a Buddhist one, sums up why I don't believe in eating or using any animal products. I've run into those carnivorous haters who bemoan why I put animals first. There's a simple answer. If you can't show compassion to animals, how the hell do you expect to show compassion to people? As for my choice to have "furbabies" in my life rather than human children, so be it. It's a decision I feel comfortable with. Unfortunately, all it took was Max's death nearly 2 weeks ago :( Otto helps out quite a bit (he's nestled in my left arm as I type this. One-hand typing is not fun but puppy mojo is the best feeling in the world) I also like this quote, from Gandhi: “To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. I should be unwilling to take the life of a lamb for the sake of the human body. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man. . . . I want to realize brotherhood or identity not merely with the beings called human, but I want to realize identity with all life, even with such things as crawl upon earth.” — Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
10:47