Thursday, October 27, 2011

Spicy taste buds...

So tonight I attempted veggie chorizo (I think that is how you spell it) w/ mexican rice & it is delicious! Especially for a last minute, quick dinner.

That's all for now!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

I've always liked Pam Anderson...

Seriously - I'm way excited to see these new vegan lines! The new cruelty-free Muse line is set to debut this summer.

http://vegetarianstar.com/2009/03/31/pamela-anderson-richie-rich-do-cruelty-free-muse-fashion-line/

Leona Lewis Launches Vegan clothing line

How awesome is that?! Maybe the more celebrities that speak for the animals will encourage the general public to become aware of animal welfare.

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2008/05/leona-lewis-launches-vegan-clothing-line/

Madden Girl Shallis Black Faux Patent Mary Jane Heel

I've always wanted a pair of mary janes! Steve - why could you not make some to fit those with extremely small feet - like a size 3?
Madden Girl Shallis Black Faux Patent Mary Jane Heel

Humanely Euthanize...

Isn't that an oxymoron? I'm reading a proposed animal control ordinance for a little town of Borger. As they list out their terms & meanings, I came across this:

Humanely Euthanize:
1. Rapidly produces unconciousness & death without visible evidence of pain or distress
2. Utilizes anesthesia produced by an agent that causes painless loss of consciousness, and death following such loss of consciousness.

Without visible evidence...just because the animal is not squirming or squealing for its life does not mean it does not feel pain or experiences pain.

I'm sorry, but people are just arrogant & stupid sometimes. Just my opinion.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Definitely small town country

All I have to say is, one of the biggest farmers I know wants to take me to a local "auction"...I'm not so sure if I would like to join in. I mean, part of me is for it because it helps me learn & see the other side first hand, but the other side is not wanting to support the event. I don't know...why can't life be simple?

Friday, October 7, 2011

Fatal Bites...

This past Monday, an 11 day old baby was killed in Amarillo Texas..
http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2011-10-04/mom-unsure-how-pit-bull-grabbed-baby

After briefly searching the web, majority of the stories I saw all concluded that pit bulls are dangerous & at fault for fatal or near fatal bites. I may not know much about the pit bull breed, but what I find absolutely ridiculous is the animals are immediately euthanized after any sort of bite, fatal or not, most of the time. I'm not saying either that it is ok for a dog to kill a human being or attack other animals or persons who come across their path. But does anyone stop and ask "what caused that type of behavior" or do humans ever take responsibility for their part in "raising" their pet? No. I do not believe pit bulls (or any other "aggressive" dog) are born "natural killers". I believe the main reason pit bulls get such a bad wrap is because a) their owners train them to be aggressive & fight, going for the kill b) bias media coverage c) it's just their fault, the human did nothing to provoke a defensive behavior.

ASPCA's article on bias media reporting definitely makes you think:
http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/advocacy-center/animal-laws-about-the-issues/pit-bull-bias-in-the-media.aspx

And it's absolutely unheard of that the news/media would lie, twist words/events to deliver the juiciest cover story for better ratings, right? Umm, no. You can't believe everything you hear or see. And no, I'm not trying to bash every news anchor or whatever - I'm simply pointing out the reality that not everyone tells the truth. And the public generally is not getting the entire story.

Back to the dog - um, hello? Do you think this is what we get when we try to domestic wild animals & expect them to live to our social standards, yet if one lets out their "natural" side/instinct, they are automatically put down & all the blame is pointed towards them. No, I don't believe that it is okay for a dog to bite a human or attack & in the event one does, action should be taken.  And I know that the human life is more valuable (but I believe all beings should have the right to live free from harm...even if it is a far stretched dream like world peace) but do those owners who have provoked their animal or mistreated them or whatever other horrible thing, are they held accountable? I haven't heard of very many...it's good though that there has been headway in the area of animal welfare, it's just not at the level of concern that I would like it to be. Can you blame a dog who defends themself if someone is setting them on fire? Or beating them? And there are many other scenarios, these are just the ones I could think of at the moment. It's not like they knew better, it's instinct. There are people who have disabilities or mental issues that harm others, but it wasn't necessary meant to be malicious...they didn't know better. They are given help & a chance, so why can't some form of that courtesy be shown to those "below" us?

I'm really not that great at "communication" or explaining my thoughts very clearly. What crossed my mind though with this Amarillo incident is the initial story doesn't add up...& it's not even 100% certain if it was the dog...and yes, it is a horrible tragedy & my prayers go out to them, but I still wouldn't put foul play past any human. I've seen the ugly in people...I was programmed to distrust then trust. That's why I had such a heart for my furry friends (which grew into all beings so on & so forth) as a child because they accepted me. They love you unconditionally. They are able to "trust" man again even after horrific things have been done to them. They didn't make fun of me or put me down. They didn't try to change me.

So I'm sure this is probably all non-sense to others, but it makes sense in my head. It would just be nice to have like minded people around to talk to where I am, but there's not. I stick out like a sore thumb...but it's okay. I'm happy with what I believe in & try everyday to live a more compassionate lifestyle that is being directed by Him. Maybe one day I can learn to trust people again just like our fellow 4 legged friends.