Cancel Notice

I decided to cancel my Twitter account. In order for it to work for me in the way I wanted it to, Twitter would have taken too much time out of my life and my life is a bit more precious than that so, Bye Twitterverse. 

I've also noticed people tend to find my blog via Googling related words or from my visits to forums and other blogs. Very rarely are people coming via Twitter.

I'll keep my Facebook account, as I have new plans there and promoting animal rights, but I LOATHE navigating there....



***Update: 9/8/2013: I've decided to reactivate my Twitter page! I'm looking at it in a different way now...focusing on that so it's all good now--Hey! FOLLOW ME! I always follow back!

Jains Connecting Traditional and Contemporary Living

The ancient Indian religion of Jainism, a close relative of Buddhism, has an adherence to nonviolence that forbids eating meat, encourages days of fasting and places value on the smallest of insects.

Now younger Jains, who resist the elaborate rituals of their parents, which include meditating 48 minutes a day and presenting statues of idols with flowers, rice and a saffron-and-sandalwood paste, are trying to reinterpret the traditions of their religion for 21st-century American life. They are expanding the definition of nonviolence to encompass environmentalism, animal rights and corporate business ethics, volunteering alongside other faiths, learning to lobby through political internships and youth groups, and veganism. 

Veganism--a step beyond the vegetarianism that the faith requires--is on the rise among young U.S.-born Jains, but younger Jains find it otherwise difficult to follow traditional rituals, with modern life and its excesses. 

Jains believe, for example, that even microbes in the air and water are sacred life and any action that impacts other living things--such as driving or using electricity--can add to bad karma. Yet many Jains are top doctors, lawyers and businesspeople, who use computers, cellphones and drive cars — and so they are increasingly seeking a compromise between their faith and practicality.

For the most part, elder Jains support the modified approach to 21st-century American life, but some worry their children will miss a deeper understanding without completing rituals that are so detailed that some Jains carry a small booklet with illustrated instructions. For instance, worshippers must shower, remove their shoes and change into loose-fitting, clean garments before approaching statues of 24 idols and must don a white mask to avoid breathing or spitting on the marble figures.

The faith’s Western evolution is being talked about openly and with greater urgency now that the small expatriate community that arrived in the 1960s has established itself by having a national umbrella organization, youth groups and more than 100 temples, including an enormous one south of Los Angeles.

Vegan is a Way of Life

Bruce Friedrich, senior director for Strategic Initiatives at Farm Sanctuary said this on his Facebook page on August 1, and asked for comments--which he got over 200 replies.

"I just wrote this on a comment on my wall, and I'm wondering what others think: "I'm comfortable with vegan referring exclusively to diet. The most frequent use of the word is on foods and cookbooks, I'd guess, where it is only referring to the lack of animal ingredients in food. And for the vast majority of people who think they know what it means, 'vegan' is a diet term. People fighting to identify vegan according to its original meaning are not likely to win that battle, I'm pretty sure. It's the nature of diction that word meanings change according to common use. Fighting it will be an exercise in frustration, I suspect."

I know some people feel with what seems to be an almost religious zeal that "vegan" must adhere to the original (purely animal rights, no leather, wool, silk, etc.) meaning, but surely that train has long since left the station. Is this really a battle worth fighting? Don't we have more important things to worry about? What do you think?"

I think to redefine the word vegan is crazy! And I'm sure the 2 reasons how this problem started as to why mainstream thinks veganism is a diet only are:

1. The vegan community some years back got lazy in their animal activism and just started mentioning the diet part at least most of the time in educating people so people just assumed by what most vegans talk about--the diet part--is basically what it means to be vegan.

2. Mainstream, on their own, simply started to embrace the diet part only in hopes of making it easy to be called vegan because--hey!--it's such a cool word that everyone should easily be called vegans. {rolls eyes}

One vegan has said vegans should be called, "Animal Rights Vegans", and let the word vegan by itself be for as to define a diet only.

I don't like this AT ALL.

Veganism means a lot more than "animal rights". Animal Rights can be defined in various ways anyway; it's simply too vague. Or saying "Cruelty-free Vegan" would be a misnomer too, as being vegan is more than just not being cruel to animals.

Animals should not be used in ANY way--THAT is how vegan is defined.

Always was and always should be.

By horribly diluting the word vegan, we make light of this social justice issue. Defining vegan as just a diet is a huge insult to this social justice word! Vegans have no other word as definition. We claimed that word and it's definition a long time ago and it should stay that way in how it's been originally defined.

Bruce asked, "Don't we have more important things to worry about". This IS one of the important things! His lame psychological BS does not intimidate me in how I feel about this subject.

We vegans CAN stop this attempt to redefine veganism by placing on all our animal rights blogs, articles, websites, cookbooks (which I think is part of the problem--too many vegan cookbooks makes mainstream think that's all veganism is about), on ALL our vegan education materials, on top of the page, explicitly explaining what being vegan truly means. And when we talk to others we should make damn sure people have a clear understanding that veganism is more than just what we put in out mouths. And we can explain to them in a way that doesn't overwhelm people.

Vegan is NOT just how we eat....

Vegan is a way of life.

Some Thoughts on “Veganpalooza” from Veganism is Nonviolence

As my regular readers know, I am against such social vegan meets like "vegfests" and "animal rights conferences", and this blogpost, titled: Some Thoughts on "Veganpalooza" tells it exactly like it is--preach it sister!

http://veganismisnonviolence.com/2013/08/14/somethoughtsveganpalooza/

Vegan Witches

LOVES IT!!!

Movie and Veggie Grill

On Sunday, it was a movie and a dinner for me. I went to see the film first, then decided to go to Veggie Grill to have a dinner meal for a change.

This is what I had (all vegan of course): Crispy Chickin' Plate,  Mac-n-Cheese, carrot cake and lemonade. The greens shown is kale; it was OK as it was typical tasting greens. 

Would a vegan explain to me why all the fuss is over kale?? 

Honestly, it so not a big deal. Cabbage is just as good, but I don't hear any vegans worshipping cabbage. My goodness, you'd think that kale taste better than this carrot cake by the way many vegans act regarding kale. Oh well, to each their own, but give me carrot cake any day! Now that's something to get very excited about! 

Also, Veggie Grill's own Crispy Chickin' was absolutely delicious with the gravy. So was the Mac-n-Cheese. The lemonade was nice and fresh.

Another fabulous meal at Veggie Grill!

Fierce Food and Fierce Animals

I went downtown today, having lunch at one of my favorite vegan restaurants, Veggie Grill. This was my "fierce food": Vegan cheesburger with yam fries and carrot cake. This is my favorite order at Veggie Grill. Drink is H20.

After having a fabulous fierce meal at Veggie Grill, I went to Portland Art Musuem. Since I hadn't been there in a few years, I wanted to go, so I chose this day for no special reason. As I was going to pay the $12.00 to get in, the lady at the desk said I can put my money back as it's a free day today! The museum was having a Free Family Community Day with music, merchandise, face painting and all sorts of other stuff going on outside. I had no idea about this special day, and apparently not many did as there was no line at all..no crowds. What a fierce day!

I spent several hours--as usual--there, but especially came to see the Fierce: Animal Life from the Collection exhibit.

FIERCE

Animal Life from the Collection

MAY 4 – AUG 25, 2013

Animals have held a significant place throughout the history of art, from the painted horses and cattle on the cave walls in Lascaux, France, to the Internet Cat Video Film Festival held at the Walker Art Center in 2012. FIERCE: Animal Life from the Collection, an installation of more than 70 photographs, celebrates the many distinguished animals—both domesticated and wild—that have enlivened the history of photography. From 19th-century documentary views to richly conceptual photographs created since the mid-20th century, the animals of FIERCE are presented as perceptive, spirited, dignified, and predatory beings existing in respectful but sometimes tenuous proximity to humans. Each photograph invites us to revel in the striking complexity of the furry and feathered beings that surround us, relate to us, and enhance our lives.

Here are my favorite photos from the Collection.

The following 4 works of art was not from the Fierce collection as the Fierce exhibit is only of photos, but I think it's apropos in adding them with my favorites from the exhibit (below is Owl Family).

By the way, today in general is a fierce day as it's Friendship Day, so I took this photo to honor this day.