Edible Garden is Sustainable, Tasty

Here are some terrific ideas for a sustainable garden: Edible garden is sustainable, tasty

Bite Size Food for Thought

3 terrific insights about what people eat:

Humans vs. Carnivores

Humane, Free-Range and Cruelty-Free

Is Honey Vegan? Healthy?

Today is World Environment Day. To celebrate, I bring you this awesomely cool video:

You CANNOT Be a Non-Vegan Environmentalist!

Charities: The Humane and the Inhumane

Here is a terrific list of charities that do not fund animal experiments, and charities that do, from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

CHARITIES

Oregon: Freedom to Marry

This is great, historical human rights news! Same-sex couples have finally been granted the legal right to marry in my state of Oregon (19th state to do so). Hopefully soon, all 50 states and beyond will legalize the right for same-sex couples to marry.

On May 19, 2014, Oregon became the nineteenth jurisdiction with the freedom to marry for same-sex couples when a federal judge struck down an anti-marriage constitutional amendment in the state that restricted marriage to different-sex couples. The decision took effect immediately, and same-sex couples began marrying just minutes after the ruling. 

Freedom to Marry worked closely with state and national partners in Oregon to form and lead Oregon United for Marriage, a coalition to win marriage in Oregon. Originally designed as a ballot campaign set to win the freedom to marry in the November 2014 election, the campaign shifted to become a public education campaign around two federal court cases in 2014.

As the cases made their way up through the courts, Oregon United for Marriage and others across the state engaged in conversations about why marriage matters and created a climate for victory.

HISTORY

In March 2004, the Multnomah County in Oregon began issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples, but after a months-long back-and-forth in the courts, these marriage licenses were declared invalid.

In November 2004, anti-gay forces in Oregon pushed through Ballot Measure 36, a constitutional amendment that excludes same-sex couples from marriage and prohibits same-sex couples from attaining any form of legal family status. 

On May 9, 2007, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed a broad domestic partnership bill after it was approved by the state legislature. The law - which provides some, but not all, of the protections that marriage affords - went into effect on February 1, 2008.

On October 18, 2013, Oregon began honoring the marriages of same-sex couples who legally married out of state.

GROUPS ACTIVELY WORKING ON MARRIAGE

• Oregon United for Marriage is the growing coalition dedicated to securing the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, leading the campaign to make Oregon the first state to proactively amend the constitution at the ballot in support of the freedom to marry. 
• Basic Rights Oregon is Oregon's central state organization committed to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage for same-sex couples nationwide.

(source: Freedom to Marry)

The Mystical Cat

There are very few cats left in India. Narikauravas, a group of wandering gypsies, eat them in south India—as they eat squirrels and other small animals. In the North, cats are killed and passed off as chicken. While many Indians keep dogs, very few keep cats.

Cats are a mystical animals with a long and colorful history as a companion for humans. 

There is an entire branch of prediction called Ailuromancy (from the Greek ailouros), which is divination using cats' movements to predict future events. Cats are supposed to be able to see the human aura or life force that is invisible to human eyes and predict ill health or even death. Kittens born in May are supposed to have special supernatural powers.

Here are some unusual historical superstitions and omens pertaining to cats from all over the world.

Cat Predictions

A cat sleeping with all its paws tucked under its body foretells of rain on the way.

If the cat is curled up on the ground with its forehead touching the ground it means stormy weather is coming.

A cat sneezing once is said to indicate rain; a cat sneezing three times indicates that the humans of the household will catch a cold.

A cat washing its face on your front doorstep foretells of a visit from a member of the priesthood.

Finding a white hair on a black cat brings good luck.

A cat placed into the empty cradle of a newlywed couple will lead to conception--providing that the cat doesn't jump right back out.

Cats coming into the house foretell of birth and fertility.

If a tortoiseshell cat features in your dreams, you will be lucky in love.

If a cat washes its face in front of a gathering of people, the first person that the cat looks at afterwards will be the first to marry.

If you willfully kill a cat, you will automatically forfeit your soul to the devil. Whoever kills a cat will never have good luck.

If a cat is following you it means money is coming your way.

Carrying a cat over a stream or other body of running water is bad luck.

If you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb before pressing it into the middle of your opposite palm while making a wish. Your wish should come true.

If you rub a cat's fur backwards, you'll soon get into a fight.

If the cat washes behind her ear, a stranger will appear. If a cat washes it's ear three times, you can expect a visitor from the direction that it's looking. 

If a cat is grooming itself and puts its paw around its right ear, it means a gentleman is coming; left ear, a lady is coming to visit.

If a man dreams of a cat and the cat scratches him, his sweetheart will be a spiteful termagant. If a woman dreams the same, she has a rival.

A cat following you means money is coming your way.

If you chase away a cat from your house, bad luck is sure to befall you.

If a cat sneezes the day before a wedding, the marriage will be happy.

Other Animals Observed for Predictions

Human beings are so anxious to know the future that they will use anything for prophecy. 

Alectryomancy means divination by means of a cock, encircled by grains of corn placed on the letters of the alphabet which are then put together in the order in which the grains were eaten .This was done by the Greeks. 

Hippomancy, which means prediction based on a horse's pace or neighing, was practiced by the Celts, who had a horse goddess named Epona. 

Myomancy is predicting events through the movements of rats--a practice in Egypt and Assyria. 

And finally, Orniscopy is telling the future through the movement and formation of birds in flight and was started by the Greeks who believed that birds were instruments of gods sent specially for this purpose.

(source: eKantipur.com)

Vegan-Friendly Fiction Only!

Quite some time ago, I've noticed myself naturally becoming more and more sickened by reading novels containing animal cruelty as if it's OK, like hunting (including the hunting of fish called "fishing"), eating animal flesh in restaurants, eating dairy and eggs, wearing leather, and the horrible list goes on.

Just today as I was reading a novel, there's a character who wears cashmere. I decided to skip the paragraph but then to read the character is now eating steak....I decided to stop reading this book and to now make a conscious decision to never, ever read a fiction book that promotes animal cruelty.

The reason I will still read non-fiction books with possible animal cruelty in it, is because true books are for serious study, education, reference and of historical knowledge. Whereas books of fiction are designed for the pure pleasure, enjoyment of reading. I do not find pro-cruelty pleasurable reading. But if the novel mentions animal cruelty in a negative way--great!--I'll read that.

I love reading fiction and as I researched online, looking for vegan-friendly novels, I was so disappointed to find not many exist. There are some books mentioning a token vegan, but rarely do I find an entire novel that's vegan-friendly.

Well, for now, I recently bought two vegan novels that I will read this summer--thank you Kim Barnouin! I just hope other authors publish more vegan-friendly novels, instead of publishing so many vegan cookbooks that are already on the market....