Chickens Roosting at night VIDEO

I mentioned on Twitter that Ms Crazy Hormonal Brooding Hen had snapped out of her delusion, now she's nesting with the other Chickens again! 

Chickens naturally like to "roost", to perch up high, in Trees, bushes....or on a beam across a Chicken Coop.

In this video, our little friends have moved down the shelf to say hello, later on, as it became dark outside, they'd perch together on the beam that you can see here, although they wanted to rebel as I took that photo too!  Have you ever noticed how they have a "punk rock mohawk"?  Well, now you have!

Notice their possessed looking eyes!



If that was an unflattering side to Chicken Friends, I hope this'll take away the nasty taste in your mouth!

"Farm Rescue" Facebook game

I've discovered a hot new Facebook game, "Farm Rescue", where we get to "look after Chickens", check out the guide

"Customizing Your Appearance
You can click on your character in the game to customize the colors. The possible customizations are gender, hair color, eye color, shirt color, and skin color. I know, this isn't much to customize, but this isn't an avatar customizing game, we're trying to help chickens here!"


 http://www.farmrescuegame.com/guide

Cripes, so we can choose our eye, shirt and skin coloUr, but remember kids, we're doing this to help Chickens!  Imagine all the Chickens in the world, desperate to have the suffix "Friend" bolted on the back of their name, instead, we're playing Facebook Games, and "helping" virtual Chickens, made of pixels!

Episode 38 Vegan Dot Com

Episode 38 Vegan Dot Com
====================

Vegans promoting nonVeganism as ethical, A birthday song for William Paul, and Return To Oz

Subscribe in iTunes or direct download this episode here

Hello and welcome to another episode of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals. 

I'm recording this on William Pauls birthday, I'd like to make a toast.  William, you're always out there, on the streets of Auckland, homeless…..no, just kidding, out tabling on the streets of Auckland, and you never ask for any credit.  On this special day, when we are reminded of how you've become one year closer to death, may we rise to sing…

Happy birt….come on everyone, sing along with old crazy Jordan…



Yeah thats right, I was down with synthetic voices BEFORE it was cool.


This episode is not just an excuse to sing along with a Robo Choir, I'd like to mention my recent blog post, an Open Letter to Erik Marcus.

In the post, I asked Erik, of Vegan Dot Com if he would please stop promoting different kinds of Welfare Reforms as a way forward, of asking quote ".. for vegans to team up with conscientious omnivores to push an issue".

I think we should instead avoiding funding Think Tanks to come up with new variations of "nonVegan", of ways to sexy it up, I think "non Vegan" is just fine.  Otherwise we get into some kind of crazy half page description, "well I'm a meat eater, leather wearer, toast smeared with egger, fur is murder-rer, milk is for adult men-tor…"

Vegan and NonVegan suit me just fine, I think neither is a loaded term.

My letter was linked to by Gary Francione, it was nuts, from my usual couple people a day who stop by my blog,it was I'd picked up a Quad Damage,, the number of visitors rocket-jumped their way up into BFG territory.


For those who didn't grow up playing Quake III Arena, a lot more people visited, ok?

Vegan Super Powers VIDEO

I've always felt great, although not to the extent that I have super powers* :-(

Thank goodness we dont have "half and half" here in New Zealand, one less Achilles Heel!



*I do have the ability to talk with Chicken Friends though, does that count?

A Day in the Life of a Chicken Friend! VIDEO

"Jordan, what do your Chicken Friends do all day?"

Well soon you'll know!



Note:  My largest video ever, the version I uploaded was *240MB* !!!  Definitely worth watching in 720 Fullscreen, even if you download the damn video to your computer :)


On this page, choose to save either .MP4 file (High Quality 50MB or High Definition 130MB)
http://keepvid.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dzj8gL8lj-Yg

"Why We Can't Have Nice Things" :) VIDEO

Why we can't have nice flowers :)



(Only kidding, they eat VERY few flowers :)  I do keep my vegetables fenced off however)

"If you care about Farm Animals...EAT THEM"?!?!?

 I was blown away by *the* new reader of my blog from the previous Open Letter to Erik Marcus post,  Hi number six!  I'd love it if you'd hang around, and listen to my podcast :-)  Consider this post a sequel.  And yes, that means it will be inferior, and is just a giant visitors-grab, I'm aiming for lucky seven :)

"If you care about Farm animals:  Eat them." the article begins
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenna-woginrich/if-you-care-about-farm-an_b_785571.html

"Quite frankly, there's a lot of meat around here. I live in an agricultural Mecca known as Washington County. My region of Southwestern Vermont and Northeastern New York (which I lovingly refer to as Veryork) is thriving with small-scale, ethical, sustainable farms producing (within fifteen miles of my front door) beef, pork, turkey, chicken, rabbit, lamb, mutton, deer, emus, and spit-ready goats. There are trout-rich rivers, venison in the fields, pheasants-and-ducks-a-plenty, and even the occasional bear or squirrel stew. Protein sources like these, raised by my neighbors, friends, and coworkers are plentiful. When I found out I was surrounded by so much grass-fed meat and wild game it seemed ridiculous to keep eating tofu shipped in diesel rigs from California. "

Well Jenna, I hope you never visit a more densely populated area! "...with all these people around..."

This part in particular "... it seemed ridiculous to keep eating tofu shipped in diesel rigs from California..."

If Tofu is unavailable where you live ( and uh....I live at the bottom of the world...Tofu is easily available at every supermarket here...), why not make it yourself?  Certainly sounds a lot easier than fattening up animals....cleaning away their piles of waste, killing them, getting rid of their blood, skeletons.... to process Soy Beans into Tofu!

"Since my reasons for being a vegetarian were entirely about avoiding factory-farmed meat: I decided it was time to start supporting the farmers who were raising animals the way I wanted them raised. It took a couple years to take that first bite, but now I am a proud and happy carnivore. I support local meat farmers, I raise my own animals for food, and I hunt wild game as well."

Damn those New Welfarists!  See what we've done?  Now its all about TREATMENT, ie "boy, that PETA video with animals being skinned alive...that moment when *IT* looked at me....gee willikers! When I buy my next fur coat, I'll make sure to buy from the Animal Rights Approved "killed before stripped of *IT'S* skin" range!  It costs more, but its worth it, its the RIGHT thing to do, the HUMANE thing.... because I love animals soooooo much....you know..."

And where are all these supposed "Vegans who secretly lust for flesh"?  Do they have secret meat-porn websites they visit several times a day, showing high quality .JPG's of flesh, do they lick their screens?!?

When we are truthful about our own beliefs, including that INSANE idea that its a bad thing to hurt animals, then we avoid all these BIZARRE missteps!

"As a meat farmer myself, I feel as if I am on the front lines of factory-farm liberation. I am providing people with an option of local, grass-fed, healthy animals they can visit and see in person any time they wish instead of some factory-slaughter, diesel-shipped, airline loaded piece of frozen mutton from New Zealand."
 
Ha, damn New Zealanders!  Them and their evil, unsubsidised farming ways....wait, wasn't that meant to HELP the animals?  And what *has* Jenna got against diesel trucks?  Does she have one of those bumper stickers with Calvin peeing on a Diesel powered car?  Or, did one just happen to drive past as she wrote her article?  :)

"...as a meat farmer....[I'm] on the front lines of factory-farm liberation..." hmm, perhaps the only person "in the front lines of (Animal) liberation" to realise Singers book is NOT about Animal Rights! 

"I am constantly told that our ability to choose means that we should opt away from eating animals. I say it is our ability to choose that proves that we are animals, and should eat accordingly. Our choice should not be "what" we eat, but "how" we eat."

Just like the proverbial SAFE Campaign wheel tick tick ticking past "Vegan Campaign" every single spin in recorded history....oooh, so close!  You agree we have the ability to choose what we do to others, well I *do* think we should "opt away from eating (other) animals".

Our choice on "*what*" to eat should never include a "*who*".  I wouldnt choose between which of my human friends to eat, "hmm, will it be Andy or will it be Randy?  You know, I think I'll go with Elizabeth...",  why would I pick between the nonhuman friends I love?

Of course, Jenna, surrounded by sooooo many people might choose otherwise.

Rescued bird flies away safely VIDEO

I found a wild Bird trapped in our glasshouse. They get along well with my Chicken Friends, smaller and female Birds are allowed to share food, male Birds, especially Blackbirds seem to be CHASED AWAY by the Hens.


*NOTE* I would NEVER normally delay releasing a trapped bird, all to take some stupid video, I had my iPhone in my pocket it, the bird in my hand, and as I walked out of the glasshouse, it took no extra time to hold my iPhone with my other hand as I let the bird go.  PLEASE, if you find a trapped bird, do not waste time recording videos for posterity.  Their lives are worth more than a 10MB video clip.

I was surprised the Bird didnt rest where I intended to put them, perhaps they were so scared they just wanted to get the hell away, to rest later?  Its very risky for Birds to be trapped, as they can have a heart attack from the stress.  Once more, please, dont waste time trying to record silly videos, do the right thing, and SAFELY catch them, to QUICKLY and GENTLY be put outside, to be free once more.


If you watch in Fullscreen, there's a 720P option.

I save any animals I can, be they Mice from cats, Flies in a Spider web, or a Bird trapped in a glass box.  Many people think I'm stupid for rescuing animals from the first two scenarios, I think most people would save a Bird.  I see no real difference among the victims life, for thats what they are, a victim of a predator.  I think its speciesist to imagine a difference in worth. 

It takes so very little of my time to help another animal, why *wouldnt* I?  It makes me think of all the people who scream out to an "all powerful being", if they truly existed, able to build an entire existence in a few days, why would they not also rescue an animal about to die?

Freeing that one trapped bird made me think of these Hens
http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2010/11/live-video-stream-of-chickens-on-farm.html

Live Video Stream of Chickens on a Farm

I cant believe this live stream from a farm is continuing, "the camera cant be found because the farm is so large, and all the cages look alike" 

 

http://www.anonymous.org.il/art731.html

Of course, the solution is *NOT* to "ban battery cages", but to be Vegan.

It breaks my heart seeing Chickens like that, kept in *ANY* way as a "thing".  I look at my own little friends, how clever they are, of how they move, of how they like to *LIVE*...

"Filming location wanted" for flesh promoting videos

"Filming location wanted" for some sort of flesh promoting videos, starring Sarah Ulmer, NZ athlete who starred in the "Beef + Lamb, be twice as cruel!" commercials:
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/meat-and-wool/5/2

Ulmer played director while the Evers-Swindell twins dance, note the song is sung by a former Vegetarian...

"Beef + Lamb New Zealand is delighted to support five of New Zealand's top female athletes: Olympic Gold Medalist, cyclist Sarah Ulmer, double Olympic Gold Medalist rowers, Georgina Earl (nee Evers-Swindell) and Caroline Meyer (nee Evers-Swindell), World BMX Champion Sarah Walker and Alison Shanks, World Champion Pursuit Cyclist. All enjoy and include lean beef and lamb in their training regime and as part of a healthy well-balanced lifestyle..

These high-achieving sportswomen are ideal role models for promoting a healthy diet, which includes lean red meat. They recognise the importance of a balanced diet and believe in the benefits of eating lean red meat including the essential minerals, iron and zinc as well as the B vitamins and high quality protein R11 all required for optimum performance."

 "Beef and Lamb Sports Ambassadors"

"They're happy because they eat lard".... "issued by The Lard Information Council" (Thanks Roger Yates)

An Open Letter To Erik Marcus

*update* (wheres that blink tag...) Due to an influx of A new reader, a sequel post can be found here http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2011/01/ethically-obligated-to-protest-burying.html *update*

**Update, I covered this blog post on Episode 38 Vegan Dot Com, which you can directly download here, or preferably subscribe and get from my iTunes listing,
http://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/coexisting-with-nonhuman-animals/id334206335

**

An Open Letter to Erik Marcus

(because I'm just *CERTAIN* you're one of my five listeners!)

Dear Erik,

When I had first become Vegan, I listened to your debate with Professor Gary Francione, perhaps the finest 32kbps mono MP3 file I've ever heard.  You are indeed a master of lossy audio compression, my own episodes waste more drive space, while offering a fraction of the actual content, kudos to you and Francione.

I quickly realised where I stood on the issues discussed, larger cages for Hens, of awarding "feel good terms" to those who buy animal flesh and bodily secretions, to learning how "Happy Meat" animal products can be compared to a "Connecticut minimum security prison".  Do you not find it odd that 56 Billion totally innocent land animals get to ride ol' Sparky each year?  Remind me not to jaywalk in Connecticut!

Erik, one of your most recent blog posts offended me:

"Between the resultant higher feed grain costs and the end of direct production subsidies for meat and dairy products, animal agriculture as we know it would cease to exist. That this sort of move is even on the table for public discussion shows that we’ve reached a pivotal moment, and that an unprecedented opportunity has fallen into our laps.
If there’s ever been a time for vegans to team up with conscientious omnivores to push an issue, this is it."
http://www.vegan.com/blog/2010/11/14/seizing-the-moment-to-eliminate-farm-subsidies/

No, "This Is It" featured a NON MOONWALKING MJ, I mean, what kind of rip off is that?  Its a little like a "Vegan dot com" without the Vegan.

I can assure you, as a New Zealander, living in a country without subsidised animal agriculture, this will do nothing to help the animals.  We are sadly quite efficient at *exporting* animal flesh and their bodily secretions, our "free market" does not involve "an invisible hand" "cooking the books", that hand's too busy cooking the animals I love and care for.


"Output and net incomes for the New Zealand dairy industry are higher now than before subsidies ended--and the cost of milk production is among the lowest in the world."
http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0303/newzealand_subsidies.shtml

Your article was forwarded online among many non-vegans, including New York Times Food Journalist Mark Bittman

Note pan-cooked tofu

The term you used, "conscientious omnivores", albeit shortened above for a Tweet, has become a buzzword, a way to feel good about ourselves.   Rather than saying "I like to eat dead animals!  I find their bodily secretions rather yummy!", hip non-vegans may now instead boast "oh, I'm a *conscientious omnivore* you know, I onnnnnnnnnly eat *humanely* slaughtered animals you know, because I care for them soooo much....you know..."  And where are they getting this "Temple Grandin=Animal Rights activist" thumbs up from?  Vegan dot com.

Your debate with Professor Francione had a mention of how Welfare promotion could cause his rescued dogs to bark.  I end this open letter with mention of how each time a curious non-vegan discovers "Vegan dot com", and its backing of "free range" methods of killing Chickens - and all other animals - my friend Mr Rooster glowers in disapproval :

My FURIOUS feathered Friend

He may be a Bantam, I may be 1.95 metres tall (6 feet 5 inches), but I find him TERRIFYING when he gets in this state!

Please Erik, change your websites URL, (might I suggest "nonvegan.com" or "antivegan.com"?), if not for me, then for the animals I love.

Yours,

Jordan Wyatt
Invercargill,
NEW ZEALAND

P.S I would love to hear you debate with Professor Francione again

*update* (wheres that blink tag...) Due to an influx of A new reader, a sequel post can be found here http://coexistingwithnonhumananimals.blogspot.com/2011/01/ethically-obligated-to-protest-burying.html *update*

**Update, I covered this blog post on Episode 38 Vegan Dot Com, which you can directly download here, or preferably subscribe and get from my iTunes listing,
http://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/coexisting-with-nonhuman-animals/id334206335
**

"Yoghurt for 'Real Men'" :)

"Yoghurt for 'real men'" by Fonterra, New Zealands dairy giant
http://fonterra.co.nz/

"In a man's world, blueberry yoghurt is for girls on diets. Or so you would think.
Fonterra has created a range of products - Mammoth Supply Co - which it thinks will fill a void for tough-guy snacks.
They include the apple and blueberry yoghurt (it's super-thick and chunky, so it's made for a man), rum and cola icecream, and iced coffees.
Adverts for the products will be aired on radio and television from today - playing on the social stereotypes of what is "okay" and "not okay" for men to stay manly.
Tubs of the new yoghurt come with a spoon and in a 325g carton - much larger than the usual 150g snack-size pottles - with a label that reads: "This is men's yoghurt and you are a man. Now find a spoon, fork or spade and dig in."
The adverts are narrated by the deep voice of The Big Lebowski actor Sam Elliott, who says what men "can" and "can't" do according to social stereotypes."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10687670

Isn't it odd to imagine big hairy men eating food expressed for infants?

C'mon "real men", lets show we no longer crap our nappies, and need to be "burped" by Nanny, We Are Weaned!
(see how many familiar faces you spot!)

Episode 37 Hey Hey Hey, Nah Nah Nah!

Episode 37 Hey Hey Hey, Nah Nah Nah!
=============================

Multi Million dollar welfare campaigns revisited, Farm hygiene, New Zealand Snow and Earthquakes, Slinkskins, Dairy "inductions", Dairy Automation,Beer ads and Cute Vegan kids!


Hello and welcome to episode 37 of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals, with the fantastic title of "hey hey hey hey, na na na na", all will be explained shortly.

This episode will serve as a catchup to all the stories I've missed. I should start off by at first playing some more news coverage about my last episodes topic, Animal Rights group SAFE, and their multimillion dollar Welfare campaign:

Once more, SAFE say they are NOT promoting "free range" or "non factory farmed" animal bits and pieces, but thats certainly how the media covers their angle, and they know that by now.  As we all said on my last episode, Abolitionist Vegans wish they would simply promote Veganism as the *least* we can do for other animals, rather than some as yet un tit-tit-tit-tit-tit-tick tick tick….tick'ed entry on the big wheel of future Campaigns.

"Southland Seal Stoner", of men who throw rocks at seals

A recent uproar in my area has been about a group of men who threw stones at a seal resting on land, a "protected" animal.  The group had taken photos and video, which were on their Facebook page. 

The story can be seen here, the second link, to The Southland Times contains the video of the seal being hit with stones:



http://www.3news.co.nz/Default.aspx?TabId=423&articleID=186062&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3a+co%2fHCaY+%283News-+Latest+News%29&ce2637=1


http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4339620/Southland-man-guilty-of-seal-attack


Its interesting how Saturdays edition of The Southland Times led with the story,

"Judge Phillips said McKenzie's behaviour was atrocious and not the first time he had attacked an animal, which was the reason for his jail term and not a fine.
In August last year McKenzie was sentenced to 250 hours' community work for cutting the ears and tail off a stolen domestic pig with his friend before setting it free in a forest where he hunted.
The pig was later found with its wounds infested with maggots and it had to be treated with penicillin when returned to its owners.
McKenzie justified his actions by saying the pig had a better chance of surviving being hunted by pig dogs because it had no ears, Judge Phillips said."

"“This court is here to protect the defenceless, and that includes those types of animals.”"

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4342305/Animal-abuser-jailed-other-killings-still-unsolved

Ah, so the "defenceless" are SOME "types of animals", but not others, just as deserving of our respect, such as Chickens, Sheep, Cows, Ducks, Pigs...

There is no ethical difference between throwing rocks at animals, cutting ears of other animals, or killing animals for our "food", the group are said to be Freezingworkers (slaughtermen), we shouldnt be harming animals, nonhuman or human.

As explained by Gary Francione, We're All Michael Vick:
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20070822_Were_all_Michael_Vick.html

Another "sorta" Vegan caught out, Alicia Silverstone

As tweeted by Mylène

"Alicia Silverstone drools over BK veggie burger, then advocates using honey on her blog, now she admits to eating cheese: http://is.gd/gX2Pj "

What a wicked cult of celebrity we create by worshipping "Famous People who go (often sorta) Vegan", just another case of a PETA spokeswoman being "caught out"....

""Being flexible that way makes more people comfortable," she said. "If I'm rigid about it and I'm perfect, then no one is going to be able to be like me because I'll be this icey, rigid thing.""

I dont think anyone is "perfect", although I sure as hell try to be when it comes to avoiding harm towards others. And what a lame excuse it is, when you might point out something we do, and to have another person comment "oh, we cant ALL be PERFECT  you know...", similar to "you're just a DO-GOODER!"  I personally dont see any great efforts in being Vegan, in most cases, its a matter of picking Product X (Soymilk) instead of Product Y (the milk taken from Cows), often which are on the very same shelf!


"Even a proud vegan like [sic]Alicia Silverestone gives in to temptation once in a while."

I can assure you "Us Magazine", I'm never close to being "tempted" when it comes to so much as looking at dead flesh, and the byproducts we take from animals.  The thought of eating something nonvegan; the blood, the guts, their chopped off heads, their dead skin, a mothers milk, the "Hen's Periods" that are their eggs....UGH! 

For more on Veganism, please visit
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/

"Kedgley's animal cruelty bill defeated in Parliament"

"The Greens' Sue Kedgley made a passionate appeal in Parliament tonight for an end to the suffering of factory-farmed animals but her member's bill was defeated 62-57.
The bill would have phased out sow crates and battery hens over five years and it had the backing of all parties except National and ACT.
"Parliament has the chance tonight to right a terrible wrong and end the suffering millions of factory-farmed animals suffer every day," Ms Kedgley said."


"Whatever weasel words are used, those who vote against my bill will be voting for animal cruelty to continue indefinitely."
...Ms Kedgley had wanted MPs to be allowed conscience votes on the bill, which would have removed party control, but Speaker Lockwood Smith refused on the grounds that it dealt with an issue that was primarily economic.
That reasoning was rejected by Ms Kedgley who said animal cruelty was a moral and ethical issue."


http://www.3news.co.nz/Kedgleys-animal-cruelty-bill-defeated-in-Parliament/tabid/419/articleID/185739/Default.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+co%2FHCaY+%283News-+Latest+News%29


Welfare reforms only make us, as consumers of animal flesh and byproducts feel better, we're not helping the pigs, chickens, cows.... by spending millions asking for Welfare reforms.  We should focus on promoting Veganism to consumers.

Hens like to dig! VIDEO

A broody hen, outside digging like...well....a hen possessed?  Look at her lovely feathers, and how long her neck is, I dont think we appreciate the "swanlike" qualities of Chickens, instead, we expect their lives to cost a couple dollars per kilogram.



As always, watch fullscreen, in as high a quality as you can!

Metal Gear Rooster VIDEO

Metal Gear Rooster, coming soon to a PSP near you!

Watch fullscreen, and 720! :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid

Episode 36 Mysterious Millionaires and multimillion dollar Welfare Campaigns

Episode 36 Mysterious Millionaires and multimillion dollar Welfare Campaigns
======================================



Hello and welcome to another fine episode of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals, Mysterious Millionaires and Multimillion dollar Welfare Campaigns.  I had another new bumper, from my Canadian friend Lara, I always enjoy having Vegan voices from around the world on my show, if you're interested in recording an intro for me, please let me know, my email is jay wont dart @gmail.com , j a y, w o n t, d a r t @gmail.com, or you can find me on Facebook, Twitter…all with the name jay wont dart.

Listen here, direct download or subscribe to my show on iTunes :-)
http://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/coexisting-with-nonhuman-animals/id334206335

New Episode soon, SAFE Welfare "whistle blowers"

The television program "Sunday" once again covered SAFE and Welfare Reform, this time, with a very wealthy woman donating $2 Million NZD to SAFE, to be used in campaigning against "factory farms", including offering up to tens of thousands of dollars to farm workers who "dob in" their bosses, telling of "cruelty" on farms.

The videos are available to watch online here:

http://tvnz.co.nz/sunday-news/coming-up-sunday-dob-in-boss-3877205

A new episode of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals will hopefully be out tomorrow, I hope to have some guests joining me to talk about this latest Welfare initiative!

Work Overalls, "I'm Vegan" badges

Its *VERY* masculine by NZ standards to wear little badges saying "I'm Vegan and I love you" on your work overalls, it really accentuates the "working class/bad ass/blue collar" image I strive for.

http://www.herbivoreclothing.com/products/I'm-Vegan-And-I-Love-You-2-Button-Set.html

For the rest of the photos, at full quality:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaywontdart/sets/72157625196265409/

*SHOCK!* Robot Identifies Humans as made of "meat" too

"Let the robot holocaust commence: robots think we taste like bacon.
Researchers at NEC System technologies and Mie University have designed the cute little guy to the right: a metal man gastronomist, “an electromechanical sommelier”, capable of identifying wines, cheeses, meats and hors d’oeuvres. Upon being given a sample, he will speak up in a childlike voice and identify what he has just been fed. ...

But when some smart aleck reporter placed his hand in the robot’s omnivorous clanking jaw, he was identified as bacon. A cameraman then tried and was identified as prosciutto."


http://www.wired.com/table_of_malcontents/2006/11/robot_identifie/

Not surprising, although is it sad that artificial intelligence can recognise we too are animals, when our own "organic intelligence" often cannot?

Thanks Mylène!

SAFE's $2Million war on "factory farming"

Today I received an email from SAFE, a New Zealand Animal "Rights" group who focus on Welfare reforms:
"

$2M ANTI-FACTORY FARMING FUND REVEALED

Factory-farmed pigs and chickens will soon have a powerful and wealthy ally in the form of a mystery multi-millionaire who is joining forces with SAFE in an effort to prevent widespread animal suffering on factory farms.

Sunday will reveal SAFE now has a $2 million fund with its main purpose of freeing pigs and battery hens from cruelty. It’s a new offensive in the war against sow crates and battery farming and the millionaire has pledged to spend until the job is done.

SAFE director Hans Kriek says that the Sunday programme will announce an exciting new initiative that will be considered by pig, chicken and battery hen farmers as the single biggest threat that they have ever faced.

 

Missed the Sunday programme?

View online after 9pm, Sunday. Have your say on the Sunday's message board.

Make an instant $3 donation

Text PIGS to 4419

Vote with your heart and wallet! Don't buy factory-farmed pork. 

Take the pledge against pig cruelty.

Click here to join SAFE's facebook page.

Author Anna Sewell once wrote: "If we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt."""

 I'll be VERY interested to find out more, who the "mysterious millionaire" is (comedian Mike King from past "welfare exposés?"), and what footage of screaming pigs/chickens in cages will be used. 

 Continuing this Welfare Reform will ultimately will do NOTHING to help animals, I, like many other New Zealand Vegans wish SAFE would simply promote *veganism*!  Think of how well all the Vegan advocates in the world are spreading the message, through creative, and nonviolent education, of recognising we are *all* the "exploiters" of animals, not just some shadowy quote "factory farm" on the outskirts of town.  *WE* are responsible for how we treat others, please SAFE, promote Veganism!

I'll mention this on my next show.

*edit* further information
"Dob in the boss
Pigs and chickens have found a powerful and wealthy ally. A mystery multi-millionaire is promising rewards of thousands of dollars to farm workers who report their employers for cruelty to animals. There's a $2 million war chest aimed at freeing pigs, and chickens crowded into cages. It's a new offensive in the war against sow crates and battery farming and the millionaire has pledged to spend until the job is done." *edit*

**edit**
The show was released and can be viewed online here: http://tvnz.co.nz/sunday-news/coming-up-sunday-dob-in-boss-3877205 I'll be talking about it on my next episode **edit**

Clever Hen! VIDEO

Are Chickens "stupid"? NO!

Play fullscreen, HD quality is available

Chickens Run To Greet Me! VIDEO

This is the STAMPEDE that I come home to each day! (watch fullscreen!)



Watch as Mr Rooster "threatens the hens back in line", "git in behind!" "heel boy, heel!", THE RUNNING OF THE HENS!, he tries to quell the STAMPEDE , by "making a cape" from his wing. It doesnt work though, they're too excited to see ME!

The "ook ook ook" clucking noise is from the yellow hen with black spots on her tail feathers, shes broody at the moment, wanting to sit on a nest, her hormones are all out of whack, part of her odd behaviour includes that noise!

Happy World Vegan Day

In The Morning to you, on a wonderful World Vegan Day :)

The last video of Ms Hen, mentioned on Episode 35
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdcdsNrIkBg

My other YouTube videos can be found here
http://www.youtube.com/jaywontdart

Flickr photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaywontdart/

Episode 35 Ms Hen

Episode 35 Ms Hen


Like Michael, I couldn't say Goodbye, I've made too many great friends from having a show, PLUS, with the inevitable tidal wave of Vegan shows from around the world, I need to fight the good fight for New Zealand, we need to maintain our title as "Most Vegan Podcasters per capita", tourists come from around the world to visit historical sites of New Zealands Animal Rights podcasting history, the Microphone used for the first episode of NZ Vegan Podcast, which featured a sad Elizabeth, unsure if anyone would ever listen, beginning with a really enthusiastic intro: