I plan on using an ex Army ammo tin as a storage case/ "briefcase" for Vegan materials, pamphlets, leaflets, business cards etc. It should be useful when tabling (when I begin!), and truly, an example of "swords into ploughshares" (MJ, Heal The World cued up to the lyric), of turning something involved in violence, in storing bullets, in lethal weapons into the storage utensil for peace promotion.
They also look cool when stripped back to the metal, and stencilled, and all for Twenty NZD!
Unfortunately... the white paint used for the latest stencil reacted badly to the newer green paint...instantly bubbling and cracking... :-(
I'm going to buy new white paint, and redo the stencil, the paint will jump right off when I use a little steel wool (vegan! ;-) ) and a white spirit like "meths" or "turps".
It still looks like a nice design, although the green is if made from reptiles skin :-( :-)
I've had a marvellous day today! "Hey Jordan, what made your day so "marvellous"?" Why, thank you for asking, oh mysterious readers voice! Well, I had my ammo tins arrive, to be ground back and stencilled for INVSOC, carrying pamphlets and what have you, and I got a parcel from Peaceful Prairie!
I first learnt about the Peaceful Prairie sanctuary through Adam Kochanowicz' great The Vegan News, where Adam visited Peaceful Prairie with his partner:
After learning how sanctuaries dealt with birds eggs, I too have given them back to the Chickens, as a form of population control, plus they enjoy eating their eggs, as nature intended:
I like that Peaceful Prairie promotes *Veganism*, not "free range", not slaughterhouses "designed by autistic savants", not "cage free". They promote *veganism*.
My latest stencil is much better! With one of the T shirts from Peaceful Prairie
New Zealand group SAFE, who promote Welfare reforms have spoken out against "colony cages".
In short, they do not like what they see, with these "Colony Cages", which are promoted by industry as being "better welfare!" and "real humane!" (not actual quotes)
SAFE's release ends:
"It would have been clear to the egg industry that NAWAC could no longer avoid phasing out the standard cages as they are in breach of our animal welfare legislation. Bringing in these so called ‘improved' cages is nothing but a ploy by the egg industry to avoid having legislation forced upon them that would ban the caging of hens in favour of free range or barn systems. They may be shooting themselves in the foot though. Spending millions of dollars on yet another cage system that will be rejected as cruel by consumers may cost the industry dearly. If they are hoping that consumers continue to be apathetic to the plight of battery hens and continue to buy their cheap battery eggs they will be sorely mistaken. Growing awareness means that consumers will be increasingly shifting away from cage eggs. SAFE will be at the forefront of growing that awareness and we will not stop until the last hen is liberated from her cage."
Well, we at the Invercargill Vegan Society, who have had a "proper domain" less than 24 hours disagree with SAFE's promotion of "Cage Free" eggs as The True "High Welfare" Choice. If I may speak on behalf of our whole organisation (and I apparently can),
we see "Cage Free" as another meaningless term, which serves not to help other animals, but to help human animals, the term serves to sooth our consciences about the suffering of others, far far away, out of sight, and soon to be out of mind.
From SAFE's latest release, comparing the"standard cage" (why they dont reuse their term "Battery Cage" for this comparison, I dont know) with the newly proposed "colony cage":
Presumably, since SAFE supports "Cage Free", *that* system of locking up Hens and killing Roosters DOES allow such marvellous welfare benefits as "[scratching] the ground" and "[spreading] her wings".
I rather like the rather fetching Peaceful Prairie shirts that arrived today, I'm sure I'll win "Best Dressed Dictator Of A Single Member Vegan Society" for 2011, the second year in a row, woohoo!
Attractive logos aside, Peaceful Prairie also provide an explanation of why "Free Range", in this case called "Cage Free" by SAFE is *NOT* acceptable:
"First, I would not want anyone to buy "Cage-Free" eggs if they are doing so because they have compassion for the animals and convince themselves that they have made a humane choice.
One of the most destructive things we can do for the animals is to lie to ourselves, or allow ourselves to be fooled an misinformed into believing that animal agriculture of ANY kind is humane.
Second, the so called "Cage-Free" or "Free-Range" eggs are produced with an exorbitant profit margin in comparison to battery produced eggs. Therefore, well meaning consumers will be unwittingly padding the already thick pockets of egg producers, hatcheries, and poultry slaughterhouses, which will only allow them to increase the size of their operations and advertising budgets, which will in turn lead to even more suffering.
Third, the question forgets the most obvious choice: Don't buy eggs at all.Once people allow themselves to entertain the possibility of living egg-free, it's quite empowering. They suddenly realize that Yes! It can be done. Millions of people before them have cut eggs and products made with eggs out of their lives and are doing just fine! Not only vegans, but millions of people from other cultures don't eat eggs."
I'm glad to support a >1 member organisation who promotes Veganism.
We at the Invercargill Vegan Society promote the "Chicken Friend" system of life continuation, where we respect others right to live, treat them as we ourselves would like to be treated, to be friends.
"Battery Cages", "Colony Cages"/"Enriched Cages", "Free Range"/"No Cages" : its all the same, suffering and torture, being treated as property, which is *not* the same as BEING TREATED PROPERLY! :-)
"...do not allow hens to express their normal behaviour, something that is required by law."
Oh yeah? How about "expressing normal behaviour", such as, oh, I dont know, living a natural lifespan? Without being treated as a slave, as property? Without being killed on someone elses whim, when you become "less profitable" for your master? That sounds good to me!
Lets promote *VEGANISM*, its doubleplusgood, and its the least other animals deserve. Not to be seen as a "thing", to be treated as an "it", but to be acknowledged as our friends.
I'm seriously considering a *proper* website for the mighty Invercargill Vegan Society (INVSOC), until then, www.invsoc.org.nz will redirect to Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals :-)
I'm still working on this logo, taking a design from a certain well known book/movie/one of those performances where the actors all have ice skates, Nineteen Eighty-Four
Hey, if Vegans are already seen as "preachy, shoving their beliefs down our throats" (possibly obstructing the further "shoving" of our friends and their bodily secretions), why not live it up!? "You think THIS is forcing our beliefs on you comrade? Wait until we get you in in Room 101, and strap the cage on your head!"
Episode 52 The New Zealand Diet: where you come to lose weight and be as thin as possible!
American TV shows recorded in New Zealand, Americas Next Top Model, The Biggest Loser, what are we, a country to lose weight and be as thin as possible? :-) King of the Hill clips referencing "Non Veganism" and "Vegetarianism", Australian "Dung Beetles" to be released in New Zealand, and everyones favourite Texan Vegan…BARBARA DEGRANDE!
Hello and welcome to episode 52 of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals, your favourite Invercargill, New Zealand based animal rights show.
This episode, "The New Zealand Diet: where you come to lose weight and be as thin as possible!", I'd like to share some clips from the popular show King of the Hill. I er… recorded them all off television each night for several years, to get every episode… yip, sure did…although my method of "recording off my television" might be getting cracked down on by a recent New Zealand file sharing law.
So lets get this show on the road, before los federalis' show up.
(knock on desk "come out with ya hands up slaaaaaaave")
eep!
Also encoded in this AAC file, a comparison between my part of the world, and another part of the world, pretty exciting huh? With King of the Hill presenting a fictional town, Arlen, I thought it would be fun to have an actual Texan on, Barbara DeGrande, who we'll interrogate about the actual Texas, is their Tea really made of black goop, imported fresh from the latest warzone? We'll find out soon.
Its important to learn about other countries, otherwise you might get a bit confused. Take George Carlin for example:
Well when you get there George, maybe you'll realise you were thinking of the wrong place, I think he meant another American state's license plate? Not New ZEALAND, but New Hampshire? New Jersey? New Mexico? New York? A Volvo registered in New Zealand, Right Hand Drive naturally, as in the steering wheel and the driver are on the RIGHT side of the car, the front passenger sits on the left, in America? And we drive like maniacs here in New Zealand!
We need an envoy from the American people, and who better than a pretty face with nothing going on inside?
I hadn't kept up with the outrage over Go Daddy CEO Bob Parsons killing an elephant. I like elephants very much, they are large, yet gentle, live as families, and are herbivores. They are attractive, they are clever, they are nice. I've seen elephants before, in travelling circuses. The most recent I saw was dubbed "Jumbo", I named her "Ms Elephant":
There she was, surrounded by an electric fence, a further "picket fence", and a short, fat little man, her "keeper", who was yelling at me, "YA ANIMAL RIGHTS?" As I took photos of her while wearing a t shirt with birds on it. There goes his right arm in the photo, complete with large gold ring, naturally, looking like some kind of sleazy car dealer/pimp. Hello Short Yelly Man!
I like elephants. The thought of anyone hurting, or killing elephants is very sad. I would almost go so far to say that it was one of the absolute worst single acts I could think of. I can understand why people are bloody mad about a man smiling as he posed with the elephant he killed.
Many people, Vegan and "Non Vegan" alike are angry about what Go Daddy CEO Bob Parsons has done. The coverage I liked best was from Cnet:
"Parsons, feeling a little bull elephantish about all this, hasn't stopped there. He has taken to his Twitter account, where he has expressed some enjoyment about his battle with PETA. You see, PETA had given him the title of "Scummiest CEO of the Year" award. So Parsons linked to a site claiming that 95 percent of animals in PETA's care were killed. PETA countered by tweeting: "Site is work of the deceitfully named CCF, a front group 4 Philip Morris, Outback Steakhouse & KFC: http://ht.ly/1EQws."
Meanwhile, comedian Cloris Leachman decided to weigh in on her Twitter feed, where she offered: "Takes more balls to care for and love an elephant than it is to shoot it." She also offered a link, which went to the site of Network Solutions, a competitor for whom Leachman is a spokesperson and for whom she happens to do ads that mock--yes, truly--Go Daddy's ads. Leachman is, though, also a PETA supporter and has been for a while." http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20049784-71.html
I feel I should mention that I've disliked Go Daddy for many years now, because they run ads portraying women as things. The particular "Animal Rights Group" mentioned in the news story above wasnt complaining about these long running ads, probably because they *also* believe in using these ads.
Episode 51 Giant "Dairy" Monopoly : "No need for regulation, you can trust us!"
Huge "dairy" monopolies that MIGHT need governmental investigation, Crazy Vegan Parents who let their child die due to wacko "vegan" diets of breastmilk and…. breastmilk…, Transformers 2 mentioning "Vegetarianism", listener email and Americas greatest president offering advice on Vegan advocacy, don't hate others, be nice, you "lose" when you hate others.
Listen by directly downloading here , or, better yet, subscribe in iTunes and get each episode automagically!
Hello and welcome to episode 51 : "Giant Dairy Monopoly : "No need for regulation, you can trust us!"
So whats on the agenda today?
I'm not sure if I've read these two emails before, I'd like to do them right now, so I don't forget AGAIN!
Deborah note
"Hi Jay!! I have been listening to your podcasts for some time and thought I would take a bit of time to say “hello”. I am a youngish lady from California who is an ethical/abolitionist vegan. I wanted to let you know that your podcasts have touched me in a very positive way. From well across the world your voice rings through my I pod… I feel a certain kinship with you and your chicken friends. It warms my heart to hear someone (especially a man) admit that they have deep lasting feelings toward someone that is not of our species. All animals are interconnected in their love of life and intelligence. I am hoping this brief note finds you well. Oh, can I be an honorary member of your vegan clan????
Listening and writing-
Deborah."
Deborah is a nurse at a Californian state prison, you meet all kinds of people while promoting Veganism, I attended a cooking class, I was allowed to get up in front of the group of twelve or so, with my iPad, and wearing a "Its easy to be Vegan" shirt made by the lovely Emmy James of Hamilton, New Zealand, and I showed a few photos of what my friends around the world are doing. I showed photos from Alice Leonard, of Angel Food www.angelfood.co.nz, of Elizabeth Collins cooking, Sam Tuckers, a Café Gratitude location in California, and my own simple meals.
On the walk home, in my cheerful vegan shirt, carrying bags for my own show, and Elizabeth Collins NZ Vegan Podcast (www.nzveganpodcast.blogspot.com), I met a Buddhist nun in the Otepuni Gardens. I recognized her robes, similar to what you often see the Dalai Lama in, and mentioned the cooking class. I gave her one of my Invercargill Vegan Society cards, and we exchanged a few words. It was a nice feeling, I'd picked up a few beer bottles and cans on my way over to her, a Vegan and a nun, sitting in the Otepuni Gardens, where earlier that morning, as in 2am or so, there would have been roving gangs for young hoodlums, binge drinking, getting in fights, shooting themselves up with drugs, and, for a bit of fun, smashing bottles over each others heads.
Also a letter from Allan, who mentions the Australian idiots Hamish and Andy, with "Hamish" having to be shortened to "H'ame", six letter names are verboten in Australia. The radio guys had been making some jokes at my cities expense, while they were here, one of them starring in a movie about white trash idiots, so of course the movie had to be set here in Invercargill, where the Vegan Society has one member (although at least a few other Vegans apparently live here and will soon be chloroformed and dragged into membership)
"Hi Jay (or G'Day !!!) (way to rhyme allan, with lyrical skills like that y'all make a kill-lan")
Congratulations on your podcast , I think Barbara's Veganacious podcast and your
podcast are two best podcasts on veganism.
Please don't think all Australians are like those two radio DJ's !
I have been to Invercargill. It was in January 1968 and I was on a
schoolboys' cricket tour, that I was lucky enough to be selected in. The tour
started in Auckland and we played all over New Zealand.
What I can remember of Invercargill was that it was was bloody cold in January
!!! I will always remember the tour for the friendliness of the families that I
was billeted with.
I am 60 and have been a vegan for around 12 years, I was a vegetarian before
that for about 5 years. Like most I just moved through the various stages and
then realised that the only way to go was to become a vegan. I am always
astounded at how people spend hours saving a beached whale and whether succesful
or not, then go off patting themselves on the back to have a meal at McDonalds
or go home and eat some shellfish that has been boiled alive !!.
Looking forward to hearing more of your podcasts.
Kind regards
Allan"
Thank you very much to both Debra and Allan. Its always nice to hear that someones listening out there.
I'd love to have more feedback about last episode, the pilot for my new show idea, "This Week In Vegan". For now I'll let the idea simmer, perhaps, with enough interest, it can go ahead. If you listen to this show, hello! I'd love to hear from you, as in see an email you've sent. My email address is jaywontdart@gmail.com , j a y w o n t d a r t @gmail.com
