Videos
Inside the Humane Slaughterhouse
Published August 17, 2009 @ 07:22AM PT
I saw the link being circulated sometime in the last couple months. I couldn't get past the first few seconds at that time. But last night, a fellow animal advocate used the link to the video in our #oink efforts on Twitter, and I finally made myself watch. Be warned: it's brief (under 2 minutes long), but it's graphic. It's also standard. These actually aren't the worst of the horrors that animal-using industries insist are rare, and this certainly isn't a long, comprehensive video showing everything from transport to dismemberment, or even showing what happens to all the different categories of animals (e.g., the hellish slaughterhouse experience of chickens is not shown here). Rather, this is barely a snippet of what's legal and "humane." And it's what ultimately happens to all farmed animals, whether they're raised for their flesh, their milk, their eggs, or their wool. Video, photo, and investigation courtesy of the always active, always dedicated Igualdad Animal/Animal Equality. (And the post continues after the video.)
Explore helpful, compassionate websites such as this one if you're ready to not be a part of this anymore. And keep an eye on the Friday Food roundups on this blog for all sorts of ideas for compassionate, animal-friendly meals and snacks.
Julia Child's Bad Side, Veal Calves, and the Movie I Won't Be Seeing
Published August 13, 2009 @ 06:50AM PT
There's much talk about Julia Child these days, given the release of a movie in which Meryl Streep plays Child (and plays her quite well, apparently). But I catch myself gritting my teeth every time I hear adoring mention of her lately. Julia Child may be a cooking icon, but she was no friend to animals. And I don't mean simply because she cooked and ate them and advocated cooking and eating them. Julia Child regularly mocked vegetarianism and animal rights (going on record at least once, and I imagine more than once, with the actual words "I hate vegetarians"), and that was indeed offensive and annoying. But worse, even when confronted directly, in person, with the cruelties required for such so-called foods as veal, she simply didn't give a damn, and she didn't hesitate to make that clear.
About a year ago, I stumbled upon the video embedded at the end of this post. It paints a less-than-flattering portrait of the much-loved chef, at least from the perspective of those who don't consider animals to be inanimate objects and who wouldn't happily visit a clearly cruel veal farm and declare it "great." In this video titled "Julia Child Battles PETA, Animal Rights," food columnist Molly O'Neill recalls for a New School group an experience she and her friend Julia Child shared and gives insight on Child's position against animal rights--or apparently even animal welfare, for that matter. A partial transcript follows. Keep in mind that this was a talk in which O'Neill was singing the praises of Julia Child and of her legacy, not criticizing her.
We Eat Babies
Published August 12, 2009 @ 12:51PM PT
Take it away, Glenn and friend:
With the hope that my friend Glenn (of Liberation BC, by the way) won't mind my elaborating here, I'll make just one clarification: the question that starts off the video is about "factory farmed" animals, but the answer covers all animal ag; it's not as if the large industrial operations kill animals who are still essentially babies, toddlers, and adolescents, and the smaller ones let them live out long, natural lives. That's not how it works. The animals are killed at these young ages regardless of where they're killed and by whom. (And though pigs don't come up in this interview, pigs are still babes when we slit open their throats too--at several months old, they're at the equivalent of the toddler stage of life; the calves killed by the dairy-veal industry are, it goes without saying, infants too.)
(And because I know he's aware and self-conscious about it--don't give Glenn a hard time about continuing to smile as he starts talking about these unpleasant things, mkay? His smile has nothing on my nervous laugh during public or recorded speaking.)
Because Sometimes We All Need a Little Bit of Adorable
Published August 06, 2009 @ 08:20AM PT
Wally and Nemo; photo courtesy of Woodstock FAS
In February, the folks at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary uploaded the below upbeat video of the happy arrival of four rescued piglets, Eva, Nemo, Pinky, and Wally. Noting similarities between pigs and dogs is nothing new, but still, I don't know how anyone could watch these little ones running around and playing gleefully at their safe new home and not think of puppies (and question their eating of pigs). The story of how they ended up at the sanctuary appears after the video:
Anti-Whaling Music Video from Heath Ledger and Modest Mouse Released
Published August 04, 2009 @ 09:17PM PT
Apparently, prior to his death last year, Heath Ledger was at work directing a music video with the band Modest Mouse--and not just any run-of-the-mill music video, but a creative animated video intended to raise awareness of the cruel, brutal nature of whaling. And having viewed the video just now--it was released today--I'd argue that it puts out a strong anti-fishing message too (if not a message in opposition to killing animals in general, even if that wasn't the intent; let me know what you think after you've seen it).
From the band's MySpace blog today:
Friday Food: Spices, Sweets, Sauces, and More
Published July 31, 2009 @ 06:51AM PT
Photo: Upside-down plum cake (plum kuchen) from VeganYumYum
This week's recipe roundup comes with a fun video, so make sure you stick with me 'til the end here.
Spicy Black Bean Burger from Hello Veggie
Blueberry Vinaigrette from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
Plum Kuchen (Cake) from VeganYumYum
Cinnamon-Spiced Strawberry Sorbet from Raw Epicurean
The Pit Bull Blues
Published July 21, 2009 @ 01:37PM PT
Oh, this is a video you have to see (the leather jacket is rather unfortunate, I know, but it's a positive pit bull video at least). If you're the person who shared this on Facebook, feel free to speak up and take credit; I can't remember who it was!
