Let Freedom Ring!! Ecuador Grants Asylum To The Brave Julia Assange

     One of the biggest criticisms that plague our generation (18-34yrs if not a bit older) is our inability to sacrifice for the greater good. Despite the world-changing communication technology that is social media many of us are still afraid to speak out... or speak up for the injustices of our time. It's almost like we're thinking "well, at least our streets don't look like Baghdad" as our justification to become so complacent with our way of life being slowly eroded.

    Canada is known for it pristine-like natural landscape, diversity, humbleness - for the most part.  Being ostracized, threatened, and targeted isn't something anyone, much less Canadian, would be willing to risk like Mr. Julian Assange did - after all, it would be sooo out of character (see humble link). Canadian journalists would rather stick to our wasteful spending and shocking government pay raises, or some irrelevant personal choice for 18 years ago when a candidate wasn't even in power as our "scandal of the century", Nobel prize-worthy tokens of keeping our government in check.

On August 16, 2012, the Ecuadorean foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, granted political asylum for whistle-blower Julian Assange. In a speech that only real heroes can give, Assange thanked the entire Ecuadorean government and other Latin American countries that supported Patiño's adherence to their constitution on asylum laws.  See video:

Patiño's bravery is but one out of many countries finally taking a stand against America's nazi-like war on all domestic and foreign persons that dare to defy their authority.

      Safe passage for Assange to the airport has been denied by British foreign minister, William Hague, making it possible for authorities to arrest him should he emerge for the embassy at all - which, of course, only goes to highlight the moral corruption that exists within Britain's government.

     Brave people like Julian Assange or Bradly Manning have  come to embody what freedom and free-speech truly is. No longer are they simply ideals. For each day of confinement these two men suffer... is, literally, a reflection of our deepest fears should we ever stand up... and speak out. 


Free Bradley Manning! Free Julian Assange!

Never Say Never Pt 4: A Year of Clarity

To Be Originally Posted On August 15, 2012
  
       One year today I took my blinders off. One year ago today, I sought peace. Like many people, I've always wanted to be that person that truly made a difference - if not on a global scale, at least to a few whose realities have been changed by my being a part of it.

      Today marks so many special moments in my life, but not only do I remember this day to be the nauseating stink on all the compounded bullshit I was going through that whole week, it was also the most awe -inspiring and educational moment of my whole life. Scratch that. I don't think anything could beat my reaction to learning about how animal milk is really produced: once I got home, I immediately dumped the milk that was in the fridge and sitting in the freezer down the sink. You may find that to be crazy... I call it an act of liberty.

      There are many who call the incredible documentary Earthlings a propaganda piece - a feature length movie of isolated incidences that reflect nothing of what actually happens on most "organic" farms. While the statement does hold some merit - I said some, dammit - how these animals live out their lives are not their choosing. No cow wants to be separated from its calf to be used as a milking machine, no hen wants their throat snipped and head clipped off once she stops producing eggs, and no wild animal wants to be whipped a hundred times to perform tricks for a screaming crowd.  Most animals would prefer being left the fuck alone to enjoy nature's symphony and each moment of their time alive on this planet. I, being a sentient human being, am the same way.

      Aside from the series of setbacks, withdrawal systems, and frustrations that come with building new habits (i.e. suffering "the shakes" once eliminating eggs & cheese, the ridicule from others, how present my mind had to be when shopping  (I really need to get back into meditating) - and the desire to go back in eating "normally" - which was generated purely from the ridicule) I have introduced so many wonderful foods to my already plant-strong diets like zucchini, sweet yam, jalapeno peppers, sweet potato, cocoa powder and - dare I say it - white mushrooms (I know their a type of fungus, but I don't eat them all the time, sheesh! I was trying them) and just recently Almond yogurt- this is more for health reasons as I don't need this as a regular staple in my groceries and I refuse to just eat the animal-derived version. Anyways!!! It's not that I have never eaten these things before, it's just that I've never cooked with them with my own two hands. And the more I learn about and try new fruits and veggies, the more substance not depravity I have in this life-after cheese experience. When I need a "cheese" fix, I buy vegan cheese slices, use salt or butter, or make use of my nutritional yeast. But thankfully, those urges are far and few between. Besides, I still make great food without the use of cheese and eating plant-strong is all about getting creative in that kitchen.

      But there has to be a few of my favourite omnivorous foods I miss dearly. I'm not gonna lie... there is. I don't own a blended, but I am the proud owner of a self-powered mini food processor and I will be looking into making vegan pesto. I'm also interested in this lentil bolognese sauce, and still in search of a good alfredo sauce recipe.

      One new addition to this journey is my eating of more raw foods. Not to imply that I am now considering a raw vegan diet. I could never, won't ever... je m'excuse, I mean, I am currently having a great time working with more raw foods, and cooking them as oppose to packaged vegan stuff and I wish to continue learning more and incorporate more of these types of foods into my everyday life.

     As I look back on some of my old entries throughout this whole one-year journey, I see so much progress in such a short amount of time that, to be honest, never happened when I was in college. I thought I knew exactly who I was and what I wanted out of life, but since graduating so many of my values, my perspectives, my heart and mind have gone under a lot of redesign - some more for the better than others. Hey, I'm still human after all. I look forward to my many years ahead as a vegetarian and all the new physical and spiritual awakenings that has invoked a moral responsibility to all my choices thus far.

      As for any newbie out there who is just discovering this way of living I have only this advice: never stop learning about the issues and how you help everyday by eating this way, remember that your efforts do matter. Take all your set-backs in stride and always keep an open mind in trying new things to stay fit, healthy, morally-sane, and comfortable.

Video Inspiration: 

Best Speech You Will Ever Hear - Gary Yourofsky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4

Zeitgeist Media Festival & The "Lost Generation" - A Long Overdue Discussion

     We live in strange, dangerous and controversial times. Company downsizing, technological advancements, and an over-educated population - all, among other factors mind you, are contributing to today's under-employment/joblessness climate that has become the new norm across all generations.

      While Canada has fared better in the tides of this great recession when compared to other countries, this continuum of long-term joblessness is creating what some economists are calling a "lost generation" if something isn't done. But can anything really be done? It's in a business' core interest to minimize as much expenses as it lawfully can, so who are we to demand more job creations on their part? Sure, we keep these companies at the status that they are by continuing to do business with them, but just like sheep, we'll keep doing so because a) they appear to be the only/best company in the marketplace for what they have to offer or b) we want to be able to afford the things we love no matter what the cost.

      Costs. So much blood, sweat and tears - no to mention our most precious resource: time - go into the things we purchase. But why should they have to?  If we look at the most basic things required for people to stay alive and well today, they are the least accessible if you don't have money. The Zeitgeist Movement, founded by the conscious eye of filmmaker Peter Joseph and supported by numerous chapters worldwide aim to address this issue by jump starting the conversation about doing something different. What we understand about ourselves, our planet, and our universe has vastly changed in the last 100 years, but strangely not how we govern ourselves. Okay, it has too... but not for the better: we have several new life-threatening "diseases" with no hope of funding, er... excuse me, finding a cure; poverty so severe that images we see on those daytime "sponsor a child" ads are probably the least gruesome; and a deep competitive nature that mirrors, at best, a psychopath.

      On August 12, 2012, The Zeitgeist Movement's Toronto chapter held their media festival and global food drive. It brings together people for a common cause, and an opportunity to discuss these said issues. Sparking thought and conversation on how humanity is living up to its shared ideals, and where should we be going from here as humans being, regardless of race, creed, religion, country, socio-economics and any other category that we impose to limit ourselves from making this world a place where we all can live comfortably. 

       While it is unfortunate I missed the whole festival, I made it a point not to work that day and drop off a bag of canned goods to show my support.

       Feel free to check out the TMZ's main webpage and the Toronto-chapter site if you are interested in getting involved and stay informed by joining any of their social-media groups.

Never Say Never... Journey Into Another Food Label Pt 3: Non Fromage S'il vous plaît

    Why do I always say "never"? Hasn't the mantra always been to never say that? August 14, 2012 will mark 1 year since the last time I let pieces of rotting flesh of another living being dressed up in fresh spices pass through my lips and I can't help but feel truly proud of myself for spending this past year living with a higher level of consciousness.

     This journey has not been without successes and failures, and as I've stated in previous posts of the same title, the path of eschewing animal products from my life is one that I am walking at my own pace. Often times I thought vegans who were so damn adamant about being 100% consistent in their purchases and appetite - or otherwise "you're just another vegetarian/omni" - were self-righteous/over-reaching zealots. And while I am a subscriber to the Peter Singer's "Paris Exemption" only to the extent of eating something vegetarian when a vegan option is not available/preferable (i.e. basic house salad and french fries) over the past few months I have come to understand Gary Francione and vegans who share his contention with exceptions, holding them to be a slippery slope - and that's putting it nicely. And... I hate to say it but continuing to eat cheese, even on occasion did develop into something wet. My guilty pleasure of Second Cup's cheese croissants triggered a series of "just this one time" excuses for buttered bagels, 3-cheese ravioli and perogies. But, thankfully, not to the biggest slip of them all - Kraft Dinner. I don't give a damn how tight money gets sometimes, I will not subject myself to powdered cheese sauce again.

      Cheese became such an instant fix to all of my cravings between vegan meals that who knows what other excuses I would have made for myself if I kept on this way. By the end of March apathy had really did some damage to my morale. I got so caught up in trying to strike a balance between eating vegan and eating conveniently that I soon began to rely on the prepared - a decision that affects more than just myself - than the freshly prepared. Typically, I find the people who thrive the most while eating a plant-based diet are the ones who make time to actually make what they eat for themselves. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau among many other joyful vegans (as she likes to put it) of different stripes and walks of life suggest people need to make their personal health a priority in life otherwise we could lose out on living out our best lives from being sick and miserable - and yes, I'm looking at all of y'all self-proclaimed 'junk-food vegans' out there too. We need to be peeling off more skin from apples than the plastic wrappings of another veggie burger, you feel me?
I digress.

    On one hand it felt good knowing that I did not lose enough footing to fall deeper into the abyss of unconscious thinking, but the fact that I did tore my ego to shreds for being so damn weak in my convictions. I went in search on the Internet to find support from people trying to quit this addictive stuff, and while I did find many mostly-vegan or transitioning-to-vegan people who shared my struggle there was very little support; no real advice or even some damn encouragement. So to the Vegan Police who will undoubtedly troll this post with self-righteous comments KNOW THIS: remember your story - us slower progressives didn't see the truth behind dairy and eggs at age 5 like you did, okay. The older you get the harder it is to break bad habits.
     I eventually did stumble upon some advice that spoke to me, though: choose a day (a very soon date) and do 30 days. On the 31st day, if you want to indulge, so be it but look into making plans to do another 30 or 45 or 60 days real soon. If you find yourself counting down the days of when you can start eating the things you know are bad for you - not only do you have way too much time on your hands, but that's a sign of addiction. Seriously. You can tell people don't watch so much TV, don't drink so much, quit gambling... but if you tell people to quit eating cheese or dairy products in general (i.e. ice cream, yogurt, and cow milk) MANY will look at like you as if you just asked them to hold their breath forever. And that's what I generally heard for years when I first learned of what a vegan was at 16yrs old. But I did it.

     Given my last contention on the matter, I never thought that my birthday - well at least not this year's birthday - would mark my last day of indulgence. The next 60 days that followed were... Imma be honest: they were hell. I started getting easily irritated at people, the smell of cheese haunted me everywhere I went (and since 90% of food is made with dairy products, I swear you can smell the stuff through any paper or plastic wrapping), I even started to dream about Alfredo sauce. Psychologists say you never know how much you love something until you have to live without it, and something tells me that the phone calls I made to my friend twice while grocery shopping regarding my hands going from sweating to shaking from the sight and smell of cheese was an indication that my reliance on cheese as a staple in my food choices bordered on textbook signs of addiction. And honestly, it was scary seeing how a simple animal by-product influenced my preference for some of my favorite foods could drive such a reaction.
    ANYWAYZ... The 60 days came and went and while I did count every single day since my last piece of cheese, I wasn't running to another Second Cup to buy a cheese croissant as a reward. I kept it moving. The sweating and the shakes had subsided, the dreams were no more, and while the smell of it is still appealing I equate the idea of eating it to sprinkling bacon bits in a Caesar salad.

    Have I been super-devout perfect since the 60-day swear-off? I've had a few hiccups, though none were cheese specific, and I've been cutting out a few junk-food vegan items I once felt I had to live off of in order to feel "normal", now I am incorporating more fresh and frozen fruits and veggies into my meals.

   It hasn't even been a year yet and I have made so many advances in trying to make plant-based foods the cornerstone of what I consume, and make compassion apart of all my interactions with people. I know that there are many who advocate an instant switch to giving all animal products, but honestly, I love the journey that transitioning offers; all the reasons for doing so and benefits gained hold so much more meaning when you make changes at your own pace and not for others. I strive to live up to my own ideals and no one else's.


Tell me, could you give up cheese? If so, would you ever?

10 Years of... Everything

Hey Y'all,

     I know it's been a minute but SOOO much has went down that it was hard to find time to just sit and address them as they kept coming. But I hope you all are doing well and surviving during these hard economic times - and I will address that issue in another post.

     ANYWAYZ...Today is a very special day, not only for my significant other but for me as well - 10 years of well... I'm not too sure.  See, we're not exactly lovers but we're not exactly friends either and since breaking up about 5 years ago, we've sat comfortably between FWB and a real relationship. What that place is I'm not going to lose sleep trying to define, but I can't help wondering if it will ever manifest into something more grounded, more rooted.

    To try to accomplish the same feat with someone else at this stage of my life would be hard. And by that I mean... if you were to stand my 15-year-old self and today's me beside each other, I am almost an entirely different person - and I'm still a work in progress - and it would be even more difficult to meet a person that wants to walk with after understanding that journey. Don't get me wrong, my story pales in comparison to what a lot of other sistahs go through by the time they lick 25 - but I wouldn't say I was fed with a silver spoon either. So I am grateful. Not too many women who  have been in or is currently in a relationship with a man for this long can claim their biggest issue between them (still!) is defining it - and after 10 years there's usually WAY more complicated factors to consider.


      I don't know why my quandary even surprises me - I am a curious case to deal with so it's wise for any man to tread carefully. My special somebody has seen the very worst of me and still chooses to stick around, and for walking that fine line between the real world and my reality with such endurance makes him more than just a whatever to me. He is hope, he is kindness, he is my north star, the blanket that keeps me warm in winter, the thought that quells my fears when I am so uncertain. He is someone I cannot define because... well, he's my everything.


So here's to another 10 years and more of, well... everything.

Milestones... A Dream Deferred

     This year will mark my 25th birthday, which means I will be officially old enough to say things like "back in the day". Now I will suffer the blank stares from youth looking at me when I become nostalgic over memories of Mr. Dressup, A Diff'rent World, Ghost Writer, and Boy Meets World, and be mocked for being 'ol school.

     Growing up in boring suburbia, I had envisioned my 20s to be an exciting time. Like most people, not just 20-year-olds, I figured I would be working in an industry that really showed off my best character traits that catered to or provided a means for my thirst for adventure, and earn enough for retirement. But sadly, that isn't the case. The dynamics of today's world have changed sooo dramatically that it rarely matters if you are highly educated or not; most entry level jobs within any given industry are so menial that anyone with a high school diploma can do it, yet they still require a post-secondary education. Making good money in today's world is, well, really a waiting game... and luck. To ask for that pay raise, or go full-time, or even step into a higher level of management you got to ask when sales are doing well (so forget about asking during January or February), keep track of who in the company whose position you want - or can at least do just as well - who is fucking up (i.e. taking long lunches, abandoning their shifts, needing time off too often etc.) as these are all scenarios where you can come in and kiss a lot of ass, er, show off your level of commitment - though, you too have been half-assing your whole tenure the entire time - and put forth a basic case to move up on the rat-bitten financial ladder.

    That's right, everyone! We live in a world where the idea of living peacefully with others is a concept that is often laughed at and reduced to personal associations with the "hippie" sub-culture rather than a logical step toward a more civil society. It's not enough to simply aspire to have a career, you got to be cut-troat about getting it. Only those who lie and cheat prosper, and those who don't... get exploited but still have their integrity. Which side are you on???

    Hardly a week goes by without me feeling restless about my life. I am nowhere near this dream of being a career women that past generations seemed to so easily slide into by my age. Complete with a marriage, a kid, a pet and a dental plan. And, yet, sometimes I find myself thinking why these milestones matter. Are they my own desires or ones that are pressed upon me by society. Could my life be just as fulfilling without marriage, kids, pets or dental plans, or is that just an excuse for complacency?

     I am not ashamed to want these things, no matter how imposed these ideals are, but I want to achieve this standard of living with integrity, compassion, and sound work ethic. I want to live a life where all my creative and philosophical energies are continuously put towards making this world more peaceful, more modern... more civilized. If I achieve nothing else in this brief moment in time I call life, then I can finish the mile without the stones.



What do you think? Is expecting certain things to happen in your life because of your age an outdated concept? Or are they just as relevant today as they were 60 years ago?

Never Say Never... Journey Into Another Food Label Pt 2

      Lets recount shall we? Since discovering the hell that is factory farming - or livestock farming in general - in early May of 2011 I've went from being a full vegan (which lasted for about 4 days) back to white-meat-only and seafood, to being a pescatarian, to a full vegetarian by August 2011. What a rapid change, huh? By October I gave up eggs, but on occasion still ate cheese and consumed things with honey.

      Like cheese, I don't go out of my way and pick up honey when I do groceries, but I also don't go out of my way to avoid it either. By that I am referring to the vast array of cereals, sandwich spreads, and beverages which contain honey as a natural sweetener. As I am to understand, there is a "great divide" among many vegans, whom on one side, see the continued consumption of honey as a grey area, if not an exceptional option, of ethical concern while a majority find it a failure of living up to the highest ideals of what veganism is ALL about. I, of course, lend my support to the former, though, on certain conditions. To me, I find the business of beekeeping not as severe in ethical weight as oppose to the horror faced by cows, pigs, poultry, fish and now horses in the U.S. for every second the clock ticks. Oops! There goes that bias again, someone pass me a mirror. But seriously speaking -  bees live a far more natural life than other animals. Yes, I understand that a small portion of female honeybees' reproductive system is exploited to harvest more bees, and their bounty is taken away from them which is still a grievance much like a calf drawn away from its mother so humans can take their milk, and for those reasons I think vegans make an excellent argument. But I don't endorse the general demonizing of all beekeepers. Since most hobbyist typically leave more than enough food for their bees in the winter to survive on, and only sell honey (not its wax or combs for its use in other things) as a secondary means of income, I don't see any ethical dilemma: bees live lives that are relatively undisturbed until it's time to harvest - a stark difference when you compare the ever-full conveyor belts and tanks of fully-conscious land and sea animals. In fact, I would take a gamble in saying that the significant decline in honeybees worldwide may stem from the food mono-cultures and pesticides that humans have decided with their purchasing power they want harvested in abundance - not by the conditions of beekeeping. So if you want to give the little guys a break, please start growing your own nuts, fruits and veggies.

First Read: Why honey is NOT vegan
Then Read: Meet my beekeeper

    Currently, I have no need to buy honey right now - though if I did, I would support a local hobbyist beekeeper (which is for more environmental reasons than ethical). I am taking the time to explore the vast array of vegan alternative sweeteners (rolls my eyes) that abolitionist vegans won't stfu about. Yes, I will admit I do like agave nectar, and for the price and size that I purchase it for coincides with how much I actually do use - though I still think it should be much cheaper, and I end up using a lot in my teas - but I look forward to trying brown rice syrups, Stevia etc. etc.  But know this: I won't intentionally avoid honey if it shows up in an ingredients list; there are just way too many good cereals to pass up on just to avoid that 1 sweetener. So bee it. I maybe willing to give up cheese one day, but not honey. Like I said before, I'm not really attached to dietary labels, but if I were asked I would say that I identify as a lacto-vegetarian only because I fail in being a consistent vegan by eating cheese croissants once in a while but eschew every other dairy derivative such as cream cheese, sour cream, ice cream etc. This may be as far I am willing to go... but, you never know.


What do you think? Do you have a high esteem about your diet, or could you do without the food labels? Does honey help or hurt the cause for veganism?

Never Say Never... Journey Into Another Food Label Pt 1

    Never say never. As stated before in my last entry much has happened during my hiatus. As a new vegetarian, I continuously sought out more nutritional informational to make sure I wasn't overloading my diet on some things, and depriving it of others. From time to time, though, I would browse through peoples online testimonials of their reasons for going vegetarian or vegan. One would think after six months of progressing into a vegetarian diet these stories of awakening and transition would lose their luster - after all, my reasons to forgo my contribution to the misery of up to 45 billion land animals worldwide, minimize my ecological footprint, and protect myself from certain impurities that can lead to life-threatening diseases were reflected countless times in their statements. Instead, they continued to be a source of inspiration, but more importantly, a mirror to my own certain biases toward some land animals' plights, and not others.

    Cage-free. Free-run. Organic. As an ovo-vegetarian, I wanted my purchases to reflect my convictions. I really believed that as long as I bought from farmers who allow their hens to live in a comfortable environment nothing was ethically wrong with eating eggs; hens lay eggs - period, so if I want to include it into my diet i figured I could at least get 'em from farms with small flocks that were still organic and free-run. I was even willing to pay extra for those types of eggs in support of that conviction. I went to Wholefoods and searched online to find a couple of local farmers that produced such types that fit this criteria, but their websites were rather plain and didn't give me much insight. So, rather than leave this subject alone and living in blissful ignorance, I continued to seek information regarding small flock farms. Turns out, a small flock is typically 500 of 'em still crammed wing-to-wing in a large house. Needless to say, thereafter, I could no longer in good conscious eat eggs ever again. Keeping 500 hens pent-up their whole lives - cage-free or not - coupled with the inhumane euthanizing of newborn male chicks and the practice of de-beaking was way more than what I was willing to compromise in my ethics on animal exploitation. So in late October 2011, I gave up eggs for good.

     This was by NO MEANS an easy thing for me to do. It was second-nature for me to just crack a few in a pan, sandwich it between two slices of toasted bread and call it a breakfast. But now that eggs were no longer a breakfast option for me anymore, I didn't know what I was going to do. It sounds ridiculous but... I was nervous and scared. I scrambled (get it) the internet for some quick and easy breakfast ideas. Tofu scramble was okay, but I was growing tired of it, and I found the cream of wheat to heavy when combined with my other breakfast favorites like toast and cereals. It was my good friend who suggested I get back into eating hash browns. I swear he is a genius. Initially, it was a trial-some 30 days going without eating eggs (constant cravings, envy, even borderline psychosis occupied that period) but by December those symptoms had waned. I started to experiment more in the kitchen and now enjoy a plethora of options in the morning.

     So had I officially become a vegan? Not quite... at least if you put me up against another vegan by abolitionist standards. Though I managed to kick eating eggs for good, I fell back into the block cheese cycle. Now, when I do groceries, I don't intentionally pick up block cheese or ANY dairy product, but when I am out on the street and I am in a Tim Hortons or Second Cup I don't necessarily deny myself the addictive pleasure of cheese bagels or croissants either. At first, I felt guilty every single time (still do sometimes, I won't lie) for my lack of will power in resisting the hypnotizing allure of cheese, and I  tried to curb this habit by only indulging once in a long while, but, still, the guilt creeps in. Fortunately, the more I read about transitioning to a vegan diet, the less I gave myself hell for it. I realized that my intention was to give up cheese for good someday and that I have to respect myself for going about it at my own speed, not others... and certainly not for some social title. I do my best to avoid it... but I don't deprive myself of it, if that's what I want - which is, thankfully, not often. As I learn more about nutritional yeast and non-dairy cheese sauce recipes, just like the hashbrowns, I'm sure living a life after dairy cheese will soon become second-nature ;)