The Final Straw

Between work and not having any income yet from that work and deadlines and protests and racist quasi-fascist cops and bills and sleep deprivation, I am exhausted.  And yet, I’m still here.  I just need a proper break from everything.  I need some good news.  I need some financial security.  Is that too much to ask?

Life goes on.  All things considered, I’ve got dealt a pretty sweet hand.  I shouldn’t complain, but like I said, I am exhausted.  And now I’m going to now look for a second job.

This too shall pass.  We’ve just got to hang in there, for our own sake, and for the sake of our loved ones.

An Enemy of the Animals

I am usually of the opinion that attention whores should be ignored. However, when a large, misguided and (sadly) influential organization like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals promotes something so egregious as The Animal Activist’s Handbook by Matt Ball and Bruce Friedrich, I feel it is a moral imperative to reply.

From the press release:

Friedrich explains the importance of socializing and breaking bread with meat-eaters–and even dating them. After all, he explains, boycotting holiday meals or applying a vegan litmus test to our love lives will only alienate friends and family and cut down on our dating pool and sphere of influence.

First, I’m very fortunate to have a vegan husband. I realize that not every vegan is so lucky; but personally I would never have dated someone who wasn’t vegan, any more than I would have dated someone who was conservative, pro-capitalist, sexist, or racist. Having similar moral and ethical foundations is important in a relationship.

Second, I have non-vegan friends. I sometimes eat with them in non-vegan restaurants, or go to their non-vegan parties. But I always make sure that there is food available for me, either by working out beforehand what I can have, or by bringing my own, and my non-vegan friends have been – for the most part – very supportive and respectful of this. All that said, I still avoid events like barbeques, fondue parties, and clambakes. I am not comfortable in such settings, and I see no reason to subject myself and others to my presence there.

The press release goes on to say:

He suggests that meat-eaters should be fed faux meat rather than ethnic or other less familiar foods as their introduction to vegetarianism, and he argues against questioning waiters in restaurants about the ingredients in menu items.

Aside from the racist undertones of dismissing “ethnic” food, this is simply terrible advice overall. I’ve taken non-vegan friends to great vegan restaurants that serve faux meat. While I and many other long-time vegans enjoy the food at such places, many non-vegans do not. It does not compare with the real meat omnivores are used to. It creates the illusion that vegans are depriving themselves by having “inferior” foods, and that going vegan is both expensive and difficult. In contrast to that, my husband Dino – who is originally from India – cooked at our wedding and other gatherings of non-vegans. The same people who were put off by the faux meats greatly enjoyed Dino’s cooking. For those of you who are familiar with his cookbook, podcast, or blog, you know how Dino feels about faux meats.

Finally, while I sometimes eat at non-vegan restaurants, I always make sure that what I’m ordering is vegan. It isn’t that difficult; it doesn’t put non-vegans off; and it opens dialogue with non-vegan friends about why I won’t eat certain things. It also lets my friends know that veganism is something I take seriously, and that it matters to me to be ethically consistent.

When PeTA manages to get so much wrong, I have to wonder if they are really interested in the ethical treatment of animals.

Beegans, Freegans, and Peskytarians

I’m going to just come out and say this.

If you eat honey, then you are not vegan.

If you eat cheese that was thrown in a dumpster, then you are not vegan.

If you eat fish, chicken, or “seafood,” then you are not vegetarian.

A vegan is someone who, by definition, strives to abstain from using all animal and animal-derived products. Honey is a product of bees. Bees are insects. Insects are arthropods. Arthropods are animals. Ergo, honey is an animal product. Likewise, cheese comes from the milk of cows or goats. Whether or not it was thrown away is irrelevant.

Likewise, chickens are animals. Fish are animals. Other sea creatures are animals. There are no “partial vegetarians.” If you eat some animals or all animals, or only on certain days of the week, or only on holidays, then you are not a vegetarian.

I am a vegan for ethical reasons. I do not wish to participate in the unnecessary and cruel use of animals. It is not simply a matter of not paying money for animal products. Animals are not here for us to use. Whether or not cheese is bought in a store or found in a dumpster, it is not food.

If you call yourself vegan or vegetarian, but still eat animals or animal products, please stop confusing omnivores. Stop rendering the words vegan and vegetarian meaningless with hypocrisy and logical inconsistency.

Stop using animals.

The F-Word

I was having a good morning. I woke up early, got a lot of work done, and was looking forward to a productive day. I set out to return some library books, walking down the peaceful Main Street of Roosevelt Island. As I walked, the weather reminded me of my time in Ireland: cool and damp, but not too cold, and I smiled to myself at the fond memories.

On my way back from the library, I passed a middle-aged woman. As I passed her, I heard her say one word, aloud, very clearly.

“Faggot.”

I was hurt, stunned, and taken aback. I felt like I had been punched in the solar plexus of my soul. I can only recall one other time I had been called that, years ago. It hurt then and it hurts now.

I feel sorry for this woman. Her ignorance and hatred is a burden that will leave her miserable. I forgive her, and I will pray for her. I wish I had said as much to her in response. I will not let her hatred become my problem. I sincerely hope she sees the error of her ways.

Times are changing, but not fast enough.

The Trouble With Twitter

You might have seen this video:

Like all good humor, there’s a grain of truth to it. Twitter, like most Internet platforms, can be a tool for sharing information and ideas. And like most Internet platforms, it is used for inane chatter as a substitute for real human interaction, or for that matter, thought. I’ve noticed with myself that the more I use things like twitter, online forums, social networking sites, and IRC, the more self-conscious, introverted, and insecure I become about interacting with people face-to-face. I don’t think any of these Internet services are bad in moderation. Without the Internet, I’d have been lost as a vegan living in the suburban Midwest, and I wouldn’t have met my husband. The problem is that all this connectivity can quickly (and frequently does) become addictions.

I’m not going to scream “NONE OF YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS” and summon the Fail Whale. You probably do have friends. Give them a call. See how they are doing. Go hang out with them. Go talk to a random stranger and make new friends! Or if you’re really not feeling like socializing, at the very least go read a book, or walk in a park. Just pry yourself from your cell-phones, iPods, computers, netbooks, BlackBerries, and all those other gizmos that allow you to forget about the real world.

We’ve become a world of cyborgs, living in a virtual reality. We’re forgetting how to deal with real people. It’s time we remember again.

to boldly go where angels fear to tread

This has been a strange week. To make a long story short I learned about coworking this week, and I gradually realized that I’ve been dealing with my unemployment problem the wrong way.

Wednesday night I had these strange nightmares and night terrors, which were so incredibly vivid that I spent most of the day wondering what it all meant. I don’t remember any of the details, but the whole experience was like something out of a horror movie, and I was emotionally and physically drained all Thursday. This actually proved to be a good thing, because in spite of being in that state, I was able to make an important decision about my current situation.

I decided to go into business for myself. I’m going to try to get some venture capital, and maybe some grant money, to work on projects I’ve been wanting to work on, but too busy to work on because I was too afraid to take such a risk and try to start my own business. I’ve run the idea by some people whose opinions I trust, and they all think I’m doing the right thing.

I don’t think these things happen by chance. I’m convinced that I lost a job I wanted after only 6 weeks so I would confront this possibility seriously. It’s very difficult to describe how I’m feeling right now. This is one of those times when one would expect stress to get the better of me, but somehow some survival mechanism in my head just clicks and I am experiencing a strange sense of certainty about this decision.

This is an exciting moment in my life. I feel liberated.

Check back

I’ve been really busy lately. I’ll get back to regular blogging again eventually.

The Flying Vegan

Flying sucks, but it shouldn’t suck for a vegan for lack of food. Here’s what to do when you have somewhere to fly.

1. Do your homework. This is especially important if you have long layovers. Blogs like Vegan Restaurants Master List along with finding out in advance what restaurants are at your airport can save you a lot of grief. If you’re too pressed for time, don’t despair! You still might find a decent meal:

2. Look for places that look promising. Any type of Asian or Italian restaurant should have something on the menu that is vegan or easily veganizable.

3. Remember your location, or in other words, don’t ask if something is vegan! When you’re in your favorite hippie or hipster restaurant, where they know what vegan means, ask away! But you’re in the airport now. Chances are the server hasn’t a clue what vegan means. Save yourself the grief. Ask! “Is this vegetarian?” “Are there any eggs, dairy, butter, or Parmesan?” (Yes, I know butter and Parmesan cheese are dairy, so that’s redundant, but if you don’t specifically ask, the server won’t think of such things as dairy. I speak from bad prior experiences when I say this.) “Are the fries / chips fried in the same oil as the fish?” “What are the potatoes / home fries / hash browns cooked in?” And so on. Be polite, but make it clear that it’s important your food contains no animal products at all. If necessary:

4. Play the allergy card. Yes, I hate doing it too. But still, if you suspect the server is being a jerk, make him/her think something terrible will happen if they serve you something with meat/eggs/dairy/seafood in it.

But let’s suppose you don’t have time for a proper meal at the airport. If you have time in advance, prepare something simple to take with you. As long as it’s not soup, stews, or anything involving liquid or gravy, you will have no problems bringing it through the security checkpoint. I’d recommend tomato rice or lemon rice, as they are yummy either hot or cold.

If you don’t have time for any of that, as a last resort, raid the convenience stores for snacks. Go for the mixed nuts, or the fruit and nut blends, as these tend to me more satisfying and less unhealthy than the standard chips/crisps. Pack multivitamin pills if necessary, and you’ll feel less bad about eating garbage.

Also, be sure to have a good, decent-sized, healthy breakfast. Because you never know when your flight might be delayed and you’re stuck somewhere waiting. Best to not be hungry and spending money on overpriced junk food if you can avoid it.

I hope all my readers stay safe and healthy as they travel.

I want nothing for Christmas!

I realize my family probably doesn’t read this blog, or know it exists, and that’s probably a good thing. And yet, just in case I’m mistaken, when they ask me what I want for Christmas, and I say I don’t want anything, I MEAN IT!

I am so. fucking. sick. of the crass commercialization of the holidays. Dino posted this video to his blog, and I’m reposting it here.

Criticism vs. Self-Righteousness

If I had a dime for every time someone told me I was being divisive, “mean,” or self-righteous, I’d go out and buy a pack of Peanut Chews.

In the events leading up to the split between News & Letters Committees and the Marxist-Humanist Committee, I was told I had no right to criticize older members, because they understand Marxism more than I do. This claim completely ignored the fact that I was joining several of the other older members in that criticism – individuals whose understanding of Marxism is well-renowned.

I’ve been told in vegan and animal rights activist circles that I should not criticize people who protest fur and neglect other animal rights issues, because these people are increasing awareness of the problem by getting people to think about the issues. I’ve seen no evidence to demonstrate this. Many people are against fur already, and never make the connection to realize that leather and meat are just as wrong. And yet, when I’ve expressed my frustration with activists waste time with this approach, instead of advocating directly for veganism, I’m accused of being self-righteous.

If we don’t allow open and honest criticism in activist circles, if we don’t allow dissenting thoughts to be voiced from within, if we are expected to go along with “the organization” or “the movement” uncritically and without thought, what can we even begin to hope to accomplish? If we keep doing the same shit, we’ll keep getting the same shit. We don’t all think alike, nor should we. We don’t always agree on the best approach. We shouldn’t stifle our voices for the sake of some bullshit false unity.

We need to be able to express our criticisms openly and honestly, without passive-aggressiveness. We need to be willing to concede to reason when reason shows us the error of our ways. We need organization that reflects our values of democracy, honesty, and freedom of speech.

We do not have the right to be above criticism. We do not have the right to live without being offended. This is not self-righteousness.

My fellow activists, get over yourselves.