The circus in my opinion is the cruelest form of family entertainment and people are still so oblivious to the torture that surrounds such horrific events. Read below to learn some basic facts surrounding the circus and join us Tuesday July 19th in Hamilton. The following is a Facebook event, ....search it for more info or email me.
COME OUT ON JULY 19TH TO COPPS COLISEUM AND TELL THE SHRINE CIRCUS THAT ANIMALS DIE IN CAPTIVITY and THEY ARE NOT WELCOME IN HAMILTON ANY LONGER.
The time has come to make Hamilton a ' Compassionate Circus Free' Town. Hamilton is ready !!
Facts about Animals in the Circus:
Trained by pain
• Circuses force animals to perform tricks
• Animals are injured while performing
• Training animals to achieve acts that are painful and unnatural requires whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods
• Elephants are trained by an ankus - a wooden stick with a sharp, pointed hook at the end. It is embedded into the elephants' most sensitive areas: feet, ears, chin, mouth, face. It is used to smash them across the face as well
• Circuses assert they use "positive reinforcement" to get animals to do tricks. If this were true, the trainers would be carrying bags of food treats, not metal weapons
Travel can be torture
• In circuses animals are kept in cages with barely enough room to turn around during travel and between shows
• Elephants are shackled in chains by their front and back legs so that they can't take a step forward or backward. They are required to eat, sleep, and defecate in the same trailers they are kept in
• The animals are forced to wait inside of the railroad cars for hours, even in extreme temperatures, sometimes up to 72 hours
Life in captivity
• In the wild, animals have relationships with their own kind and live in social groups or families
• Baby elephants stay with their mothers for years. Yet in circuses, they are ripped from their mothers because they are cute and reap profit
• Constant confinement forces animals into a state of psychosis. Elephants in circuses constantly sway back and forth in their chains, tigers pace in their cages, symptoms of deep psychological distress due to being deprived of fulfilling natural instincts
• Animals self-mutilate from lack of psychological stimulation.
Anti-Educational
• Opposite to what circuses say and the rationalization of educators who take students to circuses, seeing animals in circuses does not provide a pragmatic, educational tool because the animals are forced to perform tricks and live in conditions that are not natural for them
• The animals are in an environment that is radically different from the wild and their spirits are broken from cruel training. They are unable to fulfill their most basic needs and instincts.
It's unnatural. Think about, then help make a change. My kids will be there, bring yours too and maybe we'll influence other families in the community to support a more compassionate lifestyle, beginning with boycotting animal circus events.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Bike Riding Beach Side
There are certain things that really make summer feel like summer and bike riding by the beach is one of them. The trees are mature, the lake is calm and the air is warm. There's a long path that takes us past families doing the picnic thing, friends drinking on a patio and couples strolling by the water. People rollerblade by listening to their iPods, dogs are being walked by their owners and families like us are riding our bikes. If we stop, we skip some stones and take a second to absorb the moment. This is living. It's a little thing, but it's a together thing and it's one of my favourite things do do with my little fam!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Gooeyest Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
What you need:
2 slices of bread, thinner is better
3 to 4 tbsp Daiya Vegan Cheese
I-2 tsp Earth Balance 'butter'
Pinch of garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
The complicated process:
1. Everyone MUST know how to put a grilled cheese together but just in case: Butter your bread with the Earth Balance and sprinkle the garlic powder in as you spread.
2. Use the Daiya shreds in place of dairy cheese, heat through in a frying pan on medium heat and once the Daiya melts, your sandwich should be golden and gooey.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, July 4, 2011
Mango Avocado Rolls
INGREDIENTS
- 2/3 cup diced avocado
- 2 Tbs. lime juice
- 2 tsp. grated lime zest
- 2/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (white and pale green parts)
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp. chile sauce
- 8 81/2-inch Vietnamese rice paper wrappers
- 2 cups alfalfa sprouts
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced fresh mango
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine avocado, lime juice, and lime zest in small bowl. Stir in bell pepper, cream cheese, green onions, cilantro, and chile sauce; then set aside.
- Fill large bowl (9-inch diameter) with warm water. Submerge 1 rice paper wrapper 10 seconds in water, or just until it becomes soft. Remove wrapper to flat work surface, and let rest 30 seconds; it will become more pliable.
- Spoon 1/4 cup avocado mixture just below middle of rice paper wrapper, leaving 1-inch border on either side. Top with 1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts and 2 to 3 mango slices. Fold bottom of rice paper wrapper up over filling, pressing filling as you go. Fold both sides of rice paper inward. Gently press to seal. Roll up wrapper to top edge. Brush water on top edge, if necessary, to seal. And repeat!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Caesar Salad Vegan Style
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbs. blanched and ground almonds
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbs. nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 Tbs. soy sauce
- 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into large pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine almonds, garlic, mustard, yeast flakes, soy sauce, lemon juice, water and oil if desired using a blender or food processor and process until smooth and well blended. To serve, toss together lettuce (croutons if desired) and dressing, and toss to coat. Serve right away. Keep it Gluten Free by not using croutons.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Proud Proud Mama!
My kids have brought home awards before but never have I been as proud as I was yesterday when I learned they BOTH won the 'Citizenship Award' for their grade levels. It means they show respect, are deemed as being trustworthy and show concern for the well being of others. Carter was absolutely glowing as he told me that his teacher did a speech at the School Assembly (my god, I'm welling up just typing this!) about Carter being a good citizen globally, how he is a member of PETA and gave examples on how he and his family live a compassionate lifestyle. Callum's teacher spoke of him showing sympathy towards his peers and told the school he is a friend who can be counted on. This is so wonderful for me as a mother because as different as my boys are in personality, appearance & interests, it goes to show that what values you foster and instill in children will mean something and will make a difference in the type of people they are in this world. Celine Dion once said on an episode of Oprah, "it's not what you give them, it's how you raise them" and this rings true for me as a parent who admits to being guilty of materialistically giving far too much to my kids. It goes to show that them 'having' stuff doesn't mean they 'lack' goodwill. They are not spoiled brats, they are learning to pay forward with both sharing possessions & doing things for people with heart & soul in their efforts.Callum struggles with reading and Carter is easily frustrated with mathematics (he comes by that honestly) but overall my children get fairly good grades. Had they brought home an award of any kind, academically or for participation, I would have showered them with congratulations for their efforts. This particular award however speaks to our core values as a family, .... I am absolutely beaming with pride. I am very thankful to those special teachers who have brought awareness of these traits forth and made my sons shine!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, June 24, 2011
More Reasons To Vote Green
Animal welfare | Green Party of Canada
http://greenparty.ca/node/13344
Animal welfare
While everyone is against cruelty to animals, factory farming has been allowed to create systematic and routine cruelty to livestock production. Chickens are packed tightly in cages their whole lives, cattle crowd in feedlots, and pigs are kept indoors in cages on slatted metal floors all their lives. Most people believe that animals, including domesticated animals, have the right to be treated humanely. The current Federal laws protect animals from cruelty under the Criminal Code, but animals fall into the property section. Thus, cruelty to animal offences are among the very few offences that can only be convicted as summary convictions (minor offences, with limited penalties). As well, the Criminal Code uses the term ‘willful intent’, making it very hard to prove a person has violated the code.
Our Vision We believe that animals should be treated humanely and with respect at all times. Farming practices must allow animals to live without undue stress and in conditions where they are able to exercise normal behaviours. Many animals that live in intensive farming systems show signs of stress such as stereotypies (repetitive behaviours with no purpose) and aggression. Some animals, such as chicken breeder broilers and sows (mothers of pigs used for meat), are kept in a state of starvation in order to keep them at healthy weight, despite their bred-in genetic predisposition to gain weight. Mortalities, disease and injuries from long transport are a common occurrence, since abattoirs are often long distances from farms.
Green Solutions Green Party MPs will:
Adopt animal welfare legislation to prevent inhumane treatment of farm animals including intensive factory farming methods. The Act will set minimum standards of treatment and have a timetable for the phase-out of intensive factory farming and other inhumane animal husbandry practices. It will set standards for distances live animals can be transported, conditions of animals in slaughterhouses, auctions, and entertainment, and it will prohibit trade in exotic animals.
Update Canada’s criminal code as it pertains to animal protection, moving crimes against animals from the property section, and recognizing animals as sentient beings. The Green Party of Canada will, furthermore, invest resources in the development and training of police officers to deal with cruelty cases.
Establish a Parliamentary Committee on Animal Welfare tasked with examining legislation affecting animal concerns and dealing with the animal welfare community, creating a setting in parliament where animal welfare issues can be properly researched and debated and recommendations made as required.
Work to improve conditions for animals during transport.
Sponsor legislation that:
Makes the acts of cruelty to animals an offence under the criminal code instead of a property offence.
Clearly defines an animal as ‘a vertebrate other than a human being’.
Changes the term ‘willful neglect’ of animals used in the current legislation to simply ‘neglect’ with the term ‘neglect’ being defined as ‘departing markedly from the standard of care that a reasonable person would use’ so as to make convictions under the Act more achievable.
Makes it an offence to kill any animal without a lawful reason.
Makes it an offence to train an animal to fight and receive money for animal fighting and training, and prohibit all spectacles, animal shows and presentations that involve injuring, baiting, fighting, intimidation, harassment, causing fear and/or other negative actions that are potentially harmful to the animals involved; including bullfights, cock fights, and dog fights.
Bans the use of animals as experimental objects in military research and cosmetic testing.
Bans importing animals for zoos, except where importing will assist the overall conservation of that species.
Prohibits the use of wild animals in circuses, novelty acts, traveling shows and other temporary spectacles.
Requires all zoos to be licensed, to operate at a professional standard, be subject to strict animal welfare and public safety regulations, and subject to regular reviews and inspections.
Prohibits importing marine mammals for public display in zoos, marine parks and aquariums.
Prohibits the captive breeding of animals in zoos and marine parks, except for verifiable conservation purposes.
Establishes strict animal welfare and public safety regulations for the use of wild animals in film and television productions.
Establishes retirement/sanctuary facilities for wild animals seized by federal, provincial and municipal law enforcement agencies.
Strives for the reduction and ultimate replacement of animal use for research, testing, and educational purposes.
Makes the use of animals for research, testing and educational purposes unlawful where a non-animal method or approach is reasonably or practicably available (consistent with EU Directive 86/609).
Establishes a coordinated approach to identifying alternatives to replace or reduce the use of animals for testing and research, and commits resources to developing and validating non-animal test methods in coordination with parallel efforts elsewhere.
Ensures the automatic regulatory acceptance of every non-animal test method deemed scientifically valid by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) and the automatic prohibition of the animal-based test method it replaces.
Ensures that all new or revised animal and non-animal toxicity test methods are scientifically validated before their use is required, recommended or encouraged by regulatory authorities.
Enhances the current system of oversight consisting of voluntary guidelines and peer review administered by the Canadian Council on Animal Care, a federally regulated licensing program, whereby prospective animal users must apply to a federal Animal & Alternatives Research Review Board, which will be responsible for:
Evaluating the costs and benefits of the proposed research.
Rigorously assessing the availability of non-animal methods or approaches.
Granting or denying a project license.
Where a license is granted, monitoring compliance with animal care standards; and improving government and industry accountability and public access to information regarding the use of animals for research.
Outlaws the mandatory surrender of dogs and cats from municipal pounds and animal shelters (known as “pound seizure”)
for research use.
Bans all use of non-human primates for genetic manipulation and cloning, invasive psychological and behavioural research, substance abuse research, and warfare research.
Bans the use of animals to assess the safety of personal care and household cleaning products, as defined by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics; animal-based tests for skin corrosion, skin irritation, skin absorption, phototoxicity, pyrogenicity, genetic toxicity to be replaced by scientifically-validated non-animal methods.
Bans “lethal dose” toxicity studies on vertebrates.
Prohibits any industry involving single organ trade.
Increases monitoring and enforcement budgets.
Includes provisions to facilitate promotion of alternatives to use of wild animal ingredients by traditional medicine practitioners.
GREEN PARTY OF CANADA PO Box 997, Station B Ottawa, ON K1P 5R1 Green Party of Canada | Important information and privacy policy | Terms of Service Authorized by the Green Party of Canada Fund, Chief Agent for the Green Party of Canada.
http://greenparty.ca/node/13344
Animal welfare
While everyone is against cruelty to animals, factory farming has been allowed to create systematic and routine cruelty to livestock production. Chickens are packed tightly in cages their whole lives, cattle crowd in feedlots, and pigs are kept indoors in cages on slatted metal floors all their lives. Most people believe that animals, including domesticated animals, have the right to be treated humanely. The current Federal laws protect animals from cruelty under the Criminal Code, but animals fall into the property section. Thus, cruelty to animal offences are among the very few offences that can only be convicted as summary convictions (minor offences, with limited penalties). As well, the Criminal Code uses the term ‘willful intent’, making it very hard to prove a person has violated the code.
Our Vision We believe that animals should be treated humanely and with respect at all times. Farming practices must allow animals to live without undue stress and in conditions where they are able to exercise normal behaviours. Many animals that live in intensive farming systems show signs of stress such as stereotypies (repetitive behaviours with no purpose) and aggression. Some animals, such as chicken breeder broilers and sows (mothers of pigs used for meat), are kept in a state of starvation in order to keep them at healthy weight, despite their bred-in genetic predisposition to gain weight. Mortalities, disease and injuries from long transport are a common occurrence, since abattoirs are often long distances from farms.
Green Solutions Green Party MPs will:
Adopt animal welfare legislation to prevent inhumane treatment of farm animals including intensive factory farming methods. The Act will set minimum standards of treatment and have a timetable for the phase-out of intensive factory farming and other inhumane animal husbandry practices. It will set standards for distances live animals can be transported, conditions of animals in slaughterhouses, auctions, and entertainment, and it will prohibit trade in exotic animals.
Update Canada’s criminal code as it pertains to animal protection, moving crimes against animals from the property section, and recognizing animals as sentient beings. The Green Party of Canada will, furthermore, invest resources in the development and training of police officers to deal with cruelty cases.
Establish a Parliamentary Committee on Animal Welfare tasked with examining legislation affecting animal concerns and dealing with the animal welfare community, creating a setting in parliament where animal welfare issues can be properly researched and debated and recommendations made as required.
Work to improve conditions for animals during transport.
Sponsor legislation that:
Makes the acts of cruelty to animals an offence under the criminal code instead of a property offence.
Clearly defines an animal as ‘a vertebrate other than a human being’.
Changes the term ‘willful neglect’ of animals used in the current legislation to simply ‘neglect’ with the term ‘neglect’ being defined as ‘departing markedly from the standard of care that a reasonable person would use’ so as to make convictions under the Act more achievable.
Makes it an offence to kill any animal without a lawful reason.
Makes it an offence to train an animal to fight and receive money for animal fighting and training, and prohibit all spectacles, animal shows and presentations that involve injuring, baiting, fighting, intimidation, harassment, causing fear and/or other negative actions that are potentially harmful to the animals involved; including bullfights, cock fights, and dog fights.
Bans the use of animals as experimental objects in military research and cosmetic testing.
Bans importing animals for zoos, except where importing will assist the overall conservation of that species.
Prohibits the use of wild animals in circuses, novelty acts, traveling shows and other temporary spectacles.
Requires all zoos to be licensed, to operate at a professional standard, be subject to strict animal welfare and public safety regulations, and subject to regular reviews and inspections.
Prohibits importing marine mammals for public display in zoos, marine parks and aquariums.
Prohibits the captive breeding of animals in zoos and marine parks, except for verifiable conservation purposes.
Establishes strict animal welfare and public safety regulations for the use of wild animals in film and television productions.
Establishes retirement/sanctuary facilities for wild animals seized by federal, provincial and municipal law enforcement agencies.
Strives for the reduction and ultimate replacement of animal use for research, testing, and educational purposes.
Makes the use of animals for research, testing and educational purposes unlawful where a non-animal method or approach is reasonably or practicably available (consistent with EU Directive 86/609).
Establishes a coordinated approach to identifying alternatives to replace or reduce the use of animals for testing and research, and commits resources to developing and validating non-animal test methods in coordination with parallel efforts elsewhere.
Ensures the automatic regulatory acceptance of every non-animal test method deemed scientifically valid by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) and the automatic prohibition of the animal-based test method it replaces.
Ensures that all new or revised animal and non-animal toxicity test methods are scientifically validated before their use is required, recommended or encouraged by regulatory authorities.
Enhances the current system of oversight consisting of voluntary guidelines and peer review administered by the Canadian Council on Animal Care, a federally regulated licensing program, whereby prospective animal users must apply to a federal Animal & Alternatives Research Review Board, which will be responsible for:
Evaluating the costs and benefits of the proposed research.
Rigorously assessing the availability of non-animal methods or approaches.
Granting or denying a project license.
Where a license is granted, monitoring compliance with animal care standards; and improving government and industry accountability and public access to information regarding the use of animals for research.
Outlaws the mandatory surrender of dogs and cats from municipal pounds and animal shelters (known as “pound seizure”)
for research use.
Bans all use of non-human primates for genetic manipulation and cloning, invasive psychological and behavioural research, substance abuse research, and warfare research.
Bans the use of animals to assess the safety of personal care and household cleaning products, as defined by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics; animal-based tests for skin corrosion, skin irritation, skin absorption, phototoxicity, pyrogenicity, genetic toxicity to be replaced by scientifically-validated non-animal methods.
Bans “lethal dose” toxicity studies on vertebrates.
Prohibits any industry involving single organ trade.
Increases monitoring and enforcement budgets.
Includes provisions to facilitate promotion of alternatives to use of wild animal ingredients by traditional medicine practitioners.
GREEN PARTY OF CANADA PO Box 997, Station B Ottawa, ON K1P 5R1 Green Party of Canada | Important information and privacy policy | Terms of Service Authorized by the Green Party of Canada Fund, Chief Agent for the Green Party of Canada.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Meaning Of Peace
I've seen this before but I can't find it on my blog and it's a must have quote, so.... it's been added!
“peace: it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” — unknown
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
“peace: it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” — unknown
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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About Me
- Jennifer
- Life-long Vegetarian and proud to be Canadian. Really, I'm a little bit of everything, all rolled into one. I'm a bitch, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint (I do not feel ashamed) I'm your hell, I'm your dream (I'm nothing in between) You know, I wouldn't want it any other way..... (I'd like to think that song was written about me! lol)
