There is no walking, rooting in the dirt or contact with other pigs.   Eight states have banned the gestation stalls, and McDonald’s and Burger King will phase out purchases from farms that use this cruel crating technique. Chapman asks the owner of the pig farm if he is concerned about the mental welfare of the pigs.  The owner replies, “”That’s probably where I’ll draw the line. They’re animals.”

Pork Magazine, a publication for the industry, advised producers that, “on the issue of gestation-sow stalls, at least, it’s increasingly apparent that you will lose the battle.”  The editor of Pork Magazine wrote, “gestation stalls seem extreme.  It’s too small a space for too long a time.”  Steve Chapman calls the stalls, “a high-tech prison for pigs.”

If more individuals would visit the places from which their meat comes, perhaps a kinder, vegetarian lifestyle would be a consideration.  Go and see what a “downed cow” looks like when it is too sick to stand.  Better yet, take a little trip to see the de-beaking of chickens.   Seeing veal calves taken away from their mothers and placed in small crates awaiting slaughter may be of interest.  A feeding tube shoved down the throat of a goose to accomplish force-feeding is a sight to see.

There is a quote by Jane Goodall, primatologist, ethologist, and anthropologist, that should give pause to those who enjoy the meat they consume.  She states. “Thousands of people who say they “love” animals sit down once or twice a day to enjoy the flesh of creatures who have been utterly deprived of everything that could make their lives worth living and who endured the awful suffering and the terror of the abattoirs— and the journey to get there— before finally leaving their miserable world, only too often after a painful death.

If the above quote by Jane Goodall does not influence those who enjoy eating the products of suffering, then they should never exclaim, “I love animals.” 

Resources:

Goodall, Jane. The Ten Trusts:  What We Must Do to Care for the Animals We Love, New York: Harper Collins, October 2002.

Chapman, Steve. “Investigating a Pig’s Life.” Chicago Tribune, Thursday, May 3, 2012, Section #1: page 25.

Genetically modified foods may after all, not be as bad as we have always feared. Scientists have subjected pigs to a three year feeding on GM foods with the view of determining what the long term effects of consuming GM food s could have on animals, and eventually humans.

 The Pigs were fed on Spanish GM maize, bred with modifications that make it resistant to insects.  The study was sponsored by the GM food Consortium and it was purely motivated by safety reasons given the fact there has always been a lot of apprehension about the long term effects of consuming GM foods.

The researchers carried out a generational pig feeding program with piglets with GM maize for a period of 36 months with no detectable adverse effects on the pigs. This by far is the biggest confidence boost to consumers of GM in many decades  because the scientists observed that the pig is considered to be having very close similarities with humans as far as their gastro-intestinal anatomy is concerned.

  The findings of this study is considered to be very credible because the team of researchers engaged were eminent scientists from Australia, Ireland, Hungry, Turkey, and Australia who have outstanding track-record.

These results will be  presented at the GMSAFOOD conference slated to be held at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria 6-8 March 2012.

I have two articles to share with you today, which might not seem related at first. But bear with me.

The first one, from MSNBC, was about three people who were keeping four mentally disabled adults chained up in a basement with only a jug of orange juice and some buckets to go to the bathroom in. Looking at the 200+ comments on the article, people were pretty outraged and disgusted at this crime, some saying the criminals should be treated the same way as they treated their victims.

Once upon a time, the mentally handicapped were not so well thought of in society, nor so well protected. Once upon a time, limits on a person’s mental functioning also meant limits on the worth of that person’s life. It’s wonderful to see that this is, for the most part, no longer the case. The acceptable viewpoint in society is that the mentally disabled are real people who deserve protection and love. Varying levels of intelligence have no real influence on our judgment of the worth of fellow human beings. We see what these criminals did as unacceptable, perhaps even more despicable because their victims were childlike and vulnerable. Exploiting the disabled for one’s own purposes is generally agreed to be wrong.

Will there be a time when the same can be said for animals? People justify exploiting animals because human beings have a higher intellectual capacity than other animals. Smart adult animals have about the same mental capacity as human children… probably roughly similar to what these adult victims have. Animals are vulnerable and childlike in many ways. But we see them as inferior because of having less mental capacity. So, it’s okay for us to lock them in concrete or steel enclosures for extended periods of time, letting them live in their own waste, without regard for their emotional health, without regard for their physical suffering. Because they’re not as smart as we are. And there’s money to be made off them.

Why is it different? Because we’re human, and they’re not? Is it just because we only look out for our own kind? How is that so different from saying it’s okay to enslave people of other races, because we’re white, and they’re not?

Well, some people get outraged when they see videos of abuse at meat, egg, and dairy farms… but they don’t believe that this sort of thing happens all the time. They think it’s just an isolated incident… they say the individual person beating the animal should be arrested, and this is often true, but there’s more going on than just one case of a single psychotic farm worker. They can’t see, or else choose to ignore the fact that it’s the industry itself which is encouraging this abuse. It’s the way we think about animals. As objects. As inferior because of intelligence, because of a different physical shape or color… or something.

I wish there were some way to open people’s eyes, and get them thinking. What is the difference, really?

The other thing I read today was a post from the Action for Animals newsfeed on my facebook page. As much as I dislike bringing up the Holocaust…. It talks about how some people didn’t want to believe that the concentration camps of the Holocaust were real, and that it was just individual, evil officers in isolated incidents of abuse. Looking back now, most people agree that the concentration camps were real, and that thousands of people died there, people who were seen as inferior. It was the way that people thought about the Jews, the mentally disabled, and other “Others” which brought about this black mark in history.

The beginnings of this kind of tragedy still live inside of all of us. Any time we think of another living being as inferior, as an object which can be disposed of at our whims, which has no inherent value in itself… we are echoing the root cause, the spirit of the Holocaust.

So I invite you to read it, and think about it. It’s not very long. Just think about it. What is the difference? Is there one?

The Article: We Can’t See The Truth Through Rose-Colored Glasses.

Yum yum pig’s bum

Apple pie and chewing gum

Take the humble Frankfurter (or any other sausage for that matter). It is jam packed with the cheapest meat available. Often mechanically recovered from the abattoir floor. This piece of cuisine (to use the term completely incorrectly) will contain all the bits of meat (animal flesh and body parts) which you can’t but in the shops. Pig’s anus and back passage – swished to remove any of the feces there when it was slaughtered.

The vegan wiener contains none of that rubbish and its manufacture entailed no cruelty or tails. That’s what the vegan wiener is superior to the meat Frankfurter. The only thing the vegan variety has with the meaty one is that kids love them.

Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is one of the best and greatest anti-totalitarian novels. It retells the story of the Russian revolution and the rise of the soviet communism in the form of animal. In the opening scene, Old Major, a prize-winning boar, died with his inspiring speech to overthrow the farmer. This then compels all the animals in the farm to revolt and get rid of the old farmer. However, the three pigs, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer established themselves as the upper-ruling class. The struggle for predominance between Snowball and Napoleon showed the tyrannical demon in Napoleon’s mind. Napoleon embodies the character of Joseph Stalin, who is a cruel dictator that utilized his military power to force people into promulgating him. I would save this book because the theme of a single dictator that favors communism is prevalent throughout the history of mankind. The novel incorporates the censorship in the media to emphasize the prevailing totalitarian dictatorship. All animals in the farm trusted the elite pigs and withheld the 7 commandments that supported the equality among them; however, the manipulative pigs changed it into one single quote: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” This quote alone says it all; it shows how the government can turn one idea into a completely distinct idea. Therefore, one can learn about how the history had been written and to never make the same mistakes that the past had established.

Ungulates:

Animals equipped with hoofs are known as ungulates. Included in this category are different kinds of animals that have hoofs.  Ungulates are divided into two groups: even-toed and odd-toed. Some animals have solid hoofs, such as the horse; others, such as the cow have split or cloven hoofs.  People may not be aware  that ungulates walk on tiptoes, as their hoofs are like the nails of human beings. Horses and zebras are odd-toed ungulates. Imbedded in their hoofs are bones of three toes. Pigs, llamas, camels, deer, cattle, sheep, goats, antelopes, etc.  are known as even-toed ungulates. Their hoofs cover four toes.  Ungulates also include elephants, except that their toes are padded, with toenails growing on the front edges.  Ungulates are herbivorous, with the exception of the pig family.

Valuable Uses of Uranium:

When we usually mention the word uranium, it immediately brings to mind the words, “atom bomb,”  and nuclear energy.  Years ago, prior to the the production of atomic energy, uranium did not seem to be as significant as it is today. Yet it is important when we consider that it is used in the making of steel alloys (metal mixtures). What it does is that it strengthens steel  by increasing its hardness, and elasticity without making it brittle. It is also used to manufacture yellow-green and red fluorescent glass, glazes pottery, its solution was once used in medicine to kill germs, as well as in certain chemical processes for the manufacture of rubber.   

Fraternities  and Sororities:

As we all know fraternities and sororities are college students’ clubs. They are known as Greek-letter societies for the reason that their names are borrowed from words in the Greek language, such as Sigma Alpha Epsilon. There are those that consider fraternities and sororities to be Hellenic, meaning Greek.   

    Joshua was rather new to Beta, and therefore even more new to Survival Multiplayer. When he joined the server and appeared in Spawntown. He was impressed, he saw houses, he saw stores and he saw people talking and socializing where he was. However Joshua was an impressionable person. He liked to see a house here, and a store there however there was one building that caught his eye. A large bulky stone structure. This structure did not look so well “put together” however it was big, and Joshua figured that a person who would live there, would be an important person and a person who would let him stay there.

          Joshua eagerly went to the stone structure to find the sign,

” Welcome to the Nikon Estate”

Of course in Minecraft, they don’t give you the option to “knock” on doors so Joshua simply opened the door and let himself in. He was greeted by a blob man in a suit.

” Hello there Mr. Joshua, welcome to my estate.”

Joshua replied

” yea yeaz, who build dis?”

The Blob man just said.

” That would be me sir, this estate was constructed by materials extracted from mines that we are standing directly over.”

   Joshua was getting the impression this blob was rather odd, so he said

” uhhh yea, so canz I like live here?”

The blob man smiled

” well of course sir, however in order for me to create a room for you, I need materials that I need you to get for me”

   Joshua decided to cooperate and then he asked

 ” yo what do you need man?”

” I need 3 pieces of wool, and I require plenty of wood”

 ” yea yea yea okay doood”

Joshua killed the sheep, Joshua cut down the trees, Joshua got everything that The blob man could want and possibly more. So then he returned to the estate and the materials were handed over.

             The blob man told Joshua to wait, and he made an opening in the stone wall. He created a small wood space, a 2×2 wood plank block setup. He placed a bed on the back side of the small room, and he left 2 other blocks open for “living space”.

      So when night came around, The blob man told Joshua to right click on the bed, and then he could make the living space bigger. Joshua simple cooperated and then after he got out of the bed, the blob man placed 2 wooden blocks over the bottom part of the entrance, sealing Joshua in. Before Joshua could break out of the trap. The blob man repeatedly left clicked on Joshua causing him damage and feeding on him. Joshua saw the fangs on the blob man and then he finally realized he had set himself up as a vampire’s midnight snack. There was no escape for Joshua at this particular point.

He didn’t realize that this was technically spawnkilling and that this is illegal, he didn’t realize he could easily type /spawn and escape. He didn’t realize he would get help if he would ask for it. Joshua simply exclaimed in chat.

” F#CK YOU ALLZ, BLOCKTOPIA SUCKS!, IM GONNAZ PLAY ME SUM HALOzzzzz”

and then he promptly left.

The effects of human nature outside of society’s accepted “norm” are witnessed in everyday life. Daily we find ourselves in situations and around people that can be categorized as a ‘pet peeve’. It could be someone honking their horn or standing by as their dog barks, which triggers a mechanism causing anger, unease and even a hate towards them. Unknowingly, we have been programmed to react to these situations and events with negative emotions,  not unlike an involuntary habit that can be attributed to the many problems and conflicts we experience in our society. Many times we realize these actions only after close examination. One author expands on the ideals of human nature and the extent to which we as humans will go when problems and conflicts arise. Author of “Lord of the Flies”, William Golding, suggests that we are accustomed to living in a society based on laws, morals and beliefs every man is expected to follow, and when the society we are familiar with no longer exists, human nature can become unpredictable, volatile and even expose evil within all of us.

Golding introduces us to survivors of a plane crash on an uninhabited island and leaves us to believe there are no adults, only children. Ralph and Piggy, the first characters we are exposed to, understood that they were no longer in their predictable society, and the only way to survive was to implement ideals that their elders had taught them. Together, they gathered all of the children that survived the crash and established laws and ruling similar to those found in their homeland. Ralph, a strong spirited boy, spared no time in signing up for the position of ‘chief’, where he found himself challenged by Jack, a school choirmaster. Jack was also very confident in his ability to lead the children, for he already had experience through leading the choir. After the votes had been cast and Ralph came out on top, Jack and fellow choirboys were assigned to the special task of “the hunters”. Their job was to provide security, and to supply sources of food.

As the story unfolds, we learn that the overconfident Jack is a little uneasy when it comes to killing another living creature. This shows how someone who may appear tough and confident on the outside, can really be an insecure individual trying to find his way in the world. After his abilities are questioned, Jack makes the decision to never be in that position again, even going out of his way to kill every chance he got. As time passed, disagreements in ideals caused tension between Jack and Ralph. For example, by letting the signal fire sizzle out, they missed an opportunity to be saved by a ship that was passing by the island. Ralph and Piggy understood how crucial a signal fire was to their chances of rescue, but Jack and others would have much rather hunted or swam, almost as if signaling that they did not want to be rescued. Jack’s desire for leadership without the questioning of others could only be accomplished if they broke off from the tribe created by Ralph. After another argument with Ralph, Jack took “the hunters” and any other boy that “wanted to have fun” to another part of the island to start their own tribe. These boys were told that they would have freedom with few laws, but as the time passed, we found out that this was a crucial step in the wrong direction.

With the establishment of Jack’s new tribe, “the hunters” felt a strong sense of free will and enjoyment. They had fire, food, and freedom with no adults around to “bring down a heavy hand” or judge their actions. The newly established laws included: having fun, dancing around bond fires, hunting when they pleased, and listening to Jack and Ralph. Over time, the boys began to stray from proper etiquette, manners, and the ability to function as normal human beings. When it came to chow, they gobbled their meal as if they hadn’t eaten in the last year. During the dance ceremonies, some of the boys would jab at one another with their sharp hunting sticks as if to kill. From the initial success of stopping a heartbeat, there was a strong sense of power and authority. This incident led to the boys mentally planting a seed that they were the dominant group, with nobody/nothing to contend with them. Nothing was stopping them from allowing their immature youth to dominate their minds. As their minds were slowly molded, we began to see that the boys were showing characteristics that most would not notice in ones normal activity. There was no longer a caution towards whether or not someone was frowning upon their actions, like Roger, Jack’s second in command, who was unable to handle the freedom. He developed a desire for the suffering of the other children through torture and other sadistic means of punishment. These actions would be quickly corrected if they were to have taken place in a ‘structured’ environment. Yet, the older boys of “the hunters” somewhat enjoyed the pain felt by others, or simply looked the other way, which did not help Roger’s condition.

Ralph and Piggy watched as the group became more and more unlatched. Both were against the ideals of Jack, and wanted to instate ones that would increase the chance of rescue. But with the persuasive rewards of remaining on the island, it was hard for them to convert members from “the hunters” let alone sway the boys to remain in their tribe. They stood by helplessly as Jack and Roger did as they pleased while repelling any idea related to leaving the island. Eventually the barbaric actions of “the hunters” caused the death to one of the boys, Simon. With the death of a friend who supported the motion to get off the island, Ralph was overwhelmed with anger, which is the natural emotion man would feel in such a situation. But while Piggy and Ralph were feeling the effects, so did Jack. He began to deny the fact that they had extracted the last breaths of another human, and he spiraled into a state that most youth turn to when they have been caught red handed in an activity they should not have been apart of, which is to ‘pass the blame’. In the eyes of Jack, everyone was present and took part in their foul doings. They were all accountable, and the solution was to deny the existence of the incident. But Ralph knew that what they had done was wrong, and the next morning with Piggy following close behind, they ventured to “the hunters” mountain encampment where the closest thing to a welcome was the sharp end of a spear. Jack stepped forward after Ralph had accused them of “murder” and they began to wrestle on the side of the cliff. Roger, standing above them, saw this as an opportunity, and wedged a boulder over the cliff that landed on Piggy. The scream heard from Piggy as he was crushed caused the scrap to stop. Ralph accused them of murder and ran away into the jungle. This imposed a threat towards being able to keep the events under the radar. Jack decided it was best to take the entire hunting party out to track down Ralph and remove his existence.

It is common for man to feel a dislike towards someone, but to the extent where they would remove them is rare. Throughout life the majority of people will stumble along someone(s) who really irritates them. This is similar to the father and Mr. Garfield from “Butcher Bird”. The father had no real reason to be mad at Mr. Garfield, but when his family starting taking a fancy towards the Garfield’s, he developed a mental blockade that rejected everything about them, from the trees to the gift. It was not like they did something intentionally to arouse him, but the thought of a family that went out of their way to express love and care created unease. It could have been the fact that the beliefs of the Garfield’s would cause a change to his family, which didn’t sit well with him. A big change to someone’s life like this causes discomfort, and when an opportunity presents itself that requires a new outlook on life, it is our human nature to stick with what makes us comfortable. To sit back and maintain a sense of security that is already felt seems like the best solution, because it is comfortable and requires the least amount of energy. If the father would have embraced change, he may have realized over time that he was able to live a healthier life with his family. His wife and son showed admiration towards the Garfield’s and their way of life, but because the father was the head of the household it was his decision to stay the current course and not alter their lives. It is natural to feel jealous, for it is felt by everyone at times throughout their life. But when it gets to a point where it is unbearable, it is unknown what behavior(s) will suppress or encourage them to take part in a bad deed.

When we were children, our parents would look at us while we slept in our cribs without any way of determining whether we would become the next Barack Obama, or the next Saddam Hussein. But as time went on and we grew, little by little our parents could notice the path we were veering towards. Even as a toddler they could begin to understand the characteristics the child possessed through the ways they acted when they were around others. The child would eventually progress to the ‘teen scene’ where the majority decides it is best to show their emotions on their shoulders. Going out of their way to ensure that others knew that what they had to say was important, which in most cases it is not. Otis (Grand Canyon), a troubled boy growing up in a rough neighborhood, shows us how the human nature of someone can be influenced by the environment of his or her upbringing. Otis is a good kid, but with the fact that he could be gunned down at any moment leaves him hopeless, resulting in a mentality that to prevent an attack from a rival, is to strike first. As a child he may have loved to play baseball in the streets or play tag with his friends, but over time he was transformed into a ‘bad apple’ that fell to the diseased ‘pure pressure’. “If you don’t got the gun, you don’t got the respect” was the attitude felt by most of the young people that lived in these rough neighborhoods. Of course, Otis could have said no to gangs and drive-bys, but then he would no longer be the authority. He would have to fit in like everyone else on the block that lived in fear of someone pulling up at any second and gunning them down. It is a human instinct that Otis would want to ensure the safety and security of his family, however being easily influenced he believed the only way to earn this was through gaining respect, which meant power and authority would need to be imposed through any means required. Otis believed that he “wouldn’t live past 20”, and that if he didn’t get gunned down by a rival, the “pigs” were sure to get him. Due to thoughts like this, he was oblivious to the fact that there were other means of seeking refuge, like getting a job to help contribute towards moving out of the hot zone. Otis’s life is a good example of how the choices one makes and the environment they grow up in can determine their path in life.

From the day we are born, we are awarded the privilege of determining our life path. There are many things that may be considered ‘roadblocks’, which act as a distraction to veer us from living life to the fullest. It is the ability to show a strong resistance that will increase the chances of victory. Our human nature tells us to take what is closest, and that which is easiest. Whether it is choosing to join a gang over going to school, or selling drugs instead of getting a job, it is the capability to choose what is best, not what is easiest. The mind is simplified in the sense that it has the potential to achieve great things, but is programmed to do only what the body requires. There are those like Ralph and Piggy who go out of their way in an environment surrounded by distractions to redistribute the laws and morals created by their elders. They could simply have admitted defeat over their minds like Jack and Roger, who voluntarily invited unknown behaviors and actions, but they had the mental stability not to. By stepping up and taking charge when they could have just played in the water or made sand castles, shows the power that man… or for that matter, a child has over their human nature.

These three countries in Southern Europe plus the Emerald Isle in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean make up part of the EU anf the four of them are in the Euro Zone.

 Portugal are neighbouring with Spain. Bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, like Ireland, it´s as good a country as any other, despite its poverty. Yet, no country is really poor, unless a colonial power or a dictatorship set their foot on it. To anyone who loves history and a stunning place I’d recommend Sintra or Lisbon. One shouldn’t bother with street maps and stuff, but one should stroll at its own pace to discover every hidden jewel on its way.

The Emerald Isle is known as Ireland because of the English. They probably found it difficult to pronounce the other Irish names of Celtic origin and replaced it to suit themselves as they have always done wherever they have been. Ever since I went to Eire, I fell in love with the land. I love the green bathed by the deep blue of the Ocean. I am a true urban person, but I seldom miss the hustle of a city, strolling about this land. Nothing can beat to to a good night out as taking part in a trad session, national anthem included. Eire could have a much better gastronomy if it weren’t for the English influence It´s an agricultural and fishing country. Cows and sheep graze as they please in the green. It could be a more advanced one, though. But eight hundred years of British domination that condemned its population to hunger and emigration has taken its toll.

  I have to admit that I have never been to the cradle of civilization and democracy, that is, Greece. But it is never too late. Chances are that one day or another I´ll get on board on whatever means of transport to explore it. I always got along well with the Greeks whom I find are humorous people. Their famed dance is enough to cheer me up and to make me daydream with this land full of ancient and outstanding stones that tell us about times past.

 Spain, the forth of the so called piggy countries, is quite an unknown one, although, it only takes a couple of hours to fly in. Spaniards love their pigs to the extend of making the best ham in the world. Bit pricey, I´d say, but a sheer delight to palate with any of their excellent wines. Out of the pig there’s nothing to waste, but a lot to enjoy, Spaniards exclaim. It’s also a land full of outstanding  stones that will tell the traveller (not to holiday maker) thousands of tales and stories too.

The financial markets may think of us as the PIGS countries. Yet, we are proud to retain some of the best things in life and of history.

They may call us PIGS. But at least, they grant us with a status.  It’s something!