NZVP Ep. 107 - Stall stories from the first week of Spring 2013.

Listen HERE

 ***NOTE: I AM NO LONGER AFFILIATED WITH OR SUPPORT TAVS

Here is the article I spoke about: Enabling Exploitation

Here is one of the discussions on Gary Francione's facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/abolitionistapproach/posts/647496038603487

Oh and you HAVE to read this article!!!:

Animal Welfare Regulation, “Happy Exploitation,” and Speciesism

Thanks for listening

NZVP Ep.106 - Don't get participation in animal slavery mixed up with involuntary harm

Listen HERE

***NOTE: I AM NO LONGER AFFILIATED WITH OR SUPPORT TAVS

Here is the facebook post I wrote: "Anyone who thinks there is no moral difference between, say, driving a car or taking public transport in vehicles that to our dismay may contain animal by-products, and for example eating a piece of cow's milk cheese, obviously doesn't realise that animals are property and what we are trying to abolish is slavery.

There is a *huge* difference between the two examples. As vegans, we are frustrated, horrified and dismayed when we learn that there are some things that we must use that against our will contain animal by products. Such as sidewalks or footpaths, plastics, car tyres etc. Huge difference.

The difference is thus: those things, those industries, those products, are not products based upon animal slavery. They are simply not. It is perfectly conceivable to have cars, concrete, paint, plastics etc, without any animal by-products in them whatsoever. And we are going to abolish that too, you just wait.

However, cow's milk cheese is a product entirely based upon, produced by and dependant on animal slavery, and slaughter. You will *never* have cow's milk cheese without exploiting cows. It is a *slave* industry.

So while as vegans we are working towards eliminating as much harm to others as we can, such as living in a world that doesn't use plastic at all would be lovely, a world in which no vegetable or fruit is produced with nonhuman slaves' manure, and in which we develop alternatives to a lot of harmful products and practices while of course eliminating any animal by products in their making, the NUMBER ONE THING we must do now is ABOLISH SLAVERY. And you *don't* do that by making twisted, incorrect comparisons between products such as vehicles (nothing to do with animal slavery, and yes we hate that there are the products of exploitation in there against our will, and watch us abolish that too! - but those products are in no way dependant on animal slavery) and animal products that people eat, wear or use that are *intrinsically* and *unavoidably* from slavery.

I hope that clears up this silliness so we can get on with being consistent in our advocacy and no more making excuses for "vegans" who deliberately and directly participate in slavery by reminding us that we can't levitate, build entire new vegan painted city buildings/homes on our own (yet) or avoid the use of transportation to our jobs.

Hey - if you can levitate - more power to you I am jealous. If you own a vegan car I love you for it. If you live in a custom house that is completely vegan painted/no animal by-product containing plastics/computer and phone the same - more power to you that is where we *all* should be headed.
But don't get it twisted, and please don't EVER EVER justify or defend slavery."

Here is the link to Gary Francione's Videos:  http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/video/#.Uf4k_BZD38s

Please watch them all.  You can see the Animals As Property video directly here also: http://vimeo.com/4807775#at=0

Read this book to inform yourself also (read ALL HIS BOOKS): http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/books/animals-property-and-the-law/#.Uf4lXhZD38s

And of course the new book Eat Like You Care  Here is the official website: http://www.eatlikeyoucarebook.com  If you have something positive to say, please leave a review!

Finally here are those GORGEOUS new street stalls I told you about:

NZVP Ep. 105 - The Abolitionist/Welfarist Debate goes live

Listen HERE

 ***NOTE: I AM NO LONGER AFFILIATED WITH OR SUPPORT TAVS

Here is the link to Gary Francione's Plenary Speech: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/my-plenary-talk-audio-at-the-animal-rights-2013-national-conference/#.Ud_0PBZD38t

There is also a link to the audio from the debate in the above article however here is the Youtube video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=akFdn-sa3EM
Thank you to Alanna Andrews for uploading it, much appreciated.

Here is that pdf I mentioned that talks about human rights (from Bruce Friedrich's part of the debate): NZ Vegan Facebook posting

Here is that poster I mentioned (FB Link only sorry): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=386347634800499&set=pb.124140001021265.-2207520000.1373629842.&type=3&theater



Hope I remembered everything!  Thanks for listening.

NZVP Ep 104 - Street Stall evidence of the paradigm shifting. ***NOTE: I AM NO LONGER AFFILIATED WITH OR SUPPORT TAVS

***NOTE: I AM NO LONGER AFFILIATED WITH OR SUPPORT TAVS

Listen HERE

This is the essay I mentioned:  Revolution of the Heart

Quote from the essay: "The abolition of animal exploitation requires a paradigm shift. It requires that we reject violence at its most fundamental level. It requires a recognition that violence is inherently wrong.The abolition of animal exploitation requires a nonviolent revolution–a revolution of the heart."

This is, of course, the WONDERFUL vegankit! www.vegankit.com

The Boston Vegan Association:
Facebook page (to see all the activities they do!  Always have wanted to emulate them) https://www.facebook.com/bostonvegan?fref=ts
Here is their website: http://bostonvegan.org
Their wonderful Nutritional Pamphlet:  http://bostonvegan.org/system/files/page/attachments/BVA_Nutrition_Pamphlet.pdf


Please excuse the terrible sound quality (all the popped p's and t's for example) - it's just going to be that way for a while till I get Pro Tools again.  I am really sorry!!!!

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 103 - Please don't link veganism with animal welfare

Listen HERE

Things I mentioned:
 My podcast episode about being unequivocal: http://nzveganpodcast.blogspot.co.nz/2010/06/nz-vegan-podcast-episode-57-key-word-is.html

Article I mentioned from the Abolitionist Approach website: Veganism: Just Another Way of Reducing Suffering or a Fundamental Principle of Justice & Nonviolence?

The supremely important book I mentioned:  Introduction to Animal Rights - Your Child or the Dog?

Here is an example of an article from The My Face is on Fire blog that is quick to analyse misrepresentations of veganism in mainstream media: http://my-face-is-on-fire.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/vegan-challenges.html

My website: www.nzvegan.com and the page I mentioned about sanctuaries and rescue orgs I link to: Sanctuary

Here is the group in Brasil that I mentioned: GEFRAN (run by http://www.veganospelaabolicao.org)

An example of the posters from the Abolitionist Approach facebook page with the motto: Go Vegan, Educate Others, Adopt/Foster: POSTER

Finally the New Series: TIWISBD (Things I Wish I had Said But Didn't) that I spoke about on my NZ Vegan facebook page lol. I am sure I will be adding to this repertoire:  https://www.facebook.com/NZVegan/posts/371795796255683

Here is the link to the Huffington Post article that I mentioned in the beginning(NOTE - I forgot to mention that it only addresses diet *sigh* oh and don't look at the "celebrity 'vegan'" slideshow - MFIoF could write a few articles about that alone):  Interest in Vegan Diets on the Rise

Thanks for listening. :)

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 102 - This is a MORAL issue

Listen HERE

Welcome back to the continuing series of NZ Vegan Podcast!

My final episode was not my final episode after all :)

This episode I address the one of the common issues arising from the dialogue about vegan advocacy, specifically those who say it is preferable to concentrate on the dietary and health aspect of veganism when advocating to people, rather than the moral issue.  Needless to say, I disagree.

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 101 - What do we MEAN by vegan education? What don't we mean? Plus a special announcement!

LISTEN HERE

In this episode I hope to address many misconceptions.

Thanks for listening to my final episode of NZ Vegan Podcast!

New podcast coming soon....... stay tuned :)

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 100 - Part Three of interview with Special Guest Renata Peters!

LISTEN HERE

Alice Springs Vegan Society Facebook Page

Email Renata at: renata@alicevegan.org

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 99 - Part Two of interview with special guest Renata Peters!

Listen HERE

Alice Springs Vegan Society Facebook Page

Email Renata at: renata@alicevegan.org

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 98 - Special Guest Renata Peters! (aka Desert Girl :)

Listen HERE

Alice Springs Vegan Society Facebook Page


Email Renata at: renata@alicevegan.org

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 97 - On always keeping the focus on the victims

Listen HERE

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 96 - on speciesist vegans

Liste HERE

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 95 - NO! to "stealth" veganism! and other stories

Listen HERE


"People say that being a vegan creates a social problem in that others may react negatively. But isn't that the case if you take a principled position on any issue, whether it's racism, sexism, heterosexism, violence as a general matter—or speciesism? The key is to educate others about *why* you take the position." ~ Gary L. Francione

Links and articles and other things I talk about:

The Vegan Times  (website is http://vegan-times.com/) and also the Vegan Times Facebook page by  Maya Shlayan

Vegan Cupcake Cards by Emmy James - PLEASE NOTE: correct link address is: http://emmyjames.com/vegancards.pdf

Vegan Information Stall at School by Clare Wu

Shame, Shame: Vegan Stereotypes by Mylène Ouellet

"Please stop apologising for refusing to participate in violence" ~ Live Vegan

"Wherever the truth is injured, defend it" ~ George Bernard Shaw (not Bertrand Russell - my apologies!)

Gary Francione's Facebook Page

Animals, Property and the Law by Gary Francione - a must read for all animal advocates!

Am I Vegan? Clearly defining who is and is NOT vegan by Butterflies Katz

"The Challenge of Going Vegan" (As Explained by a Non-Vegan) also by My Face is on Fire

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 94 - Petition Signers Anonymous

Listen HERE

A Revolution of the Heart by Gary Francione
Single Issue Campaigns - Pruning Exploitation - by Dan Cudahy and Angel Flinn - the podcast version can be found here at Live Vegan's YouTube page

The ever important debate between Erik Marcus and Gary Francione

My previous podcast on the "you don't care about the animals who are suffering now" accusation.

Our NZ Vegan Facebook Page
Our OZVegan & NZVegan Facebook group

The No Kill Movement

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 93 - On getting started and not being discouraged, and other ramblings.

Listen HERE

Here is the quote I was trying to say on the show

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead

This is the Gandhi quote I have on my 'cubicle' wall at work:

"Non-violence and truth are inseparable and presuppose one another." ~ Gandhi

Here are the posters I have on my cubicle wall at work

Here is a link to the interview of Gary Francione by Erik Marcus: MP3 or listen on the Abolitionist Approach Audio page.

Please read Gary Francione's books

Here is our Facebook Group that I talked about: Oz Vegan & NZ Vegan

Here is the link to Emmy James' new podcast that I mentioned: Activism and the Message We Want to Send

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 92 - With Special Guest Jeffrey Coolwater!

Listen HERE

This week I am very pleased to welcome fellow abolitionist advocate Jeffrey Coolwater. You can find Jeffrey on twitter as MacVegan

Here is the link to the blog article we discussed about Jeffrey's 10 "lost years" as a vegetarian, before he discovered veganism and abolition.

Here is a link to the groundbreaking interview that we mention of Professor Gary L. Francioneon Vegan Freak Radio

You can find all the audio interviews of Professor Francione on the Audio Page of the Abolitionist Approach website

Please read Gary Francione's books! (5 of which are available at the Auckland Library)

Here is a link to the book Jeffrey mentioned by Bob and Jenna Torres: Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World (Also available at the Auckland Library)

This is the cartoon I talked about in the podcast. (HEE HEE!! I just love it!)

~ Credit for this hilarious cartoon goes to Ignatz Ziller.

Thanks so much Jeffrey for coming on the show!

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 91 - Either not existing or exploiting someone - these are not valid options!

Listen HERE

This week I talk about something that was inspired through a conversation from the last street stall we did and also by a lot of things going on lately and in fact by all the things I have learned over the last 4 years since I went vegan.

Here is the link to the latest Foxconn Protest

Here is the link to the podcast episode I mentioned from This American Life

Here is the link to the story I talked about from the Horn of Africa (note - ignore the bit about the "cattle" and please investigate the other related stories on there such as This One and This One)

Here is a link to a petition against the NZ Food Bill, and here is the link to the Food Bill itself, and THIS is an interesting article that someone kindly sent to me about it.

Here is the link to the Vegan Pensieve article I mentioned about eggs - Warning - disturbing photos

And finally, Please Read Gary Francione's Books. The book I mention in the podcast that I quote from is Animals, Property and the Law.Publish Post

Thanks for listening

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 90 - Happy Vegan New Year 2012

LISTEN HERE

This week I revisit something that is old news but I think still very relevant for the coming year and all years of the vegan movement, which is that we have no excuse for not promoting veganism unequivocally.

"All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take." ~ Ghandi

I mention a discussion where things "clicked" for me and I always recommend to all advocates to listen to this discussion between Gary Francione and Erik Marcus: listen here or access it on the Abolitionist Approach audio page (scroll down to find the interview)

I mention this article by Corey Wrenn: Academic Discrimination Against Vegans

Here is Randy Sandberg's fantastic Quotes on Slavery website where you can find a lot of history about the history of the Abolitionist Movement against slavery in the human context which can teach us a lot about the movement today to abolish all slavery, human and nonhuman.

I mention that Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary residents need hay for the winter, but anyway they always need help and also I have links to some local sanctuaries and other rescue groups in NZ - please if you are going to donate money to anyone please donate directly to helping animals such as sanctuary, adoption and rescue, rather than to welfare campaigns and organisations.

Here is a message of nonviolence for 2012 from Trish Roberts of Lobsa and LiveVegan: A Message of Nonviolence for 2012

Here's a great new article just released by Dan Cudahy and Angel Flinn for the New Year: Make the Vegan Resolution

Here is a great new article by Vincent Guihan: Vegan Outreach: how not to do it

Happy New Year everyone! :)

UPDATE: I just want to add that this particular rant of mine was not a commentary on vegans who are unequivocal vegans in their own lives, and live vegan uncompromisingly, yet don't advocate it as such as an extra activity outside of normal life as vegans, because they are just not really interested in actually being an 'activist" as it were or they are advocating other social justice issues that take up all their free time, however they live vegan; it was specifically due to experiences with vegans who are welfare advocates, with whom I was discussing activism, and their preference of promoting welfare reform, their resistance to promoting veganism at all, and their absolute refusal to do it unequivocally.

I recognise that these vegans and all vegans are challenging the status quo by being vegan, and are to an extent being advocates with regard to the example they set to those around them. I am glad for all vegans for being vegan. So I want that to be really clear. This is specifically in regard to the above-described position of welfare advocates.

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 89 - The importance of promoting ideas

Listen HERE

This week I talk about lots of things, including the wonderful cupcakes offered by the Vegan Education Cupcake Stall from The Alice Springs Vegan Society and their inspiration for offering free cupcakes to people, and I mention the Six Principles of the Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights among other things. I also talk about focusing on IDEAS not PEOPLE.

"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people"

~ Anonymous or Eleanor Roosevelt.

Podcast by Angel Flinn "The Vegan Evolution" - great vegan speech! -listen or you can read it here: VEGANISM: A TRUTH WHOSE TIME HAS COME: Best vegan speech

Thanks for listening :)

NOTE: I wasn't going to do this because I really didn't want to spend the time, but someone left a really long comment and I am not going to publish it, and I know they would have spent time writing it, so out of an attempt to be fair I am offering this heads up in order to prevent anyone else wasting their time on a comment that I won't publish, and I hope this can be seen as an action I am taking out of respect for other people's time:

Anyone who wishes to make guesses about any individuals I may refer to in any podcast episode whom I choose not to name (for reasons I think I have done my best to make very clear), well if that how you want to spend your time then that is your prerogative; but please do not attempt to do so here.

I am really not interested in talking about people per se, except to talk about actions and ideas, and how they relate to the issue of exploitation, and I do my best, as a human being can, to stick to that. I don't claim to be 100% successful and but I try.

When I am speaking positively, I feel comfortable naming individuals, also of course I want to promote work and ideas that support nonviolence, and the abolition of exploitation. When I am speaking critically or negatively, I prefer not to name individuals because I loathe drama, but even if I didn't it inevitably takes the focus off the real issue which should always remain the victims of exploitation, and I refuse to allow that to happen. And as this is my blog I thankfully have that ability. I also thankfully have the ability to refuse to join in on any drama to do with egos and personality clashes that are going on anywhere else. Thank goodness. :)

As hard as it is to believe, I really do just want to focus on the issues of exploitation and violence and animal use, and stand up unequivocally against them in everything I say and do, and I refuse to promote or support anything that I believe is in opposition to that. Or to waste time on anything that detracts from that.

In fact, that was the whole point of this podcast episode. Thanks for your understanding

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 88 - Special Guest Peaceful Abolitionist Emmy James!

LISTEN HERE

This week I have a very special guest over for dinner and cupcake making and podcasting - Emmy James from Peaceful Abolitionist and the Vegan For Life podcast

Emmy is the very talented designer of our NZ Vegan logo and check out these wonderful designs she hand painted onto shirts and sweatshirts also. See also the photo of Clare who we mention who has helped us at the stall and is so much fun!

Thanks for listening!

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 87 - Finished website and new literature for the street stall!

Listen HERE

This week I talk about the new website nzvegan.com and aava.org.nz and the literature I have been wanting to make for ages.

I also mention the interviews that Corey Wrenn the Roanoke Vegan Examiner has recently allowed me to be part of.

Finally I say a special thanks to Gary L. Francione. Congratulations Gary, you did it :)

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 86 - Part 2 of interview with Gary Francione on Helping Animals NOW (Including human animals)

Listen HERE

Part two of the interview with special guest Gary L. Francione

Here is a link to the website page I am working on about Adoption/Fostering and Sanctuaries. You can find links to some of the sanctuaries and rescue organisations we mentioned in there:

http://nzvegan.wordpress.com/sanctuary-and-adoptionfostering/

Here is a link to the podcast Episode with Diane Ellis about Vegecat Vegan Cat Food: NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 60 - Special Guest Diane Ellis, spokesperson for Vegecat vegan cat food

Thanks for listening and thank you Gary Francione for coming on the show.

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 85 - Part 1 of interview with Gary Francione on Helping Animals NOW (Including human animals)

Listen HERE

Part one of the interview with special guest Gary L. Francione

Here is a link to the website page I am working on about Adoption/Fostering and Sanctuaries. You can find links to some of the sanctuaries and rescue organisations we mentioned in there:

http://nzvegan.wordpress.com/sanctuary-and-adoptionfostering/

Thanks for listening

Part two is next

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 84 -On being too scared to promote veganism and must-haves for a street stall

LISTEN HERE

"People say that being a vegan creates a social problem in that others may react negatively. But isn't that the case if you take a principled position on any issue, whether it's racism, sexism, heterosexism, violence as a general matter—or speciesism? The key is to educate others about *why* you take the position." ~ Gary L. Francione

Here is a link to the fantastic Nutritional Pamphlets from the Boston Vegan Association or you can contact them for some copies here

Also don't forget their wonderful Vegan Pamphlet

Here is another must have for any street stall: Becoming Vegan Pamphlet

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 83 - On "right" and "wrong"

Listen HERE

What an idiotic absurdity it is to say that earnest, persistent, uncompromising moral opposition to a system of boundless immorality is the way to strengthen it; and that the way to abolish such a system is to say nothing about it!
~ William L. Garrison (April 23, 1858)

From http://quotesonslavery.org/what-an-idiotic-absurdity-it-is/

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 82 - Just my own thoughts, as always.

Listen HERE

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 81 - We are an abolitionist movement

LISTEN HERE

This week I talk about how important it is that we recognise and help others to recognise that our abolitionist movement for nonviolence is still an abolitionist anti-slavery movement, and our practical focus right now with regard to addressing this problem of violence and animal use has the primary goal, initially, of creating a society in which we can address the abolition of the property status of animals, because that is still where we are at. We haven't even begun to address that! The animal movement still doesn't even have veganism as the moral baseline! But the abolitionist movement does :) By promoting veganism we will create an environment in which we can actually address that, finally! Welfare reforms are useless and do not address the property paradigm. Vegan education does. As Gary Francione said in his latest interview, part of which you can read HERE:

‎"At this point, it makes no sense to focus on the law, because as long as we regard animals as things, as a moral matter, the laws will necessarily reflect that absence of moral value and continue to do nothing to protect animals. We need to change social and moral thinking about animals before the law is going to do anything more."

Let's not allow people, neither other vegans nor anti-vegans, to shift our focus to the defeatist, overwhelmingly negative attitudes, which seem to be fixated on all the things still currently out of our control as individuals (the majority of food production, sidewalks, tyres etc) and which prompt the vegans to identify their reason for opposing vegan education as being "too pure" or "unrealistic" (which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever) and anti-vegans to make absurd claims that animal use is an action that is equal in morality to veganism.

I want us to remind people what being vegan really means, and what our abolitionist movement really means, especially at this point in history, where we are still in this incredibly non vegan world, in which chattel slavery of sentient beings is still very much accepted as the norm and in which new welfarism is the dominant paradigm and therefore welfarism is still provided and marketed by the majority of vegans as the correct response to the issue of animal use. Wrong answer! Veganism is the correct response, as we know. We just have to continue to be a clear voice, and our voice is growing. Thank you all so much, for being such wonderful, clear voices.

Please read Gary Francione's work to learn about the importance of the abolition of the property status of animals and why veganism and the promotion of veganism is the correct response, the only response to that immoral status which still exists in our world today.

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/books/

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/category/podcast/

I mention Randy W. Sandberg and his wonderful advice about not feeding trolls (I am still trying to find the article he shared, will post when I find it..)

I mention Trisha Roberts from LiveVegan and her wonderful messages about insects, and I mention her organisation lobsa.org

I mentioned a video about nuclear pollution, posted by Renata Peters from The Alice Springs Vegan Society which you can also check out here at the latest article on Myl ène Ouellet's blog My Face is on Fire

Thanks for listening :)

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 80 -Happy Stall Stories and Positivity!

LISTEN HERE

Here is the link to the Shirtless Dancing Guy video I mentioned:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ

This is the link to the Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals episode about the Oprah Show that I mentioned: Episode 46 - Oprah Goes... Vegan, "Veg*n","veganish"...

Here is the link to the latest Abolitionist Approach Commentary Number 24, an interview by Gary L. Francione with Rob Johnson creator of the blog Animal Rights UK and founding member of Grampion Animal Rights (which in typical me fashion I accidentally called Aberdeen Animal Rights, all my friends ought to be used to my getting things all mixed up by now, but I again apologise for mis-naming another organisation/website etc) and Vegan UK:

Commentary 24: Vegan Advocacy in the UK

Thanks for listening!

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 79 - Sharing advocacy experiences and thoughts and a brief comment on the word "cruelty"

LISTEN HERE

This is the article about China's factory conditions I mentioned:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/china/news/article.cfm?l_id=28&objectid=10722773

Here is a link to the YouTube channel for Paola Aldana that I mentioned:

http://www.youtube.com/user/porolita22 (English)

http://www.youtube.com/user/porolita (Español)

Here is a quote from Gary Francione on the word "compassion" (in relation to what I talk about at the very end of the podcast):

"Is our obligation not to be racist or sexist a matter of "compassion"? No. it's a matter of justice. Same with nonhuman animals"

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 78 - Don't underestimate yourself

LISTEN HERE

Thanks for listening!  :)

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 77 - Special guest William Paul!

LISTEN HERE

This week I am very pleased to welcome back William Paul who tells us his latest good news and we discuss some experiences we have at with religious advocates while doing our street stall, and also I recount a couple of personal experiences I have had related to that.

Thanks for listening and thank you William for coming on the show!

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 76 - Don't let them tell you not to do it

Listen HERE

What are we afraid of? It's not like we are being arrested by the KGB:

BBC outlook: Belarus Free Theatre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus_Free_Theatre

And if people stopped doing violent things and stupid things we won't have to worry about anything like that, now would we? Please promote veganism!  Peacefully!

more to come....

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 75 - Part Two of the interview with special guest Professor Gary L. Francione!

LISTEN HERE

In part two of the interview we discuss single issue campaigns, in relation to the recent debate that Professor Francione took part in with Dario Ringach which was partly the inspiration of the blog essay:
Why Veganism Must Be the Baseline
which I recommend as a must read for all advocates.

We also discuss the latest Abolitionist Approach blog essay:
Nothing to Do with Science
in which the latest attempt at using the age old "plant question" is addressed.

Thank you, Professor Francione!

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 74 - Special Guest Professor Gary L. Francione!

LISTEN HERE

This week it is my absolute pleasure to welcome back to the podcast Professor Gary L. Francione.

In part one of the interview we discuss his new book:
The Animal Rights Debate: Abolition or Regulation?
which was co-authored with  Robert Garner.

Enjoy and stay tuned for part two!

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 73 - Hurting others to help others ends up hurting everyone

LISTEN HERE

Relevant links to this podcast:

Veganism as a Minimum Standard of Decency by Dan Cudahy from Unpopular Vegan Essays

The articles about the Vegan Society's advertising of non vegan establishments, inluding a pdf of a thread on facebook that was deleted after they shamefully deleted Gary Francione from the page:

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/i-wonder-what-donald-watson-founder-of-the-vegan-society-would-think/
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/its-not-1946/
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/the-need-for-a-vegan-society/
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/media/pdf/why-are-non-vegan-restaurants-advertised-in-the-vegan.pdf

The article on John Robbins I mentioned, by Mylène Ouellet:
http://my-face-is-on-fire.blogspot.com/2010/07/animal-advocacy-leaders-hall-of-fail.html

And finally, a response to the latest claims by welfare advocates pointing to the same study each time it seems:

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/science-weighs-in-animal-welfare-reform-is-useless/

Thanks for listening

The Amazing Transformation of Buda the Cat

NOTE: cats are obligate carnivores, and they require TAURINE in order to live.  The food I am talking about below is supplemented with Taurine.  

I was recently chatting on Skype with my friend Diane Ellis,  my guest from NZ Vegan Podcast  Episode 60  about Buda and her new svelte and beautiful body, and we compared some photos that I had taken of Buda from before I switched her to the Vegecat homemade cat food supplements and recipes from Harbingers of a New Age, and then looked at some photos I had taken now, and we both gasped when we saw them!

The change in 5 - 6 months has been amazing!  Not only has she lost all that excess weight, but her fur is shiny and she is light on her feet.  She bounds across the lawn with all four legs off the ground, I had never seen her do that before now.

Buda is getting on in years.  I first met her just over 7 years ago in NYC in 2003.  I took her with me because she was not in a good situation, and she never had been in her life.  It wasn't as bad as some cats have been through, but she had been abused, neglected and unloved, and so my then boyfriend and I decided I would adopt her, and so I did.  The person she was living with then told me he thought she was around 6 years old.  If that were true (and I don't know if it is) that would make her 13 to 14 years old now.  I don't know how accurate his estimate was, but even if she was only 2 or 3 years old at the time that would still make her 9 - 10 now, which is starting to get up there.

If I hadn't switched her diet I hate to think where she would be headed.  I used to have nightmares about the dreaded diabetes and kidney disease and all manner of other sicknesses.  I was constantly worried for her.  I had tried to put her on "diets" when I was feeding her commercial food, but since the time I took her in to get spayed, back in 2003, she instantly doubled and stayed overweight from then on.  She had been going into heat constantly for years when I met her, so she was much slimmer, as soon as she was spayed she just ballooned in size and as her energy level was never very high to begin with, because she had been abused and was used to just hiding under the table and keeping quiet, she never recovered and just got fatter and fatter.

After talking with Diane on my podcast I swore I was going to get Buda and Zsebi off commercial pet food, and after a time, using the advice she gave me and trying out the different recipes until I found one they enjoyed, I succeeded. (P.S I don't make the kibble, I make the fresh cooked recipes).

As the weight loss was gradual over months, I didn't notice just how stunning it was until I went back and saw that photo of her that I had sent to Diane all those months ago.  The difference was breathtaking!

Check it out:

This is Buda in September, 2010

Look how fat she was poor baby.  And her fur was dull, and I am sure her little joints must have ached. Not to mention how ridiculously tiny her head looks. :(

This was taken on Valentines Day, 2011. 

Look at her shiny svelte body!  Isn't it amazing?

Her body is finally in proportion with her little head

Rubbing around my feet as I am getting her dinner :)

So there you have it, another success story!  Thank you Harbingers of a New Age and Diane Ellis!  We will be doing another podcast soon where I talk about Zsebi and Buda and their healthy new diet.  P.S this is a recent picture of Zsebi.  She is one of the most energetic and crazy little kittens I have ever known.  She loves the food!  She loves all kinds of food!  Buda is fussy, but Zsebi will eat anything, in fact I have to keep an eye on her.  She races around all day long, but I managed to catch her keeping still long enough to take a couple of photos :)

She hardly sits still so it's difficult to get a non blurry photo when she is awake, she is so curious she jumps up to see what I am doing

 

See what I mean? lol

So I wait until she is asleep with her little tongue sticking out hee hee

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 72 - Special Guest Niilo Van Steinburg from the UVic Vegan Association and soon to be new abolitionist podcast Seeking Nonspeciesism!

LISTEN HERE

This week I am very pleased to have as my special guest Niilo Van Steinburg who is the founder and one of the directors of the very successful abolitionist vegan university group at the University of Victoria, Canada, the UVic Vegan Association.

If you live in British Columbia you can subscribe to the UVic Vegan Association by emailing them at:
uvacontact@gmail.com

You can also join their facebook fan page at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11596410542

Also check out Niilo's blog Seeking Non-Specisism from where he will be soon producing his very own abolitionist vegan podcast!!!  We can't wait to hear it!

The forum we mentioned is http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/forum/ where you can find Niilo's "abolitionist mom" Joe and other great advocates, discussing abolitionist veganism and all kinds of other things.

Thanks for coming on the show Niilo!

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 71 - Embrace the Mystery

LISTEN HERE

A thought for the future; not knowing is a wiser way to live in a lot of ways.

Those who say, do not know; those who know, do not say. ~ Lao Tzu

And don't be overwhelmed by those darn animal product use diagrams making the rounds, you know the ones I mean, they are very "popular" amongst poverty of ambition advocates as another excuse for despairing!  Let them spur you on to be even more active and even more determined.

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 70 - On pessimism, optimism and fantasy versus reality

LISTEN HERE (Huge apologies for the terrible audio quality, I hit record without first verifying the input, so instead of my logitech headphones it was set to the inbuilt mic, which is why there is all that noise and stuff.  It happens sometimes lol )

Here is the article of the interview with Gary Francione that I mentioned: http://www.free.org.il/english/articles/gary.html

(What he says is about "passivity" and exactly is not necessarily what I paraphrased, but it certainly made me understand that the "pacifist" claim made against us is trying to insinuate "passivity" and that is not true).
Here is another quote from Gary Francione about this subject:

"Those who claim that the abolitionist approach [to animal rights] advises inactivity misunderstand that the idea is to engage in *effective* advocacy rather than in wheel-spinning and counterproductive activity that generates donations and bequests for large groups."


Here is the article by Randy Sandberg on his Vegans for Peace website that I mentioned:
http://vegansforpeace.org/2010/03/13/why-are-you-a-vegetarian/

Here is the article by Emmy James that I mentioned:
Facebook link (you will probably only be able to see it if you are a facebook contact of Emmy's)


Here is the quote by Mylène Ouellet that I mentioned:
http://quotesonslavery.org/whats-hard-about-veganism-isnt-being-vegan/

Here is the must read article Why Veganism by Eva Batt:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/text/why-veganism-by-eva-batt/
Also available HERE