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“The Food Lobby Goes to School”

In the event you thought school lunches were about feeding kids nutritious food. A lot has changed since I was in school. We had no soda or snack machines. And how about having to rename “Adult Onset Diabetes”? It boggles…

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On “Force”

Continuing to get my money’s worth, today the Oxford English Dictionary and I bring you “force.” Force arrives on the scene in 1300, and has many uses, so I’ll give examples only when I think the definition needs some back-up….

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On “Sentient,” “Violent” and “Extremist”

I had many requests for “sentient,” which I wrote about in “The Origin of ‘Sentient'” in December of 2007. Though “violence” was an interesting read, I prefer “violent.” Here are some highlights: A. adj. I. 1. Of things: Having some…

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“Violence” OED-Style

By popular request, here are some highlights of what the OED says about violence as a noun: 1. a. The exercise of physical force so as to inflict injury on, or cause damage to, persons or property; action or conduct…

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Jim Sinclair, an Autistic Person, on Temple Grandin

Bea, whom I think researches animal matters all day long (when not tending to the creatures she cares for), sent me a link to an essay called “If you love something, you don’t kill it” by Jim Sinclair, who is…

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On Diabetes and Autism?

I wrote a guest post about diabetes in “pets” at Paw Talk called “Lessons Learned” which was published over the weekend. I think it’s important to reach out to the pet people, as many have already demonstrated their desire to…

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On Bias and Project Treadstone

Have you had enough of Project Treadstone yet? I thought I had pretty much seen it all and learned what I needed to learn. I’m not sure why I thought that, but I did. Au contraire. When I released Tabby…

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On Hidden Racial Bias and Speciesism

I was going to call this “Aint I a Racist” but then I thought that would be some kind of evidence of my hidden racial bias. You see, I’m white and educated and though I never consciously intend to say…

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Interesting Comments-Friday

First, Alex Chernavsky made me spit my Amaranth Flakes and Almond Milk (unsweetened vanilla) this morning. Karen Miltner of the Democrat and Chronicle begins “Meaty Menu’s a Jamaican Jewel at Natural Vibes Jerk Hut in Rochester” with: “As an eternal…

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OED Thursday: “Dog”

I believe it was kelly g who wanted to know about “dog” according to the OED. The tertiary definition is: “Applied to a person; a. in reproach, abuse, or contempt: A worthless, despicable, surly, or cowardly fellow.” The first instance…

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Deconstructing the McCruelty Campaign

Brandon asked me to write about the McCruelty Campaign and here’s what struck me: I watched the video, which uses “Free Me,” the Goldfinger song that originally promoted veganism. It makes sense in the promotion of veganism, but in this…

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On Attempts to Bring Dog Racing to Jamaica and South Africa

A member of Parliament for East St. Andrew (Jamaica), Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, has declared his intention to bring dog racing to Jamaica. Though I often write about greyhound racing, I thought that I’d pull quotes about parts of the…

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Please Watch and Circulate “Blinders”

Please watch and circulate widely and go to the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages for what you can do to help the effort to ban the carriages. Banning them is more of a reality than ever, and this is a…

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Chime in on Subsistence Cultures

Here’s a question from a new-ish reader. Chime in with your thoughts and help Newish Reader work through the issue. I’ve been vegan almost 2 years and . . . I consider myself probably an ‘abolitionist’ but I’m still learning…

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On Valentine’s and Project Treadstone

First, Bill directed me to a Grist vegan Valentine’s Day recipe. I just bought raw vegan chocolate from Glaser Farms (all raw and vegan), which I am fortunate enough to have near me, so I’ll probably use that and save…

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