Jan 20
Bea wanted some good news today, and here it is: I’m Daryl Hannah. That’s good news for me, and your good news is that maybe you’re Woody Harrelson or Paul Watson. This is all according to “What’s Your Green Personality?”…
Jan 19
Thanks to Bill for pointing out that Leo at ZenHabits wrote “On Compassion Towards Animals” today. This is a great opportunity to inject some important, overlooked concepts or point out misconceptions. Leo has a huge following and has written a…
Jan 18
You probably know about the new trend of chefs killing the animals they will cook, or at least getting to know them before they are slaughtered, or in the cases of Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, actually have episodes of…
Jan 17
You’d think that people who spend so much time vilifying a cause would know what it is. The Center for Consumer Freedom is at it again, calling Cass Sunstein a “radical animal rights activist.” Now, from what I’ve read and…
Jan 16
Did you see the mayhem over at Change.org’s Sustainable Food page with Natasha Chart’s “Eating Animals?” I’m writing about it because I’d like to learn any lesson I can to prevent parts of it from happening again (you know, the…
Jan 13
Yesterday, Parke commented: “One difficulty I have with the moral hard-line is that it generally assumes that death is the worst thing that can happen to something (or someone) and inadequately acknowledges the natural cycle of life-and-death: that death enables…
Jan 12
Four dear friends, all of whom are not vegans or vegetarians, sent me a link to “Take the Vow of Non-Violence in My Thoughts, My Speech and My Actions.” Deepak Chopra is involved in this project (they’re on Team Chopra),…
Jan 8
When I first saw “For Bull Riders, It’s a Long Day of Waiting and a Few Seconds of Fury,” in the New York Times, I didn’t know where to begin. I felt some deconstruction coming on, and I knew it…
Jan 7
It doesn’t happen as often as it used to, but I still do get people who claim that we humans are exceptional because we have language. What they really mean is that we are entitled to do what we wish…
Jan 5
A new person e-mailed me (new to e-mailing me, not to reading Animal Person) and said he finds himself eating very little “meat” since reading! Congratulations, New Person! He doesn’t know if he will ever become a vegan but he…
Jan 4
When I had that exchange with the person who didn’t view cows as somebodies, I realized that I, of all people, had a language problem. I often make assumptions that I shouldn’t make, and one of those assumptions is that…
Jan 3
Steve Best reviewed Norm Phelps in the Journal for Critical Animal Studies (check it out here, and also check out the article on humane education). Shortly thereafter, Phelps e-mailed Best regarding that review, and so began months of e-mail exchanges…
Dec 31
I revel in those few moments each year when I get to use the education I paid so dearly for through both work (doctoral fellowship) and loans. You can always tell if you’ve miscommunicated by the responses you receive. It’s…
Dec 27
Though it’s been years since I gave PeTA any money, I’m still on their mailing list and when I saw the Sea Kittens campaign my initial reaction was: Well done! They found a way to quickly, easily make the connection…
Dec 22
Here’s a potentially Gray Matter for you brought to you by Deb Durant. In Wired, “Free-Range Research Could Save Chimps–and Our Conscience,” by Brandon Keim, introduces (to me, at least) the idea of free-range research sanctuaries. Think Save the Chimps…
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