Morrissey Performing "Meat Is Murder"

Morrissey performing The Smiths classic "Meat Is Murder", live at the Music Box in Hollywood the night before Thanksgiving (11/23/11)

Songwriters: Johnny Marr, Morrissey, Steven Patrick

Heifer whines could be human cries
Closer comes the screaming knife
This beautiful creature must die
This beautiful creature must die
A death for no reason
And death for no reason is MURDER

And the flesh you so fancifully fry
Is not succulent, tasty or kind
It's death for no reason
And death for no reason is MURDER


And the calf that you carve with a smile
Is MURDER
And the turkey you festively slice
Is MURDER
Do you know how animals die ?


Kitchen aromas aren't very homely
It's not "comforting", cheery or kind
It's sizzling blood and the unholy stench
Of MURDER


It's not "natural", "normal" or kind
The flesh you so fancifully fry
The meat in your mouth
As you savour the flavour
Of MURDER


NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER
NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER
Oh ... and who hears when animals cry ?

Cruelty-free Hanukkah Meal Recipes and Celebration

Hanukkah (/ˈhɑːnəkə/ hah-nə-kə; Hebrew חֲנֻכָּה, Tiberian: Ḥănukkāh, usually spelled חנוכה, pronounced /χanuˈka/ in Modern Hebrew; a transliteration also romanized as Chanukah,Chanukkah or (Chanuˈkah), also known as the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called w shamash (Hebrew: שמש‎, "attendant") and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for practical use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves for purposes other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah is forbidden.

As with Thanksgiving, there is also a plethora of cruelty-free Hanukkah recipes to choose from. Here are recipe/links to some of the best ones on the Internet:

Vegan Chanukah Doughnuts

Vegan Hanukkah donuts. Hanukkah is the perfect excuse to indulge in all things fried, and just because you eat a vegan, egg-free or dairy-free diet doesn't mean you can't also love Hanukkah donuts! This homemade vegan Hanukkah doughnut recipe is a great Israeli treat. For an extra sweet vegan Hanukkah donuts, dust them with a bit of powdered sugar. 

Ingredients:

• 2 packages yeast
• 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 4 cups bleached spelt pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 tbsp potato starch
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• oil for frying

Preparation:

In a glass bowl, mix together the yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and the water until the yeast and sugar has dissolved. Allow to sit for ten minutes.

In a separate large bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a third bowl, combine the 1/3 cup sugar and remaining ingredients, except for oil. Add the yeast mixture, and then gradually add the flour and salt. Combine until a stiff dough forms.

Cover and allow to sit for one hour.

On a floured surface, knead the dough for about one minute, then roll out to about 3/4 inch thickness. Cover with a dish towel or cloth and let rise for about 20 minutes, until doubled in size.

In a deep fryer or a deep pan, heat several inches of oil over high heat. Test the temperature by placing a small piece of dough in the oil. The oil is the right temperature when the dough rises to the surface almost immediately. If it doesn't rise to the top, the oil is not yet hot enough.

Fry the donuts in oil for a minute or two, turning over as needed, until browned on both sides. Allow to drain on paper towels.

Makes about 12 homemade vegan Chanukah donuts.

Many more cruelty-free meals and celebrations can be found at these websites:

Hanukkah with a Vegan Touch

Classic Vegan Hanukkah Recipes

A Happy Vegan Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah Checklist

Cruelty-Free Thanksgiving Meal Recipes

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, and has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well.

Since there is such a plethera of cruelty-free holiday recipes on the Internet and in books, I thought I'd mention two of the best websites for your Thanksgiving holiday menu:

The links below are your premier source for Thanksgiving recipes and menus to create a memorable dinner! Create mix-and match menus from the following recipes, from soup to dessert, complete with vegan stuffings and main dishes—all the holiday traditions you adore, updated for a compassionate plant-based feast for even more recipes and menus for Thanksgiving and other major holidays.

VEGAN THANKSGIVING DINNER

For more cruelty-free recipe ideas, check out this site:

Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes: From Brunch to Dinner to Dessert

Have a kind Thanksgiving.

Fellow Vegans: Get Your Facts Straight

I have talked with healthcare professionals and have done independent research regarding animal rights/exploitation and have realized many vegans, when discussing animal exploitation have their facts wrong and to make it worse, other vegans parrot the ones in error in their activism instead of doing their own research to find out what is truth.

And when I say research, I mean going to sites that are not vegan websites, but sites just giving unbiased facts; you will know those by seeing they are clearly not "animal rights" sites but still give positive information regarding veganism/plant-based eating. We don't need to lie or stretch the truth about animal exploitation/animal abuse. There is enough real hard facts to show clearly that being vegan is the only decent, ethical way to be.

With human nature, it's tempting to bend the truth to make one's cause look that much more inviting so others will agree with it (and not just the vegan cause, but any cause). As activists, we need to not be tempted to lie but just state the truth.

Do your own independent homework. Be well-informed.

The truth is all we need to set animals free.

A Personal Rant Message I Sent, Now for Public Viewing....

Sometimes I feel vegetarians are actually saying something like: "OK now, be nice and VERY patient with me or I'll start eating meat again. I WARN YOU!" Like some kind of blackmail threat.

What happened to the newbie veggies in the world that were all fired up, the way one would be when finding a new interest? Eager and all excited to fight for animals' rights!! Sadly, I see that less and less these days. 

Those new, energetic vegetarians-turned-vegans are the ones to help keep us tired, weary and semi burnt-out old vegans inspired. But they are hardly around anymore.

Instead, I see vegetarians and some newbie vegans with this (at least to me) chip on their shoulder, being ultra sensitive, cranky and constantly complaining about how hard it is becoming vegan. I think those are the ones that are waiting for ANY excuse to start eating meat again. 

Many people are quick to say that they are "vegan", but want to take it real slow in actually becoming vegan. Is it just the title label: VEGAN is all they really want and screw the activism? It seems that way sometimes.

I thought about this and I would say someone saying they are 90% vegan (or whatever the hell percentage they want to say) at a vegan forum, is like someone going to a pro-life forum saying they are 90% pro-life because while they support pro-life, they still have abortions every 6 years or so; I don't think that sort of talk would fly well in a pro-life forum...To me, that's how it sounds when people say they are "certain percentage vegans".

I can understand there needs to be time and ridding of old animal items and such to becoming vegan, but how much time? And the information and products available today is a helluva lot more than when I became a vegan. People on welfare can be healthy vegans. Some vegetarians/new vegans could just be a little more positive about their changing and not look at veganism as some kind of laborious chore. Heck, those type of people should watch Earthlings every freakin' day!!

It would just be nice to find a little nice haven for vegans only, somewhere on the Internet--just for vegans, especially for those who have no vegans friends offline. Well, my search continues in looking for some vegans offline to make friends with, where I can speak my mind privately and not having to worry about non-vegans--or newbie vegans--threatening to go back to their old ways again. 

The True Meaning of Veganism

The definition of "Vegan" is effed-up and vegans are the main reason it is! 

There is no such thing as vegan food, vegan clothing, etc. Veganism is an ethical, world view idea. Veganism is a social justice. Non-animal food is just that--plant/vegetarian food. Non-animal clothing is man-made/cruelty-free clothing. The food/clothing is NOT an ethical, social justice; the food/clothing isn't political: it's simply food/clothes that a social justice person--a vegan--would only eat/wear.

The only thing that is vegan is the person who believes in the social justice of animal rights; one who believes in veganism.

I too, am very guilty at erroneously calling foods, clothing and other items "vegan". I will no longer do so and instead say, plant food, man-made, cruelty-free... when describing items used by vegans.

Someone once on Facebook brought this up and said how there is no such thing as a vegan restaurant as one is only mentioning food. The busy group pretty much ignored her thoughts and went on discussing other things. I was like, 'Wow! This is definitely food for thought and one reason why vegan is made to look as a joke in this day and age, and her statement gave one of the reasons why and it just went over everyone's heads!'