Week 22

 

📸@DiscoveringBhuhlok

It's a baby, they said

Not yet, she said.

It's going to be, they said

So is your sperm, she said

Don't have unprotected sex, they said.

Don't ejaculate, she said.

I can't control it, they said

Nor can I, she said.

Birth control!, they said

Reversible vasectomy!, she said.

It may have long term effects, they said

I rest my case, she sighed.

God's watching you!, they chased

He's been listening, she persists...

When liberty falls in a country that's been a popular beacon of liberalism, illiberalism is winning. #RoeVWade

India is not socially isolated. Indulge in preemptive dismissal of parasitic ideas & signal positive reinforcement to our govt. for their continually progressive MTP laws. They are today, purely on science and prioritization of mother's health & capability.

15th August

Earth, mother.

Sun, we bow to.

Revere the rivers

& the plants too.

In stories of valor,

Of familial love, of hope

Animals no less,

Find a co-inhabited home.

In the school I studied

The motto hung:

 'Truth', is god

With 'Saare Jahaan' we sung

This day, we reminisce

For which many lost lives.

Brought that land it's freedom

Where civilization was 1st identified.

Happy Independence day India 💛

Your religion is your right, not my command

Tweet by Ex-PM of Malaysia 

after the beheading of a school teacher over a cartoon

Sirs,

Asking me to 'respect' yours or anyone else's 'god' is not just supremacistic, but also impractical. 

Supremacistic because the absence of scientific proof of God, makes me read stories in your religion - as fiction. And with fiction, I entertain myself. How are you allowed to take my right away of twisting this fiction for my pleasure, any more than I can take your right away to laugh at a cobbler in a funny movie. I am a cobbler. 

Impractical because both 'god' and 'respect' are two intangibles. I know someone who prays to plants, another person to animals we kill without a need to, another to fire, and a fourth to the sun, a fifth to a supernatural vibe, a sixth to soil and stones, a seventh to certain symbols that are geometry to some other, a whole other group prays to their PM. All of these are someone's gods. Is it practical to ask no cartoon to feature any of these? 

By this logic, we're all guilty of blasphemy on someone's personal terms. 

I'll fight against damage to people's bodies, their physical property, physically existing ozone layer & air - each scientifically proven to exist. I do not support a fight for perceived damage to a figment of my imagination, or yours. 

Producers Guild of India - #InSolidarity of Nepotism in Bollywood

Producers Guild of India recently dropped a statement (source) calling out the attacks on the "reputation" of the (Hindi) film industry. 

Context: Sushant Singh Rajput's death reminded the public of the troubles that a talented non star-kid faces when entering the film industry. From insensitive smear campaigns, to being called arrogant when refusing films they don't wish to do, to being mocked at by A-listers.

Several credible artists came fore to share their own #IAmSushant stories in an attempt to whistleblow. For once feeling not-alone in reminding the Bollywood king pins that everything wasn't ok. Abhay deol, Manoj Bajpai, Kangana Renaut, Sonu Nigam, Ranvir Shorey (the gender skew in this list is a reflection point too)

PGI's statement

While attempting it as a PR-fix to the exposé underway, the Producers Guild of India unfortunately only reinforced the need for continued whistleblowing. Here's how the statement went so wrong:

1. "No big deal" written all over it

Every senteced oozed of, 'we know it's tough for 'some', but so it is in other industries' attitude. The sheer arrogance, that nothing is truly wrong - was the repetitive claim.

Not an attitude you'd expect from a leader in any organisation, society or country.

2. Zero intent to fix displayed

You look up to guilds, societies, boards for being role models of equality, fairness, progress, solution-ing. PGI's statement lost a fantastic opportunity they had, to not only acknowledge but take ownership of steps towards fixing the problem.

Had they spoken of initiatives they have taken or would take, they would have gained respect if nothing else. It would have helped the aspirants gain faith. They spoke of - none. Zero.

3. Calling out whistleblowers & how

Disregarding the good that comes out of whistleblowing, PGI didn't spare anyone. Media has been accused of 'fanning the flames', artists speaking out are accused of 'venting out fears', 'tearing each other apart' - not once saying "it's okay to speak out for yourself, or for those without a voice who can't speak out without jeopardising their jobs".

4. False equivalences 

Unlike what PGI wishes to find solace in - No, not every buddying doctor is told - "you can't be successful, if you don't have a pre existing 'connection'". Not every buddying commerce kid is told, "you wouldn't get a respectable job, you don't have a big daddy to help you". Most news anchors of today, didn't grow up with this barrier either. But almost every film industry aspirant is told "build connections first", "do you know someone, though?". 

Yes, buddying politicians are told the same - and if that's the industry you want to benchmark against, you have an unfortunate perspective.

I maybe wrong but, maybe look at your own created movies that reflect society. How many movies with talented doctors had the doctor looking for 'connections' to survive in the industry? Or an Army person needing a father in the forces? Or a lawyer? However, there are several film artists across several films who were in a connection-needed boat. Yes, favoritism and biases exist across and need to be called out, but the degree by which favoritism is a 'make or break' in Bollywood is incomparable.

#InSolidarty of aspiring Hindi film industry artists. 

Post script - so much disrespect for labour, and talent has been normalized, that junior artists often await their due 'payments' even from established production houses. So much intolerance for criticism exists, that hardly anyone criticizes until after they make it big. The rest just tender apologies like Arijit Singh or Vivek Oberoi had to.

Why I'm OK with the Ban on Cow Slaughter

From reading status messages, tweets, quotes on "the death of freedom", "the coming of the dictator", "the hindutva stride", the "discrimination against the minorities" - I wonder if we all have, indeed fallen prey to sensationalization and that we don't look beyond the pretty cover of a book?

For a few minutes, let's not look at WHY the beef ban was put in place in Maharashtra, but instead, consider what it means tangibly, scientifically. Whether intended or unintended.

It means that male calves who are typically sent to the slaughter house before their post-natal mother can wish them health, might now stand a real chance to feed off their moms despite being born "male" (a.k.a useless) in gender.

It means that we made the 1st step towards challenging an industry where sentient beings are forcibly impregnated year after year for their breasts to continually pump milk, only to fall of exhaustion in 4 years instead of their given expectancy of 15 yrs and thereafter, ungratefully and with employment of cruelest methods, transported for slaughter (which is not the simple gun-shot you'd like to think). This doesn't sound much like "freedom", to me.

Before, you jump and kill me for sounding pro-vegetarian, have you ever witnessed, in complete live form, a regular cow's journey through slaughter with your own eyes? If not, please have a look at it and then, let's boast about our meat-cravings. I bet our dog-loving, cat-petting, animal-circus-banning self, will not be pleased.

Fun fact: India ranks 5th in the world in beef production, 7th in domestic consumption and number one in exporting.

Why that proud number one? Well, Stunning animals (a possible way they could feel less pain) before slaughter is compulsory in Europe and Australia. There are applied norms for veterinary care, feeding and watering during transport. 

They are definitely something we don't seriously about, on Indian soils. Not for the love of animals! 

Cattle Transported in Tamil Nadu

And devoid of norms & means to enforce, Indian beef is super-lucrative for the "starving" Europe.

I hear you- "let's make slaughter laws!" If you really think it's possible to prevent torture by getting animal care laws instead of a ban (in a country where begging, thrives to-date) - go ahead and give it a try. Try to help the suffocating chickens, the living sheep with non-ban ways, before protesting to reverse the current ban.

If it's easier, let's 'think environment'- 

1. It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of healthy meat and only 25 gallons to produce one pound of wheat. (So much for water conservation)

2. Of all the agricultural land in the U.S. (US because, we catch up with their their food habits in no time and because stats for India aren't easy to find), 80% is used to raise animals for food and grow grain to feed them!

Remember, breeding an animal needs growing of plants for their feed, for many years before they can spice-up your plate. Efficiency loss!!

Now we also talk about farmers who can't get enough bucks for their cows since this infamous ban. Recall 1843. A Mr. Raju back in 1843 had also said- 'I was going to sell this man and get money to fund my sister's wedding. Now I have to take a loan for it and what do I do with this useless piece of flesh and bones.' What would we have said to the assassins, when they said that they lost their livelihood since killing humans was banned? Change management is something we should work on, but asking for no-change is not the answer to it.

Why they chose the cow, not another animal or why it was BJP and not AAP, or if it's religion-driven or someone's personal kick, I really don't care. If a fool's actions have caused the notorious flesh & bones industry to be less lucrative from a business stand point, I don't mind this fool. 

In an impact-driven world, let's not get upset over someone's possible victory, when the victorious really, will be humanity.

Would I grow my child to be vegan?

A friend of mine today, asked me what it would be like for my children. "Would you grow them to be Vegan?" I replied, with a smile, "Yes".

For the free-will advocate that she is, those eyes exclaimed repulsively, "But, that's not fair! Let them choose their path, their own lifestyle". I was taken aback, to be honest. Are we, indeed victims, victims of double-standards and that maybe, we don't even know that..

Is it forgoing choice, I ask, when you teach a child to not steal, to not lie? Is it forgoing choice when you bring home a pet whom your child shall grow to treat with love?

Then how is it, against choice, when he's taught to live healthy, without imposing the belief that eating dead bodies would bring him good health. That he's taught the art to live, and more importantly, to let live.

Free-will, we love! But it isn't free-will I'm teaching, if I encourage his participation in adventures of mankind, which don't let a cow decide who her milk, is for. Which don't let a chicken decide when she's ready for euthanasia. Adventures which don't let a child know that food is, but a means of survival and a right, best exercised while being conscious of the footprint it can leave behind.

"If someone placed a two-year old child in a crib with a bunny rabbit and an apple, the child would play with the rabbit and eat the apple, an unambiguously herbivorous reaction." -Gary Yourofsky

I turned vegan 2 years back, with the regret, that I didn't do it sooner. Let my child regret, one thing less.

Her

I remember the taste

the scrumptious meat.

Biting into flesh

Life was a treat.

I remember the look

the face that smiled

the one that said

‘are you buying me for a dime’?

A favour, I did

Let you die with a slit.

A favour I did

You’ll be re-born with wit.

Why? We all need to survive

If not you, I’d die

Why? The plants don’t cry?

If not you, why must they die?

One day I saw

One day I heard.

One day I choked.

With an unsought sight.

Eat a human. We all need to survive

If not you, I’d die.

Why? The animals don’t cry?

If not you, why must they die?

My senses are sensitive

Little more than the cow

If I butcher my own

I'd cry on just the sound.

Cows too are sensitive

Little more than the spinach

If you butcher her

Her friends would hate that screeching sound.

It’s because she’s hurt

It’s because she’s crying

It’s because they know

They’re next in line.

Hey Hey, human!

Yelps every animal.

Eat me if you must.

Just kill me quick.

Hear my dying wish.

I’d like some food.

A place to rest.

(I'd like to live)

Let my folks not see

While you butcher me to death.
I promise- I'll still be your best friend.

Thank you for stopping by...

If possible, please watch at least 50% of this educative clip, if you aren't prepared to physically visit a factory farm yourself, just yet.

What A Girl Doesn't Need

It's the 21st century, sure. The world talks about the diminishing gender bias, increasing equality, dying male chauvinism - so much so, that it is almost passé to hear someone advocate gender equality.

But is it really?

Recently, I had an evening planned with a friend. It's a pleasure to catch up once in a while. In the 20 miles drive to the restaurant, we touched upon world politics, economics, career graphs, the word!

Soon we were looking on, as the subtely-lit surround outside the restaurant welcomed us. Taking the steps out, I caught a sudden dismay set upon his face, a feeling of regret- while he rummaged through sections of his bag pack and a pocket or two. He had left behind his wallet.

I smiled with the knowledge that it wasn't lost but much to my awakening, I saw the side of the XY chromosome which had previously only appeared in speeches. Speeches, I would fast-forward. Yes, the dismay was less about the forgotten wallet and more from the guilt that it was I, who was going to be the one to sign the bill.

I felt sympathetic, seeing in his eyes- fatigue from querying possible ways that could get back the means he desired. Words of assurance reminding him of the usefulness of women handbags- that we were well covered for the evening, did not comfort him.

Chivalry sure can charm but chivalrous is also a man who can, just as easily pride in being looked after, as can he pleasure, in looking after.

Should stripping a man of the right and ability to control, leave him in a state of discomfort that only the return of those very elements, can fix?

क्या मंज़िल है, किसकी सफलता

इंसान जाग रहा है 

देश पुकार रहा है 

आज आम आदमी खड़ा बोले

तो भ्रष्ट मंत्री बाधा डाले 

बंद कमरे आरोप पड़े 

और कौन, समाज से खुलके बोले? 

'जाँच करो, सब साथ करो 

वक़्त बार ना बर्बाद करो' | 

तुम बोले ये राजनीतिक है ,

तुम सोचे ये क्यूँ खुलें हैं ?

दूध के जले तो हम सब हैं .

पर इस दाल में ना कुछ काला है |

स्थिर हो, रुक जाओ 

आज एक बार फिर विचारो  

क्या इरादा है देश की सफलता 

या हर जागती उमीद मिसलना? 

क्या मंज़िल है सदाचारी स्वतंत्र 

या बेबस हो, दोबार रोना? 

जागते भारत  को अब ना सुल्ाओ  

आम आदमी हो, आम आदमी को सत्ता में लाओ | 

In hope for a brighter tomorrow with India's anti-corruption movement being fought by Aam Aadmi Party.

Vegan By Choice

Being Vegan is not about deprivation. It's about the right ingredients. Being Vegan is not self-torture. It's about preventing torture on a fellow-earthling.

It's now 2 months since I have reduced my footprint of the tyranny. 2 months back I was someone who took pride in the half a liter of milk I consumed everyday. I called it healthy, delicious, required, an obsession. 2 months since, I look back to a Me that I today hope did not exist.

In this brief period, the questions I have been asked by my well-wishers are:

1. I understand meat is death, why milk? Isn't it just sharing resources among the living beings?

First, meat is not just murder. It's death by way of nothing less than a concentration camp. Read how.

Second, milk is not produced by simply and politely milking a cow. Cows, like every other female mammal, produce milk only during and until immediately after pregnancy. Therefore, to keep the milk-flow going, they are artificially impregnated (raped) often. The male calves born, being useless by-products are sent to the slaughter house and the female calves are kept away to ensure that she isn't sucking up the milk produce they worked so hard, to "make".

Cows produce milk just like your mother did and therefore, she does this for her baby and only for her baby. Moreover, if any, it is human milk that our bodies are designed for, which of-course we don't drink after infancy for 2 valid reasons:

- our body doesn't need it 

- our mothers should not be forcibly and repeatedly impregnated for this.

2. But what about Calcium/protein, for you? 

Cow's milk is the number one cause of food allergies in children and this fact clearly explains that human body fights cow's milk. Lactase, the enzyme that works towards digestion of cow's milk, is produced most when humans are less than 2 years old and the production declines thereon- explains that it is unnatural to have milk beyond infancy.

The best sources of calcium are found in açaí, alfalfa sprouts, almonds (234 milligrams per 100 gram serving), apricots, avocados, beans, brazil nuts, broccoli, cabbage, carob, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chickpeas (150 milligrams per 100 gram serving), chlorella, coconut, cornmeal, dandelion greens, dulse, figs, filberts, grains (all), green vegetables (leafy), hazelnuts, hemp (milk/oil/powder/seeds), hijiki sea vegetable (1,400 milligrams per 100 gram serving), kelp, lemon, lentils, lettuce, lucuma powder, maca powder, mango, mesquite powder, millet, miso, nuts, oats, onions, oranges, parsley (203 milligrams per 100 gram serving), prunes, raisins, seaweed, sesame seeds (1,160 milligrams per 100 gram serving), soy (226 milligrams per 100 gram serving), spirulina, sprouts (all), sunflower seeds, watercress, wheatgrass, and yams.

None of these are made from milk. Need more?

Protein- Beans and Tofu (soy-based) are far better sources of protein than any of - milk, yogurt and eggs. How much protein do you really want?

3. What happens to the poor cows if we don't use them for food? They'll be jobless!

This is by far the most ridiculous of the questions that I have come across. But the utter innocence displayed while asking, makes me want to list it here.

Ask yourself- if slavery was the norm today and you the poor slave,

Would you rather not die and not reproduce children, than live a life in shackles where life meant a prison cell and food meant having to be raped? If it meant to have your breast milk sucked out of you only to have your son sent for slaughter (human meat is the most delicious, it's said!) and your daughter made to live in solitude until she hit puberty and then lead a life like yours?

Let Cows not exist if they cannot take care of themselves- to each his own. Only, don't hinder her peace when you can be perfectly healthy without doing that. Don't think you are being noble by enslaving her and calling it 'employment'.

4. Eggs? They're just a chicken's period.

If you've ever seen a commercial poultry, you would have seen and looked away from the plight of these chickens who have don't see sunlight in their entire lifetime. Unless of-course, when even a shed is expensive for profit and a chain does the job.

There are hundreds of them kept in confinements, not even big enough for them to flutter their wings once in a while. Sometimes, if they are lucky they are able to turn a little. Out of frustration most of them begin to beak and hurt each other which is the reason they are de-beaked. Per 'business demands', anesthetics are not used as the costs would be high and the chickens are left bleeding and hurt in the hope that the wound would self-heal. Self heal- it does-eventually.

5. What about pain that plants feel? Environmental impact eating/cutting/cultivating them?

A vegan diet is only an attempt to reduce the extent of harm on other beings. Let's consider for once, that plants feel the exact same or more amount of pain than animals do. This is then, a bigger reason to go vegan!

By eating and consuming animals and animal products, one destroys a lot more plants than what a vegan diet would. When eating animals, humans are at the top of the food chain. We are not only consuming and enslaving the animals, we are also doing this to the great number of plants used to rear this animal for years till slaughter.

A single vegan directly consumes only about one-tenth of the plant material that is either directly or indirectly consumed by a single meat, dairy and egg-eating human. We have fed the now-dead animal a lot more than what we would otherwise directly consume!

Globally, 30% of land area is used for livestock- 70% of amazon deforestation has been done to create grazing-pastures.Now, think about the rain forests that we are always talking about saving, and then clearing them for hamburgers!

6. And the favorite of the non-vegans: Survival of the fittest!

This world is about survival of the fittest- agreed. But never, never defend torture and manhandling of non-human animals as survival of the fittest. You can very well survive and be healthy without misusing another being. What dairy does is not to survive, it is to dictate, rule and enslave.

It is no different from:

- murdering a human for money (both, this and non-vegan food is in the end about getting the luxury of delicious food at the expense of another earthling.)

- raping (both, this and non-vegan food is about desire beyond need and the urge that tempts, can be tamed and controlled. Afterall, we are civilized humans, right?)

The above two are despised by us but how do we not see that both can be defended with the twisted understanding of 'survival of the fittest'- the stronger/wiser gets their desire (need?) met. Why then these double standards when we are all earthlings who deserve to live in a fair world.

Live and Let Live, Once? Maybe? :-)

Animals in cosmetics: Did your lipstick wipe a tear?

Today, it's not easy to go to a cosmetics store and not find the most amazing eye liners and shadows branded with M.A.C., L'Oreal, Chambor, Maybelline, etc. Some of us have even awaited the next month's pocket money to buy that gorgeous galaxy of supernova shades!

Yes, we've all heard about the bunnies and the monkeys whose eyes, ears and nostrils are fed blinding, deafening and life threatening fluids so that we get an end product that doesn't
make us rash. But do we comfortably forget this fact when the super model poses looking fab in the shimmer on the face? 

Would you have desired the same gloss, had the poster shown it forced on an Earthling with a motive to check if it hurts and exactly how much. Here is a Quick read on the incessant Animal Testing today. 

Yes! There is something you can do without the need of being a scientist, chemist, biologist! You could choose those companies that test our lipsticks by our ways- the humane ways! Just the way you'd like it.

Take your pick :-)

Brands that (sell in/ship to/available in India) but Don't test on Live Animals: (BUAV certified)

Aftercare Company Available online
Bath and BodyWorks Available with online retailers
Marks & Spencer Available online/physical stores!
Molton Brown Available online
OSEA Available online
The Body Shop Available online/physical stores!

Not in India? Use BUAV's official product search or PETA's official shopping guide for your country.

Next time we go shopping, ensure that your beauty does not cost an Eye. Not this time.

A few popular ones that abuse :-/

1. 3M
2. Johnson & Johnson
3. Veet (Reckitt Benckiser)
4. L'Oreal USA
5. M.A.C.
6. Unilever (Dove, Lux, Axe. Lakme, Ponds, Vaseline, etc.)


Some things might not be as cheap as the baby monkeys and hopping bunnies which could be conveniently used to save costs. So don't worry if it takes a few extra rupees while you save an Earthling.

Disclaimer: I am not professionally associated with any of the companies mentioned in this post. I have discovered these names during my personal attempt to save a fellow earthling. 

Are we living in denial?

It was past midnight one day, when I happened to play a YouTube video while browsing about nothing and everything. I often did this because night was the time I had. That was my own. No work could be done. No grocery could be shopped for.

Little did I know that no morning hereafter would go without recollecting this night- thrice at least. Thrice because on an average, I eat three meals each day.

I have always skipped videos such as this one, conveniently stating,

• "I know exactly what they're going to blabber. Tell me something new"
• "I'd rather watch the happy side of life"
• "I'm in no mood for this"

This one night, I gave them a chance. Just to confirm that they really were here to blabber about nothing I didn't know.

Few minutes into this clip, I realized that while dodging the topic, I was only

"A hypocrite living in denial of what I truly am- a Nazi who's directing a holocaust." 

And while explicitly enjoying your meat, if you've dodged these videos too, believe me, you are but my fellow Nazi.

Does being born a human- the powerful, the smarter of the species, make it legit to manhandle every other species for our trivial desires? Did I just say 'Trivial'? Let me correct- a desire so profound, so important, so 'but-obvious!', as supreme as nurturing my darling taste buds. 

Why must I not eat the most delicious?

- I earned it. It's delicious. I can afford it. It's a human need!

well then,

Why must I not rape?

- I spotted her. She's refreshing. I can totally grope her. It's a human need!

Apologies for the insensitive corollary but your rationale is clearly no different from that of a rapist. What we miss in both these instances, is the other living being. You earned it but do they deserve it? 

Darwin's theory can even defend an assault, a rape and every other crime we the HUMANE despise.

Is it really fair to torture her because we desire not just food but the yummiest food? Do you really want to clip her ears and brand her with a flaming rod so that we know it's been tortured in "hygienic" environments? You are dumping her live with 100 others, just so that it is FRESH to chop for the morning salami?

Rubbish? How else do you believe, does a neatly packaged pack of meat appear on the shelf of your neighborhood supermarket? Was it found in a farm- just soiled? Was she playing happily in the field and simply shot in the head?

She WAS playing happily in the field. If what followed was just death- I'd certainly have said she had the best life. 

Sadly, that's exactly what didn't happen. What followed was, suffocation, non-anesthised branding, crippling cages and beating because we don't have all the time in the world for their slow leisurely walks around the slaughter house.

Note to the reader: I'm not anti meat eaters. I'm only requesting you to know your food. To be aware of how it reaches you. Please don't live in denial. 

If you have time to spare today, do watch "Earthlings" today - the single most honest and informative documentary by Nation Earth, about the use of nonhuman animals.

Don't use ignorance as an excuse. Come up with a rationale better than that of the rapist you detest. Be truly proud of your meat while you eat it.