Sunday, November 27, 2011

November 2011 Vegan Potluck Lunch

For the last Vegetarian/Vegan Cooking class of 2011, Alan decided to have a potluck lunch.  It was great seeing so many Vegan friends, Invercargill Vegan Society members Katharine, Russell, Dan, Steve and Kerri all attended :-)

Dan's fruitcake
My Chocolate Cake, and Cinnamon Rolls , which have since improved :-) December INVSOC Potluck
Russell's Chilli
Katharines Mincepies (obscured!), Chocolate cake, Kerri's biscuits, Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Rolls, Kerri's Berry dessert, Fruit Salad



We were all given a copy of the years recipes, bound in a lovely folder book, thank you very much Alan, and everyone involved with these classes :-)  We'd love to see them return as an all Vegan class for 2012 - and beyond! :-)


Photos from the first Vegan/Vegetarian cooking class I attended 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Nice Dragonfly in my hand VIDEO

I love Dragonflies, perhaps the strongest flyers in the whole animal kingdom.


I found this nice Dragonfly cold, as their body temperature drops, they cannot fly.  They were holding onto a shady weed, waiting for the morning sun around 6:30PM at night.

Moving them into the sun, I broke off the leaf they held, to avoid hurting them (they moved to my hand), as they beat their wings, warming up, they were able to fly again with aid of the sun :-)




Did you know each Dragonflies wings are independent?  In other words, they are not directly linked, its not a matter of "flap up/flap down" at the same time, they can move any wing as much or as little as they choose, at any angle or direction, resulting in extremely high aerial agility :-)

Wikipedia article on Insect Flight

You can see them warming up each wing at the start of this video, each wing was vibrating by itself (with a noise a little like a rustling plastic bag in the wind, a thin plastic film shaking sound)



Additional photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaywontdart/sets/72157628094005847/

Friday, November 18, 2011

Episode 68 Changing The World With "Inedible" Vegan Cake


Episode 68 Changing The World With "Inedible" Vegan Cake

The Cookbook for People Who Love Animals, Gentle World, Occupy Invercargill, Mayor Tim Shadbolt, Power Fighting, "Vegetarian" tech journalists.

Steve Jobs the "Vegan"/"Vegetarian"/"Fruitarian" - Nothing to do with Veganism, but one mans trumped up obsession with crazy short term fad diets.

Ulva Island poison shows up in fish, Endangered New Zealand snails frozen to death from climate change (of a refrigerator), whining "dairy" farmers, Too-Small-Battery-Cage-Doors, Clockwork Oranges, Techno Music and MICHAEL JACKSON!!!


Listen now by downloading directly from here or, better yet, subscribe in iTunes to get each episode automagically!
Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals iTunes link



Hello and welcome to episode 68 of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals.

Thank you to everyone who joined me for my World Vegan Day episode, it was great to celebrate with Vegans from around the world, including those poor souls unlucky enough not to attend the inaugural Invercargill Vegan Society potluck dinner :-)













I visited Occupy Invercargill, our local branch of the terrifying social movement occupying defenseless cities around the globe.  I brought down some Vegan cake, and Boston Vegan Association pamphlets on Veganism.  The cake was well received, and I hope the pamphlets have been well read.




Occupy Invercargill - a city where even the Mayor personally came down, shook all their hands, said he'd have a porta-loo dropped off, have the reserves power switched on for them to use….gave them a signed copy of his book, signed the visitors book, and gave them a business card, which he wrote his personal cellphone number on, for if there were any problems with the city council or police.  


Now, compared to the images I've seen from America, with Oakland, California police and the New York Police Department unleashing tear gas, pepper spray, "Long Range Acoustic Devices", designed to hurt your ears, giant bulldozers to clear the encampments, ha, fun word to use, 

With such a shocking, totalitarian, Orwellian, level of corruption and total police clampdown, Fight The Power brothers (and sisters), so that one day, in America, women will be allowed to sit at the front of buses, and peaceful protests wont result in heads being mashed in by Oakland riot police, nor New York police officers throwing tear gas here there and everywhere: 




1989….that brings me back….to when a young Jordan Wyatt was TWO years old….just like Michael Jacksons album "Bad".



That Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt will help anyone out though, he'll even read from a piece of paper pinned to your Herbivore Clothing sweatshirt with an INVSOC badge!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Imagine having "Slaughter" as your surname!

It would be rather difficult being a Vegan with the surname of "slaughter" - "you've let down the family name!"  I've seen surnames of "Butcher" and "Leather" before, but "Slaughter" itself?  Weird!


Life is far from easy from those who *claim* the name "slaughter" as their surname too!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Kereru ("Wood Pigeon") flight noise! VIDEO

A visiting Kereru, listen to the noise their wings make!



Check out this video of a "Kereru hospital" in nearby Dunedin!  A quick heads up, prepare to hear these beautiful, beloved animals being called "ITS ITS IT ITS ITS ITS ITS" nonstop!

http://tvnz.co.nz/meet-the-locals/meet-locals-2008-episode-103-video-1902143

Episode 67 World Vegan Day 2011

Episode 67 World Vegan Day 2011


A Brief History of Veganism, friends from around the world, planting a tree in New Zealand, the first INVSOC potluck dinner - remember remember this first of November!

Happy World Vegan Day!  



Listen now by downloading directly from here

or, better yet, subscribe in iTunes to get each episode automagically!
Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals iTunes link







From Invercargill, New Zealand, bottom of the world, home of INVSOC, the southernmost Vegan Organisation in the world (possibly), Happy World Vegan Day!  I've been holding back on this episode for the big day, and now, at I've begun recording for this podcast, can you hear the authentic, World Vegan Day-ness?  While I wait for you Northern Hemisphere slackers to wake up and wipe the sleep out of your eyes, SOME OF US are enjoying World Vegan Day right now!  I'll start the show, and finish off this episode at the end of World Vegan Day, New Zealand time.


For this, most sacred 24 hour period of the year, the Invercargill Vegan Society is celebrating by planting a memorial tree, and having a group potluck dinner together.  

We have a small plaque, "planted on World Vegan Day, 1st November 2011, INVERCARGILL VEGAN SOCIETY", which will go with the New Zealand native Kauri tree.  Kauri, K A U R I grow to become large and powerful trees.  Ours will be planted in the Otepuni Gardens, surrounded by the Otepuni Stream, dragonflies, damselflies, ducks, wild rabbits and beer bottles.  And according to its Wikipedia article, prostitutes and a general air of decay, although citation is needed.
The Invercargill Vegan Society is ALSO having a group potluck dinner together, where we will no doubt ALL bring a packet of Oreo cookies and an empty stomach.  I'll include that at the end of this episode.


World Vegan Day, 2011, what a wonderful day!


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Happy World Vegan Day 2011 :-)




To celebrate World Vegan Day 2011, the Invercargill Vegan Society (INVSOC) planted a memorial tree -  67 years since Donald Watson coined the term "vegan", and the first Vegan Society were founded in 1944.

Our greatest thanks to Invercargill Parks and Reserves for helping us remember this great day :-)  The tree chosen is a Kauri  ("kau-reee"), a New Zealand native which grows to be very, very big!





From all the Vegans in Invercargill, New Zealand - Happy World Vegan Day! :-)

Also, try our World Vegan Day episode, featuring over 30 vegan voices from around the world :-)  Episode 67 "World Vegan Day 2011"




*** UPDATE  September 2012 ***

Our Tree was visited by Wellington Vegan Julie Gunn, of radio show "Animal Rights and Wrongs"

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

GTA inVsoc ?!?!

Seen the new logo design for Grand Theft Auto Five?  (GTA V)



The INVSOC lawyers sure have!  THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!   You can't just go about grabbing eyecatching V shape designs you know!



Besides, any right thinking individual would have the horizontal text bar at the BOTTOM, not the blinking top!  Near the bottom, the V design is given an impression of piercing through a barrier, going supersonic!  At the top?  Its like you've gotten your INVSOC sweatshirt stuck over your head, arms waving about in the air, stumbling around blind.  What kind of maniac would put it at the top?!?!

Rest assured though my friends, the Republi-Chicken Guard are on the case!  We simply CANNOT allow a Stolen Product out on the market, we'll spend every dime of INVSOC's ~$40 Billion USD to right this wrong!








***UPDATE***

Kotaku sheds some light on the GTA V design,

http://kotaku.com/5853377/grand-theft-auto-vs-logo-has-some-real-history?tag=grand-theft-auto

Our lawsuit still stands! :-)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Flowers From Black Chicks POV VIDEO

The world sure is large when you're a little Hen!

Friday, October 21, 2011

World Vegan Day episode

For World Vegan Day, we're having a memorial tree planted for the Invercargill Vegan Society, a potluck dinner, and will record a podcast episode.

Contact info@invsoc.org.nz if you'd like to attend! :-)


















*** UPDATE ***

World Vegan Day approaches...





Check out our memorial tree planted 1st November 2011, World Vegan Day :-)

Monday, October 17, 2011

Episode 66 Love Hen Mother

Episode 66 Love Hen Mother

Steve Jobs - Starchild!, Love Hen Mother poster, Veganism mentioned in rap, right wing casual comments, Scribblenauts, INVERCARGILL VEGAN SOCIETY stall at Eco Festival, Sea Shepherd on "direct action", Freaks of Society, 1984 and "Moody Mother Cows", just lying in wait, to "launch ITS attack!" 



Listen now by downloading directly from here or, better yet, subscribe in iTunes to get each episode automagically!
Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals iTunes link


Hello and welcome to Episode 66 of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals, premier podcast of the Invercargill Vegan Society. 

I'd like to thank my friend Dan Liu, for todays bumper intro, Dan was the first Vegan I'd ever met, apart from that guy in the reflective surface.

I interviewed Dan in episode 60, "Only Vegan in Invercargill", alongside other Vegans living in Invercargill Natalie, and Ricky.



You know how Elvis is TOTALLY alive, in South America some where?  And how just last week I saw Michael Jackson at my local supermarket?  Well, the latest quote "dead" endnote celebrity is former Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs.  I say "former" sarcastically, because the dudes totally alive somewhere.


Our Lord and Saviour, The Steve was often mentioned as being Vegan, although he truly, truly was NOT Vegan, eating killed fish, wearing dead skin, who knows what else.  Here are some clips from a This Week in Tech tribute show


The first one mentions cows milk NOT being good for you, which is interesting that he could say that, if the "National Cattlemans Beef Organisation" could sue Oprah for Howard Lyman truthfully saying "theres excrement in the flesh you eat", surely "The Milk Board" would have come after Steve Jobs too?  Then again, maybe they know better than to mess with a deity like Steve Jobs, sticking to the small potatoes like Oprah Winfrey:


Well, if Leo is apparently aware of perceived "Spiritual" and "health" reasons for being Vegan, why isn't HE Vegan? :-)  Is it a matter of seeing Veganism as this radical, weird fast, performed only by celibate monks who wear a mock turtleneck/blue jeans/ New Balance ensemble?  

Just to put this thing to rest, Steve Jobs was NOT Vegan.  He wore dead skin, he often ate fish, he was not Vegan.  



The man who gave us the voice controlled artificial intelligence Siri couldn't fall to mortal illness, check out the masterpiece that is the new iPhone 4S, when you talk to your phone, your voice is understood by some servers in North Carolina, then the results sent back near instantly to your iPhone.  Now, this could be used to, find a nearby vegan restaurant, set your alarm for tomorrow morning, to dictate a reply to a text message by voice… or you can just have fun, as demonstrated by This Is My Next :



Oldest trick in the book, falling for that, yeah right Siri, I've seen Terminator, and I Robot, and pretty much every other movie involving artificial intelligence, the first thing you guys get up to is killing off "organic" intelligence, so we can only be found at Whole Foods.



Its pretty obvious what Steve Jobs has done, he's CLEARLY evolved beyond physical bodies, emerging as an immortal being of pure energy, a starchild:


The irony in that situation, the sequels to 2001: a space odyssey explain how the monoliths are "just" insanely great computers, that the starchild is "just" a scanned in, digital version of a person, that Dave Bowman, and later HAL are  "only" computer programs, albeit a divinely powerful computer programs, who can somehow exist as beings of pure energy.



Either thats what happened to Steve Jobs, or,  he went off in search of Galts Gulch, thanks to Comrade Obama driving away the innovators with cruel taxes on corporate jets, such as Jobs $50 million dollar Gulfstream G5.  You know, the guy made an American dollar per year, you think they could cut the greatest American of all time some friggin slack, tax him on his annual salary, the dollar a year, and then turn a blind eye when the Apple board grant him a $50 million dollar jet and what have you, geez!


Saturday, October 15, 2011

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Sea Shepherd Vegan Chef Roger interviewed VIDEO

The Invercargill Vegan Society stall at Transition Towns Eco Festival 2011 was located beside Sea Shepherd, I was frequently joined by the "close to vegan" crew, and Vegan chef Roger, who graciously appears in this stunningly produced interview!




Recorded on my phone, background noise necessitated being skinpore close, I decided recording video as well as audio would show his bandana, shirt logo

The Invercargill Vegan Society does not support direct action tactics, or the sinking of ships, we Remember The Rainbow Warrior.  Sea Shepherd is a Conservation group, rather than an Animal Rights group, as explained here, by another Vegan named Roger:

http://human-nonhuman.blogspot.com/2010/10/pete-bethune-sea-shepherd-veganism-and_08.html

I greatly enjoyed talking with Vegan Chef Roger about being ethical while at sea :-)

INVSOC Spring Eco Festival table :-) PHOTOS

The Invercargill Vegan Society (INVSOC) attended the Invercargill Transition Towns Eco Festival 2011 :-)




The event was well attended, I spoke with dozens of people about Chicken Friends and Veganism, respect for EVERYONE! :-) 




As people asked me about our table, I'd show them photos of Rescued Hens on my iPad, about how they had been saved from a farm, considered property, mere things.  I mentioned how they were due to be "culled", killed as their female reproductive system slowed down with age (being a positively ancient >12 months old), and that the farmers found it easier to thrust their arms in and drag them out of hidden cages, hanging by their feet to give to animal advocates than spend the effort of breaking their necks/slashing their throats.  (Killed after reaching A Certain Age?  Thats "Comrade Obama" and SOCIALISM for ya!)

Everyone I spoke with was very glad the Hens were now able to live free, as someONE in our backyard, photos of my Chicken Friends among flowers went down especially well :-)  





I explained how we didnt want to focus on graphic (realistic, and negatively emotional images of death) resources, instead focusing on reasons why we *should* respect other animals, "YES WE CAN!", not "DONT DO THAT" :-)  Over 30 pieces of frantically-baked-at-11PM-the-night-before-the-event Mint Chocolate Mud cake were shared :-)

The photo of few day old Chicken Friends on INVSOC cards was appreciated, and nearly every visitor was glad to take one with them, to visit our website later.

"Some Guy From Texas" showed up























It was lovely to meet so many people eager in talking about Veganism.  The World Is Vegan If We Want It  :-)

Additional photos can be found here