Meet your MeatPosted by SfA Wed, February 13, 2013 12:47:48Richard Lochhead, who in the past fortnight seems to have given himself the title of 'Food Minister' told Scotland for Animals that the introduction of CCTV in abattoirs to protect animals would be "an unnecessary burden" financially for the industry.
Lochhead has now announced an additional gift of a million pounds of tax payers money, on top of the millions in tax payers money already given eve...ry year to the meat and slaughter sector in Scotland, to take advantage of the current horse meat scandal and further "promote" this already highly profitable market.
'Food Minister' Lochhead has claimed that the situation is an "opportunity" to promote Scottish meat.
This current devolved administration is and has been from the time they took power a disaster for animal welfare. Statements like those above expose again just what their priorities are.
You can contact the 'Food Minister' here: scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
J
InterviewsPosted by Tina Warren Tue, November 27, 2012 18:24:59Smutty Comedian - Dr Adam Kay
We are very pleased to pin down Adam for a few moments of earnestness to discuss his diet.
Adam is a rising star.
“This made me very, very happy” STEPHEN FRY
"Genius" RADIO 1
“Wonderfully funny, a comedy classic” SCOTSMAN
“Filthy at best, depraved at worst - and great, guilty fun" TELEGRAPH
He's a hit on Youtube - check him out here with his 65 thousand squillion hits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2ae5Idkn4U
DR ADAM KAY
How would you describe your art
- comedy musician?
I sing smutty songs…
Where do you live?
I’m based in London, but given the nature of what I do, travel a lot
round the country – I spent this whole autumn in Glasgow for instance.
And you were a doctor before
that? Can you tell us a little how you went from one extreme job to another?
I am a trained doctor, yes. I started doing comedy when I was at medical
school, and it’s essentially a hobby that’s got completely out of hand! I took
the decision a few years ago to stop doctoring and concentrate full-time on
swearing at strangers.
I hear you’re a vegetarian - is
that right? How long?
I’ve been vegetarian since the age of five, and I’m 32 now, so that’s… ohgod…
hang on. Twenty… umm… carry the one… twenty seven years.
Why are you vegetarian?
A combination of distaste of the taste and distaste of the idea.
There aren’t as many male
vegetarians around as women. Do you think it’s a macho thing?
I certainly think that conforming to the traditional male gender
archetype plays a role. Or maybe boys are just more genetically predisposed to
enjoy a McDonald’s!
You stay with your partner James
I believe. Is he vegetarian too? What I’m really trying to find out is - do you
have support at home to keep to your diet or are there chicken legs in the
fridge that tempt you to stray.
James isn’t vegetarian, so there’s always plenty of meat in the fridge –
given that I’ve never really liked the taste of meat though, it doesn’t ever
tempt me. In general though, meals we cook at home – and dinner parties when we
have friends over – tend to be vegetarian, as neither of us can be bothered to
cook two separate dishes! And that increased exposure to vegetarian food has
meant that James eats a lot more vegetarian food at restaurants; his taste buds
have learnt it can often be the tastiest thing on the menu!
Do you ever stray from vegetarianism?
Are you a little naughty sometimes?
I’m never naughty and have a kebab, or anything like that, but every five
years or so I’ve tried a bit of someone’s meat at dinner, to see if my tastes
have changed. They haven’t…
Do you incorporate your animal
ethics into your profession?
My act is fairly lowest-common-denominator, with no room in there for my
opinions on anything!
Can you give us an entertainer’s
tip that our readers can use in their own day to day lives eg humour, style,
confidence?
It’s much easier to be funny when you’re drunk.
Favourite food?
In winter I don’t think you can go far wrong with a spelt risotto!
Do you have a hero? An animal
welfare hero?
My heroes within musical comedy are Tom Lehrer, and Flanders and Swann. I
don’t think many people have done more tor the popularisation of vegetarianism
than Linda McCartney – so she gets my vote on the animal welfare front. I’ve
even got a cookbook she signed for me when I was ten!
What do you think of Scotland
for Animals?
As a Londoner I’ve only just been introduced to the charity, but I’m
extremely impressed – raising awareness and money to prevent unnecessary animal
cruelty in the country.
Any web links or shameless self promotional material here
You can follow me on Twitter at @amateuradam, find out about
gigs at www.amateurtransplants.com
and buy my Christmas CD on iTunes!
Religious slaughterPosted by SfA Sun, October 28, 2012 13:02:00Its Eid al Adha again and all round the world over the past few days there's been an orgy of ritual slaughter.
As usual Mosques in Scotland are screeching for followers of Islam to butcher an animal in the name of God.
Take for example the Al Furqan Mosque in Glasgow who are a branch of UKIM. Al Furqan have been asking Scottish Muslims to dig deep for cruelty.
UKIM state that
"There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani that the sacrificing of Animals....therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart." and
"It is highly virtuous for one to offer sacrifice for the Pleasure of Allah."
UKIM also boast that they
"currently offer the option of sacrificing sheep or a cow. We are working on offering more animals for sacrifice in the near future." Much of the money raised here will go to Somalia, Sierra leone, Sudan, Yemen, etc. Al, places where animal welfare provision is practically non-existent.
As some Muslims openly oppose this cruelty and instead opt to make a financial donation to a cause in place of a sacrificed animal the UKIM condemn them for their
"ignorance" and
"negligence" in not taking part in this mass butchery.
They also state that Muslims who do not sacrifice an animal are not welcome at Eid prayers.
The self appointed 'leaders' from Al Furqan Mosque, Glasgow Central Mosque and others who also promote animal sacrifice are among those who the Scottish Government and it's Civil Servants are now bending over backwards to accomodate in watering down legislation to protect animals.
Take this in contrast with our friends at Animal Save Movement Pakistan.
Group President Khalid Mahmood Qurashi puts the case for reason and decency in the face of horror well:
"How is it possible to depress, harass or kill some living being and expect a calming and soothing behavior in response to bring forth harmonious environment all around.
What an amazing philosophy is promoted, that by slaughtering dump and helpless forefathers of ourselves, we are assumed of booking a luxurious seat in heaven.
Let us be realistic to pay for our own sins and faults by sacrificing our own interests luxuries and tastes all those who have not , even the fundament needs to be fulfilled.
Moreover depending entirely on this religious obligation for eternal peace, is insufficient vide the complete code of ethics as per illustration of the Holy books.
Let us honor the live and let live principle for all those who are closely associated with the human being and shekel the boundaries strongly built by all those religious institutions responsible for the promotion of illogical ceremonial and customary practices in grandeur fashion .
It is not ridiculous to learn from the Animal world, which is not hoarding, not much greedy, does not kill or harass the weaker ones. Just to show their authority, but are content with their basic need of food, shelter and security, reproduction and thus are faithful to the nature by maintaining the harmonious atmosphere as bestowal by the universe.
It is worth emphasizing that movement for healthy behavior and positive response may be aroused as per the demands of ethics which is above all the regulations of the supernatural philosophy promoters suitable for specific groups only.
In the end to add further, which is directly related to the ISLAM?
MUSLIM slaughters the animals to follow the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim. On the occasion of 10th Zilhajj (26th Oct, 2012) in Islamic calendar the last month, millions cows,oxen, camels ,goats and sheep are slaughtered at the same Day of Eid-ul-Azha after the day of Hajj in the United Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.
There are 56 Muslim countries in the world and by the rising of moon of 10th Zilhajj billions of cattle are slaughtered at the same day.
No doubt it is a religious custom or tradition. Yet it is a cruel act and atrocity of helpless, speechless faithful & innocent creature.
It is the age of computer. We are living in 21st century. Which is against the nature? ANIMAL SAVE MOVEMENT PAKISTAN requests the Islamic scholars may think with very cool minded and a new decision (Ijtihad) will be there , that no Muslim shall slaughtered the animals on the Eid-ul-Azha . The saved amount may be given to needy poor and miserable people."
We would like to offer our solidarity and support to all Muslims opposed to the barbarism taking place over this period.
John
VivisectionPosted by SfA Thu, August 23, 2012 17:29:17Click on icon below:
VivisectionPosted by SfA Thu, August 23, 2012 17:28:06http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5323fef14402c8a6293efe8c3&id=fbaf70e291&e=352310fc9
InterviewsPosted by Tina Warren Fri, June 22, 2012 22:15:51INTERVIEW
– MARGARET JOHNSTON
Margaret
Johnston is a beautiful marathon runner. She’s also vegan. She has generously
offered to run in September and be sponsored for Scotland for Animals. Here she
tells us more about her lifestyle.
You’re
a vegetarian right? How long for?
Vegan
actually! My vegetarian diet started aged around 12yrs old. Over the years it's
swayed between vegetarian and vegan finally settled at vegan now which I doubt
will ever return vegetarian. My awareness of the cruel dairy industry will keep
me on a straight strict path of veganism. Ignorance is not bliss and to educate
yourself with the facts, the truth is vital if you really want to make a
difference.
What
made you turn vegetarian?
I
was shocked into a vegetarian. One afternoon I came home from school for lunch
and my folks were at work so I decided I wasn't going to return to school and
as I sat down with my lunch and flicked through the channels on TV there was a
channel airing a programme on an abattoir. What I saw at that moment still
haunts me to this day.
How
far do you stretch your vegetarianism eg do you buy leather running shoes?
My
running shoes are man made materials/ non leather. I check with the Vegan Society's
list of approved shoes for what I believe to be accurate information. The glues
that are used in shoes may be animal derived so even though the material is non
animal skin the glue may be from an animal so I do keep that in mind.
What
do you eat when you’re training?
My
food is quite basic, I try and keep it fresh and raw. My diet consists of fruit,
veg, nuts, seeds, dried fruits and berries. I try and avoid pasta and bread but
I'm human and sometimes I do binge on vegan fudge!!!
How do you treat yourself?
Dried
figs and anything sweet that's animal free.
Do
you have any advice to someone who wants to become vegetarian and get fit?
As
a rule of good health for everyday life I think if people stick with the 80/20
rule of healthy living then there's no need for any faddy seasonal diets that
never work. If you're hungry - eat; and if not then don't. It's all easy to say
I understand and many find the self discipline of training and sensible eating
hard to stick with 100% of their lifetime. Hence why I say that I agree with the
80/20 idea of healthy living. 80% of the time healthy and 20% for the not so
healthy eating and lazy days. Beating yourself up and being over strict with
yourself will just lead to the likelihood of quitting all together and despair,
negative feelings and nothing gained. I'm not into anything fancy from food to
clothes so simple is good for me and works. Anybody can run if they put their mind
to it, I run to help my mood, my depression is manageable as long as I run and
as a sufferer of an eating disorder it also helps me maintain a healthy weight
so running is for me.
Your marathon training is a bit
unusual?
Because
I'm mostly at home as my youngest child is only 4, and my 15 year old suffers
badly from anxiety and only attends school two and a half days per week so this
means I'm at home most of the time and restricted to the treadmill for
training. Dog walking gets us outdoors and when I get some respite I go running
along the hills in Sutherland for miles. To keep me motivated whilst I run my
10 miles on the treadmill most days I watch my recordings of marathons i.e, the
London and Edinburgh
along with any athletics recorded. This is when the idea of running to help
animals came to me.
You have kiddies. Do your ethics affect
them.
I'm
a single, 36 year old mum to 3 kids aged 4, 9 and 15 and we live in Sutherland,
Scottish Highlands. We have 4 dogs, cats, rabbits and a hamster. The oldest
child is vegetarian but my other two don't conform to any special diet. So
although the food brought into the house is vegetarian/vegan approved I don't
rule over what they eat outside. Would love if they would eat vegan as the
dairy industry is grim and I have educated my children on the truth about dairy,
eggs and farming without using brainwashing techniques of talking them into
veganism! I just don't think ignorance should be bliss, the truth should be
addressed. However as individuals they have a right to choose what is for them.
And tell us about all those furry
friends.
My
dogs and cats eat meat so again we could debate. Ideally if I could I would
collect roadkill and clean/cook and feed to my pets but I couldn't gut an
animal. Tried feeding them vegetarian pet foods but it was a mission failed. I
do cook the dogs’ meals which is chicken as they don't like tinned dog food and
they like rice bones and vege chews! Wished I could do better but there are few
choices on the pet food side of veganism that are tasty on a dog and cat’s
palate.
You’ve very generously offered to
support Scotland
for Animals through your marathon running.
The
welfare of animals matters to me, since a child I've been animal mad. When I
read another story of twisted and cruel animal abuse that's taken place my
blood boils and I feel sick and feel so bloody useless that I can't stop
it...the tears roll down my cheeks.
Most
runners are supporting charities to help other humans and very little of the
majority/if any!? are running for animal charities and that left me feeling
slightly disappointed. Although I give regular monthly donations to other
animal charities I don't feel that's enough and not the most I could be doing
and this is where running both marathons in Sept and pleading, begging people
to sponsor me to run them so that funds can be raised to help with campaigns
and anything and the smallest change that can help an animal even if only one
little critter.
We will be promoting more information re how you can
sponsor Margaret shortly.
InterviewsPosted by Tina Warren Fri, June 22, 2012 22:11:29Madeline Warren,
Costume Designer
What nationality are you? Half British/ half American
Can you tell us a bit more about Anatomic Bomb!? How long have you been
doing it? Anatomic Bomb! is my latex clothing company created
in 2003. We are UK based but
ship our latex dresses, separates, uniforms and accessories to the UK and all over
the world. We create latex fashions for parties, stage and screen and
fashionistas. We call our customers our Anatomic Bombshells.
Our website is worth a
view even if you are not shopping. It has many beautiful photos and lots of
interesting information for those interested in pin-ups and fashion. www.anatomicbomb.com
Why did you start it? I was made redundant from my job. I had the notion for a long time about
starting my own business and being made redundant seemed a good time to put
those plans in to action. I also had a lot of design ideas which at that time
were unique and fresh in the world of latex clothing and I was very keen to
bring these designs to life. I feel my company has helped push latex design in
to its current incarnation which is more fashion and party friendly, and I am
proud of that.
Do you design the clothes? Yes all the designs are created by me. That is my favourite part of the
job.
What inspires your designs? I’m inspired by vintage fashions,
and classic fetish like Betty Page and Eric Stanton, uniforms, movie costumes
and historical costumes. I love beautiful women and glamour and making the most
of oneself.
I think every woman
should push the boundaries of what they are willing to wear from time to time.
Whether that is something she can do in a day-to-day context like wearing
bright eye-shadow or a stylish hat, or being more risqué like wearing rubber
clothes, it’s good for their morale and how they perceive themselves. I truly
feel that wearing rubber clothes like Anatomic Bomb can make you feel great. We
have styles that suit all shapes, sizes and personalities. It makes me feel
great when we get a customer who approaches us with some trepidation but asks
us to dress them. We assess the way they look but also their character and
suggest some items which we think will make them look great. It’s wonderful
when we finally see them wearing their new latex outfit, strutting around the
room and with a transformed confident personality!
You're vegan right? How long/what age when you started? Why? Were you
vegetarian before that?
I have been vegetarian
for 26 years and vegan for about 15 of those years. I don’t wear wool, leather
or silk and I detest fur. I also don’t use products tested on animals. I am
vegan for moral reasons. I love animals and know the way animals are treated to
feed and clothe humans is hideous.
There are many ways to
serve the animal kingdom like working directly with animals like vets and
rescue centres, or campaigning politically for them but I also think being a
great role model for vegetarianism or veganism is incredibly helpful for the
cause. If a vegan is healthy, glowing, well-dressed and glamorous it does
wonders for the perception of veganism and may encourage others to follow suit.
Do you ever stray from veganism? Are you a little naughty sometimes?
I’m not a strict vegan-
I do stray but mainly when I am out dining somewhere posh, though I always
regret it. Faced with a cheesy horror on my plate I normally just pick at the
pastry or vegetables part. Good restaurants cater well for vegetarians but not
at all well for vegans.
How do you find the world of fetish clothes and its attitude towards
animals’ ethics? Leather is a staple of the fetish scene and that is
unlikely to change in the foreseeable future but latex clothes are a very
acceptable alternative to that. Quite a few people wear real fur to fetish
clubs and parties and even worse, it is often promoted on the dresscodes. I
think there will be a lot of people at these parties who disapprove of fur but
fetish parties have an accepting and non-aggressive environment so it isn’t the
place to start a lecture. It’s horrible when someone I know is wearing real fur
and tries to lean in for an air kiss- I try very hard not to even talk to these
people, never mind kiss them!
What kind of clothes do you wear during the day/for special events?
I prefer to dress up
rather than down. It puts a spring in my step and makes other people happy.
Even if you have made someone point and laugh, you have still made them happy
and perhaps given them a story to tell.
In summer I mainly wear
dresses- I like cheong sams, circle skirts with big frothy petticoats and 1930s
silhouette dresses cut on the bias in a clinging material.
Winter is a good time to
wear suits and uniforms- they look very chic and keep me warm at the same time.
I have lots of great fake furs- wraps, collars and coats which, when I am complimented
on them, proudly publicise the fact they are a splendid fake and no animal was
killed for my vanity.
For special events, I am
always keen to get out the big jewels, big hair and evening gowns (including
latex evening dresses, unsurprisingly). I don’t care if other people think it
is over the top. I think it shows respect to dress up to where you are going.
It dismays me when people won’t even dress up to go somewhere as elegant as
Covent Garden Opera House.
I don’t own a pair of
jeans. Some people can look very nice in them but I refuse to own a pair on
principle because EVERYONE wears them.
Can you give us a costume designer tip that our readers can use in their
own day to day lives eg beauty, style, confidence?
Learn how to do at least
1 proper hair-style really well. The art of hairstyling is something that the
modern woman has lost (I don’t think hair straightening counts). Keep
practicing until you master it. You will be pleasantly surprised at how people
will admire your looks and skills.
There are a few Coco
Chanel quotes I like-
Dress shabbily, they
notice the dress. Dress impeccably, they notice the woman.
I don`t understand how a
woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of
politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that`s the day she has a date with
destiny. And it`s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.
Can you give any advice to someone who wants to get into a glamorous
industry like burlesque or fashion but finds that it is at odds with their love
of animals?
I wanted to do
historical costume but realised I would have to be using fabrics like silk and
wool. (Not so much fur. I have noticed quite a few historical dramas using fake
fur in their productions). I would say to go to college and work with the
necessary materials to learn.
Do you have an animal welfare hero? I really admire Stella McCartney. She has brought
her standards in to the world of high fashion and it has been accepted. She
uses ethical wool and her toiletries are not tested on animals and have no
animal products- this really stands out in the world of high priced perfumes
and toiletries. Making plastic shoes a luxury item is a real coup!
What do you think of Scotland
for Animals?
I think it is a great
charity, helping animals on a more local level. You are getting things done,
from rescuing animals to campaigning to have CCTV installed in all
slaughterhouses and it being properly used.
I always like to keep up
to date with your info on your website and Facebook. You manage to balance
topics of fun, fashion, recipes etc with more serious political articles and
you convey it in a really interesting and captivating way.
I particularly admire
your campaign to ban Halal slaughter, a cause which no other charity wants to
touch (except Animal Aid) for fear of being accused of being racist.
Links www.anatomicbomb.com
NewsPosted by SfA Sun, April 22, 2012 18:21:22http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5323fef14402c8a6293efe8c3&id=65e3e0ef49&e=2f77016e41
