The Ringling Bros. The Sad Truth

Hello everybody!! I hope all of you had a great humane Thanksgiving. I had a wonderful time at home with my family.

I’m sure we can all remember that when we were kids we went to the circus.BUt did you know that horrible truth about animal abuse in the circus? I did not know until recently. One of the biggest circuses in the world. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been known for animal abuse. The most known acts of cruelty are against the elephants. These elephants are chained in boxcars for 26 straight hours. They are beaten with bullhooks so they can perform tricks. In the last 10 years the circus has been violating the Animal Welfare Act by improper handling of animals, causing trauma, stress and many other things for these animals.

Recently, The Ringling Bros. was charged 270,000 for alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act.  PETA showed evidence of baby elephants being dragged away form their mothers so that they can be in violent training sessions to learn how to perform tricks. Ringling now must train all employees who deal with the animals and there must be a representative from the Animal Welfare Act.

This is a wonderful start. However we still should not attend circuses. All you have to do is not go. It’s that simple. Save some money and don’t go to these horrible circuses.

How to do the Gundy

 

A Humane Thanksgiving

Hello All! The holiday season is upon us. Next week is Thanksgiving, which is difficult for us veggies. Thanksgiving is not very vegetarian friendly. However with a little hard work, Thanksgiving can be a great holiday for vegetarians.

The only humane part about Thanksgiving is the  presidential pardon of one turkey each year.  Last year Obama pardoned two turkeys.  Everyone thinks that this pardon is so nice and wonderful. But that is only one turkey. Obama said that he felt good about stopping the killing of these turkeys. Really? He feels good about saving two turkey’s lives? Yeah it’s better than nothing, but it is still a tiny amount compared to the millions that are killed each year. Every year, more than 45 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving. For us veggies this is a very hard holiday not to think about these suffering birds. Nevertheless, we can still have a tasty humane Thanksgiving.

Instead of turkey, try Tofurkey. I know it sounds gross but it is actually very tasty and nutritious. All the sides are already vegetarian. You can even make them vegan. For example vegan pumpkin pie is easy and I think even better than regular pumpkin pie. I know this isn’t very traditional for most of you, but at least try it just once. You’ll be pleased if you eat these alternatives and you won’t miss eating real turkey. Those turkeys will be pleased too.

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

Hello all! I hope everyone is having a great November. I know I am because it’s National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week this year is from November 6 to November 12 and it gets people who love pets to support their local rescues and shelters. It is celebrated by the Humane Society of the United States.

This was founded in 1996 as a way to show the local communities what shelters do and to help give animals homes. These animals need our help. Millions of animals in the US need homes every year. These are animals that have been abandoned, neglected, or found. If we do not give these animals homes they will be euthanized. Too many animals each year are euthanized because they do not get adopted. If we are looking for a dog, we should try to find a pet from animal shelters. We should not be using breeders or puppy mills. Puppy mills are inhumane. It is very sad to think about puppies that are treated like cows or pigs in slaughterhouses. This is way we need to do away with puppy mills and only adopt from animal shelters and rescues.

With over 120 shelters in Oklahoma, there should be no problem adopting from shelters. Adopting from shelters is a great way to have a companion for life. These animals will love you no matter what. Please please please help these animals. They need homes.

Botanical Gardens Slideshow

The Time of Our Lives

As college students we all are constantly looking at the time to see how long until our next class is. We see the clocks around campus from various distances and angles.

National Vegetarian Month and Animal Testing.

It’s October, which means it’s National Vegetarian Month!  National Vegetarian Month is meant so people are aware of vegetarianism. Many vegetarians will celebrate by telling others why they are vegetarian. For all you non-vegetarians here are 10 ways that you can celebrate this great month.

While I am excited for National Vegetarian Month, there are still many issues, which animals are being treated inhumanely. Animal testing happens everyday. Dogs, cats, monkeys, and other animals are in labs being tested on everyday. Many undergo horrible food, drug, and cosmetic experiments. These animals are forced into these horrible situations. The ways these animals are treated is a very sad truth. The main reason this should be stopped is because of how cruel it is to the animals. Furthermore, tests on animals can be misleading. An animal’s response to a product can be different from a human’s response. It’s obvious that animals have different cell structures. So why does it make sense to test human products on them? It is actually easier and cheaper to test products without animals.

Many products that we use everyday test on animals. If you use any of these products please think about those poor animals being tortured on a regular basis. There are other products that are cruelty free. It is not hard to just buy a different product. Just think about all that animals that you’re saving. Remember that even the tiniest thing helps these beautiful animals.

National Hug A Vegetarian Day and the best vegetarian meal in Stillwater

Hello everybody! I hope everyone has had a fun last couple of weeks. I know I did because this past Friday was National Hug a Vegetarian Day.  

National Hug a Vegetarian Day is pretty self explanatory. It is a day that was invented by PETA. Even though it’s not known of around Oklahoma it is a big deal especially in places like California and the Northeast. Many people will stand with on the streets with signs that say something along the line of, “Hug me: I’m vegetarian” The point of this is so when people do go to give a hug, they will ask the vegetarians about why they are vegetarian. Thus, getting people thinking about the diet. None of my friends had even heard of it until I told them. I expected this considering we’re living in these parts. Many people think it’s dumb, but it is another way of getting the message of vegetarianism out there.

Now I know all of you are eager to read about the best vegetarian meal I found. It’s Thai Food, which I have an obsession with. For my birthday last week, My girlfriend and I went to Thai Cafe for the first time. It was so amazing. It is now easily my favorite place in Stillwater. They have many dishes that are vegetarian an can even be vegan. It is perfect for vegetarians. Now we don’t have to get the same thing over and over again. We get a choice! This a huge relief, especially living in Stillwater. As the weeks go by I am very thilled to be finding all these great places.

Thanks every one for reading. For all my non vegetarian readers, I really hope you guys are thinking about this diet. It is very beneficial to every one. To all my veggies: remember you don’t just have to eat out, you can cook too. Try making some sweet vegan desserts.

Some Surprises I Found in Stillwater

As you all remember last I was talking about how there are only few good places for vegetarians in Stillwater. Well in the past week I have discovered two excellent meals.

First, there is Chick- fil-A. Now I know immediately what you’re thinking. Chick-fil-A is just chicken. Isn’t their motto “Eat More Chikin?”  This is exactly what I thought. I went there with my girlfriend and was just planning on ordering a side salad and fries. However, first I asked if I could get the Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad without the chicken. The cashier informed me that they actually have what is called a base salad that has no meat, which is not on the menu. I was very pleased that they had this at fast food place like this. The base salad is just a bigger side salad. This was fine with me. It was delicious. Along with the lettuce, there is cabbage, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cheese, garlic butter croutons, and sunflower seeds with any dressing of your choice. This salad is very tasty and healthy. It was so good that I went there two days in a row for lunch. For my fellow vegetarians I recommend this at Chick-fil-A, yes I said Chick-fil-A.

The other delicious place I ate is Old School Bagel Cafe. This is a bagel sandwich place. I have never been to a place like this. It was a very nice change to your everyday sandwich shops. I got the veggie sandwich It came on a bagel of your choice with cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, onions, provolone cheese, and spicy mustard. Now of course this is the only vegetarian option they have, but don’t be discouraged because you can make your own bagel with anything. So you do get some variety. This was a nice surprise for me. I will definitely be eating there again.

This past week I was extremely happy with these meals that I found. I really hope that I can found more surprises in the near future. Before I go, I wanna give my fellow veggies some advice: Don’t get discouraged about being a vegetarian in Oklahoma. There are places to eat. You just have to look.

Eating as a Vegetarian in Stillwater

Living in Oklahoma with this diet, it is hard for me to find a good variety of food to eat. Yes there is at least 1 to 2 vegetarian options, but that’s it. These options get old after about 2 weeks. There are a variety of meat dishes in every dining location. I think that there should be an equal amount of vegetarian choices.  However it is very hard to do so in a place as conservative as Oklahoma. Walking through campus I see all the “Eat Beef” license plates. No wonder the choices for me are limited. I go to an agriculturally based school. I’m not hating on OSU. I love OSU. I just wish there were more options for vegetarians.

Within the first month of freshman year I was already sick of Which Wich. There are only so many times I can eat a Hummus sandwich. In the last week, on campus, I ate a portabella mushroom burger, a Mediterranean Pizza, bean burritos, and a garden burger. I know what you’re thinking. These meals all sound so good, but they don’t sound good especially when you eat them every week for a year. I am so sick of all the food on campus. Even when I go off campus, there are only a couple of places with good vegetarian food. Da Vinci’s, an italian restaurant, is one of the few places with good vegetarian choices. But still, there is only so many times I can eat there.

So what’s the solution? There are a few. If you are living off campus and you have your own kitchen then you can cook great vegetarian meals. Also I think in cities with colleges in them, there should be at least one completely vegetarian/vegan restaurant. That will make myself and my fellow vegetarians all very happy.