These are the times that I find myself hoping for alien intervention. I don’t want them to take over or anything and all indications are they have no intention of interfering with our petty affairs; but if they could just fly a nice big ship like the one they call The Phoenix Lights within the next couple of weeks but this time in broad daylight and lets say from Mendicino  down to San Diego. That’s all they would have to do. Say around October 14, just a few weeks from the election. All the phony shit would fly out the window and the reality of the situation would bring into stark contrast the difference in the candidates. What do you think would be the difference between the way McCain and Obama would handle such a crisis? And crisis it would be (even though I would call it a healing crisis) because a lot of people would be panicked and frightened and these two people who are trying so hard to win this alpha position on the planet would also have to deal with the newness and subordinate position of joining the galactic community.

Not in our barnyard boys!

The reason Vick’s crimes crossed the line for so many here in the US was not only  that the allegations were so heinous and brutal, but that his attitude seemed indifferent to the crimes. Michael Vick and others like him do not think of dogs as pets, let alone a family member. The wrath directed at Vick comes from people who love dogs firsthand, which is not something everyone understands…

There are still many people who consider animals livestock, which is a clever little euphemism that has always taken the humanity out of the animal. It is only a small step beyond that to deny the animal a soul and therefore they only become “stock” to use as one pleases. After all we are “given dominion” over the animals by nature of our superior intellect  right? (Does that mean it is OK for the Grey Aliens to abduct us and experiment on us? I digress… )

On The Huffington Post, Lawrence O’Donnell asks why people have a problem with Vick and not chicken nuggets? And Jane Hamsher Kobe over at FireDogLake asks where is the outrage over dog abuse from politicians and their molls  girlfriends? Both good reads, and don’t forget the commentary…

My take on all of it is we are evolving as a planet and that includes the animals. The outrage over Vick’s crimes (and yes they are by definition crimes) has a lot to do with our collective compassion for animals evolving. The morality of factory farming and vivisection are getting spotlighted and compared for the same reason. We as a species are continuously evolving and as we evolve that which used to be acceptable or necessary for a civilized society is no longer so. Many of the arguments between the veges and the carnies has to do with choice and taste. Usually the question of the animals choice is left out or ridiculed. Even with the many clever, higher protien, less garbage alternatives available these days, many people still want to consume flesh simply because they like the way it tastes…

My questions of the day are - What if you were offered the option of lab grown meat that was indistinguishable from the real thing. (I know, the technology is in it’s infancy – the question is hypothetical) would you still insist on factory farmed or wild killed meat? What about when we get to a point where it is indisputable that animals can make their wishes known to us and they make it clear individually and collectively they do not want to be eaten or enslaved by us? Could you still participate in the slaughter? How would you justify it then?

P.S. – For those of you who don’t know, Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West because of her stance on Animal Rights…

I just have to keep reminding myself how the Harry Potter saga ends. No matter how dire things seem the good guys ultimately win. Creativity trumps stupidity. Love conquers fear.

I saw this about a week ago. Oscar the cat has an uncanny knack for knowing when people are passing through the veil. Phoenix Woman over at FireDogLake observes how our media uses fluffy animal stories to avoid the real news…

This video is so appropriate in so many ways. Some of my fondest memories in this lifetime so far are Grateful Dead shows with Don in the early 80′s…

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance….I hope you dance……….

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance,
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’,
Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’,
Don’t let some Hell bent heart leave you bitter,
If you come close to sellin’ out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance….I hope you dance.
I hope you dance….I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance….I hope you dance.
I hope you dance….I hope you dance.
I hope you dance….I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
and wonder where those years have gone.)