For the Birds
Photo Credit: Jen Zoon, Smithsonian’s National Zoo In this photo: Zoo veterinarian Nancy Boedeker (L) and veterinary technician Peter Flowers (R) examine the snowy owl Jan. 30, 2014. “The snowy owl that has been spotted recently in the Washington D.C. area was brought to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for care early this morning after reportedly … Continue reading
Do Animals Have Rights?
A few people have asked me if I ever considered writing on animals or animal rights. It’s a topic I’ve generally avoided, although my first post to get Freshly Pressed was about animals (time flies!). Lately, I’ve been revisiting it. A reader recommended I check out Earthlings, which is available for free on YouTube. Earthlings … Continue reading
Good News Friday
It’s Friday again, and a day for good news. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been looking forward to a little pick-me-up. So here’s a rundown of some great things happening: Anti-Trafficking Laws Passed in Tennessee On Tuesday, the governor of my favorite state signed a series of bills meant to protect victims of … Continue reading
Ferngully Hippies and Banana Refugees
When I was little, my mom took me to see Ferngully: The Last Rainforest. I hated it. It was an agenda-pushing, liberal hippie love-fest. I didn’t know any of those words then, but that’s about how I felt. And being in the South at the time, those were not good words. Some hippie rehearsing “Give … Continue reading
Octopus Witches and the Marginalized
As usual, a fortune-telling octopus is hogging the camera. For the last week, sports commentators, blogs and even the New York Times have found a new media darling in Paul the Octopus. Paul, an oracle from Germany, successfully predicted eight out of eight World Cup matches, including all of Germany’s games and the eventual championship … Continue reading
From Sea to Shining [Don’t Drink That!]
This morning, many Americans are waking up to the dangers of murky water. In the inner city, it is not uncommon to see murky tap water, and boiling it ahead of time is the safest thing to do. But for the last three days, all Bostonians are getting a taste of that pre-boiled water. Because … Continue reading
Gift-Wrapped Goats and the Marginalized
As cookout season draws near, it is easy to forget about the billions of people who have no sustenance, no access to the many vitamins and minerals found naturally in meat. The children, the sick, the widowed and orphaned. But if eating red meat does cause you to think about such people, have no fear! … Continue reading
Easter Animals and the Marginalized
Passover begins this week, coinciding with the Christian Holy Week. In both cases, each participant is staking his or her entire life, and entire afterlife, on slaughtered animals, just as followers have done for many centuries. Animals play a vast and important role in both Hebrew and Christian scriptures. They consistently represent, literally and figuratively, … Continue reading
