A Few Pics From This Weekend

The weather forecast for Friday evening was pretty scary (ice, sleet, snow) so Shirin, Gabriel, and Cyrus left for Rock Hill early enough to avoid trouble. They drove through a few snow flakes but nothing serious. When we woke up Saturday morning the ground was lightly covered with snow, but there was a lot of ice below it and it continued to snow lightly on and off throughout the day. Shirin took a few pics when we took Cyrus out in the snow but we spent most of the weekend inside where it was toasty and dry. Today we spent about an hour clearing away slippery ice to create two tracks in the driveway so they could drive their car down (our driveway is very steep) to go home. I appreciated their help because I'll need to drive my car down as well to get to work in the morning.

The backyard today as the sun came out to begin the melting process.

 

Cyrus loves Baby Elmo (Momo) so when he arrived this weekend there was a Baby Elmo book waiting for him on the coffee table.

  

The pop-up Baby Elmo is "SO BIG"!

  

David and Clayton came over to work with Gabriel on a game they're inventing. They needed an artist to help do the cards, so Shirin found our markers and went to work. In the lower right-hand corner you can see Cyrus working on his crayon masterpiece.

  

Our weekends always involve a load or two (or three or six) of laundry. Obi and Tippy found the pile irresistible and Chappu joined them on the couch. I love the natural smell of our kitties but sometimes they smell like our fabric softener!

  

 

Mother Nature's Sense Of Humor

Nearly Forgotten Christmas Videos

I had so many pictures to process after Christmas that I'd left the videos untouched. So here they are:

Cyrus jams to the singing kitty video:



He got a tricycle for Christmas but it looks like Shirin is getting all the exercise. At the end of the video I fall over the coffee table (well I was walking backwards!) so at the end it looks like I had some sort of seizure. Sorry.:



Can you ever remember not knowing how to ride a bike, the principle of pushing with your feet and steering with you hands? Poor little bubsy has so much to learn. Now, pushing he's got down pat!:

Ellen Degeneres Link

Ellen's been vegan for just over a year (?) so I thought she might be interesting to listen to... well Ellen's always interesting, period!

"I personally chose to go vegan because I educated myself on factory farming and cruelty to animals, and I suddenly realized that what was on my plate were living things, with feelings. And I just couldn’t disconnect myself from it any longer. I read books like “Diet for a New America” and saw documentaries like “Earthlings” and “Meet your Meat,” and it became an easy choice for me."
Read more: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/thoughts/#ixzz0cAt2crPj

American Dietetic Association Position Paper

Want to read something reliable and trustworthy regarding vegan diets? Check out what the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, recently said in its latest position paper on vegetarian and vegan diets. The ADA concluded that vegan diets are not only safe for all stages of the lifecycle, but they provide benefits against cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

It wouldn't surprise me if one day in the future as health care coverage is parcled out the premiums for vegetarians and vegans will be lower. I think it will take something like that before people stop looking at vegans like scary devil-worshiping extremists. Boo!

Last Weekend At Cyrus' House

Everything's uploaded and away we go.......

Cyrus always goes for the pen in his Baba's pocket.

Gabriel has a relatively new phone, a Droid. Apparently Cyrus was playing with it the other day and purchased an app for bubbles. Thank goodness the app only cost $.99!

 

Cyrus sits in his mommy-chair for story hour.

 

READ TO ME!

 

Baba makes the book about monkeys jumping on the bed come alive.

 

The left arm rest keeps coming off the rocking chair, so Cyrus decided to fix it.

 

Cyrus and his Baba play their usual game of 'hold the baby while he tries to get away'.

 

Cyrus does a very good job of feeding himself now:


Cyrus also does a good job of peeling his own tangerine, or "reen", as long as you get it started for him. That doesn't mean it probably won't end up on the floor:


Cyrus locked up Saeed's iPhone:


The bubble app:


Cyrus cuts short his game in the cabinet to come over to my camera to "watch the baby":


Notice that he uses the "child safty latch" as a door handle:


Finally, Cyrus won't even perform for his Grandma because he really just wants to watch that baby! (I also had a hard time making Saeed understand what we were trying to accomplish):

Please Pass The Ubuntu

I haven't uploaded my pictures from last weekend yet (I'll do it this weekend) but I discovered a new word I'd like to pass on: UBUNTU. A Bantu word pronounced oo-boon-too, Ubuntu is an African philosophy so wise that it, in my opinion, could solve all the social problems in the world if people practiced it. It is not unique; other philosophies as well as the Baha'i Faith promote the concept of ubuntu.

Ubuntu offers us an understanding of ourselves in relation to the world. According to ubuntu, there exists a common bond between us all and it is through this bond, through our interaction with our fellow human beings, that we discover our own human qualities. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu in Zulu means that a person is a person through (other) persons. We affirm our humanity when we acknowledge that of others.

We need a word like this in the West. Actually we should just bring 'ubuntu' into our language like we do so easily with other new words. Harder will be bringing in the concept... and practicing it.

Nelson Mandela:


The South African Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes Ubuntu:  "It is the essence of being human. It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong. It speaks about wholeness, it speaks about compassion. A person with Ubuntu is welcoming, hospitable, warm and generous, willing to share. Such people are open and available to others, willing to be vulnerable, affirming of others, do not feel threatened that others are able and good, for they have a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that they belong in a greater whole. They know that they are diminished when others are humiliated, diminished when others are oppressed, diminished when others are treated as if they were less than who they are. The quality of Ubuntu gives people resilience, enabling them to survive and emerge still human despite all efforts to dehumanize them."

As I said above, I think this word needs to become part of the American vocabulary, and not as an operating system. Americans in their great pride and strength value the individual more than the group. This has led to our position as "the greatest nation on the planet" and will lead to our downfall as well. We can no longer behave as if we are not part of a larger group, as if we do not depend on others, as if we can do our own thing without consideration of the whole group to which we belong.

Chappu And Her Green Mousie

What goes on in a cat's head:

Step 1: I wonder if that mousie knows I'm here.

Step 2: The Smash 'n Smell manuever

Step 3: If this mousie doesn't try to run away I can grab it's tail.

 

Step 4: C'mere you son of a rodent.

 

Step 5: I'm takin' you over to my hood by the box.

 

Step 6: Alright don't move now, I gotta get into position.

 

Step 7: Smell tail again to be sure it's ready.

 

Step 8: Now throw it into the air!

 

Step 9: Yell NOW I GOTZ U MOWS!

 

Step 10: Damn thing fell on me.

 

Step 11: I act like I don't care.

 

Step 12: Mouse, what mouse? I'm taking a bath.

 

Step 13: Oh.. that mouse

 

Step 14: Mmmmm.... this mousie smells like heaven.

 

Step 14:  Watchu look'n at?

 

How To Live To 100+

In my next life I hope I'm born in Okinawa, Japan. 

My Answer To Your Comment...

With love in my heart for my sweet daughter Anahita, this my answer to her comment on my Sunday January 10th post about PeTA. For anyone who doesn't know her, she has two rescue cats, a rescue dog, is a pescovegetarian and loves animals.

Once upon a time I felt the way you do… and then I watched some videos and read some accounts of exactly what happens to animals at the hands of humans. I think of animals the way I think of children and the elderly; they are unable to defend themselves against those that are stronger and more capable. They are beaten, electrocuted, skinned alive, caged, experimented on, cut without anaesthesia, thrown, drowned, suffocated, crushed, forced to tolerate extremes of heat and cold, burned… need I go on?

Take a good hard look at PeTA? I’m on their website often but I also read everything I can that is written by their critics. It’s their “extremist” ideology that bothers you that I support. It’s time to do something for animals instead of just gently tap dance around the issue; while you’re politely talking about it they are suffering and dying. Why is it that PeTA is the “extremist”? Why is the person skinning the animal (while still alive so it lays there bloody and skinless blinking up at the camera) not the extremist? Why do you say that it’s the person who’s fighting to stop the brutality that is the extremist? Which of these people is showing true lack of empathy and respect for life?

It is possible that some of PeTA’s propaganda is biased, but for the most part I have found it to be refreshingly truthful. What I find biased is the human need to rationalize and legitimize unjustifiable and savage behavior towards other creatures just so that they can keep doing said behavior. Humans do this to each other as well; think genocide.

As for Ingrid Newkirk’s statements, I support all three. First of all, medical research done on animals for the sake of improving human health has been very unreliable. Remember the drugs (Vioxx for example) that were approved after passing through the animal testing only to cause some people to die? Had Tylenol been tested on cats the FDA would never have approved it: one tablet is poisonous to cats. The emphasis nowadays in medical research is to use human organs and tissues for advances in human health because they are less likely to kill the (human) patient. The animals used in experiments and research are not treated humanely. So how many animals are you willing to torture to maybe (but probably not) find a cure for a disease? Would you be willing to offer up your pets to help mankind? Why should that chimp or that dog be experimented on just because they are not someone's companion animal? So, if you want to find a cure for AIDS use the more successful alternative methods based on human tissues (not live people) and leave the animals alone.

Hoof-and-mouth disease is a very painful viral disease seen primarily in hoofed animals in close quarters (think agriculture – man made) and is extremely rarely seen in humans. I understand Ingrid’s anger. Cram a bunch of animals who normally like to graze in fields into cramped feces-filled quarters too small for their bodies, put antibiotics in their feed because of the rampant illnesses, throw their bodies to the side if they get sick anyway, just so humans can have that quarter-pounder. Doesn’t that make you more than angry? And how many times have each of us said, “I could just kill that person, they make me so angry!”? Expressing a desire to set a lab on fire is the animal lover’s way of saying that they are so angry they just can’t take it any more. If that lab had your pet in a cage with wires attached to its skull you’d want to burn it down too.

I’ve seen Food Inc. and thought it was pretty good. I have encouraged several people to watch it, but it’s good only as sort of an introductory paragraph to Animal Protection 101. Its angle is primarily a human one and I value its efforts to engage Americans in the fight to improve their health, the environment, and the working conditions for the workers, but I feel it only used the footage of the suffering food-industry animals as part of the “eew” factor.  I’m not against using a human angle to improve the lot of animals, but it’s disingenuous and anything sneaky like that never holds up.

Violence? To my knowledge PeTA has never committed violence against another human being. They have thrown paint on fur coats, let animals out of cages, protested loudly, stripped naked, and made outrageous statements, but their tactics are lawful and above ground. In addition to these stunts they also do gentle, patient acts, like go to schools and teach children to love and respect animals, teach veggie-wannabes how to switch to a vegetarian diet, and ask people to write to circus companies to stop beating the elephants, and so on. I remember you participating in distributing leaflets outside a circus during your college days. You weren't violent, you were gentle and patient, but you received the anger and taunts of people passing by. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there, and that's what PeTA does.

Like I said in my post, I don't necessarily agree with everything PeTA does, but I can't think of any organization that has done more to bring the plight of abused, used, and neglected animals to the attention of those of us who care and want to help. Laura Thatcher Ulrich ("Well-behaved women rarely make history"), Martin Luther King, Jr. ("Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"), and Maggie Kuhn ("Speak you mind even if your voice shakes") would, I think, agree with me.

Thai, Vietnamese, Now Egyptian

The Indian restaurant I wrote about last year closed down but we now have a new Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant in town! Falafel, baba ghanouj, fatoush, stuffed grape leaves, and so on. Yum, yum, yum. I met the owner yesterday, Adel, an Egyptian, who seemed like a really nice guy. I hope they make it. Family run businesses have quite a precarious position in this day and time. I'll certainly do my part to keep them open!

 

Large Victories

PeTA's method of getting out the word on animal suffering is controversial, but I admire their work (click here for example) so much. It takes a lot of courage to do what they do and animals have benefited so much from their efforts. I don't always agree with every ad or every method they use, but I love their bravery, spirit, determination, creativity, adventurousness, grit and passion. I support PeTA's work to improve the lives of animals 100%.

Here's PeTA's year 2009 in review.

Small Victories

As an armchair activist I frequently feel that I don't do enough for the causes that matter to me. It's one thing to donate money and bring nine homeless kitties into my home and give them a good life. It's another thing to participate in an action that affects the lives of many.

Periodically I hear about little victories in which I have participated, even if it's just signing a petition or writing my senator or congressman. Example: I participated in a writing campaign to get Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to quit using homeless cats in painful, deadly medical training exercises. Due to the outcry these exercises have been stopped altogether. As good as this is there are countless animals who are still being tortured and killed in experiments, and who's to say that TTUHSC won't just start up a new exercise using some other unfortunate group of animals.

*PHOTO OF CAT WITH ELECTRODES ATTACHED TO RAW SKULL OMITTED*

(for your sake and mine)

As disheartened as I get it's important to remember the small victories serve as flagstones along the path to larger successses. It must be said that although each victory is important for the victims it immediately affects, it is also significant in that it keeps the activists active. Little by little, step by step, hearts and minds may be changing the way they did during the time of the civil rights movement and the women's movement. Activists need to recharge their batteries on these little successes.

Leonardo DaVinci is quoted to have said, "Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs.  We live by the death of others...   ...the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men."

Progressive Book Club

I would like to pass on this link as I think this site is great for people who like to read non-fiction (fiction is available as well) that is thoughtful and about current issues. If you're interested in social change, environmental or political issues, this site is for you. In addition to book purchase they offer a newletter that provides interviews, videos, etc. of cutting edge thinkers and activists.

Finally, The Family Christmas

What a great Christmas we had this year!! Everyone came home - Anahita, Shirin, Gabriel, Cyrus AND Anahita's boyfriend Ali, who flew in from California the night of Christmas day. There are lots of pics so I won't make too many comments.

Siroos-joon is here!

Reacquainting with Chappu.

 

 

Reaching for "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer."

 

Rearranging my pantry...  again.

 

Studying the controls of his car.

 

 

Shirin names a body part and Cyrus points it out - "chin!"

 

"Nose!"

 

Khaleh Tita loves to feed her nephew.

 

Mr. Monkey lips

 

I love my Khaleh Tita.

 

Gabriel and Shirin actually get to eat their meal in peace.

 

This is Saeed's version of cooperating with the photographer.

 

Feats of strength during Festivus!

 

Admiring Tita's necklace.

 

This is one of the oldest ornaments from my mother's collection. It's a little dwarf made out of a pinecone and I think it's from Germany or Austria.

 

Saeed and Cyrus got matching shirts:

 

 

 

Gabriel loves "The Onion"; this is a collection of its front pages.

 

 

 

As Tita watched Gabriel & Shirin receive new lunch bags she said, "Ooo, I hope I get one of those."

 

Cyrus loves to be read to, and as you read he gets closer and closer...

 

... till he's leaning hard against you. He is so delicious!

 

Khaleh Tita helps Cyrus put on his new giraffe slippers.

 

Cute wooden Cyrus train from great-aunt Martha.

 

Cyrus helps his mommy with her new slippers from Tita.

 

 

Saeed and I both got new mousepads with family pictures on it.

 

 

The next morning I woke up to find Cyrus and his dad downstairs. I sent Gabriel back up to take a nap and helped Cyrus put Christmas stickers on the glass doors.

 

 

Cyrus learns about stockings.

 

Since none of us feed Cyrus candy, his stocking had his favorite LÄRABAR in it. He loves "bar-bars" so much he had both cheeks full and still took another bite.

 

Oh my. Talk about biting off more than you can chew!

 

Still chewing.

 

 Poor Tita was feeling sick. She went through her stocking lying down.

 

Still chewing!

 

Obi, the most beautiful gift of all.

 

Cyrus loves to watch the "baby" (himself!)

 

 

Cyrus' hand position, along with heavy breathing, is how he represents sleeping - to show that he's a sleeping kitty in the kitty bed.

 

Abusing his mommy by putting a green ball on her head...

 

and riding her around the kitchen.

 

Doing "buh-buh" with Tita.

 

 

Our first dinner with Ali (sorry Tita, your eyes are closed.)

 

Tita and Ali.

We couldn't wait for Ali to get here so we could teach him Settlers of Catan. Notice that while Shirin is explaining the finer points of the game Gabriel is reigning in the wild beast.

Gabriel is pondering his placement.

 

Tita making a game ally.

 

Rolling Cyrus around on the floor like Play-doh.

 

Visiting Obi at the food bowl.

 

Cyrus peels a tangerine.

 

Hee hee hee... Ali doesn't know it but Cyrus has borrowed his shoes.

 

The Persian computer guys. There's a lot going on in Iran right now and the guys were closely monitoring developments.

 

Ali carried Cyrus around successfully for several minutes but his time was up.

 

Ali decided to cook us dinner, so here he and Tita are skinning lima beans.

 

The chef in action.

 

Yum! It was absolutely delicious.

 

Thank you Ali-joon. Come back soon.