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rolanniArticle here.
We have so far raised $44.62 for Planned Parenthood through sales of The Cat's Job. Thank you. As we said yesterday, we will be donating the proceeds of February sales of The Cat's Job to Planned Parenthood, and, yes, we are still Doing That.
If you would prefer to donate to Planned Parenthood directly, here's that link again.
We have so far raised $44.62 for Planned Parenthood through sales of The Cat's Job. Thank you. As we said yesterday, we will be donating the proceeds of February sales of The Cat's Job to Planned Parenthood, and, yes, we are still Doing That.
If you would prefer to donate to Planned Parenthood directly, here's that link again.
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no subject
Date: 2012-02-03 07:50 pm (UTC)http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/03/1061450/-Lazy-media-reports-Komen-Foundation-decision-as-reversal-It-isnt?via=blog_1
no subject
Date: 2012-02-03 11:33 pm (UTC)Misc
Date: 2012-02-04 08:32 am (UTC)I have to bring up a subject which it pains me to mention but I have to for the sake of the animals. Recently it was mentioned that Patrick Rothfuss supports Heifer International which supplies poor families, mostly in the third world, with livestock such as cows and goats. Celebrities including Rachel Ray and Susan Sarandon also support Heifer especially around Christmas.
I reached out to two huge experts in the field of animal welfare who I'm afraid agree with me that the program is a very bad idea. With the water and other resources used to raise livestock many more crops can be grown to feed many more people. Also livestock going to families who don't know how to care for them ends up with goats and cows being milked to death, etc.
Sometimes messing with people's traditional diet messes them up. For example the normal American diet causes wide spread obesity and its fellow traveler diseases in Native Americans and Hawaiians. Now in Hawaii folks are going back to their traditional diet to lose the pounds. As China adopts our traditional meat heavy Western Diet so disease is catching up with them. There used to be little obesity, heart disease, diabetes in China, but no more. See a book called The China Syndrome.
Re: Misc
Date: 2012-02-05 05:17 am (UTC)Milked to Death
Date: 2012-02-05 07:45 am (UTC)Or if you don't know what a goat or cow is supposed to eat then what you feed it will make it sick.
Example I rescued a rabbit from an apartment complex in Phoenix. I was told by the neighbors that the rabbit was being fed on toast.
And that's in Phoenix! Try Zimbabwe and I think you might be able to see what I mean.
Re: Milked to Death
Date: 2012-02-05 12:05 pm (UTC)When a cow "gets low" i.e. is starving, not eating properly or is sick enough one of the things her body does is stop lactating in order to recover. Additionally the animal will stop cycling i.e. stop going into heat until her body is well enough to support a calf, if ever. Biology does not support the "milked to death" argument.
Starving to death is a possiblity but I believe sfminou has addressed that.
Well done for rescuing the rabit but I don't think you should equating someone who lives in a first world country who plainly has no sense with the situation that exists in third world countries.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-04 05:51 pm (UTC)Heifer
Date: 2012-02-05 07:52 am (UTC)But I think that the opinion of one of my experts still could stand. Wouldn't it be money better spent to provide better agricultural methods to these families? Animals take up much more resources. I saw the amount of water it takes to raise one cow. I can't remember it but it's huge. Probably it would be the same for water buffalo and goats.
As for sheep: everyone knows how destructive they are. Sheep pull the grass up by the roots so unless you've got an extremely well watered country like some of the US, Canada, England etc. Sheep are a really bad idea.
Re: Heifer
Date: 2012-02-05 03:08 pm (UTC)In general, I believe the organization tries not to send livestock into areas where they are inimical or where they will not thrive. They also provide training in livestock care and in animal husbandry.
They also send trees, and seedlings, bees, and fingerling fish, so it's not all sheep and water buffalo.
I have heard that some folk who claim they know better say that all of this is a bad idea. They might be right. I'm not an expert, either.
But! Any other discussion of the unsuitability of Heifer International as a charity ought to be addressed either to Heifer International itself, or to Mr. Rothfuss, who after all runs his Worldbuilders Charity annually -- which means he'll be doing it again next year.
Re: Heifer
Date: 2012-02-06 06:27 pm (UTC)C.