The Lucky 13: A Second Chance For a Worthy Crew

The LA shelters are overflowing with dogs right now, and this is not good news.  Why?  Because the only way to make room for more is to start killing some of the present residence who have either been around the longest (which in this case could be 10 days or more), are a notoriously “aggressive” breed like pit bulls (don’t get me started), or have certain health challenges that would make them more “high maintenance” or less desirable for adoption.  This is not a slag against the well-intentioned folks at our area shelters. It’s just a catastrophic reality of how pitifully we have failed as a society when it comes to taking care of our companion animals.

Anyway -  a good friend and renowned LA rescuer posed an idea to me last week.  Since most of our LA-area rescue groups are slammed to the max with dogs they are already trying to find homes for, why not go in and pull around eight of the “red-listed” (due to be euthanized any day) dogs and arrange to network them into homes ourselves, via a special “underground railroad” idea she had?  This could mean a second chance at a new home for these critters.  And so began our process this week of selecting the eight we were going to save…which, of course, turned into a “mandatory” 13 somewhere along the way.

The selection process was a motherfucker, to be honest.  How do you choose who will live and who will be left behind to possibly die?  We cannot save them all.  No way.  So how do you choose?

In this case, as we’re working with another rescuer who will be ultimately be responsible for the actual placement, we needed to adhere to somewhat of a criteria for the kind of dogs that she felt like she could place.  Fortunately, this criteria was fairly loose and didn’t have to mean perfect little doggies who looked like they just stepped out of a “Best of Show” competition.  And while we had to consider age to some degree (since most adopters aren’t looking for an older dog who only has a few years left), we were able to pull a few older scrappers who would otherwise have been put down very soon, possibly within the week.

Parker with Zack – a gentle,  8-year-old Dalmatian mix who
was ready to get the fuck out of the shelter.

Plus, we had to think about logistics.  We would be driving everyone to their “secret” fostering destination in a Prius, so there would be limited room.  Simply put, we could fit more small-to-medium sized dogs in the car than bigger breeds.

Now, about the selection process: in addition to my rescuer friend – who I’ll call “The Militant” for reasons I’ll explain in a second – we brought in our pal Parker to assist, who is a canine behavioral specialist (among other things) and spends a lot of time around all different kinds of dogs.  She would be invaluable in assessing any special needs that we might need to address concerning certain dogs that we might pull.  So, since the Militant was way too sensitive to go back with us to select the dogs (she stayed in the lobby doing the paperwork and gently quizzing certain people like a “militant” as to why their dumb asses were returning their animals – more on this later), it was up to Parker and I to make the selections.

So again, how do you do choose without wanting to put a pistol in your mouth during this agonizing process?  For us, I think, it got down to three things:

1. We had to leave our emotions at the front door and not get caught up in the potential fate of those whom we couldn’t bring.

2. We had to stay vitally connected to our deepest intuitive sense and try to “read” who was most destined to get the hell out of there via our underground railroad.

3. We had to understand that – just as there are those who are destined to be rescued, there are those who are destined to die there.

This third point was a very profound one that Parker and I discussed.  For some of these souls, it’s apparently part of their journey to die in this place, sad as it may be to us.  But to them, perhaps, it’s a release from this world.  They’re done.  They’ve graduated from this plane. They’re ready to move on.  (And yes, just like us humans, I’m convinced their journey does NOT end at the termination of this particular life.)  So, in a bizarre way, those we did not choose were just as important to the process as those who we did choose.

I feel like we got it right.  I feel like every dog selected was part of a bigger picture gameplan…a synchronicity, if you will.  Each of these doggies will wind up in a loving home where they will have a chance to live out this life for however long they’re supposed to live.  And they will enrich the lives of many other beings (human and animal) and, in return, their lives will be enriched.

And as for those who will die this week, their lives will not have been in vain.  Because their deaths will all be part of the millions of dogs (and cats) who have to die at a shelter before we all wake the fuck up and start seeing and doing things differently.  Their deaths will all be part of a critical mass number that must be reached – sad as it is to compile – that will eventually represent a sort of tipping point in human consciousness where a great shift will occur.  We all hold a space in our minds and hearts for this day to arrive…soon!

To be clear, I am in no way suggesting that every animal who dies in a shelter and becomes part of this critical mass number wants to die.  Not by a long-shot.  I have images of several dogs from the shelter in my head right now who are so full of life, who I’m thinking want desperately to live, and who would be a fantastic addition to most any worthy family.  Instead, many will die there, and for these souls, I will grieve at some point soon.  In fact, I’m sure I’ll cry like a little pussy.  But for now, I’ve gotta swallow it and get on with the business of taking the Lucky 13 out of there and off to their next adventure.

I will keep you guys updated on our journey.  But for now, the Lucky 13 are:

Alma, Dakota, Redondo, Jarhead, Pearla, Zack, Chata, Luigi, Dukey, Easton, Jasper, Sailor and Tammy.

Also, this is a whole other story, but I wanted to mention that things are looking good for Mila, our miracle kitty, who we “intercepted” from the shelter last Sunday at the end of our first selection day.  I’ll do a separate post about her, since her story is so over-the-top incredible and uplifting.  (Talk about synchronicity!)  But for now, check out these before-and-afters:

Mila, brought to the shelter in a shoe box, almost dead…

Mila – about 24 hours later – after a trip to the vet, some syringe feeding,
fluids, meds and some serious TLC!  It looks like she’s gonna make it…

More soon, gang -
BR

Nutrition/Diabetes Connection

Check out this Kathy Freston/Neal Barnard interview about diabetes and its true connection to nutrition:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/a-solution-for-diabetes-a_b_312219.html

There has been a lot of misinformation about this through the years, so it’s nice to see some of these points clarified here.

BR

iPhone App Showcase: Gym Buddy

My fellow iPhone cult members…here’s an iPhone app that just might be the ultimate training tool.  It’s called Gym Buddy, and it enables you to effortlessly track your workouts in a number of ways.  You can keep track of all the various exercises you do in a given workout, then log in the exact set/weight/rep combos as you train.  You can also immediately reference exactly what you did – again, by weight and number of sets and reps – over the last five workouts.  This alone is invaluable because, let’s face it, without those hard numbers right in front of us, it’s easy to fall into that comfort zone of doing a similar amount of weight, for a similar amount of reps, on similar exercises.  Gym Buddy keeps you honest.

You can also track other things, like day-to-day bodyweight, workout history, total weight lifted per workout, training frequency, average number of reps, per set, per session, and on and on it goes.  You can even split your logging up between weight training and cardio work.

Sure, there is an aspect of training that should be free-flowing and intuitive.  But I’ll tell ya, unless you’re training for a basic level of conditioning where you’re looking only to maintain your present level of fitness – in the end – it’s all about the numbers.

Best $3.00 I ever spent, people.  Hell, this program alone is almost worth getting an iPhone if you don’t already have one! (Spoken like a true cult member, right?)

BR

Rescue Ink

There’s a new TV show I think you guys might dig (if you’re not already tuning in).  It’s called “Rescue Ink Unleashed,” and it’s about a group of tattooed, biker-type tough guys who cruise around and save animals.  They’re kind of like comic book heroes (and I mean that in a complimentary way, of course.)  Rescue Ink has been functioning as a rescue group in the NY area for awhile now, but this reality-style show about them just came out on the National Geographic channel.

The main thing I dig about the show is that, to some degree, it offers a glimpse into what I consider the new paradigm of the modern warrior; a refreshing combination of those traditional “Yang,” protector, justice-seeking, get-in-someone’s-face-if-necessary attributes that we typically associate with the warrior archetype, combined with the more nurturing “Yin” elements of compassion, empathy and kindness.  It speaks to a whole new demographic out there who likely thinks you have to be a “pencilneck animal rights activist” to concern yourself with such matters.  Again, progress…

Naturally, I’ve heard a few ripples through the hardcore animal right’s community about, “Hey, if these guys are so intolerant of animal suffering, why aren’t they all vegan?”  And while I don’t know the individual veggie/vegan status of all the guys, my response is, ya know what, everybody gets where they’re going to get, when and how they get there. In other words, we all have to take our journey in a way that makes sense for us.  In the meantime, I appreciate what they do and how they do it.

Check it out here: http://www.rescueink.org

BR

The New Food Groups

Whether we’re talking about the antiquated Four Food Groups or the ever-changing Food Pyramid, there has always been an embarrassing amount of inaccuracy surrounding anything our government has put forth as a sound barometer for nutrition.  (And you don’t have to be a genius to figure out why!)

So, in preparation of several entries I’ll be doing this month about how to structure your eating regimen, take a look at what I like to refer to as The New Food Groups:

Obviously, there is much to talk about regarding the types and amounts of foods to integrate from each group.  But, just as a quick-glance overview, you can begin to get an idea of how much (or how little) of these various groups you might currently be getting.

More soon…

BR

The Gas Situation

This is probably not the most popular subject to broach around here but, facts are, some people experience increased amounts of gas when transitioning into the high-fiber, plant-based diet.  This is often because these foods have a certain “Roto-Rooter”effect on much of the decaying animal fragments lodged throughout their intestinal tract.  And as these fragments are dislodged, there can be varying degrees of “detox” that happen as your body attempts to process them.  (Not very pleasant…but I would rather NOT be carrying that bullshit around in my intestines!)

Even still, beans tend to be the most synonymous with this “dilemma.” This is because beans contain certain carbohydrates that are not easily digested by everyone. So as they pass from the small to the large intestine, your intestinal flora (bacteria) often converts these carbs to gas. Of course, gas is a perfectly natural thing and doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is wrong with how you’re digesting things. Nonetheless, some folks are still wary of including many bean dishes in their regimen, even though beans are an indispensable part of Rock-Solid nutrition. If gas is an issue for you where beans are concerned, here are a few points to consider.

1. As your body acclimates to this new high-fiber regimen, you will typically experience less gas because your body will begin to produce more of the actual enzyme that processes these foods.

2. The soaking and draining process of preparing beans for cooking removes the hemicellulose, which is one of the main gas-producing components of beans.

3. Thoroughly cooking beans will also make them easier to assimilate and can often reduce the incident of gas.

4. Taking a digestive enzyme (like Florazyme by The Ultimate Life) can aid the body in digesting beans easier, which can also mean less gas.

What About Soy?

Various soy products can fall into this category for some (as they are obviously derived from the bean family).  If you are experiencing gas or ANY kind of gastrointestinal unrest from soy, consider this:

A) Reduce your total amount of soy per day, then gradually increase your number of servings as your body acclimates.

B) Try the above-mentioned digestive enzyme.

C) If it persists, make sure that you don’t have a soy allergy.

Remember, most who transition to a veggie diet go from “0 to 60″ overnight.  In other words, they go from eating beans and soy products very rarely, if ever, to suddenly eating multiple servings per day.  So, give your body a chance to adjust and then enjoy those legumes and soy items, people!

BR

A Tragic Day for the Mindful Activist

Friends, this is one of those stories that I wish I didn’t have to repeat.  But, to make the larger point, I will.

There is an animal shelter in a small city here on the west coast that has been taking horrible care of their dogs and cats.  It’s essentially one large room, run like an overpopulated, overwhelmed ma and pa operation, somewhere in the midst of the town’s “city hall.”  There are virtually no beds or meds available for the animals, and some even die a slow death of starvation, because they are too sick to eat.  This is the kind of place your darkest nightmares are made of.

I understand there are several reasons why things are run so poorly there but, for now, the bottom line is that this shelter is a lost cause. So, a proactive LA rescuer recently posted a message online to her fellow rescuers about the place, telling them of the conditions and encouraging help in the form of donations for temporary boarding and medical care, fostering opportunities or even final placement for any of the animals.  All good, right?

Unfortunately, many of these rescuers got pissed and actually called the shelter to raise hell about the shitty job they were doing.  The shelter tripped out and – either in an attempt to “destroy the evidence” of their incompetence, or because they somehow became convinced that many of these animals would be better off euthanized – they decided to kill every animal who had been there over five days (as that is the legal limit they have to wait before they can euthanize).  And based on their current population, this meant that their killing spree would include every animal there except for two.

Well – and here’s the toughest part – this past Friday was their mass killing day.  Hell, many of us didn’t even find out about this situation until late Thursday night.  A good friend of mine was able to raise some donations while the original rescuer drove down there early Friday morning to try and pull as many animals as they would allow her to take…even though she didn’t know exactly what to do with them all or how this operation would even be funded.  And, of course, the other fucked up thing about this is that, from a purely logistical perspective, she had to choose those dogs or cats who she considered “most adoptable.”  Meanwhile, because it was all going down in one room, each of the animals she could not take had to stand around and watch each of their fellow beings get injected and discarded into a pile before it was their turn to die.

Miraculously, the rescuer somehow managed to pull a total of 25 animals – eleven puppies, nine kittens, four adult dogs and one adult cat – and had to literally step over dead bodies in the process.  We will probably never know how many were executed that day.

So…the reason I felt inspired to convey this godforsaken story is for the bigger lesson.  And that is this: in any level of activism that you may choose, always think beyond your emotions and consider exactly what the “effect” might be to your “cause.”  Yes, we all get infuriated over so much that we see and hear, whether it’s an animal rights, human rights or environmental issue.  And that anger can serve you because it gets your ass off the couch and into action.  BUT – at the same time – we have to take a deep breath and think very strategically about the result we’re looking for and how our direct action can best facilitate that result. We have to always be mindful of the intricacies, the politics, and the volatility in each situation.  And I can tell you that the hardcore, get-in-someone’s-face approach seldom serves the greater good…especially if an animal’s well-being remains directly in their safekeeping.

In fact, I understand that in this situation, the rescuer has had to become somewhat of a trusted ally to the folks at this shelter, just so they would cooperate at all.  Otherwise, there might have been 25 more piled up in there last weekend.

(And yes, “The 25” are doing fine at the moment, and I do have some fantastic pictures to share soon.  But everyone’s been asked to be as discreet and “strategic” as possible right now, for obvious reasons.)

More soon -

BR

Breath is the Blessing

Just wanted to pass along a quick thought this evening.

Earlier this week, I attended a Fall Equinox celebration here in LA (where else?) where a group of us gathered for an evening of contemplation, reflection and meditation as we entered into the final season of the year.  The event was facilitated by a well-known spiritual advisor/singer named Mitra, and part of the process involved counting your blessings for the first nine months of the year.

Now I would imagine that most of us were thinking about those “big things” that we’re grateful for: good health, the key friends, family and animals in our life, having a place to live and clothing to wear, having food to eat everyday, being able to be of service when we can, acknowledging whatever creative gifts we may have, enjoying certain material possessions, etc.

But then Mitra had us call attention to our breathing…to our ability to take a breath in each moment, and how, on a most fundamental level, our breath IS the blessing.  This was a compelling reminder for me.

Consider this notion: breathing is the one thing that you absolutely, positively have to keep doing in every moment that you’re here…even when you’re sleeping.  And since it’s such an inherent part of our being on this planet, you will often find that the very act of breathing plays a central role in so many spiritual practices, like meditation, mindfulness, yoga and, of course, the Tantric sexual arts.

Mindful awareness of breath is something that I try to practice throughout the day, because it always pulls me back into the present moment.  But, if we were to consciously integrate the tenet of gratitude into the practice of mindful breathing, then we could have occasion to strengthen our “gratitude muscle,” as well.

Think about it: so much of what we are routinely grateful for is, on some level, transient.  Almost anything we have can potentially be taken from us. Material items can break or be stolen, money can disappear with an unfavorable turn of a market, loved ones can pass on, and even our physical health, mental faculties, and special skills can be jeopardized by the unforeseeable.  But, as long as we are here, we will be breathing…even if it’s a bit labored, or granted to us courtesy of a respiratory machine. So if we can count the blessing of breath with any regularity, we can always experience the higher consciousness quality of gratitude.

I know all of this might sound like some crazy-ass, west coast, crystals-and-incense kind of stuff to some of you.  But seriously, try it.  Randomly throughout the day, as you think about it, take in a deep breath through the nose, then out through the mouth, and silently acknowledge: “Hell yes! I can breathe! And there is joy in this moment.”

In fact, do it NOW.  It’s all about the practice, people…

BR

A Few Important Questions…

My gang…always asking the light and easy questions!  Seriously, I really appreciate everyone’s participation in “stirring the pot” around here, and I wanted to address a few of these most recent questions out here in the open forum.  (These came from Trevor and Lisamarie in response to our last entry.)

1. What are the most common mistakes people make on the veggie diet? When someone tries to replicate their usual shitty diet with vegan versions of what they’re used to eating.  In other words, they’ll continue on with much of the same Standard American Diet-style meals and snacks, but either avoid the animal product component or swap it out with a highly-processed veggie substitute like a veggie burger, soy milk or vegan cheese. Of course, if this is what it takes for someone to transition, so be it.  They’re better off on the short term eating this way than continuing to hammer their bloodstream with all of those animal products.

But many folks presume that as long as they’re not ingesting animal products, their diet is healthy.  Such is not the case, as these veggie diets often include lots of refined white rice, bread and pasta, chips, sodas, fries, coffee, cold cereals, etc.  You still need to get those multiple servings of fruits and veggies every day. And you need those whole grains, those legumes, some nuts and seeds here and there, along with plenty of super greens and plenty of water…every day.  And while a couple servings a day of some kind of soy meat or soy milk is generally harmless, the bulk of your diet must be nutrient-dense with these other foods to be healthy.

One other common mistake is not paying attention to those few key nutrients that are sometimes harder to get on the vegan diet (due mainly to our current agricultural processes and lifestyle choices).  These include B-12, Vitamin D and Omega 3 fatty acids.  You can get these from food (vitamin D comes mainly from the sun unless a food has been enriched with it), but you have to know where to find it AND how often you’re getting it.  (More on this shortly.)

2. What about Esselstyn’s no oil component? From his perspective, I agree.  Remember, he’s dealing with extreme cases…with life and death situations where he’s trying to reverse heart disease primarily through diet.  In those cases, it’s smart to avoid oil all you can.  Truth is, we don’t need it.  Truth is, olive oil is NOT a healthy food choice, it’s just the lesser of the evils when compared to other types of oil.  Truth is, we can get all of the healthy “oil” (fat) we need via modest amounts of nuts, seeds and avocado each week.  About the only kind of oil I personally would recommend is a tablespoon of flax oil in your smoothie a few times a week.

Now, having said all that, modest portions of olive oil-based dressing, for those of us with total cholesterol levels comfortably under 150, sure does make all those salads more palatable!  And even if you haven’t hit that magical below-150 spot, I think this kind of dressing probably isn’t the worst thing in the world, so long as the rest of your diet is clean.  Just don’t go ape-shit with the total amounts.

3. As for the questions regarding the fate of employees in animal agriculture – as well as the animals themselves – as we contemplate the notion of a fully vegan world…

A) Regarding people, it’s all about transition.  Just like any technology or product that is replaced by a better or newer one, there is always a transition that happens.  The old (animal products) company would gradually let people go as the demand for their products decreases, while the new (vegan products/plant-based foods) company would gradually hire more folks as their demand increases. Of course, sometimes it’s messy, and there’s a disproportionate amount of firings to hirings.  But this transition will NOT happen overnight.  So I think we would see a gradual shift as described here.

B) Regarding animals, there are two main points to remember; the only reason we have the 15+ billion farm animals going through the system each year is because humans have gone to tremendous extremes to unnaturally breed these animals.  So, again, as the demand lessens, so will their extreme “quotas” of reproduction.

Also, the overwhelming majority of these billions are chickens, and if a chicken has been raised as a “broiler” for food, then their life span would typically be only one year, presuming they were spared a trip to the slaughterhouse in this transition scenario.  But truthfully, I think the transition will be gradual enough that they will cut back on the rate of breeding long before they would have all of these farm animals just hanging around somewhere.

And finally – on the longer term and in the “perfect world” – I believe that farm animals may wind up back in their “native environment” of the classic farm as companion animals.  I believe there will be strict regulations regarding spay and neuter, like there is now for dogs and cats in many places.  And the reason I make this comparison is, just like with dogs and cats, there is really no indigenous location for farm animals to go, since humans are solely responsible for their staggering propagation throughout the world.  At the same time, once we cease to commoditize them, there will be little reason to encourage their breeding.

C) To Trevor’s question: “Or will Mother Nature win out by culling the human population (due to our misuse of arable land), therein teaching us the real kick-in-the-ass lesson we need?”

As was alluded to in the Dr. Zeus entries in the Warrior Utopia excerpts, I don’t know that Mother Nature would ever seek to “punish” us or “teach us a lesson,” per se.  I just think that anytime we impose a way of being on the earth that is inherently unsustainable (as animal agriculture clearly is), there are natural cause-and-effect consequences that will happen.  And as we reach a point where the downside of a way of being outweighs the upside to the extent that our very survival will be in jeopardy – which I believe could be within the next 40 years if we don’t wake the fuck up – then it will be us humans who will atone by making different choices, and Mother Nature can go about the business of healing herself.

Meet the Esselstyns

Just wanted to make sure everyone was up to speed with the great work the Esselstyns have been doing regarding the promotion of the plant-based diet.

For years, I’ve sited Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s ground-breaking work in the field of cardiovascular health and the plant-based diet, and it’s all nicely encapsulated in his book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.  More recently, his son Rip – A Texas firefighter – released The Engine 2 Diet, which details the process of getting his firefighting compadres to try this nutrient-dense, plant-based diet for superior health…all with dramatic results, of course.

One of the coolest things about it is that, in addition to Rip Esselstyn being a world-class triathlete, all these guys are in a line of work that demands a high level of physical conditioning. This lends further credence to the idea that – yes – we can get all we need, through the healthiest possible delivery system of plant-based foods.

Here’s an excellent video from a recent CBS Sunday Morning episode that features the whole backstory about The Engine 2 Diet. Great to see on national TV! (Complete with a meat industry-sponsored researcher trying to offer the typical weak-ass rebuttal…)

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To understand more of the science behind it all, check out the first 6 or 7 minutes of Papa Esselstyn in action here:

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For more on Rip, here’s a link to another vid and some Q&A:

http://www.theengine2diet.com/the-diet/

And here’s Dr. Caldwell’s main site:

http://www.heartattackproof.com/

So glad these guys are out there delivering such high-quality info and insight.

BR