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October 4th
Luis has completed his bust
of Pier Paolo Pasolini :Luis'
Sculpture
Please click the link and
check out Luis's work. Luis has OCD and Aspergers syndrome and
is studying sculpture. His amazing sculpture shows what
can be done despite the conditions which he has.
October 14th
Its
World
Go Vegan Week
from this October 25th
through to the 31st. More about this and Action you can take
In Defense of
Animals (IDA).
Here in the UK the
Vegan society are promoting November 1st as World Vegan day
World Vegan Day
09
as the start of
World Vegan month so there is a lot of emphasis upon veganism. Confusing, yes maybe but the point is there is a
lot of emphasis on veganism towards the end of this month and
through out the next so I thought I would give a bit of
publicity to the cause of veganism on my website.
If you do not already
know a vegan is someone who does not eat or use animal products,
which includes not only the obvious meat but also dairy , (milk
, cream and butter), eggs , honey, and other less obvious
things. For instance watch out for anything with the colour red
or pink in your food as this may be cochineal which is the name
of both crimson or carmine dye which is derived from an insect
of the same name, this dye of a bright red pigment is used in in
food, you may see cochineal also called crimson lake or carmine
dye, natural red 4, C.I. 75470, or E120 obtained from the
carminic acid produced by some scale insects, such as the
cochineal and the Polish cochineal. Also Shellac is derived from
another scale insect and is used in food.
Veganism however is
not only about diet but concerns any action that results in harm
to any animal and the environment. Obviously a vegan does not
wear fur, leather or less obvious animals derived cloths such
wool or silk; a silk worm of course is an insect and is
therefore an animal and to produce silk the poor creatures are
boiled alive in their cocoons, and wool comes mostly from
slaughtered sheep.
Below is a good
description of what it is to be a Vegan from the American Vegan
Society's Website:
"What is Vegan?
VEGANS (pronounced VEE-guns) Live on products of the plant
kingdom.
Veganism is compassion in action. It is a philosophy, diet, and
lifestyle.
Veganism is an advanced way of living in accordance with
Reverence for Life, recognizing the rights of all living
creatures, and extending to them the compassion, kindness, and
justice exemplified in the Golden Rule.
Vegans exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products (animal milk,
butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.), eggs, honey, animal gelatin, and
all other foods of animal origin.
Veganism also excludes animal products such as leather, wool,
fur, and silk in clothing, upholstery, etc. Vegans usually make
efforts to avoid the less-than-obvious animal oils, secretions,
etc., in many products such as soaps, cosmetics, toiletries,
household goods and other common commodities."
Extract From
American Vegan Society
Yes it appears
difficult but once you get going it really isn't, yes you have
to examine labels more carefully which you should do anyway to
try and avoid all the junk that food manufacturers add to food
which is more profitable for them but not very healthy for you.
You simply do your best and of course mistakes are made and at
times some things are unavoidable. I was previously vegetarian
for nearly twenty years and have been vegan in the last three or
four but still I make mistakes particularly from ignorance, such
as only just learning that matches of all things have gelatine
in them, a derivative of cows, its in the part that ignites.
Why am I vegan? You
can read why in my new website:
Think-differently-about-sheep.com
click
Our Story
and also please read the
Animal Rights
sections
along with links to other websites such as PETA and Viva, find
out how your meat gets on your table and you too hopefully will
wish to become vegan. Most vegans start off as vegetarian, as
did I not realising that cows and chickens where treated so
cruelly in order for me to have their milk and eggs. Milk and
eggs come at a shockingly cruel price, a price I am not willing
to pay for a food substance that causes so much suffering and
which you do not need and is unhealthy. Did you know that in
order to produce milk a cow has to be kept constantly pregnant
and her calf taken away immediately so we can steal her milk,
milk meant to feed her baby, see
Animal Rights:Cattle.
Cows cry terribly when this happens, read about it here
Sentience In farm Animals:Cattle,
where you can read two stories about the bond between a cow and
her calf. Also
read about
the horrors of
factory farmed hens kept in cramped cages stacked to the ceiling
with no room to move, treated, like egg laying machines rather
than sentient beings
Animal Rights: poultry
also in this section you can also learn about the hideous
production of Foie Gras and all the other horrors of
factory farming poultry.
Now is a good time to
go vegan or at least think about it, try out a recipe or two,
down load the free Vegan Catering book from the World Vegan Day
website mentioned earlier and try a recipe:
http://www.vegansociety.com/images/VeganCateringForAll.pdf
Other links of
interest concerning animal rights.
People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Viva! -
Vegetarians International Voice for Animals
October 15th
As those of you who
regularly visit my website and read my blog know I am vegan. Yes
I have already said that in the last entry, but hey I do
have OCD so tend to be repetitive. Its not easy being vegan in a
society which seems to think that milk has to be added to just
about anything and everything that you put into your mouth even
bags of crisps, so it means a lot of label checking and
educating yourself to know the many ways in which milk is
introduced into your food but in a less obvious way, you really
need to know for instance that lactose and whey are milk
derivatives. Did you know that a significant percentage of the
worlds population are lactose
intolerant ? An amazing one hundred percent of native
Americans are lactose intolerant. Thais are ninety nine percent
and Chinese ninety eight percent lactose intolerant. Its mostly
us in the west who think we can't live with milk, odd isn't it
that every other mammal on the plant without exception does not
consume milk after being weaned. That really says it all of
course, that we do not need milk to be healthy and it is not
natural to have milk after being weaned and the milk of another
species at that, no wonder so many people in western countries
are so unhealthy.
Why am I rambling on
like this, you may be now be thinking although I do not consider
it rambling. Is it my OCD? Indeed no. I often describe
myself as a rebel with too many causes and feel so angry and
depressed by the awful things that happen in the world and feel
a great need to at least write about them hoping that in some
small way something may change for the better. I feel
particularly passionate about animal rights and hate the cruelly
perpetrated on other creatures which causes me much concern and
deep sorrow. Its difficult to live your life while there is so
much misery in the world, when you are surrounded by a sea of
suffering, most of which is caused by man's inhumanity to man
and the other animals with whom we share this world . And yes it
effects me deeply.
To those who think
they know me it all may seem obsessive-compulsive but it isn't,
OCD does not enter the issue at all. There is a difference
between meticulous obsessive-compulsive behaviours and
avoidances which are done from feelings of anxiety even outright
fear. No sticking to a vegan diet is done from a sense of ethics
and my love of all creatures and it has not got mixed up with my
OCD. If I make a mistake I do not feel anxious or panic stricken
as is the case with for instance my OCD religious obsessions
which at one time restricted every action in my life. No I am
vegan for the sake of animals and for no other reason, it has
nothing to do with my OCD. Sometimes people who know you well -
perhaps I should say think they know you well and it's amazing
the assumptions people who barely know you make - put
every action and thought down as having arisen from your OCD and
at times even to myself it may appear that way also. But deep
underneath all the neurosis there is a person with independent
thoughts, they may be buried deep underneath a mountain of
neurotic thinking but they are there nonetheless. Some may say
that perhaps my veganism comes under the category of my
scrupulosity OCD, but no, again it has a different feel to it,
there is not the anxiety that rises when I make a vegan related
mistake as there is when I feel I have transgressed some OCD
scrupulosity rule. OCD does take over your life and it will rear
its ugly head in any endeavour and try to make you think that
everything you do is related to OCD and it is difficult to
differentiate which is which, but if you feel no anxiety in your
code of conduct or ethical behaviours, such as for me with
veganism, than it does not arise from OCD.
October 16th
Still on the issue of
changing the world for the better, I would like to draw
your attention to the following petition on care 2's petition
site:
Bring International Attention to Malnourished Ethiopian Children
- The Petitio
"On October 16,
1945, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization was
founded. So it is on this day that we commemorate World Food
Day. This worldwide event is dedicated to increasing awareness
of hunger, and the need for year-around action to alleviate
hunger.
This year, we are highlighting the food crisis in Ethiopia -- a
crisis that has been prolonged by an extended drought and by the
global economic crisis. It is a situation that, although dire,
has not received much recognition in the press. "
The petition
Bring International
Attention to Malnourished Ethiopian Children
Sponsored by:
US Fund for UNICEF
"The effect of drought and rising food prices in some parts of
Ethiopia is headline news, yet few people know the truth of the
situation.
Children are the most vulnerable to nutritional deficits and the
first to succumb when there is not enough food to go around. The
Government of Ethiopia estimates that 75,000 children under the
age of five live with severe acute malnutrition. And 25 to 50
percent of children with severe acute malnutrition are likely to
die if they don't receive proper treatment."
To read the rest of
the information and sign the petition please click:
Bring International Attention to Malnourished Ethiopian Children
- The Petitio
Also please consider taking one of the suggested actions if
possible.
Please take the time
to sign the petition. Signing petitions takes only a few minutes
and can really make a difference. Yes I know neither this nor
the previous Vegan week entry has anything to do with OCD but it is
something we can all do to make a difference to improve the
world in which we live. Often because of our disability we can
feel that we have no part in anything particularly if we suffer
from severe or intractable OCD. Signing a petition is a quick
and effective way of making a difference that is available to
most of us. Of course you may have some OCD problem with this,
as OCD is very diverse and specific to you, but if you can sign
please do. You can simply sign without any comments or
commitments.
October 17th
Well there really
isn't much to say and right now I am so depressed that my heart
simply is not in it, it being this blog, this website, at least
to write anything much about OCD or my life in general. The thing
is there are major problems for my family and I and I simply
can't talk about them now and perhaps not ever. I am beside
myself with anger and the frustration of not being able to
express it mostly due to OCD anxieties, my growing
paranoia - I mean in the real sense of the word not the
way some people use it as a synonym for neurosis which
incidentally irritates the hell out of
me - and a deep mistrust of people in general which has in
recent months got considerably worse.
The fact is there are few if anyone I trust. I hope one day to
get my blog back on track at some point but when your condition
inhibits a lot what you wish to say well... there is really not
much I can say on a personal level, particularly if
problems in your life consume much of your thinking
processes. I do hope to be able to discuss these issue at
some later time. Apologies to anyone that I usually write to if
you feel ignored but right now I feel so overwhelmed
I have changed the
fonts on my blog again, I think they are clearer, but you might
not be getting the same font on your screen of course as it
depends upon what fonts you have installed on your own computer
for reasons I do not understand.
The above entries, the
whole batch from October 15th published all at the same time for
reasons regular visitors know and about which I will resist the
temptation to repeat, seem rather muddled I know but better to
write anything than nothing at all. Some one once said to me, a
visitor of this website in the years I got lots of
visitors when other OCD website linked to me, (sorry could not
resist
a complaint there, another issue which I will discuss at some
point), it does not matter that I can't spell or my grammar is
not what it should be, its what I say that counts although
right now I guess I am not saying very much.
October 21st
Each day I receive a
Daily Good e-mail which contains a positive , inspiring and
encouraging article. I thought that today's Daily Good links may
be helpful for those of us with a mental health condition such
as OCD, other anxiety disorders and depression, particularly the
type of depression that is induced or made worse by negative
thoughts or circumstances.
Both articles relate
to Buddhist meditation and it has been found that meditation has
been of help in changing the way we think, an aid to altering
the thought processes of our minds.
Those of you who have
read my memoir will know that unfortunately meditation made my
headaches worse and this for me is a sad circumstance because
you see meditation did make a huge difference to my mood. It did
not do a lot for the pain, the reason for which I meditated, but
still nonetheless meditation had quite profound effect on my
mood. Why meditation has this effect on my headaches I
have no idea, but my headaches are complex and are effected by
sleep so who knows. But we are all different, rather like
medication there will always be some who have problems. And do
not forget that I had the headache problem to begin with. I am
obsessing now, but I had to mention my headaches, not to put
anyone off of course but simply because his happened to me and
spoiled my meditation, which is of great sadness because it
really did have a profound and very positive effect upon my
mood.
I practised three
times each day twenty minutes of relaxation and than a further
twenty minutes of meditation for about six weeks, and than I
noticed the difference and could easily slip into relaxation and
meditation almost immediately.
First read the
article, it is not directed at mental illness as such but the
ideas may well apply nonetheless.
Here is an extraction
Happiness can’t be reduced to a few agreeable sensations.
Rather, it is a way of being and of experiencing the world—a
profound fulfillment that suffuses every moment and endures
despite inevitable setbacks.
The paths we take in search of happiness often lead us to
frustration and suffering instead. We try to create outer
conditions that we believe will make us happy. But it is the
mind itself that translates outer conditions into happiness or
suffering. This is why we can be deeply unhappy even though we
“have it all”—wealth, power, health, a good family, etc.—and,
conversely, we can remain strong and serene in the face of
hardship.
Authentic happiness is a way of being and a skill to be
cultivated. When we first begin, the mind is vulnerable and
untamed, like that of a monkey or a restless child. It takes
practice to gain inner peace, inner strength, altruistic love,
forbearance, and other qualities that lead to authentic
happiness.
Practicing
Happiness
It is not difficult to begin. You just have to sit from time to
time, turn your mind within, and let your thoughts calm down.
Focus your attention on a chosen object. It can be an object in
your room, your breath, or your own mind. Inevitably, your mind
will wander as you do this. Each time it does, gently bring it
back to the object of concentration, like a butterfly that
returns again and again to a flower.
In the freshness of the present moment, past is gone, future is
not yet born, and—if one remains in pure mindfulness and
freedom—disturbing thoughts arise and go without leaving a
trace. That is basic meditation.
Please read the complete article
DailyGood: This Is Your Brain On Happiness
Now please do make the
effort to read the entire article. I know that sometimes we are
in such a state of anxiety and agitation that we flit from one
thing to another and find it difficult to concentrate. I did and
had to make a huge effort to read through the complete article.
There may be something there to improve your life even if only
in a small way and sometimes even reading something positive can
help dispel that chronic negativity that tends to build up
particularly after suffering with depression your entire life.
Also do not be put off by the mention of meditation as a
spiritual practice, mediation helps you even if you have no
spiritual or religious inclination whatsoever.
Those of you with
anxiety disorders and the inner torment of unwanted OCD thoughts
may certainly relate to the sentence below quoted from the above
article
"But it is the mind
itself that translates outer conditions into happiness or
suffering."
If you 're an
agoraphobic for instance you are well familiar with your mind
stopping you from leaving your home. There is after all no other
obstacle other than your anxiety which arises solely from your
mind and for all intents and purposes your are as tied to the
house as a person with a physical disability simply by the power
of your mind. And the same goes for all anxiety disorders and
also depression.
Now do listen to the
video:
Matthieu Ricard on
Habits of Happiness
"Want to know the
secret to happiness? Buddhist monk, photographer and author
Matthieu Ricard has devoted his life to this question, and his
answer is influenced by his faith as well as by his scientific
turn of mind. We can train our minds in habits of happiness, he
says."
DailyGood: This Is Your Brain On Happiness: be the change
"The next video"
button below this video is not related to this subject, but I
think the website is dedicated to all things positive: "KarmaTube
is a collection of short, "do something" videos coupled with
simple actions that every viewer can take. Our mission is to
spread the good."
The above links were
sent to me by daily good where you will find more articles on
similar subjects and other positive issues .
DailyGood:
Positive News and Inspiration From Around The World
October 22nd
Care2 petition link
October 16th was incorrect and to day I have altered this in the
aforementioned entry and also included the corrected link below
The link worked fine
until Monday than Care2 posted a different Daily Action so if
you clicked after Sunday you will not have had access to the
petition.
So If anyone was confused by the Care 2 website petition links
and could not sign the petition, entry October 16th, this error
has now been corrected and the correct page to sign the
petition, if you have not already done so, can now be accessed
by clicking :
Bring International Attention to Malnourished Ethiopian Children
- The Petitio
Blog: Introduction
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including bogs:
Concerning blogs :
Although I have initially looked through the recommended blogs
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selected each on its overall merit: interesting regular entries
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bear in mind that I have a number of quite debilitating
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