gitana’s Neighborhood

recommended by me!

last thursday i went to see gene baur speak. he is co-founder of the awesome organization, farm sanctuary. he has written a book, titled "farm sanctuary, changing hearts and minds about animals and food" and was at penn to present some highlights. seeing him speak was a huge thrill for me! i was so nervous getting my book signed i could barely speak! i know, i am a dork, but i couldn’t help it! farm sanctuary has made a huge impact on my life and it is rare for me to be in the presence of someone i have gob-loads of respect and admiration for. it really felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity :)

never minding my nerdiness... im about half way through the book which essentially tells the tale of how the sanctuary came about, the work it has done, and the laws it’s fought to change. gene baur has been investigating farms nationwide for years, and a large part the book is about his findings. he’s also thrown in personal stories about individual animals at farm sanctuary for some delightful reading between the
hard-hitting facts.

one thing i’d like to point out about farm sanctuary is, the people of this organization do not judge, nor shove their beliefs down peoples’
throats. they are not "eco-terrorists" or "radicals" - their message is intelligent and informative. "i believe that people are generally not comfortable with cruelty" gene stated, as he explained his efforts to fight cruelty by simply informing the public. lets face it people - if harmful or unhealthy acts are happening in agribusiness, who do you think it gonna tell us - companies running the industry? the farmer whose livelihood depends on his sales? the pharmaceutical manufacturers making money off our illnesses? no.

i’ll stop now before i start ranting :) my point is - read the book. its not for vegetarians - its for anyone who gives the slightest shit about what’s going into their bodies and/or has the most basic respect for living creatures.

http://www.myspace.com/genebaur
http://www.myspace.com/farmsanctuary

What's your favorite thing about being sick?

nothing!  i hate being sick! sucks sucks sucks!

except maybe that if i eat bad stuff like soy ice cream or cookies it tell myself it s ok cause i can have anything that makes me feel better :)

What do you most hate sharing with other people?

ooh, uhhh, lots actually.  im kinda weird that way.  its not out of greed, but at the risk of sounding anal retentive, im very regimented in a lot of ways.  i work X amount of hours to make X amount of dollars, to pay X in bills and have X to spend.  i calculate food shopping so i have exacly what i need till the next week.  man i am sounding stiff!  to redeem myself a bit i'll say that i am 1st to offer someone a hand, an ear, advice if wanted - if i dont know the answer for you i'll find it, ill help you move, ill send you recipes, ill walk your dog! 

:)