Challenger: The Political Perversion of a Beautiful Animal

"Named in honor of the lost space shuttle crew, "Challenger" has performed free-flights during the USA's National Anthem at hundreds of events coast to coast—raising substantial public awareness for the Bald Eagle protection cause. He is the first Bald Eagle in American history trained to free-fly during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. He has helped educate millions of people about the need to protect the USA's National Bird."

He is a beautiful animal. I am so sorry to see him co opted into the pathetic, cancerous disease of jingoistic propaganda. Patriotism is a lower aspect of human nature, an "Our team is the greatest!" perspective that, though it seems harmless enough at neighborhood ball games, has horrific results when blown out into world affairs, economic policies, multinational corporations, and most useless, ugly and destructive of all: military conquest and aggression. This is thinly disguised as "spreading freedom". The footage in your video of former president George W. Bush says more than you intended about the atrocity of military conquest, global hegemony and war profiteering in the guise of "freedom". Perhaps you could use Challenger to "raise awareness" about the horrifying destruction and pain caused for wild birds like him as well as whole ecosystems and entire species around the world by rampant US corporate profiteering and petrochemical war for profit military industries? That might actually do Challenger some justice.

You say you are raising awareness for the bald eagle? What a sad comedy. I fully appreciate your initiative to rescue Challenger and give him a good life, and the hard work this entails. I have worked with and for animals all my life, and gotten my hands dirty doing it many times. I've scraped the ground of wolves' cages, helped care for wild cats, exotic birds, climbed a fence in the hot sun to help build a new bear habitat, and rescued local wildlife injured by domestic animals. If Challenger could talk, I believe he would tell you how pathetic your video is. You do Challenger and his cause no service with this tasteless piece of blatant propaganda.



Tristan Luke

Supreme court on downed factory farm animals

The US Supreme Court has shown its cowardice, narrow mindedness and stupidity on many occassions as it panders to big business in the guise of thin legal interpretations; I am truly saddened to see it on this one. The FDA has also failed, as well as a system that encourages the most horrifying and shocking cruelty in the name of cost cutting and profit, right across the board. Fuck the pitifully short sighted, numb morons and cowards in the US Supreme Court who overturned this ban and the abject sociopaths who lobbied for it; and thank you to the state of California for your worthwhile efforts in the first place.

I agree with the thoughtful commentators who remind us that the power rests with you: don't buy this cruelty laden, toxic meat. It is hardly even food. If you're going to eat meat, You will feel much better if you find ethically and sustainably sourced meat products, and are diligent verifying it. I personally gave up all beef and pork products and eat a highly nutritious and most delicious ever diet, and have never felt more alive and energized. Unfortunately, this sensitizes me even more to the horrible suffering of these poor creatures. A nation and a culture is judged by how it treats the least among them. Those who do not have a voice. I wish many blessings for the poor souls who suffer for this sad, cowardly and inhumane decision. Ultimately, the power rests with the people. We are what we eat.

Weblog Moved to www.tristanluke.com/wordpress

Dear readers, I've moved my weblog to http://www.tristanluke.com/wordpress/

Stop in for a visit. Please also see my most recent post, a response to blatant lies and propaganda on the subject of canine devocalization in Massachusetts.

Zero 7

I just wanted to alert anyone who didn't know about this music. Musical, thoughtful, introspective, acoustic and electronic... blending textures and elements and most important: vocal harmonies for their soundscape... all with the gift of real songwriting. Why do people listen to drab, uninteresting, self-important artists in the electronica genre when this stuff is available? Thank you Zero 7.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEeIsHU3Zmc&fmt=18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGNBIYyHQ2k&fmt=18



www.tristanluke.com

If I Knew

I found something good today. It's called If I Knew. The artist is Jimmy Sommers with singer Vikter Duplaix. Have a listen:

More Lives Touched by the Magic

Are you familiar with the chemical spill in Bhopal, India, December, 1984?

Here's a summary from Greenpeace: URL: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/toxics/justice-for-bhopal

20,000 people lost their lives in Bhopal, India after a chemical gas spill from a pesticide factory. More than 40 tons of methyl isocyante (MIC) gas created a dense cloud over a resident population of more than half a million people.

People woke in their homes to fits of coughing, their lungs filling with fluid. More than 8,000 people were killed in just the first 3 days following the spill, mainly from cardiac and respiratory arrest.

The chemical factory responsible for this disaster belonged to Union Carbide, which negotiated a settlement with the Indian Government in 1989 for $470 million - a total of only $370 to $533 per victim - a sum too small to pay for most medical bills. In 1987, a Bhopal District Court charged Union Carbide officials, including then CEO Warren Anderson, with culpable homicide, grievous assault and other serious offences. In 1992, a warrant was issued for Anderson's arrest.



But justice has eluded the people of Bhopal for more than 20 years. Dow, since its merger with Union Carbide, refuses to assume these liabilities in India - or clean up the toxic poisons left behind. More than 20,000 people still live in the vicinity of the factory and are exposed to toxic chemicals through groundwater and soil contamination. A whole new generation continues to get sick, from cancer and birth defects to everyday impacts of aches and pains, rashes, fevers, eruptions of boils, headaches, nausea, lack of appetite, dizziness, and exhaustion.

Changing Location Weblog!!!

Please note that my weblog will now reside at my website. The below posts will be moved there as well.


Please visit at:


www.tristanluke.com/wordpress/




See you there!