Happy Halloween, peoples. Shane and will be spending the day watching horror movies, good and bad (think Black Sheep and Poultrygeist), and chowing down on all manner of vegan junk food. (I’ll post the food porn in all its sugary goodness tomorrow, in my final VeganMoFo post.)

I spent a few hours last week harassing the dogs with Halloween costumes and such (any excuse to dress up the furkids, right?); and, since I wouldn’t want their suffering to be for naught, here are the requisite festive holiday photos.

Last year, I dressed everyone up as pirates and pumpkins. Not wanting to reuse the old costumes (oh no, that would be embarrassing, right?), I mixed it up a little this year.

I only had one new Halloween outfit - a witch’s hat with black and orange pigtails - so everyone took a spin in the witch’s costume:

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Crossposted from yesterday’s VeganMoFo entry.

Shane picked up some Kalamata olives from Wild Oats’ salad bar yesterday, so I asked him (demanded is more like it!) to make me some olive bread this afternoon. Which was really a double bonus - yummy olive bread for me, plus a day’s rest from veganmofo recipes!

Shane adapted the “Classic French Bread” recipe in our Sunbeam Breadmaker manual to create this Kalamata Olive loaf. The original recipe lists a bunch of machine-specific steps, which I’ll skip; after all, if you already have a bread machine, chances are you know how to use it! And if you don’t have one, check out your local Goodwill or a family member’s attic - it’s a kitchen gadget no carb-loading vegan should be without.

Shane’s Kalamata Olive Bread

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 tablespoons water (75-85 degrees)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
3/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

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Aside from the implication that McCain and Obama are the only two motherfuckers running for prez in ‘08, this video from MoveOn is awesome:

You can personalize the video and send your friends and family (and yourself) a copy here.

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Tagged: 2008 elections politics video moveon.org john mccain barack obama rock the vote

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Just, no.

Firstly, I’m not a “girl.”

Nor am I bait, a prop, or an object to be used for your political ends.

It’s nice to know, though, in a historic election year that nearly saw the first viable female presidential candidate, and did bring the second female VP candidate on a major party ticket - well, it’s nice to know what I’m really good for: fucking. It’s all about the lady bits, am I right?

And yes, I realize that the ad was produced by four girls women; that doesn’t make it any less sexist. Because, um, women can be sexist, too.

This sort of misogyny - emanating from the left, and directed at all women, be they conservatives (Palin), Republicans, Democrats (Clinton & the so-called PUMAs), or progressives (non-Obamabots, i.e., me) - is one of many reasons why I won’t be voting for Obama on November 4.

Or renewing my Bust subscription.

This election cycle cannot be over fast enough.

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Tagged: 2008 elections politics barack obama john mccain sarah palin sexism misogyny political ads bust

I rarely watch the local news, but happened to have it on in the background last night. These two stories ran almost back-to-back:

Racial Slur on Receipt Shocks Family

Last Edited: Wednesday, 22 Oct 2008, 9:53 AM CDT

OVERLAND PARK, KAN. — A shoe return deeply offended a family, got a worker fired, and the Justice Department involved.

College student Keith Slater, 22, came to Oak Park Mall on Friday night with his mother and sister. He bought a pair of $80 shoes. But, quickly found a better deal.

So, he went back to the original store, Journeys, and returned his first pair. When he looked at the receipt, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Amazed and just shocked,” said Keith Slater, the man’s father.

Rather than the man’s name, it reads “dumb n*****.”

As in, the cashier entered “dumb nigger” in the “GUEST” field. Yeah.

The other incident - which apparently is so ho-hum that I can’t find it on the local Fox affiliate’s website - involves a string of vandalized Obama/Biden signs along Ward Parkway (for those not in the know, Ward Parkway is an upscale, mansion-lined boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, along the Kansas border). Rather than the predictable slurs, such as “Barack Hussein Obama” or “Osama Obama” (or “dumb nigger”), the vandals spray-painted “USSR” across the signs.

So…I guess we’ve moved on from racism and xenophobia to ’50s-era McCarthyism and xenophobia? Um, yay progress?

Well, at least a Kansan has yet to slaughter a black bear cub and staple Obama signs to her forehead. Nope, that was North Carolina.

There’s your small-town, “real America” American values right there, Ms. Palin.

Sigh.

**sob**

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Tagged: kansas missouri ks mo kcmo kcks kansas city ward parkway 2008 elections barack obama racism xenophobia racial slurs animal rights animal welfare animals

People for the American Way whittled 4,000+ “McPalin Haiku Hysteria” submissions down to 12 lucky finalists:

Is that Tina Fey?
Because this is comic gold.
Wait, she’s serious?

1 — Daniel Carroll

No experience?
Dangerous right-wing ranting?
“Perfect!” says McCain.

2 — John Culhane

Habeas corpus
And that pesky Bill of Rights.
Who needs’ em? WINK. WINK.

3 — Jean Hall

Do you want McCain
To choose a Supreme Court judge
Like he chose Palin?

4 — Scott & Susan Hanway

Hiring only friends,
Firing the librarian:
That’s Sarah Palin.

5 — Leslie Harris

Heard Sarah’s packing.
Not sure what. Tailored clothing?
Heat? The Supreme Court?

6 — Wenzel Jones

Palin knows nothing
About the Constitution.
Puppets don’t have to.

7 — Madeleine Kane

The Constitution
Now in the toilet by Bush
McCain will flush it

8 — Karl Kauffman

The “Supremes” will sing
“Roe, Roe, Roe Your Vote Away”
If McCain conducts

9 — Barbara Peckham

Wastin’ away on
The bridge to Scalia-ville:
Yikes! Thanks but no thanks

10 — Dean Sluyter

Dust thick on text books.
Evolution was a fad.
Science dead? You betcha.

11 — Laura Welch

McCain is ailin’
Chooses hockey mom Palin
You betcha, we’re pucked!

12 — Chaunce Windle

Vote for your favorite three here.

Can you guess my picks? Answer after the jump…

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In The New York Times, “Farm Boy” Nicholas Kristof “Reflects” on time spent murdering innocent, sentient beings:

Then there were the geese, the most admirable creatures I’ve ever met. We raised Chinese white geese, a common breed, and they have distinctive personalities. They mate for life and adhere to family values that would shame most of those who dine on them.

While one of our geese was sitting on her eggs, her gander would go out foraging for food—and if he found some delicacy, he would rush back to give it to his mate. Sometimes I would offer males a dish of corn to fatten them up—but it was impossible, for they would take it all home to their true loves.

Once a month or so, we would slaughter the geese. When I was 10 years old, my job was to lock the geese in the barn and then rush and grab one. Then I would take it out and hold it by its wings on the chopping block while my Dad or someone else swung the ax.

The 150 geese knew that something dreadful was happening and would cower in a far corner of the barn, and run away in terror as I approached. Then I would grab one and carry it away as it screeched and struggled in my arms.

Very often, one goose would bravely step away from the panicked flock and walk tremulously toward me. It would be the mate of the one I had caught, male or female, and it would step right up to me, protesting pitifully. It would be frightened out of its wits, but still determined to stand with and comfort its lover.

He goes on to say,

So, yes, I eat meat (even, hesitantly, goose). But I draw the line at animals being raised in cruel conditions.

How very generous of you, Mr. Kristof.

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Last month, I gave away 100 or so bags of apples through freecycle. I think we divvied ‘em up between five people, give or take. Everyone was rather nice and thanked us for the free food; one woman, heavy into canning and food preservation, even brought us a few jars of homemade salsa and apple butter, which was super cool of her.

A few weeks ago, I received a thank you card in the mail, from the last woman to pick up a load of apples. “What a nice gesture,” I thought, “I’ll have to keep her in mind for next year.” The sentiment lasted all of 30 seconds, until I actually opened the letter, only to find a Christian tract tucked inside.

Incidentally, the pamphlet was well-worn and even had a stain on the inside panel. Um…way to represent your God?

My initial inclination was to ignore the incident, but it was still bugging me last week. You see, I own the freecycle list in question, and proselytizing is strictly against the rules. I could have given her the boot, but I didn’t really think that kicking her out of the group would help her to better understand just how intolerant, intrusive and presumptuous her proselytizing is.

So instead, I grabbed some “propaganda materials” from www.venganza.org - two brochures and three flyers - stuffed ‘em in a festive green envelope, and mailed them without comment.

The packet went out Wednesday; I expect the army of missionaries to arrive any day now.

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Tagged: fsm flying spaghetti monster pastafarian godbags proselytizing proselytize christian born again tract flickr photos

This is pretty awesome:

MR. TOM BROKAW: Our issues this Sunday: He served as President George W. Bush’s secretary of state and was once called the man most likely to become the nation’s first African-American president. He has been courted by both the Obama and McCain presidential campaigns and said this last month:

(Videotape)

GEN. COLIN POWELL (RET.): I have been watching both of these individuals. I know them both extremely well, and I have not decided who I’m going to vote for yet.

(End videotape)

MR. BROKAW: Is he now ready to make an endorsement in this presidential race? What are his thoughts on the major issues facing the country and the world? Our exclusive guest this Sunday, former Secretary of State General Colin Powell. [...]

MR. BROKAW: General Powell, actually you gave a campaign contribution to Senator McCain. You have met twice at least with Barack Obama. Are you prepared to make a public declaration of which of these two candidates that you’re prepared to support?

GEN. POWELL: Yes, but let me lead into it this way. I know both of these individuals very well now. I’ve known John for 25 years as your setup said. And I’ve gotten to know Mr. Obama quite well over the past two years. Both of them are distinguished Americans who are patriotic, who are dedicated to the welfare of our country. Either one of them, I think, would be a good president. I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years. It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it, but that’s a choice the party makes. And I’ve said to Mr. Obama, “You have to pass a test of do you have enough experience, and do you bring the judgment to the table that would give us confidence that you would be a good president.”

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smite me!

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