Saturday, October 16, 2010

Doing whatever

I'm reading this really nice book about overcoming the self and seeking the freedom and happiness most of us define as life goals. The book is not relevant now, as I'm going to write about it as soon as I finish reading it.

The point is that I am somehow trying to follow the book's motto and see whether it fits. I'm probably going through a personality crises and seeking the answer in other people's experience. Funny for me to say this...but I realized it's best to admit the crises we're going through or we'll all end up like that "godfather of cannibalism" japanese guy.

So, I'm doing what I want. I didn't like the doing "what I want" me from last night...at least not in the morning. I could put the blame on the situation I was in, but even so, man I kinnda feel like a piglet now.

I guess I started with the wrong foot...I am so not the type of person that should go out and be free...I guess I should adapt the book's motto a bit and say "do what you want, but please be rational!"

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Cruelty Free Consumer

Here is a list of some surprising animal ingredients to look for on cosmetic labels and some greener alternatives:

Ingredient: Allantoin
Source/Use: Found in cows and other mammals and used as a healing agent in many cosmetic creams and lotions
Alternative: Allantoin is also found in many plants, particularly the extract of comfrey root.

Ingredient: Beeswax 
Source/Use: Wax from virgin bees is used as a sealant in lipsticks, mascaras, eye creams, lip balms and nail whiteners
Alternative: Paraffin, vegetable oils and fats.

Ingredient: Boar bristles 
Source/Use: Hair from boars commonly used in makeup brushes and toothbrushes 
Alternative: Nylon or vegetable fibers.

Ingredient: Biotin 
Source/Use: Found in all living cells and used in cosmetics and shampoos
Alternative: Plant sources.

Ingredient: Stearyl alcohol or sterols 
Source/Use: A mixture of solid alcohols that may sometimes be prepared from sperm whale oil and is used in skin creams, hair rinses and some shampoos
Alternative: Vegetable stearic acid

Ingredient: Fish liver oil 
Source/Use: A source of vitamin A sometimes used in cosmetics and hair dyes
Alternative: Vitamin A derivatives from carotene (carrots) or synthetic sources

Ingredient: Mink oil 
Source/Use: An emollient used for its moisturizing properties in cosmetics and skin creams
Alternative: Vegetable/natural oils such as avocado, almond and jojoba

Ingredient: Silk/silk powder
Source/Use: The tiny fibers made by silk worms to form a cocoon — used as a coloring ingredient ion face powders and soaps
Alternative: Milkweed seed-pod fibers or synthetic silks

Ingredient: RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)
Source/Use: Slaughterhouse waste that is commonly used in many protein-enriched shampoos and conditioners
Alternative: Plant cells

Ingredient: Sponge (luna and sea) 
Source/Use: A sea animal that looks like a plant and is used as an ingredient for sponges and loofahs 
Alternative: synthetic sponges

Ingredient: Stearic acid 
Source/Use: Fat extracted from cows, sheep and pigs and used as a lubricant in deodorant, hair spray, shampoo and soap
Alternative: Vegetable fats or coconut

source: http://www.rominachirre.com/romina_chirre_english/rominas_blog/?cat=5&paged=3


Monday, September 06, 2010

Abandoned

Nowadays empathy is nothing but a faded dream in a reality that can only be defined as cruel. People don't care about people, so what expectations can I have towards animals. Today I was supposed to give for adoption a kitten that I fostered for a couple of days. The girl (she was over 20 years old) neutered an indescribable lack of respect and she was definitely incapable of taking her own decisions at that age. In the end the kitten remained in the association's custody.

Another volunteer had to take her over from me, so we met close to the place where we hold our weekly adoption fair. While talking, we saw a dog with a collar around his neck wondering around, looking lost. I managed to catch him, thinking that he might have a phone number on the collar...how stupid of us...we live in Bucharest...of course he didn't. Just then a women passed by, with her dog, and asked whether the dog is ours. This is how we found out that two girls have just abandoned him and she thought it was we. We couldn't leave him on the street now, it was clear that he wasn't wanted. Silvia soon remembered that two weeks ago, at the fair, two girls came with the dog. They wanted to leave him in our care in exchange for a smaller dog. They claimed that he has gotten too big and they wanted a small dog. We didn't fall for that...but it seems that in the end his faith was to become one of Robi's dogs. After a short adventure, we managed to take it to the president of the association. We felt bad about it, but none of us could take him home. He's going to stay in her car over the night, and tomorrow he will be taken to Glina. We are lucky that tomorrow another dog from Glina will be adopted, and this one will take his place. It seams like a never-ending rollercoaster between the minds of people who just don't seem to care when they let their animal bread and abandon or kill the puppies. In their minds it's much easier to commit murder then to spay or neuter their pets.

Silvia thought that we might be going crazy after this short adventure. I honestly think that we are all crazy, but we are a bunch of crazy people who save lives...could you say that a doctor or a fire fighter is crazy?