KILLING FARM ANIMALS IS CRUELTY

Not just cruelty, but "A beastly kind of cruelty," according to the headline on this story. You see, because the punks who did the killing didn't eat the animal afterward, that somehow made its death 'cruel,' unlike, you know, the death all farm animals are headed for. Not sure how an animal that's being shot has its experience altered by what's going to happen in the future, but then, I'm not a farmer.

The buzzards led Nick Bursio to his prized calf. He found the body just over a rise in the field, with a bullet hole in its left shoulder, near the heart. Bursio had heard of animals killed by rustlers for their meat. But not until that May morning had he ever imagined anything so senseless as shooting cattle presumably just to watch them die. "I had a hollow feeling in my gut, to see that dead calf laying there, with the mother cow bellowing nearby," said the Sonoma County rancher. "I thought, what the hell's going on in this place?"

Exactly. I mean, if that calf had been taken away to be turned into veal, that mother cow would've been chuckling gleefully, right?

So that's one cognitive-dissonance oddity. But here's another: "In California, state law provides some protection for large farm animals, but enforcement varies among counties. As a result, prosecutors in farm cases often settle for convictions on lesser vandalism charges." So to sum up, if you destroy the farmer's animal (the putative basis of his very business), that's "vandalism." But if you take any photos of his operation from anywhere near his property, that's, yes, "terrorism." Okey-doke.

FED TO THE LIONS

According to the Seattle Times, there's trouble a-brewin' in our nation's zoos over feeding horsemeat to the big cats. "It's definitely up for debate," said Kathleen Larson, Point Defiance's interim veterinarian. "Unfortunately, all people won't be happy until our carnivores are eating salad."

Uh, no, Kathleen. For the record, we won't be happy until 'your' carnivores are no longer held captive in 'your' zoos. But the point is, this is just one more issue pointing out the fallacious idea that wild animals can be kept in captivity for human entertainment without severe problems resulting. The best, most professional zoo in the world is still not completely prepared for everything (aside from freedom) a wild animal needs, and to put it lightly, most US zoos are far, far below that standard.

Good to hear at least some thinking going on in Columbus... "Don Winstel, the Columbus Zoo's assistant director, like representatives from several other zoos, said the switch six months ago was a pragmatic one as domestic sources for horse meat closed down. He also recognized that zoo visitors might be more comfortable knowing horse was off the menu. 'It's just more alien to people in the U.S.,' he said of horse-meat consumption. 'But, in reality, I'm not sure how to judge which animal should be butchered and which one should not.'" Hmmmmmm, good point, Don.

VICK GUILTY PLEA

So the sports hero is just as despicable and cowardly as some of us had figured, and were chastised for rushing to judge him. Time to judge now? Who wants to put money down on how long this criminal loser has to wait before walking back onto an NFL playing surface?

'WESTERN' DIET BRINGS CANCER BACK

"Patients who had received surgery and chemotherapy for state III colon cancer would be better off eating a so-called prudent diet as researchers found that eating a Western diet would increase the risk of cancer recurrence," according to a new study, which spotlighted red meat and dairy along with processed foods and sweets as making up the 'Western' diet.

"In response to the study news, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) published a press release to emphasize the importance of plant foods in prevention of colon cancer. The AICR recommends 'colon cancer survivors follow the dietary advice known to reduce risk for colon cancer and cancer in general: aim for a diet high a variety of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans and low in meat and dairy foods.'"