The Joy of Vegan Camping - Compassionate Catalina

It is such a joy to camp vegan style! My husband, 2 sons (ages 14 and 11), and myself are all vegans which means we don't eat animal products, and we go camping on the beautiful island of Catalina off the coast of Los Angeles, almost every year. We have found that not only is it easy, with just a little planning, to eat all vegan food while camping, but there are also many advantages to camping vegan. One advantage is that plant-based foods keep better then animal-based foods in situations lacking refrigeration, such as camping. Another bonus is the price is right! I purchased food for 3 dinners, plus breakfast, lunch, snacks and dessert for 4 days, for only $122.98. This amount covered all of our food needs for 4 people, including my athletic, 6 '3" hubby and 2 growing boys who are constantly ravenous. This works out to only $7.68 per person per day, or about $2 a meal per person. I bought most of the groceries at Trader Joe's, and a few specialty items at our local vegetarian health food store, Follow Your Heart. Not only is camping vegan a way to practice compassion for animals, to leave a light footprint on the earth and maintain the beauty of nature, and to eat healthy delicious food, but also it's practical and good for one's wallet as well. There are so many excellent reasons to camp vegan, and I hope you'll be inspired to make your next camping trip plant-based so you can enjoy the many benefits of vegan camping as well. My philosophy when preparing camping food is simplicity and also I strive to be environmentally conscious. My mantra for cooking throughout the trip was "Easy"; after all, it's a vacation which means it's supposed to be relaxing! Thus, all of the food we ate was very basic and nothing fancy, but that does not mean that it wasn't totally scrumptious! As far as being ecologically minded, we were not perfect but we did make a strong effort to leave a light footprint/foodprint and preserve the magnificence of Catalina Island. The first day, we arrived at our campsite at Two Harbors in the late afternoon. We dropped off our gear and took a quick walk down the hill to check out the beach.

This was the view from our campsite, up on top of the hill overlooking the sea.

While my husband was starting the fire, we had a couple visitors!

For our first night, I knew we might be tired from the boat ride, setting up the tent, etc, so I planned a very simple, but classic camping meal: Veggie Dogs. Eco Tip: Recycled pie tins are great to BBQ in, so I brought several along.

I used Tofurkey Italian sausage and Smart Dogs from Trader Joe's, organic whole wheat buns from Whole Foods,and we topped with chopped tomato, red onion, ketchup, and mustard. We used reusable plates, cutlery, cups,water bottles, napkins, and dish towels as opposed to disposables, so we produced very little trash.

Of course, the highlight of any camping meal is the S'mores! We used dark chocolate from Trader Joe's, Sweet 'n Sara graham crackers, and Dandie marshmallows from Follow Your Heart. A word of caution: once you try vegan marshmallows, you will never be able to eat conventional, nonvegan marshmallows again. Vegan marshmallows are so much better than conventional marshmallows! Have you ever read the ingredients on a bag of conventional marshmallows? If not, please do, and be prepared to be horrified! They are filled with unhealthy artificial ingredients, preservatives, factory farmed eggs, GMO's, and  yucky animal collagen, tendons, ligaments, and cartilidge (also known as gelatin). Vegan marshmallows, on the other hand, have no artificial ingredients, are GMO-free, and are made of 100% plant ingredients. Plus, they taste delicious! Also, the Sweet 'n Sara vegan graham crackers taste homemade and are far superior to conventional, nonvegan graham crackers. Give it a try! If you cannot find vegan graham crackers as most contain honey and aren't vegan, then get creative and substitute any vegan crunchy cookie and create a new yummy version of S'mores!

Making S-mores:

The finished product: OMGoddess Sooooooooooooooooooo good! We had these every night for dessert.

For breakfast and lunches, remember "easy" was my mantra, so each of us simply chose from a variety of  foods including granola with coconut milk, bagels with vegan cream cheese, almond butter and jelly sandwiches, tofurkey sandwiches,apples, or fruit bars. Here is an example of breakfast that my son chose: bagel with tofurkey and arugula, because we always feel the best when we eat lots of greens every day. I have to recommend Vegenaise. It is such a great product, and it just happens to be perfect for camping because unlike nonvegan mayo made with cholesterol-laden eggs, Vegenaise does not need to be refrigerated. It tastes great and comes in different flavors too like pesto and chipotle, my favorite.

Here is what my hubby liked to have for breakfast. Coconut milk, or any plant milk of your choice, is excellent for camping because it does not need to be refrigerated until opened, and then it keeps well in a cooler. As for me, I'm good starting my day with an apple.:)  

 

For dinner on the second night, we had Veggie Teriyaki Tofu Kabobs. I had a package of Tofurkey veggie beer brats leftover, so I also put those on the kabobs too, and the veggie beer brats came out delicious on kabobs! I used Organic Baked Tofu because this type is easy for camping because it is already cooked.

 

We made a whole bunch of these delectable kabobs!

 

The next morning, day 3, we had another visitor. We finally saw the elusive island fox! We have known of his presence for years, because we hear them at night making a cat-like screeching sound, and we see evidence of them too such as these paw prints on our cooler.

He saw me and quickly ran away, but not before looking over his shoulder and giving me a quick glance, so I snapped this photo. Can you see him? So cute!

Dinner for night 3 was Teriyaki Tempeh, Roasted Garlic Potatoes, and Broccoli (my 11 year old always requests broccoli, his favorite) Tempeh originates from Indonesia, and is perfect for camping. It keeps really well in a cooler. I buy the organic tempeh from Trader Joe's.

Tempeh is very versatile; you can chop it into cubes or slice it different ways. You can sauté it, steam it, boil it, bake it, BBQ it, put it on skewers, or blend it with seasoning and form patties. Continuing with my easy philosophy, I simply sliced into 4 squares, marinated in teriyaki and lime juice, and then my hubby cooked on the grill. We made the roasted potatoes by tossing in a little olive oil, garlic, and a touch of salt, and then wrapping up in a foil package. Simple, and so delectable!

  

We were having such a fantastic time that we were so happy  we were able to extend our stay. I had only brought food for 3 nights, however. Luckily, the campground has a store with basic food supplies. They sold vegan Boca burgers, so although that brand is not one I normally buy, in a pinch such as this, they sufficed just fine! I also picked up some Portobello mushrooms and avocado to kick it up a notch. It has become a tradition of ours when camping to serve veggie burgers on bagels, because in the past we have run out of buns so we served on bagels and it's really good actually! I also preferred the bagels they sold in the store over the buns which were filled with unhealthy artificial chemicals and not up to my standards. So here is a photo of our Veggie Bagel Burgers with Portobello Mushrooms, Arugula, and Avocado   

It feels so wonderful to camp vegan, especially after seeing so much amazing wildlife, and to know that we are not hurting any animals. For example, we snorkeled every day and saw so much spectacular marine life including garibaldi, leopard sharks, rays, a Moray eel, huge bass, octopi, and much more. So glad that we don't kill any of the beautiful fish, but instead we let them be in peace in the sea, and we choose to eat plants.

 Another highlight was seeing 2 bald eagles when we went mountain biking into the interior of the island! We were unable to get a photo, but here's a cute photo of my son with the conservatory's sign. We also help the eagles by camping vegan, because we leave the fish in the sea for the eagles to eat.

I hope you enjoyed my ideas for compassionate camping, vegan style! If you enjoy camping, then that most likely means you are a nature and wildlife lover, and I'm sure you want to preserve the beauty of nature and protect the little wildlife we have left. Because animal agriculture is the number one leading cause of climate change, species extinction, rainforest destruction, resource depletion, and ocean dead zones, by eating vegan, you will be taking action to help save our planet and all life on it. So please make your next camping trip vegan! (and don't be surprised that if you're not already vegan, that you feel so amazing that you decide to adopt the vegan lifestyle permanently!) Happy Compassionate Camping! http://www.takeextinctionoffyourplate.com/

 

 

 

Backpacking in Belize Vegan Style

People sometimes ask me if it is difficult to be vegan and to travel. My answer is that while there may be some small challenges, nowadays it's easier than ever to travel anywhere and maintain one's vegan lifestyle. All you need is a simple strategy and a positive attitude. My husband and I are both vegans, and we had an amazing time in Belize! Here are some tips for traveling vegan in Belize. The first part of my strategy was to research what vegan options exist in Belize. I carefully perused my Lonely Planet guidebook, highlighting any restaurants that mentioned having vegetarian options, with the idea that they could probably be easily veganized, Then I searched www.happycow.net and printed out their few suggestions as well to take along with me. The second part of my strategy was to be prepared in the case of no vegan food options, which means to pack lots of yummy vegan snacks! Packing snacks also helps to save money on food as well, which is a plus for us because as teachers we always travel on a budget. My backpack was quite full, so I had to decide between packing another cute summer dress or my packages of seaweed which take up a lot of room. This hard core vegan foodie chose the seaweed of course! The top of my backpack was loaded with kale chips, trail mix, seaweed, cactus jerky,organic dark chocolate, and Lara Bars.  Here are the snacks I packed. Next, I made sure we were prepared to be well fed for the journey. The night before we left I made some sandwiches with almond flax seed butter and fig butter to take on the flight with us. I also made these scrumptious breakfast sandwiches that my son Trevor invented. Whenever we fly somewhere in the morning I make these. They are made of whole wheat organic English muffins, Trader Joe's hash brown patties, vegan Canadian bacon (non GMO), and tomato slices. They are so tasty! Once we were through security and were waiting at the gate for our flight, we ate these. I looked around and I felt so bad for other people I saw eating unhealthy Egg McMuffins from McPoo as we were eating our super delicious vegan breakfast sandwiches! When we arrived in Belize City, unfortunately we missed the last boat to our destination, the island Caye Caulker, known as a backpackers' paradise. This meant we had to stay one night in Belize City. We booked into the simple, affordable Sea Breeze Guesthouse, and then we decided to try a recommendation from the Lonely Planet for dinner. We walked over to the Samathi Restaurant for Indian food. Indian food is almost always a good option for vegans, just be sure to specify that you don't want your food prepared with ghee (clarified butter) or served with any dairy like yogurt. The waiter assured us that they used no ghee, only vegetable oil, so we had a delicious vegan Indian feast consisting of okra, chana masala, aloo gobi, garlic naan, and rice, before retiring to bed after a long day of travel. The next morning we headed over to the dock to catch the boat to Caye Caulker. Breakfast consisted of fresh squeezed pineapple juice from a little snack shop called Anna's Lunchbox, and a Lara Bar. This was perfect for me as I normally start my days off with either a fresh juice or a smoothie. Once we arrived at Caye Caulker and checked into our beachfront cabana at the Costa Maya, we explored the charming town. It quickly became apparent that eating vegan was going to be much easier than the first time we traveled here which was about 14 years ago. I could immediately see that much progress had been made for vegan dining options in the 14 years that we were last at Caye Caulker. Almost all of the restaurants had vegetarian options which could be easily veganized; and a couple even listed the word "vegan" on their menus whereas 14 years ago, the veg options were few and far between. This is evidence that the Vegan Revolution is expanding everywhere! When we jumped off the boat and were walking to our cabana, a man selling cakes on a cart approached us, and I told him "No, thank you, we are vegan." I wondered if he would understand what I meant, and he replied, "Oh, good for you! That's so much healthier! I don't eat any meat either! Because of my gout! The doctor told me to stop eating meat." So one of the first locals we talked to was already hip to the idea of veganism, and was aware of the health benefits! The reason for our trip to Belize was to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. For our anniversary lunch, we ate at a beach front place called the Chat 'n Chill. I ordered a veggie pizza that was easily veganized by simply asking them to omit the cheese. With so many veggies and a flavorful tomato sauce, you don't miss the cheese at all. For our anniversary dinner, we decided to eat at the Rainbow Grill overlooking the water. Their menu contained many vegetarian choices, and we ended up ordering the veggie fajitas, but of course we didn't eat the sour cream. The homemade tortillas were delicious, and the view was so romantic. The waiter at the Rainbow Grill told us how growing up he mostly ate vegetarian because his mother was a vegetarian who was a serious health nut. She was into medicinal herbs and using food as medicine. I tell you this story because even in countries that are known as having a cuisine that centers around meat such as Belize, you will find vegetarians and vegans amongst the local people. Our go-to place for breakfast was a charming spot called the Paradiso Cafe owned by an American couple and located just a couple doors down from our cabana. They had lots of vegan options like fresh fruit smoothies and bagels with hummus. One day I had a delectable veggie sandwich on crusty French bread with lots of fresh veggies, avocado, and a vinaigrette. It was easily veganized by requesting no mayo and no cheese. Another one of our favorite places we discovered is called Carribean Coolers. It's located on the second floor, and it's part art gallery, part café. They had yummy liquados (fresh fruit smoothies), like this one made of banana, papaya, pineapple, and watermelon. It was fun to sit on their balcony which overlooks the main drag of the town, and to people watch. Carribean Coolers also served vegan sushi, which we were so excited about! It was even noted as "vegan" on their menu! In the middle of our trip, we stayed a couple nights on the mainland in a very small town called Burrell Boom, at a hotel called the Black Orchid on the Old Belize River. While the hotel gardens and river are very beautiful, I'm sorry to say that I give them a thumbs down for vegan dining. Their menu was extremely meat-centric with few veg options and overpriced for what it was. We had the vegetable linguini and the breakfast burritos which we asked them to veganize, but neither were very good. However, we weren't bothered because it was a beautiful place and of course, we had snacks! We also rode bikes to a nearby little market and bought a big avocado and some fresh baked bread which filled us up. The hotel seemed to cater to the crowds of American missionaries who stay there, and judging by the menus, I guess Christian missionaries really like meat a lot, which doesn't make much sense to me. I didn't take any food photos as I was not inspired, but here are a few photos of the Black Orchid. The purpose of our stay on the mainland was to visit the Mayan world. We booked a tour to visit the ancient Lamanai ruins and pyramids. Lunch was included in the tour, so I was sure to inform them that we are vegan when we booked the tour. They assured us that they understood what veganism meant, and they said they could accommodate us. After a spectacular boat ride where we spotted monkeys and all types of exotic birds up the Old Belize River, we arrived at Lamanai, and a lovely buffet style lunch was laid out for all of us on the tour. We ate rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, spicy salsa, watermelon, papaya, green salad, and plantains. There was plenty for vegans, and it was one of the best meals we had. On the tour we met a young American from Florida who told us how he had recently moved to Belize with his dad, as his dad had purchased property there. He was vegan too so we bonded with him! I did not take a photo of the satisfying lunch, but here is a photo of one of the pyramids we climbed up. After our trip to Lamanai, we returned to the Costa Maya Cabanas at Caye Caulker for the remainder of our vacation. One day while ambling around town, we stumbled upon what turned out to be the best meal of our trip. A man had set up a table on the sand with huge pots of bubbling dishes with a mouth-watering aroma. He introduced himself as "The Budget Man"! He told us his life story, how he was from New York but he became disenchanted with city life and living in a concrete jungle, so he decided to move to Belize. We explained we are vegan, and he enthusiastically said "No problem! I have something for you and all vegetarians! I take care of everyone!" We ordered the veggie plate which was a generous serving of coconut rice, along with a heaping amount of veggies in a curry sauce. The veggie dish had huge chunks of potatoes along with lots of other types of veggies. It was served with a side of plantains and the Budget Man's signature homemade hot sauce that had a nice kick to it. We found a spot on the beach and ate it while watching the waves. Pure bliss! Speaking of hot sauce, in Belize there is one type of hot sauce that you will see everywhere. It is called Marie Sharp's, and yes, it is vegan! I also want to mention the Chinese take away restaurant which is attached to one of the main markets in town, you can't miss it. It is basically Chinese fast food, and they have tons of vegan options on their menu like tofu chow mein, vegetable fried rice, and more. It is not expensive either so good for vegan budget travelers like us! You order it then eat it on the beautiful beach. For our last night on Caye Calker, we ate at a really fun place called the Reef Bar. We had homemade vegan black bean burgers with all the fixings including mushrooms and jalapenos. This bar is so fun because they have live music, board games, and trivia night. One word of caution: make sure to always ask for "rice and beans" as opposed to "beans and rice". On the advice of Lonely Planet, one night we experimented and tried ordering "beans and rice" thinking that we would get the rice and beans served separately as opposed to the beans mixed into the rice, which is typical Belizean style. This was a mistake! We were served plain rice, with a thimble of refried beans. A thimble! It was so hard not to laugh when the waiter brought our food, because we were not expecting that! Being from California, we are used to big sides of beans and rice, so this was very funny to us. Also, I want to mention something not related to food, but related to veganism and animals. I was very impressed with the condition of the dogs that live on Caye Caulker. I did not see a single stray the whole time I was there. Every dog I saw had a collar and looked well taken care of. The dogs there are so happy living the island life, and they are allowed to roam free all over the island. They are welcome in any restaurant and bar. I did see a small Humane Society on the island, and one of the expatriates I met said they do try to take care of the animals there. The Belizean people that I met are also conservation minded and believe in protecting their coral reef and their wildlife such as the manatees and the turtles, to name just a few of the magnificent species home to Belize. When our trip came to an end and it was time to go, my eyes welled up with tears as I was sad to leave this most magical place with such warm, kind, friendly people. However, we vowed to return soon and bring our kids with us next time. I bought snacks from a local street vendor for the journey home: fresh cashews, dried plantains,and banana chips. In sum, it is possible to have a wonderful time as a vegan in Belize. You can enjoy delicious local food, soak in the culture, and interact with the local people all while traveling as a vegan. You don't miss out on anything traveling as a vegan, and that's the truth. On the contrary, traveling vegan enhances the experience for me, because I still feel healthy. I know many people who when they return from a trip, they complain about how much weight they gained and how unhealthy and awful they feel. When you travel vegan, you sample delicious local cuisine but without all of the fatty, cholesterol-laden animal products, so you don't gain weight and you feel incredible when you return! Also, it's wonderful to travel as a vegan because you can serve as a Vegan Ambassador of sorts, and help to spread veganism around the world as well. It only takes a positive attitude and just a little planning to have a wonderful vegan vacation. Here is one final photo of the Lazy Lizard. Happy vegan travels!

Miracle at at the Los Angeles Obama Town Hall

I was disappointed that I missed the sign up for the lottery for the 200 free tickets that were distributed for Obama's Town Hall Meeting in Los Angeles, but I was not ready to give up so easily. It was the day before the event, and I immediately went to Craigslist.com and I saw that there were in fact a few tickets available, but some were asking for as much as $1000! There was no way I could pay that, but nevertheless I proceeded to offer some yoga instruction in exchange for a ticket. Although there were some expressions of interest in my offer, none of them actually came to fruition. The thought occured to me that I could simply go to the venue in person and see if someone happened to have an extra ticket.

I remembered my days in college at UC Berkeley when I would sometimes attend Grateful Dead shows. I remembered the tactics we would use to try and find a ticket when one person in our group did not have a ticket. Most of the time, believe it or not, we would succeed in obtaining a ticket. I suspected that similar tactics would work in trying to obtain a ticket to the Town Hall. For Deadheads, if you receive a free ticket to a concert, it is called a "miracle" as in Jerry Garcia singing "I need a miracle every day." Well, on this particular day of Obama speaking in California for the first time since being elected 44th President, I needed a miracle!

At first I thought it would be fun to invite a friend (like Obama Mama Juli) but then I realized that while finding one ticket was going to be difficult, finding two tickets would be next to impossible. What if one of us got a ticket and the other did not? That would not have been fun, so I realized that as much as I would have enjoyed having a friend with me on my adventure,I knew that this had to be a solo mission.

So the next day before I took the kids to school, I tried one last time to see if any tickets had been added to Craigslist. Yes, a couple had been added, but my offers were far too low as the highest offer was already up to $420. I knew I could not compete with those prices, so I accepted that I had to go for the miracle.

I dressed in my comfy jeans along with my light blue Obama T-shirt,the Shepard Fairey version with the word "Progress" across the bottom and I grabbed my black cap with the word "Love" on it because I knew I would have to stand in the sun for a long time. I quickly made a sign that on one side said "Just One Ticket! I need a miracle!" and on the other side it said "Hugs for One ticket!". I grabbed my backpack and tap water in in a cool reusable bottle and off I drove to the Miguel Contreras Learning Center in downtown Los Angeles.

When I arrived at the site, I wondered if there would be any others like myself who had the same idea. Would any other aging Deadheads be looking for an Obama miracle? It appeared that I was the only one which made me glad because I didn't want any competition for that extra ticket.

The area was blocked off with security all around. I followed the sign that read "Ticket Holders" to where people had started to line up. I loved the diversity of the people in the crowd, which I know is typical of any Obama event. I began to walk from one end of the line to the other with my sign.

People looked at me curiously and smiled and chuckled. I knew I looked like a crazy woman but I really did not care- I was determined to fulfill my dream of seeing Barack Obama speak in person, and something inside me told me that an extra ticket would turn up.

For about an hour I walked around with my sign which was fun because you could feel the excitement and the energy of the crowd. I walked past all the media to the corner where a protest was being staged about immigration reform. The crowd was very lively and jubilant. They were supportive of Obama. When I walked by one lady looked at my sign and said in a sisterly fashion "Me too, me too" about wanting a ticket.

All the way down on the opposite corner was another protest staged by teachers in opposition to the budget cuts and the 27,000 pink slips that were given out to educators in California. They chanted "Save our teachers!" Along the way, I saw Obama paintings and some Obama T-shirts caught my eye, but there was no time for me to shop because I was focused on getting my miracle.

Ruben from 90.7 FM KPFK (my absolute favorite news station) interviewed me and for some reason I became a little emotional. He asked me what I wanted to say to Obama. I said that there were so many issues that matter to me, that it was difficult for me to pick one. I said that maybe I would ask him if he really believes there is a military solution in Afghanistan. I would ask him if keeping 60,000 soldiers in Iraq is really ending the war. Since the event was occurring on the 6th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, I think that would have been an important topic to discuss. I also said that I would ask Obama what he is going to do to move us to a green sustainable and socially responsible economy. Maybe I would ask him if he would prosecute members of the Bush administration for torture and war crimes, and give the country and the world some closure. But I did not comment on the outrageous AIG bonuses because I had a feeling that is what everyone would be talking about, and meanwhile it has been 6 years since the invasion of Iraq and our soldiers are still dying every day, and if they happen to survive they have other serious wounds both physical and psychological.

After my interview with Ruben, I continued strolling around and at one point a couple of nicely dressed older ladies standing in line called me over and pointed to a man in front of them who was talking on a cell phone, and explained "He has tickets!" They were excited to help me out. I waited until he was off the phone, and he told me that if his friend did not show, I could have his ticket. Hope for me!

As I continued to walk around a lovely young gal named Rachel who had glittery eyes and was wearing a cool hat and funky brown and black striped socks ran up to me and said that if her friend did not show, I could have the extra ticket. She also told me she wanted a hug either way! So of course, we hugged. This was more hope for me. Now 2 people possibly had tickets for me.

However, right after I met sparkly Rachel, the police started to tell me that I had to leave the area where the ticket holders were because it was getting closer to the time when Obama was arriving. Oh no! My hopes were shattered because I would not be able to see Rachel and the cell phone man if I could not be in their area. It appeared that time was running out and my chances were getting slimmer by the second. I was beginning to think that I wouldn't get my miracle afterall.

Right at the moment when I was close to giving up, I looked up and saw a beautiful young lady wearing a USC sweatshirt walking towards me. She saw my sign and calmly said, "Do you need a ticket? I have a ticket for you." I said,"Really? You do?!" And she said "Yes, here you go!" This young lady reminded me of an angel sent from heaven to grant me my wish.

I accepted the ticket and exclaimed "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I felt like Charlie receiving the golden ticket to go inside the chocolate factory. Some people standing nearby who saw what transpired called, "Now you have to give her a hug! Give her a hug!". I threw my arms around her and gave her the hug of my life! In my head, I screamed with joy "I just got a miracle!" I also pondered, who would have thought that going to all of those Grateful Dead shows actually taught me something useful- how to score a tough ticket!!!!

By this time the line had grown exponentially, and practically everyone had seen me walking around with my sign. As my angel Tiffany and I proceeded to walk to the end of the line, I folded up my sign and held up my ticket. The crowd started clapping as I held up my ticket and walked by. Some cheered, "You got one! You got a ticket!" I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as I made my way to the end of the very long line that now snaked around the corner. I felt both elated and relieved that I was holding that golden ticket and would get to see Obama speak in person and thus be a part of history.

So I guess it goes to show that miracles do happen! Stay tuned for Part 2 of my account of the Obama Town Hall Meeting.

Arlington West at Pierce Film Festival

Today as part of the Pierce College Film Festival, artists Peter Dudar and Sally Marr's documentary Arlington West was shown. Arlington West is about the war memorial next to the Santa Monica Pier erected every Sunday by the Veterans for Peace. The film consists of moving interviews of American soldiers and military families who come to the memorial to grieve the loss of their loved ones and to honor those troops who have died in the Iraq war.

There were so many interviews from the film that affected me emotionally. One interview that stands out in my mind is the one with the soldier who tested positive for having depleted uranium in his system. I remember that during the build up to the war that there was a lot of discussion and debate about the U.S. military's practice of coating its missiles in depleted uranium. Whatever happened to that issue? I never hear about it anymore, yet our soldiers are suffering from exposure to depleted uranium.

I was also really struck by the soldier who had a catalogue for anyone to order weapons from. To me, this illustrates the foolishness and danger of the arms trade, as the U.S. continues to produce and provide weapons and military training to countries with brutal regimes who are guilty of human rights abuses.

One more interview that has been haunting me was the soldier who told the story of how he witnessed a small child being blown up by a landmine. It made me feel angry that the United States refuses to sign the Mine Ban Treaty (the Ottawa Treaty, 1999) which bans the production and use of land mines, even though 157 countries have signed the treaty.

Following the film, soldier Agustin Aguayo spoke about his experience in the military and his journey to becoming a conscientious objector. Agustin explained that after he completed his military contract, he was informed by the military that due to the stop-loss policy his contract would be extended.

Agustin also told stories of his comrades dying before his eyes and how he had to place them in body bags. He talked about how he chooses to speak out because of his belief that whether or not you are for or against the war, the public needs to hear from soldiers and hear what the realities of war are.

Sally spoke next and added a few details to Agustin's account, including the fact that the entire time he was in Iraq, he never loaded his gun once. Many in the audience broke out in spontaneous applause at this statement. Also, when he refused to comply with the military's stop-loss policy, Agustin served 7 months in a military prison as a result. Peter asked the audience how many knew what the stop-loss policy is, and called on one student who explained that the military can extend soldiers' contracts beyond the length of time of the original contract.

A particularly moving moment occurred when Peter and Sally invited audience members to share any stories they have about their loved ones who have served or are currently serving in the military. A student raised her hand and through her tears told how she knows someone in the military who is having a very difficult time. Peter responded by giving her a hug.

At another point, Peter asked the audience, "How many of you know about Britney Spears shaving her head?" to which many in the audience raised their hands. He then posed the question, "How many of you know how many soldiers have died in Iraq?" to which it appeared that no one knew the correct answer. Sally asked if anyone knew how many Iraqi people have died as a result of the war, and again, it appeared that no one was quite sure of the answer. I heard some students in the front say, "It's because the media doesn't tell us!".

By the way, according to icasualties.org there have been 4065 reported deaths of U.S. soldiers in the Iraq War. As for how many Iraqi deaths there have been as a result of the U.S. invasion, in October of 2006 John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published a study in the Lancet listing the amount of Iraqi casualties as estimated at 654,965 people. This number is from 2 years ago but since the results of the study indicate that approximately 143,000 deaths per year are occurring as a result of the war, then we can estimate that by now close to a million Iraqis have died.

Sally mentioned another statistic, that 18 veterans a day are committing suicide. That number comes from a recent lawsuit challenging the Department of Veterans Affairs mental health system. According to the April 23, 2008 article "VA faulted in diagnosing suicide candidates" by Bob Egelko of the San Francisco Chronicle, in court testimony an e-mail was revealed written by top VA mental health official, Ira Katz. In this e-mail Katz says that veterans were committing suicide at the rate of 18 per day. The lawsuit asserts that the VA did not provide adequate care to the veterans who committed suicide.

Towards the end of the presentation, one student stood up and made some comments. (I will do my best to paraphrase- I was putting the microphone away so please excuse me if I don't get it exactly right) She reminded the students that bringing back the draft is a real possibility. She referred to Peter and Sally's colorful style of dress and pointed out how the generation of the sixties was motivated to action to stop the Vietnam War, and how they were not silent but spoke out. She said that she wants her generation to take action and do someting to stop the Iraq War. She spoke about how when the Iraq War was just starting, she attended protests in front of the Federal Building on Wilshire in Los Angeles. She wants her generation to do more than socialize on MySpace and Facebook, but to care and take direct action to stop the war in Iraq.

After the presentation, one professor commented that it was difficult not to cry throughout the film which I agreed with. One student asked me for more information regarding the war memorial and the Veterans for Peace. Another student asked Sally and Peter if she could join them at their presentations and speak out against war.

There was a little time for student questions, but not nearly enough, so hopefully we can continue the discussion in the blogosphere.

Feel free to answer any of the following questions:

What is your reaction to the film presentation? Were there any particular interviews that stood out for you? What did you agree with? What did you disagree with? How did the film and panel discussion make you feel? What solutions and alternatives are there to war? Would you support bringing back the draft? Why do military recruiters target poor areas? What role does the media play in shaping the public's view towards war? How can society best help soldiers and their loved ones?

Photo Depicts Violence in Baghdad

Today we looked at a photograph from yesterday's Los Angeles Times depicting the graphic violence occurring in Baghdad. The photo, taken by Karim Kadim of the Associated Press, shows three Iraqi men carrying wounded small children (perhaps toddlers) covered in blood either unconscious or dead. The headline reads "Clashes kill more than 20 in Sadr City" and the subtitle reads "Mortar shells land in residential areas. The deaths of five U.S. troops are reported". The description under the photo reads "Young victims: wounded children are taken to a hospital ...by foot because of a ban on vehicles in the Shiite stronghold, where militiamen are battling Iraqi and U.S. Forces". The photo is found on page 5.

In class we looked at issues surrounding violence in the media and the danger of becoming desensitized. The photo in the Los Angeles Times is an example of one type of violent imagery found in the media. What is your reaction to the photograph?

What Does It Mean to Age Well?

Today we examined Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Stages, and we looked at the life span from birth to death. We considered some common issues for people of all ages, including older adults.

What does it mean to "age well"? How would you define this? Are there things you can be doing now that will help to ensure that you age well?

Does Spirituality Affect Behavior?

Last Tuesday I attended an interesting lecture on Hinduism and Catholicism at Loyola Marymount University. The lecture was given by Daniel L. Smith-Christopher who is a Professor of Old Testament and Director of Peace Studies at Loyola, and also by Graham Schweig who earned his doctorate in Comparative Religion from Harvard University and is currently Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Christopher Newport University in Virginia.

The lecture focused on exploring themes of war and peace found in the Old Testament and also in the Bhagavad Gita, the ancient religious texts used in Christianity and Hinduism.

Professor Smith spoke first, and he immediately stated that in the interest of "full disclosure", he told the audience how he was born a Quaker and was raised a Quaker, and that he emphatically believes that killing is wrong. To a peace activist like myself, this was music to my ears. I looked around and saw many nodding their heads in agreement. Clearly, this was a friendly audience made up of what looked to me like priests, Hindus, peace activists, and yogis. Professor Smith discussed a few stories from the Old Testament, and he made the point that the Old Testament was not intended for ethical instruction or military strategy, but is largely allegorical and symbolic. He also touched upon the "just war" theory, and pointed out that this theory was based more on Roman politics and not on scripture.

Next Professor Schweig spoke about the Bhagavad Gita and how it is a 700 verse subtext of the larger text the Mahabharata, but that the Bhagavad Gita is often read as an independent text. He describesd how in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is the main speaker while Sanjaya is the narrarator. Professor Schweig, who recently published his own translation of the Bhagavad Gita, interpreted many of the individual verses. He explained that one of the main themes found in the Bhagavad Gita surrounds the idea of conflict and how there will always be conflict in the world. He stated that the question is not how do we get rid of conflict but how do we process it? Do we process conflict towards violence or peace? Professor Schweig expressed the idea that conflict is part of humanity learning how to love, and that conflict can lead to either dissolution or resolution.

After both professors spoke, there was time for questions from the audience. The first question came from a man asking the professors to explain the Hindu idea of reincarnation versus the Christian idea of the soul. Professor Schweig said that one difference is that in the reincarnation belief system, we get more than one chance to get it right in that we are not doomed to hell based on one immoral life but get to have another chance in multiple lives. This was contrasted with the Christian idea of having one chance to live a moral life which will determine whether one spends eternity in heaven or hell.

This prompted a couple of women from the audience to raise the idea that there are words in the Bible that hint at the idea of reincarnation, and that because the Bible has been frequently altered and edited by various popes and leaders of the Church over time, that it is difficult to truly rule out the idea of reincarnation in the Christian faith. Professor Smith strongly responded that this is an uphill argument in the Christian fatih.

Another concept that arose during the questions and answers was the sanskrit term ahimsa, which translates to "Harm none" or nonviolence and is a tenet of yogic philosophy. Members in the audience and also both professors clarified that there are different levels of violence and ahimsa asks us to reject all levels of violence. Professor Schweig reminded the audience how we are called to practice ahimsa even at the level of conversation, and that we should strive to speak with others in a nonharmful peaceful way.

This led me to reflect on my own life and the way in which I converse with others including my family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and yes, even in the blogosphere. Am I able to practice ahimsa when conversing with someone I disagree with? Can I clearly voice my views but in a nonviolent way? How about when I am tired and low on patience or angry, do I still practice ahimsa? Truly practicing ahimsa at every level is indeed challenging.

In psychology class we learned that psychology is the study of behavior and mental processes. Attending this lecture has caused me to reflect on the way in which one's spirituality affects one's behavior. In my case, my spiritual beliefs affect every aspect of my life including relationships, career, diet, political beliefs as well as every purchase I make.

My question is: do you believe that one's spiritual beliefs affect one's behavior and if so,in what ways does spirituality affect behavior? Feel free to speak from your own spiritual beliefs and experiences if you like.