Lenten season underway in the Borderland

LAS CRUCES, N.M - The Lenten season is underway and Catholics are preparing for 40 days of abstaining and fasting.

Deacon David McNeill with the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces says lent is a time to reflect.

"During lent, we use the time to take stock of ourselves, how we're living our lives and do things that will help us to become more spiritual," Deacon McNeill said.

Deacon McNeill says during lent, which begins Ash Wednesday, Catholics model the way several incidents in the Bible happened. Mainly when Christ prepared for his public light when he fasted in the desert. The Bible states Jesus Christ spent 40 days and fasting in the desert before his public ministry. Catholics essentially spend the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday imitating Christ.

A large way Catholics model Christ and the Bible is by fasting and abstaining. Deacon McNeill says fasting is when Catholics eat only the equivalent of two meals. The only two days of fasting during lent are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Abstaining from meat on Fridays is another way Catholics observe lent. Deacon McNeill says on Fridays during lent season, Catholics should not eat the meat of warm-blooded animals including lamb and cattle. They are allowed to eat fish, which is a symbol of Jesus Christ.

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, meat was associated with celebrations and feasts and was considered a luxury in some cultures. They add, "while fish, lobster and other shellfish are not considered meat and can be consumed on days of abstinence, indulging in the lavish buffet at your favorite seafood place sort of misses the point. Abstaining from meat and other indulgences during lent is a penitential practice."

"The idea of doing that is that self-denial that's the sacrifice that helps us to improve our spiritual life," Deacon McNeill said.

Deacon says there are fine lines and exceptions to fasting and abstaining.

"Abstaining from meat means that you don't eat the meat but you can cook in things like lard or chicken soup, is the juices but not the meat, so you could eat that."

There are also times when people have special needs and are excused.

"If they have an illness and they eat meat everyday obviously that would take precedence over the abstinence rules."

Deacon McNeill also says young children and adults over 59 are excluded because children need the sustenance in order to grow and those older than 59 need to keep their health on track.

He adds giving something up for lent isn't necessarily good. He says the sacrifice should be used to do good.

"The idea of lent is internal spirituality, looking at how we live our lives and staying asking ourselves what can I do to live better the way Christ would want me to live? So for a long time it wasall about, "well I'm giving up something," which really doesn't work because most of the things are things that "make us fat" or things that we know we shouldn't be drinking so much, and that's not spiritual, that's cosmetic. So rather than worry about what I'm giving up, the question should be what am I doing to make myself better."

Deacon McNeill says one example would be giving up cigarettes.

"It's not a spiritual excercise. If you take the money that you would've used to buy cigarettes and give it to the poor, that changes that aspect. So we tend to look more at the positive side of what we do to help others to change ourselves so we're more Christian."

The Lenten season ends Easter Sunday.

Read more from the original source:

Catholics change diet, practice fasting during lenten season - KVIA El Paso

Remastered from tapes distributed only within her ashram community, some of Alice Coltranes rarest material will soon be available for the first time ever. In 1983, Coltrane founded the 48-acre Sai Anantam Ashram just outside of Los Angeles, where she would continue to write, record and release songs with(in) the community until her death in 2007.

David Byrnes Luaka Bop label is readying the first release of those recordings dating from 1982-1995 remastered by jazz giant engineer Baker Bigsby (Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and others) for the first installment of the labels new series on spirituals from around the world. According to a press release, the compilation features some Coltranes first vocal work.

Hear the first offering from the Luaka Bops forthcoming Alice Coltrane compilation along with the fulltrack list below. Pre-order your copy ofWorld Spirituality Classics, Volume 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitanandaon iTunes today ahead of its official May 5th release.

Track List: 01 Om Rama 02 Om Shanti 03 Rama Rama 04 Rama Guru 05 Hari Narayan 06 Journey to Satchidananda 07 Er Ra 08 Keshnava Murahara 09 Krisha Japaye * 10 Rama Katha *

* vinyl only

Continue reading here:

Alice Coltrane's First Vocal Work Featured on Forthcoming Luaka Bop Compilation of Ashram Recordings - Okayplayer (blog)

The Delhi government has raised questions over the ownership of the land where Aurobindo Ashram, Mirambika School and Mothers International schools are built. They have also found that the society has encroached upon the government land.

Following this, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who is also Delhis education minister, has asked the district magistrate to conduct a survey of the land owned by Shri Aurobindo Education Society (SAES) by March 8.

The society is in possession of 30 acres of land at Aurobindo Marg in South Delhi.

In the inspection report submitted by the Delhi Development Authority, it has come to our notice that the society has not submitted ownership documents of the land. Also, instead of having separate boundary for the ashram, Mothers International and Mirambika School as per the government rule, the three institutions have just one boundary. There are portions of land within this boundary that belong to the government. This is encroachment, said a government official.

Sisodia has written a letter on this issue to the divisional commissioner and secretary education. HT is in possession of the letter, which states, The DDA has stated that it has no record of how much land has been in possession of the society. Give a detailed report on how and when the possession of government-owned land got transferred to Aurobindo Ashram.

The official said that these irregularities came to light after parents moved court against Mirambika School in 2015. The parents had opposed the school managements decision in April 2015 to shift children from the original school premises, for which recognition was given in 1988.

Read more

The 36-year-old Mirambika Free Progress School is at present running from a building above a kitchen and adjacent to a grocery store within the Aurobindo shram area. It was in July 2015 the school was first shifted to this space, after first shifting the children inside the Ashram in April 2015.

The SAES had shifted the school saying that the land was allotted to build an engineering college and not a school. But the government said that the Delhi Development Authority was aware that instead of a college a free progress school was started.

If the society does not have ownership papers, it is clear that the entire construction is unauthorised, because the MCD does not give sanction for building plans which has been captured, said the official.

The chairman of the SAES and the head of the two schools did not respond to phone calls, text messages and email sent by HT.

Earlier, the government has asked for a CBI investigation in this case after it found several discrepancies in the affidavit submitted to the Delhi High Court, which was also withdrawn.

Read more here:

Mirambika row: Government questions land ownership of schools ... - Hindustan Times

So far, 2017 has been a big year for the Impossible Burger, also known as the burger that bleeds. Earlier this year, the meat-free patty had meat-eaters, vegans, and vegetarians lining up outside of Momofuku Nishi in hopes of getting a taste of its hyper-realistic goodness. The popularity of the burger led to it being added to three additional New York locations. Since the burgers debut in 2016, it has also been featured on the menus of several California-based restaurants. This was great news for foodies in New York in California (and for anyone willing to travel for food), but for anyone not in the surrounding area, there was no easy way to satisfy their burger-curiosity until now.

According to Mic, the Impossible Burger is soon going to make its debut at several locations across the United States in the organic burger joint, Bareburger. The Impossible Burger will be served on a brioche bun with stout onions, dill pickles, cheese, and the chains special sauce, but if you are avoiding dairy, the chain allows you to customize your toppings.

Oh, and did we mention that the burger will be served medium-rare? If youve never heard of the Impossible Burger until now, there is a reason that people are calling it the burger that bleeds. Developed by plant-based food company Impossible Foods, the Impossible Burger patty is made from textured wheat protein, potato protein, coconut oil, and heme, an iron-rich compound that gives the burger its realistic, meaty flavor. These ingredients create a burger that sears like a beef patty, right down to the crispy, browned exterior and juicy pink interior.

While the burger is on the menu of several high-end restaurants, this will be the first time ever that it is available ina chain.The burger will first be making its debut at the downtown NYC Bareburger location March 2nd, 2017, followed by other New York locations. After this, the burger will be available at other Bareburger restaurants.

Given the burgers meat-like texture and flavor, its no wonder its been called the future of food. With more people choosing to leave meat off the menu due to health and environmental concerns, innovative plant-based options are swooping in to fill that demand. This is great news considering global demands for protein are at an all-time high and only stand to grow with the population sadly, this is coming largely at great cost tothe environment and animals. Providing hearty and healthy plant-based protein alternatives in a chain venue, like Bareburger means that more people can have access to options that are better for them and the planet as well. It certainly seems like thetimes are changing and the future of food is, no doubt, vegan.

Lead image source: Bareburger

Visit link:

The Vegan Impossible Burger is Hitting a US Burger Chain For the First Time Ever - One Green Planet

A Georgia woman was arrested Wednesday after she reportedly slammed into a chicken truck, fled and then told officers who tracked her down that she hit the vehicle because she was a vegan.

The investigation began when a truck driver told police he was traveling west on Highway 72 when a red four-door car hit his truck twice, WXIA-TV reported.

The unidentified truck driver called police as the car fled. Madison County deputies found the cars license plate in debris left in the wake of the crash. They were able to track the cars owner to Comer, Georgia, where they found the vehicle and a driver matching the drivers vague description.

The woman, identified as 26-year-old Judith Armstrong, refused to come out of her house unless deputies secured a warrant. But, she did speak with them through the windows and explained what happened.

Authorities said Armstrong faces charges of hit-and-run, aggressive driving, driving under the influence, and obstruction. It was unknown if shes represented by an attorney and bond information was not immediately available.

During questioning, Armstrong admitted being involved in an accident and fled for fear of what would happen to her license. She also told officers she hit the truck because she was vegan.

In addition, she denied having alcohol before making the drive but claimed to have taken a couple of shots when she arrived home.

Officers eventually obtained a warrant and she surrendered to police. She was tested for alcohol consumption and blew a .089, which is over the legal limit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Read this article:

Woman allegedly tells police she crashed into chicken truck because she's vegan - Fox News

If you peruse the Akashic record made up of our Twitter timelines or watch the Trews, youd think there was no love lost between Donald Trump and British comic and actor Russell Brand. Trump trashed Brands stand-up nearly three years ago, while Brand has examined the rise of nationalism since the former reality-show host first announced his presidential bid. That may be the case today, but there was a time when Trump was so eager to impress Brand that he basically offered him Muhammad Alis heavyweight championship belt. The comedian tells First We Feasts Sean Evans the story of being invited up to Trump Tower while dining on vegan wings in this Hot Ones clip the A.V. Club is exclusively premiering.

Brand does more jawing than chewing in this clip, which might be why he doesnt end up in tears over his spicy meal. But maybe the capsicum gets the best of him at some other point in the show.

Submit your Newswire tips here.

Previous Newswire James Mangold says hes working on a black-and-white version of Logan

Read the original post:

Russell Brand dishes on Trump while eating vegan wings in this Hot Ones exclusive - A.V. Club

Its crucially important that we educate the public about vegan health and nutrition.

Indeed, one of the stumbling blocks we face as advocates is when were occassionaly confronted with someone who genuinely believes that its necessary to consume animal products. Our conventional wisdom maintaining that its wrong to inflict unnecessary suffering and death should, on its own, lead any rational mind to a realisation that this means veganism. The problem occurs when, for whatever reason, your interlocutor genuinely believes that animal products are required for good health. In those situations, its important that we demystify that idea so that the rational, wisdom-based argument for veganism can really take effect and make an impact. If people believe consuming animal products is necessary from a health perspective, they are unlikely to be affected by a rational argument focusing on a universal rejection of unnecessary suffering.

What we should never do, however, is make vegan nutrition the sole focus of our advocacy where humans and not animals become the direct beneficiaries of becoming vegan. In doing so we simply make veganism about us, and not a recognition of fundamental rights. We continue to value non-fundamental human interests over fundamental animal interests. Animals become indirect beneficiaries, they remain otherised, with humans remaining the centre of concern. This may make those humans feel better about themselves, but in not recognising veganism as something we owe animals directly irrespective of the benefits to us the underlying speciesism that results in normalised animal use in the first place is not challenged.

Vegan atheletes have a habit of perpetuating this notion. Usually coupled with some vague reinstatement of conventional welfarist ideology, they talk about how veganism has benefitted them the animals remaining a sideline issue. A recent example of this involves vegan boxer, David Haye. In a recent interview with The Sun,Haye talks about how he switched to a plant-based diet after being injured. He wanted to find the best [diet] to heal muscles and all roads kept leading back to a plant-based diet. Aside from portraying veganism as a mere dietary choice, he passes off the cessation of his own exploitation of animals as nothing but an added benefit of his diet. It simply made it easier to switch. Not only that, he perpetuates the welfarist notion that animals only care about not suffering by maintaining that the horrible way animals are treated helped him stick to his diet.

Haye maintains that he feels better than ever and looks and feels younger too. But that doesnt stop him portraying veganism as something thats only for the real Spartans amongst us: I have a full-time chef and a good nutritionist who makes sure I get all the minerals and nutrients required, which isnt easy in a plant-based diet. When we celebrate and promote Haye as some kind of vegan icon, were normalising his nonsensical and irresponsible positions. Were indirectly promoting the idea that veganism is difficult and that in order to be a healthy vegan, it requires a personal chef and nutritionalist. So not only does Haye neglect to portray veganism as something we owe to animals, he also makes it sound dangerous for anyone who isnt a professional athelete with all kinds of sponsorship.

He signs off his Sun interview by making a joke at the expense of veganism and subsequently, the animals. He says that he doesnt like to ram it down peoples throats and embraces a well known stab at vegans: How do you know if someone is a vegan because they never stop talking about being vegan! Thats right, Haye. When you recognise that we have no moral justification for exploiting animals and that the subjugation of sentient beings is not a matter of personal choice, you realise that veganism isnt about us. Its about respecting rights that we violate by treating animals as resources and assuming them to be things.

For Haye, veganism is nothing but a vessel for self promotion and adulation. For the sake of the animals relying on us to advocate clearly and unequivocally, we should pay no attention nor give any credence to the positions of these athletes who are, at the end of the day interested in nothing but their own careers. Hayes speciesism is clear, as is the normalisation of that speciesism through our promotion of him as a so-called voice for veganism.

Photo from The Sun

See the original post:

False Heroism In Vegan Athletes David Haye - Ecorazzi

Deutsche Welle

Living Planet: The vegan challenge Deutsche Welle Using public transport, recycling and turning off the lights all help us be more environmentally friendly. But do these actions go far enough? As part of DW's #HowGreenAmI series, Louise Osborne tried being vegan for one week to see how green she could ...

Read more here:

Living Planet: The vegan challenge - Deutsche Welle

A group of six students gathered in Market Central Wednesday night, not for a chicken patty or stir-fry bowl, but for a conversation with the chefs.

The students came for the second meeting of the Vegan and Vegetarian Collective, a group of Pitt students as well as Pitt Dining and Sodexo staff dedicated to furthering the available vegan and vegetarian options in University dining halls. At the meeting Wednesday, two chefs, six students and three Sodexo employees engaged in a conversation about what vegan options were working as well as those that werent in Market Central.

While the Pitt Dining staff set aside two long tables for the event, only half a table filled up, as fewer students showed up than they expected. According to Nick Goodfellow, Sodexo sustainability coordinator and a 2015 Pitt graduate, Pitt Dining hosted the first meeting for the collective this past January in the William Pitt Union, which drew in 60 students. So on Wednesday Goodfellow made sure to ask the students, What happened?

Multiple students replied saying it was most likely due to the midterm period keeping students busy. Despite the low turnout, the students there were determined to hold the meeting anyway.

They began by asking for more legume-based dishes, more meatless dishes outside of the Tutto Fresco station as well as readily available vegan dishes instead of made-to-order dishes.

Goodfellow jotted down each of the students suggestions and criticisms into his notebook, which had a sticker that read Im a food warrior on the back cover.

Goodfellow said in the future, the dining staff plans on continuing meatless Mondays, adding unsweetened soy milk to Market and selling dairy-free yogurt at the Oakland Bakery.

Executive Chef Chris Cox, spoke at the meeting, announcing some of the changes Market has attempted in the past semester like adding distinct cooking surfaces for vegan dishes. He said recently the cooking staff received complaints that only one cooking surface was available at the 360 Degrees grill.

Somebodys whos vegan doesnt want to eat food cooked off the same surface [as the meat], Cox said.

In response, Cox said the staff purchased a cooking surface to prepare tofu scramble in the mornings, separate from where they prepare normal breakfast bowls, which include eggs and bacon.

The students in attendance shared that they were excited about efforts like this, but had other requests as well. Sage Lincoln a senior majoring in ecology, urban studies and geology said she wished Market offered more protein options for vegans.

A slab of polenta is not very nutrient rich, Lincoln said.

On the whole, however, Lincoln said Pitts dining has vastly improved since she was a first-year student. When she started at Pitt, she said the vegan choices were slim, so she often had to ask the staff to cook specially for her. Today, she said she loves getting swiped in.

Now theres better labeling, more options in general, higher awareness and sensitivity to [being vegan], but theres always more that can be improved, Lincoln said.

Change has come in chunks since Lincolns first year. According to Goodfellow, the collective existed two years ago as a student-run group, but after those students graduated, nobody strived to keep it moving.

It fell apart, Goodfellow said.

Since then, students have banded together to reform the collective. Cecilia Oliveros, a senior studying economics and environmental studies and a vegan, began working as a sustainability intern for Sodexo this year and decided she wanted to see the collective working again, this time more closely run by dining services.

What we wanted to do with this, when we started the collective, was make it a Sodexo-run thing, Oliveros said. So that after a student leaves, it doesnt fade away.

Goodfellow said in the future, Sodexo and the collective want to include non-vegan students who are interested in healthier eating.

Anybody is welcome to come not just people who are eating a vegan or vegetarian diet, but people who are interested in maybe eating less meat, or just want to learn more about it, Goodfellow said.

At the end of the meeting, a few students stuck around to grab some grilled vegetables and chat. Lincoln said before she left that the collective had empowered a lot of students with alternative diets on campus.

I think a lot of vegans and vegetarians had experiences that werent being addressed because they werent coming together or realizing that they could advocate for change and that people would be receptive to their needs, Lincoln said.

printPrint

More here:

Vegan collective brings new dishes to Market menu - University of Pittsburgh The Pitt News

If youre looking for a relaxing, music-filled evening youre in luck.

Canmore based singer-songwriter duo Raven & The Fox will be bringing their love-inspired mountain music to Good Earth Cafe, March 4 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Sean Isaac, the guitarist half of Raven & The Fox, said the duo met local musician Renee Werenka while performing at Tedx in Camore and were inspired to come to Airdrie.

Weve never played in Airdrie before, said Isaac, who added the band has been together for the past three years.

Werenka and fellow Airdrian Dwight McCormick will be opening the show.

Isaac is joined by the bands other half, Julie Chang, who graces his acoustic guitar riffs with her smooth, sultry vocals. The group has performed coast to coast and will be releasing a full length album sometime this year.

Our music has its roots in folk, he said. We call it love inspired mountain music. The lyrics are inspired by mountains and love.

He said everyone is welcome to attend the show.

Its a great way to kick your Saturday night off, said Isaac. Its relaxing music, its engaging music.

Admission is by donation.

For more information visit http://www.theravenandthefox.com/

The rest is here:

Raven & The Fox coming to Good Earth Cafe - Airdrie Echo