Why does someone else refusing to use animals cause you so much personal distress?
Perhaps you are experiencing inner conflict. On the one hand you probably love animals and believe that you’re a good person, but on the other hand, you might be involved in decisions and practices that violate your own personal standards about not harming others.
What is this telling you about yourself and your place in the world?
The presence of Indians, from India, in Fediverse is insignificant as on today. Most of us are happy with X and social media tools from Meta. Even the number of posts from existing users, in India, is very low though many of them seem to be active in the above mentioned social media sites.
What can be done to improve the situation? There are no carrots here.
guys, please start advocating people to get on signal/xmpp/matrix for their own good in this increasingly fascist environment. Even if your friends dont agree, the word needs to get out asap, nothing is a rhetoric anymore. Everyone in this group already has seen whats happening inside and outside our countries and how persecutions are pursued.
We can live ayurvedically and substitute natural, non-dairy milks and cheeses, avocado, raw almonds, and raw tahini for stolen animal breast milk, cheese, butter, and ghee.
In this way, we can experience the benefits of Ayurveda without harming anybody.
Ola's Bhavish Agarwal is on a tirade against linkedin.
People are missing the point. I think the core issue is that linkedin should not delete his comment, even if they dont agree with the contents of it. Bhavish might have a politically incorrect (or correct) take on using pronouns, but either ways its not LinkedIn's job to delete his comment until and unless it runs fouls of government guidelines.
Around 70% of the previously forested Amazonian land has been converted to pastures. Much of the remaining 30% converted to croplands, mostly to grow feed for cows, buffaloes, chickens, pigs, sheep, and other animals who are farmed and killed by humans all over the world.
Plantbased diets for dogs, cats and humans would free up vast amounts of land, allowing rewilding and biodiversity recovery.
What if one simple change could save you from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease? Take a deep dive into the plant-based diet documentary that has influenced millions around the world. Chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes can almost always be prevented—and in many cases reversed—by adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet.
It happened yesterday and today, on Christmas day, I am reading it here.
At least 68 people were killed by an Israeli strike in central Gaza, health officials said Sunday, while the number of Israeli soldiers killed in combat over the weekend rose to 17.
There is no sign that the 2023 Israel–Hamas war will stop soon and peace will prevail on either side.
This was the first time India had backed such a resolution since the war began more than two months ago. India’s vote in favor of the UN resolution demonstrates our concern for the humanitarian situation and, also, our commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.
The resolution was unanimously accepted by the 193-member UN General Assembly during an emergency special session, with 153 states voting in favor, 10 voting against, and 23 abstentions. Unfortunately, this is simply an indication of worldwide sentiment. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding.
This Israel-Hamas conflict is fueling profit machines. Therefore, the war will continue to rage as thousands of civilians are getting killed as collateral damages.
প্রথমে ইউক্রেন-রাশিয়ার যুদ্ধ এবং পরে ইজরায়েল-গাজার যুদ্ধ আমার মনের মধ্যে প্রচন্ড প্রভাব ফেলেছে। আমার জীবদ্দশায় এর আগের যুদ্ধগুলো এতটা আমাকে মানসিকভাবে বিদ্ধস্ত করে নি। ছোটবেলায় ইরান-ইরাক যুদ্ধের কথা বেশ মনে আছে। পরবর্তীকালে ইরাকের সঙ্গে আমেরিকার যুদ্ধেরও খোঁজ-খবর রাখতাম। এরপর আফগানিস্তানে প্রায় দু দশক ধরে বোমাবর্ষণ হলো। এই বিষয় জারলাস্ট হালাইমজাই আফগানিস্তানে এই ক্রমাগত যুদ্ধের জন্য ওনার মেয়েবেলার কষ্টের কথা, যন্ত্রণার কথা লিখেছেন এবং বলেছেন। কিন্তু ওনার বক্তব্য কতজনের মনে দাগ কেটেছে?
কিন্তু ২০২২-২০২৩এ পৌঁছেও আমি দেখলাম যে মানুষ ইতিহাসের পাতায় যেমন আদিম ছিলো, বাস্তবে প্রায় সেরকমই রয়ে গেছে। মানুষ যে এখনো এতটা নৃশংস এবং এতটা বর্বর, সেটা আমার ছোটবেলায় কল্পনার বাইরে ছিলো। হিংস্রতার এই বিভীষিকা দেখার জন্য বিজ্ঞান আর কলায় এই তথাকথিত অগ্রগতি কোন প্রয়োজন ছিলো না। আজ কটা দেশের সরকার শপথ নিয়ে বলতে পারবে যে তারা মানবাধিকারে বিশ্বাস করে এবং সঠিক অর্থে মেনে চলে? একই কথা বলা যায় আন্তর্জাতিক মানবিক আইনের ক্ষেত্রে। ওই আইনকে বুড়ো আঙ্গুল দেখানোটাই বেশি স্বাভাবিক।
অনেক স্তন্যপায়ী প্রাণী নিজেদের প্রজাতিকে নানা কারণে হত্যা করে। কিন্তু মানুষের মতো নির্মম ভাবে গণহত্যা করা তাদের পক্ষে কি সম্ভব?
আমাদের মধ্যে মানবিকতার অভাব বরাবর ছিলো। হয়তো সোশ্যাল মিডিয়ার জন্য সামগ্রিকভাবে মানবিকতা বোধের অভাব আজকাল অনেক বেশী চোখে পড়ছে। তবে আগের তুলনায ইদানিংককাল সম্পর্কগুলি আরও বেশি লেনদেনমূলক হয়ে উঠছে যেখানে লাভই মূল উদ্দেশ্য। এর জন্য অমানবিককরণ কমবে না। আরো বাড়বে। যদিও অমানবিককরণই ভূ-রাজনৈতিক দ্বন্দ্বের একমাত্র কারণ নয়, এটি তাদের বৃদ্ধি এবং স্থায়ীকরণে অবদান রাখবে।
If plants have feelings, stop making them feel bad about their protein. Protein comes from plants. Humans and other animals obtain protein from plants.
Hey #MastIndia, i remember when this hashtag became a thing, a lot of non-sanskrit derivative language users raised a concern that the tag does not represent the whole of india quite well and is north-india-centred.
Are there any other tags except this and #MastodonIndians that we are using to connect with each other?
Dogs are a long-term commitment and a huge responsibility. They depend on you for everything and can be expensive, high-maintenance, messy, and loud. They’re not toys you can put away when you’re done playing with them. They can also make you laugh, keep you company, brighten your day, and fill your heart with unconditional love. If you feel you are ready to make a dog your number one pal, then ADOPT—DON’T BUY
Milk production is directly proportional to beef production. Beef in India does not exist if milk consumption declines.
Maa Ka Doodh: Uncovering A Nation’s Dairy Disaster is an investigative feature-length documentary film about the untold stories behind the success of India’s White Revolution – The World’s Largest Dairy Production and Development Campaign
The global risks due to misinformation and disinformation may be more than that posed by climate-related risks such as the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem collapse.
On 10th January 2024, Global Risks Report 2024 was published. While climate-related hazards remain a prevalent topic, the report identifies misinformation and disinformation as the most serious short-term threat.
According to the report
"foreign and domestic actors alike will leverage misinformation and disinformation to widen societal and political divides" during the next two years. This risk is heightened by a huge number of upcoming elections, with more than 3 billion people expected to vote in 2024 and 2025, including in major economies such as the United States, India, and the United Kingdom. The proliferation of mis- and disinformation around the world may cause civil upheaval, but it may also lead to government-led censorship, internal propaganda, and restrictions on the free flow of information.
Though the climate-related risks represent 5 of the top 10 threats during a 10-year period as the world approaches or crosses "climate tipping points", I believe misinformation and disinformation will continue to be ranked among top three risks much beyond the next two years. There is apparently no short term contingency plans and long term mitigation plans apart from effective role of independent fact-checking organizations. I do not know how these fact-checking organizations can deal with the assault of bad actors using Generative AI (including deepfakes) that will dominantly contribute to misinformation and disinformation by flooding the global information systems with false narratives in future. Misinformation and disinformation will also aggravate climate related risks. According to a research done by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, we have "reached the tipping point where humans are unable to meaningfully differentiate between AI-generated versus human-created digital content." I am convinced that Zero Trust Information is the right paradigm in this age of ChatGPT, Google Bard and Bing chatbot for regular end users.
Journalist Harini Calamur's article titled "Analysis: The Unbearable Risk of Misinformation" is worth reading. She expresses her deep concerns regarding misinformation and highlights the following.> The rise of misinformation and disinformation as a primary global risk underscores the danger it poses to individuals, societies, and economies. It needs to be addressed with the seriousness it deserves.
My tribute to the Primary Caregiver or Homemaker of the House
It is not easy to earn money to bring food on the table for the family and pay the bills.
And it is not at all easier to maintain the house and actually execute to bring the food on the table for the family 24x7x365. This is what the Primary Caregiver or Homemaker of the Indian family relentlessly does till the last day of their life, under normal circumstances, without expecting any returns. A home assistant or a cook may reduce the burden to some extent. But the mind share and the ownership remains with that unconditional commitment to perform the duty even in the absence of a helping hand. Also, under unfavorable health conditions and circumstances, the tasks and the responsibilities usually neither get lighter nor get delegated as long as they is able to stand on their legs.
The situation can actually get worse when the Homemaker seeks a professional career. Now it is akin to moving with two legs on two different boats in a river. For example, recently I got to know of a primary caregiver and a busy anesthetist who had to arrange the pick-up and drop of the child and milk for the aged parents even while in the operation theater. The show has to go on come what may!
Only those who suddenly get plunged to perform this mind-boggling humongous and to a large extent monotonous task, due to mishaps or other unfortunate reasons, realize in no time what the Homemaker was capable of!
The above is based on my observation of Indian society as an Indian who has always lived in India. The same could be true in all other countries and societies.
Recently I came across an article in Mint Lounge where journalist Shrabonti Bagchi shares the following regarding Mastodon.
I do have an account on Mastodon but even signing up for it feels hard and difficult to understand (what are “instances”?). I don’t want to be on Github, I just want my daily dose of LoLs and fights with men’s rights activists.
It is unfortunate and surprising that Shrabonti Bagchi found Mastodon challenging to understand and signup. She is a senior journalist and her opinions will obviously influence readers in India. It seems likely that her ideas on Mastodon are not isolated. I read and appreciate many of her columns or reports on Mint Lounge.
The best analogy of Fediverse, including Mastodon, is email. If we understand Gmail, GMX mail, Proton mail, Tuta mail, Outlook mail, Yahoo mail etc., then we should understand Fediverse. Fediverse is a collection of interconnected servers, also called instances, that run software compatible with a set of open protocols. Isn’t that similar to email?> Fediverse is a common name for social media sites that cooperate instead of competing. One can sign up for just one site, and follow anyone in the world, just like sending them an email.
In my opinion, the sign up process, in any Fediverse instance, is much simpler compared to X, Instagram, Facebook etc. All one needs is a verified email account, username and password. What further simplification is required?
This article also provides excellent clarity regarding what is Fediverse and how it might affect creators. I will be glad to help anybody get started with Fediverse.
In another context, there was a discussion, in recent past, that some members of Indian government suggested taking the extreme measure of blocking Proton due to a hoax bomb threat that were sent through Proton Mail. Finally it did not happen.
I believe that that Meta will not pull out of India and the existing encryption standards of WhatsApp will not change for Indian users. With more than 500 million active users in India, the stakes are too high from either side.
There is no sign that the 2023 Israel–Hamas war will stop soon and peace will prevail on either side.
This Israel-Hamas conflict is fueling profit machines. Therefore, the war will continue to rage as thousands of civilians are getting killed as collateral damages.
I made a mistake here by only stating the economic aspects. The Israel-Hamas war has complex dynamics. It is important to consider the broader political, historical, and ideological factors that drive the Israel-Hamas war in addition to potential financial gains. These factors are interconnected and influence each other.
How can such a situation persist without profits which will be related to ideological, political and financial aspects? The ideological, territorial and political aspects are well documented. Despite the ongoing conflict, there are business and financial benefits for certain industries as mentioned in this article. Additionally, the coastal strip of Gaza and Israeli occupied Palestinian territories sit above sizable reservoirs of oil and natural gas, which offer an opportunity to distribute and share $524 billion among different parties in the region.
The war has caused significant human suffering and loss of life, and, as stated before, it is not appropriate to view it only through an economic lens. It is important to focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict and supporting the humanitarian needs of those affected by the violence. Is war a prelude to peace in this case? In some cases, war can lead to further instability, violence, and suffering, making it difficult to establish a lasting peace. The relationship between war and peace is complex and depends on various factors, including the involvement of international actors, regional dynamics, and the will of the people to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
I conclude this article by quoting Anthony H. Cordesman from his article titled Gaza: Why the War Won’t End (dated 02nd November 2023).> What does seem clear, however, is that both sides now have no good options that will bring lasting peace or stability. Israel will almost certainly be able to contain Gaza and seriously weaken Hamas. At best, Israel can use force to occupy and control Gaza but never be accepted by Gaza’s population and able to offer successful development or a decent life. Israel’s actions have also, however, sharply increased Gazan, Palestinian, and Arab hostility to Israel and undermined the sympathy and support it gained after the initial invasion by Hamas. The best outcome from Israel’s current offensive seems all too likely to leave Israel either as at least a partial occupier of a hostile Gaza or create and maintain a far larger set of security barriers that may have to extend well beyond the present border and require a much larger forward-deployed security force.
As for Hamas, some three weeks after its attack, it was still unclear what its strategic objective was in launching an attack whose very success was certain to provoke a massive Israeli military response without achieving any clear strategic gains for Hamas. Given its long history of defeats in previous fighting, Hamas had to realize that Israel’s almost inevitable violent response might limit or end the progress made in improving Arab-Israeli relations and the Abraham Accords; and it had to realize the result would sharply weaken or destroy Hamas and lead to massive damage to the civil population in Gaza. To quote Henry Kissinger in a very different context, “The threat of committing suicide is not an adequate deterrent to being murdered.”