Somethin' About The Chase...
I have a stance that may not be popular with my fellow vegans...but fuck 'em (that could also be read as "butt-fuck 'em"), ya know?
I have no qualms with using cruelty-free/ethically harvested items such as feathers. What do I mean by cruelty-free/ethically harvested? Mass produced feathers are as a result of either by-products from factory farming or, in the case of roosters as of late due to a fashion trend, the birds are killed solely for their feathers. That is not cool in my books. However, birds naturally molt their feathers, much like we and other mammals shed hair/fur. I have no problems with naturally molted feathers being used. I recently stumbled upon a beautiful large crow/raven feather which I wanted to turn into an earring. I tried, and failed (hahaha), so I will probably use it in an art piece I've been working on (I would have tried again as an earring, but, much to my dismay, I slightly damaged the follicle). I feel I was meant to find that feather and, in a sense, it was gifted to me to do with as I please. Perhaps that's a very hippie approach or old school Native American. Regardless, I've always felt that way. When I was little, my Dad found a porcupine that had been killed by a car. It was in amazingly good condition so he got a local Native artist to do as he wished with it. He dyed some of the quills and made me earrings. :) Again, I see nothing wrong with that because the death happened as a result of an accident, not intentionally for harvesting purposes.
I found this Etsy seller who makes beautiful earrings from molted feathers courtesy of their pet and rescued birds. While I don't agree with people keeping birds as pets, it's going to continue to happen. Plus, they have free-range birds and ones that were rescued so I don't feel bad about it.
In other news, I got silicone cutlets to go in bras. So, as though that's not embarrassing enough for me, the charming cashier at Walmart proceeds to scan them (it wasn't the only thing I bought, keep in mind), put them in the bag, pauses, takes them out of the bag...and starts squeezing them for awhile. I shit you not. I'm standing there awkwardly with a "WTF? Should I leave you alone with those for a few minutes so you can jerk off?" look on my face and I say, "Uh...'kay...the total?" so he snaps out of it. Fucking. Weirdo. I didn't know what to do or say and I'm not sure if I should call them to be like, "Listen, you need to talk to the perv cashier," or just leave it be.
I have no qualms with using cruelty-free/ethically harvested items such as feathers. What do I mean by cruelty-free/ethically harvested? Mass produced feathers are as a result of either by-products from factory farming or, in the case of roosters as of late due to a fashion trend, the birds are killed solely for their feathers. That is not cool in my books. However, birds naturally molt their feathers, much like we and other mammals shed hair/fur. I have no problems with naturally molted feathers being used. I recently stumbled upon a beautiful large crow/raven feather which I wanted to turn into an earring. I tried, and failed (hahaha), so I will probably use it in an art piece I've been working on (I would have tried again as an earring, but, much to my dismay, I slightly damaged the follicle). I feel I was meant to find that feather and, in a sense, it was gifted to me to do with as I please. Perhaps that's a very hippie approach or old school Native American. Regardless, I've always felt that way. When I was little, my Dad found a porcupine that had been killed by a car. It was in amazingly good condition so he got a local Native artist to do as he wished with it. He dyed some of the quills and made me earrings. :) Again, I see nothing wrong with that because the death happened as a result of an accident, not intentionally for harvesting purposes.
I found this Etsy seller who makes beautiful earrings from molted feathers courtesy of their pet and rescued birds. While I don't agree with people keeping birds as pets, it's going to continue to happen. Plus, they have free-range birds and ones that were rescued so I don't feel bad about it.
In other news, I got silicone cutlets to go in bras. So, as though that's not embarrassing enough for me, the charming cashier at Walmart proceeds to scan them (it wasn't the only thing I bought, keep in mind), put them in the bag, pauses, takes them out of the bag...and starts squeezing them for awhile. I shit you not. I'm standing there awkwardly with a "WTF? Should I leave you alone with those for a few minutes so you can jerk off?" look on my face and I say, "Uh...'kay...the total?" so he snaps out of it. Fucking. Weirdo. I didn't know what to do or say and I'm not sure if I should call them to be like, "Listen, you need to talk to the perv cashier," or just leave it be.