Well, this week has been kind of rough.
Apart from the cold that has devastated Brazil for the last week and destroyed many crops that have already had an impact on the market. Milk has shot up in price, from R$2.70/lt to R$3.30/lt because cattle feed has gone up in price. I ask myself, why don’t they feed the cows on grass? Grass doesn’t go up in price.
The major upset this week, was the unexpected death of Lixo, my cat. He was poisoned, along with the neighbour’s fox terrier. You can read my post RIP, my Friend for the full story.
Lixo was AWOL for three days, then on Saturday, I heard the news.
My little furball rubbish (Lixo is Portuguese for rubbish) has been recycled. He is buried along with Herbie under a small palm tree that my neighbour grew from seed in the praça he loved so much.
It was with tears that I cleaned up Kitty Korner for the last time.
I remain hopeful; all my cats have come from the street, so it won’t be long before another comes along, that I can repurpose.
Click on the banner for the full post
This week’s CTWW, is about the Tar sands oil pipeline, an important issue, not only for the USA, but globally.
Choose any of the petitions found HERE (or choose a cause specific to your area) and take action.
Contact your public officials via letter, email or phone regarding your environmental concerns.
Because of the anonymity I maintain on the net, I will not be signing petitions, but I will spread the word and urge all my readers.
My reason for anonymity is not cowardice, for those of you who have known my blogs over the years will be aware that because I am outspoken in many areas; an attempt to be anonymous is a case of self preservation. My blogs have already been wiped once, and I don’t want to lose all my work again. Just because I am in Brazil, doesn’t mean that I am immune from NSA; it turns out that Brazil has the highest rate of eavesdropping by NSA in Latin America, and Brazilians are not at all happy about this.
The world is changing, and it is not for the better.
Eco-Crap 
Posted by roughseasinthemed on July 31, 2013 at 10:44 am
Of course if people didn’t drink milk in the first place/didn’t eat animals, life would be a lot cheaper. Maybe. Until big business worked out a way to exploit everything as usual. What else did you expect a vegetarian to say.
Why feed cattle on sheeps brains? The answer is always the same. Money.
I’ve already written about Lixo. We’d like another street dog as a compañero for Pippa, but as with everything else in Spain these days, even dogs don’t seem to be getting thrown out.
And the other thing to add to your list, is use less energy. It’s not exactly difficult.
I commented about NSA on someone else’s blog. I’ve got to be a prime target. I’m an admitted feminist, socialist, environmentalist, animal rights supporter, vegetarian and any other whacky left-wing view you can think of. Oh and I’m obviously atheist. And anti-war. And against invading other countries under farcical premises to steal their oil.
So what’s the NSA going to do though? Shoot me? In Gibraltar? I think they have more important things to worry about. Not that they are very good at what they do from what I can see but that’s a different matter.
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Posted by argentumvulgaris on July 31, 2013 at 1:23 pm
>rough, you are right, that eventually big business would find a way. I try using less energy, the power bill came today, I used 14% less than last month; but I also try to stick with products that use less energy to make.
Any mention of the NSA can bring you to their attention. You’re certainly more ‘ist’ than me, although I do share some of them, and I have spoken out about them.
Too many activists and whistleblowers are just conveniently disappearing. While we hear about the obvious like Snowden and Manning, the political reading I do shows it to be a global daily event from US to Cambodia.
AV
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Posted by Lottie Nevin on July 31, 2013 at 11:24 am
AV, I’m a bit behind with my comments etc, my apologies. I echo Ms Rough’s sentiments and again, I”m so sad for you about Lixo.
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Posted by argentumvulgaris on July 31, 2013 at 1:24 pm
>Lottie, comments are always welcome whenever they come. I am late replying sometimes, so I can’t complain.
AV
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Posted by smallftprints on July 31, 2013 at 11:45 am
I’m so sorry about Lixo … I’ve written my thoughts on your other post! 😦 Over the years, I’ve gone back and forth about signing petitions. I worried about it at first and thought that speaking out would get my name on a list … and that wouldn’t be a good thing. But then I decided that if I don’t speak out, then I can’t have any expectations that things will change … the “big guys” will have won. So I sign them, I write letters and I speak out via my blog and social networks. I do so respectfully and I don’t break any laws … but I tell my officials what I want. Perhaps I’m on a list … I don’t know. But I can’t let that threat hold me hostage. I do respect your decision not to sign a petition and understand your position.
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Posted by argentumvulgaris on July 31, 2013 at 1:27 pm
>Small, already read and replied to your thoughts, thanks. You are right about the big guys winning, my view is that I can spread the word better by staying here. I have said before that any environmental blogger is on a list somewhere with some degree of seriousness. Thanks for understanding.
AV
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Posted by livingsimplyfree on July 31, 2013 at 12:24 pm
I am so sorry to hear about Lixo. I hope you find another cat to adopt soon. I didn’t realize you had your blogs wiped out for speaking out. But glad you haven’t stopped speaking your mind.
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Posted by argentumvulgaris on July 31, 2013 at 1:31 pm
>lsf, yes, all my blogging on 15 blogs from 2004-2011 got wiped out. Strange that it happened a few hours after a particularly nasty attack on Monsanto, my fifth. Everything google just went ‘away’. I was never even given the satisfaction of an explanation from the google bastards. I am a little more circumspect today, but I still speak on issues.
AV
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Posted by argentumvulgaris on August 8, 2013 at 5:58 am
>Alex, I have come to respond to your comment, but it isn’t here…
AV
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