Banner Credits » V for Vegan: easyVegan.info

Banner Credits

About

easyVegan.info began eons ago, when my husband purchased the domain for me as a x-mas gift, in a then-failed attempt to encourage me to start a blog. Though he eventually won out, I grew tired of the blog’s name and domain after a few years, particularly as the blog evolved from a place to crosspost action alerts, to a repository of my own writings on animal rights, feminism, laguage, pop culture and intersectionality. Rather than purchase a new domain and up and move the website – which would be a huge pain in the ass – I ultimately decided that a face lift was in order.

In place of the old www.easyVegan.info banner (which I quite liked, don’t get me wrong, all plainness aside), I created a series of banners – 77 at last count – comprised of a photo or piece of artwork, upon which is superimposed a single word or, in several cases, a short phrase. Each of these words was chosen to represent a theme, quality, or perspective found on easyVegan.info – the most important being “Vegan” (hence the new title of the blog: “V for Vegan”…followed by “easyVegan.info” for good measure). Likewise, the graphics with which they’re juxtaposed are meant to reflect and reinforce these themes, in some cases (e.g., Feminist, No. 1; Herbivore); while in others they provide stark contrast for added emphasis (e.g., Compassion, Nos. 1 and 2; Uncaged). A few of the word/graphic combos, I couldn’t resist throwing in for quirky comic relief (I’ll let you take a stab at those). I’ve tried my very best to represent all the letters of the alphabet, but as of this writing haven’t been able to find an appropriate word or concept for “X.”

Fans of the Wachowski brothers and astute observers may have noticed that I’ve included not one, but two graphics from V for Vendetta, even though the film doesn’t so much as mention animal rights or even veganism (alliterations be damned). V for Vendetta is one of my favorite movies (top twenty, maybe? ten?; fans of Alan Moore’s graphic novel may scoff that the film is unnecessarily heavy-handed and over-the-top, and perhaps it is – but I cherish it, as well as the novelization, just the same), and it’s from the story’s title that I eked out easyVegan.info’s new name, “V for Vegan.” With all the v-words in Vendetta – The Man from Room V, Evey, Valerie, vendetta, violence, vicissitude, victory – I always thought it wrong that “vegan” (or even “vegetarian”) never made the cut. A truly radical revolution must include non-human animals as well as their human counterparts. In keeping with the spirit of Vendetta, the first letter of each word sits in a circle, still dripping wet with spray paint.

While most of the word/graphic choices are self-explanatory, I’ve commented on a few of them where appropriate. You can find my commentary, along with the original images and photo credits, below. My commentary, should there be any, appears above the banner, while the credits follow the thumbnail of the original image.

In order to strike a workable balance between efficiency and variety, the banner display is random and set to automatically rotate every 90 minutes. Since some of the banners aren’t safe for work (and rely on cookies), there’s a “Reload Banner” button located above the Search box and button in the right-hand sidebar, so that users can force a rotation as needed (or desired).

All that said, should you have any suggestions for “X,” please send them my way!

Abolition

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: NOAH – Torture

null

Original image via meganpru on Flickr: Animal Rights Collage view 2

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meganpru/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Anthrozoology

null

Original image via smiteme on Flickr: 2008-08-24 – Powell Gardens [FlickrSet] – 0053

null

Original image via etrusia_uk_(away) on Flickr: Gorilla’s Eyes

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/e_phots/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

As in, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Or, more simply, just be.

null

Original image via etrusia_uk_(away) on Flickr: Sky High Chimpanzee

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/e_phots/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Beauty

null

Original image via cotinis on Flickr: Black Rat Snake

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcoin/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Bitch

As always, I use the term “bitch” not in an insulting manner, but as a term of respect: bitches get shit done. Along with “cunt,” I’m all about reclaiming the term – not using it as a weapon against other women.

Or against other animals: any project of reclamation must include the literal subjects of the word, as well – namely, our canine sisters.

It’s for this reason that I chose a photo not just of a woman doing good, but of a woman doing good by her dog friend, to illustrate the concept.

I should note that I’ve neither a clue to the gender of the masked liberator nor to the dog she’s holding. But, given that they both appear somewhat androgynous (particularly in the cropped version of the photo), coupled with my inability to find a more suitable image, let’s just imagine, shall we?

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Behind the Mask

Promotional poster for the 2006 documentary Behind the Mask; all rights reserved by Uncaged Films

Child

null

Original image via Steve9091 on Flickr: Mother and Child

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ststeve/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Children

null

“Brave survivors of the “Big Ditch Levee” rescue arrive at Farm Sanctuary New York!”

Original image via Farm Sanctuary on Flickr: Piglets!

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/farmsanctuary1/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Compassion, No. 1

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Animals Asia – Moon Bear 1

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Animals Asia – Moon Bear 2

As with “bitch,” my use of “cunt” is always in the spirit of reclaiming the term. To me, it’s a sign of respect, admiration, sisterhood and female power.

What better image to represent this concept, then (and to signify both my feminism and veganism), than a Venus Flytrap?

null

Original image via RogerB on Flickr: Jaws

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roger/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Cunt, No. 2

null

Original image via DrWurm on Flickr: Venus Flytrap Dentate?: Teeth

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drwurm/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Deconstruct

null

Original image via marie-ii on Flickr: ‘Horse power’ by Zadok Ben-David (2003)

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grrrl/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Dismantle

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: PETA India (Sheryl Lee)

null

Original image via Opo_Terser on Flickr: Anterior Median and Anterior Lateral Eyes of a Phidippus princeps Jumping Spider

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7539598@N04/ / CC BY 2.0

Earth

null

Original image via smiteme on Flickr: 2006-12-15 – KC-Artspace-Cryptozoology-0022

null

Original image via MrClean1982 on Flickr: Sideways

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrclean/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Educate

null

Original image via smiteme on Flickr: 2007-01-13 – Currently Reading – 0003

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: NASA – The Blue Marble

Licensed for private use by NASA

Equality

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Super Bock Abadia Rubi – Game

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Animal Liberation – Mascara

null

“New Orleans, La., September 3, 2005 — Evacuees, some with pets, and patients arive at New Orleans airport where FEMA’s D-MATs have set up operations. Photo: Michael Rieger/FEMA”

Image via smiteme on Flickr: FEMA 18948

All rights reversed by FEMA

Father

null

Original image via kris247 on Flickr: Family of Goats

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kris247/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Feminist, No. 1

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Rosie the Riveter

This image is part of the public domain

Feminist, No. 2

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Baby Beef Rubaiyat Steak House (Tomato)

null

Original image via relapsed_nun on Flickr: Best Friend

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lapsednun/ / CC BY 2.0

Friendship

null

Original image via lamentables on Flickr: Holy Rats!

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lamentables/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Freedom

null

Original image via smiteme on Flickr: 2002-11-10 – RalphieWalk005 – LollypopHorses

There is an estimated total of about 1,100 [bat] species worldwide, which is about 20 percent of all classified mammal species. [...] Bats are present throughout most of the world and perform a vital ecological role by pollinating flowers, and eat various plants to disperse their seeds. Many tropical plants depend for their seeds to be distributed entirely by bats.

null

Original image via Sebastian Niedlich (Grabthar) on Flickr: Bats Of The Citadel

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42311564@N00/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Grassroots

null

Original image via Stuck in Customs on Flickr: An Icelandic Horse in the Wild

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Green

null

Original image via yomi955 on Flickr: Capraza style of Tofu

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yomi955/ / CC BY 2.0

Guerrilla

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Prowildlife (Penguins)

null

Original image via gumdropgas on Flickr: Bleeding Hearts

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sidspage/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Heathen

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Keira Knightley As Guinevere

Promotional image from the 2004 film King Aruthur; all rights reserved by Touchstone Pictures

Herbivore

null

Original image via Compassion in World Farming on Flickr: Dairy cows outdoors

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciwf/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Imagine

null

Original image via be_khe on Flickr: White peacock showing off his plumage

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hthg1983/ / CC BY 2.0

Inclusion

null

Original image via MrClean1982 on Flickr: Dragonfly on a Windy Day!

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrclean/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Intersectionality

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: This Film Is Not Yet Rated (Hers)

Promotional poster for the 2006 film This Film Is Not Yet Rated; all rights reserved by the Independent Film Channel (IFC)

Joy

null

Original image via nbraier on Flickr: My happy goat friend

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nancyb/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Justice

null

Original image via Compassion in World Farming on Flickr: Dairy cow indoors

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciwf/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Karma

The Thylacine

was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger (because of its striped back), the Tasmanian Wolf, and colloquially the Tassie (or Tazzy) Tiger or simply the Tiger. Native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century. It was the last extant member of its genus, Thylacinus, although several related species have been found in the fossil record dating back to the early Miocene.

The Thylacine became extinct on the Australian mainland thousands of years before European settlement of the continent, but it survived on the island state of Tasmania along with several other endemic species, including the Tasmanian Devil. Intensive hunting encouraged by bounties is generally blamed for its extinction, but other contributory factors may have been disease, the introduction of dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat. Despite its official classification as extinct, sightings are still reported. [...]

The last captive Thylacine, later referred to as “Benjamin” (although its sex has never been confirmed) was captured in 1933 and sent to the Hobart Zoo where it lived for three years. [...] This Thylacine died on 7 September 1936. It is believed to have died as the result of neglect—locked out of its sheltered sleeping quarters, it was exposed to a rare occurrence of extreme Tasmanian weather: extreme heat during the day and freezing temperatures at night. This Thylacine features in the last known motion picture footage of a living specimen: 62 seconds of black-and-white footage showing it pacing backwards and forwards in its enclosure in a clip taken in 1933 by naturalist David Fleay. National Threatened Species Day has been held annually since 1996 on 7 September in Australia, to commemorate the death of the last officially recorded Thylacine. [...]

The Thylacine held the status of endangered species until 1986. International standards state that any animal for which no specimens have been recorded for 50 years is to be declared extinct. Since no definitive proof of the Thylacine’s existence had been found since “Benjamin” died in 1936, it met that official criterion and was declared officially extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

In December ‘06, Shane and I caught the exhibit Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale at the Kansas City Art Institute’s Artspace. While most of the pieces dealt with cryptids – animals thought, but not proven to exist – one exhibit caught my eye.

In front of a projection screen sat a statute of the Tasmanian Tiger (pictured below). There playing, on a never ending loop, were the 62 seconds of Benjamin’s life immortalized on film. 62 long, lonely seconds, spent pacing – in what? Frustration? Anger? Sadness? Boredom? Heartbreak? Only to die of human neglect, one of the last of her kind. I found the footage haunting then; I still do, upon recollection.

As an atheist, I don’t believe in unprovable religious concepts like karma. As an animal advocate, I sometimes wish I did.

null

Original image via smiteme on Flickr: 2006-12-15 – KC-Artspace-Cryptozoology-0107

null

“New Orleans, La., September 8, 2005 — A pig and a dog displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Photo: Michael Rieger/FEMA”

Image via smiteme on Flickr: FEMA 19289

All rights reversed by FEMA

Kinship

null

Image via smiteme on Flickr: Concordia Children’s Services – Piglets

null

“Pigs raised on factory farms are confined in metal and concrete pens with hard slatted flooring. The live here until they reach slaughter weight of 250 pounds at six months old.”

Original image via Farm Sanctuary on Flickr: Pigs confined in metal and concrete pens

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/farmsanctuary1/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Liberty

null

Original image via PKMousie on Flickr: Rat Noir 5544

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkmousie/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Life

null

Original image via Bashed on Flickr: Hungry

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/enigmatic/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Love

null

Original image via etrusia_uk_(away) on Flickr: Ducks

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/e_phots/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Mom

null

Original image via Lance_and_Erin on Flickr: Baby Cow

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lance_mountain/ / CC BY 2.0

Mother

null

Original image via Jakes_World on Flickr: Harbor Seal mother and child

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakes_world/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

No Compromise

null

Original image via PKMousie on Flickr: Rat Noir 5546

Licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkmousie/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Overdog

Canis Major

The great Overdog
That heavenly beast
With a star in one eye
Gives a leap in the east.
He dances upright
All the way to the west
And never once drops
On his forefeet to rest.
I’m a poor underdog,
But to-night I will bark
With the great Overdog
That romps through the dark.

- Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Dog is the closest thing to God this heathen will ever know. You can hear it in my vernacular, in the turns on common Christian phrases I employ to reflect my lack of religion: Dog Almighty. For Dog’s sake. Dog’s green earth. Dogdammit. Get right with D-O-G. Sometimes when I close my eyes (or, better yet, turn them moonward on a glowing night) I can almost imagine a great Overdog, a heavenly beast, dancing and prancing in the starlight above. Almost.

The dog in this photo represents the Underdog as well as the Overdog; rescued in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, she was one of the lucky dogs who survived. She is the Overdog and the Underdog; she is survivor and victim, compassion and neglect; she is love – and she is a searing indictment of a nation’s disregard for the poor, the disadvantaged and the non-human.

Dog bless, little one, Dog bless.

null

“New Orleans, LA, September 10, 2005 — Rescued animals from New Orleans arive at New Orleans airport were FEMA’s DMATs and VMATs have set up operations. Photo: Michael Rieger/FEMA”

Image via smiteme on Flickr: FEMA 18621

All rights reversed by FEMA

Peace

null