They Call Me Oystergirl

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By Vanessa Query — January 20, 2014 Filed Under: Culture

The Meaning of “Critical”

The Meaning of "Critical" | They Call Me Oystergirl

I talk a lot about being critical of the mainstream. I’ve written a lot of critical things, like on the true meaning of the word “natural”, my own definition of paleo, my pregnancy and birthing experience, and on being contrary. But always—always—I see a lot of misunderstanding about what it means to be critical, and a […]

By Vanessa Query — May 12, 2013 Filed Under: Culture, Natural Movement, On Food, Wellness

What Paleo Means to Me (a non-dogmatic view)

Paleo? You may be asking… Do you live on bacon and kale and CrossFitting* in your Vibram Five Fingers**? Paleo has been blowing up lately and as a result there’s a lot of weird ideas about what it is, and a lot of people getting really dogmatic about it. For me, this sums it up well […]

By Vanessa Query — January 4, 2013 Filed Under: Culture

Quotes On Education

Quotes On Education

“Sadly, children’s passion for thinking often ends when they encounter a world that seeks to educate them for conformity and obedience only.” —bell hooks “Modern schools and universities push students into habits of depersonalized learning, alienation from nature and sexuality, obedience to hierarchy, fear of authority, self-objectification, and chilling competitiveness. These character traits are the […]

By Vanessa Query — December 26, 2012 Filed Under: Culture

Link: The Educational Industrial Complex

Link: The Educational Industrial Complex

“Creating Learning Communities: Freeing Education to Create a Sustainable Cooperative Society” (Anna Jahns, Pathways to Family Wellness magazine) “[T]he system of education our children are being indoctrinated into today is fundamentally the same as it was 100 years ago, when it was designed to prepare factory workers for an industrial culture oriented toward manufacturing consumer goods and winning political […]

By Vanessa Query — December 22, 2012 Filed Under: Culture, Wellness

What Does “Natural” Actually Mean?

The word “natural” is thrown around a lot these days, by itself or within a phrase like “natural health,” “made with natural ingredients,” “natural parenting,” etc. I don’t generally use the word, because although it seems simple, it can be a loaded with implications and assumptions. However, I often struggle to find an appropriate, equally […]

By Vanessa Query — October 6, 2012 Filed Under: On Food

Should Whole Foods “Close All Its Meat Counters”? (No.)

Should Whole Foods “Close All Its Meat Counters”? (No.)

An open letter to James McWilliams and anyone who has signed or is considering signing the petition asking Whole Foods to “close all its meat counters”: You say you care about the humane treatment of animals. Then why not spend your time going after the factory farms, or Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), that churn […]

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