baby stuff

I have posted before I gave birth some of the baby stuff that we were planning on investing on: crib and mattress, milk, bath and skin care. Just wanted to finish what I have started (for once?) so here's the rest of it.

Milk/Feeding
We gave the baby whatever kind of milk that were given to us. Yeah. We're cheap. He was breastfed primarily so any other milk sufficed (Nestle Good Start, Enfa and Similac). But we mostly gave him Enfa after all of the freebies were gone and after he has stopped liking Mommy's milk. Now that he's a toddler, we are giving him homo.

For feeding bottles, we used Avent. Did not try any other ones. Avent were also the brand that we used with Kid #1. We used Dapple and Greenworks for the baby bottle dish soap. We also received Babies R Us sterilizer from the Baby Shower and that's what we are using until now. For Kid #1, we used Chicco.

Skin Care
I bought a lot of baby skin care before having the little one. Usually got the sample size if the brand has one. I bought Dr. Bronner's, Mustela, Wedela, Badger and Earth Mama Angel Baby. I've tried all of them. What stuck? I like Dr. Bronner's in washing his baby bums, specially when going out? It smells nice and it rinses easily well. But for total bathing and washing, I like Mustela the best. And that's what we are using still until now. For shampoo, he uses J&J. For moisturizer, we also stick with Mustela.

For diaper rash, I tried Badger and even Lanolin. But still went back to Desitin. Desitin worked with Kid #1 and still what worked with Kid #2.

Clothing/Bedding/Garment 
At first, I only used organic textiles for him. Bought them from Under the Nile, Sckoon, Aden & Anais, Perlimpinpin, Little Bamboo. We got gifts that came elsewhere and we used them also. Now, mostly all of his clothes are from major commercial retailers. But I must say that those initial investments I've bought were all great. They were really, really soft. Even the nurses from the hospital made a comment that, those were the softest swaddling cloth they have ever touched.

Stroller/Car Seat
We got the Graco Click Connect Stroller and Car seat combo. I forgot the actual Model/Type. We are still using both. The car seat is up to 35 lbs. Although Kid #2's legs and feet are now dangling outside the car seat, since he's still within the weight limit, we are still using it. We will get a new car seat once winter is over. We brought the stroller with us when we went back to the Philippines but it is not public commuter friendly, so we bought a slimmer stroller from Chicco and brought it back here, we will not buy umbrella stoller anymore once Kid #2 is too big for his baby stroller.

Diaper
I bought Naty diapers online to try on. It was okay. But  they were expensive. I believe they are also available on our local grocery store. But since J was the one doing the grocery while I was at the house with the baby, and he will not look for it at the store and he will not buy it since, it costs more, we used Pampers swaddlers. That's the best compromise that we can afford.

Toys
I tried to limit our purchase of toys. We have enough clutter at home and I don't want bins and bins and bins of toys overtaking our house. The toys that I bought were Sophie, 2 wooden toy cars and a teething dinosaur from Etsy, wooden Catterpillar from Begin Again, wooden Grasping beads and wooden Fish rattle from Haba, Uncle Goose's wooden alphabet blocks, Janod Animal Alphabet Cards, and Share Sorter and Stacking Cups from Green Toys. I highly recommend these toys because they are safe for babies and kids. I purchased some mainstream toys too, a soft book from Skip Hop and a few soft toys and stroller toys. We have received a couple of battery operated toys too, mostly from Fisher Price.

So far, he enjoyed Sophie, the Grasping beads, wooden blocks, alphabet cards, shape sorted and stacking cups. He still enjoys them except for Sophie. But he likes Sophie Books.

There.

so damn hot!

All from http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

SDO - Solar Dynamics Observator

Mission: The Solar Dynamics Observatory is the first mission to be launched for NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) Program, a program designed to understand the causes of solar variability and its impacts on Earth. SDO is designed to help us understand the Sun's influence on Earth and Near-Earth space by studying the solar atmosphere on small scales of space and time and in many wavelengths simultaneously.

Science: SDO will study how solar activity is created and how Space Weather comes from that activity. Measurements of the interior of the Sun, the Sun's magnetic field, the hot plasma of the solar corona, and the irradiance that creates the ionospheres of the planets are our primary data products.

The picutures below are AIA data from March 30, 2010, showing a wavelength band that is centered around 304 Å. This extreme ultraviolet emission line is from singly ionized Helium, or He II, and corresponds to a temperature of approx. 50,000 degrees Celsius.

repost: inconvenient truth in manila

posted about this before, change date na pala, now it's on june 08, according to sm prime

"SM Prime Holdings, the Philippines' largest mall developer and operator,
announced that the third staging of the leadership Conference Series featuring
former United States Vice President Al Gore will now be held on June 8, 2010, to
serve as a fitting culmination to the company's activities in celebration of
World Environment Day."

tricycle-stroller

While surfing the net, came across this new tricycle-stroller combo! Cool... if only we have less of pollution here in Manila. Here are some of the contents from their website http://www.taga.nl/

TAGA is a multifunctional urban vehicle, uniquely deisgned to suit the needs of today's parents and children. Taga combines the benefits of a premium stroller and a carrier bicycle to create a new transportation modality.

Safe, reliable and fun, TAGA lets parents and kids move about the city easily,transforming a typical daily journey into exciting adventure. When reaching a desired destination, whether a shop, cafe, indoor playground or a friend's house, TAGA is converted within seconds into a stroller, allowing parent and child to conveniently enter the premises, ride and elavator or ascend steps.

TAGA has already won a few awards including Eurobike 2008 Award last September 4, 2008.

Some of the benefits:

Continuity: Nonstop motion, indoors and out,throughout the entire day. Always together with your child, always with TAGA.

Maneuverability: Keeps moving, even in the mostdifficult and crowded city spots.

Convenience: Easy operation. Changes modes- from tricycle to stroller-within seconds.

Modularity: TAGA can be fitted with various accessories. Mix and match to attach what is needed.

Fitness: The healthy way to travel, tone up and getback into shape after birth.

Ecology: Completely carbon emission free, TAGA is a smart city substitute for a car. Lets parents reach great distances throughout the city whilecaring for the environment.

Cost Effective: All-in-one solution. Saves ongasoline, parking and congestion fees.

Life Cycle: Reliable and long lasting. Good for newborns as well as toddlers, accommodating one or two children. Can also beused as a bike for teenagers or as a shopping bike.

Specifications:

TAGA is certified with the a few safety standards including: EN1888 -
European stroller standard and EN14764 - European city bicycle standard.

TAGA will be launched in the USA and Canada in mid April 2010. TAGA will be sold via TAGA website http://www.tagabikes.com/ and through selected retails (list will be published soon). The retail price is USD 1495. It can be ordered now, for more details pelase contact info@tagabikes.com.

For Southeast Asia (Singapore/ Malaysia/ Indonesia/ Philippines/ Brunei/ Thailand/ Vietnam): B.I.D. Trading Pte Ltd. +65 68441188; info@bidholdings.com.

lost forever

sadly, these species were recently extinct because of one primary threat: human.
images and texts from thedailygreen.com

The Javan Tiger was native to the Indonesian island of Java. In the 1800s they were so common they were considered pests by island natives,but as the island was developed their population dwindled. By the 1950s, only 20 tigers remained. Loss of habitat and agricultural development lead to severe population decline. Conservation efforts in the 1940s and '50s were unsuccessful due to a lack of adequate land and planning.

The majestic West African Black Rhino was declared extinct in 2006, after conservationists failed to find any in their last remaining habitat in Cameroon. Poachers hunted the rhino for its horn, which is believed by some in Yemen and China to possess aphrodisiacal powers.

The Tecopa Pupfish has the distinction of being the first animal declared extinct under the provisions of the endangered Species Act of 1973. A native of the hot springs of the Mojave Desert, the pupfish's decline was precipitated when its natural habitat was encroached upon by developers.

A native of Maui, Hawaii, the Po’ouli, or Black-Faced Honeycreeper, was only discovered in the 1970s. The population declined rapidly, and by 1997 there were only three known Po’ouli left. The species was formally declared extinct seven years later. Habitat loss, along with disease, predators and a decline in its food source – native tree snails – are all seen as reasons for the bird’s demise.

Spix's Macaw, also called the Little Blue Macaw, was known for its beautiful blue feathers. While some still exist in captivity, these tiny blue birds are extinct in the wild. Habitat destruction and illegal trapping and trade contributed to the macaw's dwindling numbers.

One of several subspecies of leopard, the Zanzibar Leopard made its home on the Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania. It's still unclear whether this large cat is technically extinct – there are occasional unconfirmed sightings. Locals believed the leopards were kept by witches, and aggressively hunted them. The animals were seen as evil predators that must be exterminated.

The stunning Madeiran Large White butterfly was found in the valleys of the Laurisilva forests on Portugal’s Madeira Islands. Loss of habitat due to construction as well as pollution from agricultural fertilizers are two major causes of the species' decline.

The last Pyrenean Ibex died in 2000. However, a cloned ibex, created from skin samples taken from the last Pyrenean Ibex, was birthed in 2009. It died shortly after birth from lung complications. Hunting of the Ibex had caused the animal’s numbers to seriously dwindle and conservationists blame the Spanish government for failing to act in time to save it.

The Golden Toad. This fluorescent amphibian was found in the high altitude ridges of Costa Rica, but thanks to pollution, global warming and fungal skin infections, the species became extinct in 1989.

The Round Island Burrowing Boa preferred to live on the top-soil layers of volcanic slopes. It was once found on several other islands around Mauritius, but its population had dwindled by the 1940s, and could only be found on Round Island after 1949. It was last seen in 1975. The introduction of non-native species of rabbits and goats to the island destroyed vegetation and upset the boa’s habitat.


This Dutch butterfly -- a subspecies of the Alcon Blue -- was found mainly in the grasslands of The Netherlands. While closely related species (pictured here) still exist in parts of Europe and Asia, the last Dutch Alcon Blue was seen in the wild in 1979. Increases in farming and building had a negative impact on the Alcon Blue's habitat and caused it to lose its main food source.

an inconvenient truth in manila

al gore live in manila - sm prime

came across this while browsing the sm prime holdings site. i've seen the documentary in hbo(?) and i noticed there were also copies in the suking piratas. i don't know what's with the "updated asian version". it will be on 30 april, a week or so after the earth day. and a week or so before election day. i'm sure marami na namang politicos ang pupunta dito.
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top ten toxic products that we don't need - last of 2 parts

after reading this from yahoo! news, how safe can we be?

(contents are all from yahoo! news, summarized and edited to fit my blog)

the top 10 toxic products you don’t need

5. dry-cleaning - the chemical used to do it, perchloroethylene, has been linked to cancer as well as nervous system, kidney, liver and reproductive disorders. EPA studies have found that people who reported visiting a dry-cleaning shop twice as much perc (OR TETRACHLOROETHYLENE OR CHLOROCARBON) in their breath, on average, as other people. EPA also found that levels of perc remained elevated in a home for as long as one week after placing newly dry-cleaned clothes in a closet.

alternative: try wet-clearning, co2 technology or even handwashing.

(OR BUY CLOTHES THAT ARE WASHINE WASHABLE OR THOSE THAT DO NOT REQUIRE DRY CLEANING. TSK, I JUST SENT 5 GOWNS FOR DRY CLEANING AND THEY ARE ALL NOW IN OUR CLOSET)

6. bottled water - bottled water can be just as, or even more, contaminated than tap water. in fact, some bottled water IS tap water - just packaged (in plastic that can leach chemicals into the water) and over-priced. also, from manufacture to disposal, bottled water creates an enormous amount of pollution - making our water even less drinkable.

alternative: Do yourself and the world a favor and invest in a reusable stainless steel water bottle and a water filter.

7. rubber duckies - when it's made from PVC - the poison plastic. banned in over 14 countries and the european union, PVC, also known as vinyl, is still legally sold by U.S. retailers although it threatens environmental and consumer health at every stage of its product life cycle, according to the center for health, environment, and justice (CHEJ). when it's in your home, PVC can leach phthalates (linked to hormone disruption) and lead (a potent neurotoxicant) - contaminating air, dust, and eventually you. Go PVC-free by reading packages and avoiding the #3 in the chasing arrows symbol (usually found on the bottom of a product).

(I JUST BOUGHT A BAG MADE OF PVC! WAH!)

8. couch cushions - avoid cushions, pillows, and anything with foam labeled as meeting California TB 117, as it is likely to contain toxic fire retardants. these chemicals migrate from the foam to dust to people. in animal research, these chemicals are associated with cancer, birth defects, thyroid disruption, reproductive and neurological disorders such as hyperactivity and mental retardation.

alternative: look for foam and cushions made with polyester, down, wool, or cotton as they are unlikely to contain toxic fire retardants.

9. perfume and cologne - perfumes and fragrances can consist of hundreds of chemicals. among the chemicals of concern is diethyl phthalate (DEP) that is absorbed through the skin and can accumulate in human fat tissue. Phthalates are suspected carcinogens and hormone disruptors that are increasingly being linked to reproductive disorders. phthalates are claimed as a part of trade secret formulas, and are exempt from federal labeling requirements. find out if products you currently use contain phthalates and find safer ones on Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Searchable Product Guide website.

10. oil-based paints and finishes - there are 300 toxic chemicals and 150 carcinogens potentially present in oil-based paint, according to a John Hopkins University study.

alternative: look for water-based options - ideally those that are low- or no-VOC. You could also explore natural finishes like milk paint and vegetable or wax based wood finishes.

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top 10 toxic products we don't need - first of 2 parts

after reading this from yahoo! news, how safe can we be?
(contents are all from yahoo! news, summarized and edited to fit my blog)

the top 10 toxic products you don’t need

whether there's a warning label or not (usually not), many of the things we buy have associated health risks.

1. air fresheners - most mask odors with a synthetic fragrance or numb the sense of smell with chemical anesthetics. aerosol air fresheners spew out tiny droplets of chemicals that are easily inhaled into the lungs (WE HAVE THIS! BUT I NEVER USE IT. DADDY IS THE ONE WHO USES THIS, SELDOMLY).

alternative: choose natural deodorizers, such as zeolite or baking soda, which contain minerals that absorb odors.

2. drain, oven and toilet bowl cleaners - the lye and acids found in cleaners are the most dangerous cleaning products because they burn skin, eyes and internal tissue easily.

alternative: to clean extra-greasy ovens, mix together 1 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup of washing soda (WHAT IS A WASHING SODA?), add enough water to make a paste; apply the paste to oven surfaces and let soak overnight. next morning, lift off soda mixture and grime; and rinse surfaces well

to de-grease and sweeten sink and tub drains, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down drain followed by 1 cup vinegar; let bubble for 15 minutes; rinse with hot water. repeat if necessary. this same mixture can be used prior to scrubbing your toilet bowl to deodorize and scour away grime.

3. canned food - food cans are lined with an epoxy resin that contains bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is being linked to hormone disruption, obesity, heart disease, and much more. eden foods is currently the only company with BPA-free canned foods

alternative: opt for fresh, frozen, dried or jarred foods.

4. pesticides: they are extremely toxic. they're made to be. that's how they kill things. pesticides may leave you with another problem - residual poisons that linger on surfaces and contaminate air.

There are so many non-toxic ways to eliminate pests and weeds - next time you need to get on the offense, check out the recommendations at Beyond Pesticides or locally, go to messy bessy.

(MY MIL HAS SENT US A MIXTURE THAT KILLS ROACHES AND ANTS. IT'S SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BECAUSE IT USES, I THINK, BAKING SODA. I'LL ASK DADDY WHAT IS THE FORMULA)
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what is it with my tree posts?

"song of the open road" by ogden nash (1902-1971)

i think that i shall never see

a billboard lovely as a tree.

indeed, unless the billboards fall,

i'll never see a tree at all.

(so true!)

wala lang. hahaha actually, i was searching kasi wood furnitures. i know there's narra and there's mahogany. affordable wood furnitures that i see are made of tanguile or lauan and i don't know what kind of wood/tree are they.

so yun, i'm not familiar with trees (or wood) kaya i did a litte research. tanguile or lauan or philippine mahogany, is in fact, not a mahogany. matibay din but not mahogany-tibay. hehe dami pang characteristics and baka maging wood expert na ko kung ituloy ko pa. and then i came across nga this list of famous trees from wikipedia.

of which it mentioned of 2 trees from the philippines. the baletes at the balete drive for its white lady sightings -- seen the trees and thank god, not the white lady; then the twin narra trees in rizal high school which saw the progress of the school from 1901 and survived the onslaught of world war II. this twin narra trees, i have yet to see. and i will, promise.
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and then i 've just discovered that the poem "trees" was by a man. haha. all along, i thought joyce kilmer was a woman. alfred joyce kilmer pala siya. sus!
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atleast ngayon alam ko na hehe
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my trees

in my 33 years of existence, i have a few close relationships with trees. what can you expect, i used to lived in a city and now in a suburb, where trees are not so many.

in mandaluyong, there were the kaimito and duhat trees that tatay used to climb and throw in the fruits down to us. i believe they are still living but neglected. i notice they don't bear fruits that often than they used to.

in cainta, i have my alatris tree (opposite our house). and 3 other alatris trees (belongs to my sis and my cousins), and 3 alatris trees beside our house. the 4 philippine mahogany trees (opposite our house) that were cut together with the 4 alatris (including mine) to make way for a basketball court.

the 3 remaining alatris trees were cut to build the apartment that we live in now.

then there's the narra tree in our grade school yard, which still stands there and i planned to take a picture of everyday, but only managed to take a few ones and yes, that project is temporariy halted.

i used to love summers when we had a tree that has orange flowers, a tree with violet flowers and narra with yellow flowers. while our street smelled of flowers from the philppine mahogany.

and the acacia tree on our grade school where we used play under with. these acacia and narra trees are always present in my dreams, up until now, believe it or not.

and then the mango tree in our banal na bilog (holy circle) during my high school days.

one day, i'll visit those living trees of my childhood and take pictures of them.

for now, here are some of my tree pictures...

banyan tree (balete) in carson, california

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tall trees in bohol (are those mahogany, i forgot)

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a tree in davao (looks like baobab, but i don't know)

i think that i shall never see ...

a poem lovely as a tree ...
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some famous trees (all from wikipedia)
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wawona tree
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giant sequoia in mariposa grove, yoshemite national park. height was 227 ft (69 m) and was 90 ft (27 m) in circumference. a tunnel was cut in 1881, enlarging a fire scar. it fell in 1969 under an estimated 2-ton load of snow on its crown, estimated age was 2,300 years old.

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wawona tree, 1918

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wawona, 1962

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the fallen tunnel tree, 2006

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chandelier tree

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a 315 ft tall coast redwood tree in leggett, california with a 6 ft wide by 9 ft high hole cut through its base to allow a car to drive through. the hole was carved in 1930s.

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chandelier tree, 1941

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chandelier tree, 2005

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tree of life, bahrain

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a 100+ year old tree that stands alone in the desert about 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) from the highest point in bahrain. the source of water for this tree remains a mystery because it stands in a place completely free of water.

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l'arbre du ténéré, the tree of ténéré

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a solitary acacia that was once considered the most isolated tree on earth. it was the only one within more than 200 km (120 mi).

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it was a landmark on caravan routes through the ténéré region of the sahara and was one of the two trees (the other one is the lost tree) to be shown on a map at scale of 1:4,000,000.

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it was the last surviving tree of a group of trees that grew when the desert was less parched than it is today. this tree has stood alone for decades. during the winter of 1938-1939, a well was dug near the tree and it was found that the roots of the tree reached the water table 33-36 meters below the surface.

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the tree was allegedly knocked down by a drunk libyan driver in 1973. the dead tree can now be found in the niger national museum and it has been replaced by a metal structure on its actual place to represent the tree that was.

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tree of ténéré, 1961

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el arbol de tule (spanish), the tule tree

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it has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the world. in 2005, the trunk had the circumference of 36.2 m (119 ft), equation to a diameter of 11.62 m (38.1 ft). it is so large that it was originally thought to be multiple trees, but dna tests have proven that it is only one tree.

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the age is unknown, with estimates ranging betwee 1,200 and 3,000 years. the tree is occasionally nicknamed the "tree of life" from all the images of animals that are reputedly visible in the tree's gnarled trunk, including jaguars and elephants.

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boab prison tree

a large hollow adansonia gregorii (boab) tree just south of derby, western australia. reputed to have been used in the 1890s as a lock up for indigenous australian prisoners on their way to derby for sentencing.

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in recent years, a fence was erected around the tree to protect it from vandalism (see photo below). current vandalism is expected to vanish over the next 50 years.

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boab prison tree, 1960
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stafford giant or luna

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a redwood tree between 600 and 1,000 yeard old and live in an old growth forest - headwaters forest in humboldt county, california.

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this is the tree where julia butterfly hill lived in for 738 days. she lived in a platform 180 ft above the forest floor (approximately 18 stories high) in order to save the grove from being clear cut by the pacific lumber company. it was christened luna in october 1997. hill descended on december 18, 1999.
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in november 2000, an unknown vandal cut halfway through the tree using a chainsaw. a system was designed to help the tree withstand the extreme windstorms. they installed a steel cable collar around luna'a main trunk 100 ft above the ground. cables radiate from this collar to remote anchor points 100-150 ft away. luna still lives on.

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julia butterfly hill up on luna

chickening? pigging? fishing?

my heart bleeds for the whales but who am i to judge while enjoying lechon cebu? adobong manok? or foie gras to some? isn't those just the same as this?

eLjeProks' photostream

beurremanie's photostream

they are right that the whales have lived a life in liberty before they were killed. while our pigs lived a miserable life in captivity. i wonder which is cruel, being bred to be killed for the purpose of serving another life (for food) or lived in liberty then to be killed because of tradition?

but if they are only doing it now because of tradition, maybe, it's about time to leave that tradition behind. if it's all for the food, i ammend, which would not happen because there are a lot of other food sources now. but then again, traditions are sometimes more important than food for some. hayy... hirap noh.

they claim that whales are not yet extinct, are we to believe that? we do not pet them. we do nothing to protect them. in fact we are doing everything to alter and destory their natural habitat, so how can we say that they are not yet extinct? what about the other species that accidentally were included in the hunt? the dolphins?

i glimpsed about "whaling" on the discovery channel a couple of nights ago. i didn't pay that much attention cause i'm busy playing 7 wonders (hehe). all i know is that this whaling is also prevalent in japan and that there are groups who were trailing these whalers.

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hmm... kaya ko bang maging vegetarian? kayo?

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on a separate note, have you heard about the possibly last indochinese tiger, who was killed and eaten by a man? 2010 is the year of, guess what, tiger (2010, metal tiger, to officially start on feb 15).

http://bokeh.myphotoaxis.com

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whaling

contents and images are all from wikipedia.

and here are futher researches i've done on this. first, those are not dolphins, those are whales. it happens in FAROESE islands, a constituent country of the kingdom of denmark, along with denmark proper and greenland. whaling, or gindadrap as it is being called in faroe, is regulated by faroese authorities, but not by the international whaling commision. faroese do it for food as well as a part of their tradition.
the purpose
most faroese maintain that it is their right to catch pilot whales given that they have done so for centuries. the faroese whalers defend their actions before international organizations like greenpeace with three arguments: (1) that gindadrap is not a hunt as such, but a drap meaning a kill (that is, they do not regularyly take to sea just to hunt for pilot whales, but only kill those which are sighted swimming too close at land); (2) the pilot whale hunt does not exist for commercial reasons but for internal food distribution among households; (3) they do not believe the pilot whale to be an endangeered species.

according to american cetacean society (whale protectionist group), pilot whales are not considered endangered. the society cites that there are likely about 1 million long finned and at least 200,000 short finned pilot whales world wide.
but according to faroese legislation, it is permitted to hunt certain species of small cetaceans other than pilot whales. these include: bottlenose dolphin, atlantic whie-beaked dolphin; rumpbacked dolphin; atlantic while sided dolphin, and harbor porpoise.

(moi: aren't these some of the endangered species?)

the origin
records of drive hunts in the faroe islands date back to 1584. because of the harsh faroese climate, climate, grain and vegetables havenot been able to grow very well. thus, during the winter months, the faroe islanders' only option was to mostly eat salted or dried foods. this means that over the centuries, the pilot whale has been an important source of food and vitamins to the isolated population on the north atlantic archipelago.

the meat and blubber (thick vascularized fat under the skin) of the pilot whale has been an important part of the islanders staple diet. the blubber, has been highly valued both as food and for processing into oil, which was used for lightning and other purposes. parts of the skin of pilot whales were also used for ropes and lines, while stomachs were used as floats.

black meat of the pilot whalre and blubber (middle), together with dried fish and potatoes

the hunt
when a school of whales has been sighted, messengers are sent to spread the news amont the inhabitants of the island. boats then gather behind the whales and slowly drive them towards the authorized location. the location must be well-suited to the purpose of beaching whales. it is against the law to kill pilot whales at locations with inappropriate conditions.

once ashore, the pilot whale is killed by cutting the dorsal area (the back side of the animal) through the spinal cord with a special whaling knife, a grindaknivur. the grindaknivur is considered the safest and most effective equipment with which to kill the whales.

in 1985, the faroe islands outlawed the use of spears and harpoons in the hunt, as it considers these weapons to be unnecessarily cruel to animals.


the pilot whales that are not beached were often stabbed in the blubber with sharp hook called a gaff and then pulled ashore. but after allegations of animal cruelty, the faroese whales started using blunt gaffs to pull the whales ashore by their blowholes.

distribution
the catch is distributed in such a way that all the residents of the whaling district are given the same amount of the catch, regardless of whether or not they took part in the hunt.

the pilot whale meat and blubber is stored , prepared and eaten in the faroese households. this also means that whale meat is not available at the supermarkets or as part of their products for main export.

animal rights and health issues
aninal rights activities argue the the grindadrap is not only cruel, but in view of the ample food supply in today's faroes, completely unnecessary. additional argumentation is supplied by the faories ministry of health, which warns of excessive consumption of pilot whale meat, since it has been shown to contain high levels of mercry, PCBs and environmental poisons. in practice, this could only be safely consumed once a month by the faroese, a much smalled quantity compared with previous decades.

proponents of the hunt further argue that the pilot whale lives its whole life in liberty, in its natural habitat, the atlantic ocean. and then they will be whaled and dies in a few minutes. this is in contrast to many commonly held livestock such as cows, pigs and chickens, the meat from which one finds in modern supermarkets (moi: and of which most of us eat). these animals often live in captivity or confinement for their whole lives and are then subject to lenghty transportation and other stressful event before their final slaughter.
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