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Spring's bounty delivered on a vehicle of crispy, chewy, grilled bread.
Spring's bounty delivered on a vehicle of crispy, chewy, grilled bread.
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Quite the whiner I can become sometimes but I was just blown away in a good way, and in Elkhart, Indiana, no less. The other pilot was going to find an Italian restaurant that catered to my vegan foodal needs and first did a search for Italian restaurants. Then he searched for whole wheat surmising those who had whole wheat pasta would [...]
Quite the whiner I can become sometimes but I was just blown away in a good way, and in Elkhart, Indiana, no less. The other pilot was going to find an Italian restaurant that catered to my vegan foodal needs and first did a search for Italian restaurants. Then he searched for whole wheat surmising those who had whole wheat pasta would be a notch above the rest in terms of health and differing dietary needs. He called one and said his friend was vegan and was greeted with, get this ... "Oh we have some vegan customers, no problem." Huh? What? Are you kidding? I mean, just when you think it's not safe to go in the water anymore this pops up. What an excellent job he did finding the place. I was psyched. I had no idea how psyched I should have been. But, all my positive energy and good thoughts of sugar plum fairies dancing, uh, wait, different dream ... well, lets just put it this way. In aviation we have a saying, "Trust ... but verify." So I packed a few things in my cooler bag, having earlier resigned myself to finding a place to eat offering only white pasta and tomato sauce. I took my vegan salad dressing, my Yves meatless crumbles, and my mozzarella Daiya cheese. I also took my soy creamer should a nice cup of decaf have my name on it. Now Per Bacco will come up on Google maps as Bruno's Pizza and there is just no explanation until you get there and find out the building is owned but the same people. So here's a picture just to help you find the place. How would you like to be greeted like this?
"Is one of you the vegan?" when we walked into the place. No, I mean uber cheerfully, like Hey, you're finally home buddy, welcome. We were expecting you and we know how to take care of you. Candy the waitress was just so full of energy and pre-empted so many of my usual questions by saying things like, "Well, our bread is delivered so I can't vouch for it but our Ciabbata is house made so here's some garlic and oil to get you started." I'm quietly shocked and awed. Folks, there is nothing to indicate the presence of vegan knowledge here, unless you see the Butternut Squash ravioli on the specials menu. (It wasn't vegan as that particular dough had egg in it.)
Ciabatta with Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Yum, yum, yum, chomp slurp slosh. Delicious bread and wonderful flavor. what could be bad? Oh, and a salad with mixed greens, carrots, beets, tomatoes and dried cranberries. Dressing you ask? You didn't have to because Candy already said it's a house made balsamic with no honey or cheese. (OK, I did ask to make sure and you know old habits die hard but she did reassure me.) It was such a nice Balsamic. None of this $4 supermarket junk here. What a great combination of the fruit, veggies and sharp sweetness of the dressing. I went and talked to Marisa the chef/owner at Candy's invitation and laid my Daiya and Yves on the counters. "There's a Whole Foods coming in Mishawaka," I told her. "If you like this stuff you can probably get it there." I also told her to not taste the Daiya out of the bag but to melt it on something and try it. Candy told me they had a few vegan customers and I thought if I could sell them on these processed imitation foods they could incorporate them into the offerings and become a major, (the first Elkhart restaurant offering vegan labeled options will be Major of course), well, force in change. I told Marisa to make anything she wanted with the ingredients, a little arrabiata, to make it like a bolognese sauce using the vegan whole wheat pasta. So like 2 minutes later this shows up. Ohhhhhhh, cheese bread. My heart missed you. Thank you Daiya!
It turns out Marisa loved it and told me, when we said good bye, that she was definitely going to buy the product and put it on her menu. (Score one for the animals). Turns out she was chomping on the Daiya Cheese Bread in the back as well.
Now Candy apparently lived with the hippy population of Elkhart and had experience with vegan food and made her own vegan cheesecake to feed her former roommates vegan friends. When I asked her to take a taste she said, "Not a big fan." Later she came back after tasting and said, "I am amazed." I actually don't remember exactly what her words were but that's what she said. One eighty, as we call it in aviation. (180 degree turn is a course reversal.)
Now for the entree. This is what Marisa put before me. A delicious thick tomato sauce with hot peppers mixed in, the Yves mixed in and the Daiya on top. I mixed the Daiya into the hot pasta and it turned into a creamy rich delicious amazing dish. Let me go so far as to throw the word awesome out there. Candy said that Marisa had made a bunch more and was chowing down on vegan fare in the kitchen. She loved the stuff and was quite possibly going out after dinner service to be first on line at Whole Foods.
So you might ask what kind of meal (less...)
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Before I launch into my Top Five, I need to send out a few Thank Yous! I’ve received blogging awards over the past week or so and the kind folks who shared them with me deserve a big shout out. From My Cooking Life and The Misfit Baker came the One Lovely Blog Award; Inkspeare [...]
Before I launch into my Top Five, I need to send out a few Thank Yous! I’ve received blogging awards over the past week or so and the kind folks who shared them with me deserve a big shout out. From My Cooking Life and The Misfit Baker came the One Lovely Blog Award; Inkspeare [...]
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When I became the Editor of Chic Vegan I decided to start an Interview Series on the site and it has quickly become one of my favorite projects to work on. I really enjoy interviewing notable vegans and vegans who … Continue reading →
When I became the Editor of Chic Vegan I decided to start an Interview Series on the site and it has quickly become one of my favorite projects to work on. I really enjoy interviewing notable vegans and vegans who … Continue reading →
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On your way to becoming a vegan master, you will undoubtedly run into several obstacles when it comes to making your favorite dishes. The good news is you don’t have to say goodbye to baking, making cream sauces, or any other edible or drinkable that requires dairy. This post will assist in your survival in [...]
On your way to becoming a vegan master, you will undoubtedly run into several obstacles when it comes to making your favorite dishes. The good news is you don’t have to say goodbye to baking, making cream sauces, or any other edible or drinkable that requires dairy. This post will assist in your survival in [...]
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Life has been happening so I haven’t been as attentive as I would like with the blogosphere lately. So, imagine my surprise when I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog award by The Misfit Baker and the Former Fish Taco Fanatic as well as the Illuminating Blogger Award from Food Stories. Thank you ladies so [...]
Life has been happening so I haven’t been as attentive as I would like with the blogosphere lately. So, imagine my surprise when I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog award by The Misfit Baker and the Former Fish Taco Fanatic as well as the Illuminating Blogger Award from Food Stories. Thank you ladies so [...]
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I am so excited today! Why, you ask? Well, the answer is two-fold: 1.) My tummy is full of these scrumptious little muffins, and 2.) You can read all about them in my guest post over at Fork and Beans! Go there now and enjoy!
I am so excited today! Why, you ask? Well, the answer is two-fold: 1.) My tummy is full of these scrumptious little muffins, and 2.) You can read all about them in my guest post over at Fork and Beans! Go there now and enjoy!
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I woke up this morning with a big smile on my face. Why? Because I got to share a meal last night with two of the most inspiring, uplifting, intelligent, and ambitious vegan bloggers, culinary masterminds, and activists I know. Before I get to them, let me tell you a bit about our dining spot: [...]
I woke up this morning with a big smile on my face. Why? Because I got to share a meal last night with two of the most inspiring, uplifting, intelligent, and ambitious vegan bloggers, culinary masterminds, and activists I know. Before I get to them, let me tell you a bit about our dining spot: [...]
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| "Originally shown on the BBC [in 1976] as part of the Open Door series. Now it's a historical look back at vegans [...] |
 "Originally shown on the BBC [in 1976] as part of the Open Door series. Now it's a historical look back at vegans of the 1970's. Half hour programme explaining case for veganism. Arguments presented apply even more to today's world. Make sure you watch all three parts." (less) | |
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William Li: Can we eat to starve cancer?
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| A TED talk where "William Li presents a new way to think about cancer treatment: angiogenesis, targeting the blood [...] |
| A TED talk where "William Li presents a new way to think about cancer treatment: angiogenesis, targeting the blood vessels that feed a tumor. The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that beat cancer at its own game."
This is an enlightening look at yet another way eating lots of vegetables can help prevent or reverse cancer, sometimes more effectively than cancer drugs and without side effects. Near the end he also talks about angiogenic foods also limiting fat cell growth and preventing obesity -- unfortunately this was discovered with a mouse study. (less) | |
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A Fall From Freedom - Full Film
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| From the website: http://afallfromfreedom.org "Whales and dolphins have captured the imagination of people all [...] |
| From the website: http://afallfromfreedom.org "Whales and dolphins have captured the imagination of people all over the world. They have come to symbolize not only an alien form of intelligence, but a sense of ultimate freedom in their marine environment and a comradery among their herd mates that we envy and admire.
A FALL FROM FREEDOM is the first film to expose the long and sordid history of the captive whale and dolphin business; a history that continues to this day. The illegal capture and transport of killer whales, the thousands of dolphins that are killed in order to provide marine parks and aquariums with replacement animals, and the ability of these facilities to miseducate the public about these animals.
These, and many other issues, are covered in graphic detail in this 80 minute film." (less) | |
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Jon Hinds - Plant-Based Personal Trainer at the Monkey Bar Gym
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| "Jon Hinds speaks about his transition from the typical athlete's diet of protein shakes to a totally plant-based [...] |
| "Jon Hinds speaks about his transition from the typical athlete's diet of protein shakes to a totally plant-based diet, and his recent success in breaking his own lifetime records after stopping
all protein powder supplementation."
Jon was a Gold Medallist in the 2000 Pan American Games and 2001 Rickson Gracie World Championships for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, owner of the Monkey Bar Gym with 10 locations worldwide: monkeybargym.com (less) | |
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21 May 2012
VegNews TV: Vegan Quinoa & Bean Enchiladas |
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20 May 2012
Top 3 Ways to Improve Your Raw Food Diet |
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17 May 2012
Episode 10 - Buffalo Seitan Bites |
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16 May 2012
Field Roast Franks & Daiya Wedges |
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2 May 2012
Mimi Kirk's Raw Apple Pie |
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17 Apr 2012
Mastrad Potato Chip Maker |
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11 Apr 2012
"Mike" the escaped & injured calf is safe & sound |
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26 Feb 2012
X-treme Banana Bread |
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Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich (with hummus!) |
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Using the Proper Knife |
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Three Stages of Cheeseless Pizza |
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Crispy Tofu with Cilanro Relish |
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Cinco de Moustache |
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Ani Phyo's Raw Food Essentials: Coconut Cake with Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut ... |
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This past week I've spent time on a cardio intensive care unit at the bedside of my elderly father who's been battling pneumonia. The first night, as the early morning dawn was filterhing through a closed blind, I finally fell asleep curled up on a hard chair as I snuggled three pillows that a nurse kindly provided for my comfort.
One has [...]
This past week I've spent time on a cardio intensive care unit at the bedside of my elderly father who's been battling pneumonia. The first night, as the early morning dawn was filterhing through a closed blind, I finally fell asleep curled up on a hard chair as I snuggled three pillows that a nurse kindly provided for my comfort.
One has much time to think in ICU as there’s not much else to do except watch the beeping monitors and listen to the quiet scuffles at the nurses’ stations. However, every once in a while a new arrival is wheeled past by an entourage of attendants; fresh from the recovery room.
I was talking with one of the nurses, and she was telling me that most all of the patients in that particular unit were transferred there directly from heart bypass surgery. Looking through their glass doors, each appeared to be about my age; some looked a bit older, but most were "younger" looking. AND I'm sure that many will go right back to consuming chicken breasts, fries, and hot fudge sundaes as soon as they can get their hands on them again. After all, I’m almost certain that they were going to be sent home with a generous supply of Lipitor and Plavix so they could continue to participate in a gluttonous lifestyle.
I'm beginning to think that perhaps it’s unethical to consume foods that promote disease. It's an astronomical burden not only to our health care system, but to the families who care for, and financially support these loved ones.
I don't know, do we have a moral obligation to consider the well-being of others who may be left with the overwhelming responsibility of being a caregiver?
Do we have a moral obligation to not squander the world's food supply and financial resources upon ourselves?
Note the image above. The obese, depressed woman in the middle was me four years ago. Back then I had to consume nearly 3700 calories a day just to maintain 100 lbs of fat. Oops, pardon me, I’ll be politically correct and call it "adipose tissue". That's enough food to feed two or three people. Was that morally right?
Should any of us be devouring the resources of this world while children starve in third world countries; or worse yet, have no clean water to drink?
What is ethical?
Do we turn heads to the cries of the needy to indulge in pleasures that never satisfy?
Recently, I was on the Dr. Oz show. Yes, it was fun. Yes, it was a hoot to be able to inspire the women of America to shed pounds the safe and healthy way. No doubt about it, it was an experience of a lifetime; something that I can tell my future grandkids someday. Yet, I can't help but wonder why we, as a culture, have made eating for health such a negative, foreign thing as if it is to be avoided like the plague.
Eating for health is never a "have to" . . . . oh my, just the opposite. We have an amazing PRIVILEGE given to us!!!
It's a "get to" . . . . to know and apply information that will literally save us kazillions of dollars and millions of minutes of needless suffering and shame!
What a joy.
What a privilege.
What an indescribable blessing to have the gift of health available to us, literally, everyday for the rest of our lives!
For anyone discouraged. For anyone down-in-the-dumps. For anyone feeling like food cravings are just too big of an obstacle to successfully and permanently overcome - don't believe the lie. There are some real down-and-outers out there; be free by running in the opposite direction of their negativity, and tune into the voice of Dr. Fuhrman's nutritional recommendations instead! Don't get ensnared and entangled by their ignorant deceit. They are only satisfied when they have enticed you into their net of captivity.
The truth of the matter is . . . disease is just too big of an obstacle to deal with.
Repeat: Disease is just too big of an obstacle to deal with.
No human should suffer needlessly. Our bodies weren't made to lie in ICU beds on beautiful days in May, hooked up to machines, and caught in a vicious cycle of expensive medications, lab tests, and doctor appointments for the rest of our lives. No way! Our bodies were designed to function in full health. Vibrant health. Unburdened by rolls of fat, aches, pains, and chests cut open & torn apart to temporarily repair the senseless damage within. We are masterpiece works of art - designed for beauty, fresh air, and a fully functioning body!
Kick fat and disease out the door.
Go for it.
Do it!
Don't hang out with those who think you are crazy for earning health back. Don't listen to those who think you are an odd-ball because you eat only when hungry. Turn a deaf ear to the naysayers. Cultivate new and healthy friendships; AND be willing to be laughed at, scoffed at, and ridiculed for living in health!
Be normal. Be free from addiction. Be vibrant. Be healthy!
Let's all replace the gluttonous hoarding of resources with selfless generosity by living (less...)
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Last week brought more shoddy coverage of vegan diets from The New York Times. This time, it was a debate about the safety of veganism. And it didn't occur to the Times to solicit opinions from anyone with actual expertise in vegan nutrition. At the center of the discussion was food writer and farmer's market [...]
Last week brought more shoddy coverage of vegan diets from The New York Times. This time, it was a debate about the safety of veganism. And it didn't occur to the Times to solicit opinions from anyone with actual expertise in vegan nutrition. At the center of the discussion was food writer and farmer's market [...]
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With all the columnists telling parents not to feed their kids vegan, this was quite an enjoyable read: Don't Feed the Baby: In a live chat, Dear Prudence offers advice on a vegan infant,…
With all the columnists telling parents not to feed their kids vegan, this was quite an enjoyable read: Don't Feed the Baby: In a live chat, Dear Prudence offers advice on a vegan infant,…
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The current batch of videos from volume 8 are set to run out soon, and so starting this week, and running up until August here on NutritionFacts.org, I'll be rolling out the videos off my new Latest in Clinical Nutrition DVD, volume 9. The DVDs give folks the opportunity to sneak preview videos months ahead…
The current batch of videos from volume 8 are set to run out soon, and so starting this week, and running up until August here on NutritionFacts.org, I'll be rolling out the videos off my new Latest in Clinical Nutrition DVD, volume 9. The DVDs give folks the opportunity to sneak preview videos months ahead…
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After Reading: The Arthritis Cure, Revised and Updated: The Medical Miracle That Can Halt, Reverse, And May Even Cure Osteoarthritis By Jason Theodosakis, M.D., M.S. and Shelia Buff “I had hoped to change arthritis treatment because the traditional treatments are, in my opinion, a violation of the physician's Hippocratic oath to ‘Do no harm.” [...]
After Reading: The Arthritis Cure, Revised and Updated: The Medical Miracle That Can Halt, Reverse, And May Even Cure Osteoarthritis By Jason Theodosakis, M.D., M.S. and Shelia Buff “I had hoped to change arthritis treatment because the traditional treatments are, in my opinion, a violation of the physician's Hippocratic oath to ‘Do no harm.” As Jason [...]
(less...)
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Juicing whole fruits and vegetables has become a regular practice in the health/fitness community in recent years – and it makes perfect sense. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since I started following a plant based diet and using it with my clients, its that the more fruits and vegetables you consume the healthier [...]
Juicing whole fruits and vegetables has become a regular practice in the health/fitness community in recent years – and it makes perfect sense. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since I started following a plant based diet and using it with my clients, its that the more fruits and vegetables you consume the healthier [...]
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I wrote this article with Angel Flinn, who is Director of Outreach for Gentle World — a vegan intentional community and non-profit organization whose core purpose is to help build a more peaceful society, by educating the public about the reasons for being vegan, the benefits of vegan living, and how to go about making such a transition. [...]
I wrote this article with Angel Flinn, who is Director of Outreach for Gentle World — a vegan intentional community and non-profit organization whose core purpose is to help build a more peaceful society, by educating the public about the reasons for being vegan, the benefits of vegan living, and how to go about making such a transition. I have intentionally left the links in this article directed to Gentle World's marvelous website.This article will be the last post on this blog. For various reasons, I have decided to turn my attention to other projects. - D. Cudahy, author of Unpopular Vegan Essays__________________The movement for animal rights is perhaps one of the most misunderstood social phenomena of the 21st century. Despite the sincere efforts of an increasing number of individuals willing to speak up on behalf of the animals who suffer at the hands of humans, our cause continues to be misconstrued, misrepresented, and maligned.Admittedly, the blame for this lies partially with the movement itself, or at least with certain organizations and individuals perceived to be at the helm, who seem to create their own PR nightmares, or to be so off course that one sometimes wonders if they could actually be working for the other side.This may come as a surprise to some, but for those of us who view animal rights as the most pressing social justice issue of our time, the antics of the large organizations are often as embarrassing as they are hurtful to the animals they purport to serve. Sadly, these groups have a monopoly on not only the available funding, but subsequently, to a large degree, the hearts and minds of those watching and listening, making it painfully obvious why the animal rights movement has gained such a poor reputation.Meanwhile, in 2012, while many of our society's advances progress ever more rapidly, our behavior toward animals is more objectionable than ever. Despite the emergence and growth of an entire industry devoted to providing excellent alternatives to virtually everything we obtain from animal exploitation, the number of animals enslaved and killed every year is greater than at any time in history.Even to those of us who are deeply involved with animal rights and vegan education, a brief look at the math veritably boggles the mind.Every year around the world, for no purpose other than providing food alone (food which is not only inappropriate for human physiology, but actually contributes significantly to many of the most significant global health crises), approximately 56 billion nonhuman animals are intentionally bred, raised, and killed.This entirely unnatural population of living beings not only causes our planet to strain under the weight of so many individuals, each requiring food, water and land that could otherwise be used much more efficiently, but also produces so much pollution and waste that the planet simply cannot recycle it fast enough.The number of 56 billion does not even include those animals who live in water*, or those who are killed for other reasons, such as for clothing, experimentation or “sport”. In the US alone, we kill 10 billion land animals for food every year; far more than the entire current human population.At this rate of killing, the number of deaths is greater in five days than the deaths we've inflicted on humans in all wars and all genocides in recorded human history (approximately 619 million). Even if every non-vegan cut their current animal product consumption by 90%, it would take us only about 41 days to kill as many sentient nonhumans as we've killed humans in recorded history.It is hard to find accurate figures with regard to the number of fishes and other aquatic animals who are killed by humans every year. However, a conservative estimate would likely be around 100 billion, making the total number of animals killed for food at least three times as much (156 billion annually).How did we come to this? It's obvious that the situation has been made much worse by the disastrous combination of continually increasing human population growth, technological advancements, industrial capacity, and economic demand during the 20th century and continuing into the 21st. However, all of this is occurring on top of a deep social and cultural prejudice against sentient nonhuman beings that is exacerbated by the fact that we humans are frighteningly indulgent of our destructive habits; willing to persistently put our frivolous desires above the indisputable needs and rights of those we oppress.To animal advocates faced with the harsh reality of this situation, it is abundantly clear that we have an enormous amount of work to do in order to shift society's current paradigm from one of unimaginable and extreme violence to one of relatively peaceful sanity. Shifting away from the common belief that other animals are renewable resources – objects, insentient ‘things', and economic commodities fit to be owned as property – will lead to a new perception that recognizes other animals as the conscious, feeling, innocent individuals they are.Following is a collection of articles written for those who are interested in understanding what this movement for animal rights is all about, as well as for those who are trying to figure out how to most (less...)
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I received a lot of feedback on my post about large animal organizations using fat shaming as part of their advocacy. Between the comments I received as well as reading the comments on well written blog posts on the subject such as this and this, that body image and fat shaming are a serious issue [...]
I received a lot of feedback on my post about large animal organizations using fat shaming as part of their advocacy. Between the comments I received as well as reading the comments on well written blog posts on the subject such as this and this, that body image and fat shaming are a serious issue [...]
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Replies are from Facebook participants responding to this question:
In just 1 or 2 words, describe "what is veganism?"
Ethical stance
Life [...]
Replies are from Facebook participants responding to this question:
In just 1 or 2 words, describe "what is veganism?"
Ethical stance
Life
living gently
The Truth
Love
Justice
Ahimsa
Peace, Love
Sentient equality
Shared Peace
Values lived
God's creatures
just "right"
Compassion
Minimia justicia
one love
clear conscience
the way
awareness
Empathy
Respect
Compassionate & Evolved
True Love
Integrity
Global consciousness
Think Big
Liberation, Compassion
Animal Rights
Regard to all life
Kindness, equality
Direct Action
Educated
Social Justice
compassionate being
The Future
Non-Violence
Moral Imperative
Harmlessness
compassion over cruelty
Refusing violence
Consciousness
Dynamic Harmlessness (Ahimsa)
end speciesism
Active concern
respecting fellow animals
Higher Love
Infinite compassion
World Peace
first step
moral baseline
dynamic harmlessness
intelligent living
compassionate living
respect, justice
ethical living
Love and Compassion
allowing life
commitment
spiritual evolution
evolutionary
allowing life
next evolution
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Released in 2011, Kathy Rudy’s Loving Animals: Toward a New Animal Advocacy proposes an approach to nonhuman animal advocacy which embraces emotionality, spirituality, and the consumption of “happy” nonhuman products. However,...
Released in 2011, Kathy Rudy’s Loving Animals: Toward a New Animal Advocacy proposes an approach to nonhuman animal advocacy which embraces emotionality, spirituality, and the consumption of “happy” nonhuman products. However,...
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In an MSN article today – a headline article – a Pit Bull mourned his friend for fourteen hours after she was killed by a car. Here’s the link, if you want to depress yourself for a while. This is front-page news because people still want to believe that only humans have “higher” emotions such [...]
In an MSN article today – a headline article – a Pit Bull mourned his friend for fourteen hours after she was killed by a car. Here’s the link, if you want to depress yourself for a while. This is front-page news because people still want to believe that only humans have “higher” emotions such [...]
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Chinese artist Liu Qiang currently has a work called "29h59'59" showing at 798 Art District in Beijing, China. The photo's gone viral in animal rights circles. It would be interesting to find out more about how or why the sculpture was created. Whether inadvertently or not, it's become a powerful piece of imagery symbolizing our exploitation of others.
[...]
Chinese artist Liu Qiang currently has a work called "29h59'59" showing at 798 Art District in Beijing, China. The photo's gone viral in animal rights circles. It would be interesting to find out more about how or why the sculpture was created. Whether inadvertently or not, it's become a powerful piece of imagery symbolizing our exploitation of others.
(less...)
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Book Review Bob Torres and Jenna Torres, Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World, (2005) Husband
and wife duo, Bob and Jenna, become your new vegan BFFs with their
introductory guide to veganism. Packed with references for the new
vegan, wit, rage, and down-to-earth advice this book was easy to read. Their
[...]
Book Review Bob Torres and Jenna Torres, Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World, (2005) Husband
and wife duo, Bob and Jenna, become your new vegan BFFs with their
introductory guide to veganism. Packed with references for the new
vegan, wit, rage, and down-to-earth advice this book was easy to read. Their
style is irreverent and far from gentle, making it a joyful rollicking
read for some, whilst probably being being offensive to others.
However, books that try to please everyone, please no-one. Bob and
Jenna have written a book that they clearly would enjoy reading and that
makes it a pleasure for other like-minded individuals to read. The
content is fairly basic, but the concept is quite rad (yes, yes I did
just say ‘rad'). The premise is that vegans, by virtue of criticising
social norms, stand on the fringes of society and will always be seen
and labelled as ‘freaks'. Rather than try and mollycoddle the reader by
proposing that there is a community of other normal vegans, Bob and
Jenna get the reader to embrace your inner freak. On
the content front, the book takes you from basic animal rights, dealing
with other people, what vegans eat, to fashion and personal care. It
really does cover the basics. One thing I would like to commend the
book on is discussing condoms and safe sex supplies and sex toys instead
of making the readers Google it and find advice from similar
freaky-sex-having-vegans. Occasional
angry vegan rants pepper this book and provide comfort for a newish
vegan who might be feeling frustrated and angry that the rest of the
world can't see what's directly beneath their noses. I love me a good
angry vegan rant once in awhile, but I do take issue with one rant where
Bob and Jenna insist that those who consume some animal products to
stop calling themselves ‘vegan' or. I get the whole, ‘this
is the definition, please adhere to it', I do. But what I
also get is that if someone has cut back their animal consumption and is
trying to call themselves ‘vegan' or ‘vegetarian', that is a good
thing (obviously not for the animals whose products they are still
consuming, but still). They see veganism as an ideal that they want to participate in,
they just may be a little unsure or hesitant about getting there. Perhaps we should find out why they want to be identified as a vegan and
discuss some of our concerns rather than simply throwing a dictionary at
them. On the whole, as a seasoned vegan, I can see the value of this book for newish vegans who are starting to realise that the world is not their ally (no matter
how many times you send your friends links to undercover animal
agriculture footage). I also don't think this book is for everyone due its tone and style. If you don't like swearing, angry vegan rants, and irreverent humour, this book probably isn't your cup of tea. However,
if you're feeling a little lonely being the vegan-freak in the room
(and don't mind any of the aforementioned) read this book. It'll
encourage you to embrace your inner freak and hopefully help you to stay
vegan in a non-vegan world.
- Stevie Schafer, 2012
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A sign on the side of a dump truck in Los Angeles: It is not enough to be unashamed that we have the level of poverty that we do; we criminalize the efforts of the poor to survive by asserting property rights over garbage. ********** If you are not vegan, please go vegan. It is [...]
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A sign on the side of a dump truck in Los Angeles: It is not enough to be unashamed that we have the level of poverty that we do; we criminalize the efforts of the poor to survive by asserting property rights over garbage. ********** If you are not vegan, please go vegan. It is [...]
No related posts.
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