vegansaurus!

What’s that? Another distinguished, white-haired older gentleman has gone vegan? Which dashing silverback has made the choice to abstain from animal products in his diet, for the good of the world and his health? Why (as you may have surmised from the accompanying photograph), it’s Ted Danson!

Yes, Ted Danson, he of the delightful, departed Bored to Death, and most recently of CBS’ Cavalcade of Pseudoscience, Vol. 1 (CSI), has turned to a vegan diet to help himself “feel good and look fabulous,” according to contactmusic.com. Yes! Ted Danson, we’re all vegans around here and we feel good (reallllll good) and look fabulous, too! Welcome to the club!

Or, welcome back? Ecorazzi says that this isn’t the first time this silver fox has spoken of his vegan diet (or lack thereof), but you know, it took a couple tries for veganism to stick with some of us, too, so we’re going to remain open-minded and open-armed about this decision. You’re welcome as long as you like, Ted Danson, as is your ridiculously beautiful wife. It’s awesome over here in vegan-land! Stay forever!

[photo by Sharon Graphics via Flickr]

This handsome fellow is Roscoe! He’s at the Shandaken shelter, which seems to be about 2.5 hours from NYC. I got an email about this guy because, though he’s at a no-kill shelter and not endanger of euthanasia, he’s having a hard time:

Roscoe has been at the Shandaken shelter for a long time. His life is not in danger, since it’s a no-kill shelter, but his sanity is. He’s lonely, and he’s been kenneled so long he’s starting to get a little “cage crazy.” The Shandaken shelter doesn’t get the kind of foot-traffic that they get in NYC or other busy places. And Roscoe is a bit aloof when people first meet him (can you blame him?), so he doesn’t immediately win them over, and they move on. But I’m told that he’s a real sweetheart once you spend time with him. He just needs a chance to show it!

Aw, poor guy! Do you know anyone who could help Roscoe? Homeboy needs to spread his wings and fly! His profile says he loves to play and that the volunteers play hide and seek, fetch, and catch with him! It also says he’s very smart. And look at that pretty coat!

If you or anyone you know can help Roscoe, please call the shelter at (845) 688-5004. Roscoe deserves a home!

Big news today from HSUS: They conducted undercover investigations of two pig-breeding facilities in Oklahoma, and discovered—shockingly—some pretty egregious abuse. There’s a video I only made it 29 seconds into because it’s so graphic.

Notably, one of these two facilities, the one owned by Seaboard Foods, supplies WalMart, the country’s biggest grocer. Our old friend Temple Grandin is Seaboard’s “animal welfare advisor,” and has spoken against the use of gestation crates, but “advisor” doesn’t have the same power as “boss.”

HSUS today “filed legal complaints with the U.S. Securities and Exchange and Federal Trade Commission alleging false and misleading statements about animal care” by Seaboard, which is an interesting tactic. Attack the money, because obviously if companies cared even the tiniest bit about the animals (the people, the environment), they wouldn’t allow such abhorrent practices. But everyone cares about money!

Go send an email to Seaboard Foods and Prestage Farms asking them to stop using gestation crates and being overall disgusting human beings. Thank goodness for the Humane Society.

[I can’t handle seeing those poor abused pigs so let’s take another moment to appreciate Farm Sanctuary’s Eric]

Two bits of Café Gratitude news: According to Berkeleyside, the Berkeley Café Gratitude is going to remain open! Hey, all right!

According the the sign below, the Café Gratitude in the Oakland Whole Foods is closing on Feb. 28. What a bummer. I can’t believe that the Whole Foods Gratitude isn’t a major money-maker. It’s always packed! And packed with all different kinds of people, the kinds of people I don’t normally see in a Café Gratitude. I don’t know, it’s awesome seeing such a diverse crowd eating kale. And that includes me! I always buy a green juice while I’m shopping, and leave with at least one slice of cheesecake. My heart breaks a little at this news! Oh well, there’s always Rachel’s plan. Time to get raw, folks.

A struggling soap actor, Nick Santino, put his dog to sleep last Tuesday and then took his own life out of guilt, according to the New York Post. Santino adopted his dog Rocco, a pit bull mix, a few years ago, writing on his Facebook page, “I did not rescue Rocco, Rocco rescued me.” Then last year, his building created a new, extreme pet policy that prohibits residents from owning pit bulls. As Rocco was already a resident before the new rule, he was allowed to stay, but friends and neighbors report that Santino was consistently harassed about Rocco. Neighbor’s complained about dog barking and Santino was threatened with a fine even though reports indicate Rocco was not much of a barker. Santino felt like he was being singled out because he was the only pit bull owner in the building. “It was open season on him,” one friend said. Another neighbor added, “Everybody knows that he had been harassed by the building management.”

After months of pressure, Santino put Rocco to sleep. Why he didn’t just move, I do not know, but it sounds like he had limited finances and moving is costly. As an orphan who grew up in foster care, Santino probably didn’t have family he could turn to. I guess he felt like he had no other options. And I guess he couldn’t live with his decision. “Today I betrayed my best friend and put down my best friend,” Santino wrote in his suicide note, according to a friend. “Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn’t deserve this,” the note said.

On the ASPCA’s page on breed-specific-laws (BSLs), as one of the many problems with BSLs, they say “Good owners and dogs are punished:”

BSL also causes hardship to responsible owners of entirely friendly, properly supervised and well-socialized dogs who happen to fall within the regulated breed. Although these dog owners have done nothing to endanger the public, they are required to comply with local breed bans and regulations unless they are able to mount successful (and often costly) legal challenges. 

I think we can see that’s exactly what took place here; because of a breed-specific-law in an apartment building, Santino and Rocco were punished. It’s a sad story with a sad ending, one I don’t fully understand. Both Rocco and Santino are to be cremated and friends say they will reunite their ashes. 

You can read more on the ASPCA’s breed-specific-legislation stance here. You can also read up on temperament testing by breed and see that pit bulls test pretty well. Better than golden retrievers! Imagine if a building tried to ban them!

Photo of Nick Santino and Rocco from the New York Post.

I got some gratis samples of VonDulce’s handmade Danish candies to try! VonDulce is a vegan-owned business and the creator, Karolina Zakonek, gave me some awesome background info. While hard candies here in the states are often vegan-friendly, they are usually made with corn syrup. In contrast, check out the sugar Karolina uses:

[VonDulce candies] are made with Fair Trade, 100% Organic, Kosher, Evaporated Sugar Cane, which is not filtered through animal by-products, and produced under strict organic standards. The sugar is not treated with herbicides or synthetic fertilizers, and no chemicals or bleaching agents are used. The freshly squeezed Organic Sugar Cane Juice, is evaporated and crystalized on the same day it is harvested. The Sugar Mills are self sufficient, using the crushed cane stalks (called bagasse) as a fuel for the boilers, which generates electricity, so there is no need for fossil fuels. 

Holy crap that’s some serious sugar! Talk about guilt-free. And no bone char! Nice. I already like supporting vegan businesses but that sugar is just so cool, it makes it all the better. Yes, I’m talking about cool sugar.

Karolina grew up in Denmark where hard candy is a common treat. She learned to make these candies the old fashioned way and uses the same recipe candy-masters used in the late 1700s. She orders all her natural flavoring oils from a Danish supplier so she can get the purest ingredients available. She also doesn’t use plastic molds (which is how most candies are made) so you don’t have to worry about toxins and chemicals leaching into the sugar! Wow girl, you are thorough! I appreciate that. 

My official verdict: These candies are the yum! And SO PRETTY! My favorite flavor is the Lemon Pucker. It’s a great mix of sweet and lemony-sour but not too sour. It’s unique too, nothing like a lemon Jolly Rancher or what have you. The Berry Me and Peppermint were yum too. And if you like root beer, the Sassafras is for you! All the flavor of root beer in a little candy. And licorice fans have definitely found their match, apparently that is a Danish fave! Another note: these candies are gluten-free, gluten-free friends!

So if you want to support a vegan biz and eat some tasty, old-fashioned sweets, head over to VonDulce’s Etsy page and go crazy! Oh and hey, on VonDulce’s Facebook page, they are having a little caption contest and you can win candies before Valentine’s day! So check that out!

Another video sent in by my grandpa! He always finds me the best stuff. I want to meet lil’ gorillas! PS: Can’t see the video? Watch it on Vegansaurus.com!

Does Eating Raw Make You More Spiritual? Our raw correspondant Sarah E. Brown asks!

A Grist writer attacks soy and is super annoying! Like we always say, soy is destroying the rainforest because of THE BEEF INDUSTRY! She even says that—listen to this action: “Many vegetarians turn to soy as a meat substitute, but the soy industry is inextricably linked to meat. Some 80 percent of the conventional soybeans grown in this country end up on factory farms as livestock feed.” Um … makes what sense this does? As my new favorite person J. Kenji López-Alt responds: “Because the rest of the soy is used to feed cows, the soy that I eat is somehow tainted? I mean, water is essential for the manufacture of weapons. Am I being complicit in their construction if I don’t stop drinking it?” Love that guy. 

Some 300,000 farmed salmon disappeared in a storm in Scotland and are prob going to ruin the genetic pool of wild salmon forever. Go pescatarians! 

Chelsea C. alerted me to this story a while ago, what do you think? This artist makes fur stuff out of of roadkill. Chelsea thinks it’s grody to the max but I don’t know if it bothers me. What’s your take? Discussion topic of the week! 

If you want to read something nauseating, than this HuffPo post is for you!: Do Not Compare my Dogs to Pigs. Ever. It’s really just bizarre. She doesn’t say what exactly bothers her about pigs. She does say stuff like this: “If you have the audacity to compare my working dogs to my edible livestock, I have already stopped listening to you.” Edible livestock? What constitutes edible? Are people edible too? Can I just put edible in front of whatever I want? I also like how she has to add that her dogs are “working dogs,” because unemployed dogs are the worst.

Reader Alexis M. sent this link in and had the following comment:

“As a student with a degree in biology from an Ivy League university’s school of agriculture and hands-on experience with dogs and farm animals alike, I am particularly ashamed and upset to see such biologically incorrect statements being perpetuated on the Huffington Post. Culturally it is true that Western values make us see dogs and farm animals as different groups to which we attribute arbitrarily different anthropomorphic characteristics, but such views are solely those perpetuated by the human psyche and not the true biological nature of the beasts at hand. As someone with college training in evolutionary biology and comparative anatomy in particular, such statements that dogs are “better” or more emotionally proficient than pigs reeks of human hubris and an inability to remove oneself from societal influences to see unbiased scientific data. In continuing to perpetuate Western hegemonic values of “speciesm” you further reinforce the fact that we as a society can designate subgroups such as “farm animal” from which to remove rights, emotions, and intelligence, and thus remove the need to provide such subgroups with compassion or justice. I am ashamed that such unabashed cultural biases towards accepting violence and lack of scientific rigor are being displayed on public venue to influence others, but such is the nature of our society, unfortunately.”

Dang! Well said, Alexis!

Over at Crazy Sexy Life, Shell Feijo tells of her experiences with weight and veganism. I can’t believe what some woman said to her! People are whacked. 

Hey, you! Don’t forget to read Laura’s Week in Vegan! And leave her comments so she knows you care!

The Veg Speed Dating blog has an interesting post about masculinity and veganism—does being a veggie male hurt your chances of landing a lady? Tell me!

This Dish is Veg has four reasons why networks should add veg cooking shows! Are there more?

How cool would you be if you could help care for animals in times of disaster? Hint: SO COOL! Guess what, S.F. peeps! You can take Disaster Animal Response Team training!

Lastly, hey guys! If you have any links you think I should share (don’t be bashful with your own stuff!), email me! Otherwise I have to do all the work myself! Bleh. 

It’s Paul Shapiro’s Animal News You Can Use! Yay!

First, some good news: A bill (H.R. 3798) was introduced in the Congress this week to ban barren battery cages for laying hens, ban starvation molting, require egg producers to label “eggs from caged hens” on their cartons, and more.  You can see a joint statement from major animal protection organizations on why they support this bill, and a joint statement from nearly all of the agribusiness trade groups on why they oppose it. Who would you side with?

I was on NPR’s All Things Considered yesterday talking about the above effort to help laying hens. Check it out.

Some bad news: The U.S. Supreme Court this week struck down portions of a law passed in California shortly after HSUS’s landmark Hallmark/Westland slaughter plant investigation (which led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history). While federal regulations still prohibit the slaughter of adult downer cattle for human consumption, the parts of California’s law prohibiting slaughtering other downer animals are no longer in effect.

Back to good news: Get a coffin, since Florida’s “ag-gag” legislation is now officially dead. However, Iowa is still debating its whistle-blower suppression bill, and similar bills are still pending in other states.

Time has a compelling online video about undercover investigations and these ag-gag bills that you won’t want to miss.

Video of the week: Ever try to teach a pig to sit? Here you go.

Laura has already registered her disappointment (OK, rage) at the new ad campaign from PCRM, which employs fat-shaming as a means to scare people off cheese. This campaign ignores all the good reasons why we should skip cheese—its production involves animal cruelty, eating it is not particularly good for us—and instead goes for a cheap shot at chubby thighs.

The awesome Ginny Messina already addressed why going vegan only to get skinny is likely to lead to disappointment, but she’s followed up with an article that I think is also worth mentioning here. Messina’s post for One Green Planet, The 7 Habits of Healthy Vegans, does a great job of focusing on vegan health regardless of size. Her suggestions apply to everyone—we could all be a bit healthier by eating legumes more often, choosing whole grains, and loading up on veggies. 

I actually did lose weight when I became vegetarian, and I also lost weight when I had to give up gluten. I didn’t lose any extra when I went vegan, but I had already changed my diet pretty drastically by then. Everyone is different. And I have no problem acknowledging that fitting into smaller pants felt great, but I could have gotten there a variety of ways; knowing that I was living my life according to my values and ethics has always felt better than skinny jeans. If you initially go vegan to lose weight and end up loving the lifestyle and learning more about how awesome it is, fabulous. But if your end goal is just a number on a scale, and you’re ignoring everything else that helps to keep us healthy and happy—mental health is part of that, too—then you’re not going to do well, no matter what your diet looks like.

Terri Coles lives in Toronto, where she enjoys barbecuing, feeding feral cats, going to local music shows and getting really mad about hockey games. She blogs about her adventures in plant-based eating at The Vegina Monologues. We edit out all her extra vowels.

[photo by slightlypale via Flickr]

Have you ever desired perfect skin, long, shiny hair, the cupcake prowess of an international superstar, and earrings long enough to catch fish? Well, you can’t have these things, because chef Chloe Coscarelli already probably has a patent on them or something. And if she doesn’t, she should really get on that, because she is so damn cute!

Anyway, the winner of Food Network’s first Cupcake Wars (is anyone else sick of shows with “Wars” in the title? Give Cupcake Peace a chance) is coming to Omnivore Books on Food in San Francisco on Monday, Mar. 12, from 6 to 7 p.m., to debut her first cookbook, Chloe’s Kitchen! Chloe is gonna talk at us about vegan cooking and her book. She’s gonna have a Q&A. She’s gonna sign copies of her book. AND she’s gonna stuff our faces full of treats. SHE’S GONNA DO IT ALL, folks!

I’ve been told the book features recipes for spaghetti “carbonara,” stroganoff with mushrooms, polenta cutlets, and her prize-winning cupcakes. I want to get really fat eating nothing but food made by Chloe Coscarelli, constantly, in some kind of dream IV tube that somehow also goes through my mouth.

Do you know what this is? It’s PIG BLOOD in the Trinity River in Dallas, Texas. Pig blood from a slaughterhouse/meatpacking plant that is draining INTO the RIVER! Do your eyes and heart feel assaulted? I know mine do!

According to Consumerist, “an amateur drone pilot in Texas was flying a simple rig with a point and shoot camera attached for fun” when he noticed something amiss in a creek. FUN OVER. He notified the county, and a Department of Human Services investigation concluded that the discoloration WAS RAW PIG BLOOD! From an illegally placed pipe leading into the RIVER! Oh humanity, you get me every time! The government will not comment on what kind of legal action is in store for the perpetrator.

Actually my faith in humanity was somewhat restored after I read the comments from this article. Usually when it comes to these kinds of stories, the comments section makes me want to throw myself out a window.

[Picture via Consumerist. I definitely did not photoshop it, as I have no idea how to do that!]

“What’s on that asparagus?” my roommate Dan asked me.
“Why?! IS IT THE BEST ASPARAGUS YOU’VE EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE??”
“Yes. It’s really fucking good.”

This conversation happened. It happened 30 seconds ago. You see, I’m trying muster up the energy to write about my trip The Detox Market, which is the cutest vegan specialty shop in San Francisco, but I am so very tired. You feel me, right? So I’m going to share my dinner instead and also teach you how to roast the best asparagus of Dan’s YOUR LIFE. (Think you have a better recipe? Share the love in the comments! I want to know!)

My other roommate Crystal was the one who introduced me to roasting asparagus. I had always steamed it before. BORING!

Here’s the lowdown:
1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Wash your asparagus (I used a little over a pound of it). Snap off the ends. I forgot to do this (so very tired tonight) and it’s important because the ends are so tough you won’t be able to chew threw them. I had to cut off all the ends after they were roasted! LAME!
3. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil. I used vegetable, but olive oil would probably be ideal. Place asparagus on baking sheet and lightly drizzle with more oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (garlic salt or powder would be delicious as well!) and then squeeze the juice of one lemon over the stalks.
4. Place in oven and roast until fork tender!
5. Serve to all your roommates, the friend you invited over, and yourself. You will be the most loved person ever.

(Also pictured is my cheesy eggplant casserole! Changes I made to the original casserole recipe posted include using Daiya cheese instead of Italian-style cashew cheese or tofu ricotta, and substituting kale for spinach. Next time I think I’m going to use kale AND spinach! Leafy greens galore!)

It’s not hard for me to get people to come over to dinner at my pad! Plus I’m ALL my roommates’ favorite roommate. Just kidding! We all love each other equally!