vegansaurus!

Hey Guys! I’m totally at the Oscars! I’m fancy,...

laurahooperb — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:24:00 -0800

Hey Guys! I’m totally at the Oscars! I’m fancy, don’t hate. Well, okay, not THE Oscars but the swag bag area where already rich celebrities come to get free shit! America, fuck yeah! However, what I’m here to say is that HOLY AWESOME: OCD Sweets is at the Oscars representing the vegans with their amaaaaazing caramels! That’s right, as you read this, a Kardashian is probably chowing down on 100-percent ridiculously delicious vegan candy and you’re not. Life is so messed, I know. But bright sides: 1) that’s one less Kardashian eating one less gross animal-product-filled caramel treat and 2) you can order the same stuff on OCD’s website DO IT!

This is “roasted” garlic from a pressure cooker!...

seriousmeaveness — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:46:49 -0800

This is “roasted” garlic from a pressure cooker! Amazing! Laura of Hip Pressure Cooking is a bona fide genius. She can make everything in a pressure cooker, and has so many fantastic veg recipes! You know we love pressure cookers, and HPC is a superb resource for making the most of your miracle device.

Ten-minute roasted garlic! I’m hungry and in awe!

Wow, the world is a disturbing place. As the video says,...

youtalkfunny — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:48:01 -0800

Wow, the world is a disturbing place. As the video says, there’s a new bill in Idaho that would allow all kinds of fun ways to kill wolves, including luring them with live bait… as in, tied up dogs. Just wow, Idaho. The bill also has some weird vengeance loophole for killing wolves that kill your cattle. If a wolf kills one of your sheep or whatever, you have a certain amount of time to hunt it down and kill it without needing to get a permit. Dude, there is no way anyone is going to reliably identify an individual wolf that killed their animals! That’s ridiculous. You do however have to get a permit to kill wolves that are “molesting” your cattle. This part is great:

“molesting” shall mean the actions of a wolf that are annoying, disturbing or persecuting, especially with hostile intent or injurious effect, or chasing, driving, flushing, worrying, following after or on the trail of, or stalking or lying in wait for, livestock or domestic animals.

So basically you can kill a wolf that has intent to kill? OK. And really, “molesting?” Nice word choice. Very loaded and villainous.

You may be familiar with Idaho’s lust for wolf blood, as I’ve written about it many times. It’s only recently that wolves were delisted as an endangered species in Idaho. That’s what they get for narrowly evading extinction!

But seriously, can you imagine a dog tied up with a wolf charging it? And it can’t get away? WTF. Sick.

Defenders of Wildlife is the best site I know of to see how you can help, so check that out.

PS: Please excuse the commercial at the beginning of the video. Couldn’t do anything about it.

New Shredded Vegan Cheese! Exciting??

laurahooperb — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:55:13 -0800

It’s from Galaxy Foods, who, in my very smart and correct opinion, makes pretty shitty vegan cheese. You know the classic vegan cheese that’s the butt of every joke? They make that. BUMMER. But, you know, this is shiny and new and maybe it’s not terrible? And it’s shredded! And Daiya needs someone to come at them, right?? I love Daiya but sometimes it reminds me of what eating Slimer might be like. Just a little. Which isn’t to say it doesn’t have its place and that I don’t really like it but yeah, I WANT MORE. Healthy competition, yo!

Hits the shelves in April, 2012. Everyone watch out?

URGENT: 50,000 hens left to die, animal services blocking sanctuaries from saving them! Take action!

youtalkfunny — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:55:00 -0800

UPDATE FROM ANIMAL PLACE:

Thanks everyone, your voice has been heard by stanislaus animal control! We are asking everyone to hold off on calling Annette over at animal control until we have more information. We will keep you updated as things progress.

50,000 hens were discovered after being left to starve for weeks. You can read the story here. Sanctuaries are there, trying to rescue the surviving birds but Animal Services is blocking them. Want to do something about it?! Here’s how you can help!:

URGENT!!! Please help us save those 50,000 hens left starving. Please call Stanislaus animal services director Annette Patton at 209-342-1740 & politely tell her to allow us to rescue these animals. We are here ready to do so but they won’t allow us. They are killing the birds!!

We need to put the pressure on them. News crews are on their way out. Animal Place & Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary are here to begin rescuing the surviving birds but animal services will not allow them. They promised that some of the surviving birds could be rescued but are now reneging their promise.

The LA Times reports:

About one-third of the hens died of starvation, Annette Patton of the Stanislaus Animal Services agency told the Bee. The others will be euthanized because they were in such poor health.

So please call as soon as you can! Let the chickens know some kindness in their lives!

Big news: Bon Appétit is ditching gestation crates, battery cages

youtalkfunny — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:34:00 -0800

Sweet rescued egg-laying hens at Animal Place. Can’t see the video? Watch it at Vegansaurus.com!

I’ve never heard of Bon Appétit, I thought it was a magazine. But apparently it’s a ~~cafe~~ college food chain thing? With 400 locations. I checked out the site—it looks pretty good. But! That’s not my point! The important news is that Bon Appétit is planning to phase out suppliers that use gestation crates for pigs and battery cages for hens. Instead they want to get meat from “higher-welfare group housing systems” and eggs from cage-free farms. They are also going to ditch foie gras and veal from confined sheep.

They are pretty serious about it; From their site:

Bon Appétit will continue to work with the most responsible meat and poultry producers to pursue Animal Welfare Approved, Food Alliance, Humane Farm Animal Care or Global Animal Partnership certification of their animal welfare practices. These four programs have standards that not only prohibit such cruel practices as gestation crates and battery cages, but also require animals to be allowed to engage in their natural behaviors.

So it’s not just adding a few inches to their cages.

Fedele Bauccio, a cofounder of Bon Appétit, seems like an interesting dude:

“I have never forgotten the terrible things I saw when touring factory farms,” said Fedele Bauccio, cofounder and CEO of Bon Appétit Management Company. From 2006 to 2008 Bauccio served on the prestigious Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, which issued a landmark report calling for an end to gestation crate, battery cage, and veal crate confinement of farm animals.

“We’ve been asking the industry to do the right thing, but we can’t wait anymore,” Bauccio said. “We have to send the message that these practices are unacceptable. If the supply doesn’t catch up by our deadline, we’ll do what we have to — even if that means cutting back on bacon.”

Cutting back on bacon?! That’s un-American!

The Humane Society is on board with kudos from Wayne Pacelle himself. I know we will get some people who will call this “happy meat” and dismiss these changes; Of course ultimately, I want all the animals to be free, but in the meantime, this is going to mean a lot to that chicken who would otherwise be crushed to death on the bottom of a battery cage.

Cri de Coeur spring '12 line!

youtalkfunny — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:57:00 -0800

I’ve been waiting for this for months (I’m a very busy girl)! The Hearts of Darkness by Cri de Coeur spring 2012 line is here. There’s a lot of cork, leopard and lace. I’m definitely always a fan of leopard print and the lace is lovely in this collection. As you can see from the bootie (ha) above, which I love, they did a similar thing with the lace as they did with crochet last year. The heels in the collection are HIGH but luckily there’s a lot of flats. You know I get cranky in any heel over two inches. And you wouldn’t like me when I’m cranky! Bonus!: all Cri de Coeur shoes are eco-friendly and ethically produced. Huzzah!

See more sexy shoes below.

Vegan shrimp rules; real shrimp is terrible for the environment

jennybradley — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0800

I know, you’re like, “Yeah, yeah—tell me something I don’t know,” right, smartypants? I’ll just reiterate a few points of interest, from a recent post of The Atlantic, then showcase pictures of vegan shrimp (the real reason we’re both here). Vegan shrimp is delicious! And since it’s somewhat hard to get a hold of, doesn’t that mean it’s a delicacy? Of course it does.

Biologist J. Boone Kaufman of Oregon State University has calculated that “tiny little shrimp may be the most costly animal you can eat, when measured in terms of its negative impact on the environment.”
“One pound of frozen shrimp adds one ton of carbon dioxide — more than 10 times that produced by the equivalent amount of beef raised on cleared rainforest land.” Yikes!
“Most of the world’s farmed shrimp is produced on coastal farms, in Southeast Asia, that were created by destroying mangrove forests”. The very same forests that would help eliminate much of the carbon dioxide in the air! Plus, the farms are usually abandoned after about 10 years, due to the awful effects upon the soil. The land is pretty much unusable for about 40 years. Awesome.

Again, you can read more here. Now, for you and the seafood lover in your life:

Veggie shrimp, available at Rainbow!

Everything on this table is vegan, including the shrimp cocktail in back! Faux shrimp + Trader Joe’s cocktail sauce = astonished party guests.

Veggie Praram with veggie shrimp at Thai Idea! You can add the ‘shrimp’ to any entree. Go ahead, treat yourself (it’s like an extra $1.50). Taken with Instagram, because I just got my first iPhone. I’m (jennybradleyyo) Instagramming my way through life!

Voice of the Orcas, a site created by former SeaWorld employees,...

youtalkfunny — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:30:05 -0800

Voice of the Orcas, a site created by former SeaWorld employees, has released a series of pictures depicting the disturbing world of orcas in captivity. I find this picture so sad—look at the dorsal fin! And the pool is so pathetic.

Digital Journal has done an excellent job posting the photos with a great deal of corresponding information. I suggest you read that. And if you’re up for it, this is your chance to see the process of artificially inseminating orcas. Dick pics and all.

We are not alone: vegans are now 2.5 percent of the population!

sarahmsmart — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:49:19 -0800

Sometimes I feel so lonely in my veganism that I ruin a perfectly good pot of cooking quinoa by crying into it and end up eating ~~a bottle of wine~~ four bites of an old gross salad for dinner instead. But no more! Apparently, 2.5 percent of adults in the United States are vegan!* Megan said the last number she heard was 0.5 percent [Ed. note: and Megan is always right! -Megan], so this is huge, folks.

But every rose has its thorn: 48 percent of humans eat meat at every meal, according to this poll. Every. Fucking. Meal. With the success bacon has enjoyed, that statistic, sadly, does not surprise me. People, quit putting strips of grease-fried fat on your otherwise diabetic coma-inducing meals. Make this instead, maybe.

*note: for the 2011 survey, they didn’t ask whether or not the people that identify as vegan eat honey

[Amazing looking vegan feast by Emilie Hardman via Flickr]

Sharks can be friends!

sarahmsmart — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:46:12 -0800

A lot of times, I picture sharks as I like to picture myself: rugged, badass loners ~~with an unquenchable thirst for human blood~~ who rock out pretty much constantly. But here is news that could change all that (for sharks, I mean). Turns out shark grouping patterns are more than marriages of convenience; they are stable, long-lasting, meaningful social communities! Pretty soon sharks will have Facebook pages, right? Come on into the 21st century, sharks, don’t be shy. I’ll friend you!

[Photo credit: Klaus Steifel via Flickr]

Meet the spicy green leaves salad with spicy bean curd dressing,...

seriousmeaveness — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:03:26 -0800

Meet the spicy green leaves salad with spicy bean curd dressing, crispy tofu, topped with crispy rice noodles at the Green Elephant in Portland, Me. It costs $6 (WHAT) and Erin of Olives for Dinner had this to say about it:

this salad is amazing. Super-fresh and packed with tons of crisp carrots, tomatoes, tofu and noodles, it’s the perfect dinner to enjoy after gorging on multiple appetizers. I love it that Green Elephant isn’t stingy with any of their sauces, which allows for a liberal drenching over every inch of a dish.

Read the entire review of her meal (with photos) at Green Elephant! It sounds so so good! Thanks for letting us know, Erin!

Olsen Haus spring '12 line!

seriousmeaveness — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:35:12 -0800

Elizabeth Olsen is so talented! Get ready for warm days to show off her latest, gorgeous shoes on your happy feet. These shoes are all about sunny, sandy beaches and dancing and drinks under the moon, and we are all about them. If you are broke and overworked or underemployed, like us, take your feet on vacation and dream about going with them. Of course, all Olsenhaus shoes are vegan!

The rest of these beauties are after the jump, for your viewing convenience.

Total fantasy shoes. Elizabeth Olsen, you are a wonder. Olsenhaus is the best!

[all images from the Olsenhaus Spring ‘12 lookbook (.pdf)]

"Matrix" chicken farms are creepy art, not reality

reportingrzurer — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:00:32 -0800

Here’s a creepy idea: Given that modern chicken farming causes so much pain, why not just lobotomize the things and turn them into unconscious protein-growing machines, à la Matrix? Wired posted about it last week, a reader told us about it, and we kinda freaked out here in the back room. How is that better than going vegan?! That’s so f-ed up!

Then we chilled out. Because as the savviest (nerdiest) of nerds such as myself might notice, Wired’s post is on the mag’s culture blog, not on any of its science pages. Deep breaths, vegans. This ain’t real; this is an architecture student’s creation for a design show. ART. It’s supposed to make you think, not actually happen. And people thinking about the logical extension of how their food is currently produced? I’d call that good news all around.

Read a whole big long interview with the artist if you’re so inclined. You’ll notice dude’s not a saint—he says he could never go vegan, which is a ridiculous thing to say—but I think he’s clever and provocative and good news in general. Red pills for all!

This short, by Marija Jacimovic and Benoit Detalle, is one of...

seriousmeaveness — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:30:06 -0800

This short, by Marija Jacimovic and Benoit Detalle, is one of five shortlisted films for the RSA / Nominet Trust Film Competition. It uses an excerpt from a speech given by Michael Pollan at the RSA in 2010. In these two minutes, Michael Pollan says nothing anti-veg. He just talks about how the food system is fucked, which it totally is. (Is our Michael Pollan tolerance up to two entire minutes now?)

You can check out the other four films here, and find out more about the RSA here.

Let’s all go to Hawaii, guys! Turns out that in addition...

reportingrzurer — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:00:05 -0800

Let’s all go to Hawaii, guys! Turns out that in addition to pineapples, snorkeling, palm trees, George Clooney, and bikinis, our 50th state has some delicious-looking vegan food! Honolulu magazine just did a roundup of their five favorite vegan dishes on Oahu, and if I could eat with my eyes via the Internet, I would have just gained 17 pounds.

Pictured is the “Heart and Seoul” from Peace Cafe, basically bi bim bap without the bowl. Road trip!

"While governments continue to struggle to agree on measures that would increase renewable energy..."

youtalkfunny — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:42:40 -0800

“While governments continue to struggle to agree on measures that would increase renewable energy infrastructure significantly, we propose that alternatives to livestock products could be scaled up quickly to reduce today‟s grave risk of climate change significantly. Indeed, reducing animal feed production and replacing at least one quarter of today‟s livestock products with substitutes could be the only way for governments, industry, and the general public collaboratively to take a single, powerful action to reduce climate change quickly.”

- This is the conclusion from a recent article by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang that was published in the Animal Feed Science and Technology journal. (I’m not kidding!)

I recently wrote about Goodland and Anhang’s 2009 report, Livestock and Climate Change, which asserts that livestock may account for 51 percent of all human-caused GHG emissions. In that post, I also linked to an article in Animal Feed Science and Technology that attempted to refute the 2009 report.

Well, now you can read Goodland and Anhang’s response to the criticism [PDF], in which they kind of tear it apart. It’s a fairly short article and definitely worth a read! It adds updated sources to support the original report as well as clarifies some points.

It’s another vegan king cake! From Mighty Vegan, who did a...

seriousmeaveness — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:49:38 -0800

It’s another vegan king cake! From Mighty Vegan, who did a series on vegan Mardi Gras with some good-looking recipes! Thanks, lady! Happy Mardi Gras!

HuffPo, the great aggregator, reports on a report from the...

seriousmeaveness — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:20:19 -0800

HuffPo, the great aggregator, reports on a report from the Telegraph on how the tiger got its stripes, and how the leopard got its spots. The answer is: magic! No, the answer is genetics. Morphogens! Alan Turing! Enigma Machine! These things are loosely connected, but it’s fun to smash them together and see what comes up. In this case: stripes and spots. Sorry you’re such a liar, Rudyard Kipling.

To get you in the Fat Tuesday spirit, how about a...

youtalkfunny — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:15:06 -0800

To get you in the Fat Tuesday spirit, how about a little Beignet from New Orleans? She’s not really a pastry, silly, she’s a kitty! A Katrina rescue (still?) looking for a home in New York. Have you ever seen such pretty eyes? It looks like she’s wearing false eyelashes! She is super pretty with a reportedly quiet demeanor—such a lady! Maybe you have room in your home to party with Beignet this Fat Tuesday?