my day at youtube

snickerdoodle, anyone?

it all started with a gut reaction

Yeah, I'm gonna go vegan. No, I'm not going to barrage you with all kinds of factoids from my soapbox. In a nutshell, here's my reasons why I'm making this choice:

When I was about ten, I was eating a piece of ham. I noticed that it has a hole in it, which I then recognized as being an artery or vein. It was the first time I truly realized that the meat we put in our mouths was at one point a living, breathing, (dare I say it) sentient being.

In the twenty years since then, I have been an on again off again vegetarian. I had trouble figuring out how to do so healthfully, so I would end up feeling ill and decide that eating animal protein was the answer.

More recently, I have been thinking about my eating, and think that one of the roots of my weight issues and disordered eating are linked to the feelings I have around animal products as food. I have felt for years that I "had " to eat this objectionable stuff in order to live, and in an unconscious response, decided I would eat whatever other crap I felt like eating as well. (i.e. "If I eat these eggs, I can follow it with a box of cookies.")

This realization led me to do more research on vegetarianism and how to do live in a healthy manner. In this exploration, I learned about the atrocities that are inflicted upon the creatures in the dairy and egg industries. (I won't go into it here; if you want to know, ask me later.) So I began to research veganism, which is a form of vegetarianism that excludes dairy, eggs, and other animal-derived products.

What I found was that it is completely possible to eat in a fashion that doesn't make me feel sick. And so I'm going to give it a go. No, I don't have all the answers. No, I won't force it down your throat. Yes, I am taking a multivitamin just in case. Yes, I will still eat with you and visit you. It will just be a little more complicated for me. This is my choice, and so I will be responsible for making sure I have something to eat.

So there. Thanks for listening.

wha???

So I was doing a little grocery shopping today at whole foods, and I guess I had enough stuff that was marked "vegan" that the checker decided to ask me about why I'm vegan. I explained that I'm newly converted, to which he asked why. I explained that it is an emotional thing for me, that I don't like eating dead versions of otherwise cute animals, or something like that. So he asks why I don't eat dairy, etc. I explained that there is a lot of abuse, violence, and premature death even in those products, so I have chosen not to eat them. I told him that I understand that others don't necessarily feel the same way, but I do. He paused then said, (I have to switch format here)

HIM: But if there was human breast milk cheese, would you eat that?

ME: Um, no.

HIM: Why not?

ME: Cuz I'm not a baby and breast milk is for babies.

HIM: Really, cuz it would prolly be good for everyone.

ME: (Dumbfounded shock)

HIM: Well have a nice day!


How weird is that?

Oren Lavie

is featured in a new car commercial. I loved him before!!! It is a cute commercial, too. I guess.

freeganism?

Freeganism is an anti-consumerism lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on "limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed."
The lifestyle involves salvaging discarded, unspoiled food from supermarket dumpsters that have passed their sell by date, but are still edible and nutritious. They salvage the food not because they are poor or homeless, but as a political statement. (thank you wikipedia)

Weird. Oprah has a story coming up on this topic. Go Oprah.

vegan freak radio

Not that you're interested in veganism, but you might be entertained by Bob and Jenna Torres as they rant and rave about the issues facing vegans in Vegan Freak Radio. You can subscribe free through the iTunes store if you're totally into it, too.

I like when they rant about Mitt Romney being abusive to animals. I mean, how he may actually be the Antichrist. Check it out.

****oh yeah, they use lots of bad language. don't listen if you're easily offended****