Yes, there is the obvious argument that plants don't have feelings, or at least plants don't react to pain the way animals do. But there is a better reason this argument is dumb than the above.
Eating animals (or even just raising them to steal their milk or eggs) actually causes more plants to die because these animals have to eat plants or eat animals that eat plants. Thus if you eat animals you are actually killing more plants, than if you eat plants directly.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Friday, December 9, 2016
Why I regret referencing the "Free Range Kids" movement in Bubble Burst
If I have a regret about something I included in my book "Bubble Burst: The Truth About the Dairy Farm", I would definitely say it is including the "Free Range Kids" movement headed by Leonore Skenazy.
Sadly, as of recently I feel like her blog has gone from the "Free Range Kids" movement to the "Lazy Selfish Parents" movement. I'm all for what it originally stood for...encouraging kids to walk places and to play outside. To love your neighbors rather than to fear them and to reignite community.
But sadly, these posts now seem to be an all to distant memory. Instead, they have been replaced by posts about leaving kids, even young babies, in cars alone (horrible car-centered idea), drinking wine while pregnant (another horrible idea), and trying to claim formula is just as good as breastmilk. Don't even get me started on this last one as it flies in the face of everything this book stands for. Not to mention pretty much every study that isn't being funded by some corrupt industry shows human breastmilk is superior.
Sadly, the people who seem to comment there now are basically like those of Ekalfwons: greedy and selfishness. It's like they are in some race to the bottom to see who can leave the youngest child, in the hottest/coldest conditions in their stupid gas guzzler SUV which they probably drove two blocks to get there. These idiots have even gone as far as to suggest dark window tints to prevent anyone noticing their child who may be meanwhile freezing or baking to death (or maybe just crying helplessly in vain not knowing where mom or dad is and why no one is coming for them when they cry).
No I'm not making this up. This was the actual post below
"lollipoplover December 5, 2016 at 1:07 pm #
Too lazy to parent a 4 year old or take them with you...nice. So I guess that now leaves those of us who aren't lazy, parenting these poor kids instead of the parents, checking in windows of dark color SUVs knowing this stupidity is going on.
Now they are on the blogtoday again bragging about their stupid useless SUVs, bragging about how they exploit animals, and defending some idiot who's kid had to be taken out of his vehicle by paramedics.
Not helicoptering doesn't equal neglecting your child. Something which now seems to be lost of this new breed of so called "Free Range Parents" who are really just a bunch of "Lazy Selfish Parents".
Side note: If you see a baby, toddler or young child left alone in a vehicle do not hesitate to call the police (either the non-emergency number or 911 depending on the situation). Many children have died this way and it is a slow painful death. Pay special attention to SUVs or others vehicles with dark window tint, especially if you happen to be walking by, as now we have people buying these vehicles just to leave kids in them in dangerous conditions to prove how "Freerange" they are. . You could save a life.
Sadly, as of recently I feel like her blog has gone from the "Free Range Kids" movement to the "Lazy Selfish Parents" movement. I'm all for what it originally stood for...encouraging kids to walk places and to play outside. To love your neighbors rather than to fear them and to reignite community.
But sadly, these posts now seem to be an all to distant memory. Instead, they have been replaced by posts about leaving kids, even young babies, in cars alone (horrible car-centered idea), drinking wine while pregnant (another horrible idea), and trying to claim formula is just as good as breastmilk. Don't even get me started on this last one as it flies in the face of everything this book stands for. Not to mention pretty much every study that isn't being funded by some corrupt industry shows human breastmilk is superior.
Sadly, the people who seem to comment there now are basically like those of Ekalfwons: greedy and selfishness. It's like they are in some race to the bottom to see who can leave the youngest child, in the hottest/coldest conditions in their stupid gas guzzler SUV which they probably drove two blocks to get there. These idiots have even gone as far as to suggest dark window tints to prevent anyone noticing their child who may be meanwhile freezing or baking to death (or maybe just crying helplessly in vain not knowing where mom or dad is and why no one is coming for them when they cry).
No I'm not making this up. This was the actual post below
"lollipoplover December 5, 2016 at 1:07 pm #
“The officer told my wife that if your our child is out of sight for more than “10 seconds”! We are endangering our child”
Should I call the police on myself while in the bathroom? The definition of endangered has certainly changed.
And a 4 year-old is NOT a baby. This cascade effect of this overreaction caused more harm to this child and his family than any period of time this child was sleeping “endangered” in a car.
Tinted windows, people. I highly recommend them".
Too lazy to parent a 4 year old or take them with you...nice. So I guess that now leaves those of us who aren't lazy, parenting these poor kids instead of the parents, checking in windows of dark color SUVs knowing this stupidity is going on.
Now they are on the blogtoday again bragging about their stupid useless SUVs, bragging about how they exploit animals, and defending some idiot who's kid had to be taken out of his vehicle by paramedics.
Not helicoptering doesn't equal neglecting your child. Something which now seems to be lost of this new breed of so called "Free Range Parents" who are really just a bunch of "Lazy Selfish Parents".
Side note: If you see a baby, toddler or young child left alone in a vehicle do not hesitate to call the police (either the non-emergency number or 911 depending on the situation). Many children have died this way and it is a slow painful death. Pay special attention to SUVs or others vehicles with dark window tint, especially if you happen to be walking by, as now we have people buying these vehicles just to leave kids in them in dangerous conditions to prove how "Freerange" they are. . You could save a life.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Product Review: Nature's Gate Chamomile Replenishing Duo
Pros: Vegan, seems to work well enough, inexpensive compared to other vegan/natural brands,
Cons: A little bit boring, I think the smell is fine, but some people don't seem to like it.
Rating: 8/10
In general, I've been pretty happy with the shampoo conditioner set. It isn't really amazing or exciting, but it seems to get the job done. The bottles are a good size and last a bit. Ist lack of color and smell does leave me missing my exciting days of buying LUSH products a little bit, but wanting to scale back on spending, this works well enough.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Sorry, but Trump being elected doesn't retroactively make Clinton an enviromentalist
I'm frequently involved in conversations about how awful it is Trump was elected; and I agree. But then these conversations too often sadly turn into Clinton retroactive history.
Trump isn't, Clinton isn't, Obama isn't an environmentalist. The only difference is Trump says he doesn't believe in global warming. But that is just words. They all act exactly the same.
Does an environmentalist get driven around in an SUV which she has secret service park in a bike lane? Does an environmentalist fly around in a private jet? Does an environmentalist eat meat? Does an environmentalist joke on national tv about eating animals?
Because if this is what constitutes acceptable to be labeled an environmentalist we are all doomed to extinction. And claiming to care about the environment but acting this way as an important person just sets the stage for do nothing environmentalism. 8 years of Obama and the gloabl warming is as bad as ever and it may already even be an end game.
But hey how can this be? You packed your meat and cheese in reusable bags that you drove home in your SUV. Aren't you a good little corporate puppet!
In fact, in many ways it almost makes me angrier to see people who claim to be environmentalists or to claim to believe in climate change acting this way. In some ways I would rather just talk to some anti science freak, than listen to some so called liberal tell me their 10 lame excuses for why they drive an SUV or their ten lame excuses for why they still eat animal carcasses, chicken periods, and cow breastmilk.
Trump isn't, Clinton isn't, Obama isn't an environmentalist. The only difference is Trump says he doesn't believe in global warming. But that is just words. They all act exactly the same.
Does an environmentalist get driven around in an SUV which she has secret service park in a bike lane? Does an environmentalist fly around in a private jet? Does an environmentalist eat meat? Does an environmentalist joke on national tv about eating animals?
Because if this is what constitutes acceptable to be labeled an environmentalist we are all doomed to extinction. And claiming to care about the environment but acting this way as an important person just sets the stage for do nothing environmentalism. 8 years of Obama and the gloabl warming is as bad as ever and it may already even be an end game.
But hey how can this be? You packed your meat and cheese in reusable bags that you drove home in your SUV. Aren't you a good little corporate puppet!
In fact, in many ways it almost makes me angrier to see people who claim to be environmentalists or to claim to believe in climate change acting this way. In some ways I would rather just talk to some anti science freak, than listen to some so called liberal tell me their 10 lame excuses for why they drive an SUV or their ten lame excuses for why they still eat animal carcasses, chicken periods, and cow breastmilk.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Quick(ish) Vegan Guide: Reykjavik,Iceland
Last month I made my first trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. Like many other places I have traveled, I heard mixed things about the presence (or lack there of) of vegan food. Like many of these places I didn't find Reykjavik to be a vegan food haven, but I certainly didn't go hungry either. If you are going to starve in Reykjavik, it probably won't be because of the lack of vegan food, but because of the high price of food (not unique to vegan food)!
How you will want to go about eating vegan in Reykjavik will depend largely on your budget. If you are budget travelers like us your best option is probably to stay somewhere, with minimally access to a refrigerator and preferably a stove or more. A microwave can't hurt either, although far less useful than a stove unless you have special cooking equipment. We stayed at Stay Boholt which was an okay, but not great or amazing budget hotel with a minifridge, microwave, and stove (with cooking equipment and dishes).
Iceland allows most vegan foods to be brought in, so long as the amount of food is consistent with the length of your stay. Bringing in staples, especially vegan proteins is a great idea. We brought in a lot of lentils which worked out great! Officially the limit is about 6.6 lbs of food, but I have doubts anyone is actually weighing it.
There are many grocery stores in Reykjavik including downtown, all which you can easily access on foot. Bonus is the cheapest and where most of the locals shop. They have a lot of produce, canned goods that one would call naturally vegan vs intentionally, hummus (labeled vegan) and soy yogurt (labeled vegan). At another grocery store I found the vegan slices below. There is a "health" food store, but like many "health" food stores I found it a disappointment as many of the items featured animal products and it was expensive.
If you are looking at a nice sized budget or are stuck without even a refrigerator there are a few options for eating out. I would still recommend having some food with you for hours when you might not be able to access vegan food. Keep in mind restaurant food in downtown Reykjavik will leave you with sticker shock. Smoothies run close to $10, soup is about $15, coffee about $6, actual meals $25-$30 and snacks around $8-$10. Keep in mind this is fast casual to casual light. I don't even know what fine dining would cost. Then again I heard from someone staying outside of Reykjavik food was even more expensive there.
I could only find one fully vegan restaurant in Iceland. This would be Vinyl. Even if you are on a budget it is probably worth at least stopping by there for a snack once, although perhaps more for the ambiance or coffee, than for the food which was okay, but not amazing. As the name would imply, they also sell records and have some neat record related decor. If you plan to mainly eat out you will probably find yourself there often! Below is the parfait at Vinyl.
Vinyl is in central Rekyjavik one street away from the major downtown street in the downtown area(in the direction of the water). You kind of have to know it is there to find it, but if you know it is there it's really easy to get to.
I only ate out one other time during, our stay in Iceland. It was an awful experience and I think I may have been vegan scammed a place called Nat Kitchen, especially after retroactively reading other reviews on happy cow. They had the words vegan and vegetarian plastered in huge letters on the front. Having not had a lot of time to research this trip in advance and having heard there was a vegetarian/vegan place downtown I assumed this was the place. Bad assumption.
On entering and perhaps being jet lagged I assumed given the first word on the door was vegan and the second vegetarian the meat and fish all over was fake meat and fish. Given that fake meat isn't always vegan I asked what is vegan. I got a very weird answer and was recommended several things including fish. Eventually after several more rounds of questions I figured out the fish was likely actually fish, but thought the soup was vegan. But after reading the reviews on happy cow and given the soup tasted like it had dairy in it I doubt the soup was vegan. So my advice: avoid Nat Kitchen.
Speaking of the place that is vegetarian/vegan that would be Glo, which I didn't make it to, as like most restaurants in Iceland it is a bit pricey and I get more excited about purely vegan restaurants. If someone has been there it would be great to hear what you think in the comments!
Not sure how eating at "regular" restaurants would go, as I didn't try this, due to the kitchen and the budget.
Looking for my other quick vegan guides. See below:
Budapest
BWI E terminal
Dublin
International Air Travel
Kansas City
Little Rock Airport
London (UK)
Mall of America
Oslo
How you will want to go about eating vegan in Reykjavik will depend largely on your budget. If you are budget travelers like us your best option is probably to stay somewhere, with minimally access to a refrigerator and preferably a stove or more. A microwave can't hurt either, although far less useful than a stove unless you have special cooking equipment. We stayed at Stay Boholt which was an okay, but not great or amazing budget hotel with a minifridge, microwave, and stove (with cooking equipment and dishes).
Iceland allows most vegan foods to be brought in, so long as the amount of food is consistent with the length of your stay. Bringing in staples, especially vegan proteins is a great idea. We brought in a lot of lentils which worked out great! Officially the limit is about 6.6 lbs of food, but I have doubts anyone is actually weighing it.
There are many grocery stores in Reykjavik including downtown, all which you can easily access on foot. Bonus is the cheapest and where most of the locals shop. They have a lot of produce, canned goods that one would call naturally vegan vs intentionally, hummus (labeled vegan) and soy yogurt (labeled vegan). At another grocery store I found the vegan slices below. There is a "health" food store, but like many "health" food stores I found it a disappointment as many of the items featured animal products and it was expensive.
If you are looking at a nice sized budget or are stuck without even a refrigerator there are a few options for eating out. I would still recommend having some food with you for hours when you might not be able to access vegan food. Keep in mind restaurant food in downtown Reykjavik will leave you with sticker shock. Smoothies run close to $10, soup is about $15, coffee about $6, actual meals $25-$30 and snacks around $8-$10. Keep in mind this is fast casual to casual light. I don't even know what fine dining would cost. Then again I heard from someone staying outside of Reykjavik food was even more expensive there.
I could only find one fully vegan restaurant in Iceland. This would be Vinyl. Even if you are on a budget it is probably worth at least stopping by there for a snack once, although perhaps more for the ambiance or coffee, than for the food which was okay, but not amazing. As the name would imply, they also sell records and have some neat record related decor. If you plan to mainly eat out you will probably find yourself there often! Below is the parfait at Vinyl.
Vinyl is in central Rekyjavik one street away from the major downtown street in the downtown area(in the direction of the water). You kind of have to know it is there to find it, but if you know it is there it's really easy to get to.
I only ate out one other time during, our stay in Iceland. It was an awful experience and I think I may have been vegan scammed a place called Nat Kitchen, especially after retroactively reading other reviews on happy cow. They had the words vegan and vegetarian plastered in huge letters on the front. Having not had a lot of time to research this trip in advance and having heard there was a vegetarian/vegan place downtown I assumed this was the place. Bad assumption.
On entering and perhaps being jet lagged I assumed given the first word on the door was vegan and the second vegetarian the meat and fish all over was fake meat and fish. Given that fake meat isn't always vegan I asked what is vegan. I got a very weird answer and was recommended several things including fish. Eventually after several more rounds of questions I figured out the fish was likely actually fish, but thought the soup was vegan. But after reading the reviews on happy cow and given the soup tasted like it had dairy in it I doubt the soup was vegan. So my advice: avoid Nat Kitchen.
Speaking of the place that is vegetarian/vegan that would be Glo, which I didn't make it to, as like most restaurants in Iceland it is a bit pricey and I get more excited about purely vegan restaurants. If someone has been there it would be great to hear what you think in the comments!
Not sure how eating at "regular" restaurants would go, as I didn't try this, due to the kitchen and the budget.
Looking for my other quick vegan guides. See below:
Budapest
BWI E terminal
Dublin
International Air Travel
Kansas City
Little Rock Airport
London (UK)
Mall of America
Oslo
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Vegan food at BWI terminal E
Below is my picture of my nice meal at BWI terminal E. Not seeing a pick? That is because terminal E doesn't have one vegan meal I could find unless you count overpriced fruit, nuts and some processed fruit cookies labeled vegan sold at the news stand. The cookies were quiet good: then again I was quite hungry. So there you have it: bring your own food unless you want to waste money.
Note: While I'm not doing a full book on it I'll be blogging about my recent Iceland trip, so look for some more lengthy and interesting posts coming soon.
Note: While I'm not doing a full book on it I'll be blogging about my recent Iceland trip, so look for some more lengthy and interesting posts coming soon.
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