Thursday, July 31, 2008
more stores close for Starbucks
Starbucks is closing 2/3 of all stores in Australia. Guess those Aussies have come to their senses and want that bitter brew out of their country. Who could blame them really? That's like seeing a McDonald's in Antarctica. It just doesn't belong.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Dennis Kucinich is my hero
Today is the last day to sign the impeachment petition put forth by Dennis Kucinich. If you feel that President Bush has violated his presidency by say, oh falsely leading us into war, jeopardizing our national currency and blatantly ignoring our Constitutional rights than you should also sign this petition. It takes two minutes, tops.
This is a rare moment in history and we should all take note. Congressmen Kucinich is risking it all to stand up for OUR rights and we should respond by thanking him profusely for his work and dedication to the American people.
Thank you Dennis!
This is a rare moment in history and we should all take note. Congressmen Kucinich is risking it all to stand up for OUR rights and we should respond by thanking him profusely for his work and dedication to the American people.
Thank you Dennis!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Vegan shoes for classy gals
Natalie Portman was on Project Runway as a guest judge to pump up her new upscale vegan shoe line. Follow the link here.
Just today yet another pair of cheap vegan shoes I recently purchased fell to pieces and reinforced my need for some quality shoes.
Thanks Natalie!
Just today yet another pair of cheap vegan shoes I recently purchased fell to pieces and reinforced my need for some quality shoes.
Thanks Natalie!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Product Nods
There are so many things in the world right now that make me angry that for the time being I'm going to give a couple of vegan-centric product nods that make me happy instead of analyzing the evil ways of the world.
I've long-been of the notion to purchase cruelty-free products, products that promote a like-minded consciousness and products that aren't produced and shelved by The Man. For example, I stopped shopping at Target, because I really don't need all that stuff made by poor, exploited Chinese workers, and if I do, somewhere in my neighborhood probably has something better, produced locally. I'm lucky enough to be in a central neighborhood with thriving independent delis, hardware stores, used book shops and cute, local gift stores all within walking distance.
My boyfriend recently came home with dish soap made by Ivory, aka Procter and Gamble and it got me thinking why we don't stop to read our labels more carefully. Even our neighborhood grocer stocks products that are conscious. I quickly switched out that nasty ole Ivory for some Method soap, which doesn't test on animals. I know we can all make that hasty choice and small mistakes, but if we just remind ourselves to think about the choices and take that extra minute to scan the label, then we are happier all along.
Recently I stopped into Duross and Langel on 13th St. in Philadelphia to pick up a bar of soap, instead of going to Whole Foods to get my normal glycerin bar. This store is usually a treat for me or my first stop for gifts. All the soaps are handmade using fine ingredients, they have a large selection of men's skin care and fun bath toys! While I spent more than I would have normally, I feel great about my purchase because I supported a local business that also supports veganism and I had fun doing it. This store is like a candy shop for adults. Read the labels carefully, because some items may contain goats milk, but all vegan bars are labelled vegan. They also host workshops which I would love to do, but where will I find the time? Shop away, I love their soap, and they are always stocking up with new crazy combinations. Soaps make great gifts and this stuff beats pricey Lush if you ask me. They always include free samples with every purchase, and this time, the mojito soap really gets me moving in the morning. I can't wait to try the new exfoliating bar chock-full of sesame seeds and nuts to really get my face clean and smooth. You can't get this stuff at your local grocery store.
Another place I like to check up on from time to time is Sick on Sin, a Toronto-based company that sells really cute T-shirts, pins and magnets, many vegan-centric. Check it out, they are having a sale! I ran into this girl Jen, last year at the Toronto Vegetarian Festival and purchased a witty t-shirt that supports veganism, (see above logo.) She also stocks aprons which make a great gift for that vegan chef in your life. I bought one with an anti-steak logo for mine, but you have to ask. I also love her magnets and not all have to do with vegetarianism, some are just plain cute, make great gifts for kids or teens. I recently bought my 11 year-old niece a bunch of stuff from this site and while it would have pleased me tons to be the recipient, she was all smiles! But seriously, a "flesh is for zombies" pin? Bring it on!
Lastly on my list of recent purchase, which I'm kind of embarrassed about, is a fanny-pack! Yep, in case you haven't heard the fanny pack is making a comeback. Sometimes I don't want to carry a bag and I don't want bulky pockets. No I don't look like a dorky, lost tourist. I ride my bike often and I can't think of a more convenient way to carry my crap. I bought a cute one from Jansport ($9.99) at I Goldberg. I could have gone a more eco-route and bought something made of natural fibers, but quite frankly they all look frumpy and if there's any quality I'm looking for in a fanny-pack, it is certainly not frumpiness.
Well there you go, some shopping tips for the week that won't inspire guilt. Support local shops, it'll make you feel good.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Philly DON"T recycle
Alarming statistic for you: Only eight percent of Philadelphians recycle.
Why God, oh why do I live here?
Why God, oh why do I live here?
veggin' out in D.C.
This weekend I took the Chinatown bus down to Washington DC for an overnight trip. Taking the bus sure beats that Washington traffic, solves those vicious, costly parking problems and also shaves off over 30 bucks for two round-trip tickets from the standard bus fare. I travelled to DC a lot with my family as a kid, but never since, and I had always meant to while living so close by.
I was meeting up with my oldest friend, whom I've known since I was a toddler. She, an open-minded meat-eater and myself, of course, a raw-ist. Coming up with an appropriate place to eat for two radically different people didn't prove to be much of a challenge, however. Despite the many misconceptions of DC, it proved to be a pretty progressive city. She directed me to vegdc.com, a vegetarian-based dining guide that breaks the city's many neighborhoods into manageable dining destinations. Mulling over where to eat the night before, we decided to keep it open-ended and found a little Mediterranean cafe, Pasha Bistro, close by my luxe hotel where we could nosh on a couple of really fresh, delicious salads, and some rather nice, but inexpensive white wine.
I say luxe hotel, but it was really just a Doubletree. After so many risky choices in the past, this standard proved superb. Complete with Temporpedic mattresses and a mini-suite, we milked our check-out until the very last minute. Highly recommended, very central and affordable.
For dinner on the first night, we stopped in a bustling Japanese restaurant on N st and 21st, which doesn't deserve a mention by name, but does deserve a nod for the incredibly interesting health salad on the menu chock-full of over 5 kinds of seaweeds!
I can't forget to mention, Second Story Books, located close by Dupont Circle, that is not to be missed. I ran in there to pick up a specific book and ended up spending $40 on things I couldn't possibly live without. Aside from having books on everything under the sun, and lots of them, they also have a nice selection of first editions and sell leather-bound sets of all the classic writers, like my favorites, E.M. Forster and Thomas Hardy. I'm secretly plotting my next visit back, only it would have been helpful to have the car trunk to pop our heavy load in, instead of lugging them around all next day in that hot DC sun. what fun!
Nightlife in DC made me feel like an old hag, not because I wasn't decked out in the heels and short skirts that the future lobbyists of America were wearing but because it was a definite college scene. All the while I'm thinking, "was I ever that annoying?" My partner certainly didn't fit the usual frat-boy uniform of the many young men in the street, so we called it an early night and stayed in the comfort of our room.
The following day we stopped in Java Green, a place I was originally excited to try, but wary, based on my boyfriends' previous adventure there the day before. He pointed out the lazy, oblivious owner when we entered the cafe, which is set up for seriously high-volume. I think for a vegan, this place would prove to be a jewel, but for a raw-ist, it proved to be a conundrum. According to their menu, they had a lot of raw food offerings, but none of them were that tasty. The kale salad was too sweet, and the seaweed-cucumber soup was OK, but I wouldn't order it again. We ordered two very expensive raw smoothies and I swear I watched her pour soy milk into mine in place of nut milk and scoop huge scoops of soy ice-cream into my boyfriends' pina colada. That said, I watched as many errors were made, all the while the owner sat obliviously enjoying food with friends. Two smoothies cost over 18 bucks and I'm not even sure they were made correctly. erg.
The best part of the day came when we were wandering the Mall and a park ranger gave us free tickets to tour the White House Gardens! It only happens seven days a year, what the hell. We were probably the two most unlikely people to ever step foot on the White House lawn, but here we were, laughing every step of the way. Pretty tight security, all in all. One guard took my tea ball that I travel with, held it up, shrugged and put it back in my bag. As an archivist, I found it really fun to compare the photos posted on the lawn of past presidents planting trees with the lush grounds that exist today.
Word to the wise: avoid, at all costs, going to the Smithsonian on weekends. Unless you love crying babies, dodging humongous baby carriages and dealing with about a billion people in your face at all times.
The highlight of our trip was dinner at Zaytinya, another Mediterranean restaurant. Although there were many meat-based options on the menu, they had a vegetarian mezze menu (small plates) and we were able to indulge in a chilled yellow tomato soup, amazing olives, lightly grilled asparagus and delicious salads. 6pm time to go, chug that wine, get on that bus and hold it til you get to your destination. It went something like that.
I was meeting up with my oldest friend, whom I've known since I was a toddler. She, an open-minded meat-eater and myself, of course, a raw-ist. Coming up with an appropriate place to eat for two radically different people didn't prove to be much of a challenge, however. Despite the many misconceptions of DC, it proved to be a pretty progressive city. She directed me to vegdc.com, a vegetarian-based dining guide that breaks the city's many neighborhoods into manageable dining destinations. Mulling over where to eat the night before, we decided to keep it open-ended and found a little Mediterranean cafe, Pasha Bistro, close by my luxe hotel where we could nosh on a couple of really fresh, delicious salads, and some rather nice, but inexpensive white wine.
I say luxe hotel, but it was really just a Doubletree. After so many risky choices in the past, this standard proved superb. Complete with Temporpedic mattresses and a mini-suite, we milked our check-out until the very last minute. Highly recommended, very central and affordable.
For dinner on the first night, we stopped in a bustling Japanese restaurant on N st and 21st, which doesn't deserve a mention by name, but does deserve a nod for the incredibly interesting health salad on the menu chock-full of over 5 kinds of seaweeds!
I can't forget to mention, Second Story Books, located close by Dupont Circle, that is not to be missed. I ran in there to pick up a specific book and ended up spending $40 on things I couldn't possibly live without. Aside from having books on everything under the sun, and lots of them, they also have a nice selection of first editions and sell leather-bound sets of all the classic writers, like my favorites, E.M. Forster and Thomas Hardy. I'm secretly plotting my next visit back, only it would have been helpful to have the car trunk to pop our heavy load in, instead of lugging them around all next day in that hot DC sun. what fun!
Nightlife in DC made me feel like an old hag, not because I wasn't decked out in the heels and short skirts that the future lobbyists of America were wearing but because it was a definite college scene. All the while I'm thinking, "was I ever that annoying?" My partner certainly didn't fit the usual frat-boy uniform of the many young men in the street, so we called it an early night and stayed in the comfort of our room.
The following day we stopped in Java Green, a place I was originally excited to try, but wary, based on my boyfriends' previous adventure there the day before. He pointed out the lazy, oblivious owner when we entered the cafe, which is set up for seriously high-volume. I think for a vegan, this place would prove to be a jewel, but for a raw-ist, it proved to be a conundrum. According to their menu, they had a lot of raw food offerings, but none of them were that tasty. The kale salad was too sweet, and the seaweed-cucumber soup was OK, but I wouldn't order it again. We ordered two very expensive raw smoothies and I swear I watched her pour soy milk into mine in place of nut milk and scoop huge scoops of soy ice-cream into my boyfriends' pina colada. That said, I watched as many errors were made, all the while the owner sat obliviously enjoying food with friends. Two smoothies cost over 18 bucks and I'm not even sure they were made correctly. erg.
The best part of the day came when we were wandering the Mall and a park ranger gave us free tickets to tour the White House Gardens! It only happens seven days a year, what the hell. We were probably the two most unlikely people to ever step foot on the White House lawn, but here we were, laughing every step of the way. Pretty tight security, all in all. One guard took my tea ball that I travel with, held it up, shrugged and put it back in my bag. As an archivist, I found it really fun to compare the photos posted on the lawn of past presidents planting trees with the lush grounds that exist today.
Word to the wise: avoid, at all costs, going to the Smithsonian on weekends. Unless you love crying babies, dodging humongous baby carriages and dealing with about a billion people in your face at all times.
The highlight of our trip was dinner at Zaytinya, another Mediterranean restaurant. Although there were many meat-based options on the menu, they had a vegetarian mezze menu (small plates) and we were able to indulge in a chilled yellow tomato soup, amazing olives, lightly grilled asparagus and delicious salads. 6pm time to go, chug that wine, get on that bus and hold it til you get to your destination. It went something like that.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The new Green channel and why it irks me
The new Green Channel on cable TV launched about a month ago ...have you seen it? In theory, its a great concept. People showcasing their green products, builders explaining how to better your home, celebrities showing you how to be green. Entourage star, Adrien Grenier has his own show, "Alter Eco", where he pals around with a bunch of hip LAsters, showing products in local eco-stores, meeting local gardeners who can tell you how to build a compost in your backyard, all while having a hip cool approach to life that only celebrity can bring. yawn... Bored yet?
My favorite cookbook author, Rene Loux has her own show, where she consults with other hip celebrities and tells them how to be green. I love her cookbooks and recommend them whole-heartedly but OMG if I hear the word "green" one more time from her lips I might hurt someone. On a particularly recent episode Rene meets up with her "friend" Alice Cooper and tells him how he can be green on the golf course. First of all, I really don't buy into their artificial friendship and secondly, isn't being green and golfing polar opposites? Aren't golf courses artificial green spaces where once thrived natural wildlife habitats which have been torn down and turned into luxury golf courses where mostly rich, wealthy people waste much of their time? I recommend the John Sayles film, Sunshine State, for those unaware of this fact. So, what did she tell him? "Wear bamboo or organic cotton, use these golf-tees made out of corn, use these recycled golf balls. Well, some of her advice is nice,. I mean bamboo fabric is awesome, but all in all golfing tears down eco-cultures, destroys communities and displaces wildlife, all which we need if we are going to continue life on earth. So take that for some honest advice, Alice. Lastly, a vegan like Rene should at least sneak in a few words about snacks on the golf course and pump up her books!
The Ed Bagley show, "Living with Ed" is the saving grace of the Green Channel. Ed Bagely has been doing his own thing for years, installing solar panels on his roof long before it was chic, riding his bike in LA where everyone opts for a hybrid instead of using their own two legs. He's the real pioneer, the others are just marketing goods. Oh and did I mention that Emeril Lagasse has his own show? Ugh serioulsy, a carnivorous meat eater telling me how to be green. puh-leeese.
My favorite cookbook author, Rene Loux has her own show, where she consults with other hip celebrities and tells them how to be green. I love her cookbooks and recommend them whole-heartedly but OMG if I hear the word "green" one more time from her lips I might hurt someone. On a particularly recent episode Rene meets up with her "friend" Alice Cooper and tells him how he can be green on the golf course. First of all, I really don't buy into their artificial friendship and secondly, isn't being green and golfing polar opposites? Aren't golf courses artificial green spaces where once thrived natural wildlife habitats which have been torn down and turned into luxury golf courses where mostly rich, wealthy people waste much of their time? I recommend the John Sayles film, Sunshine State, for those unaware of this fact. So, what did she tell him? "Wear bamboo or organic cotton, use these golf-tees made out of corn, use these recycled golf balls. Well, some of her advice is nice,. I mean bamboo fabric is awesome, but all in all golfing tears down eco-cultures, destroys communities and displaces wildlife, all which we need if we are going to continue life on earth. So take that for some honest advice, Alice. Lastly, a vegan like Rene should at least sneak in a few words about snacks on the golf course and pump up her books!
The Ed Bagley show, "Living with Ed" is the saving grace of the Green Channel. Ed Bagely has been doing his own thing for years, installing solar panels on his roof long before it was chic, riding his bike in LA where everyone opts for a hybrid instead of using their own two legs. He's the real pioneer, the others are just marketing goods. Oh and did I mention that Emeril Lagasse has his own show? Ugh serioulsy, a carnivorous meat eater telling me how to be green. puh-leeese.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Ding-dong, starbucks is dead
In case you haven't heard, the coffee chain responsible for putting thousands of independent coffee shops out of business is shuttering 600 stores. Could it be the high price of coffee simply doesn't jibe with todays economy? hmmm, gallon of gas or cup of coffee? Get yourself to work or get a morning buzz? Not to mention the amount of calories that one consumes in a decaf grande mocha-caramel iced-coffee latte.
This weekend, I visited the small Massachusetts town of Ipswich, and was happy to find that Zumi's, http://www.zumis.com/ the local fair-trade coffee shop was still there and buzzing with business. And can you believe that one tea and one coffee only cost me $2.83?? Take that Starbucks.
For those of you who followed Wandering Cup, my short-lived independent-themed vegan-based blog, you will probably be revelling in the streets at this fortiutous news. I'm trying to think which shop will close in Philly first, and I'm hoping it's the one on Broad and Pine, robbing those poor University of the Arts students of their hard-earned money, and forcing them to walk a short block to Last Drop or Spruce Street Espresso. As much as I hate Starbucks, I do love to see that little green logo on long highway drives, because I know I can get a quality tea. Now if we can only get everyone to carry quality supplies we wouldn't have the need for a major conglomerate taking all the business. Can you believe places still sell Lipton tea?
If you do one thing today, support your local coffee shop and thank them for being there.
This weekend, I visited the small Massachusetts town of Ipswich, and was happy to find that Zumi's, http://www.zumis.com/ the local fair-trade coffee shop was still there and buzzing with business. And can you believe that one tea and one coffee only cost me $2.83?? Take that Starbucks.
For those of you who followed Wandering Cup, my short-lived independent-themed vegan-based blog, you will probably be revelling in the streets at this fortiutous news. I'm trying to think which shop will close in Philly first, and I'm hoping it's the one on Broad and Pine, robbing those poor University of the Arts students of their hard-earned money, and forcing them to walk a short block to Last Drop or Spruce Street Espresso. As much as I hate Starbucks, I do love to see that little green logo on long highway drives, because I know I can get a quality tea. Now if we can only get everyone to carry quality supplies we wouldn't have the need for a major conglomerate taking all the business. Can you believe places still sell Lipton tea?
If you do one thing today, support your local coffee shop and thank them for being there.
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