Please Don't Be A "Stupid" Vegan

I love being vegan. I love all of the fresh fruits and veggies that I get to prepare everyday. I love discovering new recipes. I love the physical act of produce shopping. I get a small thrill out of picking out the perfect red pepper. I love the farmer's market.

I almost hate to write this post, as I am sure that there will be someone in the vegan community at large who will want to ostracize me for my opinion on being a vegan pet owner. I DO NOT feed my pets a vegan diet. I DO feed them premium foods that contain all human grade ingredients. I am not claiming to be any kind of vegan guru. I am just a person who loves their animals and does the very best that I can to make sure that they get everything that they need in their diets.


Today at work (my part-time job), a woman brought her dog in. We offered to give her dog a treat, since we bake all-natural dog treats. She looked at me and said, "oh... we're vegan." Since we happen to bake a vegan dog treat, I offered one to her dog. Needless to say, this is not the first time that this has happened.


Thank you for being a member of the vegan community. YOU are a vegan. Your dog is a carnivore. Check the history books. You will never find a vegan dog. They simply don't exist. If your dog is a vegan, you have taken a simple, carnal instinct of the animal away from him. This was your decision, not your dog's.



However, it is possible to feed your dog a healthy meat-alternative diet. Soy, whey, and seitan are great alternatives to actual meat. If you want to feed your dog a vegan diet, you can also use cooked chickpeas, legumes, sweet potatoes, and other veggies to supplement for necessary vitamins. There have been several occasions where we have had people come into the store claiming to feed their dog a vegan diet, and have yet to figure out a healthy protein source. My personal favorite was when we asked a woman what kind of protein she was supplementing into her dog's diet, she literally looked like a deer in the headlights and was speechless.... then actually admitted that she didn't know that her dog needed protein!! How is it possible that you don't know that your dog needs protein??

I'm not saying that you absolutely shouldn't feed your dog a vegan diet... I am saying that you absolutely HAVE to be smart about it. You have to be able to know and do what is best for them.

Famous Vegans... 'Cuz I Couldn't Think of Anything To Write About Today.

Entertainers
Pamela Anderson (actress) [1]
Casey Affleck (actor) [2]
Gillian Anderson (actress) [3]
Ed Begley, Jr. (actor) [4]
Linda Blair (actress) [5]
Margaret Cho (actress and comedienne) [6]
Jennifer Connelly (actress) [7]
James Cromwell (actor) [8]
Emily Deschanel (actress) [9]
Andrew G (Australian radio and television personality) [10]
Daryl Hannah (actress) [11]
Woody Harrelson (actor) [12]
Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man actor) [13]
Anne Hathaway (actress) --(apparently a "flexitarian"... which is a meat eating vegetarian... so, i guess that she is nothing at all and I don't know why she was added to this list!!!)
Gabrielle Miller (actress) [14]
Kevin Nealon (actor) [15]
Marcus Patrick (actor) [16]
Joaquin Phoenix (actor) [17]
River Phoenix (actor) [18]
Summer Phoenix (actress) [19]
Natalie Portman (actress) [6]
Alicia Silverstone (actress) [20]
Lynda Stoner (actress) [21]
Billy West (Voice actor) [22]
Gretchen Wyler (Broadway actress) [23]

Authors
Anu Garg (author, speaker, engineer) [24]
Haki R. Madhubuti (poet and non-fiction writer) [7]
David Pearce (philosopher) (author of The Hedonistic Imperative) [8]
Dav Pilkey (children's author) [9]
Benjamin Zephaniah (rastafarian poet) [10]
Michael C. Dorf (Columbia law professor, author)
Ed Miller (poker author)
Alice Walker (Pulitzer prize winning author and feminist)
Tom Speaker

Musicians
Darren Cordeux (Lead singer/guitarist of Kisschasy [11]
Bryan Adams (Rock musician) [12],[25]
Kevin Cameron (ex-I Killed the Prom Queen) [26]
Jona Weinhofen (ex-I Killed the Prom Queen/Bleeding Through) [27]
Fiona Apple (singer) [13]
Brian Bell (Guitarist for Weezer) [14]
Cedric Bixler (The Mars Volta) [15]
Sean Brennan (London After Midnight band) [16]
Dan Briggs (musician with Between the Buried and Me) [17]
Paul Waggoner (musician with Between the Buried and Me) [18]
Tommy Rogers (musician with Between the Buried and Me) [19]
Hunter Burgan (Bassist of AFI) [20]
Geezer Butler (Bassist, lyricist and founding member of Black Sabbath)[21]
Greg Cipes (actor, singer, surfer) [22]
Tim Commerford (Bassist for Rage Against the Machine)[28]
Juli Crockett (writer, director, actor, boxer, musician - lead singer of the alt-country band The Evangenitals) [23]
Alan Donohoe (Musician - lead singer of British band, the Rakes) [24]
John Feldmann (Lead singer and guitarist of Goldfinger and producer) [29]
C-drik Fermont (Electronic and noise musician and composer, member of Axiome among other projects).
Michael Franti (Hip Hop artist) [25]
Robin Gibb One of the three Bee Gees [26]
Ben Gibbard (Lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie) [27]
Andy Hurley (Drummer of Fall Out Boy)
John S. Hall (Poet, spoken-word artist, lead vocalist of all incarnations of King Missile) [28]
Davey Havok (lead singer of AFI) [29]
Chrissie Hynde (Rock musician with The Pretenders) [30]
Daniel Johns (Musician, lead singer of Australian rock band Silverchair) [30]
Steve Kilbey (Rock musician/singer with The Church) [31]
Forrest Kline (Lead singer of Hellogoodbye) [32]
Todd Kowalski (Singer and bassist of Propagandhi) [33]
Lenny Kravitz (performer)
K.D. Lang (Solo singer) [34]
Ted Leo (Punk musician with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists)[35]
Dennis Lyxzén (Singer of The (International) Noise Conspiracy and formerly of Refused) [36]
Fred Mascherino (guitar and vocals for Taking Back Sunday) [37]
Tim McIlrath (Lead singer and guitarist of Rise Against) [38]
Merzbow (Noise musician) [39]
Paul McCartney
Moby (Electronic musician) [40]
Morrissey[31]
Sir Millard Mulch (Modern Composer) [41]
Mutabaruka (Jamaican dub poet) [42]
Bif Naked (Canadian punk rock singer) [43]
Prince Rogers Nelson (American rock icon from Minneapolis) [44]
'O' (Lead singer of Undercover Slut)
Sinéad O'Connor (Irish singer/songwriter) [32]
Ocean (pop singer-songwriter-producer, environmental activist) [45]
Justin Pearson (Vocalist/Bassist for The Locust) [46]
Pep Love (rapper in underground hip hop collective, Hieroglyphics)
Promoe (Swedish hiphop musician) [47]
Jonathan Richman (proto-punk singer/songwriter) [48]
John Robb (musician/TV personality) [33]
Rikki Rockett (Drummer for Poison) [49]
Adam Russell (Bassist of Story of the Year) [50]
Justin Sane (Singer and Guitarist of Anti-Flag) [51]
Gabe Saporta (Lead singer of electronica/pop-punk band Cobra Starship)
Grace Slick (Rock musician with The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship) [52]
Stic.man (Hip Hop artist with Dead Prez) [53]
Ember Swift (Canadian singer-songwriter) [54]
Shane Told (From Canadian post-hardcore band Silverstein) [55]
Shania Twain (country artist) [56]
Carrie Underwood (country artist)
Brendon Urie (Lead vocals of Panic at the Disco)
Jaci Velasquez (Contemporary Christian and pop singer) [34]
Caitlin Costello (classical singer)
Persia White [57]
"Weird Al" Yankovic [58]
James Yorkston (Scottish folk musician) [59]
Janne "Burton" Puurtinen (Keyboardist of HIM)
Brent Jackson (Singer and guitarist of The Junction)
Propaghandi Legendary Canadian punk band
Jared Leto (singer for 30 seconds to mars)
Oli Sykes (singer for Bring Me The Horizon)
Ariel Lankry
Matthias Voigt (member of Heaven Shall Burn)
Maik Weichert (member of Heaven Shall Burn)
Alexander Dietz (member of Heaven Shall Burn)
Eric Bischoff (member of Heaven Shall Burn)
Marcus Bischoff (member of Heaven Shall Burn)
Patrick Schleitzer (ex-member of Heaven Shall Burn)
Marcio Novelli (member of Euphoria's Depression)

Political figures
César Chávez (civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association) [60]
Janez Drnovšek (former president of Slovenia) [61]
Maneka Gandhi (Indian politician) [62]
Cathy Jamieson (member of the Scottish Parliament) [35]
Coretta Scott King (civil rights leader) [63]
Dennis Kucinich (Democratic Congressman from Ohio, 2004 & 2008 presidential candidate) [64]
Kerry McCarthy (UK Member of Parliament) [65]
Markos Moulitsas (prominent US political blogger) [66]
Ingrid Newkirk (author and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) [67]
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel First Home Minister of India.
Peter Tatchell (human rights activist) [36]
Donald Watson (founder of the UK Vegan Society and coiner of the term vegan) [68]

Athletes
Peter Brock (deceased Australian touring car driver) [69]
Mac Danzig (professional mixed martial arts fighter) [70]
Tony Gonzalez Professional American Footballer[37]
Scott Jurek (ultramarathon runner) [71]
Carl Lewis (track and field star) [72]
Mike Mahler (Professional strength coach) [73]
Edwin Moses (track and field star)
Martyn Moxon (English cricketer)
Thomas Micklewright (amateur kickboxer)
Salim Stoudamire: Professional NBA basketballer [38]
Ed Templeton (Professional skateboarder) [74]
Desmond Howard (Former Professional American Football Player) [75]
Ricky Williams (Professional Football Player) [76]
Ken Bradshaw (Professional Big Wave Surfer) [77]
Prince Fielder (Professional Baseball Player)
Kyle Takahashi (Hawaiian Big Wave Surfer) [78]

Other notable people
Keith Akers (author and Christian vegetarianism advocate) [79]
Neal Barnard (author and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, medical consultant for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)) [80]
Steve Bellamy (founder of The Tennis Channel and The Ski Channel) [81]
Peter Bogdanovich (film director) [39]
Greg Chappell (Ex Australian cricketer and Team India coach)
George Church (molecular geneticist)[40]
Glen E. Friedman (photographer) [82]
Joi Ito (entrepreneur) [83]
Kamau Kambon (Black Supremacist and advocate of genocide against white people)
Casey Kasem (U.S. DJ/media personality/voice of Shaggy) [84]
Lawrence Lessig (law professor and founder of Creative Commons) [85]
John Mackey (co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market) [86]
Peter Max (artist) [87]
Heather Mills (ex-wife of Paul McCartney and campaigner for amputees and animal rights) [41]
Isa Chandra Moskowitz (chef and author) [88]
Daniel Negreanu (professional poker player) [89]
Dan Piraro (cartoonist and creator of Bizarro) [90]
Russell Simmons (entrepreneur and co-founder of Def Jam Recordings) [91]
David Straitjacket (world record breaking escapologist and sideshow performer) [92]
Bob and Jenna Torres, hosts of the podcast Vegan Freak Radio[42]
Delwin Vriend (Canadian gay rights activist)
Kathleen Tran (Former student)

Fictional Characters
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon (convenience store proprietor on The Simpsons)
Oskar Schell (The narrator in Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close)

Tree Huggin' Hippie

Yesterday, I was called a "tree huggin' hippie" by a co-worker. I'm not sure if I should have been offended by this or not. I have been known to hug a tree or two in my time. I have also hugged dogs, cows, a pot-bellied pig, a homeless man, a goat, a telephone pole, boogery kids, my car, most of my ex-boyfriends, and people that I generally don't like (I figure that the last one is just good Karma). What can I say, I am a hugger!!!

I asked her what made me a "hippie", her answer was that I am a vegan. Since when does not eating meat make you a hippie?? Keep in mind, this is the same friend that yelled at me the other day for turning down chocolate. "But it's dark chocolate... it's vegan." No, its not. Read the ingredients... Ghiradelli dark chocolate has milkfat in it. Therefore, it's not vegan.

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.~Genesis 1:29

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.~Genesis 3:6

Another friend, here at work, has decided to check out my new eating habits. I lent her a book that Lil' lent to me called "Skinny Bitch". I highly recommend that everyone reads this book. It tells you how your meat is processed, and how the animals that we consume, as Americans, are literally tortured before they are killed. Keep in mind, this is not why I adopted this lifestyle, but this is why I will keep this lifestyle.

I need to remind myself that I adopted a vegan lifestyle as an offer of sacrifice to God. I love to eat (have you seen my butt??). I enjoy cheese. Giving up certain foods was a big deal to me. But I love how I feel. I love how I am beginning to look. I can remove every pair of jeans that I own without unbuttoning them. Everything tastes better, since I have removed the film of flesh-coating that I had layered on my tongue.

When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.~Leviticus 22:29

When Michelle (missionary from India) was here, I noticed that she had a nose piercing, a "nose pin". I was told that in India, "nose pins" are a symbol of your dedication to your particular Deity. I love this idea, and believe that I am going to take on this tradition. Explaining this to other Americans will be ridiculous, as piercings generally have some kind of rebellious theme to them. I am 34, I pretty much do whatever I want to do anyway... and thinking that at my age that I have something to rebel against is kind of stupid.

A few months ago I was much more spiritually centered than I am today. I am not sure of what happened. I know that the termination of my relationship had something to do with my actions then. I had more space in my heart for God. What is my excuse now?? I want to try to live a more spiritually centered lifestyle.

I have had a glimmering thought of an experiment. I did this same experiment as a teenager, when I had my spiritual breakdown. I am thinking of exploring different religions, compiling information regarding different aspects of the Bible and of God and maybe writing a book about it. All of this would, of course, be from the perspective of a former athiest/agnostic. I want to do this after I come home from my social justice work overseas.

New goal: have a place in mind for where I would like to travel by the fall, and begin language lessons for this destination.