Two Pleasant Surprises at The Mall

Today while shopping at one of my local malls, I was walking by a store called The Body Shop when several things in their window caught my eye and I was pleasantly surprised to see the following:

Yes, a mainstream store that is proudly proclaiming the fact that they are against animal testing and 100% vegetarian! I stopped in the store, where I found three lip gloss tubes for $10 (and they were made in the UK, not China!). At the register, they had a paper where you could put your name and e-mail address to receive information about efforts to end animal testing around the world. Naturally, I put my name down and they gave me a coupon as a thank you for doing so. When I got home, I looked at their website and found that the proceeds from some of their products are donated to charities dedicated to stopping child sex trafficking, domestic violence, and HIV awareness. Pretty awesome, isn't it?



A little while after I bought my lip glosses, I came across another store called LUSH. I saw on their sign that they sold handmade soaps and bath products. I love handmade soap, so I decided to take a look and see if any vegan soaps were available. As soon as I walked into the store, I saw several product signs with stickers that said "vegan" on them. In fact, about 98% of the products in the store were vegan (according to the store clerk, the few non-vegan items contained lanolin and honey). I was in heaven! I bought a bath bomb called "Phoenix Rising" ( purple color, apple cinnamon scent). I haven't tried it yet, but it smells wonderful. Another awesome thing about LUSH is that they take a VERY strong stand against animal testing and make every effort to ensure that their suppliers treat employees fairly. Here are two quotes from their website:

". For LUSH where we buy our ingredients from is the first opportunity we have for influence. One of our first priorities is to ensure the material and the company doesn't test on animals, a policy we've run for over a decade. We always try to deal direct with a producer if we can to get as close to growing or making it as possible. We are also fortunate in what we don't buy, for instance unnecessary packaging. By selling naked products you can afford products with the best quality ingredients and we save the garbage men a job. Really, it's about mutual respect. Respect for you and your wishes to buy great products with ethical and sustainable natural ingredients. It's respect for our suppliers, who have a right to earn a decent wage and it's respect for the environment that can provide the ingredients. It's not always an easy path and we have had plenty of hurdles but it is ultimately greatly rewarding and led us on some great adventures, too!" (https://www.lushusa.com/Ethical-Buying/about-buying-intro,en_US,pg.html)

and

"LUSH is firmly committed to a policy that not only inhibits testing our products and ingredients on animals, or engaging with third-party suppliers to do so on our behalf, but that also prohibits buying any ingredient from any supplier that tests any materials on any animals for any purpose. This policy is unique in the cosmetics world and is pioneering a new way to stop animal tests for cosmetics. LUSH runs a Supplier Specific Boycott Policy. By doing this, we give an economic incentive to suppliers and have convinced two companies to switch to cruelty free practices as a result. If a company will alter their practices, we will buy their goods." (https://www.lushusa.com/Against-animal-testing/about-animal-introduction,en_US,pg.html)

LUSH is headquartered in Canada, and their products are made in North America as well.

So if your looking for a alternative to the traitors known as Urban Decay (who recently had their "leaping bunny" certification REVOKED due to the fact that they are now selling in China, which requires them to test their products on animals. Check out this care2.com article for more info.) , you'll definitely want to give the Body Shop and LUSH a try. It's always feels good to know that you're supporting companies that are friendly to both people and animals.

Here are the companies websites:

The Body Shop:
http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/

LUSH
http://www.lushusa.com/

Book Review: Eating Animals

 I love reading and I'm low on cash, so I like to visit my local library and check out books. I especially love non-fiction political style books because they make you think. On my last trip to the library, I picked up a copy of "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer. I just finished it last night, and it is a great book. I really like it because it goes in depth about exactly what happens on modern farms. Mr. Foer spent over three years researching the book and it shows. He personally visited a couple of different factory farms (including once in the middle of the night with an animal liberationist) and got a first hand look at what goes on. The book includes pieces written by factory farmers, a couple of small family farmers, and animal rights activists. He talks about his upbriging and the food culture of his Jewish American family. He also talks about how he waffled between meat eating and vegetarianism for years until he decided to find out where meat actually comes from after his son was born.

  The chapters in titled "Influence/Speechlessness" and "Pieces of Paradise/Pieces of Shit" are particularly good. In "Influence/Speechlessness", he describes the horrific conditions on poultry farms. He talks about not only the suffering of the birds, but how modern poultry farming puts humans at risk. Humans are put at risk by poultry farming in two main ways: the birds are housed in cramped spaces, which means that diseases such as the flu can easily spread from chicken to chicken and from chicken to human (hello bird flu!). Because of this risk, the birds are given routine anti-biotics, which end up in entering the human body when the birds are eaten. This contributes to the development of anti-biotic resistant bacteria.

 In "Pieces of Paradise/Pieces of Shit", the author describes the conditions on the hog farms owned by Smithfield, the largest pork supplier in the US. The book describes how Smithfield often disposes of the pigs shit by simply spraying it up into the air. The shit contains poisons like carbon monoxide and cyanide, which are released into the air (scary). This has caused the rates of respiratory illnesses such as asthma to skyrocket in towns near pig farms. He also mentions how workers near the waste pits have fainted from the smell, fell in the shit and drowned in it! He goes into detail about the inhumane gestation crates and includes quotes by workers who talk about beating the pigs to death. In a later chapter he includes the account of a worker (at another farm) who admitted to cutting off a pigs snout and then rubbing salt in it in order to cause more pain.

In short, if you want to educate your meat eating friends and family about what they are really supporting when they buy meat, then give them a copy of "Eating Animals". It will definitely open their eyes. Those are my thoughts on the book. Bye until next time!

A Few More of My Favorite Things!

It's time for another edition of my favorite things, which features wonderful vegan items from Etsy sellers! Keep in mind that I may not have actually purchased anything from the sellers listed here. All prices listed include shipping in the USA.


Vegan Mandolin Strap $30 from Islandprovisions1
 If I played the mandolin, I'd definitely buy this strap! I LOVE the peace sign! They also sell guitar, and ukulele straps in the same design.

Peace Flower Necklace $21 from Purpleandlime

This far out necklace features peace signs, flowers, and faux suede. You can't beat that!















Vegans Do It Better Tank Top $23.50 from LittleAtoms

This one is pretty much self-explanatory. Be sure to check out this shops hippie-themed items as well!

Peace To All Creatures Zine $8 from Gingercardco

I have several of volumes of the "Peace to All Creatures" zines (but unfortunately not this one...yet!). They are always chock full of great tips about living a vegan and eco-friendly life. I highly recommend this zine!

And now a little self promotion:

Team Veggie Pinback Button/Badge/Magnet $3.95 from my shop: TheVeganHippieFreak

This is my newest vegan themed creation! This is a button, but I can also make it into a refridgerator magnet upon request. If you would like a magnet, just put the word magnet in the notes to seller section at checkout. If that area if left blank I will send a button.
The button/magnet measures 5.7 cm (2.25 inches) and was made with recycled paper!

Book review: Animal Liberation.

 Wow, I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated the blog! In that time, I've been busy going to job interviews, volunteering, reading, and running my Etsy shop. I just wanted to write a short review of one of the books I just finished called "Animal Liberation" by Peter Singer. When reading this review, keep in mind that there have been several editions published over the years. This review pertains to the 1990 edition (it's a library book). Anyway, I found this book very informative. Mr. Singer is a philosopher and he presents a very good moral argument for animal rights. He begins the book by explaining how he became a vegetarian and presents his argument that humans and other animals should be given equal consideration. Next, he details many of the cruel experiments conducted by private labs and the government. What's really chilling is that much of the information in this chapter comes from direct quotes of the researchers themselves. He reveals several facts that the public at large isn't aware of: the fact that the vast majority of animal experiments are not considered important enough to warrant publication in the scientific journals, and the fact that many of the "experiments" done do not yield any new information. He gives an example of one experiment paid for by the US Public Health Service in which 33 dogs were put in a chamber heated to 113 degrees Fahrenheit and forced to exercise on a treadmill. 25 of the 33 dogs died. The survivors were put into a 122 degree chamber (without the treadmill) in which all but two of them died in 24 hours. The conclusion that they reached was that the outcome was consistent with all the previous literature on heat exposure and heat stroke in humans (which there was a lot of)! You can find the full description of the experiment on page 63.

In the next chapter, he explains (in graphic detail) exactly what happens on factory farms. This chapter is not for the squeamish, because he doesn't pull any punches! He describes the horrible conditions that cows, pigs, chickens, ect are forced to endure. He talks a great deal about battery cages, gestation crates, and the veal industry. The next time someone says "why don't you eat eggs/drink milk? No animals are harmed to get those", hand them the book and tell them to read chapter 3 and see how mistaken they are.

The fourth chapter is dedicated to the benefits of a vegetarian diet and how to make the transition. The only objection I have to this chapter is that he stops short of recommending veganism. While Mr. Singer does advise the reader to avoid dairy and battery eggs, he states that he sees nothing wrong with "free range" eggs. To his credit, Mr. Singer made a statement after this edition was published in which he said that he is slowly becoming more vegan as the years go by. Let's hope he becomes a full vegan soon!

The final two chapters deal with speciesism, or the belief that only humans have rights and that we can do whatever we want to animals. In these chapters, he explores how speciest thought has been ingrained in humans over the centuries and dismantles many speciest arguments.

Overall, I really liked the book. I feel that it has the potential to educate both devout steak lovers and veteran vegans.While some may argue about whether or not speciesism is as much of a concern as racism or sexism, one cannot argue that the farming and experimental methods described are beyond cruel. I highly recommend reading this book at least once. You can pick up the latest edition on Amazon.com

Have a happy hippie day!

My Favorite Things From The EtsyVeg group

I recently joined a great Etsy group called EtsyVeg, which is for vegan/vegetarian crafters on Etsy. I have decided to share some of my favorite items made by EtsyVeg members. Keep in mind that just because I list something here it doesn't mean I've actually purchased anything from the seller.

1. Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts.

Yes, you can buy vegan goodies online! These doughnuts are available for $15 from VeganLotus



2. Harry Potter Blanket

I'm a HUGE Harry Potter Fan, so naturally I LOVE this blanket!  Unfortunately, I don't have $200! If you do, you can get this at Magglepie

3. Batman Recycled Wallet.

A vegan wallet made from recycled comic books. Very cool! $10 from Polyester10

Beautiful Healthy 71 year old vegan

When your friends and family question whether or not being a vegan is healthy, show them this video! She looks AMAZING!

Non-violent social activism

 Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day in the US. Dr. King was a great man who is one of my personal heroes. For those of you who don't know who he was, Dr. King was an African American Baptist preacher who became one of the most famous men in America in the 1950s and 1960s. He was famous for standing up for the rights of minorities and the poor using non-violent activism. He help organize the Montgomery bus boycott, which lead to the desegregation of the bus system in Montgomery Alabama in the late 1950s. He helped to lead many peaceful protest marches and demonstrations against racism and segregation in the 1960s, including the March on Washington where he gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. He was the victim of violence on multiple occasions, including having his home firebombed by white supremacists. Even though people used violence against him, he never sought revenge. He taught others to turn the other cheek and practiced what he preached. Sadly, this peaceful man was murdered for his beliefs in April 1968. He was taken from us too soon, but his spirit and his message will always live on.

In honor of Dr. King, I present some tips on ways that you can be a non-violent advocate for people and animals in you everyday life.

1.Speak up. You can do this in several ways. Read PETA's action alerts, sign petitions, and call or write your state or federal representatives and urge them to oppose bills that hurt animals and support those that help them. Another great way to speak up is via Facebook and Twitter. Post links to animal rights websites and articles, notify your friends about animals that are available for adoption, or share yummy vegan recipes.


2. Go mobile! You can spread the message of veganism wherever you go by wearing animal rights message shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers. As I have said before, seeing you wearing these things often makes people curious, and that can lead to great teaching moments. Another good thing to do is keep a few vegan info leaflets (on recycled paper if possible) with you so you can give them to people who are interested in learning more.

3. Tabling. See if you can get permission to set up an information table at your local school, business, library, store, etc. You can have poster boards with pictures and info, a video playing, leaflets, coupons for veggie burgers, and more. If possible, provide samples of vegan food so people can see for themselves that we eat more than salad.

For more tips, see this great article from Vegan Outreach. The article goes in depth about how to starting tabling and leaf letting.

Remember Dr. King's message and keep standing up for the animals.

Earthlings documentary

A couple of nights ago, I re-watched the documentary "Earthlings". I had seen it before about a year ago when I was a vegetarian, but I thought it would be good to see it again as a vegan. "Earthlings" has been called "the vegan maker" and once you've seen it, you can see why. The film exposes the horrific abuses of meat and dairy farming, fishing, whaling, circuses, and the fur trade. The images are graphic, but powerful. It presents evidence that I believe even the most ardent omnivore can't ignore. The image that sticks with me the most is the footage of the dog that was SKINNED ALIVE at a fur farm. It was truly sickening to see that kind of abuse, but it needs to be seen. I'd definitely encourage everyone to see this film at least once, even if your already a vegan. It's a great film to show your non-vegan friends and family if they really want to know why you are a vegan. Best of all, you can view the movie legally for FREE at it's official website http://www.earthlings.com/

Once you've watched the film, feel free to come back here and give me your impressions of it. I'd love to hear your input.

Shit Vegans Say

This video is kind of funny.

Vegan Gift Guide Part 2.

Christmas is around the corner, and if you're like me, you're a procrastinator (although I actually made/got most of my gifts early this year). So I thought that I'd continue my vegan gift guide that I started a few posts ago and include some examples this time.

Books:

All of the following titles are available at your local bookstore, health food store, or amazon.com

Vegan Freak by Jenna/Bob Torres

This little book is wonderful for new vegans. It gives great advice on how to deal with and respond to any criticism that you may face from our often non-vegan friendly world. The thing that I like best is that the authors are honest and humorous. One warning though: You may want to think twice about this one if your recipient is easily offended by profanity as there is quite a bit of it. But for those without "sensitive" eyes, this book is a damn good resource to have.

Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Moskowitz
This is the granddaddy of all vegan cookbooks. Trust me, you can make some kick-ass meals from these recipes. No vegan should be without it!

Being Vegan by Joanne Stepaniak

This book consists of answers to questions that the author as received through the years. It answers many of the basic questions that people have about veganism and is great for both new and experienced herbivores.

Clothing and Accessories

Herbivore Necklace $21 on Etsy

Herbivore Dino T-Shirt $18 on Etsy

A super cute way to get the message out!

Meat is Fucking Murder Patch $1 on Etsy

This is perfect for those who go for a more "in your face" approach.

Against Animal Testing Shirt $30 on Etsy

Other gifts

Vegan Lip Balm $3.75 Etsy

It can be extremely hard to find vegan-friendly lip balm (most major drugstore brands have animal ingredients) so many vegans would love to find this in their stocking!





Vegan magnet $5 at Cafepress
This is a nice way to let guests know that no animal based foods are allowed in the fridge.

 Have a very Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Joyous Kwanzaa!





A day a the Zoo: Educational Family Fun or Cruelty?

One of the many hot topic issues in the vegan world is whether or not it is okay to visit zoos. When I was younger, my mother, myself, and my two friends and their mom would often go to a small local zoo to see the animals. I'll admit that as a child I loved seeing the animals and having the monkeys take treats out of my hand with their tails. I also visited a few larger zoos such as the Atlanta Zoo and the National Zoo in Washington DC. I, like most people, never stopped to think about whether or not it was fair to take wild animals out of their natural enviroment and put them into a confined space. Looking back, I remember seeing monkeys in barren cages and large animals like apes and giraffes in enclosures that were far too small for them. It makes me sick to think that I once gladly supported such cruelty. Fortunately, after I became a vegan I had my eyes opened and I am proud to say that I have not visited any zoos in over a year. If you or someone that you know is thinking about visiting a zoo, I urge you to take a look at http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_cruelty/zoos.htm to see just how cruel zoos really are and a list of cruelty free ways that you can learn about animals.

A win for animals!

I have some good news! Yesterday, the city of West Hollywood voted to OUTLAW the sale of new garmets which contain animal fur or skin! Unfortunately, the ban does not apply to wool, furniture, or leather items(hopefully they will work on banning those in the near future), but it is a definate step in the right direction. It is the first law of it's kind in the US and hope that other cities follow their example. You can read about it here: California fur ban

Nice Girls Fake It (Fur, That Is)!

There is much debate in the vegan world over whether or not it is okay to wear fake fur or pleather. Some say that it's okay because no animals were killed, while others advise us vegans to stay away from the fake stuff because it sends the message that it's okay to kill animals. I have been looking into this issue recently because I am interested in making a pair of faux leather moccasins. I am of American Indian (Cherokee/Sioux) heritage and very proud of it. Before I became a vegan, I had a pair of deerskin moccasins that I loved to wear whenever I got the chance. Now that I know about the cruelty of the fur and leather trade, I do not wear them outside the house, nor do I wear them when I have guests over. However, even though I don't like the cruelty, I do like the look. Therefore, I started looking for traditional style moccasins made out of man-made materials. I found a few pairs, but they were either butt ugly, cost an arm and a leg, or made in China. I buy American or Canadian made items whenever I can, and I absolutely refuse to buy any American Indian themed/inspired item that was not made by American Indian or Canadian First Nations people. I was very disappointed. Thankfully, my mom found a solution. She sews a lot, so when she found out that a local store was having a sale on patterns, she went down to check it out. She found a beautiful moccasin pattern and bought it for me. Now I plan to buy some Ultrasuede next time I am in a fabric store and make myself a pair of cruelty free moccasins!

I know some of you are saying to yourself "but won't that send the message to non-vegans that it's okay to wear leather and fur?" Don't worry, I thought about that. I just purchased a pin back button that says "fake fur is cool, real fur is cruel". I plan to wear it on my shirt whenever I wear the moccasins (and with the rest of my button collection on my purse even when I'm not wearing them) to let people know that I do not wear real animal skin.

The issue of whether or not fake fur is okay to wear is a complicated one. It was recently revealed that some manufactures were deliberately lying to customers (big shock). Some of them sold items that were labeled a faux fur, when in fact the fur was REAL and came from Raccoon Dogs! Thankfully, the Truth in Fur Labeling Act was passed into law and signed by President Obama in 2010. It took effect in March and closes the loophole that allowed the false advertising.  To be on the safe side, I'd still advise you to do some research before you buy any faux fur/pleather item and make sure that it really is faux. For more on this, please visit
Closing The Fur Labeling Loophole

For those of you who do wear or want to wear faux fur/pleather, here are some great buttons to let everyone know it's fake!

Faux, not fur button

Fake Fur is Cool (the one I bought)

Fake, not leather button

real women fake it handmade button

Anti Fur Button handmade

So tell me, where do you stand on the faux fur issue?