Is there anything better than eating the best vegan cupcakes and brownie/icing sandwiches on earth while sporting an eco/poly-blend Tshirt about cupcakes from Partybots? I think not. Reconstructed vest by This Old Thing?.
Friend of DB, feature film director Esther Bell got in on the action too! These vegan sweets ring her bell!
Check out:
GAWKER asks, “Which Stripster dude would you hit it with?” Duh, is this even a question? VOTE FOR ME!! Click below:
1. I just got a boner for my new favorite place to shop, and sustainable just got sexier (and more affordable)! Convoy Apparel’s Sustainable Collective menswear Spring/Summer 08 collection is chic, sleek, and organíque. Get your hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton skinny jeans, vests, hoodies, button-downs, and ties here. Their policies? Sweatshop-free, made in the USA, natural organic dyes, and all styles are shipped in custom “bio-bags” made of 100% compostable and biodegradable corn material. All boxes are 100% recycled. If it wasn’t for the organic wool, I’d get the ring out… And ladies, no need to feel left out. they have the hot stuff for you too
2. I had fun at the Time Out New York “Horny Issue” Party! Here I am on Fleshbot (!!!) w/ the lovely Kerin Rose. Where did I put those clothes? For those that missed it, I was the centerfold in TONY’s Horny Issue.
3. Sears is the largest producer of catalogs that has refused to adopt a progressive environmental policy. Tell them to stop fucking up the forests! Father’s Day is big sales-time for Sears, click Here to let them know your dad would rather have clean water, a safe climate, and thriving forests than a tie, tool, or new grill.
Forest Ethics will help you plan your action. Here’s what you can do:
* Organize an event at a Sears storefront, on your campus, or in your community
* Flyer and postcard at a Sears store or on your campus or in your community
* Host a letter-writing party
1. The BEST tofu-scramble I have ever had is at Bliss, an unassuming hole-in-the-wall organic, vegetarian brunch and dinner joint, in a prime location on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg. The music is innocently and charmingly terrible, the staff is adorable and sweet, and the homemade cashew cookies and chocolate cupcakes are addictive. The winner, though, is the amazing, savory, soy scramble that keeps me coming back at least once a week.
718-599-2547 **Cash Only** 191 Bedford Ave Brooklyn, NY 11211 Neighborhood: Williamsburg Cross Street: Btwn N 6th & N 7th Sts Public Transit: L @ Bedford Ave
2. Trader Joe’s has finally abandoned Gemperle Enterprises Eggs after friends of DB, Mercy For Animals, exposed undercover investigative footage of the gross neglect and cruel treatment of hens at Gemperle Enterprises’ factory egg farm in California. Like the Westland Meat/ Hallmark Beef recall, this has generated a flurry of media attention across the nation, including stories on CNN.com and by the LA Times, and the Associated Press. Not surprisingly, when people really see what’s happening on factory farms, it’s almost impossible not to withdraw financial sponsorship of behavior that is so contradictory to our own conscience.
The decision came on the heels of MFA’s news conference in Los Angeles, which revealed the grocery chain’s business relationship with Gemperle Enterprises, where employees were caught on hidden camera kicking, throwing, and stomping on live birds.
Although this announcement is a good first step, Trader Joe’s must do more. Please write to the CEO of Trader Joe’s and urge him to take further action to prevent cruelty to animals by adopting a strict policy against the sale of battery-cage eggs.
Egg Laying chickens are probably the most abused animals, and unfortunately, these behaviors are considered normal on typical egg farms. Egg alternatives, click here:
Advice on substituting eggs from Post Punk Kitchen.
DB Etiquette Recommendation: The best way to avoid supporting activities with no regard for the suffering of living, feeling animals is to stop eating eggs and adopt a healthy, plant-based diet.
1. Vegan Marshmallow Kits have landed (in your mailbox)!
Our friend Amy, at the VegCookingBlog tells of a New Zealand company that sells vegan marshmallow kits. Use them to make sticky cubes, crispy treats, smores, or meringue topping! Just in time for summertime campfire-roasting! If you are not a fan of DIY Marshmallowing, Sweet & Sarah offers a selection of dangerously delicious
fluffy treats.
You all know what’s in conventional marshmallows, right? If not, prepare yourself for a major gross-out. The gelatin you eat in Marshmallows, Jell-O, and other “treats” comes from cow and pig bones, hooves, and connective tissues.
2. Gridthrifter
Gridskipper offers up a thrifting guide for any city you choose! Here is New York’s Top 7 vintage voyages. My addition to the list is Houndstooth, who has amazing vintage menswear. The 1930s undies in my Time Out New York Spread are from the stylish Michael Kimmins & Maria Chavez. Know of a good menswear thrifting spot? Drop me a note and your review!
3. Honeybee Aftershave 
With a select blend of herbs, essential oils and cooling aloe vera, this cruelty-free aftershave is a fantastic way to soothe newly shaven skin and relieve irritation. Available HERE.
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4. Simple Slip-On
Simple has designed a shoe using recycled bicycle tires & car tires, as well as hemp, organic cotton, recycled PET, 100% post-consumer recycled paper, and no animal products. Available at:
5. Mystery Meat Macrophotography
Mike Adams is a photographer who has taken a series of photos of common processed meats at ever increasing magnifications. If you weren’t grossed out by mystery-meat before, bring a barf bag on this photo tour:
6. For Whom Eight Bells Toll
In the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Eight Belles ran for her life and was fiercely whipped as she came down the final stretch, when she was no doubt already in a great deal of pain. Like 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, she was destroyed because of her racing injuries, caused by the greed that motivates this dirty “sport.”Eight Belles was yet another victim of the cruel horse racing industry, where animals suffer and die for the sake of sport and entertainment. Like many other horses, she was literally “raced to death”. What you can do to help.
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Mission Playground is an AFFORDABLE organic clothing company with the mission to create awareness through environmentally conscious and globally mindful designs. They use organic, recycled, and eco fibers and vocally oppose sweatshops. Their aesthetic is western-urban – not my favorite, but some dudes will dig it!
8. Fresh Direct Just Got Veggier!
Whether you’re lazy or so busy you can’t cook a decent meal (and Instead of corner-store comestibles), FreshDirect, a leading online gourmet food purveyors and delivery service, announced last week the launch of their very first line of vegetarian & vegan 4-Minute Meals.
FreshDirect’s EatingWell menu includes: – Hoppin’ John with Vegetarian Chorizo (Vegan) — $7.99 – Indian-Spiced Lentil & Quinoa Ragout with Roasted Vegetables (Vegan) — $7.99 – Balsamic-Roasted Seitan with Beets, Basil & Farro Pilaf (Vegan) — $7.99 – White Beans, Pearl Pasta & Artichokes with Roasted Tomatoes & Rapini (Vegan) — $7.99
9. Smell Ya’ Later
The range of mens scents at The Body Shop are totally vegan, and totally affordable!
10. Farm Sanctuary’s Gene Baur in Park Slope, Friday, May 16th
I recently had the pleasure of brunching at Bliss with Gene Baur. Thanks to SUPERVEGAN, Folks who missed Farm Sanctuary‘s inspiring founder and Discerning Brute, Gene Baur during his first NYC book tour stop can catch up with him on the eve of the Farm Sanctuary 2008 Gala, Friday, May 16th, at Community Bookstore of Park Slope. Baur will read from and sign copies of bestselling and acclaimed book, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food.
Friday, May 16th. 7:30pm. Free. Community Bookstore, 143 Seventh Avenue (between Carroll and Garfield), Brooklyn!
Seitan made me do it! I was recently featured in Time Out New York’s ‘Horny Issue‘. I got down and dirty about eating local, vegan, and choosing good food over mediocre sex. Yes, that’s a local, organic beet leaf on my balls.
The amazingly talented (and friend of DB) Ryan Pfluger took the pictures, and we used the gorgeous home of Pablo & Veronica of Dr. Cow.
“It was a philosophical struggle for me to pose naked, but you do what you have to do to get your message out there. All forms of oppression are connected: mainstream-media sex, violence, social justice, environmental issues, animal exploitation. When you perpetuate one of them, you perpetuate all of them. But I believe you can live ethically and fabulously.”
“I’ve been vegan for 12 years. For the shoot, I went to the Union Square farmers’ market and bought a bunch of local, organic veggies, fruits and roots. The green movement is finally becoming sexy—and it’s because of food. Food is like sex: You interact with it physically, you put it in your body. I’d rather have an amazing meal than mediocre sex.”
Check me out and the other hot-blooded New Yorkers, on stands tomorrow!
UPDATE: New York Magazine Bloggers go at me! Get the New York Magazine dirt here.
1. The Mens Store at Matt & Nat offers by far, the best selection of well-made veg and eco mens’ accessories that I have seen to date. My favorite bag is the Kravitz Brazen:
Also check out these handsome, cruelty-free adornments:
2. Vogue attempted to do an article about Mens’ green fashion in their March issue. The article, “Good to be Green” gave friend of DB, John Patrick of Organic, a big shout-out (Yay Patrick!). Bramfod & Sons, Loomstate, and Earnest Sewn are mentioned, and whispers of the green capsule line from Theory are discussed, but clearly they didn’t have me writing the article or it would have been much more thorough…(pats self on back). The deal on Theory is:
“…Theory is excited to announce our first-ever organic collection for Summer 2008. Made from certified organic materials, the capsule collection includes 24 styles–jackets, dresses, knitwear and more. Theory’s organic collection will be available at Theory retail stores Barney’s New York, and Holt Renfrew, and shortly to follow at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and Bergdorf Goodman in May.”
1. The newest FEED bag, the FEED 100 bag is available now exclusively at Whole Foods Market 
nation-wide! Each FEED 100 bag will provide 100 school meals to hungry children in Rwanda through the UN World Food Program (www.wfp.org). Help them reach their goal of provide all the WFP school meals in Rwanda for 2008 and buy your FEED 100 bag!
*UPDATE* FOX News… I mean New York Magazine (I kid, I kid) Food Bloggers had their (inaccurate) fun with this entry. Truth be told, Fiore is a decent, affordable restaurant in my hood – I just wish they had a few more options for conscientious eaters and that they dealt with customer feedback in a more positive way. ‘Nuff said…
I attended a birthday dinner at a new Italian place, Fiore, in Brooklyn. I was shocked to find that the
only vegan options were salad, and the spaghetti with tomato sauce entreé. In New York City – especially in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I expect the restaurants to not only be smart enough to cater to the burgeoning vegan population (if not simply as an intelligent financial decision), but to be sensitive to general customer feedback of informed customers. After my meal of pasta and salad, I kindly suggested to a manager that, “my meal was tasty, and it would be fantastic if you added a few more vegan options to the menu – like a grilled portabello cap, or mushroom ravioli, or pasta primavera.” With all of the amazing vegan sausages and meat alternatives, dairy alternatives and veg-friendliness of traditional Italian food in general, I expected anything but the response I got. Not “thanks for the feedback” or “we value our customers, so we’ll see what we can do”. In a defensive tone, she said: “Portobellos cause cancer”. What? Excuse me? In an establishment serving up tons of conventional, hormone-ridden, pesticide-pumped ribs, beef, chicken, lamb, cheese, and butter – you’re telling me that portobello mushrooms cause cancer? Needless to say, I was so caught off guard that I was at a loss for words.
After a few hours of research, I’ve discovered that this is total nonsense, of course. Not only that, but the Stanford Cancer Center has recipes for portobellos on their website. Go figure. In fact, mushrooms contain selenium, potassium, copper, and B-complex vitamins, and are purported to have anti-cancer properties. Vegans have been shown to have 40% less chance of getting cancer, and meat and dairy products have been shown to cause cancer. There are mushrooms, that if eaten raw, have certain carcinogenic toxins (that cook or wash off). My only explanation for this ridiculous response of hers is that she was so offended by my vegan request that she said the first terrible thing that came to her mind.
So in the spirit of the slandered portobello, I give you a plethora of mushroom recipes from our friends at Post Punk Kitchen:
1. Today, and all this week are National Call-In Days for Downed Farm Animals! The recent Human Society undercover investigation of the cruel treatment of cows at a California slaughter plant has sparked renewed attention to the downer issue, with several Congressional hearings and bills introduced. Now it’s essential that we keep Congress focused on the issue and ensure they take action.
At the California slaughter plant, “downed” animals — those too sick or injured to stand and walk on their own — were prodded with electric shocks, dragged with chains, rammed with forklifts, and subjected to other egregious abuse in efforts to forcibly move them to slaughter. Downed animals may also be left to languish without food, water, or veterinary care, and they are at a higher risk of carrying harmful diseases.
The following bills have already been introduced and others are in the works:
Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act (H.R. 661/S. 394) to ban slaughter of downed livestock and require their immediate humane euthanasia.
Downed Animal Enforcement Act (S. 2770) to ban slaughter of downed livestock and establish stricter penalties for violations of the downer ban and humane slaughter law.
Food Safety Recall Information Act (H.R. 5762) to require release of names of retailers and school districts that purchased meat, poultry, or egg products subject to recall, and ban slaughter of downed livestock.
TAKE ACTION
When you call, you will speak to a staff member who will pass your message along to your legislator. Remember to be polite and professional, and leave your name and address so it is clear that you are a constituent.
• Please call your U.S. Representative.
FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES HERE
You can say:
“Hello, my name is [your name] and I’m calling from [your town] to urge Representative Maloney to do everything possible to enact legislation to protect downed animals — including H.R. 661, the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act, and H.R. 5762, the Food Safety Recall Information Act. It’s time to ensure that animals unable to stand are humanely euthanized and do not enter the food supply. Thank you.”
• Please call Your Senator
FIND YOUR SENATORS’ CONTACT INFO HERE
You can say:
“Hello, my name is [your name] and I’m calling from [your town] to urge [senator's name] to do everything possible to enact legislation to protect downed animals — including S. 394, the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act, and S. 2770, the Downed Animal Enforcement Act. It’s time to ensure that animals unable to stand are humanely euthanized and do not enter the food supply. Thank you.”
• HSUS is tracking the impact of your calls, so click here to let us know you called your legislators:
• Finally, please tell all of your friends and family to call their legislators today and throughout this week.
2. Organic Dress Shirts
A lot of you have asked for resources on standard organic dress shirts, so here ye, here ye! These are some styles from Organic and Arbitrage.
(Above: Arbitrage, designed to benefit charity: water, an organization that provides clean, safe drinking water to people in the developing world by constructing freshwater wells. For each shirt purchased, Saks will donate $25 to charity: water.)
