The Discerning Brute

Fluevog Fancy Feet, Our Hen House, and TV Stars go Veg

• My new spring shoes are these killer, plaid, vegan oxfords from John Fluevog! How cool are these? They’re perfect with khaki shorts, jeans, or black trousers. From a punk rock club to wall street, you can mismatch them with other patters, or let these kicks stand alone as the centerpiece of your outfit. The best thing of all is that help you tread more light since they’re free of leather, one of the nastiest sources of pollution and global warming. $179

• I was recently interviewed on the podcast “Our Hen House, Episode 9” where I discussed The Cave Man Diet, Mainstream Manliness, and other interesting tidbits with fabulous hosts and activists Jasmin and Mariann. If you aren’t subscribed to this podcast that discusses all kinds of ideas on how individuals can make change for animals, you should SUBCRIBE.

• American Idol’s Ruben Studdard, went vegan and has lost over 100 lbs already! One of his favorite restaurants is Soul Veg in Atlanta. Ruben explained his weight-loss on ‘The Wendy Williams Show’, saying, ”I went to vegetarianism about a year-and-a-half ago, and then about 6 months ago I started being completely vegan.” Read the full article on Ecorazzi and his interview with Peta.

• According to VegetarianStar.com, Biggest Loser host and trainer, Bob Harper is almost 100% vegan, and has challenged his twitter followers to go vegan, too!

When his cholesterol dropped 100 points after going veg, he couldn’t help but send out tweets like this: “Your Challenge today is to go the next 24 hours, starting now eliminating ALL animal products. Good for your heart AND the environment!!”

“I’m a HUGE fan of Gardein!!”

“I love this day..getting together with a couple of close friends and I’m preparing a VEGAN FEAST..hope they like it!!”

Follow Bob on Twitter, too.

1 Comment

joshuakatcher, March 15th 2010 | Tags: american idol, Bob Harper, john fluevog vegan, mens shoes, our hen house, ruben studdard, vegan, vegan shoes, vegetarian
Posted in Health, activism, animal rights, celebrity, cruelty-free, fashion, green, news, sex, vegan, vegetarian

Human Breast Cheese, SIGG Sale, Tofu Tester & Sonic Fedora

• I’m trying to figure out what the hell all this infantile (haha!) hysteria about he human breast milk cheese is really about. Is it really being considered the worst idea ever? It it really illegal? C’mon. Really?

When comparing cow and human milk, let’s ask a few question. Which milk comes from a consenting individual? It’s not the cows’. Which milk typically has pus, blood, synthetic hormones, and feces in it? Nope, not the human milk. Which milk is designed by nature for human consumption? Not the cows’. Which milk is responsible for the veal industry and global warming? Not the human milk.

So why are people freaking out? Why is human breast milk any more gross than drinking the random tit milk from a cow stuck in a filthy factory farm up to its knees in feces? Let’s face it, people are so boob obsessed that’s all they can think about. Boobs! But if you had to push a calf aside, crawl under a cow and put an udder in your mouth and suck – you’d have a much different point of view. The anonymity and safety of the milk carton obscures the truth. The newness of the human milk illicits visions of adults sucking on pregnant tits, which is, apparently, very scary. That’s why I prefer almond, coconut, rice, and soy milk. Yum!

What do you think about this issue? Leave a comment!

• SIGG sale at Gilt Groupe! Only $10 – $15. Click here for you invitation to Gilt.

• Serious Eats’ Michael Natkin conducted a taste test of several store-bought tofu brands to bring you the least-bland winner of the taste test! I’ve never been a huge fan of plan old tofu, but according to Michael:

“…not all tofu is created equal. Some tofu has a mild, sweet beany flavor and a smooth consistency, while other brands have flavor defects and strange textures.

In Japan, it’s understood that top-shelf bean curd is an artisanal product made with only the best soybeans and spring water and processed with labor-intensive traditional techniques. That level of appreciation is unusual in the United States, but perhaps it will become more common as we realize that tofu is a versatile and delicious food in its own right, not a replacement for meat.”

• Remember those recycled cassette tape ties? Check these recycled cassette tape fedoras from the same people!

7 Comments

joshuakatcher, March 13th 2010 | Tags: breast milk cheese, cows milk, fedora, Michael Natkin, recycled cassette tape, sigg, sonic, tofu, vegan, vegetarian
Posted in animal rights, design, fashion, food, news, sex, vegan, vegetarian

CLASS ACT PLASTIC: Melissa Plastic Dreams for MEN!

You heard it here first! I got my eyes and hands onto a handful of samples from the forthcoming men’s collection, M:ZERO, from Melissa Plastic Dreams: the sustainable, zero-waste, fair-trade, recycled plastic shoe company known for their cutting edge design and collaborations with fashion superstars like Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, and others.

Kaight Shop in New York City’s Lower East Side held a launch party for the pop-up installation of Melissa’s “Shop Within a Shop” inside of Kaight. They were so cool, I couldn’t help but jam my giant, size 11.5 foot into one of the samples that were all size 8, just for the sake of a photo. Considering that these are touted as some of the most comfortable shoes out there, it really wasn’t that bad at 3.5 sizes too small. One that fits must feel like walking on pillows.

The new men’s collection features an oxford, a loafer, and a driving shoe. By far, my preference is the oxford, especially the gray, fuzzy one and the white matte one. Look out for these fantastic plastics arriving for retail Autumn/Winter 2010!

3 Comments

joshuakatcher, March 12th 2010 | Tags: driving shoes, fair trade, loafers, m:zero, melissa plastic dreams, mens shoes, plastic shoes, recycled plastic, sustainable, vegan shoes
Posted in Shoes, design, fair trade, fashion, green, recycled, social responsibility, upcycled, vegan, vegetarian

Swim Trunks for Guys Who Care About The Ocean

Not only does Livity make their entire line from recycled materials and organics, but everything is produced in equitable trade. These trunks are made from recycled plastic and hemp. They are quick-drying, and feature some cool patters and prints.

Loomstate’s Baja Board Short in organic cotton are less bold, and feature a leaf-inspired print.

Patagonia also has a handsome khaki, or khaki check board short in organic cotton.

If you care about the oceans, there are some great resources out there for ethical surfers, like EcoBusinessLinks page on surf companies. Country Feeling Surfboards uses soy-based and sugar-based foams; deck inlays made from hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and resin that is catalyzed by the sun. The best surf accessories, like hemp boardbags can be found at Wave Tribe. If you have an old board to recycle, send it to ReSurf! I also highly recommend joining the efforts of Sea Shepherd.

We know that The Cove has won an Oscar for Best Documentary of 2009, and if you haven’t seen End Of The Line, you must!

1 Comment

joshuakatcher, March 12th 2010 | Tags: bathing suit, board shorts, eco, end of the line, green, livity, loomstate, organic cotton, patagonia, reccled plastic, resurf, sea shepherd, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, surfing, Wave Tribe
Posted in Skateboard, Uncategorized, design, fashion, green, organic, recycled, social responsibility, sports, travel, trend report, vegan, vegetarian

Velour’s Shirts & Ties

Velour’s online store, featuring a bunch of organic cotton in classic men’s styles, is up and running! The coordinating shirt-and-tie combinations are incredibly fetching, and mismatching them is even more fun. No one will even suspect that you’re a hippie in these sharp cuts: