The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man » scarf

LIQUID FIX: Ethical Exploits – Volume 7

joshuakatcher — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:54:39 +0000

In this installment of Ethical Exploits, contributor Matt Lara deals with a lot of liquids - from the oceans that float Sea Shepherd to unclogging your drain without dumping deadly chemicals into the water - and from homemade grapefruit juice and ethical bathroom cleaners to soda that funds dog shelters. These every-day tips and tricks are always tested, tried and true by Matt, himself. . . by Matt Lara He Sells Sea Scarves I was able to score a sample one of these awesome scarves designed by a friend of mine. They are handmade and great for mild spring weather. The skull design may look familiar to you, as it's the logo for Sea Shepherd. If you haven’t heard of Sea Shepherd yet, they are one of the ballsiest groups out there. With help from such folks like Bob Barker and Ady Gil, they utilize direct-action in helping maintain natural ocean ecosystems. Much of their work was shown on Animal Planet’s Whale Wars. These scarves really do grab attention and provide the perfect opportunity for everyday advocates to spread awareness on such an incredible group. Check out the goods (coming soon!!!) here. Drain Drama I had a pesky clog in my bathroom sink, and rather than continue to buy expensive and nasty chemical un-cloggers, I decided to do some research on more natural (and cheaper) ways to put my sink at ease. It turns out you don’t need much more than baking soda, vinegar, and water. And you may just need some good, old’ fashioned elbow grease with a plunger. I sprinkled about ¼ cup baking soda into the drain, and then poured in 1 cup of vinegar. The two components fizz and help loosen the grime lodged in there. Remember the fizzing action from that volcano you made in the grade school science fair?

The verdict: I had to repeat this process twice. The sink still seemed to be clogged and draining slowly, so I went at it with the plunger. Lots of gunk came out into the sink, so I cleaned that up then repeated the process one last time. My sink drains beautifully now. Apparently, flushing regularly with boiling hot water helps keep clogs clear as well. So, there’s yet another home solution without crazy chemicals, and far less harm done to aquatic ecosystems. You can check out more detailed instructions here. Method Acting O, Method…how do I love thee? Why is that I get a little giddy when a refill for your foamy hand soap comes in a more earth-friendly pouch rather than yet another plastic bottle? I get ever so joyful from using your daily shower spray to help keep the shower from getting mildew—and to help make the big clean-ups far more manageable. And, I was so electrified to hear that your newest line of laundry detergent comes in a super-concentrated formula that pumps straight into the washer. Yes, you pump—as in, no more pouring to some mysterious fill line on a plastic cup. I know you love me too, from your letter to me (your loyal patron) on your website:

“method was founded on the vision that business could be an agent of positive change and a source of solutions to social and environmental problems. The first step of this vision is the responsibility to ensure that our products truly strive for sustainability - from the safety of the materials they are made from, to the ways that they are made and shipped, to the partners we work with in our supply chain.” From the way I’m acting, you’d think I had just discovered how affordable your products are. Which gives all the more reason to love thee. Let me count the ways… Fresh and Fruity Good, healthy whole foods—who says they have to be fancy? Most of the time, the simplest way is the best way. The theory of Occam's razor should have a supplemental cookbook. Something as easy as a fruit plate is yummy, and provides more than enough vitamins and minerals. In fact, nature designed fruit to be appealing to mammals like us, in hopes we'd carry off the seeds and help spread their genes. Check out these amazing grapefruits from my neighbor’s tree. I was never a grapefruit fan until I juiced these giant beauties and sweetened with a tad of maple syrup. Enjoy reading about the healthy benefits of a simple grapefruit. This Post is Going to the Dogs… Hey New Yorkers, love your doggies? Wanna spoil them? Check out Anything Pawsible at the Ninth Avenue Street Fair this weekend. My good friend Vincent Gerrard (a veteran actor/producer) created this portable pet store. They specialize in one-of-a-kind pet items, along with organic treats and eco-friendly toys. Their goal is 100% green. If you stop by their booth this weekend, any purchase of a toy, shirt, bandana or pet treat helps fund Broadway Barks, the annual pet adoption celeb-event. A few Broadway stars will be manning the Anything Pawsible booth:

• Saturday, 5/15 12pm -1pm: Tony nominee Jan Maxwell now starring in Lend Me a Tenor
• Sunday 5/16 12pm -1pm: Tony nominee Kevin Chamberlin now starring as Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Dashaun Young now playing Simba in The Lion King.
• More info on the street fair here.

And if you’re on the west coast…I stumbled upon this sweet little root beer company called Margo’s Bark. It is an all-natural cane sugar soda. I know, again with the carbs Matt, but all those summer barbeques are on the way, and this stuff is great. And what makes it even greater is that 100% of the profits from Margo’s Bark goes to supporting dogs in city shelters. The taste is sweet, happy, and fizzy sans the junk you get in mainstream sodas like phosphoric acid, preservatives, and corn syrup. If you’re going to have that once-in-a-blue-moon soda pop, why not help our furry friends get a forever home? Margo’s Bark is available at these locations.

Fresh Friday Finds

TheDiscerningBrute — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:40:09 +0000

1. Viori's Tees and Scarves, 100% US-grown organic cotton, water-based inks, made fairly in the USA. 2. NY Coalition for Healthy School Lunches is an organization that promotes plant-based farm-to-school nutritional and educational implementation. I had a chance to go eat a delicious, vegan meal with the kids in Harlem last week, and I have to say that the menu, which was designed by a collaboration between Candle 79 and the school, was really yummy! Find out how you can get involved by clicking below: 3. Reware's JuiceBag ES300 Solar Messenger charges iPods, Cell Phones, GPS, Cameras, etc, and is made from recycled soda bottles. 4. Refinding's reclaimed accessories, made from reclaimed materials like trading cards, nylon, matchbooks, and type-writer keys. 5. Abuse of Primates in Research Labs exposed on ABC's NIGHTLINE. If you missed it on TV, read the article at change.org. Read also about why animal experimentation is so inneffective from a woman undergoing cancer treatment, and watch the Nightline video below: 6. Sameunderneath Knit Blazer on Sale, 75% organic cotton, 25% polyester 7. HBO premieres the documentary "Death on a Factory Farm". Get program schedule here. Watch a clip from the doc: 8. Of The Earth organic cotton hoodies. 9. Veg News weighs in on obstacles to estimating the number of veg kids. The CDC fails at surveying. Read the article: 10. Do you ever have a clogged drain and you end up buying the toxic, animal-tsted Draino? Finally there's a pure, natural environmentally-friendly, enzyme-producing bacteria that liquefies grease, fats, and other organic wastes and controls odors in drains, garbage disposals, and septic systems. Earthworm! What's best? It's only five bucks at VeganStore.com.

Winter Wardrobe & Cookie Cravings

TheDiscerningBrute — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:09:19 +0000

1. If you've been procrastinating on getting a sweater this winter, there's still time! Loomstate's organic 'Bering' crew sweater is totally wool-free! Check out what else they've got on the racks for the current season: 2. Support Craftspeople of the Karen Hill Tribe (between Burma & Thailand) by purchasing this gorgeous black scarf. 3. Vegan Gloves are usually ugly or look like you should be in a dirt-bike competition. These simple faux-leather, insulated gloves go with everything and are slick as hell! 4.Chocolate-Chip, Peanut Butter Cookies! Cold weather is the best time for pastries. Try this super-easy cookie recipe! What you'll need: •3/4 cup margarine (I use Earth Balance) •2/3 cup nut butter (use peanut, almond, or cashew!) •3/4 cup sugar •1/4 cup brown sugar •3/4 tsp. salt •2 Tbsp. egg replacer (I use Energie) •1 Tbsp. vanilla •2-1/2 cups flour (you can use up to 4 cups of flour -- the more flour you use, the denser, chewier the cookie; the amount listed here is for a texture that most people like.) •1 cup nondairy semi-sweet chocolate chips. Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugars, nut butter, and salt. 2. In a small bowl or mug, beat "egg replacer." Then add to margarine-sugar mixture. Add vanilla and combine. Slowly, little by little, add flour, stirring constantly to combine. Continue until all flour is well combined (it will get harder to combine the more flour you add). 3. Mix in chocolate chips. Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Then, as Laura puts it, "flatten them with a fork, wish them well, and put them in the oven." They'll be ready in about 10 to 12 minutes, or when golden brown. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Fresh Friday Finds

TheDiscerningBrute — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:32:33 +0000

1. Uncaged! Check out the animation for Prop 2! Vote YES! Ellen Degeneres & Portia de Rossi speak on the animals behalf: 2. Online stores like Saks, and Nordstrom have 'eco' and 'green' shopping sections for men! If you don't see it on your favorite website, just search: ' organic ' in the mens' section. 3. Woodstock Farm Sanctuary only has four weekends left for visiting! If you haven't been to see them, you must go! Hang out with the animals, take a tour of the farm, and meet the awesome, headline-making staff! Here are upcoming events at the farm:

• Oct 5th: “Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals” Reading & Signing with Author Karen Dawn (official site)

"...With wisdom and insight... A bridge between worlds for both the committed and the curious..." - Gloria Steinem

First, take a sanctuary tour 11:00-3:30. ($5 suggested donation). Then 3:30 - 5pm: Reading with Karen and special guests -- then vegan snacks and wine. The reading is free but we hope you will buy a book as all book sale proceeds will go the sanctuary!

• October 11: Institute for Humane Education's MOGO Workshop at the farm.

You don’t need a spandex outfit and cape to help save the world, instead hone your activist skills at this one-day intensive workshop focusing on environmental, human and animal issues, run by the prestigious Institute for Humane Education. SPACE IS LIMITED - BOOK NOW - >>click for details<<

4. Fall Scarves

These are some wool-free, organic cotton scarves to keep your neck all cozy!

Also check out the organic Hemp Scarves, and these organic scarves :

5. Veganic Farming

Although organic farmers avoid pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and genetically modified crops, many still use animal manures and slaughterhouse byproducts like bone, blood and fish meal. Find out more!

6. Walk For the Animals

There is still time to Walk For The Animals for Farm Sanctuary! See the calendar for dates and locations!