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

Ethical Exploits, Vol.5

by featured contributor Matt Lara

Celebrity Roast

It’s been making it’s debut all season. Everyone is talking about it. And if this month is one long headache to you, I can assure you that the Celebration Roast from Field Roast Grain Meat is something wonderful to look forward to. I happen to love the holidays, even though I haven’t been able to avoid sharing the table with dead birds this year. But those who tried my Celebration Roast loved it, and I would be happy to have it on my holiday table anytime. Luckily we still have time this year to impress with this deliciousness.

Caught in the Neti

There’s crappiness and cold in the air. If you’re in a big urban jungle there is smog and pollutants swirling all around you. If you’re like me you’re surrounded my nasty looking air as well all sorts of pollen, dander, and allergens. Add that to winter weather and you have sinus hell. Not Sexy. Rather than jack myself up on meds, I prefer a gentler approach—Neti Pot. I know it sounds gross to rinse out your sinuses, but it has always helped me out a lot. Our pals at Crazy Sexy Life have some really great info on all things Neti.

Stir Crazy

Go ahead, call me a food snob. I freely admit to being one – I care a lot about what I eat. Sorry my fashionisto friends, but I spend more money on quality food than I do on looking dapper at the disco. And when I’m done eating one (or more) of these sandwiches—messy face and all—I reserve the right not wipe my food snob mouth. I just love this dump-and-stir: Snobby Joes. This is from a favorite cookbook I use several times a week, The Veganomicon.

A Natural In Bed

I share my bed with a partner who is supportive but soft, warm but not over-heated, and a natural in bed—my buckwheat pillow from Beans72. Our relationship wasn’t always perfect and took some getting used to. I do opt for the softness of a regular pillow at times, but I find these ones great for a number of reasons. A mainstay Asian countries, they are made for comforting support throughout the night. The pillows from this site are made of quality all-natural materials, and are recommended for those with allergies to synthetic pillow fillers. They also don’t get warm like other pillows stuffed with synthetics. I find them to be perfect for when you are reading in bed or watching TV. We don’t necessarily promote rampant consumption of gifts here, but this is one useful gift I have used for years now. (Don’t forget to order the matching cotton pillow case for the Japanese size.)

Gifting To-Go

While we’re on the topic of gift giving, I can’t think of a simpler gift than this set of bamboo to-go ware from Taraluna. As you may know, bamboo is a highly sustainable crop and very durable. It comes with a knife, fork, spoon, and set of chopsticks in a rolling cloth carrier. I keep them with me all the time for meals out. Taraluna is a great resource for products all made from fair-trade workers. Check out their variety of products.

Out of Closet Experience

I needed some last minute do-dads. Being on a tight budget, I decided to hit up the big pink LA thrift shop chain known as Out Of The Closet. Now, I actually like the “charm” of your average thrift store—the laudromat odor, the linoleum floors, the collage of wracks and hangers, the screaming children, etc.. However, this location was a nice change of pace. There was an actual selection of items and not an insurmountable mish-mash of crap. The staff was pleasant, helpful, and conversational. It was one of the few places I have shopped in LA where I felt a sense of community. Perhaps that is because Out of the Closet is owned and operated by Aids Healthcare Foundation with a mission to generate income to fund it’s services. Many locations offer free HIV testing as well.

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Sap Anyone?

As we pass from holiday to holiday, I have to say thanks to anyone reading this little grouping of words. I hope some of it catches your eye. If it does, I truly cherish that there are honest gentlemen (and ladies) out there who are taking action to live as responsible humans. As I count my blessings this holiday season, I’m counting you all in. Merry wassailling!

1 Comment

joshuakatcher, December 11th 2009 | Tags: bamboo ware, celebration roast, Field Roast, matt lara, neti pot, out of the closet thrift, snobby joes, veganomicon
Posted in Contributer, food, green, Health, holiday, home, human rights, organic, recipes, social responsibility, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian

New Year, Same You?

After the holiday binge, many of us are ready to hit the ground running, and we do! Things go great for the first few miles, but by Valentines Day, we’ll have fallen off track and stopped going to the gym as often as we said we would. We start smoking and drinking again, we have more than a cup of coffee a day, and we even find rationalizations to eat unhealthy and ‘convenient’ foods. Worst of all, while we hurt our own bodies and brains – we often are unknowingly hurting other people, animals, and ecosystems in the process.

What if I told you that there’s a resolution you can make that will help you stay healthy and slim, that will curb global warming more than getting a hybrid, that will save lives, and help stop torture? Sound too good to be true? This year why not make a resolution that helps everyone and everything? Even if you’re selfish – you’ll look better, smell better, and taste better. Go vegan! It’s the greenest, healthiest, most compassionate lifestyle choice we can make.

I have compiled a list of New Year motivational stuff to keep you on track, and moving forward!

BOOKS:

DVDs:

COOKBOOKS:

1 Comment

TheDiscerningBrute, January 3rd 2009 | Tags: china study, colleen patrick-goudreau, compassionate cooks, cookbook, earthlings, eat to live, farm sanctuary, fast food nation, fire and spice, food revolution, gene bauer, Gene Baur, i am an animal, ingrid newkirk, italiano, joaquin phoenix, joel fuhrman, john robbins, kitchen, my sweet vegan, peacable kingdom, recipe, rory freidman, skinny bitch, Thanking the Monkey, the wittness, vegan planet, veganomicon, vegetarian cooking
Posted in activism, animal rights, books, food, global warming, green, Health, holiday, recipes, social responsibility, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian

LOVE: Valentines Day is Gay

If you are hetero, you can still read the following passage and get some great gift ideas. Same for the single people out there. And none of your bros will think you’re a fag for reading this – unless of course you are – in which case you didn’t watch the Super Bowl last night, like me. I hope that team won – you know, the one with the helmets and stuff…

Valentine’s Day is approaching… er… encroaching! It’s a surprise that the conservative powers-that-be haven’t outlawed Queers celebrating VDay – since most of us can’t actually prove we are in love through a costly and daunting, state-sanctified, ceremony of governmental approval. Thank god!

If you are still single and sick of your parents asking when you will deliver them their grandchildren, use this day to come out of the closet, even if you’re not gay. (At least it’ll get them off your back for a while – and then when you do fulfill the godly-destiny, they’ll be that much more excited to know the ‘gay thing’ was just a phase. Thank god! Again!)

Three Stupid Ideas for a Stupid Holiday
(read this if you’re single and bitter)

1. Send out a fake family photo. Photshop your head into the most disturbing Google-searched family photo you can find and send it to all your friends and family (FYI, that’s my head, not my body or baby or wife or creepy pool-birth-scenario). Like so:

2. Send a custom card or message, like so:

3. Call your Ex.

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Three Ideas for the Well-Adjusted, Happy, Single Person

1. Get a friggin’ massage already! No one wants to hear your knot clicking. The men’s spa at Nickel is pretty dope.
Nickel

2. Take a yoga class at Javamukti and be at peace.

3. Sex toys for men? Yes indeed. Take this day to love yourself. Buy a sex toy and go at it with the person who knows your body best – you! Check out Babeland for the best sex toys in a totally inviting and professional-ish environment. You can even get vegan latex products and eco-friendly vibrators.

If you’re not in New York, check out The Sensual Vegan for online toy shopping, or for more leather-like gear see VeganErotica.com for the best selection that you can have delivered by Vday without the dead cow skin!

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Three Ideas to Get Your Stupid Girlfriend or Boyfriend or Transfriend or Partner or Spouse or Whatever.

1. Chocolate never fails. Unless it’s filled with pus. So stick to the vegan chocolate.

2. Romantic dinner.

Prepare it yourself with this amazing cookbook (and don’t forget the candles). Check out the amazing soy-wax candles at ‘A Scent of Scandal’.

…or go to the most amazing vegan, gourment restaurant on the Upper Eeat Side, Candle 79.

3. Adopt a fuzzy friend for your lover from the shelter, or a farm animal from Farm Sanctuary!
then make spring-time reservations to go visit your new animal-friend on a romantic weekend-stay at Farm Santuray in Cali or New York State.