Matt & Nat for Autumn, Undercover Animal Lover

Matt & Nat’s autumn “Faithless” bag in  green and brown plaid, and “Braun” in coated khaki are both very warm and fetching accessories for any gentle-man. Also new is the “Mingus” backpack and the “Teller” and “Moller” in plaid.

Mingus GreenTeller GreenMoller Green

• PETA’s recent undercover investigation into the sick experiments at Professional Laboratory and Research Services, Inc. (PLRS) has resulted in a major victory for animals. PLRS is surrendering nearly 200 dogs and dozens of cats and shutting its doors for good! Vivisection is inherently cruel and needs to be stopped. Learn more here.

ULTIMATE Father’s Day Guide for the Ethically Handsome Dad

Every Father’s Day, we get dear-old-dad the same old stuff, but being a dad is cooler and braver than ever! Most fathers want what’s best for the family- and now he can also help protect animals and the planet too. The best part is, when getting these ethically handsome gifts for pop, you don’t have to sacrifice style, taste, or pleasure. Nor do you have to compromise on what dad likes! These cool gifts are a spin on traditional Father’s Day presents, from geeked-out gadgets and tools to socks and ties to sports gear and suits. I’ve even got recommendations for dads who have it all, from electric sports cars and motorcycles to Armani Bamboo Sports coats! Your father will be proud to be a personal hero to you and a superhero to the planet. Let’s not underestimate what it means to be protector this Father’s Day!

GIFTS:

• No one in the office will know! Organic Cotton Dress Shirts from Culturata, Velour, and Nordstrom. Organic cotton blows conventional cotton out of the water – growing conventional cotton requires the use of enormous amounts of pesticides, which has a huge environmental impact and presents health risks for those working around it. 25% of the world’s insecticide use and more than 10 percent of the world’s pesticide goes to cotton crops. In 2003, that amounted to about 55 million pounds of pesticides being sprayed on 12.8 million acres of cotton, according to the Organic Trade Association.

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http://www.aussiebum.com/content/items/1265_banana_brief_brf_white/ZM_banana_brf_white.jpg• Organic cotton, bamboo, and banana fiber underwear & socks from Aussiebum & Nordstrom. Supporting sustainable and ethical fashion is more than just an outer layer. Keeping pesticides away from sensitive areas is something any man will get behind.

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Nordstrom Bamboo Blend Socks (3-Pack) Nordstrom Organic Cotton Boxer  Shorts

• Sports gear: Carpenter Trade, professional baseball glove  $280 In addition to superior performance, most people don’t realize that the #1 cause of greenhouse gas emissions is from raising livestock for food and leather. Avoiding leather is one of the most powerful things to do for the environment. So have a custom made, professional-grade glove made with your dad’s name on it.

http://www.carpentertrade.com/images/Clarino3Views.jpg

• Mens organic, cruelty-free grooming products and scents. The last thing you should give pop is a guilty conscience with products that have been tested on animals. Most razors and many mainstream grooming products are still tested on animals and are not made from recycled plastics, but these items are totally cruelty-free and sustainable. (Preserve, Jack Black, Herban Cowboy, the Body Shop)

Triple Razor Replacement Blades

White Musk® for Men Eau de Toilette Organic Grooming by Herban Cowboy Cologne Dusk 1.7 oz

• Get your dad back into health with cookbooks, health guides, and diet books for dudes! The fireman’s Engine 2 Diet, the Triathlete’s THRIVE book series, Skinny Bastard, Meat is for Pussies, Vegan Bodybuilding and Tal Ronnen’s amazing cookbook, the Conscious Chef.

Buy The Engine 2 Diet book todayBook Cover Meat Is For Pussies book image

Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness By Robert Cheeke THRIVE FITNESS

• Stock the Pantry with delicious, gourmet food! Who says eating healthy means eating sprouts? What dad doesn’t love dark chocolate, smores, gourmet sausage, jerky, dips, and healthy, meaty meal-starters?

Vegan Double Chocolate Twinkies Twin Pack By Dulce Vegan Organic European-Style Chocolate Assortment By Sjaak's Smore Pies by Sweet & Sara

Vegan Grain Meat Sausages By Field Roast

Homestyle Beefless Tips By GardeinVegan Ground Beef By Match

Primal Strips Meatless JerkyVega Sport Performance Protein Tub

• Cruelty-free Accessories from NOHARM, Novacas, Bourgeois Boheme, Matt & Nat, Truth, and The Vegan Collection. Also check out the solar-charged briefcase from Voltaic, or a recycled canvas and vegetable-based faux-leather handbag. All sustainably leather-free.

NOHARM Black Slip-on Vegan Ankle BootsBoBo Vida Black

Voigt Pebble Laptop Carrier BlackFaithless - Pebble Handbag BlackTellier - Snake Wallet Navy

BELT BELT

Solar Laptop Charger

• Buy your dad a gift or experience on Charity Buzz and support your favorite charities. Hang with celebs, get backstage, go on trips, amazing experiences, sports tickets, memorabilia, delicious meals, and more!

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• Satin Ties & Ties diverted from Landfills. With Jaanj’s high-end, luxury, non-silk ties, you’ll never miss the worms that get boiled alive. For cotton ties, the Hill-Side makes ties and pocket-squares from selvedge fabrics, diverting them from landfills and making really cool, classic square-end ties, pocket squares, and handkerchiefs.

• For the Handy-Dad: Gadgets and tools or a Gift Certificate to GREEN DEPOT, an environmental living & building store. From recycled cotton insulation and a home composter to soy based paints and finishes, any dad into home improvement will love these gifts.

• Lawn Order with Greenworks tools. From mowers, blowers, and log-splitters, to hedge-trimmers and cultivators, these greener lawn tools don’t use fossil fuels and make self-sufficiency easy and green!

18in : 5-blades : Reel Mower7 Amp : 160mph : Blower10in : 20V : Li-ION Chain Saw5 Ton 15A Log Splitter

• Vintage Sunglasses / Frames. The greenest gifts of all require no new resource extraction or manufacturing. Vintage is always an amazing option. Classic sunglasses are big right now, from aviators, wayfarers, and John-Lennon frames to the 50′s Halo frames.

sun_36.jpgvint_men_39.jpgsun_22.jpgvint_men_24.jpgsun_05.jpg

• Enthralling DVDs of Oscar winner’s and award nominees “The Cove”, “Food Inc”, and “End of the Line”.

The CoveFood, Inc. http://www.docurama.com/wp-content/uploads/art-downloads/NNVG169491-05.jpg

For the Dad with it All:

Tesla Electric Sportscar. 0-60 in 3.9 secs, 288 hp, 236 miles per charge. Starts at $101,500

http://www.ecoautoninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/tesla_roadster.jpg

• Electric Motorcycle from Zero $9,995, or Brammo at $7,995
Zero S Electric Motorcycle - Click Image to Closehttp://www.electricbikee.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/right_side_700px.jpg

Comme des Garçon’s WONDERWOOD

• Someone who loved wood more than words could say? Sounds like one of us. Trees, forests, nature, and the smell of wood is something that echos in the most primal part of our brains. Guys who get down with sophisticated, organic smells will probably love Wonderwood, and being that Jaisalmer is my favorite scent – with hints of cardamon, cinnamon, pepper, benzoin, ebony wood and gaiac wood, I have a feeling I’ll love this one too.  The Brother’s Quay, a pair of renowned animators known for their distinct, dream-like, and haunting imagery, have crafted a gorgeous, hallucinatory short film to usher in the new scent.  It is screening on thelovemagazine.co.uk exclusively all this week. (Thanks to HINT for the hint!)

It’s sometimes hard to tell when a scent is cruelty-free, so I put in a call to Comme des Garçon’s offices in London and Paris to check if the fragrances would be considered suitable for vegans, and whether or not they’re tested on animals. The Europeans were not phased by the question one bit.  I was told that there are no animal-derived ingredients in the scents, and that the labs do not test on animals, but could not be given a 100% guarantee. I am in the process of following-up to get that guarantee, but so far, this is great to know! Now I’ll see if I can convince them to put the leaping-bunny or certified vegan logo on their packaging. Stay tuned.

Cruel Jokes, Article 23 & Losing Lobos

Article 23 is a contemporary Parisian fashion line focused on organic, fair-trade garments. They participate in the development of ecologically and socially responsible organic fiber apparel; selecting its partners for their compliance with environmental and labor standards. Here’s some selects available for international shipping on the UK’s Ascension website:

• There are just 42 Mexican gray wolves left in the wild. Forty-two. Tell Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to speed up the federal recovery efforts to save these wolves from extinction. Mexican gray wolves, also known as lobos, have been on the Endangered Species List for more than 30 years. But mismanagement, poaching and a loud anti-wolf minority have prevented the them from recovering. Today, just two breeding pairs remain! Find out how you can help.

http://graywolves.info/wolf.jpg

• TOP 10 REASONS WHY ANIMAL RESEARCH IS A CRUEL JOKE: If you think all animal research is used to treat and cure life-threatening conditions, think again. This list was compiled by IDA.

All of the following are actual experiments conducted on live animals with your money:

10. 4 OUT OF 5 SCIENTISTS SURVEYED RECOMMEND EJACULATION TO RATS

Four researchers at the University of Western Ontario’s School of Medicine andDentistry and one researcher at the University of Cincinnati studied whether male rats enjoyed ejaculation or intromission (the insertion of the penis into the vagina) more. Their data support the hypothesis that there is a hierarchy of sexual pleasure, with ejaculation at the top!

9. CHIMPS IN WORLD’S WORST ORPHANAGE CONDITIONS
Conditions that were “standard care” at primate centers until the 1990s!

8. THANKS TO THESE SCIENTISTS, CASTRATED HAMSTERS CAN STILL GET IT UPhttp://www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/animal-testing.jpg

7. RATS TRAPPED IN UNCOMFORTABLE PLACES FOR A LONG TIME GET FREAKED OUT. Monkeys too!

6. MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN RUMINANT HISTORY

5. DON’T CASTRATE YOUR CHILDREN, SAY SCIENTISTS
From the NIH Intramural Research Program, which boasts the only lab ever charged with multiple counts of criminal animal cruelty!

4. A FIGHT TO THE DEATH – BUT NOT BETWEEN LIZARDS

3. WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT? EXERCISE MAY HELP
From the researcher who discovered that adopted children fare better than orphans and social support alleviates depression!

2. MICE NEED ONLY WHEEL, NOT SHOCKS, FOR WHEEL-RUNNING

1. SCIENTISTS FIND VAGINAL STIMULATION MIGHT BE PLEASURABLE
Funded by a “high risk, high reward” NIH breakthrough grant!

Funky Fluevog & Help Robert

These are some pretty crazy shoes. Not unexpected coming from Fluevog, but it definitely takes a certain kind of gentleman to pull these off. Think jazz-era sailor. These canvas and faux leather kicks are on sale for $105

Strathcona (Vegan - Beige Canvas & Brown Synthetics)

If you thought the worst fate of animals in shelters was lonely months leading up to Roberteuthanasia, think again. A new undercover investigation reveals that homeless cats and dogs are purchased and used for painful experiments at laboratories. One of these animals was an affectionate orange tabby cat named Robert.  University of Utah experimenters drilled a hole into his skull and implanted electrodes in his brain in order to run an electric current through it. Find out how you can help!

JULY CONTEST WINNER

Congratulations to Ralph Kelleners of Belgium. He is The Discerning Brute July Contest winner! We challenged our readers to take a photograph of themselves that demonstrates how they speak up on behalf of animals, people, or the environment! Here is our winner:

 Ralph Kelleners

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We thank him so much for the work he does on behalf of animals. The picture he submitted (above) shows how he raises awareness about painful and outdated experiments that companies like Proctor & Gamble continue to conduct on animals like rabbits.

Enjoy the organic cotton, French terry cardigan from COVET , worth $110 USD.

And thank you to all of our readers who entered for all of the amazing work you do! We are truly inspired.

Film Fundraiser at The Peter Max Studio w/ Amazing Food & Celeb Guests!

I am embarking upon the production of a feature documentary film called “Standardized Testing” in collaboration with Kelly Overton of PATH (People Protecting Animals & Their Habitats).

Picture 1

This pioneering, controversial and hilarious film follows PATH founder Kelly Overton, an overachieving activist who has degrees from Harvard, Tulane, Columbia and UMASS, as he attempts to return his diplomas and get his tuition refunded in an effort to bring attention to the dangerous and wasteful biomedical research being done at the universities.

http://www.michaelarnoldart.com/max_peter_love.jpgIn order to begin production on the film, the legendary artist Peter Max (http://www.petermax.com/) and activist Mary Max (http://www.kindgreenplanet.org/) have offered to host a production launch party – featuring food, drink, and special celebrity guests!

To purchase tickets, click here:
http://www.ppath.org.

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Special guests include: Golden Girl – Rue McClanahan, Actress -Ally Sheedy, International Phenomenon- Princess Superstar, CNN Commentator -Jane Velez-Mitchell, Glamazon Lifestyle Guru- Chloé Jo Berman, Healthy Chef – Alexandra Jamieson, and yours truly, The Discerning Brute- Joshua Katcher. More special guests to be announced!

http://gothamist.com/attachments/arts_jen/2007_04_arts_blanche.jpghttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/media/photo/2008-05/38372050.jpghttps://auction01.charitybuzz.com/images/auction_catalog/71407_detail_1.jpghttp://crazysexylife.com/wp-content/uploads/chloe-jo1-124x200.jpghttp://www.changeyourchi.com/images/alexjamieson.jpghttps://www3.tivo.com/images/zap2it/programs/195289/p195289_n77029_cc_h1_aa.jpg

Featuring food & drink from 4 Course Vegan, Candle Cafe, Vegan Treats Bakery, Tuthilltown Spirits and Blackwell’s Organic Gelato!
Tuthilltown Spiritshttp://njmonthly.com/downloads/1524/download/Gelato_600.jpg

VeganTreats4 Course Vegan

Candle cafe

Friday, June 19th 2009
6:30 to 8:30 pm
The Max Studio
37 West 65th Street, 7th Floor
New York City

I would love for you to join me, and tickets start at just $100, and all proceeds go to PATH’s efforts to produce the film.

  • $100 per individual ticket
  • $350 for ticket and signed & dedicated Peter Max poster
  • $1,000 for ticket and signed & dedicated Peter Max poster and signed & dedicated The Art of Peter Max book*

To purchase tickets, click here:
http://www.ppath.org

Pass the word on Facebook!

Ethical Exploits Vol. 2

The ups, downs, ins, outs, disappointments, and triumphs of a day-to-day ethical living.
By Featured Contributor, Matt Lara

There are a hundred-and-one reasons for guys to take care of their skin and hair, but so many of the products on the market are toxic, full of animal ingredients, or still perform horrible and needless tests on animals that it makes us want to give up grooming and be crust-punks!

Realizing that dreadlocks and gamy odors were not for me, I decided to do some overhaul in the grooming department. Bathroom shelf, meet your new cruelty-free, earth-conscious friends:

Triple RazorThe first to go was that turbo-thingy razor that came free in my mailbox after high school graduation. Instead of shoveling out big bucks for more tiny replacement cartridges that are made by a company burning the eyes and skin of rabbits, I happily spent my money on a new Preserve Triple Razor. The shave is just as good, and there are some other great things to consider about Preserve Products besides smooth cheeks. I also switched to lavender and shea Moisture Shave from Kiss My Face. Now everyone wants to kiss my face. Now if they’d only make something so everyone would kiss my ass…

Also, if you’re a manly-man like me and use manly-man things like toner, consider my other big switch in the grooming department: organic cotton balls. If you are not using a spray-toner, these are great! Are they cost-effective? With cotton being one of the most highly-sprayed crops, and the price the environment pays for our single-use puffs, yes they are worth the extra dollar or two. Plus, the quality is actually better, and you’ll like that for your hunky mug.

Organic Essentials Cotton Balls Triple Size

Revitalizing Eye Cream from Avalon Organics is one of my new staples. Say what you want, I’m conscious of my smile lines! I can still feel this stuff moisturizing and firming even at the end of my most tired days. I’m also a sucker for the Soothing Lip Balm for some smooth smackers without the girlie, glossy look.

I can think of so many uses for tea trea oil, and with Trader Joe’s putting it in shampoo, I am so there. Tea Tree Tingle is quite an experience with every wash. For styling, I find David Babaii for Wildaid to be wonderful. Their motto is “It’s beautiful to be good,” and I couldn’t agree more. 10% of their profits are donated to Wildaid to help with wildlife conservation. I use their Bohemian Beach Spray and the Fibers Molding Paste.

Fibers Molding Pastehttp://www.db4wildaid.com/images/products/lg_bohemian_beach_spray.jpg

There are several product lines like Organic Grooming by Herban Cowboy, and JASON which Joshua covered in THIS POST that make men’s grooming products, so check them out too!

Finally, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has an excellent podcast episode dedicated to the compassionate bathroom. And hey, I didn’t buy all this stuff at once. Purchasing just one of these products is helping make for a more compassionate world.

Happy grooming!

-Matt Lara

MattLara

Matt is an actor, singer, closet poet, dancer, avid reader, guitar picker, waiter, home cook, nosey coffee shop guy, animal lover…he basically has to know how to do everything. He lives in New York and Los Angeles.

Fresh Friday Finds

1. Viori’s Tees and Scarves, 100% US-grown organic cotton, water-based inks, made fairly in the USA.

Vuori Stone Scarf

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:

NYCHSF logo

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:

nightlineprimates


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.

Fresh Friday Finds

1. John Patrick Organic Spring 2009

John Patrick has done it again! As one of my favorite designers, his dreamy, bucolic, utopian vision came to life at the Desmond Tutu center in Chelsea last month. This American Gothic reminds us that our land-base in primary, and taking care of it (like using organic cotton, fair-labor, sustainable practices – developing sustainable cottage industries, and growing your own organic cotton in the jungles of Peru) is crucial. Click here to view the complete collection for men and women.

2. Vegetable-Based Leather is my bag, baby!
Vegetable-based ‘leather‘  made by Amazonian natives from sustainable plant matter, and recycled canvas from cargo trucks. Need I say more? The bags and accessories from Paz Apparel are hot, and I love this oversized “Uptown Handbag“. Thanks to reader, Ari for the tip-off!

$125, Paz Apparel

Also from Paz:

3. sea shepherd flag

One of DB’s favorite organizations, Sea Shepherd, will be featured in Animal Planet’s 7-episode special series “Whale Wars”. On Friday, November 7th Animal Planet will premiere Whale Wars at 9 PM ET/PT in the US, and internationally in early 2009. For additional information, photos and a sneak peak at the series go to:
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/whale-wars/

4. Peter Singer is the Godfather…

Joshua & Peter Singer at Karen Dawn's event

I got the honor of meeting Peter Singer, father of the modern animal rights movement and author of “Animal Liberation” at a party for Karen Dawn’s (Dawnwatch) birthday and book reading. It’s not often you get to meet the person who set the new course for your life. I recommend reading both books!

When Purchasing Books, I also strongly recommend supporting local independent bookstores. Use Indiebound.org as opposed to the not-at-all-ethically-fabulous Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Do it!!!

Buy Thanking the Monkey now from Amazon

5. Autumn is in the Air

And so are these seasonal smells from DB friend, A Scent of Scandal! Check out: OLD SCHOOL  – granny smith, ROUGH PATCH – pumpkin, & TURNING TRICKS – candy corn.

6. Do Rabbits Scream?

Find out more about Armani on peta.org.

The answer is yes, and this new undercover video of rabbit fur farms in France and China is enough to make anyone give fur the cold shoulder. PETAs Armani campaign is in full swing. Get involved!

7. Shoes that will make you swoon
A little bird told me that Elizabeth Olsen (Olsen Haus), whose vegan shoe line is blowing up and selling out all over the place right now, will be making vegan shoes for men that are as equally badass as her womens’ shoes. And to get a taste of how she rolls, take a look at these:

(All I can say is that I am looking forward to dancing in some blue suede-like mens’ shoes.) More to come, stay tuned.

8. Home

In Defense of Animals is taking on Zappos‘ hairy sales, exposing outdated primate nicotine experiments,planning for Fur Free Friday, and standing up to Puppy Mills. Check out their campaigns and get involved!

thimble, a monkey orphaned by Spindel's experiments

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9. Pick an Apple!

Get out of town before the season is over. If you haven’t been to the Hudson Valley in New York State for an autumn adventure, you don’t know what you’re missing! Click Here! or Here!

10. Party for the Pigs

Support Farm Sanctuary’s Party for the Pigs:
A benefit for the survivors of the Midwest flood disaster

In June of this year, Farm Sanctuary mobilized in Iowa to take part in one of the most ambitious farm animal rescues ever undertaken, after thousands of pigs were left to die in the Midwest flood disaster. During both land and water rescue operations, 69 pigs were rescued, including many pregnant sows who were once confined to gestation crates on factory farms. Now, these pigs, many of whom are still suffering from serious health problems, are at Farm Sanctuary receiving urgent care and undergoing rehabilitation.

On October 18, Farm Sanctuary will honor these survivors of the Midwest floods and raise critically needed funds for their care.

Please, help the pigs by attending the event or making a donation today!

PARTY FOR THE PIGS

Saturday, October 18, 6-9 p.m.
Equality Center
1640 Rhode Island Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C.

FEATURING

Hosts
Persia White and Nellie McKay

A special performance by
Singer/songwriter and Broadway actress Nellie McKay

And…
Vegan hors d’oeuvres, a wine and beer bar, and a silent auction

Cocktail attire requested

RSVP now or call 607-583-2225 ext 221 to reserve your space.
General admission tickets cost $50.