Vegan Talk

Vegan Cat Treats?

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:59:00 +0000

I feel like I've been hoping to come across vegan cat treats forever. Do they exist? Can anyone point me in the right direction? (I'm not looking to bake my own.)

Thanks!

New Organic Restaurant in Arlington, VA

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:27:00 +0000

While in the Washington, DC area, my best friend and I went to check out this new organic restaurant in Arlington, VA after seeing it listed on VegDC.

Toscana Grill is not all vegetarian but it is all organic. One entire section of the menu is vegan and other vegan items throughout the menu are clearly labeled.

My best friend and I both thought the food was amazing! I had the Vegan Veal Parmigiana and a Mocha Frappe (complete with vegan whipped cream). My best friend had the Vegan Chicken Marsala. I will definitely be returning when I'm in DC next. The restaurant, along with my walk through the neighborhood, made me miss Arlington.

Toscana Grill's entire dessert menu is vegan and consists of slices of cakes from Vegan Treats. They also serve brunch on the weekend.

I spoke with the manager/owner and commended him on having numerous vegan options. He gave me some background on the restaurant: The restaurant used to be a normal Italian restaurant. Business wasn't great so they closed shop and reopened with a new angle: being eco-friendly. They have been open for three months and business has increased dramatically (over 30 percent). I was told they will be expanding their vegan selection as the demand grows.

Pros: Many vegan options, frappes, close to Metro, nice atmosphere, fair price

Cons: Not all vegan (or vegetarian), website is in flash and not mobile-friendly

If you're in the DC area, I highly recommend Toscana Grill.

Some Boycotts Are Just Stupid

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:27:00 +0000

Boycotting can be a great tactic and can help us, as activists, effectively achieve our goals. However, some boycotts can be misdirected, ineffective, and just waste time and resources.

I came across an article on Vegetarian Star the other day about Brigitte Bardot urging a boycot of Canadian maple syrup in order to protest Canada's seal hunt. In my opinion, this is just plain stupid.

This reminds me of another misdirected boycott a while back: boycotting Wegmans because of the fact that they do not sell cage-free eggs. What point were we trying to make with that boycott? To many consumers it sounded like the animal rights community was saying cage-free eggs were an acceptable solution. Also, as vegans, we should all know cage-free is a myth and a bullshit PR campaign.

Anyway, I live in Canada right now and I'll still be buying maple syrup. Why? Because I think boycotting Canadian maple syrup is going to have zero effect on the seal hunt.

Boycotting is part of veganism because we understand the abuse of animals is tied to supply and demand. However, let's make sure we stay focused.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Steps to Solving Climate Change

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:45:00 +0000

(Cross-posted at Billy Blogs: http://veganedge.com/2009/09/steps-to-solving-climate-change.html)

I'm sick and tired of government, politicians, and corporations dancing around the issue of climate change. We're sacrificing our planet for economic reasons. Don't you think that's crazy? We've also become accustomed to our way of life and are reluctant to change.

We've been destroying the earth for far too long and we need to take action now.

Here's what we need to do to fix climate change:

Adopt a vegan diet

Raising animals for food is an ecological disaster. Eating animal products is the single worst thing you can do for the environment. It takes far more resources to raise animals for food when we could be using less by eating lower on the food chain. If you really care about the planet and want to make a change please go vegan. Take action now: Read more about veganism and even get a free vegan starter kit at Vegan Outreach.

Farm organically only

Conventional farming methods are not sustainable and the pesticides, herbicides, and many chemicals are killing us and our planet. We need to stop subsidizing products that are killing us, ban chemicals, and farm organically only. Take action now: Support organic farmers by purchasing only organic produce in your grocery store. Better yet, visit your farmer market and find organic and local produce there. You can also purchase clothing made with organic cotton.

Green the grid

There's a disconnect between flipping on a light switch and understanding how the electricity got there. Most of the grid is powered by fossil fuels (coal). We need to switch to solar and wind power and stop using fossil fuels and nuclear power. If we invest in renewable technology we'll create a sustainable system and many jobs in the process. Take action now: Invest in solar and wind power or install the technology yourself.

Stop using oil

At the same time we're greening the grid we should invest heavily in designing and manufacturing electric cars. GM created an electric car with a decent range years ago but then pulled it before it went to market (watch the movie Who Killed the Electric Car? for more information). The technology is there. We just need to stop letting the oil companies control our policies and our planet. Those that are smart will switch to renewable energy, those that aren't will die out. This will also mean people will stop using oil to heat their homes. Instead, people in colder climates can use electricity from the green grid or something like a pellet stove. Take action now: Drive only when you need to and buy a fuel-efficient vehicle.

Ban incandescent bulbs

We can't just green the grid and still consume the same amount of power. We ultimately need to use less. Australia has banned incandescent light bulbs. Why can't we? It's such a simple change and uses only 1/4 of the electricity. Take action now: Switch out your light bulbs with CFLs.

Manufacture only products that meet Energy Star guidelines (where applicable)

For the same reasons as above, we need to produce the most energy-efficient appliances. Take action now: When you need a new appliance look for one that has the Energy Star certification.

Recycle everything

I can't believe some areas still don't have decent recycling programs. We need to be recycling everything we use. On the same note, we should be manufacturing products with post-consumer material to reuse and cut down on the resources we need. Take action now: Be diligent about making the most of your area's recycling program. Recycle everything you can.

Do you have ideas? Please add your comments.

Price Increasing for Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:03:00 +0000

I previously mentioned the fact that eCornell is offering a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate program. Well, I received an email from eCornell the other day informing me that the price for their Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate program will be increasing on October 3rd. The price will be increasing from $795 to $1,065. You have until October 2nd to enroll and pay $795.

This was a good motivator for me, as I called Nancy Barber at eCornell yesterday and prepaid for the certificate program. She was extremely helpful and explained how flexible the program is. I was asked to choose my tentative start dates for each of the three courses but she informed me that I am able to change the dates if I later find out they're not convenient for me (provided I do so with some notice).

Anyway, I'm prepaid and registered for the Plant-Based Nutrition program at eCornell! I decided to take the plunge and fork over the money, as nutrition has been a passion of mine for a while and this program will focus on vegan nutrition.

If you're interested in enrolling or have questions you can contact Nancy Barber at eCornell:

nbarber@ecornell.com

866-326-7635, option 2

For those of you who are also outside the US: 607-330-3205

Plant-Based Nutrition Online Courses Offered by Cornell

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:46:00 +0000

My wife just shared some great news with me: Cornell University is offering a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate, which you can obtain completely online.

The three-course series (with each course running two weeks) is led by T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study.

The program looks really interesting. The only downside? The price: $795.

Here's some information about the course that my wife received in an email from an Enrollment Counselor at Cornell:

Plant-based nutrition represents a forward-looking view of nutrition that Dr. Campbell developed during his more than 40 years experience in experimental research and 20 years in public policy. This course series presents a different paradigm, considering the topic of nutrition both as a science and as a component of the practice of medicine. It is an expansion of NS 200, a successful Cornell course approved by the Department of Nutritional Science and offered for 7 years. This new online series offers the best of his work as well as the latest information from leading experts in the field.

This certificate series is designed to introduce the ability of properly executed nutrition to maintain health and prevent disease. These courses would be of interest to healthcare professionals, corporate policymakers, individuals wishing to improve health, parents, teachers, and school administrators

Course topics include:

1) Nutrition Fundamentals
2) Diseases of Affluence
3) Principles in Practices

How the Course Works:

In our 2 week long courses you will learn through watching lectures, participating in discussion boards and taking evaluations. The coursework is available to be completed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on an asynchronous platform so you do not have to be online at the same time as the instructor or other students in order to complete the coursework.

Course Pricing:

Prepaid Certificate: $795
Individual Courses: $295

Next available enrollment dates: April 29th, May 13th, and June 10th

I'm strongly considering enrolling, even though I'm broke right now. I think this would be very useful information to have.

If you're interested you can get more information on the program at eCornell.

I Miss (Organic) Sweet Potatoes

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:43:00 +0000

Apparently it is impossible to buy organic sweet potatoes here on Prince Edward Island. Most farmers seem to grow everything but sweet potatoes and those who do grow sweet potatoes grow them conventionally (with pesticides). I buy only organic so I'm out of luck.

I never realized how much I liked sweet potatoes until I couldn't have them at all. And, yes, I realize this is a strange post.

Anyone want to mail me some? Will they make it across the border? :)

My New Vegan Tattoo

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:44:00 +0000

I'm back from my visit to the Washington, DC area. I love going back to see friends and family.

Anyway, I came back to PEI with a new tattoo! Here it is:

For those who don't know, it's a modified version of the DC flag. I replaced the three stars with XVX (for vegan straight edge). I am from DC and have a lot of ties to the area and being vegan straight edge really defines a big part of me.

I discovered something while doing my research on tattoos: tattoo ink can be vegan or non-vegan! I didn't know this when I got my first tattoo. I'd heard rumors since but had never done a lot of research on the topic. Well, I spent hours online and was able to dig up some information.

There really isn't a whole lot of information (at least not organized well) available on vegan tattoos. The amount of research I had to do has compelled me to write a blog post or dedicate a web site to the issue. This is forthcoming.

Anyway, I did find out the following three brands of ink are all vegan:

Classic

Eternal

Stable

The information really needs to be put out there for all of us interested in tattooing ourselves. I'm going to put something together and let you know when it's available. I think it'd also be helpful to compile a list of vegan tattoo artists. Given the choice, I'd much rather give my money to a fellow vegan.

I got tattooed at Tattoo Paradise, located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. The guy who did my tattoo, Shawn, was really nice and uses a mix of inks (some being the Eternal brand). He told me he follows a vegan diet as well. Anyway, I highly recommend them. The shop was clean and professional. The guy at the front desk also got me a soda when I almost passed out during my tattoo. (I hadn't eaten in a while and my blood sugar level was low, although I'm also a baby with sharp pain.)

I Have a New Vegan Cookbook

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Yet another vegan cookbook has been published. Hey, us vegans like to eat!

The book is Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine. It was written by Bryant Terry, who lives and works as a chef in Oakland, California.

I scored a free copy of the book from Lindsey Triebel, the Marketing Manager for Da Capo Lifelong Books. (Thanks Lindsey!) I guess this is a perk of being a vegan blogger. (I also recently scored a free copy of the VegOut app for the iPhone and iPod touch.)

Anyway, the cookbook looks really interesting. (My wife was excited when I told her I had a copy because Amazon had been recommending the book to her.)

You can read about Bryant Terry here.

I plan on reviewing the cookbook after I get back home and my wife and I make some of the meals.

Propagandhi Interview on Recent Vegan Freak Podcast

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:47:00 +0000

Before hitting the road this morning to start making my way south toward Washington, DC I opened iTunes to sync my new iPod touch and was happy to see it start downloading. I knew that meant there was a new Vegan Freak Podcast. I was extremely excited when I saw Propagandhi in the title of the podcast!

I've been obsessed with Propagandhi since I was 19 and I'm now on the road to see them for the first time when they play in Baltimore. Anyway, it was strange timing that this podcast was posted just before I left for my trip.

Chris Hannah, lead singer of Propagandhi, is on the show and talks about the band's new CD, Supporting Caste, veganism, and many other things. This was a really good podcast (and a few minutes over two hours). I just wanted to give you all a heads-up and recommend that you download the episode.

Oh, also, if you've never listened to Propagandhi I highly recommend doing so.

Vegan Tattoo Artist in Washington, DC?

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Does anyone out there know of a vegan tattoo artist in or near Washington, DC?

I'm considering getting inked again but would much prefer a fellow vegan to do it.

Thanks!

New Vegetarian Restaurant in Northern Virginia

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:15:00 +0000

I was perusing HappyCow in advance of my trip to the DC area next week when I came across something amazing: there's now an all vegetarian restaurant in Chantilly, Virginia! I could walk to the restaurant from the house I grew up in.

This is really a positive sign for me and signifies the fact that the animal rights movement really is continuing to grow. I would have never guessed that Chantilly, VA would be home to a veggie restaurant.

The restaurant is Lotus Vegetarian. Their menu looks pretty good and a lot appears to be vegan.

I told my best friend about it and he went out to try it the next day. He said it was pretty good but no match for Sunflower. But, what is?

I'll be sure to try it while I'm in DC and let you all know how it is.

(Image courtesy of Lotus Vegetarian.)

Review: VegOut Application for iPhone and iPod touch

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:07:00 +0000

As I mentioned previously, I was given a promo code to try out a brand new vegan app for the iPhone and iPod touch.

The name VegOut brings back fond memories for me. Veg Out was a great vegetarian restaurant in Brisbane, Australia. (I lived in Queensland, Australia for six months.) Anyway, it makes me think of their amazing sweet potato fries. They're no longer open, though.

Anyway, on to the review...

Starting up the VegOut app

When first loading the VegOut app, it attempts to use your current location. I received the following error message: Your location could not be determined. I was bummed but I don't blame the app, as other apps on my iPod touch (such as Google Maps) are unable to find my current location. I guess my iPod doesn't know where Stratford, Prince Edward Island is.

Because VegOut couldn't find my current location I was prompted to manually add my location in Settings. I clicked on Settings and input my address. It worked! The three (yes, only three) results in HappyCow in Charlottetown were displayed. The results were listed by proximity to me and were complete with ratings, a label of Vegan, Vegetarian, or Veg Friendly, and the distance to each.

I was impressed and decided to go back to the Settings menu to play around some more.

Settings for the VegOut app

Here are all the settings you can configure:

Location: You can choose to use your current location or manually specify a location.

Distance: You're able to adjust the range to search in from your location.

Sort by: You can sort by Distance, Rating (average user rating on HappyCow), or Alphabetical.

Filter by diet: You can filter by diet to display Vegan, Vegetarian, or Veg Friendly businesses (or any combination thereof).

Information displayed for a business

If you click on a business in your search results you are shown the following information:

Phone

Type of food

Address: Clicking on the address will display the business on a map. You can then easily get directions to the destination.

Website: Clicking on the URL will bring up the website for the business. The program keeps a small bar at the bottom to allow you to easily close the window and go back to where you were in the app.

Price

Details: Clicking here will take you to the entry on HappyCow's website, where you can view user reviews.

Problems encountered using the VegOut app

Current Location: As I mentioned above, the application did not find my current location. However, I think that's a bigger issue with the iPod touch. For some reason it doesn't find me here on Prince Edward Island. I'll be curious to see how well it works when I'm back in DC next month. I'm assuming it'll work much better.

Maps: When pulling a business up on a map, I wasn't entirely clear on how to get back to the app. The app didn't keep a bar present like it did when I clicked on Details to load a website. The only way I could figure out to get back to the app was to go to my home screen on the iPod and load the app again, which took me back to the app's main screen. Maybe I'm missing something. If not, I'd suggest adding this functionality in the next version.

Questions about the VegOut app

Does the app automatically pull new data from HappyCow if/when the HappyCow website is updated? For example, if a new vegan restaurant opens in Washington, DC and is added to HappyCow will that appear in the app right away?

In summary

I love the VegOut application. The only thing I could find that I didn't like was the fact that you can't easily get back to the app once you load a business on a Google Map. If you have an iPhone or an iPod touch I highly recommend downloading it. It's $4.99 and worth every penny. I keep thinking of how useful this app is going to be when I'm traveling.

For more information, you can visit the VegOut application's website or download the VegOut app from iTunes.

(Image courtesy of the VegOut application's website)

Vegan App for iPhone and iPod touch

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:41:00 +0000

First let me apologize for not blogging in quite a while. It's lame. I've been dealing with a lot in my life recently. Anyway, I want to get back to my blog. I really enjoy interacting with all of you.

My wife gave me a very early birthday present last night (she couldn't wait until June). I got an iPod touch! I've only had it for a day and I already love it. It was actually strange timing that right after I was given my new iPod touch I received an email from Champ Bennett regarding VegOut, a new application he wrote for the iPhone and iPod touch. Here is the press release from the email he sent me:

Brooklyn, NY - Feb 20, 2009 -- Brooklyn musician and freelance software developer, Champ Bennett, has partnered with HappyCow.net to bring the largest source of vegan/vegetarian restaurant listings to the iPhone. The idea came to him after having the hardest time finding a good place to eat while touring in Europe in mid-2008. Upon returning back to the States, he promptly got in touch with HappyCow to see if they would be interested in a partnership. HappyCow agreed and development started.

Upon completion of the app, Bennett wrote to Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple, Inc. and well-known vegan) to inform him of the application. "I couldn't think of a better candidate to beta test the app", Bennett said. "I wrote to him, and days later he actually wrote back asking when he could try it out! I responded asking for his UUID so I could build him a beta application that he could run on his iPhone. The next day he announced his hiatus from Apple and I never heard back again. Oh, well."

As of today, version 1.1 of the app is on Apple's AppStore. The functionality is simple: it finds vegetarian restaurants near your location or a custom location; however, there are plans in the future to extend the functionality to include vegetarian and vegan recipes (Bennett's wife is a graduate of the Chef's Training program at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts and works at the popular Manhattan raw-food restaurant, Pure Food and Wine).

Champ even provided me with a promo code to download the app for free. I've successfully downloaded the app and transferred it to my iPod touch. I'm going to play around with it.

Stay tuned because an evaluation of VegOut is forthcoming.

New TV Series: Whale Wars

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:12:00 +0000

I was very excited to see a preview for an upcoming new series on Animal Planet. The show is called Whale Wars and centers around the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

I fully support Sea Shepherd and their courageous efforts to stop whalers in their tracks. They utilize direct action tactics to combat whaling. You can read more about Sea Shepherd here.

Here's a preview clip for the show:

Whale Wars premieres this Friday, November 7 on Animal Planet at 9PM EST/PST.

Tag: What's in Your (Vegan) Freezer?

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:19:00 +0000

I'm initiating a new game of tag for vegan bloggers: what's in your (vegan) freezer?

Here's how it works:

Take a picture of the items in your freezer

Post the picture to your blog and give a summary of the items

Tag 5 vegan bloggers

Here's a look into my freezer:

As you can see, I have the essentials:

Frozen organic fruit (strawberries, blueberries)

Frozen organic vegetables (peas, corn, asparagus)

Amy's No Cheese pizzas

Amy's burritos

So Delicious soy ice cream (Peanut Butter Zig Zag & Praline Pecan)

Tofu (freezing and thawing produces a nice texture)

Waffles

Ezekiel bread, english muffins, and (veggie) burger buns (I love Ezekiel)

I obviously have fewer options than I did in Seattle but I can't complain about the vegan options here on Prince Edward Island. The reason for the frozen vegetables is that it's hard to find everything I need (organic, anyway).

I'm tagging:

VeganCowGirl

VeggieGirl

Chocolate Covered Vegan

Lindsay I-F

Rural Vegan

I Can Find Tempeh Burgers but Not Tempeh

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:52:00 +0000

Before moving to Prince Edward Island (PEI) I was prepared to go without tempeh. I heard it was nowhere to be found on the island.

I haven't found tempeh but I have found tempeh burgers. Atlantic Superstore in Charlottetown sells them. They're made by Green Cuisine and are available at the store near me in Original and Barbecue flavors.

Apparently Green Cuisine is a vegan restaurant in Victoria, BC. They also happen to sell some of their products.

The tempeh tastes like Australian tempeh. (I lived in Australia for six months.) It's softer and more moist. I like Canadian/Australian tempeh and tempeh I previously bought in the U.S. the same I believe. They're just different.

I make due with what I have here on PEI. It's understand that my options are limited because I am in the middle of nowhere. I just open the package of burgers and slice them into small pieces and use them as I would from a normal package of tempeh. My wife made an amazing stir-fry with tempeh, kale, red potatoes, and great spices tonight. (I love kale).

For those of you not in Canada: sorry, Green Cuisine's products are available only here.

Has anyone been to the restaurant in Victoria? I never made it up to Victoria when I was living in Seattle.

My Male Cat is No Longer Vegan

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:06:00 +0000

This is an extremely difficult post to write but I believe in transparency in the animal rights movement.

Owen, pictured above attempting to cook himself, is no longer vegan. This deeply saddens me because it forces me to buy animal products but I am acting in his best interest as his guardian.

First, here are some facts about urinary tract infections (UTI) you may or may not know:

It is much more common for males to become blocked

A veterinarian at the clinic my wife previously worked in claimed to have seen a female cat blocked just once.

Tabby cats, especially orange tabbies, are more prone to getting blocked and developing UTIs.

Owen, being an almost six-year-old male orange tabby cat, is extremely prone to UTIs, getting blocked, and developing crystals in his urine. He had problems urinating even before he was on a vegan diet. However, it seems to have worsened in recent months.

My wife and I tried everything. A product I've highly recommended, Enzymes pH, just wasn't cutting it. We made sure he had clean water in his water fountain, which is supposed to help to prevent blockages.

When he did become blocked we used homeopathic medicine to relieve the blockage with success. (I'll have to blog about the stuff my wife uses to relieve blockages in a future post.)

On top of his urinary problems we found some sores on Owen over the summer and took him to the vet. We discovered he has an autoimmune disease. He also had eight teeth pulled while we were living in Seattle. Oh, and he has a significant heart murmur due to the fact that his aorta doesn't line up properly. (We had to take him a veterinary cardiologist to have special tests performed.) The cardiologist said this conditions is extremely rare and was the first case he'd ever seen.

So, as you can see, Owen is no normal cat. He has horrible genes. Natural selection would have killed this cat off long ago.

Here's a lit of Owen's health conditions:

Asthma - this is due to his moronic first guardian who smoked inside and gave him asthma and wheezing. His wheezing has improved considerably over the years. (We are both completely drug-free.)

Heart murmur - this is due to the fact that his aorta doesn't line up properly

Autoimmune disease - he develops sores on his body

High propensity for UTIs

He's our cat and we love him all the same. I love Owen just the way he is.

Anyway, it became clear to us that we were going to have to change his diet. We experimented with feeding him a mixture of eggs and his current food. (This was a sample meal suggested by a holistic veterinarian in a natural healing for pets book.) It didn't cut it.

After searching for hours online I came across a brand called Organix, made by Castor and Pollux. It appears to be the only organic cat food product on the market.

Too bad I can't buy Organix in any store here on Prince Edward Island. I asked about special ordering it with no success. So, I brought two cases of the stuff back with me when returning from Washington, DC. (I recently flew back to the U.S. for several days to attend my best friend's dad's funeral.)

The next best thing I've found is a product called Innova, made by Natura. I can buy this at the farm store near my house.

Note that both products are moist food. You should never feed your cats dry food. I have had numerous veterinarians tell me this.

We're currently feeding Owen a combination of the two. I figure some organic food is better than none. I'm still mixing Enzymes pH into his food as well.

So far he seems to be doing a little better. It's hard to tell sometimes if he's uncomfortable due to his autoimmune disease or a blockage. We've been monitoring him and he is urinating.

We were instructed by the veterinarian who diagnosed Owen with an autoimmune disease to try the following things in order:

Change his environment. Apparently a lot of dogs and cats develop allergies when living in damp climates (mold and mildew).

Change his diet. We're currently on this step right now. I hope this will do the trick because the next solution isn't ideal at all.

Put him on steroids. Steroids could help clear up the effects of the autoimmune disease but would destroy his immune system. This would not be a good thing for a cat who's a genetic dud (no offense Owen).

Just because Owen can't thrive on a vegan diet does not mean your cat cannot.

Female cats are easy. If you have a female cat you can easily feed them a vegan diet with next to no concern with them getting blocked. I highly recommend Evolution. It comes in kibble and you'll need to mix it with water and allow it to soak in the fridge. You can follow my instructions on veganizing your pets here.

Male cats are more challenging. If you have a tabby he will have a higher propensity to becoming blocked but you may still be able to feed him a vegan diet. It's worth investigating. If he has problems switch him back to a non-vegan diet.

Anyway, I wanted to share this latest development in my life with the animal rights community. It feels odd to walk into the store and purchase animal products. I have a responsibility to Owen, though, and I'll always act in his best interest.

For the animals,
Billy

Why I Am Vegan

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:18:00 +0000

I wrote an essay back in college on veganism. I know it was very helpful for many people. In fact, I even received a few emails from people letting me know the essay had convinced them go vegan. I'm posting it here in hopes that others will find it useful. Feel free to pass it around.

Why I Am Vegan

Exposing the moral, health, and environmental consequences of consuming animals

Introduction

We are destroying the environment, our health, and our humanity, not to mention the billions of innocent lives taken by our own hands. The majority of human beings do not make a connection between buying meat or dairy and killing animals. Even if a connection is made between the two and a person fully understands that s/he is directly supporting the slaughtering of animals, s/he feels that eating flesh or consuming dairy is essential to maintaining good health. Consuming animals is embedded in our culture. It is institutionalized murder. Throughout this essay, I will present you with true facts and information necessary to possess in order to make a compassionate decision when choosing what to eat.

First, I will give a little historical information about raising animals for food and will contrast that with how animals are raised today. Before the Industrial Revolution and World War II, the images many Americans have of cows grazing in fields, pigs rolling in dirt and mud outside farmhouses, and chickens strolling along freely were correct; however, this is not the case today. Today, most all of the animals we raise for food live in factory farms. The transformation to factory farming occurred as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the huge demand for food at a cheap cost to consumers. In factory farming, animals are treated like machines; they are treated as mere commodities whose purpose is only to serve us and please our taste buds.

The Moral Aspect of Veganism

Chickens are known to be highly social animals. They develop a “pecking order,” in which each knows who is above himself and to yield to him. They can even maintain this “pecking order” in flocks of up to 90 birds. In the factory farms, however, they are denied their extremely important need to socialize. Average flock sizes in egg factories well exceed the 90-bird limit. Most warehouses enslave hundreds of thousands of birds, some reaching a staggering 800,000. The conditions these birds are kept in are inhumane. First and foremost, the egg factories have no use for male chicks, so they are all thrown into plastic bags or dumpsters and left to suffocate to death. An average of six egg-laying hens are kept in battery cages so small that they peck at each other. In order to deal with this pecking problem, workers cut off up to two-thirds of each bird’s beak. This causes severe pain because there are a lot of nerves located in the beak. The floor of a battery cage is made of wire and provides a total living space of only 1.7 square feet per cage. Living like this leads to bone brittleness, osteoporosis, and muscle weakness. Layers of battery cages are stacked on top of one another, which provides an easy way to deal with manure; it simply falls down between the wiring and into the cages below, until it reaches the ground. To add to all this misery and suffering, egg-laying hens are put through a process termed “forced-molting,” in which food and water are removed for several days at a time. This is done because it shocks their bodies into another laying cycle.

Pigs are highly intelligent and friendly animals. The pig has one of the highest measured I.Q.’s of all animals, even greater than that of a dog. They even have the ability to remember and recognize people they have previously been acquainted with. Despite all of this, they are very mistreated in our factory farms. The stench present in pig factories is unbearable. Pigs have a very good sense of smell, enabling them to find roots that have not even surfaced yet. Therefore, it is not hard to understand that they suffer immensely from the awful smells present in their “home.” The ammonia in the air eats up their lungs and causes them to lose interest in eating, leading to a loss of weight and the development of respiratory problems like pneumonia. The level of ammonia in the air is so great that workers in the pig factories complain that they can feel it affecting their lungs. Pigs used to be kept in pigpens, but today most are enslaved in extremely narrow steel stalls. These stalls force the pig to constantly face one direction, because he does not have enough room to even simply turn around. The average room he has in his stall is 6 to 8 square feet. He lies on top of a metal grate or concrete, which takes its toll on his feet by tearing them up and giving them lesions. The metal grate is used because it is the most efficient way to dispose of waste products; it simply lets them fall through to the ground. Hormones are given to him to make him larger, because more weight means more meat. His skeleton becomes deformed and his legs begin to buckle because they cannot support his unnatural weight. If the pig is a sow (female), she is forced to produce many more piglets than she naturally would. For example, in a natural barnyard setting, a sow will have about six babies per year, but in the modern pig factories she can produce up to 20-45. Workers allow her piglets to suckle on her breasts for a couple of weeks, because without doing so they would die. When workers are sure the piglets will not die, not because they care but because of a potential loss of profit, they remove them all from their mother. This causes the sow to stop lactating, which in conjunction with many hormone injections enables her to become fertile again sooner, and this means more piglets and more money. The mother does what any human mother would do if her babies were taken away: she cries out for them, but it is utterly hopeless because she will never see her offspring again. Living in these conditions drives pigs to insanity. “Tail-biting” is the industry term used to describe pigs driven so insane that they bite the tails off of other pigs, and sometimes continue to eat into the back, causing death. The attacker then eats the dead pig if the situation goes unnoticed. How do workers attempt to prevent “tail-biting?” Well, there would be no tail to bite if the pigs did not have tails. That’s right, they cut them off. This is termed “tail-docking” and is standard procedure in United States pig factories. This, as you can probably imagine, causes tremendous pain and suffering for the pigs.

What about cows? Well, if the cow is male, he is either sent to be made into veal or to a feedlot to fatten up. The baby males that are raised for veal, termed “veal calves,” live horrible lives. Veal is a considered a “delicacy” because of its tenderness and whitish-pink color. Consuming anything other than their mother’s milk and exercising gives their flesh color. Years ago, in order to have their flesh remain white, veal calves had to be slaughtered only a few days after being born. Doing so required killing them when they weighed about 150 pounds. Producers considered this a waste and worked at developing methods to fatten the calves before slaughtering them. Today, “experts” have come up with a way to keep their flesh white and tender up to a weight of 350 pounds. Immediately after being born, the veal calf is taken away from his mother and put into a stall in a veal shed. This is done to prevent a bond from forming between his mother and himself. If the bond was formed and then he was taken away, his mother would do anything, sometimes even breaking down fences, to get him back. He will remain in this stall until he is four months old, at which time he is slaughtered. Since exercising leads to the development of muscles, which will give his flesh color, he is not allowed to do so. He is not even permitted to walk, because he is shut so tightly in his stall that he can hardly move at all. His stall is a mere 22 inches wide and 54 inches long. The stall is so tiny that he is not even able to comfortably lie down; he must assume an unnatural hunching position to do so. Obviously he cannot turn around. He cannot even twist his head because he is chained by his neck. The only movement he is at all capable of is that of a few inches back and forth or side to side. And what is he fed to keep his flesh the desired whitish shade? “Experts” have found that if he has anemia his flesh will retain its whitish color, so he is purposefully fed only food and even drinking water that contains no iron. He becomes so iron-deficient that he attempts to lick the steel walls that surround him. “Experts” in the veal industry have come up with a fix for this: they now use hardwood stalls instead of steel. Other male cows are sent to disgusting places called “feedlots.” When bulls come to the feedlots they are castrated. Why? This is done in order to turn them into steers, simply bulls with their testicles removed. And why would the industry want steers instead of bulls? Simple: steers have a higher percentage of body fat than bulls, and more body fat means more meat that can be sold. The manner in which the bull is castrated is atrocious. A ring is put around the bull’s scrotum. He will kick and swing his tail furiously for at least half an hour, until his scrotum finally goes numb. About a month later, his testicles fall off. Another method of castration is using pliers to simply cut and remove the testicles.

Each unit in a feedlot is on average 12 feet by 15 feet, and in each one of these rooms 13 steers are crammed in. Their diet, which serves to make them as fat as possible, consists of sawdust, shredded newspaper, processed sewage, body parts of cattle, sheep, and horses, grease, cement dust, and pieces of cardboard. They are also given many antibiotics because their immune systems are very vulnerable from living in these conditions. Hormones are given to them as well, to make them grow fatter faster.

What about female cows? They become dairy cows: those cows we enslave and abuse in order to provide us with the milk we so arrogantly and ignorantly drink. In a natural environment, a dairy cow would live between 20 and 25 years. In the dairy factories of today however, she is lucky to live five. Dairy cows are pumped full of antibiotics to fight off disease and hormones to promote milk production. Traces of both are found in the milk you drink. The most common hormone given to the cows is the Bovine Growth Hormone. This hormone drastically and unnaturally increases the amount of milk a cow produces per year. For example, in 1940 dairy cows produced an average of 2.3 tons of milk per year each. Bovine Growth Hormone was approved for use in 1993. In 1997, the average amount of milk produced per cow each year was 8.4 tons. Some cows have even produced more than 30 tons of milk each year. This exploitation causes udder damage and mastitis, inflammation of the udder. Dairy factories commonly use one of two techniques for milking the cows. The first one involves a milking machine being brought to the cows, who are crammed into narrow stalls and chained by the neck. The second treats the cows like machines even more than the first. Each cow is placed in something called a “Unicar,” which is a cage on wheels, and moves along a railway line. The contraption operates on the push of a single button. The farmer presses this button a couple times a day, upon which the cows in cages automatically move along the assembly line and are fed, watered, and milked. The cows then return to the storage barn, still in their cages, where they remain until the button is pressed again. Dairy cows live in these cages for an average of ten months per year. There is no room to walk or turn around, let alone hardly move. When a dairy cow’s milk production drops, she is sent to the slaughterhouse to become a hamburger.

What about fish? Most people, for some odd reason, tend to try to distinguish between fish and other animals. Fish have complicated nervous systems and are capable of learning complicated tasks. Can fish feel pain? I think the Textbook of Medical Physiology, written by Guyton & Hall, said it best: “The lower regions of the brain [which all vertebrates have] appear to be important in the appreciation of the suffering types of pain because animals with their brains sectioned above the mesencephalon to block any pain signals reaching the cerebrum still evince undeniable evidence of suffering when any part of the body is traumatized.” Also, industrial fishing is very harmful. It damages ocean ecosystems by seriously depleting food webs. Dolphins and other marine animals are caught in the netting, most of which die. Many factory fisheries are being developed right now, breeding and raising fish in cages too small for them to enjoy their lives.

How are the animals we raise for food transported? They are shoved into cages and put on trucks to be shipped around. Animals are so packed in that they often end up walking, urinating, and excreting on top of one another. Many of them do not survive the journey. Those injured so severely that they cannot walk off of the trucks on their own are dragged out by chains, still very alive and still very conscious. Is it lawful to treat animals like this? It sure is. Under the federal Animal Welfare Act, which provides legislation for the “humane” treatment of animals, animals we raise for food are specially excluded. This means workers can do whatever they want, whenever they want to do it, and as often as they wish without ever having to fear punishment by the law. It pains me to see the society you and I live in treating animals as machines, when in fact they are sentient beings and cherish their lives as much as we do.

The Consumption of Animal Products and Your Health

Did you know that eating animal products is bad for your health? It’s true. First, forget everything you have ever heard regarding animal products as being essential to maintaining good health. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The exact opposite is actually true. The meat and dairy industries have been lying to you all along. Why on earth would they want to do that? It’s very simple: money. Did you know that one in two Americans die of heart disease in the United States? It’s true. Industry propaganda has many people believing that your genetics determine your risk of having a heart attack. This is true, but not in the light they like to portray it in. Only about five percent of patients who develop heart disease have a hereditary form of it, which means the other 95 percent of people in this world determine their own fate by the foods they choose to eat. Diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol run high risks for heart attacks. So the less saturated fat and cholesterol you take in, the better off you will be. Considering cholesterol is only found in animal-products, the cholesterol a vegan takes in is zero. Let’s look at some statistics on cholesterol levels of Americans. First, the average cholesterol level in the United States is 210. This number means nothing unless you compare it to that of vegetarians (those who abstain from meat only) and vegans living in the United States. The average cholesterol level of a vegetarian in the U.S. is 161. The average for a vegan is 133. Considering the fact that you are virtually assured you will never suffer a heart attack in your entire life if you keep your cholesterol level under 150, one can see why many people choose to adopt a vegan diet for health reasons. Also, in regions of the world in which meat is scarce, heart disease is unheard of. Eating meat also contributes to the number one reason in the United States that people go to the doctor: high blood pressure. The ideal blood pressure to have is 110/70 or less. The average blood pressure of vegetarians in the U.S. is 112/69, while the average for non-vegetarians is 121/77. More than 50 percent of senior citizens in the U.S. have incidents of high blood pressure, while it is virtually zero for senior citizens in countries with people eating low-fat vegan diets.

The American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund published Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective in 1997. In this publication, researchers report that 60 to 70 percent of all cancers can be prevented by staying active, not smoking, and by adopting a vegan diet. Researchers have found a link between eating animal products and cancer and state that adopting a vegan diet lowers your chances of getting cancer by 60 percent. Here are just some of the statistics that undeniably link the consumption of animal products with cancer. American men who consume large amounts of dairy products have a 70 percent increase for their risk of developing prostate cancer. American women who eat red meat daily have a 250 percent greater risk of getting colon cancer than women who eat red meat less than once a month. The death rate from breast cancer is 22.4 per 100,000 in the U.S., while it is only 6.3 in Japan and 4.6 in China. Why is this? People in Japan and China consume less animal products, eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise more, and weigh less than Americans. “The beef industry has contributed to more deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined” (Neal Barnard, President of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine).

Did you know that the antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides given to cows shows up in the milk you drink? Antibiotics traces show up in one-third of milk products. 80 antibiotics are actually allowed to be found in cow’s milk in the U.S. A staggering 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics are given to livestock in the U.S. each year, and for reasons other than treating disease. This is astonishing when compared with the fact that only 3 million pounds of antibiotics are given to people in the U.S. each year to treat disease. Hormones found in U.S. beef have been linked with cancer, especially the hormones 17 beta-oestradiol and the Bovine Growth Hormone that I mentioned earlier. Milk has been shown to cause osteoporosis, rather than prevent it. Remember all those “got milk” advertisements? The dairy industry was using false advertising. They are not allowed to say milk prevents osteoporosis anymore. Scientific data has also shown that vegans have lower rates of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, gallstones, kidney disease, obesity, and colon disease. Vegans and vegetarians live an average of six to ten years longer than non-vegetarians.

Environmental Consequences of Raising Animals For Food

There are also environmental impacts involved with eating animal products. Do you care about our environment, but consume animal products? If so, you might like to be informed of the following information. 87% of all the agricultural land in the U.S, or 45% of the total land mass in the U.S., is used to raise animals for food. More than 80% of the corn we grow and 95% of the oats are fed to animals. This leads to the fact that the meat industry is responsible for 85% of all the soil erosion in the U.S. 5,200 gallons of water are required to produce one pound of beef. This is easily seen as inefficient when compared to the fact that one pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons of water. More than half of all the water used in the U.S. goes into raising animals for food. The average meat-eater’s diet uses more than 4,200 gallons of water each day, while the average vegan’s uses only 300. It would be much easier and so much better for the environment to consume the plants and grains we grow directly, rather than wasting resources on raising animals as a source of food.

Conclusion: It’s Up to You to Make the Change

After presenting you with all of this information, I hope you will be able to make a healthy, environmentally-friendly, ethically-sound decision about your diet. The next time you sit down to eat please remember this: eating animal products not only contributes to the amount of unnecessary suffering in the world, but also has drastic impacts on your health and the environment you live in. Please choose meals based on compassion for all living creatures.

Bibliography

1. Robbins, John. Diet for a new America. Stillpoint Publishing, Walpole, NH: 1987.
2. Robbins, John. The Food Revolution. Conari Press, Berkeley, California: 2001.
3. Vegan Outreach. 3 May 2002 .
4. PETA: Factsheets. 3 May 2002 .
5. GoVeg.com: Lifestyle: The Environment. 3 May 2002

Any Other Vegans on Prince Edward Island?

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:48:00 +0000

Wow, I haven't updated in a month. Sorry about that. I've been extremely busy, what with moving across the continent, having my car break down, and dealing with all of the things that come with purchasing a new house.

Anyway, I've just moved to Prince Edward Island. Are there any other vegans on this island? If you know anyone, have them contact me. :)

I have a feeling my wife and I may hold the prize for being the only two on the island.

Stuck in Small Town America as a Vegan

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:24:00 +0000

For those of you who know me you probably know I try to eat as healthy as possible. I'm a stickler to organic produce and whole grains. I avoid trans-fat, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and all of that junk.

I'm in the process of moving to Canada. Well, I ended up not eating as healthy during my trip from Seattle to Pennsylvania.

My wife and I broke down on the Indiana toll road. The car randomly overheated so we pulled over. It was probably in the high 80s or 90 and really humid. We had our dog and two cats in the back seat. It was very scary because they started overheating. Luckily, the tow truck arrived not too much later.

We were towed to Michigan City, Indiana on Sunday, where we stayed until Thursday waiting for the car to be fixed. It took so long because we drive a Volkswagen diesel and had to have parts shipped in.

Anyway, if you've never been there, I highly recommend never going to Michigan City. It's very vegan-unfriendly. It mostly consists of a huge highway and big box stores. When walking to get food I had to walk on the shoulder and sometimes on the highway.

Nonetheless, we made it as vegans. My goal is for vegans in similar situations to use this a guide to surviving in vegan-unfriendly America.

Papa John's

A Papa John's pizza, without cheese of course, is vegan! Check out the Papa John's FAQ to see for yourself. Also, Papa John's now offers whole wheat pizza. No, it wasn't the best pizza ever but my wife and I were excited to have someone deliver something vegan to us the first night we were in Michigan City.

Note: avoid the dipping sauces. One isn't vegan and one has hydrogenated oil.

Subway

Subway's Italian bread is vegan. The wheat bread contains honey, which is extremely lame. Check out the Subway FAQ.

I'm well aware none of the vegetables were organic, but at least that was another easy vegan meal when stranded in the middle of nowhere.

So, in a pinch, a Subway veggie sub on Italian (hold the cheese) is vegan.

Meijer

I'd never heard of Meijer before walking by one in Michigan City. Meijer is a huge everything store. Think Wal-Mart, but less evil.

Anyway, Meijer had a huge produce department and, surprisingly, a decent selection of organic fruit and veggies. My wife and I bought a bunch of organic veggies and had a huge, healthy salad one night. We were craving real food.

In summary

In summary, those three places are your friends if you're ever stuck in Michigan City, Indiana. Learn to appreciate them for the time being because those are really your only options.

We're excited to finally be in Pennsylvania. I'm relaxing in the mountains as I write this post.

I'm glad to be back on the East Coast!

Seattle Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant Guide

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:28:00 +0000

There's a wonderful Seattle vegetarian and vegan restaurant guide that's handed out at several of the veggie restaurants here in the city. I've been meaning to upload or link to the guide for a while now. As I'm leaving Seattle and probably won't be blogging much about the city anymore, I want to provide you all with a great resource for your future trips to the area.

The guide is put out by Action for Animals. You can download it in pdf format below.

Seattle Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant Guide

57 Health Benefits of Going Vegan

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:16:00 +0000

Fiona at NursingDegree.net pointed me to an article posted on the site entitled 57 Health Benefits of Going Vegan.

Vegans are frequently misunderstood as fringe eaters with an unnatural passion for animal rights. While many vegans do feel passionately about animals, its time for others to see that a vegan diet and lifestyle go way beyond animal rights. Following a healthy, balanced vegan diet ensures a host of health benefits as well as prevention of some of the major diseases striking people in North America. Find out from the list below how eating vegan can help you in your search for better health.

Some of the topics discussed are nutrition, disease prevention, physical benefits, and the American diet.

I'm very excited to see veganism being discussed on nursing website. I don't meet very many vegetarian or vegan nurses, although one of my good friends is a vegan nurse. It would be wonderful to have more nurses understand the benefits of a vegan diet. Their direct relationships with patients gives them the opportunity to really make a difference and turn more people onto veganism.

I highly suggest you read the article on Nursing Degree.

Goodbye Seattle: an East Coaster's Reflection on the Emerald City

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:18:00 +0000

As you have probably guessed from the title, I'm leaving Seattle. I'm moving to Prince Edward Island - remote Canada. I've been here two years now and, while I've enjoyed most of my time here, I'm really ready to move.

If you a native Seattleite about their city they'll tell you that Seattle is the best city in the world. It really seems that Seattleites are unable to say anything bad about their city. Well, Seattle isn't a perfect city and it's definitely not suited for everyone.

As I'm leaving in two weeks, I thought I'd write what I hope will be a helpful guide to Seattle (and the Pacific Northwest in general). I aim to provide you with pros and cons about living in the Seattle area. My main goal is to present an accurate and fair guide to the Emerald City.

I'm originally from the Washington, DC area. I've discovered I'm still an East Coaster at heart.

Please remember that this is my opinion and is based on my personal experiences. This is in no way intended to insult Seattle or the people who live here. It's just not for me.

Alright, on with the pros and cons.

Pros

Extremely vegan-friendly

I consider Seattle to be the most vegan-friendly city in the world. People in Portland, OR will fight to the death over this. It gets annoying. They're both very vegan-friendly.

Extremely liberal/leftist

It's nice to be surrounded by people who all understand and agree our President is a moron. Seattle has the be the most liberal city in the United States.

Great coffee

I wasn't much of a coffee drinker until I moved here, but Seattle really does have the best coffee. I recommend Caffe Ladro and Wayward Coffeehouse. You'll be amazed at how many places serve organic, fair trade coffee.

Free wifi everywhere

As an Internet junkie, I really appreciate the fact that each and every cafe in Seattle has free wifi (except for Starbucks...but why the hell would you go there anyway?). If you happen to find the one cafe that doesn't have free wifi, leave and walk to the next cafe...probably only one block away in Seattle.

Natural beauty

The area surrounding Seattle is extremely beautiful...when it's not overcast and misty/rainy. You can see snow-covered mountains in every direction. The city is very hilly and the downtown skyline is beautiful.

The people

You'll notice a change in Seattle if you're used to the East Coast. People are much nicer and actually want to talk to you. However, they aren't perfect. See below.

Outdoor sports

Great hiking, cycling, skiing, etc. However, like many other Seattleites I hibernate during the crappy weather. Grey skies and rain does not make me want to get on my bike.

Job market

Seattle's job market is great. You won't have a problem finding a job here if you decide to move here. However, because the job market is so good the housing is extremely overpriced. See below.

Cons

The weather

Seattle may be the most vegan-friendly but it's the worst place to live in regards to weather. Nine months of the year you don't see much of the sun at all. It's overcast and rainy. I can't stand the weather here. I never realized how much my mood is tied to the weather, but I need to see the sun. I can't stress how awful the weather is here. If you're someone who needs sunny days throughout the whole year and not just summer don't move to Seattle.

The drivers

Don't get me wrong, the drivers here are courteous and cautious. However, they take it to the extreme. Many people drive extremely slowly here. It's not uncommon for me to be behind someone going 20 mph on the street I live in (the speed limit is 30 mph). Trust me, you'll want to take the bus. It's so much less stressful.

The people

While the people here are nice, they also prefer an indirect method of communication. I'm used to direct communication. In my experience, people in the Washington, DC area are direct and rude and people in the Pacific Northwest are indirect but nice. That indirectness sometimes turns into passive aggressiveness. Also, Seattleites are extremely flaky. If someone makes plans with you don't assume they're set in stone.

Cost of living

This city is outrageously overpriced and continues to rise. I have no desire to continue to pay far too much to live in a city where the sun don't shine. I pay over $1,000 for a studio apartment.

Conclusion

For me, Seattle is a great place to visit but not somewhere I want to live. I've enjoyed my time here and have met some great people, but I'm ready to move on. I need to live somewhere with better weather (I can't think of anywhere with worse weather) and that's less expensive.

I'm also ready to live in a more rural area for a while. I'm finding cities to be a little much right now. I need some space and some peace and quiet.

Let me know if you'll be out on or near Prince Edward Island, Canada. I'll probably be making trips to Halifax, NS once in a while, as it's the closest city.

My Trip to San Francisco

billy.amon@gmail.com (Billy) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:03:00 +0000

I just got back from my trip to San Francisco yesterday. It was amazing, as always. I really love that city.

I went to San Francisco to attend the VegNews Music Issue Launch Party for the VegBloggy award I won. The party was at the Electric Works Gallery and it was packed:

I met and spoke with Elizabeth Castoria. She's the Senior Editor at VegNews and is extremely nice. I saw Joseph Connelly, Publisher of VegNews, running about but didn't get a chance to say hi to him.

I also met two other fellow vegan bloggers: Lauren (VeganYumYum) and Amanda (Walking the Vegan Line). Lauren brought her husband Stewart and Amanda brought her husband as well.

Lauren and Amanda were both super nice. It was nice meeting both of you! If I'm ever in Boston or Houston I'll let you know.

Below is a picture of Stewart, Lauren, and my friend Amy.

I flew into San Francisco Wednesday night but didn't end up getting into the city until almost 11pm, as my flight was delayed almost two hours. All flights in and out of SFO were delayed due to the fires in Northern California. The smoke from all of the fires was so bad that it was pretty smokey in San Francisco. Below are some pictures I took from Telegraph Hill. You can really see the smoke in them. I was looking for the wild parrots but didn't find any. For those of you who don't know, I'm obsessed with birds. I love them.

Telegraph Hill is probably my favorite part of San Francisco. Here's another picture of Telegraph Hill:

I started Thursday morning with brunch at Herbivore - the location on Divisadero. I really love Herbivore. I've stopped in every time I've been to San Francisco. Their brunch is really good. I had fruit pancakes.

I also went to Amoeba Music, which I consider the very best music store in the country. I bought the self-titled Sublime CD to replace the one I lost, the complete season of Extras for my wife, and a Nine Inch Nails CD for my best friend. If you've never been to Amoeba you should definitely check it out the next time you're in San Francisco. It's in the extremely popular and touristy Haight Ashbury neighborhood.

Of course no trip to San Francisco would be complete without stopping at Maggie Mudd. For those few vegans who haven't heard of Maggie Mudd it's an ice cream shop in the Bernal Heights neighborhood that can make most everything vegan. It's amazing! I usually get the Waffle Bowl Banana Split but this time I got the Messy Marci (a brownie topped with three scoops of ice cream, bananas, whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and more). Here's a picture of what my friend Amy and I got (mine is on the left):

And here's me about to enjoy my treat:

As always, I was sad to leave San Francisco. I caught a very early (6am) flight back to Seattle because I had a meeting for work.

I'm looking forward to reading blog posts from Lauren and Amanda.