My New Zazzy Banner Followup

Obviously the new banner is much more popular (% of clicks per 100 views) than the old one. It gets in people's faces a lot more, and really makes them think what is wrong with a meat-eating diet.

My New Zazzy Banner

Here's my new banner:



Isnt is sweet? The quality of the jpg isnt as great as it was in the editor (the red was much more bright and the text clearer), but it still looks awesome (especially if you havent seen the high-res version).

Feel free to use it and link it back to this site, the image is located here. Please only use the banner if you are going to link back the this site (http://aveganlife.blogspot.com).

I primarily use this banner for BlogExplosion and other similar sites, but I might just start tacking it up in other places...

Fast Food List Update

I updated the Vegan Fast Food Options page. I added a ton of stuff, nearly doubling it! Besides fast food, it contains options at quick, casual chain restaurants (Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, Subway, etc)

It took my about an hour, so I hope you enjoy!

Cows Do Not Explode!!!

Cows will not explode if they are not milked!!

I dont know how many idiotic people post on the peta boards saying "If cows arent milked they will explode!"
Have you every heard of a cow ever phucking exploding because it wasnt milked?? If that could happen, it would be on national news.


View Thread
*** my username on PETA2 is no_fear ***

Thank Goodness for Energy Drinks

Today, for track we got to actually got to run ON A TRACK!!! Yippee. Its the kind that is from rubber bits, so it has a give but not too much. It was fun. I downed two Monsters since we didnt start until 4:30. I love them. Same with Red Bull. I know they arent the best for you, but they help. Especially since I have my period, and its rainy. So, I didnt exactly feel "pumped".

It was very interesting today. I go into Cumby's (aka Cumberland Farms) and check out the 4-packs on Red Bull and Monster. I notice that a 4-pack of RB is $7.49 USD, and the Monster is $7.99 USD. And there is a coupon for 40c on the Monster. But still, the RB is cheaper. So, I was about to pick up the RB (as any thrifty shopper would do), but then I thought (amazing, huh?) Red Bull comes in 8.3 oz cans. Monster comes in 16oz cans. So technically, Red Bull is double the price of Monster. So I got Monster instead. Remember that next time you go for energy drinks

Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar are all vegan. They all have synthetic taurine in them. Its much cheaper to put in synthetic taurine than to use the real stuff. I am not sure about Tab Energy. I have heard its vegan, but dont quote me on it.

Vegan and Goth Are Not The Same Word

I just got asked again today "Are you a vegan just so you can be a goth?" This is just so pathetic. Especially since I am not goth, and dont plan to be one.

Its quite common for vegan to be interested in the punk/dark scene, but I dont know why vegan has suddenly become a synonym for the words goth and punk. So what if I dont dress like you and dont eat like you? It automatically makes me a goth? I know a girl who is EXTREMELY girly, all she wears is pink. And since she is vegan, this guy came up to her and said "Since your vegan, are you a goth?"

And then comes the whole thing where someone comes up to you and says "You are such a poseur goth/punk." And then when you ask why they thought you were trying to be one in the first place, they say "Because you're vegan." Uh dude, diet does not equal style nor does it equal label (and labels suck to begin with).

I just had to rant about that. Its not really pissing me off, its just a nuisance.

The Correction Issue + The Age Issue

There seems to be a huge problem on the PETA2, and other vegan message boards. When anyone makes a mistake, there is always a butthead who wants to flame the person for human error. Dont get me wrong, correcting a mistake is a GOOD thing, but there is no need to be rude about it.

It happened the other day on the PETA2 boards. A person asked if a certain product at a fast food restaurant was vegan, and 2 people said that it was. The ingredient list is very short, and the non-vegan ingredients happened to be chemically-sounding preservatives.

Along came a person who said that the product in question was not vegan. Besides doing this, the person started to flame with "Don't tell someone that something is Vegan when you don't even know yourself!!". Come on people! Mistakes happen. While mistakes arent good, it is easy to make one.

The item in question is produced at a fast food restaurant. Do you have any idea what the people who work there typically are? 16 year olds who dont know what every single preservative in the item is! Even if they did know, with the names they have, it would be hard to find out if they were animal-derived. Most vegans would not know what they come from. I'd say 90% of the whole American population wouldnt know.
I have been to that store where the product comes from, and asked them myself. The boy (who looked about 15 or 16) checked the box, and said it was vegan. Just to be sure, I checked up on a vegan website, and got the truth, which was that it is NOT vegan. However, people generally trust the person who told them the product was vegan.
So even if the mistake wasnt yours to begin with, that person with nothing better to do in their life is going to flame you.

This not only happens on the PETA2 boards, but on other boards as well. I know this is a bit ranty, but its damn annoying! Mistakes happen! Get used to it.

Many times it happens to be the adults on the PETA2 boards who start yelling at people who make little, human mistakes. And then they go bitch and whine about the "little kids" (11-17) spamming and making the boards "useless". First off all, PETA2 is the YOUTH activism branch of PETA.. If you dont want to be around youth, go to another board. Many of the "kids" on the boards are very polite, respectful, intelligent, and care about animals. Second, most of the spam on the boards is in the 101 board. The other boards are usually pretty good (besides a few trolls here and there). Third, the "adults" keep complaining about all the little girls asking the "spit or swallow" question. Sure, there are millions of those boards, but there are also way too many posts by adults and complaining about them, which really doesnt help the spam problem.

I'm not against the adults, take me word on that. Its just a select handful of them are expecting too much, and dont understand that the site made for YOUTHS is going to be filled with YOUTHS.

I'm done with my rant... Thanks for listening...


***
(The Correction Issue) I have ommited usernames, the product in question, and the url of the post to product the identities of the people involved. However, if you do find it on your own, feel free to tell them a piece of your mind.

I also did the same for posts relating to the Age Issue.
***

Asian Noodle Broth

I made this last night, it is very delicious.

Ingredients:

4 ounces of cellophane noodles (also called bean-thread)
30 oz of vegetable stock (equiv. to 2-15oz cans)
8 to 10 oz white mushrooms, washed and sliced (presliced works also)
1 teaspoon (or to taste) grated, fresh ginger
3 to 4 scallions, sliced thin

1) Cover noodles in hot water and soak for 15-20 mins (al dente).
2) While noodles soak, combine broth, mushrooms, and ginger in a saucepan and simmer. Cover and simmer until mushrooms are done (10 mins approx)
3) Drain noodles, shorten by cutting them.
4) Stir in noodles and the scallions. If too thick, add water. Season with pepper.

I typically tend to use more ginger, especially if the stock/broth is darker.

Zucchini and Squash "Fettucine" with Marinara

This is very good. I made it the other night. Just be careful, raw tomatoes can be acidic. If you aren't used to them, or get stomaches from raw tomatoes, be easy with it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. Plum tomatoes, quartered
1 cup basil leaves (fresh)
1/2 sun dried tomatoes, soften in warm water
1 shallot, minced
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 lb mixed squash (green and yellow), ends trimmed
Grated soy parmesean, garnish (optional)
Basil sprigs, garnish (optional)
Salt

1) Put the plum tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, basil, 3 Tbs of oil, dash of salt and a few grinds of pepper into a food processor. Process until it looks like fine-textured salsa.
2) Take the squash, and pare it lengthwise into thin strips. Do this with a wide vegetable peeler. Do not use the centers. Stack the slices and cut them into 1/4 inch-wide "fettucine".
3) Put the "pasta" in a bowl, toss with 1 Tbs of olive oil and some salt (to taste).
4) Put some marinara into a shallow boil and top with "fettucine". Garnish with ground pepper, soy parmesan and basil sprigs. Voila!

Mmmm

Interesting title, eh?
Well, today I made an Asian Noodle Broth Soup and some Zuchini "Fettucine" Marinara, which happens to be raw. I dont have time right now to post the recipes, will do tomorrow!