Postponed

The pic's from Tiff's wedding.  She had this awesome photo booth at the reception.  Everything was pretty lovely, though brutally hot at the botanical gardens.  And, though I still stand that I am not very fond of weddings, it was quite lovely.

So, I just wanted to check in, so you would know that I have not disappeared ;)  I'm pushing the reviews and contest back a week or so.  Honestly, I just haven't made enough time for friends these days.  And since they have some time freed up, I'm reserving my time for them.  Not that I don't consider some of you friends!  But you know how it is.  In the mean time, I do hope to slip in some blog reading time.  There are quite a few I need to catch up on.

Oh, and for any who wondered, the niacinamide has helped my anxiety tremendously!  There's a lot of stuff I'm still sorting out, but things are getting better :)  If you want to understand me a little better and what sorts of things I'm dealing with you can check this COH site out.  I'm not ready to go in to details, but opening up a little has really helped.

Monday News

Welcome to the second edition of the Monday News!  This is just a sampling of my recent discoveries, click the links for the whole story.  If you have any ideas or news stories that you would like to contribute please let me know!

Monkey Cat
Ok, not literally, but this is seriously cool.  Observers have suspected wild cats of mimicking other animals, but until now it had never been documented.  "Cats are known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning which merits further study," said WCS researcher Fabio Rohe."  A cat making monkey calls?  That seems like a cunning cat to me!

Obama Responds to a Vegan Outreach
(discovered through Vegan Outreach)
"Americas would actually benefit from change in diet."  Check out Obama, too bad we can't be too progressive.  But I can appreciate that he cares, even if it's not enough.   

Cage-free Coming to California
A step in the right direction.  Check out Vegan Outreach for more.

An Act of Terrorism?
Evidently not!  The case against 4 animal rights activists who were arrested in Santa Cruz in 2009 has been dismissed!  Get more details here and here.

New Species
(I'm a sucker for a new species, so from now on when I spot one you're sure to hear about it!)
Pancake Batfish - 2 new species!

 


From the BLOG WORLD

A Squat Cafe?
Perhaps, like me, you thought that squatting was reserved for homeless or bohemian types that take up temporary residency in an abandoned building.  Well, at the Vegan Backpacker they put this myth in it's place.

My Thoughts
I can really appreciate this thought on Vegan Outreach.  I won't lie, I've been a little frustrated by the question of honey popping up on various blogs lately.  But I truly do not mean my frustrations to be an insult to anyone.  It's good that people question things and put thoughtful efforts into making their own decisions about how to live their lives.  But Vegan Outreach reminded me of something important.  As vegans, we are all striving to make a difference.  And while I do think it's important for us to support one another and discuss our questions and concerns, perhaps I shouldn't feel so much frustration.  After all, we have bigger problems to contend with ;)

Contest Update
The Give-away is still coming!  I will be out of town part of the week for my friend Tiff's wedding :)  So I may not be able to start the reviews until next week.  Sorry to put you all in suspense, but I promise the day will come!

CARTOONS!!!
So, here's some good news:  The awesome vegan cartoonist Dan Piraro is allowing me to post some of his comics for my news entries :)  He's very talented and of course I'm very flattered to share these right here with you guys.   (I will work on making these more viewer friendly, for now click for an enlarged image.)

 

Contest Preview

Way back in April I mentioned that I would be having my very own contest :)  Well, it's coming up in the next week or two.  First I will be reviewing Sweet Utopia and provided you with sneak peaks at a couple of recipes.  Since we still have yet to purchase a new blender or food processor, I have not tried many recipes from Living in the Raw or Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook, but I will still provide short reviews.  I have, also, tried some tasty goods from Speed Vegan and you can expect a review for it, too ;)
The contest will take place the week after next and the winner will receive the book of their choice. 
Until then, be sure to check out the Book Publishing Company for more great books!

Monday News

Welcome to the Monday News!  From now on I hope to feature a bit of news on most Mondays.  These entries will include vegan and animal-related info. that I've picked up the previous week from other blogs and news sources.  Feel free to list any news you've picked up in the comments and let me know your views on recent happenings.



Happy Birthday Cameron!
Cameron turned 6 today :)  Isn't he a handsome fella?!

Lion Burgers in Mesa, Arizona
Many of you probably read about this horror in the last couple of weeks.  I would like to thank Vegansaurus for informing me about it.  Supposedly the meat was sourced from a free-range farm in Illinois.  Oddly enough, it seems that the owner hadn't really done his research.  The meat was purchased from Czimer's Game & Sea Foods, but don't worry it's in Illinois.  This guy Czimer has sold tiger, lion, and liger meat (amongst other things).  And where did he get his lion meat?  Well, he doesn't plan to reveal that, but it's from a man who runs a skinning operation.  So at least more of the animal is getting used and his operation seems to be USDA approved.  But if you ask me, the whole thing makes me sick!  You see, according to these articles lions are not endangered, but why is no one concerned with the fact that their population is rapidly decreasing and they are red-listed as a vulnerable species?  

BP's Continued Distaster Now Includes Burning Sea Turtles
Thank you Vegan.com for the heads up.  BP's recent active solution to clean up their mess involved controlled burns.  They just happen to be burning up turtles, such as the endangered species Kemp's Ridley, along the way.  In the process, BP prevented those involved in rescue operations from doing their part.  Thanks goes to many animal welfare groups who have stepped in to discourage this sort of activity from continuing, for now at least.

Jasmine, a Greyhound Hero
Early last month the Kind Life featured a fantastic story about a hound with a huge heart :)  This girl has a truly wonderful gift and I hope that all of you read her story!

If you have any news you would like included next week, please send me an e-mail.  Does your pet or animal friend have a birthday coming up?  Send me an e-mail with a picture and I'll post a shout-out :)

Crafty Contests

There are a couple of contests you might not want to miss out on!

 TreeWool:  Are you a knitter or crafter?  Then check out this interview with Vegancraftastic and enter when some goods ;)






Speaking of Vegancraftastic, get over to her blog for a chance to write down your thoughts and dreams in a new pocket journal made by Studio827 KC.

And stay tuned!  I will be having a Giveaway of my own very soon...

Here are so more artistic and crafty blogs that I have recently discovered that you might enjoy ;)
My Zoetrope
The Sassy Crafter
Journal Artista
Herbivore Knits
Do Stuff Blog
iHanna's Blog: Create and Live Happy
GPP Network Street Team
Woven Letters
Creating FTW!
Film and Thread
Carbon Torbus

Know of any other great contests or arts/crafts blogs?  Feel free to post the link ;)