Earlier this week Quarrygirl posted the findings of Operation Pancake, their investigation to determine whether LA-area vegan restaurants serve food containing casein, egg, or shellfish. With painstakingly careful testing, they found that selected dishes at seven out of 15 restaurants contained non-vegan ingredients.

The tests—true-to-life egg, casein, and shellfish testing kits that work kind of like pregnancy tests and are used in the food industry—offered five results: invalid, negative, positive, high, and overload. (The testing process is kind of complicated, so I suggest reading the blog for details.) The single restaurant whose food tested overload for anything is Green Leaves Vegan, where the quesadilla contains casein. Quarrygirl hilariously excerpts an image of the menu, which claims the quesadilla contains "casein-free (non-dairy) melted vegan cheese."

Vegan marshmallow confectioners Sweet & Sara announced the arrival of their newest products earlier this month: Strawberry Marshmallows, Cinnamon Pecan Marshmallows, and Rocky Road Bark. We toted them around the city for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores to taste (and of course indulged in some ourselves).

First, it must be said—no—shouted down the aisles of your local supermarket: The bark is amazing. This is not your average candy bar; this is roasted almonds and chunks of soft marshmallow encased in gourmet, organic Belgian dark chocolate. Too gourmet for the palates of some, who thought the chocolate was slightly bitter. But overwhelmingly, vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike raved about the Rocky Road Bark. One omnivore called it "the most delicious thing I've ever tasted."

And did we mention the Cinnamon Pecan Marshmallows? A punch of cinnamon complements salty caramelized pecans for a sweet treat. We loved these, and so did our taste-testers. Some questioned what occasion they'd have to pop a marshmallow. For those folks who can't appreciate the sugary, fluffy, gelatin-free goodness on its own, we suggest tossing these in ice cream.

The Strawberry Marshmallows are the real thing. Real strawberries, that is, seed flecks and all. Like Sara's original marshmallows, these are denser than the air-puffed grocery brand concoctions. "I wouldn't have known these weren't regular marshmallows if you hadn't told me," said one ominvore. "Wow, can I snag another?" said one vegan as she savored her second.

Sara's goodies are on the expensive side, at $5.95 for an 8.5-ounce box of marshmallows and $3.50 for a 2.5-ounce package of bark. But, like I said, they're not regular marshmallows or mass-produced candy; they're heavenly handmade creations from a woman who clearly puts care into every aspect of her foods, from mixer to packaging.

You can find Sweet & Sara products at Whole Foods and at these retailers, or order them online.

I was down in Battery Park earlier today and saw this very cool exhibit by PETA.

Human-size banner after banner lines the walkway on the Battery Place side of the inside of the park (across from the National Museum of the American Indian), and the content is top-notch: Analogous human and animal suffering is shown in each panel, from slavery to experimentation to mutilation to slaughter and more. There’s also an interesting collection of quotes demonstrating that the way we once justified mistreating humans sounds eerily similar to the way people justify animal use and abuse today.

Whatever you think of PETA, this is a standout exhibit. In the little time that I was there, lots of people stopped to read the panels, and you could see that they were really having an impact. I highly recommend checking it out. It’s in Columbus Circle on Monday, Union Square Tuesday and Wednesday, and Battery Park Thursday and Friday, usually from 10am to 4:30pm, depending on the weather.

It's so nice to see all of this open-air activism going on around the city!

Join us Thursday, June 25 for Vegan Drinks at Angels & Kings bar in the East Village. We'll have the usual cheap beers ($3 domestic, $4 imports) and dollar off well drinks, as well as a crowd of wonderful people.


We'll turn down the music at around 8pm and encourage people to promote themselves, their groups and/or causes for 30 seconds. If you represent a veg*n or animal rights group, come prepared with your (very short!) spiel and literature.

Check out our map of restaurants near Angels & Kings where you can grab a bite after the event. And if you haven't already, link up with Vegan Drinks on Facebook and MySpace.

Vegan Drinks is held from 7pm-9pm at Angels & Kings, 500 East 11th Street (btw Ave A & Ave B), New York, NY 10009.

You know the booth Lucy sits behind in the Peanuts strip, doling out advice? Well, one of the wacky geniuses up at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary thought, Why not do the same thing, but instead of advertising that the doctor is in, invite people to ask a vegan?

So a couple of months ago, Joy Askew and I headed to Union Square Park and set up a booth with the words “Ask a Vegan” emblazoned across the top. We covered the table with animal rights & veg literature and Woodstock FAS brochures, and we waited. Finally people came over and started to, well, ask us questions (one of the most popular being, "So what should I ask you?"). And we’ve been at it ever since, every other Saturday, weather permitting.

So far we’ve had an interesting array of visitors. Already converted veg*ns make a beeline for the booth, happy to see us proselytizing plant products. The conspiracy theorists love to chat us up (one even tried to get us to pass out flyers about the Bilderberg Group). And of course, some people just want to argue or ask really insightful questions like, "What’s your favorite type of hot dog?" We’ve even gotten some free hugs (I’m a slight germophobe and could have done without mine, particularly when the swine flu scare was at its worst). But I’m happy to say that a fair amount of folks have been genuinely interested in what we have to say and how they can begin to transition to an animal-free diet. I even created a couple of fact sheets in response to the most frequently asked questions.

And as is inevitable in New York, two weeks ago we had our first brush with celebrity. Well, it was Rachael Ray. Anyway, RR was doing a short interview in the park, and after she finished, she and her husband, John, and their dog, Isaboo, started to walk past us. Joy couldn’t contain herself and called out, “Rachael! Ask a vegan!” Rachael looked perplexed and came over to shake Joy’s hand, but as soon as she saw what our sign said, she took Isaboo and ran. John stayed and talked shop with Joy for a while, since they’re both musicians and have worked with some of the same people. But that was it. They were gone. I guess it’s not just the Food Network that’s afraid of vegans!

Joy and I are usually in the park for about four hours from 12:30 on. Look for us this Saturday (if the rain holds off) on the 14th Street side of Union Square Park, across from Whole Foods and inland from the green market and street vendors. And bring your burning questions!

Animal advocacy group Mercy for Animals, they of the recent exposé of the cruelty at Quality Egg of New England, is putting down roots in the Big Apple. They haven’t had their official launch yet, but they’ve already hit the ground running, with a new set of anti-meat bus ads that went up last Tuesday. The ads will run through July, so keep your eyes peeled for them!

And be sure you make it to Mooshoes on Thursday, June 18, to celebrate the opening of MFA's New York office. Lydia Chaudry, MFA’s New York campaign coordinator, and executive director Nathan Runkle will talk about the group’s local campaigns to protect farmed animals and promote veganism, plus there will be free grub! As of now, vegan drinks, appetizers and treats will be provided by Candle Cafe, Blossom, Dirt Candy (repentance, perhaps?), caterer Tastee Vegan, Sweet Potato Bakery, Lagusta's Luscious, Stogo and possibly others. The party is at Mooshoes (78 Orchard St. bet. Broome & Grand) from 6:30-9:30pm. Mooshoes is donating 10% of its in-store and online sales to MFA, so shop your heart out on 6/18!

MFA will also have a booth at PrideFest on June 28, and they’ll be marching in the Gay Pride Parade. If you'd like to march with them, contact Lydia at lydiac@mercyforanimals.org—there just might be a snazzy MFA T-shirt in it for you!

Finally, Mercy is a nonprofit grassroots organization, which means the bulk of its work is done by volunteers. If you'd like to get involved, please contact Lydia. And if you can make a donation before June 21, Rory Freedman will match your contribution up to $5,000. If your pockets are really full and you can donate $100 or more, you’ll receive an autographed copy of Skinny Bitch or Skinny Bastard.

Welcome to NYC, MFA!

Update: On June 19, the MFA documentary Fowl Play will be screened at 9pm at Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick St. at the corner of Laight) as part of VisionFest 09. Get tickets here.

**Edit: Two late additions for Tuesday, June 16**

Be alerted of these and other events we think you'll care about by subscribing to our calendar.

Events are free unless otherwise noted.

Now until June 14

Watch new documentary HOME free on YouTube. More info in our recent blog post.

Saturday, June 13

National Pigeon Day: Praise the pigeon at Central Park and all over the country. Our very own Patrick Kwan will be speaking.
12-4pm
Central Park, Pilgrim Hill

Get friendly with a neeeeighbor at A Horse of Course!, a walk and discussion with Kathy Stevens at Catskill Animal Sanctuary.
1-4pm
$15, or $5 for members. Register in advance by calling Julie at (845) 336-8447.

Woodstock FAS hosts its family-friendly Jamboree. Games, face-painting, animals, and food by Isa Moskowitz. That's right--another chance to dose on Isa before she heads back to Oregon.
11am-5pm
$10. Register in advance at the website.

Tuesday, June 15

Protest against the netting and gassing to death of at least 2,000 NYC geese
12-2pm
Port Authority Headquarters, 225 Park Ave. South

Ingrid Newkirk's book-signing for The PETA Practical Guide to Animals Rights: Simple Acts of Kindness to Help Animals in Trouble
7pm
Borders, Columbus Circle

Thursday, June 18

Mercy for Animals celebrates the opening of its New York office with vegan appetizers and drinks at MooShoes. And wait, it gets better than vegan food and booze: MooShoes will be donating 10% of that day's in-store and online sales to MFA, so you finally have a scale-tipping reason to get that pair of Simples.
6:30-9:30pm
MooShoes, 78 Orchard St.

Friday, June 19

Join Mary and Peter Max for the kick-off party for the production of Standardized Testing. The film "follows PATH founder Kelly Overton...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." Food will be provided by 4 Course Vegan, BabyCakes NYC, Blackwell's Organic Gelato, Candle Cafe, Frey Vineyards, The Power of Food, Tuthilltown Spirits, Vegan Treats Bakery, and others.
6:30-8:30pm
The Max Studio
37 W. 65th St., 7th floor
$100 and up. Purchase tickets here.

Usually, I love reading the Huffington Post. However, in the past week they posted a surprisingly scathing blog entry calling Sea Shepherd a terrorist group.

However, the blog made all its arguments based on many assumptions that many people seem to be making about conservation lately, so it seemed worth it to address the blog.

For the first part of this post, we will first address the main themes of the Huffington blog, for the benefit of most readers. Afterwards, we will have, for anyone who has the time or curiosity, a much longer section analyzing every other argument made in the Huffington blog, as it does address other arguments against conservation law enforcing.


The main themes

The central theme of the Huffington blog is mentioned time and time again, and put succinctly in its eighth paragraph:

"Of course the whalers, whatever you may think of their activities, are operating legally. It is Watson and the Sea Shepherds who are the criminals."

So, although we've addressed this partially in previous posts, let's cover it comprehensively here.

Here is a list of illegal activities that the whalers are performing on video, much of which was outlined by Paul Watson:

Until June 14, HOME, a film that gorgeously illustrates the devastating impact of careless human consumption on Earth's ecosystems, can be viewed in full for free on YouTube in high definition.

In this stunning (and carbon-offset) bird's eye view of Earth, breathtaking visuals implicate viewers in the interconnectedness of the planet's dazzling, seldom-seen landscapes and multitudinously various life. Facilitated by Glenn Close's urgent narration, HOME highlights patterns and atrocities of human existence: "concentration camp-style cattle farms," "a forest...turned into meat," and diversity replaced with standardization. Simply put, "humanity has barely 10 years to reverse the trend, become aware of the full extent of its spoilation of the Earth's riches and change its patterns of consumption," says Director Yann Arthus-Bertrand on the movie's official page.

To deliver that message to the largest possible audience, HOME's creators released the film with its viewers' pocketbooks in mind; besides offering the film free on YouTube for a limited time, the creators, with financial backing from PPR—a French holding company that, perhaps conflictingly, owns Gucci and Puma—, are showing it at theaters at discounted rates, on select TV stations, and at free screenings worldwide. The Blu-ray and DVD versions will be in stock at Amazon on June 13 and 14 respectively.

Watch the trailer for just a blink of the eyeful that is HOME:

Too busy replaying the clip of Sacha Baron Cohen swooping into the MTV Movie Awards and landing his bare ass in Eminem's face to catch this gem? I understand.

During his acceptance speech for the award for best comedic performance, Jim Carrey told 5.3 million viewers what caused factory farm flu:

MTV Shows

Is Carrey vegetarian? Is this his partner, Jenny McCarthy, rubbing off on him? Is there any experience quite like watching Pet Detective for the eleventh time?

I don't really have any answers here.