Propagandhi ~ Purina Hall of Fame

This band was supposed to be featured last month...



Other than that, well, a picture is worth a thousand words...and video like this is pretty hard to ignore.

One day, we'll all make the connection...

Two of My Fav Vegans: Prince and Ellen

Remember when Oprah went vegan for a week?

That was probably over a month ago now, wasn't it? Well, around that same time, I sat down with a friend of mine and we discussed the difference between Oprah and Ellen. Both have fought long and hard to get where they are, and both give back immensely to random strangers now that they are so high up there. Now, Ellen has probably another three to five years before she replaces Oprah as the most influential woman in (forget politics, celebrities have much more of an effect on what people think), but I know she will one day be even bigger than Oprah.

Later on in the evening of discussions, I began to complain about not really getting anywhere in my life. My friend reassured me with one small comment, "don't worry, Jodi. One day, you're gonna be bigger than Ellen!"

A girl can dream, can't she? ;-D



So, here you go: two of my favourite celebs, and both of them vegan!

Of course, nearly everybody knows Ellen is vegan. She's pretty open about her whole life. Prince, on the other hand, like many musicians, tries to keep his life private. He still jabs in some of the animal rights issues onto liner notes, though. See "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" for his thoughts on the production of wool...

Loretta Maine - Vegan Song

A song about "cheating"...the vegan lifestyle.

This is hilarious. I love Loretta Maine, now.

Elvis Costello ~ 'Sulphur to Sugarcane'

I have a confession to make...

I haven't listened to enough Elvis Costello in my life! But it's never too late to start:



And, yes, are you really surprised to hear that he's of the vegetarian way?

:-D

And Canadian!

And Folk!

How amazing...

OutKast ~ Hey Ya!

Every time I hear this song, I am taken back to the year I lived in res, the field we played touch (canadian) football on and listening to this song as we cheered on the boys from our house. Especially the "lend me some sugar, I AM your neighbour" and "shake it like a polaroid picture"...

The coincidence is that my journey to vegetarianism began that year...and Andre 3000 is also a vegetarian! I knew nothing about that at the time, but now find it an interesting coincidence. This song reminds me of the cafeteria that opened my eyes to what it was like to be a vegetarian - and the reason I never want to eat meat again...it's gross when you don't know it comes from!

Andre 3000, regardless of where he's from, can never be gross! ;-)

Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69

When I think of Bryan Adams, I think of this song...and when I hear this song, I think of Bryan Adams, and what a wonderful person he is!

This song is definitely on my list for Top 100 Best Songs Ever. It's a pretty eclectic list, I must admit, but one filled with only MY favourite songs. This song is there not only because Bryan Adams is Canadian, but becuase my name is in the lyrics :-D

Five years after the release of this song, as Bryan Adams was beginning his ascent into the realm of wonderful Canadian celebrities, he also became vegan. Now, as far as his philanthropic work goes, animal rights is not his top priority and probably not even something you would have known about him before. Like many other people who enjoy giving back to the world, Bryan also thinks about the animals. His latest project involved writing letters to KFC Canada, on behalf of PETA. Now, he wasn't campaigning for them to stop serving chicken (give us another ten years before we break down that wall), but merely asking them to "become leaders in using more modern and more humane methods of killing chickens." Every little bit helps...

In non-animal philanthropic work, Bryan Adams has his own foundation. No wonder he has the Order of Canada! The proceeds from all of his photography goes to the Bryan Adams Foundation, which works to improve educational standards in Africa.

Need I go on about why I love Bryan Adams?
 - Canadian
 - musician
 - C-U-T-E (even for a man my father's age)
 - world traveller
 - philanthropist
 - vegan

Sarah Harpur- The Vegan Song

Why are all the good vegan songs farces? Is it because vegans are funnier? Or more self-deprecating? Does our self-deprecation make us more approachable?

Is this a farce?

Holley Anderson ~ Tragic Vegan Love Song

This song is a hysterical farce!

I love it!

DJ Weekly ~ So So Vegan

YouTube describes this video as "a satirical music video by DJ Weekly about Vegan Hipsters that infest our major cities around the country."



When I became a vegetarian, we called people who did it as a fad "yuppies." Those were the people who would eat chickens, "'cause they're not really meat." And fish was a staple, too. I tried to let people know that I was a "true vegetarian," because the only flesh I ate came from a tree.

Now, the term we have for the imposters of any fad these days is "hipsters." It's an interesting word and I'd like to know its origins one day. Probably, like "yuppies," it came from their tendency to flock to what was "hip," just as "yuppies" followed the rest of their school.

I think there's something about human nature that makes us all want to fit in. If people choose a more compassionate lifestyle in an attempt to "fit in," I think that's awesome! Also, it's much better than choosing drugs, alcohol, or another unhealthy activity to fit in. Bring it on!

Also, today I had a discussion about the "vegan police," as mentioned in Scott Pilgrim. I have yet to see that movie, so I can't comment fully on how they convey our "cult," as I jokingly call it, to the world. One of my colleagues, though, commented on it in a recent presentation on becoming a vegan. She assured the audience that we are not "Vegan Police," and will accept you regardless of whether you drink milk or not.

I just ask for your honesty if you're cooking my supper...and acceptance back if I don't care to join you in your dairy-infested "vegan" meal! We can all define ourselves however we want...and I'll love you for however long it takes you to join me in my opinion... ;-)

Aerosmith ~ Cryin'

I love Alicia Silverstone. She has always come across as this compassionate individual, even in videos like this, where she's playing a woman scorned. In this video, I still see her as Cher, from Clueless, who just really wants to help people look better.

I've mentioned her veganims before on my vegan blog. I really did love her book, The Kind Diet, and reccomend it to anybody considering veganism, or even vegetarianism, or healthier eating habits. It's very informative about her journey, and she packs a lot of guidance and information into it about why not eating meat is not only kind to them, but kind to yourself. She is an amazing animal activist, as well as darling actor.

Aerosmith ain't bad, either! ;-)

Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight

Speaking of vegetarians...



Now here are two fabulous artists - Paul McCartney and Natalie Portman - who just so happen to also be fabulously ethical individuals, in my opinion.

Since she burst onto the scene as a young teenager, I have been drawn to Natalie Portman. Not only for her beauty, but her grace, intelligence and talent. She may only play a bit part in this music video, but it's well worth watching for! She's also doing some amazing things for the vegan movement :-D without being too pushy - just being her amazing vegan self!

Paul McCartney. What accolades can I provide for this man that have not been provided before? And, yes, he is an amazing spokesperson for the animal rights movement as well.

Also, I just LOVE this video!

If You Love Me - Joy Valencia

I have featured Joy on my blog before. And, truly, I think of it as synchronicity that I found her on twitter. I find so many examples of synchronicity on twitter, it's great!  And this blog basically runs off the merits of synchronicity!  Embrace it! Love it! Trust it!

Joy is a vegan musician whose career is about to hit it big. Last time I featured her on my blog, she was fundraising to make her latest music video, which I think will be premiered on April 16 of this year.

I may never have met this beautiful woman, but I know the warmth of her soul already. Her music is so peaceful, her work is guided with love, and she's a vegan, so you know I already love her!

Bon Appetit!

MARCH MEAT OUT: MVP Boyz ~ She's a Vegan

If you're a vegan or vegetarian, or even just somebody who pays attention to our "cult" (j/k, we're not actually a cult), you probably already know about March Meat Out. If not, well, today is your lucky day, 'cause you get to find out more about it!

I know Oprah got many people interested in the "vegan-ish" lifestyle a little less than a month ago. She also brought attention to the "v"-word two years ago when she did Kathy Freston's month-long vegan detox diet. (I stress the detox part of it, because Oprah went further with her month-long diet than most everyday vegans - we can eat gluten!) You've all probably heard of Skinny Bitch, too. Well, that's all under the same premise: give up meat, for a month! You won't even miss it!

Nah, I'm joking. You'll probably miss it. It's the most addictive thing your doctor will advise you to consume! (I try to keep my disdain for western medicine off of my blogs, but I'll let that statement remain.) But in that one month, you'll save the lives of eight animals. You'll find this energy you never knew you had (it take much more energy to digest meat than it does vegetable protein)! You may even lose weight! (In seven years, I've shed forty pounds, have enough protein to donate plasma (blood) weekly, rarely get sick and have become five times more aware of how my body should feel.)

It's a challenge, I extend to you all, and I know a few of you will take that challenge! If you need motivation along the way, read my vegan blog at cheatingvegan.blogspot.com.  I'll be posting more frequently there this month, and responding to any of your queries!

Step One: Enjoy this Hilarious Music Video re: Sexy Vegan Girls. It's almost as good as the PETA commercial that was too racy to air during the Superbowl!