SoulVeggie

Video: Al Gore "goes crazy"

Although it's satirical (SNL), I can't help thinking of the possible impact if he actually does... note the reference to "Factory Farming."  That's new.  Enjoy!

Steven Colbert: "Eric Schlosser is a Food Nazi"

"You wanna sit me down and force-feed me kale."  Steven Colbert's statement after calling Eric Schlosser a "food nazi."  This was last night, a day after my previous post, and Schlosser is the writer of "Fast Food Nation," and involved with the new documentary, "Food, Inc.," on where your food comes from, food-borne illness, factory farming , re-arranging corn, your power as a consumer, and more...  This sub-7 minute video clip interview below is wonderful, and will be available until 30 days from now (07/02/09)... enjoy it will you can.  The linked website has a trailer and lots of useful information.

Video: Bill Maher/Michael Pollen & Food Production

Don't know how long this will be available... a discussion with Animal Rights supporter humorist Bill Maher and "food expert" Michael Pollen.  Pollen appears to have grown a bit more aware this past year and it's a fine conversation.  Twinkies, evil in the grocery store, and more.  Enjoy!

Latest Mad Cowboy Newsletter Available

Here's the intro, table of contents, and a direct link to the 64th issue:

Howdy!  Welcome to the 64th issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter.

Direct Link:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/message/85

We've a special treat in this edition:  a personal letter from the Big Guy himself:  Enjoy!

Reading further, there's the usual Mad Cow Info Round-Up, new studies tying the consumption of eggs to diabetes and meat to pancreatic cancer, a new analysis of the prevalence of corn in our food, and a fine essay by Dr. McDougall about answering the question:  "Why do you avoid adding additional oil/fat in your diet?

There's also a disturbing breakdown of what's really in Downey Fabric Softner (hint: it ain't vegan), the debate over elephant's health in zoos, and an range of interesting facts about animals.  Moving forward, you'll have access to links to some very interesting (and funny) video and audio, as well as read about a body spray with a rather unique odor.

We also have a very cool article about issues of "soil not oil," cutting greenhouse gases through less meat consumption globally, how Coca-Cola is stoking the 'water wars' with propaganda, and some thoughts about the new USDA Secretary Nomineee, Vilsack.  Plus:  don't miss the Vegan Recipe from a new fat-free vegan cookbook (Pudgy-Free Holidays) that's available as a PDF via the Internet.

As always, a tip of the hat to our new subscribers:  y'all can browse past issues at the Mad Cowboy Newsletter Archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/

...and best wishes for a Happy Vegan Holidaze, keeping warm with family and friends, and a Great New Year!

Mark, MC editor/webmaster

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00: Quote(s) from Howard
01: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!
02: Vegan Recipe from Online Cookbook:  "Pudgy-Free Holidays"
03: Mad Cow Info Round-up
04: Eggs/Diabetes, Meat/Cancer, Corn in Fast Food, Avoid Fats?
05: Fabric Softener Fat, Elephant Debate, AR Spies, Animal Facts
06: Vegan Digital Theater Showcase
07: Soil Not Oil, Cut Meat/Emissions, Cola Scam, USDA Nominee Vilsack
08: Howard's Schedule
09: Quick Bytes
10: Closing Thoughts

Top 10 Reasons to Go Veg during Veg Week

As usual, another excellent and well-written article by Bruce Friedrich.  Full article is here and below.  Especially of note, are peer-reviewed scientifically proven Reasons #6 and #7:

"6. Heart Disease: Our Number One Killer: Healthy vegetarian diets support a lifetime of good health and provide protection against numerous diseases, including the United States’ three biggest killers: heart disease, cancer, and strokes. Drs. Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn — two doctors with 100 percent success in preventing and reversing heart disease — have used a vegan diet to accomplish it, as chronicled most recently in Dr. Esselstyn’s Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, which documents his 100 percent success rate for unclogging people’s arteries and reversing heart disease.

7. Cancer: Our Number Two Killer: Dr. T. Colin Campbell is one of the world’s foremost epidemiological scientists and the director of what The New York Times called “the most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.” Dr. Campbell’s best-selling book, The China Study, is a must-read for anyone who is concerned about cancer. To summarize it, Dr. Campbell states, “No chemical carcinogen is nearly so important in causing human cancer as animal protein.”

[Check out my interview with Esselstyn last year.  Go low fat vegan... live longer, healthier, happier...]

Mad Cowboy Newsletter #62 Available

Here's a direct link, the intro, and the table of contents for the latest free Mad Cowboy e-newsletter.  Enjoy! Mark
------------
Howdy!  Welcome to the 62nd issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter.  We're proud as peacocks to announce a new DVD from Howard:  "A Mad Cowboy Lecture: 2007."  More details below!

Due to all the material about the HSUS investigation/video and meat recall in "Mad Cow Info Round-Up", we've suspended the "Avian Flu News" section for this edition.  But, as you read further, you'll learn about Peak Soil!, Edible Estates, more studies on the disease preventative effects of veggies and fruits, and newly deceased Earl Butz's legacy to our country's food production "system."  Continuing: PETA's announced this year's "Proggy Awards," Bob Barker has made an amazing gift to further studies of animal issues, there's a neat post about recession-proofing your diet, news about Michael Pollen's latest book, and don't miss the recipes from the excellent "Vegan Fire & Spice" as well as the videos of the vegetarian 2007 Nobel Prize winner's speech, Doreen the Downer Cow, the Vegetable Orchestra, and Wayne Pacelle (Pres., HSUS) being interviewed.

... as always, a tip of the hat to our new subscribers.  Y'all can read past issues of the newsletter at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/

Happy Spring and get those gardens growing!  Mark, MC editor/webmaster

***********************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00: Quote(s) from Howard
01: New DVD from Howard! Trailers OnLine!
02: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!
03: Recipes from a New Vegan Cookbook:  "Fire & Spice"
04: Mad Cow Info Round-up
05: Veggies: Reducing 2 Cancers, Heart Disease, Blood Pressure
06: Peak Soil!, Edible Estates, Butz Legacy, Farm Emission Rules
07: Vegan Digital Theater Showcase
08: PETA Awards, Bob's Gift, Recession-proof Diet, Mostly Plants
09: Howard's Schedule
10: Quick Bytes
11: Closing Thoughts"

Direct Link to this Issue:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/message/83

Happy Earth Day!

Yeah, I know I usually send out something from satellites viewing the Earth on this day (having done work for NASA and knowing where the data is accessible), but this photo I shot yesterday struck me as something special.

It's a rose... still in it's pot ready to be planted when weather/time permits (click on to see larger version).  Reminded me of the Sun... you can envision the sunspots/core, the trails of coronal flares and the petals as magnetic fields.  An interesting vision and possibly indicative of a very very old saying "as is above, is below."  A fascinating time in the year when nature is kicking in big time and accelerating this far North as fast as it can.  Earth reborn.

Of course, it could also be the drugs are kicking in (yes Dad, I'm kidding).

For the more metaphysical and whimsical out there...

Happy Earth Day to all... let's hope we survive the upcoming year intact.

Best, Mark... Oh, and help save a planet and the life therein:  Go Vegan!

"Mad Cowboy Lecture: 2007" - Excerpts & a Review

[It's finally available... the new "Mad Cowboy DVD." I've also posted two 3 min. segments from the beginning and Robert Cohen, aka the "NotMilkman" has graced us with an exclusive review of the DVD.  Enjoy!

1st 3 minutes:

2nd 3 minutes:

My apologies if the videos aren't as smooth as they could be... I had limited time and notification to pull this off. Actual footage is of high professional quality from a 3-camera shoot. The larger versions of the two segments are here:  PT01, PT02.  Hope to find time in the near future to figure out the compression issues.  Also, you can learn more about the DVD at www.madcowboy.com... and Go Vegan!]

Project BudBurst

[Project BudBurst is not about marijuna... it's a unique program that invites people to help track progress of flowers & vegetation species and Climate Change.  Here's part of the program's description:

"Join us in collecting important climate change data on the timing of leafing and flowering in your area through Project BudBurst! This national field campaign targets native tree and flower species across the country. With your help, we will be compiling valuable environmental and climate change information around the United States. [free]: Register Now - Become a member of the Project BudBurst community! This allows you to save your observation sites and plants that you are monitoring throughout the year and for coming years. Subscribe to the Project BudBurst mailing list to receive updates and announcements about the new features added for 2008. Read about us in the News!"

[Here's a link to the site.  You can click on the picture above to see a larger picture of a little crocus flower coming through frost I took on 2/22/08... about a calendar month ahead of last year's 1st bloom. Mild winter.... Go Vegan!]

Nobel Peace Prize Winning Advice: "Go Veg!"

"...Don't eat meat... the head of the UN's Nobel Prize-winning scientific panel on climate change said.  The 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued last year highlights "the importance of lifestyle changes," chairman Dr Rajendra Pachauri said.

"This is something that the IPCC was afraid to say earlier, but now we have said it."

A vegetarian, the Indian economist made a plea for people around the world to tame their carnivorous impulses." Please eat less meat - meat is a very carbon intensive commodity," he said, adding consuming large quantities was also bad for one's health... He says another lifestyle change that can help was not buying things "simply because they are available..." He urged consumers to only purchase what they really need..."

[I did many projects for both Gore and the IPCC related to Climate Change, and can recall the skepticism I'd get from many scientists explaining the environmental impact of eating meat.  It's great to see somone of Dr. Pachauri's standing acknowledging the issue of meat.  The full article (with stats) is here and below.  Do even better... go vegan.]