“Marijuana is going to be a part of American culture.”
– Steve Elliott
On November 2, Prop 19 will go to the ballot in California. The proposed law would take legalized marijuana consumption beyond the realm of medicinal use only. It would allow individuals aged 21 & over to grow and posses limited quantities of marijuana, and local governments to authorize and tax its sale. Supporters say the pragmatic measure would free up much needed jail space and police time, and help balance California’s budget. If you live in California, please consider voting YES on Prop 19.
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On Monday night, a 23-year old female protester named Lauren Valle was assaulted by a group of male Rand Paul supporters before a debate in Kentucky between the Republican candidate and his Democratic counterpart, Jack Conway. The incident was captured on a video which has since gone viral.
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by Nicole Powers
Arnold Schwarzenegger may have moved over to the dark side when he came out as a Republican and decided to take California, but MoveOn.org is fighting back with a little help from The Terminator. In the organization’s latest interweb broadcast, Olivia Wilde (House) travels back in time Sarah Connor-style to rally resistance against the G.O.P machine and the omnipresent Faux News Network that supports it.
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By Malloreigh
Pumpkin pie is a peculiarly North American tradition. I spent my October-November in Australia once and found, in the search to soothe my homesickness by making one, that “pumpkin” there means any kind of squash, and canned pumpkin puree simply doesn’t exist. Funnily enough, Halloween (to the degree that we indulge in it) is also a peculiarly North American tradition. Coincidence?
I assumed that pumpkin pie was a Thanksgiving dish – though my family eats it at Christmas too. But the correlation between pumpkin pie and Halloween was too strange for me to ignore this year. Either that, or I wanted an excuse to make a pumpkin pie with a spiderweb on top.
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By Malloreigh
The leather dilemma is a contentious one for vegans. Many new vegans, upon “making the switch,” worry whether they’re expected to throw away their pre-vegan leather items – belts, shoes, jackets – and buy vegan alternatives. Many old vegans, myself included, break vegan belt after vegan belt and wonder whether we’re expected to keep buying crappy vinyl each year until the day we die.
Isn’t that wasteful? Doesn’t that go against the spirit of veganism? Yes, probably, and creating more trash is just the cherry on the top of the consumer culture cupcake. Furthermore, vinyl, as a synthetic substance, won’t – common sense informs us – biodegrade as easily as an organic like leather would. So if vegans are such environmentalists, what’s the solution?
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By Malloreigh
The joke is pretty common – “bacon is vegetarian” or “I’m vegan/Jewish except for bacon.” Bacon – thinly sliced, fatty, fried flesh of pigs – is a force to be reckoned with, and probably, for some vegetarians, a meat that’s very sorely missed. I won’t lie to you and say that the following vegan bacon recipes are exactly like real bacon. However, they may satisfy some bacon-urges, and will complete your brunch plate.
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