Items for the discerning consumer.
- Hallowe’en–that annual excuse to dress like a pimp or prostitute–is coming
up. Thank goodness there’s PimpCostumes.com
for all yo pimpin’ needs, complete with animated, talking pimpness. And don’t
forget the
little ones! Thanks, Olaf. - PETA brings you the Vegetarian
Starter Kit. If Natalie Portman’s a vegetarian, it can’t be all bad. Of
course, that Joaquin Phoenix always looks so unhealthy. - Your child may not be able to speak or walk yet, but for God’s sake, get
it on
the computer. - A clever idea from the folks at L.L. Bean–design
your own backpack. - Want an aquarium in your bathroom? How about the washbasin
or the toilet
tank? It looks like it’d be pretty tricky to scoop dead fish out of that
washbasin. Thanks, Engadget. - This thing is super-cool, and very zen: the Travelland
River Table. Thanks, Gizmodo.
Bonus link: Bloggers, are you not generating enough income from those PayPal
donation buttons? Maybe you should consider accepting payment in
other forms.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
That link from onestepahead is dead now.
Has it been “darrenbarefooted!”
Damn, I miss the Brunching Shuttlecocks.
With regards to the Vegetarian Starter Kit, I’m forced to ask the age-old question: if we’re not meant to eat animals, then why are they made of meat?
While this is a nonsense question, I will remark upon the list of names given in an attempt to promote this lifestyle; they’re all actors or performing artists. I’d sooner give up meat if the list of names included respected scientists, the type of people who tend toward making informed decisions rather than following whatever the latest fad is.
I rather suspect that the list of names they use is geared that way because the target audience they’re trying to impress/connect with will be swayed by them. PETA is much more likely to convince a teenager to become vegetarian by saying that Natalie Portman doesn’t eat meat, than they will by saying that Benjamin Franklin was a vegetarian. Have a look at the list of famous vegetarians on the International Vegetarian Union’s website (in particular, the artist and writers and the politicians) if you want a more comprehensive collection of names.
I have to say that your comment smacks of disingenuousness: you don’t seem to be thinking of switching to a vegetarian diet regardless of anyone’s name that might impress you on a list of vegetarians. You seem more interested in using the PETA list to support a preconceived notion that vegetarianism is a fad for most people.
The fact of the matter is that vegetarianism isn’t something you should do because someone else does it. It’s purely a matter of personal choice. I don’t understand why so many people who eat meat seem to have such a chip on their shoulder about it. If vegetarianism isn’t for you, so be it. It’s not for everyone and I certainly don’t think any less of someone who eats meat (I did for 20 some-odd years, and my wife still does).
Your statement of disingenuousness is incorrect. I have toyed with a vegetarian diet at times, but have always gone back to meat after a few weeks. I’m always willing to be pursuaded of the advantages of changing my lifestyle – not just diet – but I typically request evidence of the benefits of prescribed alterations.
I have friends who are vegetarians, others who eat little meat, and yet others who are meat gourmands; none of them attempt to justify their choices and none appear to have any chip on their shoulder. Methink thou dost protest just a little too much…
Your statement of disingenuousness is incorrect. I have toyed with a vegetarian diet at times, but have always gone back to meat after a few weeks. I’m always willing to be pursuaded of the advantages of changing my lifestyle – not just diet – but I typically request evidence of the benefits of prescribed alterations.
To be fair, my comments were based on your statement “I’d sooner give up meat if the list of names included respected scientists, the type of people who tend toward making informed decisions rather than following whatever the latest fad is.” If you’d told me that you’d tried vegetarianism before and that your criterion for choosing a vegetarian diet was science and not celebrity… 😉
I have friends who are vegetarians, others who eat little meat, and yet others who are meat gourmands; none of them attempt to justify their choices and none appear to have any chip on their shoulder.
“Chip on their shoulder” is the wrong phrase (my apologies). Most people I know/meet aren’t openly hostile to vegetarians; however, I find that when people I encounter learn that I’m vegetarian, I hear a lot things like “I eat a lot less meat now than I used to” — almost as if my being vegetarian makes them feel guilty for eating meat. At first it was amusing, but now I just find it awkward.
Methink thou dost protest just a little too much…
That’s very often the case 😉
I believe Vegetarianism to be a valid “alternative” to the current omnivorous diet that the majority of the world’s population currently enjoys. I have a great deal of respect for those that are strict vegetarians because it involves a lot more effort (at least, that was my experience) to fulfil the requirements for a balanced diet. I think the important thing for all sides is that no one is necessarily more right than the other: morality is a subjective term; this is all too often forgotten by people.
Enjoy your vegetarian Caesar Salad, and I’ll sprinkle mine with bacon. 😉
Enjoy your vegetarian Caesar Salad, and I’ll sprinkle mine with bacon. 😉
As long as the Caesar dressing doesn’t contain anchovies 😉