Treegans.com: the continuing adventures of KC and Dooz - two vegans living in the woods

slumdog millionaire

We saw an incredible movie over the weekend called "Slumdog Millionaire."  It's shot and set in Mumbai, India, about a former street child who makes it to the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" He's made it to the last question and has been accused of cheating. Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted (a good percentage of it is in Hindi and by children), and with a great soundtrack, it's well worth your time and money. (Its goriness is so realistic in parts that a good half dozen people left the movie halfway through.) For more of the plot, check out Wikipedia.

holiday message from michelle obama

We received the following email as a result of being on the Obama mailing list.  We thought it would be nice to share this message with you, as it provides links to a couple of organizations that could use your help.

Here's the message:

This holiday season, the grassroots movement you helped build can make a big difference for those in need.  I hope you will join me in supporting your favorite charity or contributing to causes that are especially meaningful to me and my family.

While many of us will spend the holidays counting our blessings and sharing dinner with loved ones, millions of people around the country won't be so fortunate. Donating to your local food bank will help provide a holiday meal to people in your community who can't afford one.

Talking with the families of deployed troops was one of the most rewarding experiences I had during the campaign. Giving to Operation USO Care Package is a great way to send members of our military stationed around the world a reminder that someone back home is thinking of them.

This is a time to celebrate our blessings, the new year, and a new era for our country. But it's also a time to come together on behalf of those who need our help.

Do what you can to help today by locating your local food bank and giving your support:
http://my.barackobama.com/foodbanks

Or send a care package to an American in uniform:
http://my.barackobama.com/carepackage

Thank you for all that you do and have a very happy holiday season,
Michelle

eau de whopper

People of the world, meet Flame:  the new body spray from Burger King.  It's "the scent of seduction, with a hint of flame-broiled meat".  We couldn't make this stuff up.

nyt op-ed: secretary of food

An interesting op-ed piece in The New York Times this week from Nicholas Kristof concerning candidates for the Secretary of Agriculture in the new administration. 

Similar in theme to Michael Pollan's Open Letter to the Next Farmer in Chief, Kristof provides a strong argument for reform of the current farm subsidy system, based on his own experience.  "One measure of the absurdity of the system", he explains, is that "every year you, the American taxpayer, send me a check for $588 in exchange for me not growing crops on timberland I own in Oregon (I forward the money to a charity). That’s right. The Agriculture Department pays a New York journalist not to grow crops in a forest in Oregon".

Read his article in The Times, and check out Food Democracy Now for more info.

there's a lump of clean coal in my stocking

Clean coal technology was frequently mentioned during the 2008 presidential campaign.  Here in Pennsylvania, we hear about it all the time.  In fact, if you've driven west on the PA Turnpike, you've probably seen a billboard or two (paid for by the coal industry) proudly proclaiming the marvels of clean coal.

So here's the thing:  "clean coal" is a load of crap.  It's a total oxymoron.  Like eco-friendly Hummers and Santa Claus, clean coal technology doesn't exist (sorry, kids).   The fact of the matter is that clean coal technology isn't commercially available.  Its development is still years away, and will take billions of dollars to implement.  

If you'd like to learn more, visit  The Reality Coalition.  They've got a commercial running on cable television that you may have seen, and their "canary in a coal mine" website graphics are a hoot. 

proposition 8: the musical

In case you haven't seen or heard about this yet, you've gotta check out Prop 8: The Musical at Funnyordie.com.  It's a brilliant statement about the hypocrisy of those who wish to legislate morality.  Great stuff!

vegan and delicious

Yes, this is an excessive amount of mac & cheese.   And, yes - it really is vegan and delicious.

We've been through our share of boxed vegan mac & cheese brands, and most of them really suck.  Some of them only suck a little.  Leahey Gardens Macaroni & Cheese doesn't suck at all.  In fact, it's "vegan and delicious".  It says so right on the label, so it must be true. 

Seriously - this stuff rocks.  You can order it online at Pangea Vegan Store, if we haven't already bought it all.

happy december

Only 24 shopping days left till vacation!