The Society That Cried Wolf

I’m old enough to remember Y2K and all of the hype surrounding that supposed end of times. Now this generation is growing up having seen the failure of the infamous 12/21/12. When will it happen again? What date will be selected for the next mass craze?

It concerns me that so often in our society do we work ourselves up with such vigor over events that seem to carry over unnoticed. What happened today that wouldn’t, or couldn’t have taken place any other day? Sure, there were deaths, murders, crimes, whatever happening all over the world, but it was still just a normal day. I still went to bed too late, woke up too early, ate a shitty lunch, and had a mediocre day at work; nothing out of the ordinary.

I won’t lie and say I wasn’t nervous. I am a neurotic, anxiety prone dude. No two ways about it. But, this kind of hysteria which seems to only be our culture’s way of poking fun at our mortal fate is disturbing. What would happen when the real end of times happens? Is this kind of social phenomena, a symptom of some higher power that is preparing us to make fun of this idea so that when it really happens we are laughing about it? Is this our society crying wolf so that no one takes it seriously when it does happen?

Maybe I’ve just watched too much Doomsday Preppers and other mind numbing Dicovery Channel dribble. Not maybe, I have. I just don’t know why we are so fixated on a Hollywood style end of times catastrophe. The world is already crumbling down around us. We are polluting the air, water, and oceans faster than nature can heal itself. Our resources are being destroyed and our current set up is terrible. We are a society that wraps bananas in plastic to sell them. We are a society that throws out food rather than give it to those who are starving. We are a society that needs a wakeup call. We are a society that needs to change. We don’t need to have a catastrophe to start this change. We all just need to wake up. Look around.

That meat didn’t get to the grocery store innocently. Gallons and gallons water and grain went into making that meat. That grain and that water could have been used to feed hungry people, not antibiotic pumped cows. We are breeding animals to kill them. We are creating science fiction creatures to slaughter and consume. This all needs to change. We need a more compassionate world. We need a real change. I don’t want the world to end, but I do want the world to change. There are 7 billion people here and I refuse to believe the situation we have now is the best we can come up with, the best we can agree upon.

So the world didn’t end today. Be happy. Show some of that gratitude towards the planet that didn’t disintegrate beneath your feet. Show some thanks to the oceans that didn’t flood your streets. Be compassionate. Share your wealth. Share your food. Donate your time, money and energy. Kiss your loved ones. Hold them tight and tell them you care about them. Take this wakeup call as recognition to be happy, to be free. The world didn’t end! Spread your love!

End Rant.

RECIPE TIME!! Vegan Mac and Cheese

RECIPE TIME!!

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“Mac and Cheeze”

My ex-girlfriend, who is now vegan, was raised on an extreme version of the SAD (Standard American Diet). A slab of meat, canned vegetables, and instant mashed potatoes, or hotdogs and mac and cheese were basic staples of her childhood. Her cravings for that creamy, Kraft style Mac and Cheese led us on an adventure towards perfecting a substitute that would pass for that childhood flavor.

By George, we think we’ve got it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 box Mac and Cheese (the kind where the noodles come separately from the cheese sauce packet)

The Sauce

• A few tablespoons more than a half cup of your favorite non dairy milk (soy or almond milk recommended)
• ¼ of a cup of Daiya Cheddar style shreds
• 1 Teaspoon of Earth Balance, or other non dairy butter substitute
• 1 Teaspoon of sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of whole wheat flour
• Pinch of salt, to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a splash of cooking oil and a pinch of salt to flavor the water and help the noodles not stick together. Add the box of noodles, stirring occasionally, and allow to fully cook. When they’re done drain them in a colander and let them sit until the sauce is done.

Add the non dairy milk into a pot over medium high heat. Add the non dairy butter, sugar and salt. Stir the liquid to dissolve the ingredients and incorporate them all. Add the Daiya Shreds and allow to heat until the cheese becomes completely melted. Add the flour to the pot and stir and whisk the sauce to combine all of the ingredients and break up any clumps. Keep whisking until the sauce get hot enough to become bubbly and a uniform color and texture. Shut off the heat to the stove and allow the sauce to sit in the pot.

Take the cooked noodles and dump them into the pot. Stir the noodles around until completely coated in the sauce. Now you have that mac and cheese that you have missed so much! Not to mention it’s cruelty and cholesterol free!

Stay tuned for pictures and stuff!

I Might Not Be Allowed to Be Called Japanese Anymore

Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!


It happened. The perfect storm of events that might make me not eligible to be considered Japanese anymore took place.

First of all, my rice cooker pot broke. This rendered me unable to make rice in a timely and convenient fashion. Cooking rice in a pot on the stove? As that meme would say, "Aint nobody got time for that!" As we all know, a Japanese person without rice is almost an exact comparison to a fish out of water. Unless of course the fish is going to be used for sushi, in which case that is the logical progression, but I digress. So, I broke my damn rice cooker. Although this may not seem like a huge deal, motha fukka's bills be tight recently. Motha fukka doesn't really have time or money to go out and just replace a rice cooker. Shit costs mad yen, homie.

It happened again. In a fit of desperation mixed with the perfect proportion of laziness and convenience in the grocery store, I happened upon the rice section in the infamous asian aisle. I saw that Morgan Freeman looking sonofabitch glaring back at me with his nice, big smile. I couldn't resist. I needed rice and this newfangled Uncle, who goes by Ben, claimed to have some bomb ass medium grain which would be cooked in five minutes! It was an offer I couldn't refuse. So I went home, and to get my fix of that white stuff I boiled that shiz up. In about 7 minutes I had a pot of my new friend Uncle Ben's goodness steaming away for my pleasure. I put some teriyaki vegetables and tofu on that shiz and I put some kimchi on the side. Now I know to most people somewhat familar with all of the components of that sentence there is now a mixture of Japanese food, white-man-minute-rice, and a korean staple on that plate. To most this would sound like some sort of prelude to another international dispute. Well, the thing is this... PSY made a catchy ass song, and kimchi is mad good. Uncle Ben came through in the clutch and got my ass some rice. Teriyaki vegetables and tofu need no damn explanation.

So this is the question I put out there for everyone: does the combination of me not having/breaking a rice cooker, coupled with cooking and eating Uncle Ben's minute rice disqualify me in some fashion from being Japanese?

I'd hope not, but you never know these days.

First Post! Who I am, what I'm here for, and where I'm going!

Hello everyone!

I wanted to start this blog to document my adventures in life, my ventures in various vegan venues, my terrible alliteration attempts. Really though, I want this to be a place where I can speak my mind, learn a few things, and of course share many things.

Who Are you Even (stevens)?!

My name is Mark. Yes, Mark, with a "K". Not any of that pseudo French style spelling. I currently reside in the teeny, tiny town of Olcott, New York. It's about a stone's throw, literally, from the shores of Lake Ontario. I wasn't always in this oppressive little town though. I came into this world in the city of San Francisco. On the 25th of July, in the year of 1989, a new baby boy came into this world. That boy was me! Now I guess I'm considered a man, but that title never really seems fitting to me. I still feel like I'm some sort of amalgamation of an elderly man, a punk kid, and a rebel with many causes.

I'm vegan, and I have been for years. I live about an hour from the only decent grocery store in the area, and giving it the title "decent" is bestowing a credit where it is barely due. So, I cook most of my own meals. I'm an avid amateur chef so I will certainly be posting some sweet recipes on here for you all to find, vegan of course!

I'm an aspiring artist. I love to paint, sketch, and create in any and every medium(sometimes larges(always awful puns)) So, you'll see some of my art presented here sometimes too! I'm setting up an etsy soon to sell my creations, crafts and other random things as well. I'll update when it's all ready steady.

Nice to meet you! Please come by and keep posted on all of the goings ons ands stuffs.