Sunday 3 December 2006

Kill Eat Exploit the Weak guide to holiday shopping

If you missed last night's show, you also missed our suggestions about how and where to spend your xmas money. Lucky you, we promised to post the list here.


independent local retailers (KW):

Green Door Vegan Variety
10-509 Wilson Ave, Kitchener, 519-896-1500

Delirium Clothing
23 King St N, Waterloo, 519-886-8480

Scaredy Cats Costumes and more
64 King St E, Kitchener, 519-576-5340

The Catacombs
108 Queen St S, Kitchener


independent artists online:

The Royal Sarcophagus Society Store


online veg friendly shopping (Canada):

WWF Panda Store

Comondi

Grass Roots Environmental Products

PhytoAromatics

Downbound


online veg friendly shopping (US and international):

Jorubo

Crafters for Critters

Anatomy of a Skirt


Whammy Industries

Green House Framing

Super Vegan

Lekkner

Food Fight Grocery

If you're feeling ambitious you can also check our website's Causes page. Some of the charities listed there sell items to raise money for their efforts. And there's always the option of making a donation to a good cause in someone's name...

On a slightly different note, while I was browsing through Herbivore Magazine looking for shopping ideas I came across an interview with Michael Franti. At one point he talks about the importance of realism in the "politics of veganism," and since what he says is very close to my own philosophy I wanted to share it with you here:
"I find that people come to vegetarianism a lot more easily through attraction than they do through shock tactics. I'm somebody that really believes in that. I don't preach my diet to other people. If people want to talk about it because I'm eating certain things, I'll talk to them about it. If people want to know if there are some political beliefs, some economic reasons, or some health reasons behind it, I'll explain it to them. I don't try to belittle other people for where they're at in their evolution as a person.

"There should be some realism to the politics of veganism. For example, if we could get everyone in America to stop eating half as much or even 30 percent as much meat, it would be a much greater effect on the meat industry than if we just get a handful of all-out, 100 percent vegans. So, while I would love to see everyone benefit from the health effects of veganism, I would also like them to see the effects of the meat industry on the environment, on the suffering of animals, and on the consumption of oil and other natural resources ... of deforestation ... all of these things could be significantly reduced if we encouraged people to eat less and less and less meat. Over time, hopefully, people find the benefit of being vegan or vegetarian."

Michael Franti (Spearhead, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Beatnigs) in Herbivore Magazine, Issue 12, p.52

next on-air KEEW: Dec 16, 11pm ET


3 comments:

laura said...

How fortuitous! I will assuredly check it out. (thanks for the information)

laura said...

Thanks for the info, Kelly.

Adam Wilson said...

I am the founder and ownder of Downbound.com, the company that "Kelly" above suggests is over-priced. I would first like to say that "Kelly" is not who he/she says she is. She claims to be located in the Carolinas, but her emails are IP stamped as coming from Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. "Kelly" first appeared online in January 2006, and since then has ONLY posted items related to Downbound.com. He/she has made a long-term campaign out of using blogs like yours to post "warnings" about Downbound. I suspect that "Kelly" is either a competitor or someone with a personal axe to grind. He/she has not acknowledged my attempts to communicate with him/her via email, to attempt to find a solution to his/her perceived issues with Downbound.

As for the claims made about Downbound's prices, I fully agree that people should check around before buying. Downbound's prices are actually very competitive. The few products that "Kelly" references are taken in isolation from over 500 products that we carry. Our mark-ups are very commensurate with industry standards, and our profit margins are slim. My main priority is making it easy for consumers to find otherwise hard-to-find vegan, fair labor, and organic products.

Thank you for this opportunity to share. If you or any of your readers have any questions whatsoever, I can be reached directly at adam.wilson@downbound.com or 416-890-4844.

Sincerely,

Adam Wilson
Downbound.com