Episode 102

(Air Date: March 1st, 2018)

Happy March, y’all!  Happy one-more-week until I’m 39 years old and therefore official sound like I’m lying about my age…

Is it too late in the year to say “New Year, New Me”?

If not, I want to say New Year, New Podcast Format!!!

As I’ve been teasing on a few recent episodes, I’ve been wanting for some Big Fat Vegan Radio Listeners to co-host an episode with me!

Well many of you have reached out (I started a list, okay? I haven’t forgotten you! ……I think!) and today, I am thrilled and honored to bring my first guest co-host onto the show!

Please welcome Ashe Harris, today’s guest co-host!

TWITTER: @widgetoc

VERO: widgetoc

Website: www.widgetoc.com

On today’s episode, WE BRING BACK “HISSES & PURRS” as well as our Big Fat Vegan Food segment!

HISSES AND PURRS

Ashe’s Purr:

The use of wild animals in circuses to be banned from the UK by 2020

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/wild-animals-circus-ban-england-2020-defra-government-a8230691.html

Ashe’s Hiss:

U.S. Cattleman’s Association filing for the word “meat” to be banned from plant-based foods

https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/us-cattlemens-association-wants-word-meat-banned-plant-based-foods.html

Ben’s Purr:

Fifth Harmony Star Goes (correction: IS TRYING) Vegan(ism)

https://www.livekindly.co/fifth-harmony-star-announces-veganism/

Ben’s Hiss:

Rescued pig adopted then killed and eaten

https://globalnews.ca/news/4047050/molly-pig-bc-spca-owner-killed-eaten/

RETRACTED: Ben’s Half-Hiss:

Cows’ Lives Matter activists

http://fox6now.com/2018/02/26/animal-rights-activists-chant-cows-lives-matter-at-madison-store-ordered-not-to-return/

***UPDATE*** For starters, you’ll see the above link no longer works.  I’m glad to see Fox News actually took the article down!  But it turns out this is literal FAKE NEWS! And thank you to Jeff Stanek from Madison, Wisconsin who came on to the show to tell us what ACTUALLY went down.  So I updated this episode and dropped the interview into this episode to set the record straight.

In addition, here are some links Jeff would like for you to check out:

Facebook post:

www.facebook.com/DxEMadison/posts/172118006753564

“Disrupt #Februdairy” video:

http://y2u.be/HY32bZR74uA

“Say ‘No Thanks’ to Violence” video:

http://y2u.be/nOy6ZgKnecM

BIG FAT VEGAN FOOD!

Ashe’s Food Mentions:

Chicago opened its first Veggie Grill this month:

https://chicago.eater.com/2018/2/15/17016654/veggie-grill-first-chicago-lakeview-lincoln-park-photos-images-open-vegetarian-chain

And, a bit of personal excitement, Tropical Smoothie Cafes are suddenly springing up all over the place and they will swap Beyond Meat chicken in any of its chicken dishes!! Cannot wait to become a regular!

Tropical Smoothie Cafe – franchise throughout MI with some in IL, WI, IN, and OH.

https://www.tropicalsmoothiecafe.com/

Ben’s Food Mentions:

BareBurger now carries both the Impossible Burger & Beyond Burger at ALL 12 NYC locations, and said they will be available at all their locations around the world by the end of February.  (Can anyone verify yet if that’s true outside of NYC?)

https://www.livekindly.co/vegan-beyond-burger-arrives-at-all-nyc-bareburger-restaurants/

Also two awesome pizza places Ben went to in the UK:

Purezza in Brighton, England

And Zad’s in Manchester, England (which it totally delicious, badass, and run by ethical vegan activists who just f***ing rock!)

…On a personal note, (Ben here) when Ashe asked me if I had fun in England, I could not hide the bit of hesitation in my voice.  I meant to address that (more fully) in my answer, but I forgot to.  And I don’t want to leave anyone thinking I didn’t enjoy my time there.

Here’s what that reaction was about.

The trip cost me so much money, and wasn’t (FINANCIALLY) worth the cost because I didn’t accomplish what I went out there to accomplish (raising money for animals, and earning a decent living doing that.)

And when people say “Well at least you got to enjoy touring the UK” it’s hard to agree with that sentiment, because what I really did was just take a lot of trains and Ubers when I wasn’t sitting in a room somewhere getting my face on.

So it’s hard to say “Yeah, gurl! The UK was awesome” this trip was kind of a miss for me.  But I did get to see some friends in London, I met a designer who wants to make me a few designer outfits (free of charge!) and is currently doing just that, and probably more than anything, I appreciate meeting “Tofu” Smith and his girlfriend Ellie up in Manchester.  They really touched my heart in a way I have struggled ever since to put words to.  I am so moved by who they are, and by their unquestionable commitment to the animals.

Okay I gotta stop or I’ll cry!

And the morning after my show there, I took part in a demonstration with the York Animal Save.  I’ve never taken part in an Animal Save before, and I must say, I don’t even know if I’m up to the challenge.  It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, bearing witness to the suffering of animals who are RIGHT in front of me, yet there is nothing I can do to save that individual animal, and I know it’s in its final agonizing moments of “life”.

My hat is off to these dedicated activists who wake up before the sun so they can stand in the freezing cold and bear witness to horrific suffering.

THAT is what I will think of when I look back on this UK tour — that and the fact that I actually pulled off a three-city tour of the UK on like……. FIVE DAYS NOTICE!  High-five, self! 

Please be in touch and let us know what you thought of this episode!

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@HoneyLaBronx

Check out

Honey LaBronx’s Vegan Drag Queen Cooking Show

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS!

HONEY LABRONX IS GOING BACK ON TOUR!

Thursday, March 1st

Philadelphia, PA

Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar

EVENT LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/267598323776606/

Friday, March 2nd

River Edge, NJ

Club Feathers

EVENT LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/1943725852610968/

Saturday, March 3rd

South Farmingdale (Long Island), NY

NuBar

EVENT LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/2194279367466107/</