gabrieldj

Man, that's a lot to go through in a short amount of time. I know it's a cliche, but it truly is the rough times that define us and help us grow. I guess it's a lot like getting big... if you didn't lift those heavy, pain-inducing weights, you'd never see the results. Hang in there, and remember you've got friends all over the world who are pulling for you!

Cool! Let me know when you want to get together!

Rodeo, breeding purebred dogs and letting them loose without spaying or neutering, leatherworking, designing fur coats, worshipping Anna Wintour, cockfighting, testing cosmetics on cute little bunnies, and raising veal calves and geese for foie gras. Of course, I am kidding Let's see, other than veganism/animal rtights and getting fit.... GLBT rights, environmentalism, anything Mac related (getting my iPhone in mere days!!!), technology in general, games (Wii, DS, Mac), movies, music, theatre, reading.. can't think of anything else at the moment. I'm taking a break from a Marketing paper!

It's definitely still closed. You can check out updates on their website: http://motherscafeaustin.com/

Austin, eh? This sounds like a good excuse for an Austin gathering... I second that!

Tragically,Mother's burned down! They say it will be rebuilt, but I don't know when it's going to happen Make sure to check out Nu Age Cafe while you're here... it is phenomenal, though the decor is trippy. Mr. Natural is also awesome, as well as Casa du Luz. There are plenty of other places for just about any cuisine you can think of... except for Italian food. I have yet to find good, vegan Italian, other than pizza.

Austin was rated on the the top greenest cities in the country by TreeHugger for MSN City Guides! Of course, Portland is in there too. http://cityguides.msn.com/citylife/greenarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=4848625

Awesome! I've got a little ink on my back, but I've wanted to get a shoulder/arm thing for a while. I'm inspired!

These are incredible! The tree boy and girl definitely have a Neil Gaiman/Tiim Burton-ish vibe!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

All of the animals are rescued and would not be able to be reintroduced into the wild. I believe they also won't take an animal if it could go to a sanctuary instead, so they have no elephants, for example. It's a pretty small place, quiet, and you don't see the animals pacing or exhibiting other signs of insanity. Obviously, it would be better if no zoos existed at all. However, when you read the signs outside the habitats and learn what these creatures have been through (roadside zoos, lions as guard animals in junkyards, etc.), and then see them sleeping in the sun, playing with their environment, and finally being treated with compassion, it's hard not to feel good about this place. I guess the alternative would be to put them all down, but I really don't see how that is the more compassionate choice.

Our zoo is the first that I've ever felt positive about visiting! Come on down!

OK, having only lived in Austin for about 3 years, I'm admittedly not an Armadillo expert. Co-workers assure me that they're all over Austin. I'm pretty sure you can see them at our Zoo(which is a rescue zoo and hosts an annual vegetarian chili cookoff!).

Austin you say, hmmmm.... Are there lots of Vegan places and friendly Vegans in Austin? Yes! We have awesome restaurants, a vibrant vegan scene, and plenty of friendly, kick-ass vegans (some with beautiful guest rooms right in the cool part of town)! Oh ok, When I think of Texas, I sort of think of George Bush, lots of Guns and Ranches.... Maybe I'll have to visit sometime.... Apart from the cool vegan Scene, and Kick-ass vegans I'd love to see an Armadillo (I've heard that you can see them in Texas), if you can tell me I might see one, then I'm sold.... (I think they are really cute) What we say here is that the best thing about Austin is that Texas is just a short drive away! Austin is a totally progressive, hippie town, with one of the best music scenes in the world, an incredible amount of outdoor activities, a thriving technology industry, and some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Travis County (where Austin is) is the only county in Texas that went for Kerry and the only county that went against the ban on same sex marriage! As for armadillos, I'm sure you can find them here, but Austin is not the dry, tumbleweed infested area that may come to mind when thinking of Texas. It's very green, with rolling hills, beautiful oak trees, and lakes. I'll do some research and find out where the armadillos hang out!

Austin you say, hmmmm.... Are there lots of Vegan places and friendly Vegans in Austin? Yes! We have awesome restaurants, a vibrant vegan scene, and plenty of friendly, kick-ass vegans (some with beautiful guest rooms right in the cool part of town)!

Being from Sydney, Portland's weather would be too cold for you. You'd be much better off in Austin!

Happy Birthday!

A painless sleep after a life of kindness and love. We all have to go sometime, and when I go, I hope I'm as lucky as she was! I'm sending you good vibes!

Thanks... I like your avatar btw Thanks! I like yours too! Your comment about the guy with big arms and stick legs reminds me of a guy at my gym who came in and said to my trainer, "All I want to work on is getting big traps. When people look at you, it's the only thing they notice, and if you have big traps, they'll think you're swole!" Why, oh why do we all waste our time on the rest of our bodies when all we need is big traps?!?

You're a beast!

Unfortunately, John has a Board to answer to, and its a very profitable business, the most profitable of all grocery store chains in fact. Right now, the health conscious consumers probably don't spend as much as the "foodies" who buy pricey cuts of meat. I think over time, great change will occur, but it will have to be gradual. I was amazed, for one, that they stopped selling live lobster. I've heard customers at the seafood area complaining, and the employees stand up for Whole Foods' decision and the more humane treatment of the lobsters. The best thing we can do is continue to let our voices be heard and spend money with companies that do the right things! Let's not forget the tremendous pressure that Whole Foods can put on companies like Pom, who changed their animal testing policy immediately after Whole Foods threatened to stop carrying their product!

Here in Austin, we have the flagship store which is the ground level of their corporate headquarters. It is an amazing experience for any foodie, and the vegan offerings are awesome. Their vegan gellato is phenomonal! However, they refuse to carry Vega! They say that they don't have a relationship with the vendor, so they won't order it. I let them know that the Union Square Whole Foods in Manhattan carries it and they said that because it's a different region, it doesn't make a difference. There was a small company here called Balaren Bay (or something like that) that I ordered from once, and they have since flaked out and won't return calls. So now I've been ordering from Food Fight! So, the point of all this rambling rant: Robert, next time you speak with any Whole Foods ordering people, let them know they should carry Vega at their flagship store in Austin!

When I was in a bowling league as a little kid, I used to sing little songs to my bowling ball before I would throw the ball. It eventually became an OCDish thing where I thought I wouldn't hit any pins if I didn't do it. Unfortunately, it didn't help my terrible bowling skills. Nowadays while lifting, I find myself singing the words under my breath to the dance mixes I'm listening to. I also back up the song before my set so that the breakdown will happen just as I'm struggling to crank out the last rep. Between sets, I have to fight the urge to dance!