My New Year's Resolution Just Got Easier

Beer Kettles by Flickr user Setaou_

I'm sharing my resolution here to be a better vegan because that means I'll have to do it or face public ridicule.

That's not true.  I mean, the part about why I'm sharing my resolution to be a better vegan.  That is my actual resolution, and I apologize for any confusion.  I ought to resolve to write clearer sentences or stop making stuff up, but maybe I can do that in 2012, when the Maya-predicted catastrophe occurs and gives me an out for not accomplishing my resolution.  "Sorry I still fib," I'll say, "but I was distracted by California falling off into the ocean."  You'll understand.

The real reason I'm sharing my resolution is because I've found a great online resource for vegans, and as the creator of the library's fancy guide to vegan resources [1], I feel responsible for sharing this website with you all.

Barnivore [2] provides information on alcohol.  Specifically, it tells whether a brewery, winery, or distillery crafts vegan liquors.

This is where people usually stop me to ask what on earth could make a beer, wine, or other spirit non-vegan.  Per Barnivore:

When making the product, dairy, honey, and other things (including, in one case, a whole chicken dropped in the tank) are ingredients in the final recipe.
When filtering the drinks prior to bottling, companies can use things like isinglass (from fish bladder,) gelatin, egg whites, and sea shells, among other things. These products grab onto the impurities and make it easier to catch them in the filters, though there are many animal-free alternatives in use.

No, I don't know which beverage is the one that drops a whole chicken in the tank.  Some of you goofy omnivores are let down that it's not a pound of bacon--I know how you are with your bacon obsessions.

Barnivore's easy to use--either click on type of alcohol to browse a list of all entries, or search for the brand you're curious about.  They also link to several iPhone apps [3], which would be very handy to use to access their information while at a bar.

If you search for and do not find a beverage you're looking for, Barnivore provides a stock template that you can use to email to the company.  Being all grassrootsy, they ask that you forward the reply to them so they can update their information.  And this, by the way, is so very easy.  I just searched Barnivore for Roscoe's Hop House Amber Ale, a really tasty brew that I found at Meijer of all places.  Roscoe's isn't listed, so I Googled them [4], got their email address, edited Barnivore's email template, and sent off the note in less time than I've taken on typing this paragraph.

Barnivore will be getting quite a few hits from my IP address this year as I strive to be a better vegan by having more information before placing my drink order at Crane Alley.  It looks like they've still got that Rogue Double Chocolate Stout [5], which I've just learned is safe for vegan consumption [6].

This year will be delicious.

Your link order, sir/madam:
1. Our Vegan Resources Guide (which looks cooler in print--swing by and grab a copy)
2. Barnivore
3. iPhone apps that use Barnivore's info
4. Finding Roscoe's Hop House info
5.  I didn't know Crane Alley's Beer List was online
6. Barnivore's entry on Rogue
blpost

My name is Brian, and I'm a fanboy...

And because of this, you should expect links like this one to a recent EarlyWord blog post with more info about the Game of Thrones HBO series to air this spring.  There's another 30 second promo, as well as a minute and a half or so of behind the scenes stuff.  Check it out at EarlyWord.

The Magic App: It's Probably Out There

Much hay has been made of the iPhone and Apple's corresponding App Store, a source of countless time-saving and time-wasting applications.

Like me, you may not own an iPhone, or even a home computer.

But if you have a digital task you need to perform, and access to the Web (say, at the library), it's likely you can find tools to do it completely online.

CNet.com is home to "Webware," a news spot for some of the coolest and most popular online apps available.

If you rely on the library's public PCs to git 'r done, Webware (and CNet, generally) just might have what you're looking for.

PC, Mac, and mobile users should also check out CNet's download center.

Little Red Riding Hood

Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny
from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

Acoustic, Ironic, Organic

Christian Lander is the creator of the enormously popular Website stuffwhitepeoplelike.com.

Now he's making extra bank with the NYT bestseller Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions.

Here's a sample:

#8 - Making You Feel Bad for Not Going Outside

White people love to be outside. But not everyone knows that another thing they like to do is make people feel bad for wanting to watch sports on TV or play video games. While it would be easy to get angry at white people for this, remember it is hardwired in their heads that the greatest thing people can do in their free time is hike/walk/bike outdoors.

Usually, they will see that you are preparing to enjoy your life and they will say, "Hey, let's go for a hike in the park," and most people will say, "Hey, thanks, but I've been working all week and I'm really excited about watching this game," and then they will respond, "Don't be a lump on the couch, you're wasting your life away," etc. If you ignore them, they will eventually go away.

Other stuff: public radio, knowing what's best for poor people, standing still at concerts, natural childbirth, platonic friendships, carbon offsets, and cheese.

Art-School Punks (Still) Among Us

Somehow, I completely missed the band Wire during my formative music-listening years. Since the late 1970s, they have been a huge influence on other musicians.

Not long ago, a friend sent me a copy of Pink Flag, which I enjoy tremendously.

In 2008, the band released a new album called Object 47, which has garnered positive reviews.

Until we obtain a copy of Wilson Neate's forthcoming book on Wire (part of Continuum's 33-1/3 series), check out the albums we own and take a quick look at these links:

Pinkflag.com (official band site)

Wire's MySpace page

Pitchfork reviews of Wire

AllMusic's biography

PopMatters on Wire reissues

Paint the White House Green?

Seattle-based Grist.org delivers the "green scoop" on President-elect Obama's cabinet picks.

Many score high marks for their publicly expressed concerns about climate change; others catch criticism for supporting genetically modified crops.

What's special about Grist? From their "About Us" page:

Let's face it: reading environmental journalism too often feels like eating your vegetables. Boiled. With no butter.

But at Grist, we believe that news about green issues and sustainable living doesn't have to be predictable, demoralizing, or dull. We butter the vegetables! And add salt! And strain metaphors! ...

[W]e throw brickbats when they're needed and bestow kudos when they're warranted. And while we take our work seriously, we don't take ourselves seriously, because of the many things this planet is running out of, sanctimonious tree-huggers ain't one of them.

On a similar note, have a look at our recent purchase, The New Village Green: Living Light, Living Local, Living Large.

The book contains a variety of informative articles and wisdom, including how to clean the air at home with house plants, the basics of financial independence, and even "How Insects Hunker Down for the Winter."

Elsewhere, TNVG contributor Larry Saltzman suggests some timely resources in "Understanding the Current Money Melt-Down," via HopeDance.

Man Up: The Chap

Gentlemen,

If during the recent Thanksgiving holiday you found your Onitsuka Tigers in comic dissonance with an obligatory trip to grandmother's house of worship, look here for inspiration:

The Chap Magazine

WHAT IS THE CHAP?

The Chap takes a wry look at the modern world through the steamed-up monocle of a more refined age, occasionally getting its sock suspenders into a twist at the unspeakable vulgarity of the twenty-first century.

Since 1999, the Chap has been championing the rights of that increasingly marginalised and discredited species of Englishman - the gentleman. The Chap believes that a society without courteous behaviour and proper headwear is a society on the brink of moral and sartorial collapse, and it seeks to reinstate such outmoded but indispensable gestures as hat doffing, giving up one's seat to a lady and regularly using a trouser press.

And when you've mastered a few new moves, you could give graspable extremities a try.

Boxoh.com

Well, folks, you probably want to start mailing those holiday gifts sooner rather than later, right? Yeah, I thought so.

So if you send a plasma flat-screen to Aunt Gladys via package tracking, try Boxoh.com.

The site helps you search for the status of USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL/AirBorne shipments. That's right ... all of them!

The Internet: it's dang beautiful sometimes.

Devil's Night Out

Halloween is just a week away, so maybe you're starting to panic about a get-up for the employee party. Fear not!

Instructables.com features a variety of how-to and do-it-yourself projects, including realistic flesh wounds and undead makeup; costumes for kids and adults; and festive accessories like the human brain carved from a watermelon.

For a little mood-setting, get your goosebumps on with one of TUFL's horror films or audiobooks from the horror collection.

Oh ... and heads-up, people: I have dibs on the Geico Caveman look.

Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites 2008

Okay, that was quick ... PCMag's current list of under-the-radar sites is already here, including a "favorites installer" that allows you to download all the site links.

The "Apps and Services" section is especially cool, featuring tools to "simplify your life and workflow." I'm intrigued by Jooce and PageOnce.

"Wicked" photo by Abulic Monkey

Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites 2007

A year ago, PCMag.com compiled a fantastic list of Web sites worth knowing about.

The sites range from the practical, like Zoho.com (which we librarians use on occasion), to geek-cult favorites, like xkcd.

Until PCMag releases a new list, check out the recently arrived Do-It-Yourself title Web Sites for Dummies:

The illustrated step-by-step instructions in this book--as well as the templates you can download from the companion Web site--will help you create an effective Web presence fast, whether you're creating a site for the first time or redesigning an old one. All you need are the most basic computer skills and a few easy-to-find software programs, and you'll be up and running in no time.

"Dummies" photo by stagewhisper