T.O.F.U. Magazine » edmonton

Another reason to vote: a contributor and a candidate

Kira — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 15:31:41 +0000

“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
- Haile Selassie

If you are Canadian and able to vote in the upcoming election, it might be of interest to you to know that one of our contributors, David J. Parker, is a candidate for the Green Party in Edmonton Central. A 20 year veteran of the Green Party and environmental activism, David has been a vegetarian since 1987, a vegan since 1997, and wrote about his vegan genesis in the last issue of T.O.F.U. Magazine.

Whether or not you’re able to or interested in voting for David, however, please do vote. We are a notoriously apathetic country when it comes to our own political system, but change doesn’t happen on it’s own. There is always the risk that things may make a turn for the worse, but there is also the certitude that things will not improve unless we act. In the end, it is up to each of us to not only be the change we want to see in the world, but also to push for that change. Voting in a flawed system might not be the perfect solution, but it can be a step in the right direction.

Behind the Lines: David J. Parker

Ryan — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:46:24 +0000

Starting a veg association in any city is likely to be hard work, but starting one in the middle of cattle and oil country seems a little lentil, right?

All bad jokes aside, David J. Parker and the folks at the Vegans & Vegetarians of Alberta Association have put some serious work into spreading the word about being veg, and the results have been great. Luckily, along with putting so much time and effort into VofA and his work with the Green Party here in Canada, David was kind enough to contribute “A Veggieman’s Journey” to the last issue of the magazine.

Recently, we also got a few answers from him to fill in the story a little more.

Green Party | VofA

In one word, why are you vegan?
Once I learned how animals affect my health and the environment, and even later how they are treated, I wonder how I stayed omnivorous for the first 40 years.

How long have you been vegan?
We went to the North American Vegan Society annual conference in Olympia, Washington in about 1997 and came back vegan.

Who would win in a fight: Quinoa or Couscous?
I eschew allusions to conflict and combat – anyway, variety is the spice of life.

Would you prefer to lead a revolution or to live quietly in the woods?
I like to think that every day I participate in a revolution. Leaders are a bore, and I’m too soft for the back woods.

If there is a revolution, will it be televised or a Facebook event?
To repeat, we are in the revolution, but it won’t be acknowledged until it is over.

Favourite vegan thing in your town:
Padmanadi Restaurant weekend buffets

Winding down in Edmonton

Ryan — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:52:08 +0000

Thanks to all those who came out to the show in Edmonton tonight, whether or not you were standing behind a table promoting a cause or standing on the other side of it learning about it, thank you. Tonight was pretty much the kind of show we had in mind when all this was just a thought in our heads.

Hearing from everyone online or in person has been great, and I can not wait to meet more people in the coming weeks.

A Little Help From My Friends?

Ryan — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:42:02 +0000

So, I thought it may help if I posted the tour schedule here in case you have suggestions for the spaces we currently have yet to figure out. We’re looking for venues that are capable of holding a great music show, and if they happen to be veg*-friendly that is a definite plus. If not, I think we’ll be friendly enough to make up for it.
=-)

Also, we’re still looking for veg* musicians, in bands or solo, that would be interested in playing a date or two with us. So, if you are in a city where we seem to need help, drop me a line and we’ll work something out.

See you somewhere out there,
Ryan

Dates in bold are in need of help.

Canada

Thurs, Apr.30th – Halifax, Nova Scotia – The Wooden Monkey
Sat, May.2nd – Saint John, New Brunswick – A Khord

Sun, May.3rd – Quebec City, Quebec
Mon, May.4th – Montreal, Quebec

Tues, May.5th – Ottawa, Ontario – Umi Cafe
Wed, May.6th – Toronto, Ontario – The Boat
Thurs, May.7th – Guelph, Ontario – Van Gogh’s Ear

Fri, May.8th – DAY OFF – DRIVING
Sat, May.9th – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Mondragon Cafe
Sun, May.10th - Regina, Saskatchewan – BeetRoot Organics

Mon, May.11th – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Tues, May.12th – Edmonton, Alberta – Hydeaway All-Ages Art Space

Wed, May13 – Calgary, Alberta
Thurs, May.14th – Vancouver, British Columbia

Fri, May.15th – Seattle, Washington – Holy Mountain
Sat, May.16th – Spokane, Washington- Caterina Winery
Sun, May.17th – Portland, Oregon – Laughing Horse Books

Mon, May.18th – DAY OFF – REDWOOD FOREST

Tues, May.19th – San Francisco, California

Wed, May.20th – Echo Park, California – Echo Curio
Thurs, May.21st – Los Angeles, California – Unknown Cafe
Fri, May.22nd – DAY OFF – Los Angeles, California
Sat, May.23rd – Los Angeles, California – Genghis Cohen
Sun,May.24th – Phoenix, Arizona – Ruby Room

Mon, May.25th – Northern Arizona
Tues, May.26th – New Mexico (Albuquerque or Santa Fe)

Wed, May.27th – Denver, Colorado – Quixote’s
Thurs, May.28th – Nebraska – HOLDING FOR SADDLE CREEK BAR

Fri, May.29th – Topeka or Kansas City

Sat, May.30th – Wichita, Kansas – Fisch Haus

Sun, May.31st – Des Moins
Mon, June.1st – Indianapolis

Tues, June.2nd – Mansfield,Ohio – House Show
Wed, June.3rd – PA,NY or NJ – On Hold

Thurs, June.4th – New York City, NY

Fri, June.5th – Long Island, New York – On Hold

One small step…

Ryan — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:10:03 +0000

Just created three events pages for the T.O.F.U. Facebook page. That’s about a tenth of the way to being done… why don’t I just work 9-5 like everybody else?

=-p

Pre-tour panics

Ryan — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:34:55 +0000

I’m not sure how I feel right now about the tour. Some parts of it are moving along nicely, but other parts are dead in the water. I understand Calgary being a tough city to crack, but where is Portland in the mix? And Vancouver? These two fine vegan cities have to have something for us, right?
Ah well, I’m sure it will all work out in the end and once we hit the road the month and a bit we will be gone will go by fast. Come to think of it, I’m looking forward to the whole thing even if Portland and Vancouver do not show their true vegan colours. I always have… Edmonton, right?