Famous Vegetarians

I Am Amrita Rao, and I Am a Vegetarian'.

2011-09-01T04:52:00.003-05:00

Suruchi Sharma, TNN

Wearing shorts and a T-shirt that reads, 'Powered by Tofu', sexy, yet elegant Bollywood actress Amrita Rao recently shot for a sexy new pro-vegetarian ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. In the ad, Amrita proudly proclaims, 'I Am Amrita Rao, and I Am a Vegetarian'.

Amrita is best known for her girl-next-door appeal and for her role in the film "Vivah", in which she shared screen space opposite fellow vegetarian and PETA supporter Shahid Kapoor. "I call being vegetarian the 'Wow Rao' diet. 'Wow' because I know that being a vegetarian is the best thing I can do for myself, the animals and the environment," says Amrita, adding, "Pulses can get pulses racing, while corpse cuisine slows you down. Kick the meat habit and you'll look and feel better than ever."

Amrita is best known for her girl-next-door appeal and for her role in the film "Vivah", in which she shared screen space opposite fellow vegetarian and PETA supporter Shahid Kapoor. "I call being vegetarian the 'Wow Rao' diet. 'Wow' because I know that being a vegetarian is the best thing I can do for myself, the animals and the environment," says Amrita, adding, "Pulses can get pulses racing, while corpse cuisine slows you down. Kick the meat habit and you'll look and feel better than ever."

With this campaign, Amrita joins a growing list of celebrities, including Lara Dutta, Pamela Anderson, Shahid Kapoor, Sir Paul McCartney, R Madhavan and Anil Kumble, who have teamed up with PETA to promote a healthy and compassionate vegetarian diet. With this campaign, Amrita joins a growing list of celebrities, including Lara Dutta, Pamela Anderson, Shahid Kapoor, Sir Paul McCartney, R Madhavan and Anil Kumble, who have teamed up with PETA to promote a healthy and compassionate vegetarian diet. -- Suruchi Sharma

Shahid Kapoor is Asia’s sexiest vegetarian!

2011-07-09T13:21:00.002-05:00

Spicezee Bureau

Mumbai: Bollywood chocolate boy actor Shahid Kapoor has been adjudged as Asia’s Sexiest Vegetarian Man for 2011.

Apart from Shahid, other popular names include B-Town hottie Kareena Kapoor, Mongolian singer Nominjin, model-turned Hollywood siren Maggie Q, Super Girl Jane Zhang, Taiwanese actor Blue Lan, actors Barbie Hsu, Gao Yuanyuan and songwriter Louis Cheung. Other favourite celebrities include Natalie Portman, Milo Ventimiglia, Hayden Panettiere, Jake Shields, Leona Lewis and Anthony Kiedis.

Apparently, Shahid won PETA’s India’s Sexiest Vegetarian contest in year 2009 and received the Filmfare Award for a Debut Film in 2003 for ‘Ishq Vishk.’

Talking to a daily, Shahid said, “I have always supported the cause of being a vegetarian, and it`s nice to be felicitated for something so close to my heart. Being voted as sexy is a matter of perception, but being vegetarian is a lifestyle change and something that comes from a sense of responsibility. I want to thank my fans for their vote and I am enjoying the sexy tag.”

Read more about him at:
Shahid Kapoor

Adele

2011-07-09T13:05:00.003-05:00

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988), known under the mononym Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the BRIT Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Adele attracted the attention of XL Recordings with a three-song demo posted on MySpace and then signed with the label. Since her debut, 19, Adele has received much recognition both commercially and critically. The album debuted at number one, and has been certified four times platinum in the UK. Her career in the US was boosted by a viewer record–breaking Saturday Night Live episode in late 2008. Adele released her second album 21 on 24 January 2011 in the UK, and 22 February in the US. The album was a critical and commercial success, selling 208,000 copies in its first week in the UK and debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart, a position it managed to hold for sixteen weeks. In the UK, 21 has been certified ten times Platinum for shipment of 3.0 million units.[6] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in the US, selling 352,000 copies in its first week. The album has charted at number one in 17 European countries and the US.

After performing at the 2011 BRIT Awards, the album track "Someone Like You" reached number one in the United Kingdom, while the album also remained at number one. "Someone Like You" held the number one position for four consecutive weeks. The song has also spent 2 weeks at number one in both New Zealand and Australia. The Official Charts Company announced that Adele is the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since The Beatles in 1964. 21 has spent eleven consecutive weeks at number one in the UK, the longest ever by a female solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, surpassing Madonna's nine weeks at number one in 1990 with her greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection. In the US the album has spent a total of nine weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 to date. The album has also broken the record for the most UK digital downloads. As of May 2011 the singer was worth £6 million tying her with Lily Allen and Duffy for 9th place on the list of the richest British and Irish music stars under age 30.

Recently she has become a Vegetarian.

Adele Goes Vegetarian Because of Her Dog

2011-07-09T12:59:00.002-05:00

“Rolling in the Deep” singer, Adele, has decided to go veg— and it’s all thanks to her pet pooch.
Apparently every time the 23-year-old eats meat she is reminded of her dog, so she has officially given up all meat products.

“I’m trying to be veggie,” she told Britain’s Radio 1. “For what I want to do next year I have to be really healthy and stuff like that.”

The crooner then added, “I can find another way of getting all the stuff out of meat you need. I hate that tofu stuff though. It’s rank. Whenever I’m about to eat meat I always see my little dog’s eyes.”Anyone have some yummy meat-free suggestions for this new veggie?

Read more about adele at:
Adele

Veggie Kareena refuses Rs 6 crore Non-Veg offer

2011-05-19T13:18:00.001-05:00

Spicezee Bureau

Mumbai: Kareena Kapoor is an adamant girl of sorts. The girl hails from a khandaan that religiously thrives on hardcore non vegetarian diet. But surprisingly, she has refused a whopping Rs 6 crore offer to endorse a chicken brand.

Reportedly, Bebo, who turned a disciplined vegetarian while dating Shahid Kapoor has turned down a tempting endorsement offer. And the brand failed to persuade the pretty lass who was hell bent on her convictions.

Ironically, the girl who once used to relish sumptuous non-vegetarian diet was voted by PETA as the world’s sexiest vegetarian in 2008.

A tabloid had quoted Kareena as saying, “If my fans are looking up to me and have turned vegetarians then I am happy about it. I am a pure vegetarian and it helps me keep fit and healthy. I am aware that my fans have liked my look in Tashan. If they turn vegetarian for that, then I am glad I set an example.”

Kareena is so happy going green that she has been taking charge of converting non-vegetarians into complete herbivores! Vivek Oberoi (Bebo’s ‘Kurbaan’ co-star), who apparently ate a variety of non-vegetarian food plans to turn a vegetarian owing to her influence.

However, Bebo has been finding it very hard to convince her beau Chote Nawab of Pataudi, Saif Ali Khan embrace vegetarianism. A strict vegetarian now, Kareena cannot stand the smell of an egg even.

Buzz has it that the actress, who had to eat egg for a scene in her latest flick ‘Short Term Shaadi’ opposite Imran Khan was on the verge of puking on seeing eggs.

Shahid might no longer be a part of Kareena’s life but the habit that he inculcated in her shall remain with her for ever.

Are we right Bebo?

Anna Hazare

2011-04-08T11:50:00.005-05:00

Enthralled by the great sage's life and by his dictum that the noblest thing a man can do is work for the good of others, Hazare avidly began reading religious texts and biographies of social reformers. And after his escape from the Sabre jets at Khemkaran, Hazare became a vegetarian, gave up cigarettes and liquor, and vowed to remain a bachelor devoting himself to public service.

Kisan Bapat Baburao Hazare (Marathi: किसन बापट बाबुराव हजारे) (born 15 January 1940), popularly known as Anna Hazare (Marathi: अण्णा हजारे), is an Indian social activist who is especially recognized for his contribution to the development of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India and his efforts for establishing it as a model village, for which he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by Government of India, in 1992.

On April 5 2011, Hazare started a 'fast unto death' to exert pressure on the Government of India to enact a strong anti-corruption act as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, a law that will establish a Lokpal (ombudsman) that will have the power to deal with corruption in public offices.

Anna Hazare was born in Bhingar village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra state in western India to Baburao Hazare and Laxmi Bai, an unskilled labourer family who owned five acres of land. He has two sisters. Due to adverse conditions in 1952 they had to move to their family home in Ralegan Siddhi. He was raised by his childless aunt in Mumbai but could not continue beyond VII standard and had to quit midway due to problems

He started his career as a driver in the Indian Army. He spent his spare time reading the books of Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave that inspired him to become a social worker and activist. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he was the only survivor in a border exchange of fire, while driving a truck. During the mid-1970s he was again involved in a road accident while driving.

After voluntary retirement from the army, Hazare came to Ralegan Siddhi village in 1975. Initially, he organized the youth of the village into an organization named the Tarun Mandal (Youth Association). He also helped forming the Pani Puravatha Mandals (Water Supply Associations) to ensure proper distribution of water.

Uprooting Alcoholism
As the next step towards social and economical change, Anna Hazare and the youth group decided to take up the issue of Alcoholism. It was very clear that there could be no progress and happiness in the village unless the curse of alcoholism was completely removed from their lives. At a meeting conducted in the temple, the villagers resolved to close down the liquor dens and ban the drinking of alcohol in the village. Since these resolutions were made in the temple, they became in a sense religious commitments. Over thirty liquor brewing units were closed by their owners voluntarily. Those who did not succumb to social pressure were forced to close down their businesses, when the youth group smashed up their liquor dens. The owners could not complain as their business was illegal.

Through the closure of liquor brewing reduced the alcoholism in Ralegan Siddhi, some villagers continued to drink. They obtained their liquor from neighboring villages. The villagers decided that those men would be given three warnings, after which they would be physically punished. Twelve men who were found in a drunken state even after initial warnings were tied to a pole with help of youth group and flogged. Anna Hazare says, “Doesn’t a mother administer bitter medicines to a sick child when she knows that the medicine can cure her child? The child may not like the medicine, but the mother does it only because she cares for child. The alcoholics were punished so that their families would not be destroyed.”

It is now twenty five years since such measure were used to cure the village of alcoholism. Along with the removal of alcohol from the village, it was decided to ban sale of tobacco, cigarettes and beedies. In order to implement this resolution, the youth group performed a unique "Holi" twenty two years ago. The festival of Holi is celebrated as symbolic burning of evil. The youth group brought all the tobacco, cigarettes and beedies from the shops in the village and burnt them in ‘Holi’ fire. From that day, no tobacco, cigarettes, beedies are sold in any shop at Ralegan Siddhi.

Lokpal Bill Movement
In 2011, Anna Hazare initiated a movement for passing a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal (ombudsman) bill in the Indian Parliament. As a part of this movement, N. Santosh Hegde, a former justice of the Supreme Court of India and Lokayukta of Karnataka, Prashant Bhushan, a senior lawyer in the Supreme Court along with the members of the India Against Corruption movement drafted an alternate bill, named as the Jan Lokpal Bill (People's Ombudsman Bill) with more stringent provisions and wider power to the Lokpal (Ombudsman). Hazare has started a fast unto death from 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a new bill with stronger penal actions and more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the states), after his demand was rejected by the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh Before commencing his 'fast unto death' he stated, "I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed".

The movement attracted attention very quickly through various media. It has been reported that thousands of people joined to support Hazare's effort. Almost 150 people are reported to join Hazare in his fast. He said that he would not allow any politician to sit with him in this movement. Politicians like Uma Bharti and Om Prakash Chautala were shooed away by protesters when they came to visit the site where the protest was taking place. A number of social activists including Medha Patkar, Arvind Kejriwal and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, Jayaprakash Narayan of the Lok Satta have lent their support to Hazare's hunger strike and anti-corruption campaign. This movement has also been joined by many people providing their support in Internet social media such as twitter and facebook. In addition to spiritual leaders Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh and former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev, many celebrities showed their public support through micro-blogging site Twitter. As an outcome of this movement, on 6 April, 2011 Sharad Pawar resigned from the group of ministers formed for reviewing the draft Lokpal bill 2010.Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi also supported support the anti corruption icon Anna Hazare and has urged cricket fans to carry flags and placards to IPL matches to express support to fasting Gandhian Anna Hazare and Jan Lokpal Bill; this was confirmed through micro-blogging site twitter.

The movement gathered quite a significant amount of support from India's youth visible through the local support and on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. There have also been protests in Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad among other cities of India.

Awards Received by Anna Hazare
* 2008 - On April 15 2008, Anna Hazare received the World Bank's 2008 Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service: "Hazare created a thriving model village in Ralegan Siddhi, in the impoverished Ahmednagar region of Maharashtra state, and championed the right to information and the fight against corruption."
* 1992 - Padmabhushan award, by the Government of India
* 1990 - Padmashri award, by the Government of India
* 1986 - Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award by the Government of India on November 19, 1986 from the hands of Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi.
* 1989 - Krishi Bhushana award by the Government of Maharashtra.

Felicitations: He was felicitated by the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation on 15 January 1987 and by the Pune Municipal Corporation also.

Do You Drink Milk? Watch This!

2011-03-24T10:58:00.002-05:00

Edwin Moses

2011-03-23T11:36:00.002-05:00

Edwin Corley Moses (born August 31, 1955) is an American track and field athlete who won gold medals in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 107 consecutive finals (122 consecutive races) and set the world record in his event four times. In addition to his running, Moses was also an innovative reformer in the areas of Olympic eligibility and drug testing. In 2000, he was elected the first Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, an international service organization of world-class athletes.

Edwin Moses is a Vegetarian.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Moses accepted an academic scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta and majored in physics and industrial engineering while competing for the school track team. Morehouse did not have its own track, so he used public high school facilities around the city to train. Initially, Moses competed mostly in the 120-yard hurdles and 440-yard dash. Before March 1976, he ran only one 400-meter hurdles race, but once he began focusing on the event he made remarkable progress. His trademark technique was to take a constant 13 steps between each of the hurdles, pulling away in the second half of the race as his rivals changed their stride pattern. That summer, he qualified for the US team for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. In his first international meet, Moses won the gold medal and set a world record of 47.63 seconds.

After breaking his own world record the following year, Moses lost to West Germany's Harald Schmid on 26 August 1977 in Berlin, his fourth defeat in the 400-meter hurdles. Beginning the next week, when he beat Schmid by 15 meters in Düsseldorf, Moses did not lose another race for nine years, nine months and nine days.

By the time American Danny Harris beat Moses in Madrid on June 4, 1987, Moses had won 122 consecutive races, set the world record two more times, won three World Cup titles, two World Championships, and earned his second Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles, where he was selected to take the Olympic Oath. After losing to Harris, he won 10 more races in a row, then finished third in the final 400-meter race of his career at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. As of October 2008, he still holds 26 of the 100 fastest times in the 400-meter hurdles.

Despite the Olympic boycott that kept him from competing in Moscow, Moses was the 1980 Track & Field News Athlete of the Year. A year later, he became the first recipient of USA Track & Field's Jesse Owens Award as outstanding U.S. track and field performer for 1981. He received the AAU's James E. Sullivan Award as outstanding amateur athlete in the United States in 1983. He was being named as ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year in 1984. Moses also shared the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year with American gymnast Mary Lou Retton in 1984, the same year he took the Athlete's Oath for the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 1984 his hometown of Dayton renamed Miami Boulevard West and Sunrise Avenue "Edwin C. Moses Boulevard". In 1999, Moses ranked #47 on ESPN's SportCentury 50 Greatest Athletes.

Leroy Burrell

2011-03-23T11:32:00.001-05:00

Leroy Russel Burrell (born February 21, 1967) is a former American athlete who twice set the world record for the 100 meters sprint, setting a time of 9.90 seconds in June 1991. This was then broken by Carl Lewis within a month. Burrell set the record for a second time when he ran 9.85 s in 1994, a record that stood until the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, when Donovan Bailey ran 9.84 s.

Burrell grew up in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania and attended Penn Wood High School where he single handedly won the state championship by winning the 100m, 200m, Long Jump, and Triple Jump. Suffering from poor eyesight accentuated by a childhood eye injury, he was poor at other sports but excelled on the track from an early age. He studied at the University of Houston, where he was a successful participant in its track program.

Burrell was plagued by injuries and bad luck throughout his career, particularly around major championships. He won gold in the 100 m ahead of Carl Lewis at 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle. He won the silver in the 100 m behind Lewis at the 1991 World Championships, and at the 1992 Summer Olympics was false-started in the 100 m final and, when the race finally restarted, his reaction off the line was slow and finished fifth. He did though manage to win a relay gold as part of the US team at Barcelona.

Since his retirement in 1998, Burrell has replaced his old college mentor, Tom Tellez, as coach of the University of Houston's track team. Burrell has led UH to 14 men’s Conference USA titles (nine indoor, five outdoor) and nine women’s titles (four indoor, five outdoor).

He married Michelle Finn, also a sprinter, in 1994, and they have three sons Cameron, Joshua and Jaden. His younger sister Dawn also competed in track and field on the highest level. According to an essay from PETA, Leroy Burrell has been a vegetarian.

Carl Lewis

2011-03-23T11:21:00.003-05:00

Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is a former American track and field athlete who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and subsequently retired. Lewis is now an actor and has appeared in a number of films.

Lewis was a dominant sprinter and long jumper who topped the world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump events frequently from 1981 to the early 1990s, was named Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News in 1982, 1983 and 1984, and set world records in the 100 m, 4 x 100 m and 4 x 200 m relays. His world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984 and his 65 consecutive victories in the long jump achieved over a span of 10 years is one of the sport’s longest undefeated streaks.

His lifetime accomplishments have led to numerous accolades, including being voted "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee and being named "Olympian of the Century" by the American sports magazine Sports Illustrated. He also helped transform track and field from its nominal amateur status to its current professional status, thus enabling athletes to have more lucrative and longer-lasting careers.

Amitabh Bachchan

2011-03-23T11:05:00.004-05:00

Amitabh Bachchan (Hindi: अमिताभ बच्चन, pronounced [əmɪtaːbʱ bəttʃən], born Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan on 11 October 1942), is an Indian film actor and producer. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Bollywood cinema, and has since become one of the most prominent figures in the history of Indian cinema.

Amitabh Bachchan is a Vegetarian. He has been voted Asia’s sexiest vegetarian male in a survey conducted by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Bachchan has won numerous major awards in his career, including four National Film Awards, three of which are in the Best Actor category, and fourteen Filmfare Awards. He holds the record for most number of Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Filmfare Awards. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter, and was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987.

Apart from National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards and other competitive awards which Bachchan won for his performances throughout the years, he has been awarded several honours for his achievements in the Indian film industry. In 1991, he became the first artist to receive the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established in the name of Raj Kapoor. Bachchan was crowned as Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001. France's highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Legion of Honour, was conferred upon him by the French Government in 2007, for his "exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond".

In 1999, Bachchan was voted the Greatest Star of stage or screen of the Millennium by BBC online poll where he defeated many Hollywood legends.[63] In 2001, he was honoured with the Actor of the Century award at the Alexandria International Film Festival in Egypt in recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema.[64] Many other honours for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Asian Film Awards.

In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been immortalised in wax at London's prestigious Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Another statue was installed at New York and Hong Kong in 2009.

In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of Deauville. He was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by the Jhansi University in 2004, the Delhi University in 2006, the De Montfort University in Leicester, UK in 2006, the University Brandan Foster by the Leeds Metropolitan University in Yorkshire in 2007. Another an Honorary Doctorate was conferred by the Queensland University of Technology in Australia in 2009. But he turns down the honour as mark of protest to racial attacks on Indian students.

Severals books have been written about Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan: the Legend was published in 1999, To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan in 2004, AB: The Legend: (A Photographer's Tribute) in 2006 /, Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti in 2006, Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar in 2006, Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me in 2007 and Bachchanalia in 2009. Bachchan himself has also written a book in 2002: Soul Curry for you and me - An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life.

Vidya Balan

2011-03-22T12:15:00.005-05:00

Vidya Balan (born 1 January, 1978) is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating in sociology, she began her career starring in many music videos, T.V shows and many commercials, before appearing in feature films.

Balan made her movie debut in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko in 2003. She later made her Hindi film debut with Parineeta (2005), which earned her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award as well as her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. She subsequently essayed a variety of character roles, receiving her first commercial success with Rajkumar Hirani's Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). She followed it with Heyy Babyy (2008) and Bhool Bhulaiya (2008), the latter earning her another nomination for a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. In 2009 she appeared as a single mother of a child suffering from progeria in R. Balki's Paa, her performance in which ultimately won her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. 2010 saw the release of Ishqiya, starring Balan in a role for which she was praised and awarded.

Vidya Balan was born in Ottapalam, Palakkad District, Kerala, to P. R. Balan (Vice President of ETC Channel) and a housewife mother in a Tamil speaking Iyer family. She has an elder sister, Priya.

She did her schooling at St. Anthony Girls' High School, Chembur, Mumbai, and later attended St. Xavier's College where she majored in Sociology. She went on to study MA at the University of Mumbai, when she got her first film offer.

In a recent poll conducted for PETA India's Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity, Vidya Balan have been crowned as the queen.

Osho Rajneesh

2011-03-22T12:01:00.005-05:00

Osho, born Chandra Mohan Jain (Hindi: चन्द्र मोहन जैन) (11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990), also known as Acharya Rajneesh from the 1960s onwards, as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during the 1970s and 1980s and as Osho from 1989, was an Indian mystic and spiritual teacher who garnered an international following.

A professor of philosophy, he travelled throughout India in the 1960s as a public speaker. His outspoken criticism of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi and institutionalised religion made him controversial. He also advocated a more open attitude towards sexuality, a stance that earned him the sobriquet "sex guru" in the Indian and later the international press. In 1970 he settled for a while in Mumbai. He began initiating disciples (known as neo-sannyasins) and took on the role of a spiritual teacher. In his discourses, he reinterpreted writings of religious traditions, mystics and philosophers from around the world. Moving to Pune in 1974, he established an ashram that attracted increasing numbers of Westerners. The ashram offered therapies derived from the Human Potential Movement to its Western audience and made news in India and abroad, chiefly because of its permissive climate and Osho's provocative lectures. By the end of the 1970s, there were mounting tensions with the Indian government and the surrounding society.

In 1981, Osho relocated to the United States and his followers established an intentional community, later known as Rajneeshpuram, in the state of Oregon. Within a year the leadership of the commune became embroiled in a conflict with local residents, primarily over land use, which was marked by hostility on both sides. Osho's large collection of Rolls-Royce automobiles was also notorious. The Oregon commune collapsed in 1985 when Osho revealed that the commune leadership had committed a number of serious crimes, including a bioterror attack (food contamination) on the citizens of The Dalles. Osho was arrested shortly afterwards and charged with immigration violations. He was deported from the United States in accordance with a plea bargain. Twenty-one countries denied him entry, causing Osho to travel the world before returning to Pune, where he died in 1990. His ashram is today known as the Osho International Meditation Resort.

His syncretic teachings emphasise the importance of meditation, awareness, love, celebration, creativity and humour – qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialisation. His teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.

Osho was a staunch advocate of Vegetarianism. Watch his discourse on this subject at:
Osho Discourse on Vegetarian Food

Osho on Vegetarian Food

2011-03-22T11:49:00.002-05:00

Osho explains why vegetarian food is beautiful and why he does not allow non-veg food in Osho commune at Pune. He associates vegetarian food with aesthetics rather than religion........ enjoy the discourse and a part of you will get enlightened..... Hail Osho

John Abraham

2011-03-22T10:50:00.008-05:00

John Abraham (born 17 December 1972) is an Indian film actor and former model.

After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism (2003), which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom (2004). He received two Filmfare Award nominations, for his negative roles in Dhoom, and then in Zinda (2006). He later appeared in the major critical success Water (2005). In 2007, he was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Baabul (2006).

Abraham was born in Mumbai to a Malayali father and a Parsi mother. His father is an architect from Alwaye, Kerala; his mother is named Phiroza Irani. Abraham's Parsi name is "Farhan" while his father being a Syrian Christian named him "John". He has a younger brother, Alan.
He studied economics at the Bombay Scottish School, Mahim in Mumbai and got his MBA from the Mumbai Educational Trust (MET).

Modeling
Abraham started his modelling career appearing in the music video of the song "Surma" by Punjabi singer Jazzy B. He then joined the media firm Time & Space Media Entertainment Promotions Ltd., which, however, closed because of financial problems. Later, he worked for Enterprises-Nexus as a media planner.

In 1999, he won the Gladrags Manhunt Contest and went to the Philippines for Manhunt International, where he won second place. Following this, he was signed by Carrie Models in Singapore and did some modelling there; he later modelled in Hong Kong, London and New York City. He also appeared in a number of commercial advertisements and in other music videos for singers including Pankaj Udhas, Hans Raj Hans and Babul Supriyo. To improve his acting skills, Abraham joined the Kishore Namit Kapoor acting laboratory and completed an acting course while juggling modelling assignments.

Acting
Abraham made his acting debut with Jism (2003), a thriller film which, according to Box Office India, was "above average" grossing 13,25,00,000. During filming, Abraham and co-star Bipasha Basu started dating each other.

His next films included a paranormal thriller Saaya (2003), Pooja Bhatt's directorial debut Paap (2004) and Ahmed Khan's Lakeer – Forbidden Lines (2004).

He appeared, in a villainous role, as Kabir in Dhoom in 2004, an action film produced by Yash Raj Films. The film was one of the highest grossing films of that year.

In 2005 he starred in the supernatural thriller Kaal and the comedy Garam Masala both of which did well at the box office. Later that year, he had a major role in the critically acclaimed film Water, which portrayed the tragic fate of Hindu widows in British India of the 1930s. The film was written and directed by independent Canadian film-maker Deepa Mehta. It was popular internationally, and was nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards.

In the summer of 2006, Abraham performed at the "Rockstars Concert" along with fellow Bollywood actors Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Esha Deol, Shahid Kapoor and Mallika Sherawat. In that same year, he starred in the films Zinda, Taxi No 9211, Baabul and Kabul Express. Among these Taxi No 9211 and Kabul Express were substantially successful.
Nikhil Advani's multi-starrer Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love was Abraham's first release in 2007. The movie failed to do well at the Indian box office, though it did well in the overseas markets. His last two 2007 releases included the arthouse thriller No Smoking and the sports film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.

In 2008, Abraham starred alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra in Dostana, his only release that year. Produced by Karan Johar, the film performed well at the box office.
His first release of 2009 was another much awaited production by Yash Raj Films, New York. The film was a critical and commercial success. It followed the lives of three best friends after the September 11 attacks in New York City.

He has a fashion line— branded JA Clothes — which primarily features his favorite article of clothing, jeans.

Abraham has been dating actress Bipasha Basu since 2002. The couple is often cited as a supercouple in India.

Abraham also associates himself deeply in the social causes and urges youngsters also to join hands in this humanity mankind. When asked about his work, he said:“ "I work for social causes that I address. I love animals and I work for PETA. I have my own brigade called John's brigade for Habitat for Humanity, Habitat For Humanity is a Jimmy Carter foundation project."

He has also been associated with the Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, located in Mumbai, where he donated a cheque of ten lakhs towards the hospital funds.

In January 2009, Abraham led a group of Indian celebrities in the Mumbai Marathon, an annual event to benefit the United Way.

Dianna Agron

2011-03-22T04:50:00.004-05:00

Dianna Charlotte Agron (pronounced /ˈeɪɡrɒn/; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, director and screenwriter, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.

Agron is a vegetarian and a supporter of PETA, and has a role in Bold Native, a 2010 film that explores the issues of animal liberation and animal rights.

Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, the daughter of Mary (née Barnes) and Ronald S. Agron, a general manager of Hyatt hotels. She was raised in San Francisco and also lived in Texas for several years. Agron's father's family is originally from Russia, and their original surname, "Agronsky", was altered by Ellis Island officials. Her father is Jewish and her mother converted to Judaism; Agron attended Hebrew school and had a bat mitzvah. Agron attended Burlingame High School in California. She has been dancing since the age of three, and began teaching dance as a teenager.

Career
Agron has appeared on television shows such as Shark, Close to Home, CSI: NY, Numb3rs and a recurring role on Veronica Mars. She then appeared as Harper on a 13-episode series of short films called It's a Mall World, directed by Milo Ventimiglia, and airing on MTV, and then on the second season of Heroes as Debbie Marshall, the head cheerleader/captain of the cheer squad at Costa Verde High School, also with Ventimiglia. Dianna has also hosted a mini Music Festival for 826LA in Los Angeles called Chickens in Love.

She was among many young Hollywood stars selected to be in Wal-Mart's Ocean Pacific spring 2010 marketing campaign. The national campaign debuted in fashion, lifestyle and entertainment magazines such as Elle, Teen Vogue, Seventeen and Cosmopolitan, outdoor and online at the official Ocean Pacific website. In addition, the celebrities hosted an Ocean Pacific party in Los Angeles in late April and made personal appearances on behalf of the brand.

Agron's most notable role to date is as Quinn Fabray, a high school cheerleader, on the FOX series Glee, which has received high ratings and critical acclaim, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe, since the series began in May 2009.

In 2010, Agron directed the music video for "Body" by Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.

In 2010, Agron played the small role of Natalie, girlfriend to main character Ali's love interest Jack, in the movie Burlesque alongside Christina Aguilera, Cher, and Stanley Tucci.

Agron was chosen by People to be part of their Most Beautiful 2010. She also came 26th in the 2010 Afterellen.com top Hot 100 list.

Agron appeared alongside Alex Pettyfer and Timothy Olyphant in the 2011 science-fiction action thriller I Am Number Four, directed by D. J. Caruso.

Kalpana Chawla

2011-03-21T15:25:00.007-05:00

Kalpana Chawla (July 1, 1961 – February 1, 2003) was an Indian-American astronaut with NASA. She was one of seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal (Haryana, India) in 1961 to Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyothi. Her interest in flying was inspired by J. R. D. Tata, a pioneering Indian aviator and industrialist. Chawla has two sisters, Sunita and Deepa, and a brother, Sanjay. Being the youngest the family members gave her the nickname "Montu." In 1983, she met and married Jean-Pierre Harrison, a flying instructor and aviation writer. She became a US citizen in 1990. Her motto was: Follow your dreams, and the brave heart fulfilled it.

Kalpana Chawla was a staunch vegetarian.

Chawla completed her earlier schooling at Tagore Public School, Karnal. She earned her Bachelor of Engineering B.E degree in aeronautical engineering at Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh in 1982. She moved to the United States in 1982 and obtained a M.S. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. Chawla went on to earn a second M.S. degree in 1986 and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Later that year she began working for NASA as vice president of Overset Methods, Inc. where she did CFD research on Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing. Chawla held a Certificated Flight Instructor rating for airplanes, gliders and Commercial Pilot licenses for single and multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes and gliders. She held an FCC issued Technician Class Amateur Radio license.

Kalpana Chawla joined the NASA astronaut corps in March 1995 and was selected for her first flight in 1998. She spoke the following words while travelling in the weightlessness of space, "You are just your intelligence". She had traveled 10.4 million km, as many as 252 times around the Earth.

Her first space mission began on November 19, 1997 as part of the six-astronaut crew that flew the Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-87. Chawla was the first Indian-born woman and the second person of Indian origin to fly in space, following cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma who flew in 1984 in a Soviet spacecraft. On her first mission Chawla travelled over 10.4 million miles in 252 orbits of the earth, logging more than 372 hours in space. During STS-87, she was responsible for deploying the Spartan Satellite which malfunctioned, necessitating a spacewalk by Winston Scott and Takao Doi to capture the satellite. A five-month NASA investigation fully exonerated Chawla by identifying errors in software interfaces and the defined procedures of flight crew and ground control.

After the completion of STS-87 post-flight activities, Kalpana was assigned to technical positions in the astronaut office, her performance in which was recognized with a special award from her peers.

In 2000 she was selected for her second flight as part of the crew of STS-107. This mission was repeatedly delayed due to scheduling conflicts and technical problems such as the July 2002 discovery of cracks in the shuttle engine flow liners. On January 16, 2003, Chawla finally returned to space aboard Columbia on the ill-fated STS-107 mission. Chawla's responsibilities included the microgravity experiments, for which the crew conducted nearly 80 experiments studying earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety.

Kalpana died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster which occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, with the loss of all seven crew members, shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107.

Abbie Cornish

2011-03-21T12:04:00.005-05:00

Abbie Cornish (born 7 August 1982) is an Australian actress. She is well known in Australia for a number of film and television roles, her award-winning lead performance in 2004's Somersault and her role as Fannie Brawne in Bright Star.

Her career began at the age of thirteen, when she began taking jobs as a model after reaching the finals of a Dolly Magazine competition. By the time she was sixteen, Cornish was juggling television acting roles with studying for her Higher School Certificate, with the intention of pursuing a career as a veterinarian. In 1999, Cornish was awarded the Australian Film Institute Young Actor's Award for her role in the ABC's television show Wildside and was soon offered her first role in a feature film, The Monkey's Mask. In 2001, Abbie landed the role of Reggie McDowell, a character on the Australian TV show "Outriders".

She’s been a staunch vegetarian since she discovered what the word meant at 13 years old

In 2004, Cornish appeared in the award-winning short film Everything Goes with Hugo Weaving. She received the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actress at the FCCA and IF Awards and Best Breakthrough Performance at the 2005 Miami International Film Festival for her role in 2004's Somersault, the film which raised her to international prominence. Cornish received widespread critical acclaim for her role in 2006's Candy, which she starred in opposite Heath Ledger. She has also starred in A Good Year, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Kimberly Peirce's latest movie, Stop-Loss. In April 2010 Cornish was cast in the film adaptation of the novel The Dark Fields, directed by Neil Burger and also starring Robert De Niro.

Abbie Cornish will play the role of Wally in the film W.E. about Nazi collaborators Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. It will be directed by Madonna. The shooting began July, 5 2010 in England. She narrated her film Sucker Punch on the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.

Thomas Edison

2011-03-20T06:20:00.003-05:00

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor, scientist, and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (now Edison, New Jersey) by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large teamwork to the process of invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.

Edison is the third most prolific inventor in history, holding 1,093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. He is credited with numerous inventions that contributed to mass communication and, in particular, telecommunications. These included a stock ticker, a mechanical vote recorder, a battery for an electric car, electrical power, recorded music and motion pictures. His advanced work in these fields was an outgrowth of his early career as a telegraph operator. Edison originated the concept and implementation of electric-power generation and distribution to homes, businesses, and factories – a crucial development in the modern industrialized world. His first power station was on Manhattan Island, New York.

Isaac Newton

2011-03-20T06:06:00.003-05:00

Sir Isaac Newton PRS (4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727 [OS: 25 December 1642 – 20 March 1727]) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian. His Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Latin for "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy"; usually called the Principia), published in 1687, is one of the most important scientific books ever written. It lays the groundwork for most of classical mechanics. In this work, Newton described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion, which dominated the scientific view of the physical universe for the next three centuries. Newton showed that the motions of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural laws, by demonstrating the consistency between Kepler's laws of planetary motion and his theory of gravitation; thus removing the last doubts about heliocentrism and advancing the Scientific Revolution.

Sir Isaac Newton was a Vegetarian

Newton built the first practical reflecting telescope and developed a theory of colour based on the observation that a prism decomposes white light into the many colours that form the visible spectrum. He also formulated an empirical law of cooling and studied the speed of sound.

In mathematics, Newton shares the credit with Gottfried Leibniz for the development of differential and integral calculus. He also demonstrated the generalised binomial theorem, developed Newton's method for approximating the roots of a function, and contributed to the study of power series.

Newton was also highly religious. He was an unorthodox Christian, and during his lifetime actually wrote more on Biblical hermeneutics and occult studies than on science and mathematics, the subjects he is mainly associated with.

Newton is considered by many scholars and members of the general public to be one of the most influential people in human history.

Albert Einstein

2011-03-20T05:56:00.004-05:00

Albert Einstein (ˈælbərt ˈaɪnstaɪn/; German: [ˈalbɐt ˈaɪnʃtaɪn] ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who discovered the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect".

Albert Einstein was a vegetarian.

Near the beginning of his career, Einstein thought that Newtonian mechanics was no longer enough to reconcile the laws of classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. This led to the development of his special theory of relativity. He realized, however, that the principle of relativity could also be extended to gravitational fields, and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916, he published a paper on the general theory of relativity. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light which laid the foundation of the photon theory of light. In 1917, Einstein applied the general theory of relativity to model the structure of the universe as a whole.

He was visiting the United States when Hitler came to power in 1933, and did not go back to Germany, where he had been a professor at the Berlin Academy of Sciences. He settled in the U.S., becoming a citizen in 1940. On the eve of World War II, he helped alert President Franklin D. Roosevelt that Germany might be developing an atomic weapon, and recommended that the U.S. begin similar research. Later, together with Bertrand Russell, Einstein signed the Russell–Einstein Manifesto, which highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons. Einstein taught physics at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, New Jersey, until his death in 1955.

Einstein published more than 300 scientific papers along with over 150 non-scientific works, and received honorary doctorate degrees in science, medicine and philosophy from many European and American universities; he also wrote about various philosophical and political subjects such as socialism, international relations and the existence of God. His great intelligence and originality have made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius.

Why go Vegan?

2011-03-19T13:12:00.004-05:00

-Steve Pavlina

Why go vegan? Many people have asked me why I eat a vegan diet, so I’m long overdue for a post on this topic. But before I dive into it, let me first say I’m not interested in trying to convert you to veganism. While many vegans are conversion-happy, for me this is a personal lifestyle choice, not a religion. In any event I’ve noticed that people tend to go vegan when they’re ready for it, not because they’re beaten over the head with statistics and health knowledge. As the saying goes, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” So take this article as an insider’s report on my path to a vegan diet rather than conversion rhetoric.

Going Vegetarian
After eating animal products for most of my life, during the early 90s, I started reading health books as part of my novice-level interest in personal growth. My initial changes including adopting a low-fat diet and exercising regularly. I switched from low-fat to skim milk, favored leaner meats, and reduced high-fat products like cheese and butter. I also reduced my sugar intake, switching from regular sodas to diet sodas. I took up running as my primary exercise and would run about 25 minutes per day, sometimes longer. Overall I’d say I was in fairly good health — no major health problems or serious illnesses. I never smoked in my life, and I shunned alcohol too except on rare occasions.

Eventually I got curious about the vegetarian diet after reading about it in a nutrition textbook. I read that vegetarians supposedly live longer, need less sleep, and have lower risks of many major illnesses like cancer and heart disease. That sounded attractive, but I really didn’t want to be a vegetarian for the rest of my life. I figured that was a bit too extreme and probably unnecessary. I had a vegetarian friend during my late teens — a skinny Indian guy — and I found it funny that he could never eat pepperoni pizza. But he did seem fairly healthy and intelligent. He would regularly whoop me when we played poker together.

In June 1993, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to try going lacto-ovo vegetarian for 30 days just to see what it was like (no animal flesh but dairy and eggs OK). At least then I’d know, and I could be done with it. I’d been through enough habit changes to know that a new mindset always looks different from the outside looking in than from the inside looking out. So I wanted an insider’s perspective on the diet. Otherwise, I’d risk going my whole life without knowing what it was really like. I was 22 years old, so I figured I might as well have this experience now. I fully expected to return to my previous way of eating after the 30 days.

I was surprised at how easy it was to go vegetarian. I thought it would take a lot of discipline, but it really didn’t. I just made obvious substitutions: cheese or veggie pizza instead of pepperoni, pasta dishes, rice dishes, stir fry veggies, etc. If I did this today, it would be even easier due to all the vegetarian products now on the market that weren’t available back then. I acquired one vegetarian cookbook (which I still have) that helped me with a few recipes, but mostly I found that cutting out flesh was painless.

I didn’t have any withdrawal symptoms or detox effects (no headaches or back pain or anything like that). I wasn’t overweight when I began this experiment, so I don’t recall losing much weight, but I did notice an increase in my overall energy level, and I felt more energetic during my morning runs. I also noticed I could concentrate better, especially during meditation or while doing programming work. These increases weren’t huge, but they were noticeable.

At the end of the 30 days, I had adapted well to the habit, and I found it so easy that I couldn’t think of a compelling reason to switch back. After putting off my return to carnivorous life for several months, I eventually concluded, “Well, I guess I’m a vegetarian.” I gradually lost my appetite for animal flesh, so those old foods no longer appealed to me. I had no sense of deprivation because I was eating what I felt naturally drawn to eat. It took no discipline to stay vegetarian, since I was simply eating what naturally appealed to me. Over time the thought of eating animals became repulsive to me, not from a moral standpoint but from a gustatory one — I no longer wanted to put dead flesh into my mouth.

When I met Erin in 1994, she wasn’t a vegetarian. In fact, her diet was pretty poor, consisting of large quantities of fast food. But eventually she decided to try going vegetarian for 30 days too — without even telling me – and her experience was similar to mine. After 30 days she simply didn’t want to go back.

Going Vegan
During my vegetarian days, I occasionally considered eliminating all animal products and going 100% vegan. From what I’d read up to that point, I was convinced that the vegan diet would be healthier for me than a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. I also went to Tony Robbins’ firewalk seminar in 1996 and learned about the Fit for Life diet, a book I later read. Tony is the most energetic person I’ve ever seen, and he was pitching a mostly vegan diet. I became curious about how a vegan diet would affect my energy level.

Erin and I were learning Tae Kwon Do at this time, and I was becoming interested in distance running, so the high-energy promise of the vegan diet appealed to me. I’d already seen an energy boost after going vegetarian, so it wasn’t hard for me to fathom that going vegan would be even better.

As you can see, what motivated me to try veganism wasn’t animal rights or environmental issues — it was simply the possibility of enjoying more energy and vitality. I wish I’d been the kind of person who’d have genuinely listened to those other arguments for veganism, but I have to be honest and admit that I wasn’t. My curiosity was driven entirely by self-interest.

In January 1997, Erin and I both decided to try going vegan for 30 days to see what it was like. Both of us were convinced, however, that the diet would be too hard and too fanatical to sustain in the long run. We kept thinking about all the delicious foods we’d have to give up — the hardest ones for me were cheese pizza and veggie-cheese omelettes. But we figured we could manage it for 30 days. At least we’d know what it was like, and if the diet beat us down, we’d be comfortable concluding that it wasn’t for us.

Going vegan was very different than going vegetarian. During the first 7 days, Erin and I lost 7 pounds each! We were eating abundant calories and drinking plenty of water, so where did that weight come from? Seriously, it went down the toilet. A lifetime of accumulated dairy clog came washing out of our intestines. Wow! We had heard about detox, but 7 pounds in 7 days was beyond our expectations. After the first week things settled down, and we lost a few more pounds over the remaining 23 days.

After the first week, my energy had increased massively. This was a much bigger increase than when I went vegetarian. I’d say that for the total increase in energy I experienced from animal eater to vegan, the change from vegetarian to vegan was about 80% of it. This energy boost was most pronounced during Tae Kwon Do classes — I suddenly had a lot more energy during sparring — my endurance was much, much higher. I also noticed it was easier for me to run longer distances without getting tired, and my breathing felt smoother and more effortless. Exercising became easier, and I started enjoyed that runner’s high feeling much more often.

After doing 3-5 mile runs for several years, I gradually increased to 5-10 mile runs. Running felt so good that I often didn’t want to stop, so it felt right to just keep going. Within a year I was doing 14-mile runs down the Santa Monica beach, and in 2000 I ran the L.A. Marathon.

Despite the increase in physical vitality, the #1 benefit I experienced was a marked improvement in my mental clarity. It felt like I was coming out of a long-term fog of brain — if you saw the movie Awakenings, it was similar to that, except that my starting point was the state we call “normal.” I thought, “Wow… so this is what clear-headedness is supposed to feel like.” Imagine the feeling of having totally clear sinuses after eating super-spicy food… but applied to your brain.

I noticed a significant improvement in my ability to do computer game programming, which was my career at the time. I could solve challenging problems more easily. The problems were just as hard, but my ability to tackle them had increased significantly.

Interestingly, Erin’s experience was different than mine. I don’t recall her having as much of a boost in mental clarity or physical endurance as I did. But she enjoyed a significant boost in her psychic sense. I didn’t notice it at the time (because I wasn’t looking for it), but I also experienced an improvement in my intuitive clarity after going vegan.

Once again when the 30 days were up, Erin and I found it easy to keep going, and the benefits were so obvious that we’d never want to give them up. By day 30 animal products had lost much of their appeal anyway, so we just kept eating the way that seemed most natural. Again, it didn’t take any discipline to maintain the diet. And to make the initial switch we used curiosity instead of discipline. As you can see I really love the 30-day trial.

I get a lot of compliments on my depth of thought on certain subjects, and as odd as it may seem, I have to credit much of that to my diet. The mental benefits are probably the #1 reason I decided to stay vegan. I just can’t go back to the fog-of-brain I used to regard as normal. People who eat animals often regard my diet as being deprived (outside looking in), while ironically I regard their lifestyle as being far more deprived (inside looking out).

While some people would regard my diet as severely restrictive, it feels nothing of the sort to me. I’ve been eating this way for almost 10 years now, so to me it’s normal. In some ways it’s a little odd eating out with people who still eat animals, since they tend to be a bit fanatical in their bloodlust for flesh… as if they’re vampires or something. It doesn’t bother me when people eat animals in front of me — they’re free to eat whatever they want. I do notice, however, that people often feel uncomfortable eating animals in front of vegans. And I imagine the animals aren’t too comfortable with it. :)

Post-Vegan
It was only after going vegan that I openly exposed myself to other arguments for veganism. One of the best books I read was Diet for a New America. I was amazed at just how destructive the habit of eating animal products is — to our bodies, to our environment, and to our politics. If you’re the kind of person who loves data and stats, that’s the book for you, although the figures are somewhat dated by now. At first I tried using these stats to see if I could convince other people to try veganism or at least vegetarianism. None so righteous as the newly converted, right? I ended up convincing a few people who tried it and got good results, but mostly it opened my eyes as to just how stubborn people were, even in the face of overwhelming data. Of course, I was one of them for many years, so experiencing this situation from the opposite side was perhaps a karmic lesson for me. I think it helped me become more open-minded and to recognize my own emotional resistance whenever I was refusing to acknowledge the truth.

As time went on, I started putting more thought into the ethics of veganism. I wasn’t remotely motivated to go vegan because of ethical or environmental concerns, but after being vegan for a while, those aspects began touching me. I watched videos of factory farming, and I was saddened by the animal cruelty, especially when I realized this is what most people contribute to every single day. You can find such videos on Peta’s web site if you care to look. I felt relieved that my decision would have a small but positive effect in reducing animal suffering and environmental damage. I liked that every meal I ate was one that didn’t cause animals to suffer and die. My wife and I started donating money to pro-vegan nonprofit organizations.

Gradually I began feeling more compassionate, not just towards animals but towards people as well. I was never a particularly sensitive guy (sarcasm was more my style), but I became more sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. I started to care about people and animals in a way I’d never experienced before, and to be honest I initially resisted this change. This awareness shift grew stronger over time, as if something in my spirit had become unblocked. If you’re into chakras, you could say that going vegan opened my heart chakra. This feeling of compassion towards others continues to expand, and it guides much of my work today.

I think a compassion-minded lifestyle is a matter of degree rather than essence because no matter where you are, you can always improve. I am still making improvements — it’s a never-ending process. Just this summer I fully switched over to leather-free shoes and belts. I accept the position that if you already own animal items like shoes, the animal has already paid the price, so you should honor its life by using them or giving them away to someone instead of throwing them away. It can be rather challenging to avoid all use of animal items, since they’re so prevalent in modern society. Even the glue used in the veggie crates can be animal-derived. And what about squashing ants that raid your kitchen? Everyone is at a different place on the compassion line, so it’s best to look within and decide what place feels right to you. When you start judging others, it’s a sign that you feel your own position on the line could stand some improvement.

I was surprised that animal products lost all their appeal to me. Today the thought of putting animal products in my mouth utterly disgusts me. If I merely imagine taking a bite of steak, it induces a wave of nausea. It’s like someone saying, “Hey, Steve! Want a bite of this plague-ridden, pus-filled rat covered with vomit sauce?” Not exactly mouth-watering. A bowl of sawdust would be more appetizing. So there’s no deprivation because I’m only eating what seems normal and edible to me.

I’ve genuinely never felt deprived as a vegan… just the opposite because my dietary variety increased. As a meat-eater I’d eat the same foods over and over, but after going vegan I tried all kinds of new recipes. I ate fruits and veggies I never ate before and found new foods I liked. Today there are so many vegan products on the market that you’ll find quality substitutes for everything. You can get vegan burgers, ice cream, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, milk, butter, ground “beef,” deli slices (bologna, ham, turkey, etc), donuts, and so on. I’ve even had vegan “duck.” In 1997, many of these vegan foods tasted awful. The dairy substitutes were especially bad — many of them tasted like liquid tofu. But today the recipes have been perfected to such a degree that the taste is usually wonderful.

VegFamily
In the late 90s, Erin launched VegFamily.com to connect with other vegans. Eventually it became one of the top vegan web sites — I’d say it’s the #1 site for supporting vegan parents and families. The purpose of the site is to support vegans, not to convert people to veganism. While the community is friendly towards people considering going vegan, the discussion forums are kept free of people who want to debate the merits of the vegan diet — there are plenty of other sites for that. An interesting feature of the site is an enormous list of Why Vegan Stories where visitors explain their reasons for going vegan; there’s quite a bit of variety in why people make the transition.

One of the cool things about running VegFamily is that Erin and I received tons of vegan product samples in the mail for possible review on the site. We also went to the Natural Products Expo as members of the press to try out the latest creations. (Word of warning – never mix wheat grass juice, organic coffee, and vegan chocolate in an empty stomach!) In the early years, many of the samples we’d get were pretty bad. I’ve eaten more than my share of hockey pucks marketed as vegan energy bars. But some of the stuff was incredible. Rose City Chocolates makes some of the best fancy vegan chocolates I’ve tried. And Allison’s Gourmet has delicious vegan cookies and brownies (my favorite is the chocolate mint cookie).

After a few years of this, we noticed a lot more people jumping into the vegan products market. Erin eventually hired a product review editor to write up those reviews. I do miss the free samples. Now I get lots of personal development products in the mail, but the books, CDs, and DVDs just don’t taste as good as vegan brownies.

Last year Erin decided to create a compilation of VegFamily visitors’ best vegan recipes, with an emphasis on family-friendly recipes that both kids and adults will enjoy. She received hundreds of submissions and then had her visitors test them, and the best ones became the Vegan Family Favorites cookbook. We own dozens of vegan cookbooks, but what I like about this one (aside from the fact that Erin compiled it) is that the recipes all come from real families as opposed to a gourmet chef, so I can often find recipes that use on-hand ingredients rather than having to pre-plan for something unusual. I even submitted some recipes of my own. :)

Further Experiments
At various times I tried other subsets of the vegan diet. I read a couple books on macrobiotics, including Dirk Benedict’s experiences in his book Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy, and it sounded interesting, so I gave it a 30-day trial. On this diet I ate lots of brown rice, barley, soup, seaweed, and cooked veggies. Honestly I didn’t detect any notable changes. It seemed no better or worse than the way I was already eating, so in this case my 30-day trial ended on day 31. However, I liked many macrobiotic foods, so brown rice and miso soup became staples in my diet after the trial.

Another time I tried an all raw diet. The first attempt I only lasted 3 days before giving up. But I learned more about this diet and discovered that eating nothing but salad and fruit wasn’t the best way to go. I gave it another shot with a smarter approach that included lots of raw nuts and made it to day 30. This was a hard diet for me to transition to though. In the first couple weeks, I experienced strong cravings for cooked foods, especially bread. But the cravings eventually subsided, and I felt absolutely incredible. I’ve never felt so physically and emotionally energetic in my life as when I was on this diet. I know it’s a big improvement over eating cooked vegan food. However, I ultimately found this diet too time consuming. I had to eat a lot more food to consume adequate calories, and it took me considerable time to do all the chopping, slicing, and juicing to make something more interesting than fruit and salad. I concluded that going raw was more than a dietary change; it would require a major lifestyle adjustment, and I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment.

Years later I gave the raw food diet another trial, this time for 45 days, and came to the same conclusion. I had outstanding energy and vitality, but it was too much work for me. I was sometimes spending two hours a day preparing food. And I also felt hungry often.

After being raw for 30+ days, cooked food tasted noticeably lifeless to me. Raw foods are living foods, so everything you eat is alive — nothing canned or processed. Once you get used to that, in some ways it’s hard to go back. I knew that returning to cooked and processed foods was a step in the wrong direction healthwise, but it was a lot more practical at the time.

What’s Next?
I’m committed to lifelong dietary improvement, so I’m always looking out for the next step. I know that going raw would be a great step for me, since I’ve already given it two trials and enjoyed great results aside from all the prep time. One problem I had is that my first two raw (un)cookbooks were both gourmet books with complex recipes, but I’ve since gotten a copy of Raw Food Made Easy, which has much simpler recipes… the kind that use 5 ingredients instead of 15. This book has helped me tremendously, making going raw a lot more practical.

On September 4 I kicked off another 30-day raw trial, but I decided to make this one a bit more challenging. For the next 30 days, I’m eating only raw veggies, nuts, seeds, cold-pressed oils, and low-sugar fruits like lemons, limes, avocados, tomatoes, and coconut. I’m also cutting out the sweeter veggies like carrots and beets, so this is a very low-sugar diet. Of course, most of the time I’m combining these to make interesting dishes.

Now if you happen to be one of those uninformed souls who feels compelled to ask, “Where do you get your protein?” (yes, it is a dumb question), then you should read The Great Protein Myth to unload some of that media conditioning and learn that even veggies are abundant in protein. Broccoli, for instance, gets about 50% of its calories from protein. Of course, there are certain marketers who’d prefer you not know that. :)

Anyway… I’m just finishing up day 6 on this diet and doing OK with it. I’ve had some major swings in my moods and energy levels this week, which I also experienced during my first week of each of my raw food trials. I remember that I felt lousy the first week of those trials and then fantastic afterwards, so I’m hoping week 2 follows the same pattern this time.

One reason I’m doing a stricter trial this time (giving up bananas is really hard), is that if I make it to day 30 and decide not to continue, I can downgrade to a less restrictive all raw diet by adding back all the sweet fruits and veggies. So this tougher trial may provide a way to make raw foodism a permanent pattern for me. I’d love to head in that direction, since I really want that long-term vitality boost I’ve experienced twice before — it’s easily worth the effort. I just need to find a way to make this practical enough to stick.

As you can see, my dietary improvements are motivated largely by self-interest: more energy, more mental clarity, more vitality, more endurance. If a diet sounds worthwhile to you, give it a 30-day trial to experience the results for yourself. Then you can decide whether to abandon it, adopt it, or integrate it. I have no idea whether my path will work for you, so ultimately you’ll have to carve your own path through this maze of ideas.

Pierce Brosnan

2011-03-19T03:41:00.004-05:00

Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist who holds Irish and American citizenship. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years. Following a stage acting career he rose to popularity in the television series Remington Steele (1982–87).

After Remington Steele, Brosnan took the lead in many films such as Dante's Peak and The Thomas Crown Affair. In 1995, he became the fifth actor to portray secret agent James Bond in the official film series, starring in four films between 1995 and 2002. He also provided his voice and likeness to Bond in the 2004 video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. Since playing Bond, he has starred in such successes as The Matador (nominated for a Golden Globe, 2005), Mamma Mia! (National Movie Award, 2008), and The Ghost Writer (2010).

In 1996, along with Beau St. Clair, Brosnan formed Irish DreamTime, a Los Angeles-based production company. In later years, he has become known for his charitable work and environmental activism.

He was married to Australian actress Cassandra Harris from 1980 until her death in 1991. He married American journalist and author Keely Shaye Smith in 2001, becoming an American citizen in 2004.

Pierce Brosnan is a vegetarian.

Environmental and charitable work

Pierce Brosnan has been an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland since 2001 and recorded a special announcement to mark the launch of UNICEF's "Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS" Campaign with Liam Neeson. Brosnan supported John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election and is a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage.

Brosnan first became aware of nuclear disarmament at the age of nine when worldwide condemnation of the 1962 U.S. nuclear tests in Nevada headlined international news. During the 1990s, he participated in news conferences in Washington, D.C. to help Greenpeace draw attention to the issue. Brosnan boycotted the French GoldenEye premiere to support Greenpeace's protest against the French nuclear testing program. From 1997 to 2000, Brosnan and wife Smith worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to stop a proposed salt factory from being built at Laguna San Ignacio. The couple with Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford and Daryl Hannah successfully fought the Cabrillo Port Liquefied Natural Gas facility that was proposed off the coast of Malibu and would cause damage to the marine life there; the State Lands Commission eventually denied the lease to build the terminal. In May 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the facility. Brosnan is also listed as a member of the Sea Shepherd's Board of Advisors. Brosnan was named 'Best-dressed Environmentalist' by the Sustainable Style Foundation in 2004.

Brosnan also raises money for charitable causes through sales of his paintings. He trained early on as an artist, but later shifted to theatre; during his first wife's terminal illness, he withdrew from acting to be with her and took up painting again for therapeutic reasons, producing colourful landscapes and family portraits. He has continued painting since then, using spare time on set and at home. Profits from sales of giclée prints of his works are given to a trust to benefit "environmental, children's and women's health charities." Since Harris's death, Brosnan has been an advocate for cancer awareness and, in 2006, he served as spokesperson for Lee National Denim Day, a breast cancer fundraiser which raises millions of dollars and raises more money in a single day than any other breast cancer fundraiser.

In May 2007, Brosnan and Smith donated $100,000 to help replace a playground on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where they own a home. On 7 July 2007, Brosnan presented a film at Live Earth in London.[80] He also recorded a television advertisement for the cause. Brosnan lives with his family in Malibu, California.

Steve Pavlina

2011-03-18T12:30:00.003-05:00

Steve Pavlina is widely recognized as one of the most successful personal development bloggers on the Internet, attracting more than two million monthly readers to his website, StevePavlina.com. He has written more than 1000 articles and recorded many audio programs on a broad range of self-help topics, including productivity, relationships, and spirituality. Steve has been quoted as an expert by the New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, the Los Angeles Daily News, Self Magazine, and The Guardian. He is also a frequent guest on radio and Internet radio shows.

Steve's book Personal Development for Smart People was published by Hay House in 2008 and has been translated into a dozen different languages.

Steve is a Vegan.

Steve's passionate pursuit of personal growth began while sitting in a jail cell. Arrested for felony grand theft at age 19 and expelled from school, the full weight of responsibility for his life came crashing down upon him. In an attempt to overcome his out-of-control kleptomania addiction, he decided the best course of action was to go to work on himself.

Since then Steve has become one of the most intensely growth-oriented individuals you'll ever know. While intensively studying time management techniques, he earned college degrees in computer science and mathematics in only three semesters. In later years he founded a successful software company, developed award-winning computer games, ran the Los Angeles Marathon, trained in martial arts, and adopted a vegan diet.

Within a few years, Steve created one of the most popular personal development websites in the world without spending a dime on marketing or promotion. Some of his articles have been translated into more than a dozen different languages, benefitting readers from 150 countries.

Steve has a reputation for conducting unusual growth experiments, such as his polyphasic sleep trial, during which he slept only two hours per day for five and a half months, publicly documenting his results each step of the way.
Transformational Leadership Council

Steve is an active member of the Transformational Leadership Council, a group of some of the world's most influential leaders who pool their knowledge and resources to help create a more conscious, connected, and empowered world.

Steve currently lives in Las Vegas.

Steve's life purpose is:

to care deeply, connect playfully, love intensely, and share generously;
to joyfully explore, learn, grow, and prosper;
and to creatively, brilliantly, and honorably serve the highest good of all.

Tom Cruise

2011-03-18T12:03:00.004-05:00

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (pronounced /ˈtɒməs ˈkruːz ˈmeɪpɒθər/; born July 3, 1962), better known by his screen name of Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards. His first leading role was in 1983 film Risky Business, which has been described as "A Generation X classic, and a career-maker" for the actor. After playing the role of a heroic naval pilot in the popular and financially successful 1986 film Top Gun, Cruise continued in this vein, playing a secret agent in a series of Mission: Impossible action films in the 1990s and 2000s. In addition to these heroic roles, he has starred in a variety of other successful films such as Days of Thunder (1990), Jerry Maguire (1996), Magnolia (1999), Vanilla Sky (2001), Minority Report (2002), The Last Samurai (2003), Collateral (2004) and War of the Worlds (2005).

Since 2005, Cruise and Paula Wagner have been in charge of the United Artists film studio, with Cruise as producer and star and Wagner as the chief executive. Cruise is also known for his controversial support of and adherence to the Church of Scientology.

He is a Vegetarian.

Kareena Kapoor

2011-03-17T03:24:00.005-05:00

Kareena Kapoor (Hindi: करीना कपूर, pronounced [kəˈriːnaː kəˈpuːr]; born on September 21, 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards and has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary romantic dramas to comedies, period films to major Bollywood productions, as well as less publicized independent films.

Kareena is a staunch Vegetarian

Born into a family where both her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and her elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age, but did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... became India's highest-grossing film in the overseas market in 2001, and is one of her biggest commercial successes to date. After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast, and was consequently recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility as an actress. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and she was later noted for her performances in the critically acclaimed Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006).

In 2007, Kapoor received her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Jab We Met, a romantic comedy directed by Imtiaz Ali. She went on to play the lead female role in the thriller Kurbaan (2009), for which she earned critical acclaim, and the drama 3 Idiots (2009), which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. Having done so, Kapoor has established herself as a leading actress of the Hindi film industry. In addition to movie acting, Kapoor is a regular stage performer and has launched her own clothing line in association with being the brand ambassador for the retail chain Globus. Her off-screen life, including her relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan, is the subject of wide media coverage in India.

Humanitarian Work
During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also been involved with various humanitarian causes. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, while in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert, to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team. The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of Indian Rupee ₹5,000,000 (US$111,000) from her winnings on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra. In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her Indian Rupee ₹5,000,000 (US$111,000) winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home.[91] In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of Indian Rupee ₹1,000,000 (US$22,200) from 10 Ka Dum to the old age home.

At the end of 2009, Kapoor joined the efforts of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to create awareness about cleanliness. The project consisted of a group of individuals who would be responsible for interacting with the shopkeepers and residents of Nehru Nagar, to support a door-to-door campaign for the collection of garbage. The following year, Kapoor attended the NDTV Greenathon, where she adopted the village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh to provide them with electricity. While there, she also raised awareness on creating a greener future for the environment. She said, "You want to live in an environment that is clean [and] healthy, and especially now everything affects the society so much. Actors have a voice, which can be heard and I am really happy that Priyanka [Chopra] has taken this iniative of being a brand ambassador. When our voice can be heard, we should use it and I am really happy that we all are spreading this awareness."

Mugdha Godse

2011-03-17T03:11:00.002-05:00

Mugdha Godse (Marathi: मुग्धा गोडसे; born 26 July 1986) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. A former model, Godse was a semi-finalist at the Femina Miss India 2004 competition. She made her acting debut in Madhur Bhandarkar's 2008 Bollywood film, Fashion.

She has recently adopted Vegetarian diet.

Godse was born in a small middle class family in Pune, Maharastra. She has one sister named Madhura. During her early days, Godse sold oil and only earned Rs. 100 a day. She then started working out in the gym and participated in local beauty contests. In 2002, she participated and won the Gladrags Mega Model Hunt. In 2004, Godse took part in the biggest modeling contest in India, the Femina Miss India contest. She reached the semi-finals and won the Miss Perfect Ten title. She then moved to Mumbai and started modeling.

Godse made her Bollywood debut with the film, Fashion (2008), alongside Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut. She was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and won the Apsara Award for Best Female Debutante. In 2009, Godse appeared in two films, the first being the comedy, All The Best, and the other was Jail. Her latest film, Help opposite Bobby Deol was released on 13 August 2010. Her final release of the year, Will You Marry Me?, is slated for a December opening.

Kareena Kapoor Refuses to Eat Eggs on Camera

2011-03-17T01:38:00.005-05:00

-Steven Baker

Kareena Kapoor apparently refused to eat eggs during the filming of a scene in Short Term Shaadi.

The Hindi film star announced that eating eggs would go against her strict vegetarian principles, Mid Day reports.

"Kareena plays a hairstylist in the film and was to shoot a breakfast scene set in a US cafe with Imran Khan," a source revealed.

It is said that the star "pleaded, argued and eventually threw a tantrum" with the project's director Shakun Batra.

The filmmaker is thought to have then agreed to Kapoor eating eggless pancakes in the scene.

The Jab We Met actor apparently adopted a vegetarian diet when dating actor Shahid Kapoor.

Read More about Kareena at:
http://famous-vegetarians.blogspot.com/2011/03/kareena-kapoor.html

Shahid Kapoor

2011-03-13T12:17:00.003-05:00

Shahid Kapoor (Hindi: शाहिद कपूर; born on 25 February 1981 is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi language films. He is also a trained dancer.

Starting off his career by working in music videos and advertisements, Kapoor made his Bollywood debut as a background dancer in Subhash Ghai's Taal (1999). Four years later, he made his debut as a lead in Ishq Vishk (2003) and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. Following through with acclaimed performances in films like Fida (2004) and Shikhar (2005), he had his first commercial success with Sooraj R. Barjatya's Vivah (2006), and followed it up with Jab We Met (2007) and Kaminey (2009) which are also his biggest commercial successes so far.

Pamela Anderson

2011-03-03T12:28:00.003-06:00

Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P.

She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990. For a time, she was known as Pamela Anderson Lee (or Pamela Lee) after marrying Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. She holds both United States and Canadian citizenship.

Anderson was born in Ladysmith, British Columbia, the daughter of Barry Anderson, a furnace repairman, and Carol (née Grosco), a waitress. Her great-grandfather Juho Hyytiäinen was Finnish, a native of Saarijärvi, and left the Grand Duchy of Finland (which was a part of the Russian Empire at the time) in 1908, changing his name to Anderson when he arrived as an immigrant. Anderson also has Russian ancestry on her mother's side.

Anderson is a vegan, an advocate for animal rights, and an active member of the animal protection organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), taking part in several campaigns for animal rights. She became a vegetarian in her early teens when she saw her father cleaning an animal he had hunted.

One of Anderson's campaigns as a member of PETA has been against the use of fur. In 1999, Anderson received the first Linda McCartney Memorial Award for animal rights protectors, in recognition of her campaign. In 2003, Anderson stripped down for PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" advertising campaign. On June 28, 2006, Anderson posed naked with other protesters on a window display of the Stella McCartney boutique in London, England. It was a PETA gala event before the PETA Humanitarian Awards. Anderson went inside the boutique and said she would take her clothes off if the event raised enough money for PETA, which it did.

She has also campaigned against Kentucky Fried Chicken. In 2001, Anderson released a letter in support of PETA's campaign against Kentucky Fried Chicken, stating "What KFC does to 750 million chickens each year is not civilized or acceptable." She later made a video about KFC's treatment of chickens. In January 2006, Anderson requested that the Governor of Kentucky remove a bust of Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, from display but her request was refused even when she offered her own bust in exchange. In February 2006, Anderson decided to boycott the Kentucky Derby because of its support for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

She has also campaigned against seal hunting in Canada. In March 2006, Anderson asked to speak to Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the annual seal hunt but she was refused. In May 2006, she petitioned random individuals on the street for their opinion on the Canadian Seal Hunt. In December, 2009, Anderson, photographed in a t-shirt with a drawn picture of a seal pup on it, was featured in a new ad campaign for PETA. She appears next to the headline "Save the Seals" in the ad and urges the public to help end "Canada's annual seal slaughter."

Anderson joined forces with PETA in a campaign for the boycott of fruit-juice maker POM. The "Pom Horrible Campaign" has resulted in the company halting animal tests.

In March 2005, Anderson became a spokesmodel for MAC Cosmetics's MAC AIDS Fund, which helped people affected by AIDS and HIV. After becoming the official spokesmodel, Anderson raised money during events in Toronto, Tokyo, Dublin, and Athens.

Anderson became the celebrity spokesperson for the American Liver Foundation, and served as the Grand Marshal of the SOS motorcycle ride fundraiser.

She wrote an open letter to President Barack Obama urging the legalization of cannabis.

Anderson became the center of controversy when she posed in a bikini nearly nude for a PETA ad that was banned in Canada because they said the ad was sexist. Anderson retorted saying, "In a city that is known for its exotic dancing and for being progressive and edgy, how sad that a woman would be banned from using her own body in a political protest over the suffering of cows and chickens. In some parts of the world, women are forced to cover their whole bodies with burqas – is that next? I didn't think that Canada would be so puritanical."

Brad Pitt

2011-03-03T12:14:00.003-06:00

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one. He has been described as one of the world's most attractive men, a label for which he has received substantial media attention.

Pitt began his acting career with television guest appearances, including a role on the CBS prime-time soap opera Dallas in 1987. He later gained recognition as the cowboy hitchhiker who seduces Geena Davis's character in the 1991 road movie Thelma & Louise. Pitt's first leading roles in big-budget productions came with A River Runs Through It (1992) and Interview with the Vampire (1994). He was cast opposite Anthony Hopkins in the 1994 drama Legends of the Fall, which earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. In 1995 he gave critically acclaimed performances in the crime thriller Seven and the science fiction film 12 Monkeys, the latter securing him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. Four years later, in 1999, Pitt starred in the cult hit Fight Club. He then starred in the major international hit as Rusty Ryan in Ocean's Eleven (2001) and its sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). His greatest commercial successes have been Troy (2004) and Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005). Pitt received his second Academy Award nomination for his title role performance in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Following a high-profile relationship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston for five years. Pitt lives with actress Angelina Jolie in a relationship that has generated wide publicity. He and Jolie have six children—Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. Since beginning his relationship with Jolie, he has become increasingly involved in social issues both in the United States and internationally. Pitt owns a production company named Plan B Entertainment, whose productions include the 2007 Academy Award winning Best Picture, The Departed.

Vegan Natalie Wins Best Actress Award

2011-03-01T04:46:00.005-06:00

Vegan Actress and Animal Rights Activist Natalie Portman won her first Oscar for best actress for Black Swan at the prestigious 83rd Academy Awards.

Portman beat Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence of Winter's Bone and Michelle Williams of Blue Valentine.

"This is insane," said Portman, who thanks everyone from her parents, for giving her life, to her friends, manager, her cast and Darren Aronofsky. She also thanks her husband who has given her her most important role of her life - of a mother.

Natalie Portman graduated from Syosset High School on Long Island in 1999. Students and alumni are buzzing about her award for best actress in “Black Swan.”

Natalie is vegetarian from her childhood and became a vegan from 2009.

Read Her Biography at:

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman Filmography

2011-03-01T03:35:00.001-06:00

# Thor (2011) (post-production) [Actress .... Jane Foster]
... aka "The Mighty Thor" - International (English title) (copyright title)
... aka "Mighty Thor" - Japan (English title) (imdb display title)
# Your Highness (2011) (completed) [Actress .... Isabel]
# "Cinema 3: Episode dated 12 February 2011" (2011) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2011) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Made in Hollywood: Episode #6.13" (2011) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# No Strings Attached (2011) [Actress .... Emma] [executive producer]
# "Breakfast: Episode dated 20 January 2011" (2011) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Actress]
# "Conan: The Conundrum Enigma (#1.35)" (2011) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The 7PM Project: Episode #1.372" (2011) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Breakfast: Episode dated 17 January 2011" (2011) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Actress]
# "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.73" (2011) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - At the Golden Globe Awards]
# The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2011) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Winner: Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama]
# 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards (2011) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Six O'Clock News: Episode dated 12 January 2011" (2011) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# The 37th Annual People's Choice Awards (2011) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Presenter, Favorite Movie]
# "Charlie Rose: 'The Black Swan'" (2010) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Charlie Rose Show: 'The Black Swan'" - USA (original title)
# "Made in Hollywood: Episode #6.8" (2010) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #18.47" (2010) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# I'm Still Here (2010/I) [Actress .... Herself] [special thanks]
... aka "I'm Still Here: The Lost Years of Joaquin Phoenix" - USA (long title)
# Black Swan (2010) [Actress .... Nina Sayers]
# AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mike Nichols (2010) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Entertainment Tonight: Episode dated 10 June 2010" (2010) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Jim Sheridan: Film and Family (2010) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# Re-Made in the USA: How Brodre Became Brothers (2010) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# Hesher (2010) [Actress .... Nicole] [producer]
# In Search of Ted Demme (2010) [Self]

# "Made in Hollywood: Episode #5.10" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Brothers (2009/I) [Actress .... Grace Cahill]
... aka "My Brother" - Japan (English title)
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #17.52" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The View: Episode dated 25 November 2009" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Top Chef: Meat Natalie (#6.10)" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Guest Judge]
# Milos Forman: What doesn't kill you... (2009) [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "Milos Forman: Co te nezabije..." - Czech Republic (original title)
# The Other Woman (2009) [Actress .... Emilia Greenleaf] [executive producer]
... aka "Love and Other Impossible Pursuits" - USA (original title)
# "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Natalie Portman (#1.4)" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Plan B (2009/I) [thanks]
# A Powerful Noise Live (2009) [Actress .... Herself]
# 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Presenter: Best Cinematography]
# New York, I Love You (2009) [Actress .... Rifka] [Director] (segment "Natalie Portman") [Writer] (segment "Natalie Portman") (written by)
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #16.38" (2008) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Guest]
# Natalie Portman and Rashida Jones Speak Out (2008) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# Eve (2008/IV) [Director] [Writer] (written by)
# "Project Runway: Grass Is Always Greener (#5.2)" (2008) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Guest Judge]
# "Cartelera: Episode dated 1 March 2008" (2008) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Episode dated 28 February 2008" (2008) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #15.75" (2008) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Guest]
# "Cartelera: Episode dated 23 February 2008" (2008) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) [Actress .... Anne Boleyn]
# "Today: Episode dated 12 February 2008" (2008) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Cartaz Cultural" (2003) TV series [Actress .... Herself (2007)]
# Saving a Species: Gorillas on the Brink (2007) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Host]
# Julia Roberts: An American Cinematheque Tribute (2007) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Live with Regis: Episode dated 15 November 2007" (2007) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee: (2007-11-15)" - USA (original title)
# Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) [Actress .... Molly Mahoney, the Composer]
# "Today: Episode dated 15 November 2007" (2007) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Hotel Chevalier (2007) [Actress .... Jack's Girlfriend]
... aka "Part 1 of 'The Darjeeling Limited'" - USA (subtitle)
# The Darjeeling Limited (2007) [Actress .... Jack's Ex-Girlfriend]
# My Blueberry Nights (2007) [Actress .... Leslie]
# "The View: Episode dated 4 May 2007" (2007) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The View: Episode dated 1 May 2007" (2007) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Silence (2007) [dedicated with love to]
... aka "Silenci" - Spain (original title)
# "The Simpsons: Little Big Girl (#18.12)" (2007) TV Episode [Actress .... Darcy] (voice)
# Goya's Ghosts (2006) [Actress .... Inés/Alicia]
# "Space Top 10 Countdown: Anti-Heroes (#1.4)" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Movie Rush" (2006) TV series [Actress .... Herself]
# Designing the Near Future (2006) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# Freedom! Forever!: Making 'V for Vendetta' (2006) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# Remember, Remember: Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot (2006) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# Paris, Je T'Aime (2006) [Actress .... Francine (segment "Faubourg Saint-Denis")]
... aka "Paris, je t'aime" - France (original title)
... aka "Paris, I Love You" - Hong Kong (English title), International (English title) (informal literal title)
# Armenian Genocide (2006) (TV) [Actress .... Aurora Mardiganian] (voice)
# "Getaway: Episode #15.6" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# 'V for Vendetta' Unmasked (2006) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Charlie Rose: Episode dated 15 March 2006" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Charlie Rose Show: (2006-03-15)" - USA (original title)
# "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Episode dated 15 March 2006" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Daily Show: (2006-03-15)" - USA (original title)
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 14 March 2006" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Film '72: Episode dated 13 March 2006" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Corazón de...: Episode dated 9 March 2006" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Saturday Night Live: Natalie Portman/Fall Out Boy (#31.13)" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Host] [Soundtrack] (performer: "Natalie Raps")
# "Corazón de...: Episode dated 15 February 2006" (2006) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# V for Vendetta (2006) [Actress .... Evey]
... aka "V for Vendetta: The IMAX Experience" - USA (IMAX version)
# The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Presenter: Best Actress/Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture]
# "Corazón de...: Episode dated 7 December 2005" (2005) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# The Making of 'Heat' (2005) (V) [special thanks]
# Live 8 (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Caiga quien caiga: Episode dated 20 May 2005" (2005/I) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself] (uncredited)
# "Magacine: Episode dated 20 May 2005" (2005) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Free Zone (2005) [Actress .... Rebecca]
# "Comme au cinéma: Episode dated 17 May 2005" (2005) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) [Actress .... Padmé]
... aka "Revenge of the Sith" - USA (short title)
... aka "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith" - USA (DVD box title)
... aka "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" - USA (promotional title)
# Domino One (2005) [Actress .... Dominique Bellamy]
... aka "D-One" - USA (promotional abbreviation)
... aka "D.1." - USA (promotional abbreviation)
# The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Nominee: Best Supporting Actress/Presenter: Best Documentary Short]
# The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Winner: Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture]
# Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# 10 Year Retrospective: Cast and Crew Look Back (2005) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# Natalie Portman: Starting Young (2005) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# The Making of 'Garden State' (2004) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Episode dated 8 December 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "This Morning: Episode dated 7 December 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Closer (2004/I) [Actress .... Alice]
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 25 November 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Inside the Actors Studio: Episode #11.7" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Oprah Winfrey Show: Episode dated 4 November 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Episode dated 5 August 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Daily Show: (2004-08-05)" - USA (original title)
# "Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Episode dated 3 August 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Charlie Rose: Episode dated 3 August 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Guest]
... aka "The Charlie Rose Show: (2004-08-03)" - USA (original title)
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 29 July 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Hitler's Pawn: The Margaret Lambert Story (2004) (TV) [Actress .... Narrator] (voice)
# "Anatomy of a Scene: Garden State" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# True (2004) [Actress .... Francine]
# "Film '72: Episode dated 20 January 2004" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Garden State (2004) [Actress .... Sam]
Next US airings:
Fri. Mar. 4 10:00 PM MTV
Sat. Mar. 5 7:00 PM MTV
# "Sesame Street: Episode #35.4" (2004) TV Episode [Actress .... Natalie]
# Cold Mountain (2003) [Actress .... Sara]
# "Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Episode dated 19 December 2003" (2003) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Episode dated 18 December 2003" (2003) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Daily Show: (2003-12-18)" - USA (original title)
# "Good Morning America: Episode dated 17 December 2003" (2003) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# A Journey to 'Cold Mountain' (2003) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# Nicole Kidman: An American Cinematheque Tribute (2003) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Sesame Street: Oscar Moves to Different Locations (#34.11)" (2003) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Rank: Young Hollywood: Players or Played Out?" (2002) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# 2002 MTV Movie Awards (2002) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Early Show: Episode dated 22 May 2002" (2002) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Troldspejlet: Troldspejlet special: Bag Klonernes angreb (#27.15)" (2002) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself/Padmé] (also archive footage)
# "Today: Episode dated 18 May 2002" (2002) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Rosie O'Donnell Show: Episode dated 17 May 2002" (2002) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 16 May 2002" (2002) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) [Actress .... Padmé]
... aka "Attack of the Clones" - USA (short title)
... aka "Attack of the Clones: The IMAX Experience" - USA (IMAX version (promotional title))
... aka "Star Wars II" - USA (promotional abbreviation)
... aka "Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones" - USA (video box title)
# "Charlie Rose: Episode dated 27 January 2002" (2002) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Charlie Rose Show: (2002-01-27)" - USA (original title)
# "Intimate Portrait: Audrey Hepburn" (2002) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# R2-D2: Beneath the Dome (2001) (TV) [Actress .... Herself] (uncredited)
# The Concert for New York City (2001) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# Zoolander (2001) [Actress .... Herself]
# The Beginning: Making 'Episode I' (2001) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Beginning: Making Star Wars Episode I" - USA (alternative title)
# VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards (2000) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 28 April 2000" (2000) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Where the Heart Is (2000) [Actress .... Novalee Nation]
# Film-Fest DVD: Issue 3 - Toronto (2000) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# The 57th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2000) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture]

# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #7.43" (1999) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Oprah Winfrey Show: Episode dated 11 November 1999" (1999) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Mundo VIP: Show nº177 (#4.40)" (1999) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Anywhere But Here (1999) [Actress .... Ann August]
# "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Episode dated 26 May 1999" (1999) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Daily Show: (1999-05-26)" - USA (original title)
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 21 May 1999" (1999) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Rosie O'Donnell Show: Episode dated 21 May 1999" (1999) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) [Actress .... Queen Amidala/Padmé]
... aka "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace" - USA (video box title)
... aka "The Phantom Menace" - USA (short title)
... aka "Star Wars Episode 1: Phantom Menace" - Japan (English title)
# The Stars of 'Star Wars': Interviews from the Cast (1999) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Rosie O'Donnell Show: Episode dated 9 January 1998" (1998) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Charlie Rose: Episode dated 2 January 1998" (1998) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself - Guest]
... aka "The Charlie Rose Show: (1998-01-02)" - USA (original title)
# "Charlie Rose: Episode dated 1 December 1997" (1997) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "The Charlie Rose Show: (1997-12-01)" - USA (original title)
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 24 November 1997" (1997) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Mars Attacks! (1996) [Actress .... Taffy Dale]
# "Showbiz Today: Episode dated 12 December 1996" (1996) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Everyone Says I Love You (1996) [Actress .... Laura Dandridge] [Soundtrack] (performer: "I'm Thru With Love")
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 28 November 1996" (1996) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode dated 22 February 1996" (1996) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# Beautiful Girls (1996) [Actress .... Marty]
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 1 February 1996" (1996) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# 1996 MTV Movie Awards (1996) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Presenter]
# Heat (1995) [Actress .... Lauren Gustafson]
# "Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Episode dated 14 December 1994" (1994) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "Late Show with David Letterman: Episode dated 24 November 1994" (1994) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# "HBO First Look: The Best Man for the Job: The Making of 'The Professional'" (1994) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
# The Professional (1994) [Actress .... Mathilda] [Soundtrack] (performer: "Like a Virgin")
... aka "Léon" - France (original title)
... aka "Leon: The Professional" - International (English title), USA (longer version)
... aka "Leon" - Japan (English title)
# Developing (1994) [Actress .... Nina]

Awards Won by Natalie Portman

2011-03-01T03:27:00.004-06:00

Awards Won
* 2002 – Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actress: Drama/Action Adventure: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
* 2004 – National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Best Acting by an Ensemble: Closer (shared with Jude Law, Clive Owen, and Julia Roberts)
* 2004 – San Diego Film Critics Society, Best Supporting Actress: Closer
* 2005 – Golden Globe Awards, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Closer
* 2007 – Saturn Awards, Best Actress: V for Vendetta
* 2010 – Boston Society of Film Critics, Best Actress: Black Swan
* 2010 – New York Film Critics Online, Best Actress: Black Swan
* 2010 – Online Film Critics Society, Best Actress: Black Swan
* 2011 - Academy Award, Best Actress: Black Swan
* 2011 – BAFTA Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role: Black Swan
* 2011 – Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, Best Actress: Black Swan
* 2011 – Golden Globe Awards, Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Black Swan
* 2011 – Independent Spirit Awards, Best Female Lead: Black Swan
* 2011 – Screen Actors Guild Awards, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Black Swan

Nominations
* 1996 – Chicago Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Beautiful Girls; Most Promising Actress: Beautiful Girls
* 1999 – Golden Raspberry Award, Worst Screen Couple: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (shared with Jake Lloyd)
* 2000 – Golden Globe Awards, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Anywhere but Here
* 2000 – Saturn Awards, Best Young Actress: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
* 2000 – Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actress: Where the Heart Is
* 2000 – Young Artist Awards, Best Young Actress: Anywhere but Here
* 2001 – Young Artist Awards, Best Young Actress: Where the Heart Is
* 2002 – Teen Choice Awards, Choice Chemistry: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (shared with Hayden Christensen)
* 2003 – Golden Raspberry Awards, Worst Supporting Actress: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones; Worst Screen Couple: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (shared with Hayden Christensen)
* 2003 – Saturn Awards, Best Actress: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
* 2005 – Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Closer
* 2005 – BAFTA Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Closer
* 2005 – Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Closer; Best Acting Ensemble: Closer (shared with Jude Law, Clive Owen, and Julia Roberts)
* 2005 – Irish Film and Television Awards, Best International Actress: Garden State
* 2005 – London Film Critics' Circle, Actress of the Year: Closer
* 2005 – MTV Movie Awards, Best Female Performance: Garden State; Best Kiss: Garden State (shared with Zach Braff)
* 2005 – Online Film Critics Society, Best Supporting Actress: Closer
* 2005 – People's Choice Awards, Favorite Leading Lady
* 2005 – Satellite Awards, Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Closer; Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical: Garden State
* 2005 – Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actress: Drama: Closer, Garden State; Choice Movie Actress: Action/Adventure: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith; Choice Movie Liar, Garden State; Choice Movie Liplock: Garden State; Choice Movie Love Scene: Garden State
* 2005 – Vancouver Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Closer, Garden State
* 2006 – Saturn Awards, Best Actress: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
* 2006 – Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actress: Drama/Action Adventure: V for Vendetta
* 2009 – Chicago Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Brothers
* 2010 – Saturn Awards, Best Actress: Brothers
* 2010 – Satellite Awards, Best Actress in a Drama: Black Swan
* 2010 – Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, Best Actress: Black Swan
* 2011 – Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Best Actress: Black Swan
* 2011 – London Film Critics' Circle, Actress of the Year: Black Swan
* 2011 – Saturn Awards, Best Actress: Black Swan[111]
* 2011 – Toronto Film Critics Association, Best Actress: Black Swan
* 2011 – Vancouver Film Critics Circle, Best Actress: Black Swan

Natalie Portman

2011-03-01T03:05:00.006-06:00

Natalie Hershlag (Hebrew: נטלי הרשלג‎; born June 9, 1981), better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an Israeli and American actress. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon. During the 1990s, Portman had major roles in films including Beautiful Girls and Anywhere but Here, before being cast for the role as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. In 1999, she enrolled at Harvard University to study psychology while she was working on the Star Wars films. She completed her bachelor's degree in 2003.

In 2001, Portman opened in New York City's Public Theater production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. In 2005, Portman received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture for the drama Closer. She shaved her head and learned to speak with a British accent for her starring role in V for Vendetta (2006), for which she won a Constellation Award for Best Female Performance, and a Saturn Award for Best Actress. She played leading roles in the historical dramas Goya's Ghosts (2006) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). In May 2008, she served as the youngest member of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival jury. Portman's directorial debut, Eve, opened the 65th Venice International Film Festival's shorts competition in 2008.

In 2011, Portman won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the BAFTA Award for her lead performance in Black Swan.

Portman was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Her father, Avner Hershlag, is a fertility specialist. Her mother, Shelley Hershlag, is an American homemaker who works as her agent. Portman's maternal ancestors were Jewish immigrants to the United States from Austria and Russia, and her paternal ancestors were Jews who moved to Israel from Poland and Romania. Her paternal grandfather, whose parents died at Auschwitz, was an economics professor in Israel, and her Romanian-born great-grandmother was a spy for British Intelligence during World War II.

Portman's parents met at a Jewish student center at Ohio State University, where her mother was selling tickets. They corresponded after her father returned to Israel, and were married when her mother visited a few years later. In 1984, when Portman was three years old, the family moved to the United States, where her father received his medical training. Portman, a dual citizen of the United States and Israel,[14] has said that although she "really love[s] the States... my heart's in Jerusalem. That's where I feel at home."

Portman and her family first lived in Washington, D.C., but relocated to Connecticut in 1988, and then settled on Long Island, New York, in 1990.

In Washington, D.C., Portman attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. Portman learned to speak Hebrew in addition to English and attended a Jewish elementary school, the Solomon Schechter Day School of Glen Cove, New York. She graduated from Syosset High School in Syosset, Long Island, in 1999. Portman skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I so she could study for her high school final exams.

In 2003, Portman graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. degree in psychology. "I don't care if [college] ruins my career," she told the New York Post, according to a Fox News article. "I'd rather be smart than a movie star." At Harvard, Portman was Alan Dershowitz's research assistant in a psychology lab. While attending Harvard, she was a resident of Lowell House and wrote a letter to the Harvard Crimson in response to an essay critical of Israeli actions towards Palestinians.

Portman took graduate courses at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the spring of 2004. In March 2006, she appeared as a guest lecturer at a Columbia University course in terrorism and counterterrorism, where she spoke about her film V for Vendetta.

Portman has professed an interest in foreign languages since childhood and has studied French, Japanese, German, and Arabic.

As a student, Portman co-authored two research papers that were published in professional scientific journals. Her 1998 high school paper, "A Simple Method To Demonstrate the Enzymatic Production of Hydrogen from Sugar," co-authored with scientists Ian Hurley and Jonathan Woodward, was entered in the Intel Science Talent Search, in which she was named a semifinalist. In 2002, she contributed to a study on memory called "Frontal Lobe Activation During Object Permanence" during her psychology studies at Harvard.

Due to her scientific publications, Portman is among a very small number of professional actors with a finite Erdős–Bacon number, a concept that reflects the "small world phenomenon" in academia and entertainment by measuring the "collaborative distance" between that person and Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős—and the number of links, through roles in films, by which the individual is separated from American actor Kevin Bacon

Portman started dancing lessons at age four and performed in local troupes. At the age of 10, a Revlon agent asked her to become a child model, but she turned down the offer to focus on acting. In a magazine interview, Portman said that she was "different from the other kids. I was more ambitious, I knew what I liked and what I wanted, and I worked very hard. I was a very serious kid."

Portman spent her school holidays attending theater camps. When she was 10, she auditioned for the Off-Broadway show Ruthless!, a musical about a girl who is prepared to commit murder to get the lead in a school play. Portman and future pop star Britney Spears were chosen as the understudies for star Laura Bell Bundy. In 1994, she auditioned for the role of a child who befriends a middle-aged hitman in Luc Besson's film, Léon (aka The Professional). Soon after getting the part, she took her grandmother's maiden name "Portman" as her stage name, in the interest of privacy and to protect her family's identity. Léon opened on November 18, 1994, marking her feature film debut at age 13. That same year she appeared in the short film Developing, which aired on television.

During the mid-1990s, Portman had roles in the films Heat, Everyone Says I Love You, and Mars Attacks!, as well as a major role in Beautiful Girls. She was the first choice to play Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, but producers felt her age wasn't suitable. In 1997, Portman played the role of Anne Frank in a Broadway adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank.

She initially turned down the lead role in the film Anywhere but Here after learning it would involve a sex scene, but director Wayne Wang and actress Susan Sarandon demanded a rewrite of the script; Portman was shown a new draft, and she decided to be in the film. The film opened in late 1999, and she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ann August. Critic Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon called Portman "astonishing" and said that "[u]nlike any number of actresses her age, she's neither too maudlin nor too plucky." In the late 1990s, Portman was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The first part, The Phantom Menace, opened in early 1999. She then signed on to play the lead role of a teenaged mother in Where the Heart Is.

After filming Where the Heart Is, Portman moved into the dorms of Harvard University to pursue her bachelor's degree in psychology. She said in a 1999 interview that, with the exception of the Star Wars prequels, she would not act for the next four years in order to concentrate on studying. During the summer break from June to September 2000, Portman filmed Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in Sydney, along with additional production in London.

In July 2001, Portman opened in New York City's Public Theater production of Chekhov's The Seagull, directed by Mike Nichols; she played the role of Nina alongside Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The play opened at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. That same year, she was one of many celebrities who made cameo appearances in the 2001 comedy Zoolander. Portman was cast in a small role in the film Cold Mountain alongside Jude Law and Nicole Kidman.

In 2004, Portman appeared in the independent movies Garden State and Closer. Garden State was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and won Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards. Her performance as Alice in Closer earned her a Supporting Actress Golden Globe as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

The final Star Wars prequel, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, was released on May 19, 2005. The film was the highest grossing domestic film of the year, and was voted Favorite Motion Picture at the People's Choice Awards. Also in 2005, Portman filmed Free Zone and director Miloš Forman's Goya's Ghosts. Forman had not seen any of her work but thought she looked like a Goya painting, so he requested a meeting.

Portman hosted Saturday Night Live on March 4, 2006. a SNL Digital Short, she portrays herself as an angry gangsta rapper (with Andy Samberg as her Flavor Flav-esque partner in Viking garb) during a faux-interview with Chris Parnell, saying she cheated at Harvard University while high on marijuana and cocaine. The song, titled "Natalie's Rap," was released – alongside other sketches from the show – in 2009 on Incredibad, an album by the Lonely Island. In another sketch, she portrays a student named Rebecca Hershlag (her actual surname) attending a Bar Mitzvah, and in an installment of the recurring sketch The Needlers (also known as Sally and Dan, The Couple That Should Be Divorced), plays a fertility specialist (her father's profession).

V for Vendetta opened in early 2006. Portman portrayed Evey Hammond, a young woman who is saved from the secret police by the main character, V. Portman worked with a voice coach for the role, learning to speak with an English accent, and she famously had her head shaved.

Portman has commented on V for Vendetta's political relevance and mentioned that her character, who joins an underground anti-government group, is "often bad and does things that you don't like" and that "being from Israel was a reason I wanted to do this because terrorism and violence are such a daily part of my conversations since I was little." She said the film "doesn't make clear good or bad statements. It respects the audience enough to take away their own opinion".

Both Goya's Ghosts and Free Zone received limited releases in 2006. Portman starred in the children's film Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, which began filming in April 2006 and was released in November 2007; she has said that she was "excited to do a kids' movie."[59] In late 2006, Portman filmed The Other Boleyn Girl, a historical drama in which she plays Anne Boleyn; Eric Bana and Scarlett Johansson co-starred. She was named one of the hottest women of film and TV by Blender Magazine.

In 2006, she filmed Wong Kar-wai's road movie My Blueberry Nights. She won acclaim for her role as gambler Leslie, because "[f]or once she's not playing a waif or a child princess but a mature, full-bodied woman... but she's not coasting on her looks... She uses her appeal to simultaneously flirt with and taunt the gambler across the table." Portman voiced Bart Simpson's girlfriend Darcy in the episode "Little Big Girl" of The Simpsons' 18th season.

She appeared in Paul McCartney's music video "Dance Tonight" from his 2007 album Memory Almost Full, directed by Michel Gondry.[64] Portman co-starred in the Wes Anderson short film Hotel Chevalier, opposite Jason Schwartzman, in which she performed her second nude scene (her first being Goya's Ghosts). In May 2008, Portman served as the youngest member of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival jury, and in 2009, she starred opposite Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal in the drama film Brothers, a remake of the 2004 Danish film of the same name.

In 2008, Portman at age 27 made her directorial debut at the Venice Film Festival. "Eve", a short movie about a young woman who is dragged along on her grandmother's romantic date, was screened out of competition. Portman said she had always had a fascination with the older generation, and drew inspiration for the character from her own grandmother.

In 2010, Portman played a veteran ballerina in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan,[68] a role of which critic Kurt Loder wrote: "Portman gives one of her most compelling performances in this film, which is saying something."[69] To prepare for the role, she went through five to eight hours of dance training each day for six months and lost 20 lb. On January 16, 2011, she won the Best Actress Golden Globe Award for her performance. On February 27, 2011, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Portman's next film was No Strings Attached, which was released on January 21, 2011. She has also played the role of Jane Foster in Kenneth Branagh's upcoming film adaptation of Thor. Portman dropped out of the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet in the novel adaptation Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but she continues as producer.

Social and political causes

Portman, who is an advocate for animal rights, has been a vegetarian since childhood.[75] She became a vegan in 2009 after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals. She does not eat animal products or wear fur, feathers, or leather. "All of my shoes are from Target and Stella McCartney," she has said. In 2007, she launched her own brand of vegan footwear.

In 2007, Portman traveled to Rwanda with Jack Hanna, to film the documentary Gorillas on the Brink. Later, at a naming ceremony, Portman christened a baby gorilla Gukina, which means "to play." Portman has been an advocate of environmental causes since childhood, when she joined an environmental song and dance troupe known as World Patrol Kids. She is also a member of the One Voice movement.

Portman has also supported antipoverty activities. In 2004 and 2005, she traveled to Uganda, Guatemala, and Ecuador as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International, an organization that promotes micro-lending to help finance women-owned businesses in developing countries. In an interview conducted backstage at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia and appearing on the PBS program Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria, she discussed microfinance. Host Fareed Zakaria said that he was "generally wary of celebrities with fashionable causes," but included the segment with Portman because "she really knew her stuff."

In the "Voices" segment of the April 29, 2007, episode of the ABC Sunday morning program This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Portman discussed her work with FINCA and how it can benefit women and children in Third World countries. In fall 2007, she visited several university campuses, including Harvard, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton, New York University, and Columbia, to inspire students with the power of microfinance and to encourage them to join the Village Banking Campaign to help families and communities lift themselves out of poverty.

In 2010, Portman's activist work and popularity with young people earned her a nomination for VH1's Do Something Awards, which is dedicated to honoring individuals who do good.

Portman is a supporter of the Democratic Party, and in the 2004 presidential race she campaigned for the Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry. In the 2008 presidential election, Portman supported Senator Hillary Clinton of New York in the Democratic primaries. She later campaigned for the eventual Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, during the general election. However, in a 2008 interview, she also said: "I even like John McCain. I disagree with his war stance — which is a really big deal — but I think he's a very moral person."

Personal life
In the May 2002 issue of Vogue, Portman called actor/musician Lukas Haas and musician Moby her close friends. After starring in the video for his song "Carmensita", she began a relationship with American folk singer Devendra Banhart, which ended in September 2008. She met ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied in late 2009, on the set of her film Black Swan, for which Millepied acted as choreographer. By at least New Year's Eve 2009, the two had begun dating.[94] On December 27, 2010, a Portman representative told the press that Portman and Millepied are engaged and expecting a child, due in the summer of 2011.

On the concept of the afterlife, Portman has said, "I don't believe in that. I believe this is it, and I believe it's the best way to live." She has said that she feels more Jewish in Israel and that she would like to raise her children in the Jewish religion: "A priority for me is definitely that I'd like to raise my kids Jewish, but the ultimate thing is to have someone who is a good person and who is a partner."

More:

Natalie Portman Filmography

Awards Won by Natalie Portman

Famous Genius Vegetarians

2011-02-28T11:31:00.004-06:00

Watch world famous scientists and other genius persons having Vegetarian Lifestyle

Courtesy: Evan Connelly Novace

Famous Vegetarian Actors and Actresses

2011-02-28T11:21:00.004-06:00

Watch some of the famous vegetarian actors and actresses. Courtesy: Evan Connelly Novacek

Alicia Mayer

2011-02-27T14:14:00.002-06:00

Alicia Mayer (born Catherine Gutierrez on May 2, 1976) is a model and actress from the Philippines. She was one of the hosts of the longest noon-time variety show, Eat Bulaga!. She was the Cover Girl of FHM 2003. Among Mayer's more notable roles was being on the cast of the comedy show Lagot Ka, Isusumbong Kita and the antagonist Julianna in afternoon soap opera Saang Sulok ng Langit. She is currently on the cast of Muli, a Filipino-Malaysian soap opera playing the role of Rhea. Alicia who is a vegetarian recently became a spokesperson for PETA. She posed in front of photographers from all over the world wearing nothing but a bikini made of lettuce during her campaign for PETA . Alicia Mayer was originally discovered from her own self managed internet website in 2002 under the name screen name Alicia Bonifacio.

John Salley

2011-02-25T11:40:00.005-06:00

John Thomas "Spider" Salley (born May 16, 1964) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA, actor and talk show host. He was the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises.

Salley was born in Brooklyn, New York. Salley played high school ball at Canarsie High School in Brooklyn. He is a 1988 graduate of Georgia Tech's College of Management.

At 6'11" (2.11 m), Salley played both power forward and center for the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Panathinaikos BC and Los Angeles Lakers. The nickname "Spider" is a reference to Salley's fear of the arachnid, which he claims to have conquered during his time on the 2009 reality television show I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here!.

Salley is a vegan and has appeared on PETA's testimonial videos, as well as in promoting alternatives to practices of massive factory farming.

Salley teamed up with Farm Sanctuary in 2010 to host their New York City Walk for Farm Animals on Sunday, October 24, 2010.

Secret Recipes From Popular Vegetarian Restaurant

2011-02-22T07:30:00.001-06:00

Renowned chef unveils his delicious, low-fat and innovative vegan cuisine -- Vegetarian Traditions: Favorite Recipes from My Years at the Legendary Inn Season Cafe by George Vutetakis; 200 pages; hardcover; $29.99 retail

ROYAL OAK, Mich., Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- When George Vutetakis first donned his chef coat at the cozy Inn Season Cafe on the outskirts of Detroit nearly 30 years ago, he hoped the public, vegetarian or not, would enjoy his unique approach to healthy yet flavorful cuisine. What he might not have anticipated was the longstanding devotion of the cafe's regulars, the lines down the sidewalk or the frequent visits by celebrities performing in town and needing to quell their cravings for local, organic, vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free fare. Vutetakis put Detroit on the map of healthy and sustainable cuisine as well as the farm-to-table revolution. His stories and closely guarded recipes are revealed in his new book, Vegetarian Traditions: Favorite Recipes from My Years at the Legendary Inn Season Cafe.

Vutetakis' first book unveils recipes for many of the dishes that established the Inn Season Cafe as a favorite destination for natural, vegetarian and vegan dining. During the years he was chef and proprietor (1981-2002), Chef George introduced Metro Detroiters to creative dishes inspired by his travels to Greece and India. By using spices and techniques not usually found in American vegetarian cuisine, he wowed his patrons with dishes such as Roasted Stuffed Polenta, Spinach Walnut Torte, Vegetable Almond Quesadilla, Warm Cherry Napoleon and Chocolate Almond Cream Cake -- naturally low-in-fat vegan dishes, which can all be found in Vegetarian Traditions.

More than a cookbook, Vegetarian Traditions weaves bits of food lore, tales of the local hard-working farmers and anecdotes from the author's travels among the recipes. Chef George draws on worldwide vegetarian traditions to create cuisine that doesn't try to imitate meat, but allows fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans to reign supreme.

Though Vutetakis now resides in San Diego, the 50-seat Inn Season Cafe in Royal Oak, Mich. continues to thrive as a bastion for vegetarians, locavores and foodies to enjoy fresh, flavorful and extraordinary cuisine. Frequently named "Best Vegetarian Restaurant" by the local media, the cafe was recently recognized as one of the six healthiest restaurants in America by Health.com.

Vegetarian Traditions features more than 150 vegan entrees, soups, salads and desserts in an easy-to-follow format. The 200-page, full-color, hardbound edition retails for $29.99 and is available on Amazon.com, select bookstores and Inn Season Cafe. Signed copies can be purchased on the author's website, http://www.thevegetarianguy.com, where Vutetakis shares recipes, blogs, videos and stories showcasing organic farmers in Michigan and Southern California.

In Michigan, Chef Vutetakis teaches classes on the Yoga of Food and is collaborating with cardiologist Dr. Michael Dangovian of the Wellness Training Institute on his Food Is Medicine program.

For photos, recipes and/or to arrange an interview, contact publicist Cyndi Summers at cyndisummers@prodigy.net or 586-945-8775.

Jessica Simpson

2011-02-22T07:11:00.004-06:00

Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, television personality and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and beauty products, and designed fragrances, shoes, and handbags for women. She has devoted time to philanthropic efforts including Operation Smile and a USO-hosted tour for troops stationed overseas.

She has achieved seven Billboard Top 40 hits, three gold and two Multi- Platinum RIAA certified studio albums, four of which have reached the top 10 on the US Billboard 200. Simpson starred with her then-husband Nick Lachey in the MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. She ventured into the country music market in 2008 and released Do You Know.

She has sold 20 million records worldwide. Simpson has a total of records sales in Australia of more than 426,000 copies and was ranked in the # 113 on the 1000 artists chart of ARIA Music Decade Charts (1980–2010). In 2009, Billboard named Simpson as the 95th overall best Artists of the Decade. Simpson also was ranked at number 86 on Billboard 200 Artists, solely based on album sales.

Benjamin Zephaniah

2011-02-21T01:38:00.007-06:00

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (born 15 April 1958, Birmingham, England) is a British Jamaican Rastafarian writer and dub poet. He is a well-known figure in contemporary English literature, and was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008.

Zephaniah was born and raised in Handsworth district of Birmingham, which he called the "Jamaican capital of Europe"- He is the son of a Barbados postman and a Jamaican nurse. A dyslexic, he attended an approved school but left aged 13 unable to read or write.

He writes that his poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls "street politics". His first performance was in church when he was ten, and by the age of fifteen, his poetry was already known among Handsworth's Afro-Caribbean and Asian communities. He received a criminal record with the police as a young man and served a prison sentence for burglary. Tired of the limitations of being a black poet communicating with black people only, he decided to expand his audience, and headed to London at the age of twenty-two.

He became actively involved in a workers co-operative in Stratford, London, which led to the publication of his first book of poetry, called Pen Rhythm, published by Page One Books in 1980. Three editions were published. Zephaniah has said that his mission is to fight the dead image of poetry in academia, and to "take [it] everywhere" to people who do not read books so he turned poetry readings into concert-like performances.

His second collection of poetry, The Dread Affair: Collected Poems (1985) contained a number of poems attacking the British legal system. Rasta Time in Palestine (1990), an account of a visit to the Palestinian occupied territories, contained poetry and travelogue. Many of the poems in Too Black, Too Strong (2001) were inspired by his tenure as Poet in Residence at the chambers of London barrister Michael Mansfield QC and by his attendance at both the inquiry into the Bloody Sunday shootings and the inquiry into the death of Ricky Reel, an Asian student found dead in the Thames. We Are Britain! (2002), is a collection of poems celebrating cultural diversity in Britain.

His album Rasta, which featured The Wailers' first recording since the death of Bob Marley as well as a tribute to Nelson Mandela, gained him international prestige[8] and topped the Yugoslavian pop charts.[6][8] It was because of this recording that he was introduced to the political prisoner and soon-to-be South African president Nelson Mandela, and in 1996, Mandela requested that Zephaniah host the president's Two Nations Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Zephaniah was poet in residence at the chambers of Michael Mansfield QC, and sat in on the inquiry into Bloody Sunday and other cases, these experiences leading to his Too Black, Too Strong poetry collection.

Benjamin Zephaniah became a very successful children's poet with his first book of poetry for children called Talking Turkeys which to go into an emergency reprint after just six weeks. In 1999 he wrote an immensely successful novel for teenagers, Face, the first of four novels to date.
Zephaniah lived for many years in East London but since 2008 has divided his time between Beijing and a village near Spalding, Lincolnshire. He also lived in Indonesia for 5 years.

He was married for twelve years to Amina, a theatre administrator, who left him in 2001.

In November 2003, Zephaniah wrote in The Guardian that he had turned down an OBE from the Queen because it reminded him of "how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised."

Chelsea Clinton

2011-02-21T01:22:00.004-06:00

Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Chelsea was born in Little Rock, Arkansas during her father's first term as Governor of Arkansas. She attended public schools there until her father's election to the Presidency of the United States at which time she attended and graduated from the private Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. She continued her education at Stanford University, receiving a bachelor's degree in history, and earned master's degrees from University College, Oxford, and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. She worked for Avenue Capital Group, and serves on the board of the School of American Ballet.

Between December 2007 and the end of the 2008 primaries, she campaigned extensively across the country, appearing mostly on college campuses, for her mother's ultimately unsuccessful Democratic presidential nomination bid and introduced her mother at the August 2008 Democratic National Convention.

On July 31, 2010, Clinton married investment banker Marc Mezvinsky in Rhinebeck, New York.

Emilie Autumn

2011-02-21T01:12:00.002-06:00

Emilie Autumn Liddell (born in Los Angeles, California, on September 22, 1979), better known by her stage name Emilie Autumn, is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and violinist who is best known for her wide range of musical styles and her use of theatrics. Growing up in Malibu, California, she began learning the violin at the age of four and left regular school five years later with the goal of becoming a world-class violinist; she practiced a maximum of nine hours a day and read a wide range of literature. Progressing to writing her own music and poetry, she went to the Colburn School of Performing Arts, and then Indiana University's Music Conservatory, which she left over issues regarding the relationship between classical music and the appearance of the performer. Through her own independent label Traitor Records, Autumn debuted with her classical album On a Day: Music for Violin & Continuo in 1997, followed by 2002's supernaturally themed album Enchant.

She appeared in singer Courtney Love's backing band on her 2004 America's Sweetheart tour and returned to the United States. After having an abortion, Autumn attempted suicide and was kept on suicide watch in a Los Angeles mental institution. After her release, she later had her cell block number tattooed on her arm as a way of remembering what had happened to her. She released the 2006 album Opheliac with the German label Trisol Music Group. In 2007, she released Laced/Unlaced; the re-release of On a Day... appeared as Laced with songs on the electric violin as Unlaced. She later left Trisol to join New York-based The End Records in 2009 and release Opheliac in the United States, where previously it had only been available as an import. Currently she is working on an album entitled Fight Like A Girl.

Autumn draws influence for her music—the style of which she has alternatively labeled as "Victoriandustrial" and glam rock—from plays, novels, and history, particularly the Victorian era, with her musical inspiration being the English violinist Nigel Kennedy. Her live performances, which she calls dinner theatre because of her practice of throwing tea and tea-time snacks offstage, make use of burlesque to counterbalance the morbid topics; Autumn incorporates theatrics with an all-female backing band called The Bloody Crumpets. Outspoken about bipolar disorder and her experience in a modern-day mental institution, she has written an autobiographical novel, 2010's The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls.

Alicia Silverstone

2011-02-20T13:11:00.003-06:00

Alicia Silverstone (pronounced /əˈliːsiə ˈsɪlvərstoʊn/; born October 4, 1976) is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless (1995) and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin (1997).

Silverstone was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of Deirdre "Didi" (née Radford), a Scottish-born former Pan Am flight attendant, and Monty Silverstone, an English-born real-estate investor and part-time actor. Silverstone was raised in a "traditional Jewish household"; her father, a native of east London, is Jewish, and her mother converted to Conservative Judaism before marriage. Silverstone is the youngest of three children and also has a half-sister, London-based rock singer Kezi Silverstone, and a half-brother, David Silverstone, both from her father's previous marriage. Silverstone attended Crocker Middle School and then San Mateo High School, but did not complete her high school studies. When she was six years old, she began modeling and was subsequently cast in television commercials, the first being for Domino's Pizza. She acquired some early modeling and advertising work and was eventually cast as "dream girl" Jessica on the episode "Road Test" of The Wonder Years.

Peter Singer

2011-02-19T12:53:00.005-06:00

Peter Albert David Singer (born 6 July 1946) is an Australian philosopher who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne. He specialises in applied ethics and approaches ethical issues from a secular, preference utilitarian perspective.

He has served, on two occasions, as chair of philosophy at Monash University, where he founded its Centre for Human Bioethics. In 1996, he ran unsuccessfully as a Green candidate for the Australian Senate. In 2004, he was recognised as the Australian Humanist of the Year by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies. He has been voted one of Australia's ten most influential public intellectuals. Singer serves on the Advisory Board of Incentives for Global Health, the NGO formed to develop the Health Impact Fund proposal.

Outside academic circles, Singer is best known for his book Animal Liberation, widely regarded as the touchstone of the animal liberation movement. Not all members of the animal liberation movement share this view, and Singer himself has said the media overstates his status. His views on that and other issues in bioethics have attracted attention and a degree of controversy.

Olivia Wilde

2011-02-19T12:39:00.005-06:00

Olivia Wilde (born Olivia Jane Cockburn; March 10, 1984) is an American actress and model. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the series The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrays Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley in the TV drama House, and in 2010 starred as Quorra in Tron: Legacy.

Wilde was born in New York City on March 10, 1984. Her mother, Leslie Cockburn (née Redlich), is a 60 Minutes producer and journalist. Her father, Andrew Cockburn, who was born in London, England, and raised in Ireland, is a journalist, as are her uncles Alexander Cockburn and Patrick Cockburn (all of whom contribute to the political website CounterPunch.org). Her sister, Chloe Cockburn, is a civil rights attorney in New York; her late aunt Sarah Caudwell was a writer, and her paternal grandfather Claud Cockburn was a novelist/journalist.

Wilde has said that as a result of her family background, she has a "strong journalistic streak", being "really critical and analytical". Both her parents were prominent in the Washington social scene, hosting dinner parties. Her mother once recounted a story of a young Wilde eavesdropping one night on a conversation between Richard Holbrooke and Mick Jagger until Jagger noticed her and shooed her to bed. She has wanted to become an actress since the age of two. For a short time, Wilde's family had a house in Guilford, Vermont. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C., as well as Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, graduating in 2002. She also attended The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland for a short time.

Bryan Adams

2011-02-18T03:26:00.000-06:00

Bryan Guy Adams, OC, OBC (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also had 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television in 1992. He has also won MTV, ASCAP, and American Music awards. In addition, he has won two Ivor Novello Awards for song composition and has been nominated for several Golden Globe Awards and three times for Academy Awards for his songwriting for films. Bryan Adams has sold nearly 70 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. He is also a well known photographer.

Adams was awarded the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia for contributions to popular music and philanthropic work via his own foundation, which helps improve education for people around the world.

Adams was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998, and in April 2006 he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at Canada's Juno Awards. In 2008, Bryan was ranked 38 on the list of All-Time top artists by the Billboard Hot 100 50th Anniversary Charts. On 13 January 2010, he received the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award for his part in numerous charitable concerts and campaigns during his career, and on 1 May 2010 was given the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for his 30 years of contributions to the arts.

See Also:
Go vegetarian, Says Bryan Adams
http://vegetarian-world.blogspot.com/2011/02/go-vegetarian-says-bryan-adams.html

Lea Michele

2011-02-18T02:40:00.002-06:00

Lea Michele Sarfati (born August 29, 1986), known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays Rachel Berry in the Fox television series Glee. advocacy. She decided to become vegan after reading the New York Times best seller Skinny Bitch.

The 24-year-old Bronx native was recognized by PETA in 2010 for her work with animal