good thing i supplement my diet with b12 and a good veggie multivitamin every morning, huh?

and i wasn't referring to your post in terms of aforementioned hostility, but the one to which you were responding. might i recommend carrot juice for improved eyesight, dosed with a little ginko biloba for better mental clarity?

I can 100% confirm he is:
Prince Voted Sexiest Vegetarian

Congrats Prince
NEW YORK - Prince has been voted the "world's sexiest vegetarian" in PETA's annual online poll, the animal rights group announced Monday.


Prince, 47, shares the honor with Kristen Bell, the 25-year-old star of "Veronica Mars," which is being carried over from UPN to the new CW Network this fall.

A strict vegan, Prince recently wrote in the liner notes of his latest album, "3121," about the ills behind wool production. He closed the disc with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: "2 my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being."

Bell, in a statement, said of her vegetarianism: "I had a hard time disassociating the animals I cuddled with — dogs and cats, for example — from the animals on my plate, and I never really cared for the taste of meat. I always loved my brussels sprouts!"

Runners-up in the poll, which PETA said received over 40,000 votes, include Natalie Portman, Nicollette Sheridan and Joaquin Phoenix.

Last year, Coldplay singer Chris Martin and "American Idol" Carrie Underwood were picked as the two "sexiest vegetarians." Other previous winners include Andre 3000, Tobey Maguire, Josh Hartnett, Alicia Silverstone, Lauren Bush and Shania Twain.


Most know him as the guy with the symbol for a name--the rocker whose raunchy lyrics were quoted in Congress during the debate over parental advisories on recordings; the guy whose sense of style includes peek-a-boo clothing and bold gestures such as scrawling "slave" on his cheek during his disputes with Warner Bros. But there's a surprising side to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

The man behind the symbol is witty, political, compassionate, deeply spiritual--and vegetarian. He's also newly talkative. For much of his career, the Artist (as he is referred to by friends and even Mayte, his wife), rarely granted interviews. His reluctance to discuss the name change or other, more tragic aspects of his life (he and Mayte reportedly had a physically impaired son who died soon after birth), fueled rampant tabloid rumor.

But now, at 38, the Artist seems to have found his voice. And perhaps the reason is that he has a great deal to talk about: He finally owns the master tapes to his own work and his latest triple CD, Emancipation has gone double platinum. He is deeply in love with his wife, 23-year-old Mayte ("my-TAY"), a dancer and former member of the Artist's band, the New Power Generation; together they have founded a charity, Love 4 One Another, that helps underprivileged kids and adults. And his vegetarianism--indeed much of his outlook on life--has been inspired by his love for her.

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If the Artist is still learning his way around a vegetarian refrigerator (Mayte describes his food preferences as "still kind of bland--he isn't used to the ethnic foods that vegetarians eat"), he's both knowledgeable and outspoken about animal rights and human nutrition. In fact, the theme of animal rights has cropped up in the lyrics of two recent songs. One of them, "Joint 2 Joint," on the Emancipation CD reveals a distinct preference for soy milk over dairy ("Oh great/Now you think you're my soul mate/You don't even know what kind of cereal I like/Wrong/Captain Crunch/With soymilk/Cuz cows are for calves"). The other, "Animal Kingdom," from his as-yet unreleased CD, Truth, takes an unnamed friend to task for singing the praises of cow's milk. That "friend" is apparently Spike Lee who has appeared in the dairy industry's "milk mustache" ad campaign.

In an exclusive interview, we asked the Artist about everything from karma to Captain Crunch. Here's what he had to say:

VT: How, when and why did you and Mayte become vegetarians?

The Artist: I've not eaten red meat for about 10 years now. Mayte for a lot longer. I've always had a preference for

all things vegetarian but not until recently did I find out how good they were for you (in a physical sense).

VT: How far have you taken your vegetarianism? The lyrics on Emancipation's "Joint 2 Joint" suggest that you like soymilk on your cereal. Have you given up dairy and eggs as well as flesh foods?

The Artist: We don't eat anything with parents. Complete vegans--both of us! The opening lyrics to "Animal Kingdom" [on the forthcoming Truth album] refer to a conversation between Spike and me about the benefits of cow's milk over human. I believe they are few.

VT: Many people become vegetarian out of concern for their health, but I know that's not what motivated you and Mayte. Can you tell us how your beliefs affected this decision?

The Artist: Thou shalt not kill means just that! We don't have to kill things to survive. In fact, the complete opposite happens: If you kill, you will die.

VT: That sounds pretty dire. Speaking of dire: Some people think vegetarianism is all about denying yourself pleasure. Have you found this to be true? You don't strike me as the kind of guy who thinks sensual pleasure is negative.

The Artist: Mayte and I get no pleasure from playing Russian roulette with food. Eating anything ridden with bacteria raises your chances for disease. Being sick is not pleasurable.

VT: I gather that Mayte was the driving force behind your interest in vegetarianism. Would you have gotten there without her influence?

The Artist: Mayte showed me how many different vegetarian dishes one could have and never miss the things you would imagine. I never was a big milk drinker anyway, but I really like vanilla soymilk. Being without my wife's influence is not a reality to me, so I don't speculate on life without her.

VT: What changes have the two of you noticed since becoming vegetarians?

The Artist: I actually enjoy eating more. I have more energy and most of all, my aura is stronger. One can actually feel one's karmic debt decrease with every meal. Mayte enjoys preparing meals for the two of us. It strengthens our bond.

VT: Your practical, as well as philosophical experience, is of interest to us. Now that you're eating vegetarian meals, are you learning to cook differently? Do you have a chef who cooks for you? Do you have a favorite style of cuisine or a favorite meal?

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Sam 8)

Personally, I would hope that there would be meat on the menu at the new restaurant. You'd have to be crazy to pay any large amount of money for a salad with a side of steamed carrots when you can just go to the casino a couple feet a way and get a sprawling buffet loaded with succulent meat. Mmmm, meaty buffet . Without meat, the restaurant probably wouldn't make any money. Oh, and thanks; now I know to avoid Moby's place.

damn, such hostility! some bloodymouthed little viking around here needs some pomegranate in their diet!

I knew exactly which post you were referring to -- and my comments stand.

Incidentally, if you have been a vegan for an extended period of time, a simple B-12 supplement may not be enough. If you eat no animal foods, you lack the co-factors necessary for B-12 assimilation.

And I assure you, my vitamin A levels (and eyesight) are just fine. I take cod liver oil every day -- which is a much better and more easily assimilated source of vitamin A. Carrots do not contain vitamin A, they contain beta carotene, which is only a vitamin A precursor and requires conversion in the liver. True vitamin A (like B-12) is found in animal foods only.

There's no hostility at all my friend. I'm a proud omnivore, meats and veggies are welcome in my little circle of food. I feel that if Jesus had no problem eating fish and other animal products, than I should be able to partake in the same luxuries. I don't see anything wrong with eating meat, and I've actually tried to understand why vegans and vegatarians don't believe in it, but to each his own is all I could come up with as the most logical answer - that and many of them think it's cruel to eat animals. I guess it's a good thing that vegetables can't cry out in pain or move alot are some individuals probably wouldn't eat at all. Either way, the vegetable still has to die to be eaten. The only thing I agree 100% with from my non-meat-eating brothers and sisters is that wearing fur is disgusting and wrong (same goes for leather - yuck). I've worked with cows and the only purpose I've noticed that they serve is for eating, fertilizing, and making milk. They don't do much else...same can be said for some birds and fish. I won't eat pork though, because pigs are actually highly intelligent and I think they're cute.

I'm referring to animals like minks, foxes, and other small animals that are just killed so their skin can be made into a coat. I don't think they eat the minks or foxes after they take their fur...maybe the rabbits. Personally, I just don't like the way leather feels. I agree with you on the using all the animal parts and not wasting notion, but most expensive fur coats are made from smaller animals who live their lives in a tiny, over-crowded cage only to be killed and the body, most likely, thrown away...that's what I have a problem with.

I'm sorry but you are wrong. As a former Vegan and current veggie, I studied up on nutrition. And the fact is you can be a strict vegan and not take ANY supplements. All of our nutritional requirements can be gotten through a solely non animal product based diet. Though supplements can make it easier, however. When people think of vegans they think they are all unhealthy. Sure they're are some vegans who are unhealthy, but did you know that the greatest athlete of all time Carl Lewis was a vegan when he ran his fastest times and still is? And people forget about the amount of obese meat eaters, who are not only not healthy but dieing as a result of their animal product based diet! The fact is a vegan diet is healthiest diet one can have, if done properly...