Veganism is hip and trendy, but can it be used to sell sex? A Portland, Oregon strip club owner recently tried. The Casa Diablo Gentlemen's Club featured pleather wearing dancers and a soy-based menu. Johnny Diablo is a long-time vegan, and many of his dancers were vegetarians themselves.

The club is up for sale, a sign that perhaps customers just don't care that much if their exotic dancers care about animal rights. (As my spouse pointed out matter-of-factly, "They're strippers. It's what they don't wear that matters.")

But this isn't the first time that the vegans and sexuality have met. In fact, sex is often used to sell the lifestyle, including PETA's naked celebrity ad campaigns and peta2's latest: Ink, Not Mink. It's causing a stir in the vegetarian/vegan world, where many are complaining that women's rights are being trampled on in the effort to support the rights of animals, and that though sex may sell, people become drawn to the lifestyle for the wrong reasons.

The NYT has an excellent article on the topic. Learn more here. What do you think?

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I am not a sports fan (and that's putting it mildly), but I live with one. That can make things kind of interesting, especially during basketball season. We have a compromise: He only watches local teams, and I don't complain about it. Plus, I always get the TV on Thursday nights. It works for us. But then comes March and the event that tests our agreement to its limits -- March Madness.

Some Oregon urologists have a creative take on March Madness. If you're a man looking for a reason to watch the games all week without feeling guilty, why not use the time to recover from that vasectomy you've been meaning to get? After the procedure, men need about two to four days to recover and many never take that much time off. The doctors in Oregon are even offering a post-surgical package that includes pizza, sports magazines, and frozen peas.

Very creative, doctors, very creative. I think this is a hilarious (and possibly effective) marketing technique. What do you think?

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In our community, we have a volunteer clinic run by local doctors to serve the uninsured. They do not take Medicare or Medicaid patients, nor will they serve patients with insurance. Instead, their goal is to get health care to those in the middle who have too much of an income to qualify for Medicaid, but who can't afford health insurance. The need is so great, however, that patients start lining up early in the morning before the clinic opens and often wait long hours to be seen.

Oregon has a similar, state-run idea. They put aside money in 1995 for this same group of people, but closed enrollment a few years ago. Now, however, there are a few thousand openings and the state is holding a lottery for new applicants. So far, 80,000 people have applied.

The program covers basic health care and prescriptions, as well as some limited dental and vision. Applicants will find out over the course of the next few months if they qualify.

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I've never really understood the "lose weight for only $X per week" claims that some weight loss companies make. After all, you can lose weight for free on your own. But the guidance and support have value, so I guess I can understand the draw.

Oregon Attorney General has filed a suit against LA Weight Loss and a franchisee. The suit contends that their advertising claiming $9/week is false and misleading. The cost is accurate -- but instead of paying by week program participants have to pay up front. The lawsuit also alleges that clients were required to purchase LA Weight Loss branded food items (such as the candy-bar like LA Lite bars) in order to take advantage of the guarantee and rebate programs that were advertised. The law suit also takes issue with the advertisement of an "individualized" menu plan which is, in fact, one of 8 pre-made menu plans. The LA Weight Loss franchisee named in the law suit gave full refunds to customers who complained, but the advertising continued.

It's always important to thoroughly research and understand the plans of any weight loss organization. If you're looking for a support system and help with losing weight -- consider visiting your doctor for advice and enlisting the help of friends. There are also plenty of free online support groups to join. If you do join a weight loss group/plan locally, be sure to read the fine print and know what you're getting in to!

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Most of the time a purple-colored tomato should give off some warning signs. After all, red is the preferable shade of this particular culinary vegetable. However, researchers at Oregon State University have been tweaking a different variety of tomato that isn't unlike a blueberry!

This dark-skinned purple version comes from six years of mad science, but is actually traceable from a wild type out of South America. So what's in the new color anyway? Well it's not all aesthetics, believe it or not. The new tone brings with it a phytochemical that fights the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Don't go out looking just yet: it could be another two years before we actually see them. How the public will react to a radically different color of a popular salad ingredient has yet to be seen. Would you be receptive to a purple tomato? It would be interesting to see other varieties of vegetables or fruit undergo a paint job as well!

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