Get It? May 31, 2007
Posted by Pulin Modi | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack
-Pulin
PS - It's clickable folks.
PPS - In case you need a hint about the image, check this out.
Victory: Coca-Cola Stops Testing On Animals! May 31, 2007
Posted by Pulin Modi | Permalink | Comments ( 64 ) | TrackBack
Hey everyone, we've got some huge news for you. We're happy to announce that The Coca-Cola Company has officially pledged to stop funding animal tests! You may recall that their main competitor, PepsiCo declared their commitment to non-animal testing earlier this month, so it's great to see this progress within such huge industries.
The Coca-Cola Company's letter to PETA states in part:
"...We are sending letters to our partners and research organizations who may conduct safety evaluations on... ingredients insisting they use alternatives to animal testing... Recently senior management became aware that research involving rats was being conducted as part of a grant we had funded at Virginia Commonwealth University to study taste reception. We have contacted the University and have discontinued our funding."
Thanks to everyone who has been spreading the word about the horrors of animal testing and encouraging companies to go cruelty-free. Your compassion and dedication are making a difference for so many animals every day!
Maybe it's a coincidence, but The Chicago Tribune Magazine just ran a fantastic story entitled "Ruffling Feathers" which discusses the progress animal rights activists have been making:
"It seems undeniable that, over the past two decades, the ethical arguments of the animal rights movement have caught on with a broader public. Even many skeptics now agree that animals feel pain, should not suffer unnecessarily and should not be subject to every human whim. Their lives, on some level, clearly matter."
Make sure you read the full article here and show your parents, friends, and teachers who give you a hard time! Keep up the great work with the street team, ok?
-Pulin
Shiver Me Timbers, Orlando Bloom! May 30, 2007
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Ahoy Mateys! So, I saw Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End on Memorial Day and I gotta tell ya, Orlando Bloom has NEVER looked so good. Wow. I'm a huge Johnny Depp fan—gold teeth and all I'd snatch him up in a second if given the chance—but Orlando with that scruff and his long flowing Davey Havokesque locks (circa Sing the Sorrow)...sigh. I've always thought he was cute—and he seems super sweet, how can he not be, rescuing his dogs Sidi and Essa from the streets of Morocco?!—but now...let's just say I may have to see it again...OK, probably several times actually. He's a dashing swashbuckler, that "Will Turner". Anyway, the movie will def. keep you on the edge of your seat. And all your fave characters are back, including the crustacean covered crew of The Flying Dutchman—I love those guys. So go check it out if you haven't already, but before you do, check out our very own Pirates of the Carob Bean adventure.
Click here to watch!
xox
Fall Out Boy and Cobra Starship...Need I Say More? May 30, 2007
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TAGGED:
Music
So how did you guys spend last Wednesday evening? If you live anywhere near Virginia Beach, I know how you damn well should have spent it...checking out peta2 friends and Nicole favorites Cobra Starship and Fall Out Boy! It should come as no surprise that dear Gabe Saporta is one of our absolute favorite people...come on, he's veg, loves animals and always hangs out when he's in town. And then there's Mr. Andy Hurley, from a little band out of Chicago that you may or may not have heard of called Fall Out Boy?! So when I learned that these sexy vegetarians were going to be out on the Honda Civic Tour together, I couldn't wait til they made their way into town.
I got to hang out with the guys before the show where we taped a little interview you'll be seeing soon enough. For a peta2 first, I handed over the microphone to the ever-charming Mr. Saporta, who then proceeded to take over the interviewer duties and fired the questions at the lovable Andy. (Gabe--if you're ever bored, give us a call, you're a natural at this.) Watch out for the interview and some great behind the scenes clips coming to peta2.com very, very soon.
Oh yeah and one last thing...the show was absolutely amazing! I don't know what my favorite part was--William from The Academy Is joining Cobra on stage for Bring It (Snakes on a Plane), Gabe joining FOB on stage for Grand Theft Autumn, or maybe getting to see the wonderful Mark Hoppus and one of the best drummers ever, Travis Barker, with their new band +44. And then there's Pete...who's even more unbelievably pretty in person than in any magazine or internet picture you find of him, well...*grin*
Hope you are all lovely.
nicole
**Currently listening to: Fall Out Boy's Take This To Your Grave**
We're Totally On Tour With hellogoodbye May 29, 2007
Posted by Pulin Modi | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack
So we've got peta2 staffers Cody, Dylan, and Susan out on tour with hellogoodbye, Boys Like Girls, The Rocket Summer, and The Secret Handshake right now. They're lovin' every second of their time on the road, and Martin from peta2 UK has even been tagging along for the ride. Anyone see the table or grab some stickers at a recent show?
The boys (and girl) sent over some photos to share with you of their food and fun on the road, so take a look:
Dylan (and his fanny pack) at yet another sold out show!
Susan and Cody 'getting stoked' before a show
Who knew writing in ketchup and mustard could be so fun!
Now if that's not a good time, I don't know what is! Keep checking back for more updates from the hellogoodbye tour and lots of other shows and festivals all summer long!
-Pulin
Can a PB&J Sandwich Change the World? May 25, 2007
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Does that sound completely impossible? Well, that's what the folks behind The PB&J Campaign are saying.
Their mission statement is just awesome: "The PB&J Campaign is working to combat environmental destruction and improve animal welfare by reducing the amount of animal products people eat. The PB&J Campaign approaches positive change one meal at a time by illuminating the differences one single dining decision can make."
Get With the Program/Creative Commons
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich can help save land, water, and help slow global warming. But what's the best reason of all to make a PB&J instead of, oh, say, a ham sandwich? As their Web site states: "Saving water, fighting global warming, and preserving habitat are all great reasons to have a PB&J for lunch, but, if you like animals, there's the added benefit of not killing them. It takes about 16 PB&J sandwiches to save a chicken's life, for example." To read more, check out their Web site here.
The PB&J Campaign people definitely have the right idea—every time you sit down and eat an animal-free meal, you're telling meat-mongers like KFC that you only support compassionate companies.
Since we're on the topic of peanut butter, and I have a huge peanut butter addiction (big surprise, I'm sure, considering how much I talk about food), I thought I'd pass along some oh-so-scrumptious ways to enjoy your PB (other than sandwich-style):
Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Waffle Sandwich
Peanut Butter-Rice Crispy Treats
Fancy Thai Ramen (Scroll down after you click the link)
Or my personal favorite—grab a jar of peanut butter and a spoon and get eating! :)
Remember, every time you sit down for a meal, you have a choice—you can choose whether to support suffering or compassion. You can vote with your dollars by only buying products that don't cause an animal to die.
♥ Marta
P.S. If you haven't checked out Pirates of the Carob Bean yet, what are you waiting for?
Our Visit To The Farm May 24, 2007
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Earlier this week, Lindsay and I went to an awesome place called Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in the Washington, DC area. The thought of anyone eating the corpse of a slaughtered animal is truly sickening. And when I was looking at some of these chickens and cows I couldn't help but wonder why any person in the world would want to eat their eggs or drink their milk, either. I can't think of the right words to express how wonderful it was to see chickens, pigs, and cows actually living their lives instead of decomposing on someone's plate. So here is a video clip featuring Leopold the chicken:
And here are some photos:
How friggin' cute is that, huh?
So again, (and maybe this photo below will help make it as clear as can be) please never, ever eat our animal friends!
And if you have yet to meet your meat (or dairy or eggs), please check this out then click here to request a pack of info on vegetarianism.
-Pulin
On the Road with Ringling May 23, 2007
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I spent last week in Trenton, NJ keeping a watchful eye on Ringling Bros.,
…and getting the message out that Ringling beats animals.
I met some amazing activists and ate some awesome vegan food at Green Light.
Even though it rained several days - check out the video of me in an elephant costume in the rain. The overall experience is putting the pressure on Ringling. Since we were watching their every move and are there to expose the cruelty that goes on behind closed doors, we turned away several people and enlightened several others who said they would never attend another circus that had animals ever again!
Not only did we turn people away, we discovered that two elephants are apparently too dangerous to walk from the train with the other elephants. Let me give some background before I go into more details.
Ringling Bros. walks the elephants from the train 'station' to the arena when they roll into town. These short walks are about the only exercise they get and the first chance to stretch their legs after being chained, sometimes for several days, in a boxcar. (Remember, wild elephants walk up to 30 miles a day) Two of the elephants are now being deprived of this meager opportunity to walk because they are being loaded into a truck trailer at the train station and driven to the arena. According to a local resident, Ringling said that they are trucking the elephants because of "bad behavior." Don't you think it's strange that elephants who are too uncontrollable for walking are being forced to perform in an arena leaving the audience vulnerable? Does Ringling not care about the safety of the people who attend the circus? We already know they don't care about the elephants.
We will continue to watch Ringling Bros. until the animals are no longer a part of the circus.
Guess what…you have a chance to join me on the road - so if you want to help the elephants check this out and send us your resume.
Don't forget to check out my updates from the road - click here for daily updates.
-Jason
What's Better Than Cake? May 23, 2007
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Maybe a lot of things are better than cake, actually, but most people are hard-pressed to come up with anything when there's a mouth-watering cake sitting before them in all its glory. Think about it: luscious, moist chocolate cake with a rich chocolate filling and topped with decadent, creamy chocolate frosting. Some of you might be thinking you can't achieve such deliciousness with a vegan cake. Let me tell you right now: That can’t be further from the truth…but I'll get back to this. Now why am I talking about cake? Glad you asked.
The head honcho of peta2, Mr. Dan Shannon himself, recently got a much-deserved promotion to Assistant Director of Youth Outreach & Campaigns. Sound like a mouthful? It is. Anyway, when he's not busy eating Chickette bagel sandwiches, he's making sure everything here in peta2 land is running smoothly. So if you haven't gotten the stickers you ordered yet, blame him (Just kidding, Dan!).
Something you may or may not already know about peta2 is that our catchphrase is "CHECK YO FACE!" Well, not exactly, but we're obsessed with saying it. Check out the cake that Pulin picked up from Sticky Fingers Bakery in DC over the weekend:
And here's a picture of Dan after we surprised him with said cake yesterday:
Sticky Fingers is an absolutely amazing bakery that uses no egg or milk products, and if you're near DC, you definitely need to stop by and try a Cowvin Cookie or Cinnamon Bun. Mmmmm!
Have I given you some inspiration to put your vegan baking skills to the test? Awesome! Then be sure to check out Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World or you can even try making something very basic like Vanilla Cake.
Happy Eating!
♥ Marta
PS — Wish you could eat awesome things like this and help animals? Check out our internship program. It's fun, and I can testify to that as a former intern myself.
PPS — Yes, that cake was as good as it looked.
Shocking New Investigation at a Turkey Slaughterhouse May 22, 2007
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Mercy for Animals, a Columbus, Ohio, based animal rights group recently released footage from an undercover investigation it conducted into House of Raeford Farms, a major North Carolina poultry producer. House of Raeford Farms supplies animals to companies such as Denny's and Arby's and turned 250 million pounds of live turkeys into dead turkeys in 2006 and raked in about 276 million bucks in the process. And what are they doing with all that money? Who knows, since apparently none of it's going to make sure workers don't abuse the animals.
MFA states on its Web site that the investigator witnessed shocking abuse, including the following:
-Turkeys with broken wings and legs, bloody open wounds, tumors and other untreated injuries being slaughtered for human consumption
-A worker violently punching live, shackled turkeys for "fun"
-Employees forcefully shoving their hands into the cloacae (vaginal cavities) of live chickens
-Turkeys and chickens being thrown across the facility and up into the air
-Workers ripping the heads off live turkeys
-Birds being crushed to death under the wheels of trucks
-Conscious turkeys having their throats slit
Check out the video for yourself.
Want to do something to help? The single best thing you can do to stop this hideous abuse is to go vegetarian. It's honestly never been easier, and if you think you can't live without eating turkeys, just think about the video you watched, and pick up some Tofurky instead.
♥ Marta
Britney Spears: Too Good for Pleather Seats May 22, 2007
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Some people never cease to amaze me. Evidently, mere moments before take-off Friday night, Britney Spears decided that she couldn't bear the flight from LA to Miami on a plane with non-leather seats and demanded to be let off of the aircraft. Yeah, because non-leather seats make such a huge difference...I guess that's why cows are so fond of their skin. An eyewitness reports that Brit said, "I don't want to fly on this plane. It hasn't got leather seats." Apparently her butt is too good for pleather seats but her feet aren't too good to walk into a gas station bathroom sans shoes. What about all of those times she was prancing around with Cheetos resin on herself? And don't get me started on her wardrobe in general—what is with those brown cowboy boots and all of the see-through clothes??? We get it, you're in shape, we don't need to see every square inch of you all of the time. So in the crazy world according to Britney, non-leather seats are bad, wearing a fur coat fit for a street walker is A-OK as is showing your butt to the entire world both onstage and off. Also lip synching on your comeback tour is perfectly acceptable. I'm glad her fans are so forgiving.
XOX
The Vines Love Baby Seals Like What May 21, 2007
Posted by Lara Sanders | Permalink | Comments ( 21 ) | TrackBackI just saw that The Vines recently posted a MySpace blog about signing peta2's Canadian seal hunt petition (along with Jet). Add them to your friends (if they aren't already), and comment on how much you support them and their love for baby seals! And if you haven't already, sign the petition to put an end to the Canadian seal hunt for good.
Enough With Those UK Sandwiches ... May 18, 2007
Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBackIt's been a long, hungry week for me. I had to stare at all those UK sandwiches this week, and even though some were admittedly gross-sounding to me (I cannot believe Martin actually eats sandwiches with vegan cream cheese, margarine, and syrup in them--yuck), they were definitely creative, and it made me want to devour any sandwich in sight.
Luckily I wasn't the only one who felt this way. A few of my fellow peta2 staffers were longing after something a bit more than the typical PB&J, too. With that in mind, I bring you three of the sandwiches that we gobbled up today.
Disclaimer: No animals were harmed in the making of these sandwiches.
First up is the little diddy Pulin made--he likes to call it "The Floating Double-Layer Vegan Chicken Sandwich." A little wordy for my tastes, but it looked/smelled delish.
Next up we have the wrap sandwich I got from a restaurant called 219 here in Norfolk. Hummus, tabbouleh, lettuce, and tomato, all wrapped up in scrumptious flatbread. Notice that mine has a little extra pizzazz with a side of sweet potato fries. Yum!
And finally, we have the peta2 staple that my boss Dan picked up today: Chickette salad piled on an everything bagel, with lettuce, tomato, and onion, from Yorgo’s. We seriously order Chickette sandwiches like twice a week here at the office. We're addicted.
Did anyone enjoy some vegan deliciousness today that can top one of our sandwiches? Go ahead and make me jealous.
♥ Marta
Push Michael Kors to go Fur Free May 18, 2007
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How many of you out there watch Project Runway? I’m most certainly a fan of the show, and I just found out that fashion designer and Project Runway judge Michael Kors recently pacified Humane Society of the United States reps by agreeing to drop fur from raccoon dogs from one of his clothing lines. It's good that the reality of the cruel fur industry is beginning to sink in with him, but c'mon--a raccoon is a coyote is a fox is a mink. We can't just pick and choose which animals should and shouldn't be beaten, strangled, genitally electrocuted, and skinned alive.
There have been so many companies/designers that have dropped fur from their collections recently--Wet Seal, Forever 21, J.Crew, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger, just to name a few. What's stopping Michael Kors?
This is where you lovelies come in. It's 2007 and there's absolutely no reason for Kors to keep using fur. Click here to send him a message, politely urging him to drop all fur from his clothing lines. If you need a little inspiration, check out the video below. Anyone with even half a heart would be moved by it…
And if you haven't already, be sure to take our pledge to be fur-free at peta2.com/iamfurfree.
♥ Marta
Zines, Veggie Corn Dogs, and Michael Sieben May 17, 2007
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TAGGED:
A few years back, I spent a lot of time in my local Kinkos. I occupied the copier, paper cutter, and stapler for hours on end crafting my zine Meow (which had a very high distribution of about 10 readers by the way). Needless to say, I appreciate the fine art of zine making.
That is why I was so excited to see that peta2 friend and ally, Michael Sieben, has a new zine out called Smile Forever . To understand what the zine is all about, Michael himself describes it best, "This zine is super awesome, especially if you have an affinity for vegetarian corn dogs. Actually, even if you don't like vegetarian corn dogs you'll still like this thing."
I am happy to announce that we are giving away three signed copies of Smile Forever! All you have to do to enter is fill out the form below. Good luck!
xoxo-Lara
P.S. Just so you guys know...by giving us your details here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy and our terms and conditions.
National Sandwich Week, Day 4 May 17, 2007
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And again, I'm going to let Martin with peta2 UK take it away for the UK's National Sandwich Week…
-Marta
By now I am reckoning you are becoming a seasoned pro at the art of the sandwich, so I'm going to get a bit tougher on you. But it will really be worth it! This one is a real challenge but I think you are all up to it. :)
Around The World Breakfast Sandwich!
Ingredients:
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 Finely Chopped Mushrooms
2 Slices Veggie Bacon
1/2 Clove of Garlic
1/3 Block Tofu
1 Slice of Ciabatti (I used normal bread)
Vegan Mozzarella
Parsley
Turmeric
Coriander (AKA Cilantro)
Heat olive oil till it's warm. Add turmeric and allow gentle heat to release the spice, then add finely chopped mushrooms and finely chopped pieces of veggie bacon. Once cooked lightly, add finely chopped garlic, but be very careful not to burn it, as it will become bitter. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes, then scramble in some tofu.
Slice Ciabatti and warm on a moderate grill after rubbing with olive oil and a piece of garlic till lightly golden. Add tofu/mushroom mix as topping, leave open, and sprinkle on some vegan mozzarella cheese and a bit of parsley or coriander and heat under grill till cheese is bubbling.
Enjoy!!
Martin
Our Favorite Photos of the Week ... So Far May 16, 2007
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If you haven't already checked out peta2's Flickr page, you really should--there are some awesome photos. People send us pictures all the time of the things they are doing--organizing demonstrations against KFC, rocking peta2 shirts, or any of the other tons of things people do to help animals.
I was talking to Pulin and Paul, and they both think they've come across better photos than I have this week (I'll give you a hint who is right--neither of them). What do you think?
Some amazing students at Princeton sent Pulin this photo from a demonstration that made the front page of their school newspaper. It's from a meat-tray demo showing that flesh is flesh--regardless if it came from a person or any other animal.
Paul was apparently wasting his day away, just looking for cool tattoos on Flickr, and he came across this awesome gem. I personally think he's biased because he has a similar--though considerably less bloody--"Not a Nugget" tattoo.
And finally, a fantastic peta2 Street Teamer by the name of Jason Levy sent this photo my way. HAPPY TOFU, friends--can things possibly get any cuter?
What do you guys think? And remember, how you respond will directly impact how I feel about you as a person. Okay, I'm kidding, but in all seriousness, all three pictures are sweet, so I'll understand if you have trouble deciding.
Do you have some awesome photos of your own? Send them our way--hey the week isn't over yet, so impress the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of us! You can submit pictures by clicking here.
♥ Marta
PS - Is anyone else as excited about the Season Finale of America's Next Top Model as I am?! Now that it's down to the final three, I'm rooting for Jazlene.
National Sandwich Week, Day 3 May 16, 2007
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Martin from peta2 UK has kindly sent us over this guest blog from Josh To Kill, so if you're keeping track, this is a guest of a guest blog. I just reread that sentence about five times and now it seems to make no sense to me, so if it's complete gibberish, well--that's unfortunate for you. :)
-Marta
Josh To Kill, the lead singer of the Rome hardcore band To Kill, has kindly offered to become guest sandwich maker of the day, with a glimpse of his favourite vegan sandwich. Now we know it's not all fun and games out there surviving on riders so let's see what he has to offer. :)
-Martin
Hey there peta2,
I just came back from our 2 week tour around Europe. I usually never miss home--in fact I never want to come back, but every time I do, the first thing I want to do the day after is to have a walk and see everything in the centre to refresh my mind to the beauty of my city (that I consider one of the best in the world). But of course when you come back from a tour most of the time your wallet is pretty empty, so I can't afford to eat out much. The best solution for me is to cook up a sandwich:
Avocado, Sun-Dried Tomato and Whole Nut Sandwich
Ingredients
1 ciriola sandwich (typical Italian bread but basically all kind of bread is cool)
Few slices of avocado
Sun-dried tomatoes
Whole nuts
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Lemon
Take the ciriola bread and cut it in half. Next take the avocado and cut it in slices. Put the avocado slices inside the bread. Cover them with a thin line of oil some lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. I love lemon and pepper so I put a lot of those.
Take the sun-dried tomatoes and lay them over the avocado then cover everything with whole nuts and close the sandwich. There you go. This is definitely not a diet sandwich since all of the ingredients are pretty fattening but is really a fresh/natural/tasty one. You can replace sun-dried tomatoes with fresh tomatoes…I suggest cherry tomatoes--in this case after putting them in, salt them and add some more oil over the layer of tomatoes.
Mega rock. :)
-Josh To Kill
STOP...Sandwich Time May 15, 2007
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As a special treat on "British Sandwich Week" here's a guest blog from peta2 UK's Violet...
Martin has informed me that it's British Sandwich Week and therefore we as "British" people have to talk about sandwiches all week (it's proving a real challenge making calls to publicists!). Martin has also informed me that I have to write about sandwiches for you. Since I am on a strict diet (my boyfriend took great pleasure in eating this sandwich in front of me!) this is very hard for me so please bear with me...
Since curry is Britain's favourite food (according to the very reliable source that is The Sun) today's sandwich is an onion bajhi sandwich! Erm...yum?!
It's made from onion bajhi, thinly sliced cucumber (on the angle—that looks fancier), crispy lettuce, some kind of delicious hummus, and of course, 2 slices of bread and I definitely did NOT buy it from a shop! So don't even start! Here I am, with my new red hair, holding the sandwich (but not eating it).
In other sandwich-related news: "Cranks" are a new company (stocked by Waitrose—my supermarket of choice) that make only vegetarian sandwiches! There are tons of vegan choices too and I highly recommend the falafel wrap.
Now go forth little chefs, the time for talking is over. The time for sandwiches is upon us. For my next blog, I will be considering what kind of sandwich Jack Bauer would eat. Discuss.
*Violet xxx
peta2's Take Action Conference in LA! May 14, 2007
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TAGGED:
Take Action conference Los Angeles LA UCLA John Feldmann Goldfinger Free Me Madeleine Bistro
I would like to start off this blog by saying that in the last three days I have flown to and from Los Angeles, seen my entire family (including my adorable nieces and nephew), spoke at the peta2 Take Action Conference at UCLA, went out to dinner with John Feldmann (you know, the genius behind "Free Me" and Goldfinger's frontman), and was forced to spend an unfortunately large quantity of time with Pulin in airports/airplanes. I know, pity me.
So anyway, Saturday was our second-ever Take Action Conference, and it was pretty sweet. A bunch of Street Teamers came out and learned from peta2 staffers how they can help animals through outreach, on their campus, and online. Check out a group shot below (peta2 staffers are in the peta2 shirts! And yup, I'm the third from the left.)
The highlight of the conference for me was seeing John Feldmann perform "Free Me." He's such an amazing guy and even did a Q & A after he performed. Sorry for the poor quality of the picture!
After the conference, a bunch of us went out to a delicious vegan dinner at Madeleine Bistro with John, his wife Amy, and his adorable son Julian. And yes, we were all facing the sidewalk when we ate! Didn't you hear it's the cool new way to eat?
Check out the absolutely mouth-watering vegan chocolate soufflé with soy vanilla ice cream that Ryan and I devoured for dessert (notice that I couldn't even wait to take a bite before Ryan snapped a picture - a chunk is missing):
All in all, it was an awesome day, and I can't wait to see all the great things the Street Teamers I met are doing for animals!
♥ Marta
Top Secret project May 14, 2007
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We all know John Norris – he is an amazing person and driven with a passion to speak up for animals who are being exploited in vivisection labs, factory farms, fur farms and anywhere else.
So, I was extremely excited when I contacted him so we could work on a project together and he agreed. I went up to the MTV studios a couple days ago to meet up with him – the project, well, it's top secret right now but I will give you a hint – it's going to be this awesome DVD/CD split compilation featuring bands like, Anti-Flag, Emery, Bouncing Souls, Bleed the Dream and about eleven others. The DVD is going to be the videos of the bands and the CD is just going to be the music. (Hope I didn't give anything away!)
I also have another video John and I did that will be featured here soon along with the release date for this 'top secret project' – so stay tuned for that!
-Jason
The UK's National Sandwich Week, Day 1 May 14, 2007
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And now, ladies and gents, a special guest blog from peta2 UK's very own Martin Hollis…
Don't blame me if this sandwich is weird--just because we share the first four letters of our names does not mean we share the same taste in sandwiches!
-Marta
It's National Sandwich week here in the UK, and what better excuse than that to scoff our faces with vegan goodies. Every day this week we will be posting a different sandwich for you to try out. Some of them will be old favourites and some will be a bit more adventurous but give them all a go and let me know what you think.
Vegan Cream cheese Banana and Syrup
This is easy as you like to make and I think it tastes amazing, but then again I am not like others.
Ingredients:
2 Slices of Bread
Vegan margarine
1 small banana
A couple of tablespoons of vegan cream cheese
Syrup (maple, golden or whichever you prefer)
First "butter" the bread. Slice the banana into fairly thick slices. Coat the bread in a generous layer of vegan cream cheese, lay the banana slices on then drizzle in syrup. Finally close with the second piece of bread and eat.
Enjoy.
Martin
Vegan Teen Screenwriter- Sammy S. Scott! May 11, 2007
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At 16, Sammy S. Scott has not only completed high school in two years flat, she has also become an accomplished screenwriter (finished her first screenplay at age 13), and has been vegan for more than a year! We recently got the chance to sit down with Sammy to see how she got so much cooler than we are-check it out…
How long have you been vegan?
Once I was old enough to realize all meat came from a living, breathing creature, I believed that it was wrong. At age 15, I became a vegetarian again after learning of the wretched cruelty involved in the meat industry. Three days later, after learning of the same cruelty in the dairy industries, I became a vegan.
What are some of your favorite vegan foods/snacks?
It's pretty nice being half Korean because a lot of Korean foods are naturally vegan and made of vegetables.
What do you think is the best way of dealing with KFC?
There needs to be a stop to the horrific violence animals face every day. I think a lot of it is ignorance. Animals are the most beautiful creatures on the planet. Animals are also the most tortured creatures on the planet. Can no one else see how wrong that is?
Do any of your screenplays involve animal issues? Is this an area that you’d like to write about in the future?
I'm very strict about not involving any animals in my writing due to the cruelties of animal entertainment. However, I'd love to one day create a film just consisting of videos of the animal industries. I'm sure within five minutes into it people wouldn't be able to watch it anymore due to the violence in those videos. But I guess that's sort of the point.
Do you have any advice for kids who'd like to get involved in animal rights, but are unsure about how to get started?
To live peacefully, begin with yourself. Stop eating animals. Stop wearing animals. Take a few more seconds buying shampoo to make sure it's animal friendly. If you know of an animal who's suffering, take action. Speak about it to anyone who's willing to hear you. And if they're not, tell them anyway. These creatures aren't able to fight back. They need a voice. They need yours.
Amazing-simply amazing. When I was 16, my only concerns were how good my hair looked, and if I could sneak outta the house to get to a show. Nice work Sammy. Nice work.
xoxo-Lara
We Love The Bamboozle May 10, 2007
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Was anyone else at The Bamboozle this weekend in New Jersey? I was there, and it was an incredible two day festival with tens of thousands of people (probably half of whom were wearing peta2 stickers by the end of each day). Plus so many peta2 supporters were on the bill including hellogoodbye, Killswitch Engage, and Meg and Dia. Our peta2 Street Team was also out in full force helping to get petitions signed to pressure KFC to stop cruelty to animals, handing out stickers and leaflets, and stripping down for the charity dunk tank in conjunction with Bamboozle TV! Check out street teamers Brent and Eric, and also some random girl in a bikini who dudes were all too happy to try to dunk.
Not to brag too much, but some friends from The Sleeping (with front man Doug seen below wearing his peta2 shirt), Hawthorne Heights , Silverstein, Men, Women, and Children, and a few other bands even stopped by our booth to say hello.
Other highlights included the vegan cookie bars and muffins from Trustkill Records and thirty second dance parties from the boys at Punk Stop, not to mention hanging out with our friends from Victory Records.
And certainly there was lots of hard work behind our weekend which resulted in thousands of people signing the petition, watching Meet Your Meat, and many people saying they were going vegetarian including this fine fellow named 'Pork' who watched the video on Saturday and returned Sunday to tell us he went vegetarian!
Good work to everyone out there making a difference. Remember, it's ok to have fun and help animals. In fact, it's encouraged!
-Pulin
Bears Need Your Help May 10, 2007
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Bears in India and Pakistan are being captured, tortured, and used for "entertainment" - they need your help! Even though it is illegal to capture bears in both countries, more than 1,600 sloth bears are being imprisoned and forced to perform. If you think that the video below is just plain horrifying, then imagine how these bears feel! You can make a difference for animals used for entertainment by clicking here.
Written by Tony Burke, and directed and produced by the award-winning London-based production company Diamond Bullet Productions, this frightful flick is a spine-tingling tale of terror and torture. Want to know the scariest thing of all? "Dancing" bears in Pakistan and India are mercilessly mutilated just like this when they are barely a year old.
Thanks for helping!
PepsiCo Declares No More Animal Tests! May 9, 2007
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TAGGED:
Pepsi Ren and Stimpy
Exciting News: After a year of discussions with PETA, multi-billion dollar food industry giant PepsiCo has agreed to end all funding for animal tests.
PETA's campaign to convince food and beverage companies to drop animal tests has been gaining momentum, with Welch's, Ocean Spray, and POM Wonderful agreeing to drop all funding for animal experiments in favor of non-animal test methods. And now food industry giant PepsiCo—you know, the absolutely gigantic multi-billion dollar parent company of brands like Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Quaker Oats and Gatorade—has joined the ever growing list of companies that are creating innovative products without the use of animals in laboratory tests.
One test that PepsiCo's subsidiary, Tropicana, funded involved injecting 60 young rats with a chemical that causes colon cancer, leaving the majority of these animals to suffer with the disease for seven months only to be killed at the end of the experiment. Completely ridiculous.
Luckily, PepsiCo has now stated the following:
"PepsiCo does not do any animal testing and does not directly fund testing using animals. … Where testing on animals is not required, PepsiCo strongly endorses efficient and effective research that does not include the use of animals. We will encourage our partners to use alternatives to animal testing and share this statement with organizations we believe to be involved in projects potentially involving animal research done on behalf of PepsiCo or with PepsiCo or PepsiCo Foundation funding."
So what does all of this mean? More and more companies are realizing that no one wants to buy products that were tested on animals—especially for something like food and drinks! I mean, hello—I don't need or want an animal to be experimented on to make health claims about my drinks, ya know?
This makes me want to do the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" dance from Ren and Stimpy—remember that? Good stuff.
♥ Marta
Sienna Miller—"Club Sandwiches, Not Seals" May 8, 2007
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Here's a guest blog from Violet with peta2 UK...
Could it be that Britain's own Sienna Miller's had a change of heart?
Sienna was snapped out and about in Primrose Hill, London with her two canine companions sporting a "club sandwiches, not seals" hoodie.
Unfortunately, we've seen Sienna in real furs in the past so here's hoping that Sienna's two furry friends have made her see that animals want to keep their fur! After all, Sienna, you're too pretty to be draping yourself in the corpses of dead animals. It's just not cricket! (That's English for "bang out of order!" or "seriously not cool, man.")
Violet xx
Antibalas Contest! May 4, 2007
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I first saw Antibalas at the Brooklyn Vegan party at SXSW, and have not been able to get enough of them since. If you like danceable music with a political twist, then this is the band for you. And if you like vegetarian baritone sax players (Antibalas' Martin Perna), then the interview below is for you.
Check it out, and then enter our contest to win their new album Security...
What do you think about KFC?
KFC is nasty in so many ways, and the world would be better off without them.
What do you think is the best way to deal with a company like KFC?
Boycott them, and provide better alternatives which are just as affordable and accessible to the people who patronize them.
How long has it been since you became vegetarian?
I became a vegetarian when I was 16. I realized that I had gone 3 weeks without eating any meat, and just decided to keep it going to see how long I could last...it's now been 16 years.
What are some of the veg snacks that you absolutely can't live without while on tour?
Kombucha, carrots, hummus and pita bread, and good chips and salsa.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about going vegetarian, but is afraid there won't be anything to eat?
Try everything. Learning how to cook/prepare food is essential. There are good vegetarian options now that weren't available 10 years ago. Give your body the time it needs to adjust.
Now, to win Antibalas' new album, Security, all you have to do is fill out the form below! We have 3 to give away, and I will be announcing the winners on the blog in two weeks.
You're welcome-Lara
P.S. Just so you guys know...by giving us your details here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.
P.P.S. Also check out our terms and conditions, please!
Meet the Cutest Vegetarians Alive! May 3, 2007
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Okay, so I've received a fair share of complaints from people who think they should have been finalists for Cutest Vegetarian Alive, but hey, I can only do so much, and much to my dismay, I have been told I'm not the ultimate decider of all things cute--whatever, I used to collect trolls. Those were cute. Right? Right?!
Timewarp-Toys/Creative Commons
Okay, I apologize if that rose-cheeked troll haunts you in your dreams tonight, but to make up for it, click on the mysterious eyes below to check out the winners of peta2's Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest!
Wait—you say you want to see the photos in their entirety? Go here to see who brought home the big honors.
Hoping to be crowned cutest next year? You gotta go vegetarian first! Click on the button below to take the Veg Pledge.
♥ Marta
Students Take On The Fur Industry May 2, 2007
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I'm so psyched to share some inspiring anti-fur news from what students have organized this semester! So let's get right into it.
First up, we have students from Christopher Newport University in Virginia who worked on an educational project under the name Project Gadfly for a leadership course. They set up an amazing event where I spoke about how seals are beaten to death for their fur and the importance of being kind to animals. They even had people sign this anti-seal hunt petition online with a laptop (brilliant idea!) at the info table. Oh the wonders of wireless internet! The group also made shirts for their campaign and put together an amazing video which you should definitely check out by clicking here! I love it! Go watch it!
The other update I wanted to tell you all about is the work that a student designer at Pratt Institute in NYC named John Renaud has been working on. A recent fashion show highlighted the work of over thirty design students, with the John Renaud's fur-free collection wrapping everything up in front of hundreds of people! Other than some fantastic designs, he's great because some animal-friendly gift bags were put together for the models featuring PETA shirts, stickers, and literature, and merch from everyone's favorite anti-fur electronic artist whose name is also a fruit, Peaches.
And that's just a tiny glimpse into the world of student activism on campuses, so if you have done some cool stuff let us know, ok?!
Happy Wednesday,
-Pulin
peta2 Has Friends in High Places May 1, 2007
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TAGGED:
Music
Our favorite resident clothing designer/DIY entrepenuer extraordinaire/ex-Kill Radio member, Jasten King, has a new project he's working on- a glam punk band called Nancy FullForce.
Jasten was recently interviewed by Mammoth Press to talk about Nancy FullForce, and during said interview, Jasten mentioned the good work he does with peta2 and PETAKiDS. Check out an excerpt from the interview…
GA: You've done a lot of work also with peta2. Any upcoming NFF/DeadlineLA/PETA collaborations?
JK: Yeah, I just finished doing a design for PETAKiDS that should be out anytime now. I got the honor to meet Patricia Trostle at the PETA Awards last year who offered to work on something together for the kids' website. I'm down for any offer to raise money for animals so I started on it right away. We'll be doing the same thing we previously did with the "Ghettobunny" hoodie for peta2 where there'll be a limited piece through my DeadlineLA website. They're a great company that I believe a lot in so anything they ask for, I'm right there ready to contribute.
Check out the rest of the interview here, and stay tuned for more good things from Jasten on peta2!
xoxo-Lara
KFC and Rise Against May 1, 2007
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As a special treat, a guest blog from Martin with peta2 UK!
Well May has arrived and with that comes the UK leg of the Rise Against tour. I am real excited about getting a chance to meet all you guys who are going to be at the shows or around the towns we are going to be. Below is a quick reminder of the dates.
May 3 - Cardiff
May 4 - Oxford
May 5 - Norwich
May 6 - Leeds
May 7 - Glasgow
May 9 - Wolverhampton
May 10 - Manchester
May 12 - London
Now first off I feel I must apologise to the teamers in Dublin. I'm afraid this time it is not happening for us but I will be over there soon. So don't get disheartened. To make you feel better here is a picture of me heavily sunburnt last year.
Now one thing we know here at peta2 UK from our American cousins is that Rise Against feel pretty strongly about the Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign and we can't blame them. 850 million chickens a year are forced to live a life of misery in overcrowded unclean sheds where the smell of ammonia and rotting excrement is so heavy that it burns their lungs with every breath. After only a few weeks of life they are taken to the slaughterhouse where they are hung upside-down and their throat is cut. If they don't lose consciousness in time, they will be still be alive when they are dragged through the scalding water of the defeathering tanks.
What can you do to help you are asking? Well, why not pledge to boycott KFC and let them know that compassionate consumers won't support businesses that scald chickens alive!
-Martin
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