It's Not Too Late! Go Veg in 2008! December 30, 2007

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2008? Already? Where does the time go?

New Years is particularly exciting for me because Jan. 1st was actually the day I decided to go vegan (3 years ago now). I had already been a vegetarian for about 6 months at that point, and I couldn't think of a single reason not to give veganism a whirl. To me, it just made sense.

Trust me, if the lazy and shaggy slacker I was in 2004 could do it, anybody can. :)

My Real MySpace Picture, December 2004
Of course, it's our job at peta2 to make your transitions as easy as vegan pie. That's why we've set up a whole New Years resolution page to get you started. Whether you're hoping to go vegetarian, vegan, only buy cruelty-free products, or simply want to spend more time with your companion animals, we're here to help you every step of the way!

So click HERE (or on the image below) to confirm your New Years resolution before time runs out!



- Ryan!

P.S. - For those of you who are curious what my New Years resolution will be this year, I am going to spending more time with my adopted bunny, Bambi (Yup, even my bunny is on MySpace. The future is now, folks.)

Posted by Ryan

Is The West Coast The Best Coast? December 28, 2007

Posted by Pulin Modi | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

I've lived on the east coast my entire life. But I have to admit that it seems like the other side of the country is pretty damn cool too. For instance, the group Californians for Humane Farms has launched a groundbreaking ballot initiative campaign to place the California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act on the November 2008 ballot. I know all this legislative stuff sounds a bit boring, but it's really important to reduce suffering for all the veal calves, pigs suffering in gestation crates, and egg-laying hens packed into tiny, filthy cages. If this law is put into place, it will really deal a blow to huge factory farms while supporting family farmers and improving conditions for animals!

If you are up for getting involved in this historic step to help animals, please check this out. Tell your parents, teachers, friends, and anyone who is a registered California voter. You need to get registered California voters to sign their support for this important piece of legislation. If you have any questions just look here for the answers. Seriously. It's important to take a long-lasting step in the animal protection movement by getting involved in this campaign. If you're in California help them out... solidarity and all that good stuff, right?

I mean, anyone who has seen the new investigation we did into a pig farm or can imagine the suffering of these poor hens in cages for their entire lives knows that animals on factory farms need your help now. California is a huge state with a lot of influence on agriculture so please work to support the California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.

In other news about how the west coast is so freaking lucky, I wanted to explain my jealousy towards people in California, Oregon, Washington, and even Nevada. You get to see Last of The Believers (featuring Chris formerly of Rise Against on their tour with legendary hardcore punk band the Circle Jerks. I wish I could go, but since I can't I'd love for you to check out a show in January and let me know how it went. Dates are on the Last of the Believers MySpace page.

And then another reason I'm envious of west coasters is that my favorite musician, Ben Kenney (you might know him better as the vegetarian bass player for an incredible band called Incubus) is playing shows out there! If you have never heard him yet, you're missing out. Dates are on Ben Kenney's MySpace page. And his new video is so amazing that I'm including it here for you to enjoy!

What do you think of humane farms, Last of the Believers, and/or Ben Kenney? I know that I wouldn't mind spending some time in California in January, ya know what I'm saying? Good music and amazing activism are really all that I need to be content. Umm, that and some vegan ice cream.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Brooklyn Bunny Contest! December 27, 2007

Posted by Ashleigh | Permalink | Comments ( 52 ) | TrackBack

Have you heard of the Brooklyn Bunny? If not, have you been living under a rock?!?! Just Kidding! For all of you out there who are new to the phenomenon of the Brooklyn Bunny: meet Roebling.

Roebling is a Dwarf Hotot rabbit who was rescued by Kevin Dresser and Kate Johnson after his family decided to put him to sleep. Roebling entered the lives of Kevin and Kate after a former bunny companion passed away. The lonely pair was in the middle of opening a bunny sitting service (complete with webcams), but when Roebling entered their loft, they put the sitting service on hold because Roebling commanded the cameras!

So get to know Roebling, the tried and true Brooklyn Bunny. Not only does he live in a swanky 1,000 square foot loft in Brooklyn, feast on flown-in bunny meals, and have his own website, he is also named after the designer of the Brooklyn Bridge!

After you fall in love with Roebling, enter here to represent your favorite Brooklyn Bunny with a free shirt (your choice of short or long sleeves), some buttons, and a jumbo fridge magnet!

All you have to do for a chance to win is comment below about your favorite bunny (that is, your favorite before you met Roebling, cuz we know Roebling is your new favorite)!

The contest ends on January 3, 2008, and winners will be chosen and notified by January 10, 2008.

Just so you know...by commenting here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.

Also by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

- Ashleigh

Also- if you like Brooklyn Bunny's fashion, check out Nicole's fashion picks for wintry weather!

Posted by Ashleigh

We Are Not Making This Stuff Up December 26, 2007

Posted by Pulin Modi | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

In case you missed some recent news.

• An 18 year old boy was shot and died while he was out trying to shoot and kill geese.

• The president and CEO of the largest processor of chickens' carcasses in the United States, Pilgrim's Pride, recently suffered a stroke while on a trip out hunting animals and he later died. (Here's one example of how his company made a profit off of cruelty to animals.)

• Some hunter in North Carolina slipped on a ladder and shot himself and died.

• He is going to have some trouble walking since he shot himself in the foot while hunting in Ohio.

• You know that line "You’ll shoot your eye out!" from A Christmas Story? Yea. This guy must too after he got a pellet to the eye while trying to slaughter geese.

The point of all this is that when your intention is to go out and kill things, you're bound to get into a heap of trouble. Know what I'm sayin' dudes and dudettes?

Speaking of hunting accidents, did you see the Dick Cheney e-card?

-Pulin

P.S.- I consulted with some deer before posting this blog and they were super excited. They also wanted me to tell you about the reindeer campaign against Santa since it's around Christmas and all.

Posted by Pulin

Happy Holidays from peta2! December 24, 2007

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Hey everybody! With the peta2 HQ being closed tomorrow for Christmas, we wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Holidays. Yes, it's time to break out the Silk Nog, convince our parents to have a vegan holiday meal, and sing funnier versions of traditional Christmas carols (Ok, "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" one more time, from the top).

As a reminder though, it's still not too late to send along all of peta2's amazing holiday e-cards to your friends and family that still eat or wear animals. There's, of course, last year's classic "Santa Got Run Over by His Reindeer", as well as this year's instant classic, the peta2 Holiday Snow Globe.

Yes, it's exciting enough to make even the toughest "hardcore kids" get into the spirit.

Dance, hardcore kid. Dance like the wind.

- Ryan!

Posted by Ryan

Former Ringling Bros. Circus Employee Speaks Out December 21, 2007

Posted by Pulin Modi | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

Archele Hundley, a former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus employee, has recently teamed up with us to make a moving plea to potential circusgoers.

Check it out here and make sure you show your parents and teachers, too.

Watch more videos at peta2.com.

Among the horrors Archele witnessed were:

• An elephant was beaten with bullhooks so severely in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2006 that she bled profusely and cried out in pain.

• A trainer viciously whipped a camel and punched a miniature horse in the face.

• Trainers jabbed horses with pitchforks and gave them extremely painful "lip twists" to force the animals to obey commands.

Please get involved with the peta2 Street Team and the circus campaign.

Spread the word!

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Just In Time For Christmas, Good News For Hens December 21, 2007

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Do you remember our Mepkin Abbey (a Christian monastery) egg farm investigation which shows hens crammed into cages, suffering with broken bones, and other hideous cruelty? The good news of the day is that the monks there have finally made the compassionate decision to stop enslaving birds. Yep! They're phasing out their entire egg operation and specifically stated that PETA's campaign (thanks to all of you) was a major factor in this move! You can read more about it here. Hooray!

In a time so close to Christmas, it's good to know that Christians in a position of power can use their lives to reduce suffering for others.

As my favorite author and animal advocate, Matthew Scully writes:

Animals cruelly dealt with are not just things, not just an irrelevant detail in some self-centered moral drama of our own. They matter in their own right, as they matter to their Creator, and the wrongs of cruelty are wrongs done to them.

If you haven't already read the book Dominion, I definitely recommend it—especially to anyone who has an interest in making the case that Christians and/or political conservatives should care about animals rights issues. It's a perfect Christmas present for that not-so-receptive relative who thinks you are crazy (you're not, by the way).

Again, especially in this holiday time it's essential to remember that kindness towards animals is one thing that transcends all boundaries of religion, race, gender, political party, sexual orientation and so on. Really, who purposely wants to be mean? No one (except the Grinch and probably Col. Sanders)! Let's stop making excuses and start acting with compassion.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Missing Person: Leah Hickman December 21, 2007

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Yesterday, peta2 became aware of a missing student situation in Huntington, WV which has the entire campus of Marshall University on the look-out. While Leah Hickman had planned to go home for the holidays to spend time with her family in nearby Point Pleasant, WV, she has now been missing for nearly a week and counting.

This situation was brought to our attention because a local news story reported that she had just recently been inspired to be a vegetarian after watching videos on PETA's website. As the article states:

"[Her friend] described the missing woman as "the sweetest girl you could ever imagine," adding that "when she first started at Marshall, all she talked about was wanted [sic] to find a job where she could help people. "A couple of weeks ago she called me out of the blue crying hysterically because she had watched some videos on the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,) website. She was like, 'I'm going to become a vegetarian.' [it's like eating meat] broke her heart.""

Image from Leah's Rescue MySpace page

If anybody has any information that could be helpful for Leah's safe return, please contact the Huntington Police Department (304-696-4420).

A MySpace page has been set up in an effort to raise awareness about this situation, which can be found here.

- Ryan!

Posted by Ryan

More about Mars December 20, 2007

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You may or may not have heard about our campaign against candy-maker Mars yet, so if you haven't, let me warn you that when you do your Christmas candy shopping, Mars is not a company you should support. Why not? They fund cruel tests on animals.

Yep, that's right. Mars has funded unnecessary and deadly studies on mice, rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs, and yet the company continues to deceive consumers about its animal-testing policy. Testing on animals for candy is absolutely ridiculous! Please urge the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Mars' deceitful claims.

Help us get the word out about boycotting Mars candy by putting the below banner on your page. Just copy the code below and paste it onto your MySpace or other Web page—it's really easy!

<a target=_blank href="http://www.marscandykills.com/"><img src="http://blog.peta2.com/mars_holiday.bmp"></a>

Thanks so much!

♥ Marta

PS - Have you been sweet to animals yet?

Posted by Marta

OMG, Anti-Flag did what? December 20, 2007

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

Like how my title got your attention? The peta2 road crew has been hanging out with Anti-Flag, The Code, and Bomb the Music Industry the past few days and it's been amazing and such an inspiration to be with so many positive people. All the guys in those bands are completely awesome, they know you can make a positive change in the world and still have an effing good time doing it. The main reason the peta2 road crew do these blogs is to show you how exciting life can be while making a positive change in the world at the same time. A great way to start is by interning for peta2 or joining our Street Team (that's how we all started).

Before we met up with Anti-Flag we drove all the way from the West coast to the East. We figured this would be a great opportunity to do a few Sexy Santa demos to show people you can still be fashionable without wearing fur, leather, or wool. Paige was awesome and toughed out the freezing cold weather while Cody, who wore like a million layers of clothing, complained about being cold.


Just a random note: To spice up our lives a little more, we added a holiday-festive-non-denominational-tree and candy canes to our table. Marta would be proud!


-Paul, Cody and Paige

Posted by Marta

Kim Cattrall Donates Furs to PETA December 19, 2007

Posted by Patricia | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

REX - Daily Mail/Creative Commons

As a shameless Sex and the City fan I admit I can't wait for the release of the film. I hate the fact that at least one of them—usually Samantha Jones, a.k.a. Kim Cattrall—wears fur pretty routinely but I think it sums her greedy, shallow, self-absorbed, status-seeking character up pretty well and paints a nice picture of one type of fur-wearer...the greedy, shallow, self-absorbed, status-seeking type.

I've been reading all the stories about it, spoilers and all, and I watch the reruns even if I've seen the episode six times, I can't help it. Like the one where Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker, who wears only fake fur in real life, by the way) building goes co-op and she realizes she's spent $40,000 on shoes but has nowhere to live...well, you know me and shoes.

Anyway, a while back a bunch of pix from a scene in which Samantha's fur coat is splashed with red paint were circulating on the Web. Now there's no word on what really happens in the scene but it appears that it could have been the work of some angry animal lovers, we'll just have to wait and see.

The good news is, after the film wraps those coats will be on their way to PETA H.Q. courtesy of Ms. Cattrall. Yep, Kim Cattrall is a reformed fur wearer! After learning the dirty secrets of the fur industry the sexiest Sex gal had a change of heart and stopped wearing fur.

Not only that, but she feels so strongly about her new anti-fur stance that she doesn't want to appear to endorse real fur at all and decided to have the furs shipped to us so that we could use them in our program to donate furs to the homeless.

This just goes to show you that when educated, people can change, so keep spreading the word. And don't forget to pledge to be fur free!

xox

Patricia

Posted by Patricia

Super Secret FREE Stuff! December 19, 2007

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Ahhhh, do you smell that? What is that? I can't quite place it. Marta, is it you? No, but close! Yes, it's the holiday spirit!!

With Marta, Pulin, and most of the peta2 crew getting ready to leave for the holidays, I've decided to take advantage of this freedom by giving stuff away before they get back! Shhh, it'll be our little secret, ok?

That's right. I'm giving away FREE Dorm Door Packs for all college students! Inside, you'll find:

Not bad, eh?? All you have to do is order yours HERE before Dec. 31st (that way I don't get busted by the others in the office for offering you this awesome deal). And sorry, but this offer is only valid for students in the U.S. and Canada (sorry to all Street Teamers in Madagascar).

Uh oh, gotta run! The boss is coming! Go! Order the packs, and then hide before we get caught!

"Hi boss! Nope, nothing to see here..."

:)

- Ryan!

Posted by Ryan

American Gangster Copy Cats December 18, 2007

Posted by Cassandra | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

Has anyone NOT seen American Gangster yet? It's such a good movie and I've noticed lots of people are imitating the character based on New York crime boss Frank Lucas (as played by Denzel Washington). Have you noticed? Doesn't it seem like ever since the movie came out everyone's using Lucas's catch phrase "My man," all the time?

I like that one, but there are a few Lucas-style moves people are copying that I'm definitely not happy about. For instance, how many rappers did dead turkey giveaways over Thanksgiving? Just off the top of my head, there was Ludacris, TI, Rick Ross, and the cats at Cash Money Records.

And then what about abominable footballer, Takeo Spikes wearing this head-to-toe chinchilla burial ground:



Now, think about it: in the movie, when Frank Lucas's character hesitantly wore the chinchilla coat and hat his wife gave him, what happened? He got singled out for being outrageously tacky and it led to his arrest. And when he handed out turkeys on Thanksgiving, he was copying what his old boss used to do.

Though what Lucas did was illegal, it was his ability to think big and WAY outside the box that made him so successful. That's why people respected him. If someone wanted to imitate the things that were unique and admirable about this guy, you'd think they'd want to be original, sensible, thoughtful, and clever. You'd think they'd creep quietly, all the way out on a limb, take a leap, and make a splash. Instead you've got people who are already made, acting like copy-cats and killing an ass-load of animals while they're at it.

To all of them I say: Yo, my man, if you can't think of a way to make your own mark in this world, at least find another way, instead of getting blood all over your hands.

Peace!
Cassandra

Win Vegan Baking Mixes from Cherrybrook Kitchen! December 17, 2007

Posted by Lara Sanders | Permalink | Comments ( 23 ) | TrackBack

Tis the season for cookies, brownies, and cakes (oh my)! If you saw our Christmas Cookie Showdown on the blog a bit ago (of which I was obviously robbed out of the win), you should know by now that the folks at peta2 love to bake.

If you love to bake too, here is a helpful hint: you don't need to spend hours slaving away at the oven. All you have to do is get some Cherrybrook Kitchen mixes!

Their mixes are all vegan and all too delicious. They include everything from chocolate chip muffins to sugar cookies to fudge brownies. Yum!

Now is your chance to sample a little of each, because we're giving away two Cherrybrook Kitchen variety packs!

Two lucky winners will each receive a variety pack loaded with chocolate chip cookie mix, sugar cookie mix, yellow cake mix, fudge brownie mix, and original pancake mix. All you have to do to win is comment below with your favorite vegan holiday treat!

The contest ends on January 2, 2008, and winners will be chosen and notified by January 4, 2008.

Just so you know...by commenting here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.

Also by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

xoxo-Lara

P.S. For more baking tips check this out!

Posted by Lara

What is Cyber Giving Week?! December 14, 2007

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

That's exactly what I said to myself when I first heard about Cyber Giving Week, but it's a pretty great thing that my friend Jack showed me (he hoped I would call him 'handsome'—but he can just go on hoping now, can't he?). We know you're doing amazing things to help animals and support PETA (and we know this because we receive countless messages from all of you letting us know just that!), so we want you to share those stories with the world. What if simply sharing that story could help bring $50,000 to PETA to help save more animals? That would be unbelievably great, right?

Cyber Giving Week is a project Yahoo! is running, so here's how the company explains everything:

Until December 19th, we invite you to share a story about someone's good deeds related to a nonprofit for a chance to be featured on Yahoo! and receive up to $50,000 in matching funds for the nonprofit. Submit your story to Bix, where the community will vote to choose the five most inspiring stories. During the week of December 25, the five finalists will be featured on Yahoo! to inspire others to give to a good cause too. The featured nonprofit that gets the greatest number of unique donations that week on Yahoo! will get a matching donation of up to $50,000 from Yahoo!.

Pretty sweet! If you have a story about someone who has been inspirational in their efforts on behalf of PETA to help animals, please do share it with everyone by using the user-friendly interface they have over at Bix to record your story and then submit it.

You can learn more about the program here. Thanks!

♥ Marta

PS - Remember the deadline to enter is December 19th!

Posted by Marta

peta2 Goes Bowling! December 14, 2007

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Let's face facts. Life can't be all about vegan potlucks and making human pyramids. Sometimes, you just have to cut loose and leave all that serious business behind. I present to you: "peta2 Goes Bowling"!

All of your favorites were there. Among those in attendance were Marta "OMG Pulin, Don't Take a Picture of Me" Holmberg, Pulin "OMG, Somebody Take a Picture of Me" Modi, Nicole "Bowling is gross. Where is my hand sanitizer?" Nuss, and yours truly. Yes, like musical chairs with too many chairs, everybody was a winner! Gutterballs were thrown, laughter was had, and surprisingly-entertaining air vents were played with.

Now, it would be unprofessional for me go into details about who actually won, so we'll just call him "Ryan H.". No no, that's far too obvious. Let's just say "R. Huling"*.




So if you're ever in town (say, interning), we'll bring you with us next time. That is, if you think you can handle us...




- Ryan!

* This may not be true. Winning is overrated anyways.

Posted by Ryan

Party Like A Vegan December 13, 2007

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

The last week has shown us, the road crew, the true definition of a vegan party. By the end of the week, we realized that there are five steps to party like a rockstar vegan.

Step 1: Eat like a champ. We had the opportunity to chow down on some amazing treats in Los Angeles. What we were most stoked on was the vegan ding-dongs!

As usual, we got some amazing 'real' food as well. We were told to go to the restaurant Cafe Flore and the place ruled...


Step 2: Hang out with sweet bands like Between the Buried and Me.

Step 3: Visit tourist traps. We get to see all the awesome places like behind the scenes of Universal Studios.


Step 4: Participate in a demo against dirty fur hags like the Trollsen twins. We had the chance to help with the campaign launch against the Trollsen twins in Hollywood on Tuesday and quite a few people expressed why wearing animal skin isn't attractive.


Finally, Step 5: Don't run out of gas!


-Cody (The Hammer) & Paul

Posted by Marta