The Humane Society's New Undercover Investigation January 31, 2008

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The Humane Society of the United States just released a new investigation of a cattle slaughterhouse in California documenting sick and injured cows. This particular "supplier of the year" slaughterhouse actually supplies meat to the national school lunch program. That's right, the same "food" that's being served in school cafeterias across the country was once shocked with electric prods and beaten. Check out the video for yourself below.

It's not just cows that are being horribly abused to become someone's next meal either: PETA undercover investigations have shown horrific abuse of chickens, turkeys, and pigs (among other animals), too. The best way to stop this abuse is to go vegetarian. It's so easy, seriously—just make a few different choices when it's time to eat. Swap a flesh burger with a veggie burger at your next meal. It's as simple as that, really.

I know you've gotta want more vegetarian options in your school cafeteria (because the food that was once a living, breathing, abused animal just isn't cutting it, am I right?). Go here to see what you can do.

I hope you're having a pleasant day, you pleasant people, you.

♥ Marta

Posted by Marta

Students Vote to Keep KFC Off Campus! January 31, 2008

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After gathering over 500 petition signatures from their fellow students, the Power of One student animal rights group at Florida Gulf Coast University has successfully passed a bill in their student government stating KFC is NOT welcome on their campus, for reasons of cruelty to animals!

The true beauty of all this is that KFC never even released plans to move onto the campus in the first place. But by the students passing this amazing bill, they have sent a VERY strong signal to the CEOs of KFC that until they clean up their act, they had better stay FAR away from this campus! :) Not to mention, they educated thousands of college students about the abuse KFC suppliers inflict on animals in the process.

Make sure to check out all of the details on the "Student Spotlight" section of our site, written by the student group president, Regina, herself! While you're there, check out some of the other amazing activism reports from college students worldwide. You'll be inspired, I promise!

- Ryan!

P.S. - This activism also caught the attention of media outlets ALL across Florida. Check out a video from a local station by clicking on the newspaper clip below:



P.P.S. - To run a similar campaign on YOUR campus, email me to get started!

Posted by Ryan

Los Angeles People, Help Dogs And Cats January 31, 2008

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The Los Angeles City Council has a meeting tomorrow morning (Friday, February 1st) to discuss a historic ordinance that would require virtually all dogs and cats in Los Angeles to be spayed or neutered. If you happen to live in L.A. and can help voice your support for mandatory spaying and neutering of all dogs and cats, please drop some encouragement your council member's way. You can find his or her phone number at http://www.lacity.org/council.htm. Just let the council member know that you support the spay-neuter ordinance, and you're hoping they will too. You can also attend the meeting to show your support.

If you don't live in L.A., you can still help raise awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering animals by checking out this page and forwarding the hilarious videos to everyone you know or streaming them on your MySpace page.

Learn more about peta2's Animal Birth Control (ABC) campaign at peta2.com

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Technology Rules! January 30, 2008

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As some of you may have seen on CNN.com, new technology being developed could potentially spare millions of animals from needless and cruel experiments. It's about time!

It's all pretty scientific, but basically it's a new computer chip that has human cells in it, which means that we can run chemicals and other products through it, thus giving scientists the data they need without harming rabbits, rats, dogs, or other animals who are often tortured in laboratories.

Click the image for the full article.

For you science nerds out there, you can even watch video of this new technology in action HERE. As a warning though, if you can't tell the difference between an electron and a hole in the wall (like I can't), this may bore the pants off of you. :)

- Ryan!

P.S. - I mean no disrespect to the nerds reading this blog. Believe it or not, in 5th grade, I intentionally lied during my routine eye check-up, because I thought people with thick glasses looked cool. True story.

Posted by Ryan

We Love What You Do, For Real January 29, 2008

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If I haven't said it enough before, we absolutely love seeing and hearing about all the things you're doing to help animals! Everything you do—from handing out stickers to your friends or putting a video on your page to organizing a "Kentucky Fried Cruelty" demonstration or wearing a "Cut Class, Not Frogs" shirt, sends the message that animals need to be treated better. That being said, here is something awesome that Ohio Street Teamer Katrina Taber did recently that I just had to share with you!

Katrina's description in her Street Team report was so good that I wanted to keep it as is, so enjoy this in Katrina's own words:

In my painting class at school, we were assigned a "container" project. In this project, the container (box, bowl, etc.) was not just supposed to be painted and pretty, nor was it supposed to be obviously a box. We were to put something inside the box, and make whatever additions to the box that we felt necessary. The project was also supposed to explain something about the artist, in this case, about me.

After thinking about what I could do for this project for a while, I decided that I was going to make something that would get people's attention, and as a vegan for the last year and a half, peta2 came to my mind. I decided that I was going to give the animals a voice and expose the cruel conditions that they must endure during the slaughtering process.

The size of my box seemed the perfect shape for a semi-truck, so I decided to make my box into a truck that was off to the slaughterhouse. On the outside of my box, I painted delightful scenes of a sunrise over hills, symbolizing the general public's romanticized view of what farms are really like. I also decided to write "Heavenly Sunshine Farms...We do 'em right!" on the back of the truck to emphasize this false view. The truck is painted a fierce blood red, and the top of the cargo (out of sight, had it been a real-size truck) read, "Open and you shall see the bloody truth."




Inside the truck was a different story...the reality. I glued some plastic farm animals inside, very crammed together. I also made blood dripping down the sides of the truck as well as spattered all over the poor animals.


My art teacher said to me as I turned it in, "This is a very clever message, Katrina!" In fact, she liked the message and the project so much that she displayed it in the main art showcase in the main hallway of my school, where everyone could see it. Needless to say, I received many compliments and comments on my project from my fellow students, to whom I passed out my peta2 stickers!

Amazing, right? What have you been doing lately to help animals? Have you made vegetarian tacos for a friend? Or maybe you've posted a bulletin about our latest KFC supplier investigation. Whatever it is you're doing, we love it when you keep us in the loop! Let us know by commenting below, but don't forget to submit Street Team reports for all the things you do to help animals—though if you aren't a Street Teamer yet, you'll have to register first, of course (and FYI, I <3 Street Teamers, if that's extra incentive!).

♥ Marta

PS - Before I got my job at peta2, I was a Street Teamer myself! For those of you who don't know, the peta2 Street Team is where it's at! Once you sign up, we'll e-mail you with all the latest ways to help animals, and you can earn points for all the great things you do. You can save up those points to exchange for sweet things like t-shirts, hoodies, and other peta2 merch. Who wouldn't want to get in on that?
PPS - For those of you who are on the Street Team, check out the Street Team Goods page—we've added some new stuff!

Posted by Marta

Are You a Meat-Guzzler? January 28, 2008

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Big shocker—raising animals for food is terrible for many reasons, but if you haven't been keeping up with the news, did you know that going vegetarian does more for the environment than switching to a hybrid car? It's true.

I grew up in California, and when I was younger, I would drive from San Jose to LA with my family several times a year. We would pass a gigantic feed lot on the 5 that always seemed to stretch on forever—as far as the eye could see. And before you could even see the lot (and long after you passed it), you couldn't escape the smell. I felt like the horrendous stench (methane) was being burned into my nostrils and it would give me a headache each time we passed by.

I can't even imagine actually being stuck there, like so many cows are—and you also don't have to be a genius to know that something that smells that strong and that bad cannot be good for the environment. Take a look at this article ("Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler") from The New York Times—you can see the feed lot for yourself.

The article is awesome, so be sure to read the whole thing. Here's a little quote:

If price spikes don't change eating habits, perhaps the combination of deforestation, pollution, climate change, starvation, heart disease and animal cruelty will gradually encourage the simple daily act of eating more plants and fewer animals.

Mr. Rosegrant of the food policy research institute says he foresees "a stronger public relations campaign in the reduction of meat consumption—one like that around cigarettes—emphasizing personal health, compassion for animals, and doing good for the poor and the planet."

Raising animals for food is bad for the environment, plain and simple. Stop eating meat and you'll help the environment. It's win, win, people.

And in other newspaper, uh, news...did anyone see the USA Today article about how the animal rights movement is goin' strong? Check it out. And FYI, those are my girls rocking the Mars Candy Kills demonstration in the top photo in the article—amazing, right?

♥ Marta

PS - A big THANKS to Holly and Fitch, without whom this blog would not be possible.

Posted by Marta

An Anti-KFC Comic To Brighten Your Day January 28, 2008

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Thanks to Pop Culture Shock Therapy who actually has entire books of funny comics available.

If you have any animal rights related art, send it to us. And if you haven't already, check out some ways to get involved in the Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Who Wants FREE Brand New Shirts!?! January 25, 2008

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Based on the great feedback we received about our new peta2 Greek letter t-shirt, we've decided to give some out to 5 lucky winners! Who wants 'em!?

Since this shirt is the perfect conversation starter about animal rights and peta2, to win one, just comment on this blog telling us how you would answer the question "So what do you love MOST about peta2?"

Ready...set...GO! Best of luck!

- Ryan!

P.S. - This contest ends on January 29, 2008, and winners will be chosen and notified by January 30, 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.

Posted by Ryan

Arizona, You Have It Good! January 25, 2008

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If you read my last blog you know how much I love Texas and how many great vegetarian restaurants it has. Well I just spent the last week in Arizona and holy cow I had one of the best vegan bacon cheeseburgers ever at Lovin Spoonfuls in Tucson, AZ. If you live around the area you need to check that place out and support great vegan food.

We had the chance to hit up a Bane show this last week and talk to kids about the fur industry in China. It's pretty messed up how they use dogs and cats for fur, and here in the US we buy most of our fur from China. Here are some kids at the Bane show, showing their support for peta2 and their disgust of fur.

Well, while in Phoenix we got to hit up Greens a few times. If you don't know, Greens is one of the best vegetarian restaurants out there. I can't even express in words how good their vegan buffalo wings and vegan ranch taste.


We also went out to Rage Fest and talked to kids for the whole weekend. We had a few girls come up and help us out; it was amazing because they were a ton of help! If you ever see us at a show or want to get more involved make sure you drop us an e-mail.


Well I am heading back to the office now but make sure you come visit me on Taste of Chaos next month.

-Paul

PS - Make sure you join our Street Team, so if you do help us out at a show we can give you points that you can redeem for shirts and other cool stuff.

Posted by Marta

Joshua English Interview January 25, 2008

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Our friends with Welcome Home Records wanted us to check out one of their musicians who happens to be vegan and has been in the music scene for a long time with projects like Six Going On Seven. Since we're always down to work with upcoming artists and expose you guys and gals to new music, we got you this exclusive interview. Joshua English is this artist's name and writing good tunes is his game. I think some of you into some more mellow tunes will like it. Check out this interview and then take a look at the tour dates listed on Joshua's MySpace page. There are a bunch of shows all over the East coast and Mid-west.

What's your name?
Joshua English

How did you get started playing music?
In short, my mom was a music teacher and my uncle was a bass player in all sorts of bands growing up, still is actually! The definition of a working musician. He still plays 5-6 nights a week with various combinations of people, sort of 'roots rock/americana' if you had to define it. I looked up to him quite a bit as a kid and he turned me onto all sorts of great stuff in turn. My mom did as well, I suppose, but was more influential in the discipline category. I had to pick an instrument at age 5 (violin) and played it for about 12 yrs...a nice formal education for delving into lowbrow art in my teens.

How did you get into animal rights and/or veganism?
Punk rock and music in general. I love a variety of music, but have always had a soft spot for a bit of message with the tune, ya know?! Story songs are great be it Tom Waits, Minor Threat, The Smiths, Bob Dylan—this list could go on forever. The link would be that the aforementioned people often injected their views into the music...that mattered to me at 13 and it matters to me today.

Do you think there's a connection between the underground music scene and animal rights beliefs?
I don't know, maybe. Sadly, I think music has spawned a variety of trends that people have ascribed to for a short time while it's cool, only to adopt a new persona when the old one isn't in fashion. I suppose that's all a part of growing up and finding out who you are though, so I shouldn't bring the hammer down too hard. For me, I linked the youth culture I was involved in (punk/hardcore) with the message/views that my heroes espoused in their songs. I was influenced by them, and compelled to dig deeper. It quickly became apparent that politics, the environment, society, vegetarianism and veganism are all linked. You send a message, and align yourself with an informed/progressive group by choosing a veggie/vegan diet.

You're on tour with Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music and Ben Nichols of Lucero, how did that get set up?
Chuck and I have been friends since our old bands (Hot Water Music/Six Going on Seven) toured together in the late 90's. We've both been playing solo for a bit now and have talked about doing a tour together again. Thankfully, it came together and here we are!

What's your favorite restaurant to hit up on tour?
I live in Portland, Oregon, where I grew up. As veggie bragging rights go, we've got 'em. We even have a vegan 'mini mall' with bakery/grocery store/etc. Sometimes it's hard to leave! That said, I love Buddah's Delight in Boston, Burritoville in NYC (vegan sour cream/chorizo/soy cheese) and a ton more that I'm forgetting. Ask me again in a few months!

What advice would you have to anyone interested in trying out veganism?
It's easier than you think. Many foods are already close to/easily made vegan. Tacos, burritos, soups, sandwiches, pizza without cheese, and that's not even getting into all the great soy, seitan, and tempeh products that companies make these days.

Who are your favorite musicians right now?
I love Prince (no, really). I still love Minor Threat. I suppose in the punk/hardcore vein I dig The Bronx and Gallows and that sort of thing (even though I sound nothing like them). My friend David plays under the name Paleo and is fantastic...lots of good stuff, too much for a short interview!

Where can people check out your music?
MySpace.com/JoshuaEnglish or JoshuaEnglish.com. Please come say hello! In the meantime, go veggie/vegan!


I'd like to thank Joshua for the interview and wish him luck on tour. If you're inspired to do more to help animals, check out our Take Charge page and to see more interviews check out the Out There section of peta2.com.

Thanks!

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Would You Eat a Chicken's Period? January 24, 2008

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If I were to pose this question to fifty random people on the street, my guess is that the vast majority would say, "Of course not!" in disgust. And yet, these same people probably eat chickens' periods on a daily basis.

Not to get all menstrual on you, but a girl's period happens when an unfertilized egg and other tissue are discharged from her body, right? Well, when a hen lays an egg, it has either been fertilized, in which case a chicken will eventually come out of the shell, or it's unfertilized, and people apparently thought it would be a good idea to eat these eggs.

I used to eat eggs, too, but one day, I went to crack open an egg and found blood in it. That was enough to keep me from eating eggs only when they were mixed into other things (like cake, cookies, etc.), then a couple of months later I was making cookies and cracked open an egg only to find blood in that egg, too. It was pretty sickening, and then I made the realization that I found blood in the eggs because eggs are chickens' periods. Needless to say, I stopped eating eggs entirely after that.

I can't think of anything more gross than eating a period. Who wants scrambled chickens' periods? I'll take tofu scramble instead, thanks.

If you want to quit your egg habit, but aren't quite sure what to eat instead, here are some suggestions:

- Making cookies, cake, or some other baked good? You can use bananas or applesauce as a binder, or check out Ener-G Egg Replacer (Find it at a store near you here.).
- Or maybe you're looking to get all fancy on me and make something with eggs as a main ingredient? Try some vegan quiche, French toast, or chocolate mousse.

Seriously, look at how sad the egg industry is anyway:

And look at how delicious the egg-free, tofu-scramblin' industry is:


Comment below with what you like to eat instead of chickens' periods.

♥ Marta

PS - I was going to include a disgusting "chicken period" image that my friend Joel made in this blog, but I decided to spare you all from throwing up your last two meals. You're welcome.

Posted by Marta

Win a Fancy "I Am Not a Nugget" Tank! January 23, 2008

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Calling all you fashion-forward animal-loving ladies! We're giving away three of our fabulous "I Am Not a Nugget" tank tops!

Chickens make up more than 96% of all land animals raised for food, yet they are NOT protected under the Humane Slaughter Act—which means that many chickens have their throats slit while they are still conscious and some are scalded to death in defeathering tanks (Take a look at our new KFC investigation for more info.).

Well guess what? Chickens are not nuggets, and neither are you! So stand proud and declare "I Am Not a Nugget" with one of our sweet tank tops!

And while you're at it, send this letter to government officials asking them to protect chickens under the Humane Slaughter Act.

To win, comment below with your tank size (S, M, L) and why chickens are NOT nuggets.

The contest ends on February 6, 2008, and winners will be chosen and notified by February 13, 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

Posted by Ashleigh

Hey Sucka, Let's Bake! January 23, 2008

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Yahsu—that's Greek for hello!

Since the last time we wrote back in Chi-town, we've been in the Philly area having a hoot. We hit the streets talking to some folks at random events, which anybody can do. Go here for some helpful hints. The fur industry is still our target—by the way, have you heard about Donna Karan (you know, the lady behind DKNY) selling fur again? Lame.

Other than that, we got to take part in something that is kind of rare on the road...BAKING! Woot woot! Have you ever had baklava? Me neither. Our new friend Nancy helped us out and even gave us a sweet recipe (literally—see below!).

I haven't had the chance to bake some goodies in quite some time, so this was a sweet learning experience.

With the ending result being phenomenal, we were all pretty freaking stoked.


That concludes our week of fun. Be on the look out for some sweet tales soon to come, oh and go veg—it's so damn easy.

-Cody, Paige, and Tall John

PS - Here's the baklava recipe if you're interested!

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 lemon

1 package phyllo dough
2 cups canola oil
1 lb walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon

We suggest making the syrup first, a few hours or even a day before beginning the rest of the dessert. Mix the water and sugar together in a pan, bring to a boil and allow it to thicken. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Let it cool for a few hours or overnight.

If the walnuts are not already finely chopped do so in a food processor with the cinnamon (You can also use or mix pistachios.).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a cake pan about 13x9, take out half of the phyllo dough and spread to cover the bottom. Add the walnut mixture over top, then place the second layer of phyllo dough on top of the walnuts, covering it completely. Carefully, cut into 1 1/2 inch square pieces. Make sure you cut through to the bottom—this is the hardest part of this really simple recipe! Pour on the canola oil, saturating the entire pan. You don't have to use the entire 2 cups (use your best judgment). Put in the oven, starting with 25 min. At that point check to make sure it has turned a light brown color. Remove from the oven and re-cut the squares exactly as before. This will allow the syrup to sink in. Pour the syrup over the warm squares, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy this cruelty-free dessert!

Posted by Marta

Tell Donna Karan To Stop Selling Fur! January 23, 2008

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We'll keep this simple. Donna Karan, the chief designer behind the DKNY brand, is selling fur despite her promises to stop using it. I don't like the fur industry. I don't like people who break promises. Put that together, and I'm pretty irritated. I bet you would be, too.

Please contact Donna Karan and tell her to stop selling fur! And you can also give her office a call at 212-789-1839.

Get to it. We thank you, and of course, the animals appreciate you speaking up for them.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

How A Lettuce Bikini Helped Turkeys January 22, 2008

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My friend and co-worker Nicole is pretty incredible. Here's a little guide to her recent trip to Philly.

Step 1. Figure out a catchy way to get people's attention (lettuce bikini).

Step 2. Figure out something everyone will want (vegan "turkey" sandwiches).

Step 3. Find someone who likes turkeys (Ben Franklin, who once suggested that turkeys should be the national bird).

Step 4. Have a "lettuce lady" feed "Ben Franklin" a sandwich.

Step 5. Tell thousands of more people about the way turkeys are abused by doing an interview for the evening news.

Step 6. Smile knowing that there are creative and fun ways to reach out to people about animal rights issues.

Remember to please join the peta2 Street Team so you can learn about all the ways you can help out where you live with cool activism ideas. That's what I love about working in this office. If everyone paid attention to something as simple as a leaflet, we'd have an easy job. But the fact is it's hard to get people's attention these days! So we'll do what it takes to shine the spotlight on the suffering animals endure and inform people about what we can all do to help stop it.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Everything is Bigger in Texas January 18, 2008

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I've been hanging out in Texas with my buddy Susan for the past week. Surprising as it might sound Texas is one of my favorite states. Not only is everyone so nice, they have some amazing food. We were in Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Dallas, and let me tell you we ate very well. Vegan food is delicious!

If you haven't yet, you should check out the site HappyCow.net. It has pretty much all the vegetarian friendly restaurants in the world. We use it everyday when we are out on the road and you would be surprised what you can find in the smallest towns. Here are a few pictures from our time in Texas—not to make you jealous, though I'm sure they will.

Don't you think the guy that owns this car needs to learn to show his Texas pride?



That's all for now—I'm off to Arizona!

-Paul

Posted by Marta

Hey Cool Folks! January 18, 2008

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We're back on the road and with a sweet hip-hop group called The Cool Kids.

On this tour, we're taking the time to tell folks about how un-cool fur is. Seriously, what's cool about no federal laws providing protection for the millions of animals—including chinchillas, foxes, minks, and raccoons—who suffer and die on fur farms? Animals on fur farms are kept in crowded, filthy wire cages, where they often develop neurotic behaviors and become sick or wounded, and fur farmers kill them by breaking their necks while they are sometimes still fully conscious or by using anal or genital electrocution. Horrible, I know.

How about I tell you about the road now? Well, we have a new friend out with us and he goes by Tall John. Say, hi Tall John!


We were just in Tinley Park, IL, for a skate fest and a bunch of kids were asking about our Trollsen Twins campaign, which you should definitely check out if you haven't yet!