Superstar College Activist Petitions to Ban KFC from Campus! July 31, 2008

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As The Daily Herald is reporting today, one of peta2's former Star Street Teamers, Jason Levy, is leading an effort to ban KFC from his college campus!

So far, he has gathered over 300 petition signatures from his fellow students, and has even passed a resolution through his student government which supports the ban. Now, it's all up to the Board of Trustees (read: administrators) to make the ban official. Come on, administrators, get with the program! :)

Jason's campaign comes on the heels of a similar one at Florida Gulf Coast University, and students from all over the country are starting to organize similar petitions for their campus.

Want to get involved? Drop us a line to get a "KFC-Free Zone" campaign started on your campus!

Also, you can check out the full article about Jason's efforts by clicking on the clip below:




Great work, Jason. We're all rooting for you!

Give me a J (J!) Give me an A (A!)...

- Ryan!

It Isn't Easy Being Pink July 31, 2008

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Pop quiz: Besides primates, who are the smartest animals?

Oh yea that's right—our friends, the PIGS.

They also dream, recognize their names, play video games more effectively than some primates, and lead social lives of a complexity that were first thought to only exist among primates. I don't know about you but I'd love to get down on some video games with a pig. Yet for some reason they are being tortured in factory farms. Lame.

This week in the land of Warped Tour, our new friend Tim F. of Ludo, signed our petition to help end cruelty to pigs in factory farms.

After some wicked 4 a.m. border crossings into Toronto, we had the amazing Shane of Silverstein, and a rad Street Teamer, Brendan, stop by to help us celebrate our victory with KFCs in Canada.




Remember—a vegan faux-chicken item has been added to the menu of all 461 Priszm-owned KFC restaurants (more than half of all the KFCs in Canada)!


These changes in the lives of defenseless animals are only possible because of YOU, when you sign the petitions, and join the Street Team.

Now let's get some love and respect for our brilliant pig friends!

Brutally Yours

Paige

Meet Cassandra: Lettuce Lady Extraordinaire July 30, 2008

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Meet Cassandra. She's one of PETA's current interns, and a full-time student at the University of South Florida. She's also one of the lucky folks that has chosen to participate in our most recent "Lettuce Lady" tours, offering free gasoline to drivers who try one of our Tofurky-brand vegan sandwiches (since eating meat is the #1 cause of global warming, even more than all of the cars, boats, trains, and planes combined)!

"Naked" demonstrations are always a great opportunity for empowered and confident men and women to draw attention to a very serious issue, using a fun and upbeat approach. It also helps them reach people who may not be generally receptive to animal rights messages, since not everybody will willingly sit down and watch videos of animals being killed. With this approach though, TV, radio, and newspaper outlets have been falling over themselves to cover the events at every stop, which allows the demonstrators to broadcast the benefits of vegetarianism far and wide!

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Cassandra, right in the middle of her current demonstration tour. Here's what she had to say:

What message are you trying to get across with your demonstration?

I'm hoping that people who see our demonstration will recognize that switching to a vegetarian diet is the best thing you can do to help the environment, and to eliminate cruelty to animals. Using a fun way to attract attention to a serious issue is a great way to get people to hear our message, and if I can get even one person to stop eating animals, then I will have accomplished my goal.

What are some of the amazing foods you've been able to eat on your tour?

There is so much incredible vegan food around the country. My favorites so far have been coconut crusted chick'n, a vegan fish filet sandwich, vegan soft serve ice cream, and vegan waffles. Stuffed vegan waffles. They were packed with delicious, melty vegan cheese and tofu scramble goodness. It was like a party in my mouth.

Would you recommend that other students intern at PETA?

Most definitely. Interning has been such an amazing opportunity for me. I get to do what I am most passionate about, helping animals, while doing incredible things and having so much fun along the way. By interning at PETA, you will learn many skills to promote animal rights in your school and community, along with having the experience of a lifetime.

What kinds of things do you have planned when you return to college this fall?

There are TONS of things I have planned. The first thing I am going to do is get a group together on my campus. Through that, I am hoping to launch a campaign to ban KFC from our campus and to get better vegan options in our cafeteria. I also want to leaflet weekly, screen the movie Earthlings, and do some vegan food giveaways. Free food always goes over well on my campus.


Sounds great, Cassandra! Best of luck with the rest of the tour!

- Ryan!

P.S. - Want to get active on your campus? Drop us a line to get started!

peta2 UK at Rip Curl Boardmasters UK July 30, 2008

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Here's a guest blog from Martin with peta2 UK!

We have been all over the place this summer on the road collecting petition sign ups for the woof campaign in the UK. It's been great fun. I have been lucky enough to be at all of the big festivals.

Glastonbury



Give it a Name



T in the Park


And loads of other festivals.

Next on the list is Rip Curl Boardmasters and I am really excited about this one. Not only are Kids in Glass Houses playing but we get to see some of the world's biggest and best surfers (and hang out on the beach for a week). If any of you guys are around then make sure you come down and help us collect sign ups. Just look for the peta2 UK stall.

Catch you there,

Martin

Goldfinger Show! July 29, 2008

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Our buddy Cody and some of his peeps recently tabled a Goldfinger concert in Arizona. In addition to checking a great show, they talked to tons of people about the Woof campaign. Then, after their set, our buddies John and Charlie from Goldfinger stopped by the peta2 table to meet some fans, talk about animal rights, and promote the Woof campaign. Don't you wish you were there?

And if you all haven't seen the video for John Feldmann's song, Free Me, check it out.

Here's an awesome cover that some Street Teamers did of the song, too.

Do you have a favorite animal rights song?

-Pulin

Kids In Glass Houses, Iain's Fave Recipe! July 29, 2008

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Today's blog features guest blogger, peta2 UK's Violet...

Just like the rest of you, peta2 UK just can't get enough of Kids In Glass Houses! Our friend Iain, one of KIGH's guitarists, is a peta2 UK supporter and even though the band are super busy promoting their new single "Saturday" out August 11th, Iain shared one of his specialty vegan recipes with us! Iain, it's over to you:

"I'm a big fan of Oriental food and I am craving tofu right now so I would have to say that one of my favorite meals is deep fried tofu."

Iain's Deep Fried Tofu Recipe

• Just drain some tofu and wrap it with paper towels or a clean tea towel and gently squeeze some of the excess juice out.
• Mix some soy sauce, maple syrup, and chopped chilies and ginger in a pan and heat gently and then turn off the heat.
• Now take the tofu and cut it into the size chunks you want, and dust the tofu with potato starch.
• Then deep-fry the tofu for a few minutes until golden brown.
• Pour the sauce over the deep fried tofu and there you go.

"Easy. Or you can order in/eat out. You can't beat a good bento box!"


Davaofoodie.com//Creative Commons

Thanks, Iain! Now while you're on stage one of the recipe, tofu pressing - v. important! - check out KIGH's new video here! It's well worth a watch!




Remember to check out Iain and the guys on the road in October, and they'll be at Rip Curl Boardmasters where peta2 UK's Martin will be tabling! Remember to go over, say hi and sign the Woof petition! If you wanted you could even bring him Iain's deep fried tofu! But don't. He really doesn't deserve it.

*Violet
x

It's Shark Week! July 28, 2008

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Have any of you ever seen a shark in real life? I have twice. Once when I was out on a boat off the coast of Monterey about four years ago, and once last month when one washed up on the beach in Delaware (don't worry, someone quickly got the baby shark back in the water!). Anyway, I digress.

It's Shark Week, and because of that, we're going to put the below billboard up in the cities where shark attacks are the most frequent.

No one wants to be eaten. I mean, I certainly wouldn't want to be eaten by a shark, and I doubt any of you would, either (correct me if I'm wrong). Along those same lines, I also don't believe animals such as chickens, pigs, cows, and sharks (who are, indeed, killed for food) want to be eaten either. I know they're dead when they're eaten, so it's a bit different, but you won't see me agreeing to let someone kill me and feed me to someone else anytime soon!

♥ Marta

PS - I've been told countless times that Jaws is the best movie ever (okay—so it's only one person that's told me this over and over again), but I've yet to see it. I'm counting on you guys to tell me whether or not I need to see this movie. Yes or no?

The Dawsons Visit peta2 July 28, 2008

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Whenever anyone asks me when I started to get involved in animal rights, I tell them that I started before I even knew what it meant. I'm lucky enough to have a mom who explained to me why not to catch lightning bugs in jars, and to re-release frogs who I'd so naively caught in my backyard. She even explained to me why I shouldn't dissect animals, before I even reached middle school!

Now, I'm 22 and when I think back, I can't seem to picture being anywhere else but working at peta2—and it's in large part because of the compassion that my parents, and my dog Token, taught me.

I spend every day replying to comments from you guys! A ton of comments that I reply to are about Street Teamers who just can't seem to make their parents understand why they don't want to chop up dead animals in class, or why they don't want to eat gross, rotting corpses for dinner, so it's always great to hear from one great big (animal loving) happy family like mine—although we hope there are many more!

A few days ago, we got a visit from two Street Teamers, Joseph and Matt—with their mom, dad, and little sister! The Dawson family came all the way from Delaware, just to visit PETA. Their whole family was just about the cutest thing ever, and I couldn't help but snap a pic (or two).

Check them out hanging out in our literature room (yep, home of all of those amazing free stickers and leaflets!).

Matt Dawson (in the blue) is starting high school this fall and wants to spend his four years there doing everything he can to help animals, starting with getting everyone he knows to boycott KFC. He's super excited to read this, so comment below with your advice for him! What have you done for animals at your school, and what are your goals for this year? (Hint: if you don't know, check out our Take Charge page and get started!).

Stay Loud!

-Rachel

Riding Along With Ashley Fiolek July 25, 2008

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The fact that I never truly mastered the art of the whole bike riding thing, doesn't mean I can't enjoy all those sports that require one, right? Cool. And that includes the fast-paced, high flying world of Motocross. Recently, I got the chance to check in with Ashley Fiolek, who is kicking serious behind on the Motocross circuit these days. She took a break from speeding past the competition to chat with peta2. Check it out.


Introduce yourself to the new fans and the old ones too.
Hi! I'm Ashley. I am 17 years old and I have been profoundly deaf since birth. I have been riding and racing for over ten years! It is my life and my passion! I have won 13 amateur national championships and I just became a full time professional woman racer this year. I am riding both of the US women's series and also the European series championships. I am having so much fun and motocross has really been great to me! I have met some incredible people and have had some fantastic experiences!

So do you have any companion animals? How did they become part of your family?
Yes, I have three dogs. Their names are Holeshot (motocross thing!), Boogie and Brother dog! We saved all of these animals. They were all strays. Boogie is the youngest and he can be kind of a handful. He thinks he is the size of a Jack Russel when he is really bigger than a shepherd!

How do you feel about fur and the people that wear fur?
Well I don't think people should wear or buy fur coats I don't think it is fair to the animals to be hanging off of someone!

If you could choose to be an animal for a day, what animal would you choose and why?
That is easy. A dog! They are so cute and adorable and friendly and they love unconditionally!

We're currently campaigning against KFC. We'd like them to end abuses such as cutting off their sensitive beaks, breaking their limbs and scalding them to death in tanks. How do you feel about our campaign?
Well, my mom told me about this issue awhile ago and we do not eat there any more! I am definitely against this and I think it is very cruel.

Any last words of wisdom for your fans?
Just keep trying. Never give up and always follow your dreams!

Good advice from a great person. Go Ashley!!

Phil

Free Stuff Friday: Sun Care Kit! July 25, 2008

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I know that all of you have been taking advantage of the summer sunshine! Hopefully you have been taking care of your skin while doing so (ahem, sunscreen). I have discovered the joys of Ocean Potion, a cruelty-free sunscreen that can be found EVERYWHERE!

Even still, my favorite sun stuff is from Jason Natural Products (I'll admit it, I love anything organic). We have a Free Stuff Friday that I would love to win, but since I work for peta2, I can't. Sad! But that means all of YOU can win a prize pack including:

• SPF 26 Complete Block Spray (and there is no debate that spray sunscreen is the best!)
• SPF 20 lip balm (if you have ever burned your lips you know the importance of this one)
• 16 oz Aloe Vera Gel (in case you do get burned)
• 4 oz Aloe Vera Gel (which is great for traveling)
• SPF 46 Kid's Block (for people like me who need some extra protection)
• Quit Bugging Me Insect Repellent Lotion.

Five of you will walk away with this amazing cruelty-free prize pack! To win, comment below with why cruelty-free sunscreen is the only way to go.

This contest ends August 8, 2008 and the winner will be chosen and notified by August 15, 2008 (and you'll need to allow four weeks for shipping for your prize to make it to you)!

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.

Good Luck!
-Ashleigh

US Government Sending Tigers to a War Zone? July 24, 2008

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No need to wonder if you misread the subject line; it's true. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a permit for a roadside zoo in North Carolina to send two tigers to the Baghdad Zoo in Iraq.

If you're like me, you probably need to pick your jaw up off the floor. I mean seriously, do you guys remember how media reported that when the war in Iraq began, hundreds of animals at the Baghdad Zoo were killed, stolen, eaten, stuffed, sold, or let loose by looters, or they escaped when mortar blasts damaged their cages? So why should the zoo be any safer now?

The roadside zoo in North Carolina isn't the best situation, obviously, but at least it's a hell-of-a-lot less likely someone is going to try to kill or eat the tigers in North Carolina.

We need you to take action! Write to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and ask them to reevaluate their decision and deny the permit to export two tigers to the Baghdad Zoo.

Thanks in advance for your help with this!

♥ Marta

My Warped Tour! July 24, 2008

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Last week I went out on Warped Tour with the amazing peta2 Road Warriors. I got to tag along in Virginia Beach, DC, Cleveland, and Detroit. Not only did I get to meet tons of incredible kids and connect with clothing companies, but I also got to eat the best catered vegan food and go to a barbecue that Gabe from Cobra Starship deejayed!

I documented my journey in pictures. Let's start with the amazing catered vegan food I just mentioned . . .

This was my favorite lunch: vegan sloppy joe, salad with avocadoes, fried zucchini, chickpea salad, and pasta salad (oh and we had cracker jacks too)! You'll also notice that we ate out of reusable containers with camping tools to cut down on waste. So green! Next up is me and the best volunteer ever:


Her name is Joy and she made us muffins. As everyone knows, the easiest way to a vegan's heart is through their stomach. I also want to show you where I slept. Check me out in my bunk! (Apparently I was really feeling the "thumbs-up" on Warped Tour . . .)


The tour bus was sweet, as were the kids on it.


They really are some of the hardest working people at PETA! Oh, and here's a picture of me getting some kids to sign our petition in Detroit:


Basically Warped Tour and all the people that are a part of it are amazing! If the tour hasn't hit your city yet make sure to come out and say "hi" (and sign our petition)!

As Paige says: Stay Brutal!

-Ashleigh

No Space to Move in a Crate July 24, 2008

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Mother pigs spend most of their lives in tiny "gestation" crates, which are so small that the animals are unable to turn around or even lie down comfortably. They are repeatedly impregnated until they are slaughtered.

Here on Warped Tour the guy pictured below volunteered to get a first hand feel of the space mommy pigs get...or should I say don't get!

Need some other reasons not to eat pigs? Check this out.

Nick from As I Lay Dying got in on the action by signing our petition.


Plus we had some SICK Street Teamers—these dudes totally stole my heart with their hard work and dedication to helping animals. Thanks, Shawn and Kenny!


Join the fun, steal some hearts, and save some animals by signing up for the Street Team already!

And as always,

STAY BRUTAL

-Paige

The peta2 Advice Blog: Kissing Meat-Eaters July 24, 2008

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Feel uncomfortable kissing someone who has just eaten meat? This is for you!

I feel weird kissing my boyfriend knowing he just ate a cheeseburger. How should I handle that?

-Doesn't Like Burger Breath

So your boyfriend just ate a cheeseburger. First of all, ew. Believe it or not, I have dealt with this a few times in my years, and after shedding some light on factory farming for the boy, you'll be a master at turning boys vegetarian (seriously, I rule at this!). Sitting down together and watching something like "Earthlings" or "Meet Your Meat" is a good way to educate. Sometimes seeing a visual rather than simply hearing it has a lot more impact. If your boyfriend is anything like mine, he'll give up the meat in a second—even if it's simply out of respect for you! xoxo, Shan (the queen of turning boys veg)

I couldn't agree with you more and to be honest I think your boyfriend should have a little more respect for you than to try to kiss you after he has just eaten a cheeseburger. I would just let him know that you think it's gross and I think he will be more interested in kissing you than eating a burger in the future. - Martin

I have a whole list of rules on the conditions under which my boyfriend will get a kiss—if he's eaten vinegar, baked beans, brown sauce, ketchup (the list goes on and on) he's going to get the hand block right in the face! However, with a meat eating boyfriend, these boundaries are all the more important. There's nothing more repulsive that finding a rogue piece of hamburger caught up in that bit of fluff on his top lip (which he refers to as his "moustache")! If you lecture your lad about his meat eating, you'll just push him away so I would try the "softly softly" approach by taking your fella out to a veggie restaurant and treating him to a vegan chicken sandwich, or soy cheese Pizza, and then smothering him with kisses! He'll soon make the connection that when he eats cruelty free, he can have his (vegan) cake and eat it, without facing the hand block! - Violet

Have a relationship question (that relates to animal rights, of course!) that you're dying for us to answer? E-mail peta2@peta2.com with the subject line "Help me peta2! I need advice!" and your question just may be answered by us in our next advice blog!

Have advice for Doesn't Like Burger Breath? Comment away!

Heavy Metal and Animal Rights: Perfect Together July 23, 2008

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So here we are, 10 shows into this spectacle known throughout the land as the Rockstar Mayhem Festival, and we've begun to notice some common questions/remarks we're receiving. I think it's time now to address one of them here on this blog so everybody knows the answer to it :). Several times a day we're asked, "So how has this tour been for you guys? Are kids being friendly and playing nice with peta2?" Let me tell you, we appreciate your concern, but I'd also like to remind everyone that we're all against cruelty to animals aren't we?

No matter your music of choice, or how hard you can bang your head or pump your fist, I'm sure you'd agree that no pig should be castrated without pain killers or kept in tiny crates with no room to even turn around, right? I mean, if you thought metal kids might not care as much about animals as any other kids, please let this picture display all the eager people trying to get in and sign our petition recently in Phoenix, AZ:

We enjoyed a nice steady line of friendly folks across the front of our booth all day long, and let me tell you, if they weren't signing our petition it's because they were waiting in line to get a stab at it. It always brings a smile to peta2's face when we see that people love helping animals and will even wait in line to do so! Just look at these fine folks:


Thanks for everything, now go win some tickets so you can stop by our booth and help pigs too!

-the peta2 mayhem crew

What Is With This Bad Luck? July 23, 2008

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Normally vegans and vegetarians have the best luck. Call it karma or whatever you want, but nice people generally have good things happen to them. Somewhere in the secret workings of the universe, some of our friends have come across some tough times.

First, one of my favorite musicians around, Rachel from hardcore superstars Most Precious Blood, recently broke her arm according to this blog. I don't know how, but I can only imagine it wasn’t a pleasurable experience based on the photos! Drop her some love here.

Next, our vegetarian buddies Ryan and Ed and the rest of their straight edge hardcore band, The World We Knew, had their trailer and van hit by a Mack truck! Thankfully they escaped without serious injury, but their merch, equipment, and trailer and van are pretty much destroyed. We were about to head out to meet them for an interview for peta2 when we found out, but we're sure that we'll catch them the next time around. In the meantime, The World We Knew posted this blog about the incident, and they are looking for donations. Drop them a line to wish them well at least, will you?

Lastly, The Prids, a vegan band that is totally into animal rights, were in a serious accident on the West coast. Their van rolled several times and members suffered broken bones and severe cuts. I don't want to get into all the details, but they are looking at some serious recovery time and need help with it. They're also looking for donations at their site and I'm sure they'd appreciate a supportive message on their MySpace.

I wish I could send them all these vegan cupcakes that Street Teamer Claudia made... but at least these friends know that our thoughts are with them.

Take care of yourself,
-Pulin

Totally Michael Is Totally Blogging! July 22, 2008

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Totally Michael clearly knows what's up. He wants to share his experiences with getting active for animals and being vegan on the road with you. Check out what he has to say below!
-Shan

Hello there!
I'm Michael. I play pop/pop-punk music under the sweet name Totally Michael. I've been doing this for about three years and I love it. I write and produce all the tracks and perform armed with just a laptop, guitar, and microphone. I've got my first full length album coming out on IHEARTCOMIX in October. It's hard to describe how excited I am about it. So much of my time has gone into it and I'm really pumped to see what everybody thinks of it.

But enough about that. You might be wondering why I'm writing a blog for PETA. Well, that's easy. I've been vegan for seven years and I've actually been involved with PETA for years. I'm on the road a lot and I thought this blog might be a great way to let people know exactly what it's like being vegan on tour. I can pretty much sum it up with one word. Easy. Food is actually one of my favorite reasons to go on tour.

There are more and more restaurants with vegan options opening up all over the place every day. I live in Bloomington, Indiana and we've got a real nice selection of vegan food. But when I'm on tour I get to eat at amazing restaurants all the time. It seems like there are at least two or three hotspots in every city that I try to hit up every time I'm there. Even being in smaller towns or driving on long stretches and having to do gas station stops is getting better and better all the time. It's almost hard to find gas stations these days that don't carry Clif Bars (Hell yes.), fresh fruit, and other healthy vegan snacks.

I actually had to just cancel a west coast tour I had planned for August because of car trouble (It stopped working). But hopefully I'll be out there in September. I'll definitely keep you updated. Since I'm not on tour I can't really take pictures and show you all the amazing food I'd be eating. But that would just make you jealous anyways. So I'll just show you a few pictures I found lying around that might be somewhat entertaining.

This is a picture I found of me from a KFC protest with PETA from about five years ago. I was the totally sweet human tv.


This one is from a tour last year. It was at some bar in NYC where you can buy a beer and get a free pizza. Pretty sweet. I got mine minus the cheese of course.


Here's a picture of me chillin' in the snow.


And this is what I do.
Alright. Well, this is the first post of many to come. Thanks for reading it. And if you feel like checking out my music at all you can go to myspace.com/totallymichael.
Sweeeeeeet!

-Michael