Win A Copy of 'Eating Animals'! November 5, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at November 5, 2009 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 12 ) | TrackBack

Like a lot of people, Jonathan Safran Foer went back and forth between eating meat and not eating meat. If this is you or someone you know, then you need to hear about his latest book Eating Animals. The book explores the many excuses people use to justify eating animals—from religion to family traditions to "the way it tastes".

So if you're still on the fence about veganism, Eating Animals is a must-read. The book's already been getting people to lead a more cruelty-free lifestyle. Actress and 20-year vegetarian Natalie Portman said Eating Animals turned her vegan. Score for animals!

Not many of us can say we really know what animals on factory farms experience because we haven't been there—but Jonathan has. He ventured onto factory farms to share with you what the animals lives are like up close. What you learn will no doubt make you think twice before grabbing that piece of bacon and drinking that glass of milk. Here's a short excerpt from one of the chapters describing the typical cage for an animal on a factory farm:

Step your mind into a crowded elevator, an elevator so crowded you cannot turn around without bumping into (and aggravating) your neighbor. The elevator is so crowded you are often held aloft.

This is a kind of blessing, as the slanted floor is made of wire, which cuts into your feet.

After some time, those in the elevator will lose their ability to work in the interest of the group. Some will become violent; others will go mad. A few, deprived of food and hope, will become cannibalistic.

There is no respite, no relief. No elevator repairman is coming. The doors will open once, at the end of your life, for your journey to the only place worse (see: processing).

This is your chance to win one of three copies we have up for grabs. Just comment below with what you'd say to someone to get them to stop eating animals. Entries must be received by November 19. The three people with the most convincing comments will be chosen as our winners and notified on November 23.

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

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

GOOD LUCK!

Free Stuff Friday: 'Not a Nugget' Jewelry! October 30, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at October 30, 2009 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 156 ) | TrackBack

Boy, are you in for a treat! This week you have the chance to win some amazing jewelry pieces from Christy Robinson. Christy Robinson creates one of a kind, earth and animal-friendly jewelry. And, because we know how much you love the peta2 nugget (I mean, what's not to love? Is he not the cutest thing ever?!), we're giving away these two pieces from her collection:

The chick and heart pendant is made of Earth-friendly recycled aluminum, so it's super lightweight. The ring (size 6) is made of recycled copper and aluminum. And guess what! The top of the ring SPINS! Um yea ... it doesn't get much cooler than that. Since we have two necklaces and two rings to give away, your chances of winning are pretty damn good.

You're all familiar with our McCruelty campaign right? Pretend you're talking to the CEO of McDonald's and comment below with what you'd say to convince him to adopt a more humane method of slaughter. The four people with the most convincing comments will be chosen as our winners and notified on November 9. Two will receive the 'Not a Nugget' necklace and two will receive the 'Not a Nugget' ring.

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

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

GOOD LUCK!

Free Stuff Friday: Vegan Guitar Strap October 23, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at October 23, 2009 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 231 ) | TrackBack

Where are all my musicians at? This week, you have the chance to win a vegan guitar strap from Couch Guitar Straps. Couch straps are made of vinyl and car seatbelt material, and adjust up to 6 inches longer than your average strap—those of you who like to play low can appreciate that. Couch also uses lots of recycled materials to make their straps, so consider these not only vegan, but eco-friendly too!

Remember, when you buy leather, you're contributing to the lifelong misery of cows and other animals, and putting money into the pockets of the people who exploit them. F that $#!+. Who needs leather anyway, when you can get one of these awesome straps.

For your chance to win a vegan guitar strap from Couch Guitar Straps, comment below with what design you'd most want to see on a guitar strap. Entries must be received by October 30. The person with the most creative comment will be chosen as our winner and notified by November 2.

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

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

GOOD LUCK!

Free Stuff Friday: 'The Conscious Cook' Cookbook! October 16, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at October 16, 2009 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 175 ) | TrackBack

Who's hungry? I'm starving! I just finished flipping through chef Tal Ronnen's new book The Conscious Cook, and, now, my stomach won't stop rumbling. Everything looks so damn delicious! It's no surprise Tal's cooked for some of Hollywood's elite, including Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres. He's also helped tons of restaurants, schools, and corporate cafeterias get some vegetarian options on to their menus. Way to go Tal!

If you're a fussy foodie, this book's for you. But don't just take it from me. Oprah loves Tal's food so much, she raved about it in her blog.

To win a copy of The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat, containing 75 original vegan recipes, comment below with what inspired you to go veg or, if you haven't gone veg yet, let us know what it's going to take to make the switch. Comments must be received by October 23. The three people with the most original comments will be chosen as our winners and notified by October 26.

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

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

GOOD LUCK!

Win The Summer Set's New Album! October 14, 2009

Posted by Cody Ammerman at October 14, 2009 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 63 ) | TrackBack

With so many great albums being released already this fall, it's starting to get tough to decide which album will be the one you blare in your school parking lot or at the mall to get people's attention. Will it be the new jam by The Swellers? How about the incredible new Paramore album? Hmm, tough decisions! Yesterday I picked up the new full length from The Summer Set, came home to make my BLATMmm, and caught myself wiggling a little bit, followed by some loud mumbles going along with the new music that I didn't know the lyrics to yet, and we all do it! Anyways, Brian Dales, lead singer of The Summer Set, was down to participate in this installment of the infamous "5 Questions" blog. Enjoy!

creative commons/victoria morse

1. What prompted you to become vegetarian/vegan? Were there any bands or books that influenced your decision?
I honestly became a vegetarian a year ago for health and dietary purposes, but last spring when we brought out our new vegan merch guy Dylan on tour with us I started really thinking and learning about the unethical treatment of animals and what I can do to get myself involved.

2. What are some of your favorite vegetarian foods?
I just eat a ridiculous amount of Mexican food on tour. Substituting anything with beans is really easy. When I'm home I really like making pastas and salads with Morning Star Grilled Chicken Strips.

3. Of all of the major animal rights issues, are there any issues that are particularly close to your heart?
Right now I feel really strong about cosmetic/personal care product testing on animals. The stuff I've been reading is awful and the tests that they run on animals are disgusting and unnecessary. I really hope this can be put an end to. Most of the companies don't even need to test their products on animals according to regulations.

4. If a fan were to approach you with questions about how to get involved with animal rights, what advice would you give him or her?
If a fan approached me with questions on how to get involved, I would tell them to reach out and get in contact with someone who works for an animal rights organization and to do their homework. It's very important to know just what's going on and the more knowledgeable and learned you are, the more suited you will be to help bring this to an end.

5. What does The Summer Set have coming up this year that we can be looking forward to?
Well we have our debut full-length album titled Love Like This coming out on October 13th! Right after that we are going out on tour with Cartel and This Providence for the remainder of the year and then you can probably expect us to tour throughout most of 2010 too. Come out to a show!

For your chance to win The Summer Set's new album, Love Like This, please leave a comment below with your favorite song that you like to groove to while cooking a tasty vegetarian/vegan meal. Two winners will be chosen at random. Entries must be received by October 28, and the winners will be notified by November 4.

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

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

Free Stuff Friday: Teese Vegan Cheese Giveaway! October 9, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at October 9, 2009 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 242 ) | TrackBack If you haven't seen the video from PETA's investigation into a Pennsylvania Land O' Lakes supplier, watch it now. The cows at this dairy factory were living in the most disgusting conditions. I'm talking living and sleeping in their own feces and suffering from serious health problems like pneumonia, skin infections, and parasites to name a few. Severe infection of the teats and pus-filled pockets, or abscesses, were also common—some even burst and oozed pus as the cows were being milked! If you didn't believe the kind of funk lurking in that gallon of milk before, see for yourself.

Thank goodness for soy! This week, you can win a pack of dairy-free Teese Cheese—Mozzarella-style. Teese Cheese, made by the Chicago Soydairy, has a taste and texture that makes it one peta2's favorite vegan soy cheeses and it's trans fat and gluten free! That's right my friends—we give you nothing but the best.

For your chance to win one of five packs of the uber popular Mozzarella-style Teese Vegan Cheese, all you got to do is comment below with what you'd make with the cheese if you won. The five people whose comments sound the most delicious, will be chosen as our winners. Comments must be received by October 16 and the five winners will be notified on October 19.

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

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

GOOD LUCK!

Win The Swellers' New CD! October 2, 2009

Posted by Megan Rondeau at October 2, 2009 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 77 ) | TrackBack

I feel like I say this a lot, but I really am stoked on all of the great albums that have come out lately. It's officially fall, my favorite time of year, and my soundtrack to the season is shaping up quite nicely! The new Paramore (which I know you've all entered to win, right?), The Avett Brothers, Frank Turner, and Brand New are all in heavy rotation. One album that I'm particularly in love with and couldn't wait to tell you guys about is Ups and Downsizing by The Swellers! From playing local hardcore shows in their home state of Michigan, to signing to Fueled By Ramen, to opening up for Paramore on their sold-out fall tour, The Swellers have quickly made a name for themselves.

I caught up with singer Nick Diener and drummer Jonathan at the Richmond, VA stop of the Gig Life Tour this summer to talk about why animal rights is important to them and the easy ways you can get involved.



These guys are rad and I highly recommend you watch the interview, share it with your friends, and go pick up their new album! I know times are tough, and if you're like me, you're saving all your money to buy Red Sox playoff tickets, which is why we scored three free copies of the album and we're giving them away to you! For your chance to win, please leave a comment with your favorite thing about fall! Three winners will be chosen at random. Entries must be received by October 9, and winners will be notified by October 14.

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

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

Free Stuff Friday: Banned Books Giveaway! October 2, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at October 2, 2009 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 155 ) | TrackBack

In honor of Banned Books week, we're giving you the chance to win two literary classics people have pushed to ban from schools and libraries around the world—George Orwell's Animal Farm and Upton Sinclair's The Jungle.

Animal Farm, for those of you who don't know, is the story of a power-hungry pig who becomes a tyrannical dictator and leads the other farm animals to unite against the humans. The character of Napolean mirrored Joseph Stalin, the infamous Russian dictator (Orwell was not much of a Stalin fan). Animal Farm caused quite a stir because it was so popular with anticommunists.

The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair (a socialist, by the way), describes the poverty, horrible working conditions, and hopelessness experienced by the working class in the early 20th century—specifically those working in the American meat-packing industry. The book was highly critical of the capitalist system in the United States.

For your chance to win copies of Animal Farm and The Jungle just comment below with why you think these books should NOT be banned. Entries must be received by October 9. The person with the most compelling comment will be chosen as our winner and notified on October 12. By the way, the lucky winner will also receive this awesome peta2 button pack!

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

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

GOOD LUCK!

peta2 Scavenger Hunt! Will You Take the Challenge? September 30, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at September 30, 2009 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 22 ) | TrackBack

What's one kind of hunt that peta2 can get down with? A scavenger hunt! We're giving you ten clues below to find your way to our awesome prize pack full of the coolest peta2 merchandise, including a Glamour Kills "Animal Testing Breaks Hearts" tee, PETA's Vegan College Cookbook, the peta2 'Vegetarian' hoodie, and a pack of buttons and new peta2 stencils!

Here are the rules: You have until Friday, October 23, 2009, to find the answers to the ten questions below. All answers are somewhere on the peta2 site, and we've included links to help you along the way! One lucky person who finds all of the answers and sends them to us at StreetTeam@peta2.com will be chosen at random to win! The winner will be notified by November 1, 2009, and everyone else who completes the scavenger hunt will be awarded 2,000 peta2 points!

So get scavenging!

• According to the peta2 liberation video, a mother went back into a burning building in New York City to save her babies. What species is this animal?
• A Brookstone in New Jersey was served a cease and desist order for selling what animals in tiny plastic prisons?
• Thanks to the work of the peta2 Street Team, Delia's, the cute and trendy t-shirt retailer, agreed to stop selling merchandise promoting what scummy company known for beating animals?
• I went vegetarian after doing a school newspaper report on what issue?
• How many peta2 Street Team points is our "You, a Camera and Ronald McDonald" mission worth?
• On our peta2TV on YouTube, which video out of these has the most views? To Animals, It's Not Entertainment, Welcome to peta2—Missing E-mail, How to Raise Buzz on Campus, or Fried?
• What company was the focus of a recent PETA undercover investigation, showing a dairy farm owner and one of his sons electro-shocking cows who were in too much pain to stand up?
• What four peta2 videos are available for upload on your iPod?
• In the Classroom Cut-Ups video, which species of animal was seen being pumped full of formaldehyde while still alive?
• Go find your favorite vegan food that you have at your house (doesn't need to be fancy!) and take a pic with it to send in with the rest of your answers!

Remember, by entering, you're acknowledging that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy and agreed to the following terms and conditions.

Good luck, and have fun!

Free Stuff Friday: Jellyfish Mood Lamp! September 25, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at September 25, 2009 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 323 ) | TrackBack

We all know what a$$holes Brookstone execs are being by continuing to sell those hideous Frog-O-Spheres (or "death tanks" as I like to call them). Despite complaints from animal-loving customers about the dangers these contraptions pose to the health of the frogs and snails within them, Brookstone has been giving them all the cold shoulder. Management is even instructing employees to move all the Frog-O-Spheres with sick-looking frogs to the back of the shelves, denying them proper vet care. DOUCHEBAGS!

This week, we're giving you the chance to win this animal-friendly LED Jellyfish Mood Lamp from ThinkGeek.com You can have your "jellyfish" change from color to color or stay a single color. Either way, this thing is pretty damn awesome. Who knew imitation jellyfish could be this cool?

For your chance to win this Jellyfish Mood Lamp, comment below with what you'd say to a Brookstone exec if you saw him or her on the street. Comments must be received by October 2, and the person with the most compelling comment will be chosen as our winner and notified on October 5.

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

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

GOOD LUCK!