Here's some of the this week's most interesting articles to read while you're pretending to work this Monday.

- Hope fades for 90 year giant tortoise Lonesome George in his search for love.

- Greed is killing the world's tuna population and ultimately us.

- "Mountains of manure" being produced by the factory farms in Maryland getting crap from the locals.

- Farmers in a Catch-22 over saving the endangered lynx.

- Some of the world's cutest vegetarians caught on camera.

- Sign-up to be in a new documentary about veganism.

ACTION ALERT! Tell Amazon.com to stop selling fur.

And as always...something to keep you smiling.



Have a good week.

Hayden Panettiere, the star of the show Heroes, is an outspoken advocate for the dolphins but when it comes to baby cows she would rather make them into a cute handbag. It was just released that Panettiere will sell an Italian calfskin clutch as part of her Spring 2009 line. This is very shocking considering Panettiere is an animal activist and "hardcore" vegetarian. The issue has many former veggie fans up in arms (link). This will no doubt hurt her career.

Hayden was awarded the "Compassion in Action Award" by PETA in 2007. The group released a confused statement saying that they were displeased with her decision to use leather but is "sure that she'll extend her concern for abused animals to those less popular, like cows who are skinned for bags and shoes, once she sees our undercover footage, which we'll be sending to her (link)."

Hayden may not know the truth behind the leather industry so it's up to us fellow animal activists to show her the light. Let's try and get her to take this out of her line.

Don't let a dead baby spoil your holiday season, GO VEGAN! The list of non-vegan foods shipped from China that have the ability to kill you has grown. Baby formula is now known to contain the toxic substance melamine. Melamine is used in milk and meat production to make poor quality product appear to be better and have higher protein content. The problem with this is that melamine has been proven to cause cancer or reproductive damage as well as the destruction of the kidneys (link).

Beyond breastfeeding, there are a number of infant formula soy alternatives on the market that won't kill your baby.

Read more about the baby formula crisis.

The very first Fur Free Friday video posted on Youtube. Check out the massive amount of people at demonstration in Washington D.C.



Post your pictures, videos, and stories from Fur Free Friday 2008!

Today is an annual international day of protest against fur. Even tough everyday is fur free, today will be official.

Fur is bad for so many reasons but I've compiled the top 5 (in no particular order) of why I'm against it:

5. On average it takes about 120 dead animals to make one fur coat. That's 120 lives that ended brutally so I could wear a something that makes me look like a complete douchebag.

4. Fur production is BAD for the environment. I like to think of myself as a steward of the earth and fur production uses 15 times more energy than faux-fur production (link).

3. Animals are gentle and caring and don't hurt anyone else unless threatened. The fur industry uses the sweetest animals for skinning (link).

2. No federal humane slaughter law protect animals in fur factory farms so owners are allowed to get away with some of the most gruesome and sadistic acts imaginable. Animals are killed with poison, gas, anal electrocution, neck breaking, and are often skinned alive (link).

1. I love my cat. Thousands of dogs and cats are made into the fur coats and trims that are sold around the world. If the fur is sold below a hundred dollars, manufacturers are not mandated to say wear the fur came from. Often times the pelts of dogs and cats are labeled faux fur (link).

Please speak out and help stop this horrible practice. Check out this website for more information of what Fur Free events are happening in your area today.

Please take to time to send this video to friends and family to remind them of the cruelty and inspire them to change.

I took this from PETA's Blog because I thought it was very cool. I hope everyone out there is enjoying your Tofurkies today.

Written by Bruce Friedrich

Did Sarah Palin's recent interview in front of a turkey-slaughter operation almost cause you to lose your lunch? If so, you're not alone. Even conservative pundit Joe Scarborough says he may well skip the bird this year. With Thanksgiving upon us, here without further ado are PETA's top 10 reasons to pardon a turkey this holiday season:

10. If you wouldn't eat your cat, you shouldn't eat a turkey.
As poultry scientist Tom Savage says, "I've always viewed turkeys as smart animals with personality and character, and keen awareness of their surroundings. The 'dumb' tag simply doesn't fit." They're as interesting and have personalities every bit as developed as those of any dog or cat.

When they're not forced to live on filthy factory farms, turkeys spend their days caring for their young, building nests, foraging for food, taking dust baths, preening themselves, and roosting high in trees. These social, playful birds relish having their feathers stroked and like to chirp, cluck, and gobble along to their favorite tunes.

9. Factory farms deny turkeys everything that is natural and important to them.
Ben Franklin called turkeys "true American originals." He had tremendous respect for their resourcefulness, agility, and beauty. In nature, turkeys can fly 55 miles an hour, run 25 miles an hour, and live up to four years. Yet turkeys raised for food are killed when they are only 5 or 6 months old. During their short lives, they will be denied even the simplest pleasures, such as running, building nests, and raising their young.

8. Turkey consumption might kill you.
Turkey flesh is brimming with fat and cholesterol. Just one homemade patty of ground, cooked turkey meat contains a whopping 244 mg of cholesterol, and half of its calories come from fat. Turkey flesh is also frequently tainted with salmonella, campylobacter bacteria, and other contaminants. And a vegan meal won't leave you sprawled on the couch, belt buckle undone, barely able to move.

7. You may stave off bird flu apocalypse.
Current factory-farm conditions are breeding grounds for disease. Turkeys are drugged and bred to grow so quickly that many become crippled and die from dehydration. Cooking meat should kill the bird flu virus, but it can be left behind on cutting boards and utensils and spread through something else you're eating.

6. Don't support their crack habit.
Dosing turkeys with antibiotics to stimulate their growth and to keep them alive in filthy, disease-ridden conditions that would otherwise kill them poses even more risks for people who eat them. Leading health organizations—including the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, and the American Public Health Association—have warned that the factory farming industry is possibly creating long-term risks to human health through the spread of antibiotic-resistant supergerms. That's why the use of drugs to promote growth in animals used for food has been banned for many years in Europe.

5. There are healthy, humane alternatives.
Everyone can give thanks for animal-friendly holiday meals such as Tofurky, Celebration Roast, and Garden Protein's new Veggie Turkey Breast With Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffing. PETA's scrumptious holiday recipes will please every palate and make it easier to give up the giblets.

4. Eating birds supports cruelty to animals.
When the time comes for slaughter, turkeys are thrown into transport trucks. At the slaughterhouse, they are hung upside-down and their heads are dragged through an electrified "stunning tank," which immobilizes them but does not kill them. Many birds dodge the tank and are still conscious when their throats are cut. If the knife fails to properly cut the birds' throats, the birds are scalded to death in the defeathering tanks.

3. Turkey consumption is bad for the environment.
Turkeys and other animals raised for food produce 130 times as much excrement as the entire human population—all without the benefit of waste-treatment systems. There are no federal guidelines to regulate how factory farms treat, store, and dispose of the trillions of pounds of concentrated, untreated animal excrement that they produce each year.

2. Turkey farming contributes to human starvation.
Turkeys have to be fed grains, soy, oats, and corn that could otherwise be fed to human beings. Only a fraction of the calories fed to a turkey are turned into meat calories. While there is ample and justified moral indignation about the diversion of 100 million tons of grain for biofuels, more than seven times as much (760 million tons) is fed to farmed animals so that people can eat meat. Is the diversion of crops to our cars a moral issue? Yes, but it's about one-eighth the issue that meat-eating is.

And the number one reason to give the birds a break:

1. Factory-farmed turkeys have nothing to be thankful for.
On factory farms, turkeys live for months in sheds where they are packed so tightly that flapping a wing or stretching a leg is nearly impossible. They stand mired in waste; urine and ammonia fumes burn their eyes and lungs. To keep the birds from killing one another in these crowded conditions, parts of the turkeys' toes and beaks are cut off, as are the males' snoods (the flap of skin under the chin). All this is done without any pain relievers.

A PETA investigator recently went undercover at a massive turkey-breeding facility in West Virginia and documented workers stomping on turkeys, punching them, beating them with pipes and boards, and twisting their necks repeatedly. One worker even bragged about shoving a broomstick down a turkey's throat because the bird had pecked at him. Our previous investigations show that such gratuitous abuse is the norm on turkey farms.

Check out VegCooking.com for tasty alternatives that will allow the turkeys to give thanks this Holiday season along with you and your family.

Happy eating!

What were your favorite recipes this Thanksgiving?

Wired Science is reporting on the rise of genetically modified foods that many will be eating this holiday season. It turns out that modern turkeys in particular are modified to be over 121% larger than they were in 1967. Food lovers and historians argue that though the size has increased dramatically the flavor has actually got worse. Dang, murder doesn't taste as good as it used to.

This bizarre practice has become the industry standard as people want to feel like their getting more food for their money. Considering how much meat eaters spend on health care, sounds like their actually getting the worse deal.

If you want a cholesterol free, organic, and non-GMO holiday then pick up one of these...

Animal tormentor Michael Vick pleaded guilty today to his dog fighting charge. The plea reduced his sentence from 3 years in prison to 4 years probation with 'good behavior.' He was also issued an additional fine of $2,500 (link).

Vick really got off easy in this case. The horror that he inflicted on dozens of animals is not easy to ignore. Unfortunately, both the courts and the NFL do find it easy; there's rumor that Vick will return to the NFL next season (link).

Vick was not only participating in cruel dog fighting he was running the whole show. Between 2001 and 2007 Vick ran 'Bad Newz Kennels' and made thousands of dollars at the expense of animals. In 2007 he was convicted of shooting, downing, hanging, electrocuting and killing dogs by slamming them down on the ground (link).

Hopefully the NFL will not allow Vick to represent the organization by playing next season.

Do you think Michael Vick served his time? Will he go back to committing animal abuse?

This is the best thing I've seen all day. How could this video make you feel anything but love?

Wanna be Eco-friendly this winter? WEAR FUR! The FCC or Fur Council of Canada is marketing this masochistic 'fashion' as this winter's hottest eco-trend. There campaign is in full force to convince people that fur is the oldest and most popular form of environmentalist fashion (link).

I feel like I'm in an alternate universe. This is the strangest marketing strategy I've ever seen. Check out these adds below to really be tripped out. I cant believe they used a picture of a guy roasting something that looks like a head in an ad for environmentalism.



My favorite quote from the furisgreen.com website is this :

"fur also makes sense if we want to protect nature."

There is no doubt that veganism is one of the most effective forms of environmental activism, even the UN has issued a report that backs this up. The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is involved in their own brand of environmental activism and has recently resurfaced to express their discontent for President-elect Obama and his plan to protect the environment.

The ELF's press office recently released this statement:

“The incoming Obama Administration’s plan for the environment, or lack thereof, may very well influence the activities of the Earth Liberation Front throughout the next four years,” stated Lisa Nesbitt, one of four new press officers for the NAELFPO. “The $150 million in damages caused by the ELF in the last decade to environmentally destructive corporations was, in part, a direct response to the refusal of the U.S. Government to take necessary measures to stop environmental destruction…

“The U.S. Government has refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, refused to permanently protect the Artic [sic] National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), refused to stop the logging of national forests, and refused to heighten the Energy Act standards for light cars, trucks and commercial vehicles - the greatest contributor to global warming,” Nesbitt continued. “We have one message for the incoming Obama Administration: act to protect the environment or the ELF will (link).”

Here's a round-up of things you should check out this week.

- 52 whales die in mass stranding (link).

- PETA's 'Mama Kills Animals' web game is a hit attracting millions of hits! (link).

- Whole foods not wholly honest about what's in their products (link).

- ACTION ALERT! NBA team uses tiger cubs in halftime show (link).

- What all vegans should try before they die (link).

- LA Times wants to know 'Is red meat really bad?' (link).

- Portland's Nutshell Restaurant shuts down after pissing off vegans (link).

Something to keep you happy...


Enjoy and have a great week.

Michael Vick used to be a famous football star. He used to be worth $16 million . He used to make pit bulls fight each other to their death while he and his buddies watched (link).

Oh, how the times have changed.

Michael Vick is currently serving time in prison for his long history of animal abuse and the judge has ordered him to spend some of his millions on services to care for the dogs that were rescued from his operation. But don't worry Vick, you can earn some of that money back. Newser reports today that Vick's new job in prison pays 12 cents an hour. That's sure gonna help with those legal fees.

I know I shouldn't gloat, but justice is so sweet when it's actually served (link).

This week's spotlight falls on Vegan musician/activist Nellie McKay. McKay is one the best things happening right now in music. She blends feminism, animal rights, politics, and humor with incredible melodies in a way that is both emotionally moving and laugh out loud hysterical. McKay's music has so many layers to it. It is enjoyable if you choose to listen only to what's being shown on the surface but even more enjoyable if you decide to peel away the layers and listen over and over again.

McKay infuses animal rights and veganism in all of her music, but two of my favorites take a clear stance on the matter focusing on animal testing at Columbia University and loving your shelter dog.

"Columbia is Bleeding"

"Dog Song"

Nellie McKay is one of my favorite artists of all time. My best friend turned me on to her awhile back and it has been one of my most important musical finds ever.

Enjoy.

Her Website.

Sarah Palin pardoned a turkey today moments before it had its throat cut and head twisted off by a deranged employee of Triple D Farms. All this took place on camera as Palin spoke to the press.

Read more.

I'm speechless and feel like i want to throw up.

Undercover investigations at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) have uncovered the truth about 'researcher' Eliot Spindel (pictured below).

"Spindel conducts on female monkeys who are impregnated and subjected to multiple surgeries to implant nicotine pumps in their backs. The monkeys endure multiple surgeries as the pumps must be changed up to five times during their pregnancies. Steady doses of nicotine are delivered to the pregnant monkeys and their babies are cut out of their wombs at various stages of development in order to dissect their lungs (link)."

Gearing up for Thanksgiving, turkey farmers in West Virginia are busy stomping on heads and twisting necks for the holiday rush. PETA today released video from an undercover investigation that shows workers crushing the heads of turkeys and twisting their necks to kill them for processing.

Watch more videos at PETA.org

The perpetrators, Aviagen, say they “condemn the abuse” and will punish those involved.

Something tells me these people cannot be taken at their word. Their website lists their company motto as "Innovation Lives On." I didn't realize that crushing the skull of a living being was considered innovative.

Be sure to send the workers at Aviagen some holiday cheer of your own by letting them know you saw what they did and you're not going to let it happen anymore (link).

George W. Bush is on his way out the door but before he leaves he wants to torture some animals first.

"Other midnight regulations in the works include rules to allow 'factory farms' to ignore the Clean Water Act, rules making it tougher for employees to take family or medical leave, and rules that would effectively gut the Endangered Species Act." (link)

This is the very first post on The Informed Vegan. With this blog I want to create a place where we can continue the discussion of news that is important to other animal rights supporters/vegans. Please comment often and if you have a story that you would like posted on this blog for others to read about feel free to drop me a line at nickklein@icerocket.com.

Peace,

Nick