Written by Alisa Mullins
Ho, ho, no! Looks like Santa's been indulging in a little too much eggnog:
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How does milk (and other animal products) contribute to impotence? The saturated fat and cholesterol in even so-called low-fat 1 or 2 percent milk (which are actually about 20 and 30 percent fat calories, respectively) clogs the arteries leading to all your organs, not just your heart. Milk is also loaded with female hormones, since cows are kept almost constantly pregnant on today's dairy factory farms. One Harvard University scientist estimates that cow's milk accounts for up to 80 percent of the estrogen in the average person's diet.
So if you want to keep Mrs. Claus happy, better make it soy or almond milk with those cookies on Christmas Eve. Otherwise, Rudolph might be the only one who gets up in the air this holiday season.
Written by PETA
PETA's band of bovines had Georgia on their minds when dairy farmers and suppliers brought their propaganda-filled displays to the International Dairy Show in Atlanta.
Our "cows" told passersby what the dairy farmers wouldn't—that cows are continually impregnated in order to force them to keep producing milk and that their babies are taken from them within days or even hours of birth. Many male calves are sent to veal crates, while females are sentenced to the same fate as their mothers.
Considering the plethora of delicious nondairy milks available, it's easy to have our milk and save cows too.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
And, this week's 10% Wool "Tag and Release" winner is ... Beth Ann! Congratulations.
Don't forget to check out the archive of past 10% Wool comic strips here. Get more information on the series and the writer here, and learn how to get Jeff's other comic, DeFlocked, into your local paper here.
Healthy, humane alternatives to cruelly produced dairy products continued to make headlines this week. An executive order signed earlier this year by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has gone into effect requiring city vending machines to be stocked with soy and rice milks in an effort to curb obesity rates and improve consumers' overall health.
Considering San Fran's healthy and humane options in vending machines and L.A.'s dairy-free delight, the "Pamela Anderson" milkshake, California almost seems like heaven on Earth. Please take a minute to thank Mayor Newsom for his decision to provide his city with healthier, humane beverages.
Written by Karin Bennett
Of course, I'm not talking about the tormented bulls—I mean the intoxicated bullies who were trampled on the second day of Pamplona's weeklong San Fermín festival. Reporters, who were apparently channeling their inner Hemingway, described the bulls as "angry," "threatening" "hulking beasts." I think those terms better describe the people who goad animals into a terrified stampede, don't you?
Maybe it's just me, but I don't see anything heroic or brave about terrorizing animals just for the thrill of it. It seems like the truly courageous people are the ones who stripped to their undies to protest Pamplona's annual exercise in stupidity and cruelty:
Now that takes some cojones.
According to a new study by researchers at The University of Auckland in New Zealand, that whole business about the ocean being a "silent world" is a bunch of bunk. Fish talk to each other all the time through growls, grunts, chirps, and pops—we just can't hear them without special equipment. Gurnards turn out to be the "Chatty Cathys" of the underwater world, talking to one another throughout the day.
My response to this "amazing" discovery? Duh!
As the "fish lady" in the PETA Foundation's Writers Group, I've been reading and writing about fish for more than a decade. I've learned that fish can count and tell time, they are fast learners, they think ahead, they have unique personalities, and they may even have a sense of humor. So I'm not at all surprised to learn that fish communicate with each other—I'd be surprised if they didn't!
The Auckland U. scientists believe that fish talk to attract mates, warn others of danger, and scare off predators. I think they're trying to tell us that "fish are friends, not food." What do you think they're saying?
Written by Paula Moore
What's a fast way to make an Average Jane wince? Just say "Diet." Many people mistakenly believe that dieting is all about deprivation. Not so! Watch as Skinny Bitch author Rory Freedman weighs in:
As Rory points out, the easiest, most delicious way to shed pounds and improve overall health is to go vegan. You'll discover seemingly endless menu possibilities with grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies as well as an abundance of "fooled-ya!" flavors and textures to satisfy any craving.
If you haven't already gone vegan, no more excuses: It's time to lose weight and save animals by pledging to be "Fit 4 Summer, Healthy for Life"—and enter to win a "Get Fit With Skinny Bitch" prize pack. Your waistline, your heart, and countless animals thank you for caring.
Even if you didn't spend 12 years in Catholic school, as I did, you probably still know that St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals. He was a man who preached to birds and blessed a wolf, and it is rumored that from his deathbed, he even thanked his donkey for his years of loyalty.
In keeping with the spirit of its patron saint, who believed that God looked out for all of His creation, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Cleveland has seen the light and agreed that giving away bunnies—or any live animals—as "prizes" is a bad idea. A vendor at the church's annual carnival was offering live rabbits as game-booth prizes, but after hearing from us about the grim fate of animals who are given away so casually, Rev. James Caddy readily agreed not to let it happen again. We're sending him a vegan chocolate rabbit as a token of our thanks.
The fair season is in full swing, so check out these ideas on what you can do to help all the animals who suffer and die on the summer circuit.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
If you haven't been keeping up with world events, you may be surprised to learn that change has come to the land down under. Julia Gillard recently made history by becoming Australia's first female prime minister. Now PETA is asking this precedent-setting PM to implement another big change: Help end the barbaric mulesing mutilation that's needlessly inflicted on millions of lambs every year.
PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk has dashed off a letter to Gillard asking her to spearhead government action on this issue.
Says Ingrid: "Carving hunks of flesh from lambs' rumps is a crude way to attempt (often unsuccessfully) to prevent flystrike. I have seen dead mulesed sheep with my own eyes, and everyone knows that there are humane options that should replace this barbaric act."
Experts estimate that mulesing could be phased out in just two years if Australian wool farmers would simply stop breeding overly woolly merino sheep—whose wrinkly skin makes them more susceptible to flystrike—and switch to "bare-breech" sheep (i.e., ones with smooth bottoms) instead. So far, greedy sheep farmers have refused to make the switch, so it's up to us to push hard—and we are doing just that with our campaign to get retailers and consumers around the world to reject merino wool.
If you've contacted decision-makers about this issue before, please do so again. If you haven't, now's the time. We'd like everyone to please take a minute to congratulate Prime Minister Gillard and ask her to fast-track the transition away from mulesing.
Sure, I realize that no matter how "low-fat" they are, cupcakes are not exactly health food—but they are still my favorite food group. Chocolate stout cupcakes, s'mores cupcakes, jelly donut cupcakes—they're all good. I love to bake cupcakes, decorate cupcakes, read about cupcakes, eat cupcakes (duh)—heck, I would even wear cupcakes if I could.
So, of course, I want must have one of these adorable Vegan Cupcake Baker mugs from CakeSpy. It's the perfect thing for sipping a soy latte while perusing my favorite cookbook.
We've got three of these mugs to give away—and if you ♥ cupcakes as much as I do, I know that you want one. For a chance to win, simply describe the most delectable vegan cupcake flavor you can imagine—whether it's one you've actually eaten or something you just dreamed up. The three most decadent flavors win. Sweet!
The contest ends on July 21, 2010, and we'll select the winners on July 23, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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