February 2009
36 posts
12 tags
The Science of Cute.
This is an interesting video on why we find some animals to be so cute.
It’s sad to think that cute little kittens like these ones are the most dissected animal in classrooms and laboratories across the country. for more information on what you can do go to CutOutDissection.com
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Friday Vegan Spotlight: Propagandhi
Progressive Canadian punk band Propagandi have been vegan for well over a decade. Known for taking a stand on issues of sexism, racism, capitalism, and homophobia, it only makes sense that the band would go vegan and take a stand against speciesism.
Propagandi spreads the word about cruelty to animals through their music which they’ve been making since 1986. They are in the spotlight this...
20 tags
Endangered Species For Sale.
Arguably, the most common tactic used by most animal rights and environmental advocates is to encourage compassion. Instead of trying to warm the cold hearts of carnivores and fur hags, perhaps we should try something else: encourage greed. The people who are selfishly running our environment into the ground and contributing the killing of millions of animals every year for food, are...
14 tags
Confronting Classroom Cruelty
Every year, 20 million animals are killed for use in classroom dissections and experiments. I posted a video of PETA’s Justin Goodman giving a great lecture at Portland State University last week about the issue of cruelty in the classroom. This video is essential viewing for students or people that want to know more about this issue.
Check it:
Confronting Classroom Cruelty from Let...
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Lower Fur Prices Signal Decline in Demand.
Ugly people wear fur. Many ugly people tell themselves that it makes them look rich but soon that myth will be officially busted. World fur prices are down 30 to 45 percent from last year creating a decline in fur production (animal torture) as well as causing fur to be sold at bargain bin prices. No longer will rich people have an monopoly on ugly. Demand for fur is down in large part...
16 tags
Artist Tattoos Pigs.
Wim Delvoye tattoos pigs. He was ran out of Europe because his form of “art” is seen as animal cruelty and therefore against the law. In order to create the art that he wanted he was forced to move to China where he works today.
With all the horrid things that happen to millions of pigs across Europe everyday in the name of “dinner,” it’s a little shocking that...
8 tags
Progress Made Against Animal Testing.
On the heels of a huge European victory, the Humane Society has announced that is will bring its incredibly successful “Hop to It” campaign to North America in an effort to save the lives of millions of rabbits.
Last week, the European Union (EU) ruled that skin irritation tests can no longer be performed on rabbits. Testing on rabbits for skin irritation involves “locking...
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McDonald's Hates All Animals (Including Humans).
McDonald’s built the reputation as one most experienced animal abusers of all-time and now with the reemergence of an organized opposition to the cruelty, the limelight has revealed more than just non-human abuse. McDonald’s is denying workers compensation to hero employee Nigel Haskett who was shot while protecting McDonald’s customers from a violent patron.
In the summer of...
15 tags
Weekly Vegan Reader.
WOW, the first Weekly Vegan Reader at our new site. Here are the latest headlines from around the web.
- Judge rules that pigs too sick to stand are OK to eat.
- PETA launches aggressive campaign against seal slaughter.
- This is why you’re fat.
- Mischa Barton asking for “PETA smackdown.”
- Nebraska Zoo has license revoked.
- Former “First Cat” Socks dies at...
9 tags
Obama Should Snuggle with the Super Chicks.
Obama administration insiders revealed to Star Magazine that the President is also known as the “Gamer-in-Chief.” It seems that every night before bed, Obama snuggles up with his BlackBerry to play a few games. Word on the street is that the Prez prefers BrickBreaker but I think he would much prefer to play some of my all time favorites:
1) The Super Chick Sisters- This game is...
6 tags
Fashion Fail
The blog Fashion Fail has a highly disturbing post about stiletto heels that have an interesting feature…dead diamond encrusted birds glued to the toes. On top of being ridiculously ugly, the shoes cost $43,000!!! Animal cruelty doesn’t come cheap.
If you want to spend some cash on shoes that actually are stylish (and vegan of course) then I suggest going to Moo Shoes or...
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Friday Vegan Spotlight: Casey Afflack
Uber vegan Casey Afflack is one of the most interesting and talented actor/writer/directors in recent memory. Casey has been in the news a lot lately for his work directing a documentary about fellow vegan (and brother-in-law) Joaquin Pheonix and his “rise to fame” as a superstar rapper.
Casey has appeared in a number of films including Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting and The...
Support Grows for CA Foie Gras Ban.
The West Hollywood City Council has just endorsed California’s upcoming ban on the sale of Foie Gras. The Council called Foie Gras “the product of animal torture” and I couldn’t agree more.
Foie Gras is produced by force feeding ducks until their livers become bloated and often diseased. Foie Gras is seen as a delicacy among those who believe that salad should...
1 tag
The NEW Informed Vegan!
Welcome to The Informed Vegan’s new home. Same blog, same author, same important news and information just a different more simple look and a new URL.
If you check out the site regularly then be sure to subscribe to the new feed and change any bookmarks or links you have.
For the return readers: Thanks for sticking with us through the transition.
I look forward to bringing you all more...
8 tags
Mickey Rourke Loses Love of his Life.
The star of one of the best films (if not the best) of 2008, Mickey Rourke, is grieving the loss of one of his best friends and whom he called the “love of my life.” Loki, Rourke’s 18-year-old canine companion passed away on Monday. Rourke recently won the Golden Globe Best Actor award for The Wrestler mentioned Loki in most touching speech of the night: “I’d like...
6 tags
What's Wrong With Leather?
With the environment going to shit all around us, some still wonder if leather is a sustainable or ethical form of fashion. The Guardian UK asks this question in a new piece which weighs the environmental impacts of leather and leather alternatives. The pro-leather argument is similar to the argument offered by the pro-fur sect. They insist that leather, as a byproduct of the meat industry,...
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Busted for Selling Mislabeled Fur.
The Humane Society of the United States has exposed a number of retailers in New York that are selling unlabeled or mislabeled clothing that contains fur. Sadly (and not surprisingly), all the big name retailers were on the list Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Check out the undercover footage from the investigation: var so = new...
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Bill Would Require the Use of Alternatives to...
Courtesy of PETA A bill that would limit the use of animal testing methods for product testing has been introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly. If it becomes law, HB6120 will prohibit the use of animals in cruel tests for items such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and household products when alternatives methods that have already been approved by the federal government are...
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The Rebirth of McCruel.
Nine years after PETA suspended its battle with McDonald’s, the animal rights organization has relaunched its campaign against the fast food giant to hopefully ease the suffering of millions of chickens. PETA has a great new website for the McCruelty campaign for everyone interested in helping out or just wanting to know more. PETA is calling on McDonald’s to adopt Controlled...
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Weekly Vegan Reader.
Here’s some of the latest vegan news from around the web… - Chicken industry heads for total collapse. - EXPOSED! Iowa uses disabled slaves in slaughterhouses. - Prisoner Update: Daniel McGowan moved! - ‘Gossip Girl’ Dreama Walker goes vegan for 30 days. - PETA’s Matt Prescott is the only person on earth that can tolerate Glen Beck. - Obama welcomes opinions from...
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Friday Vegan Spotlight: Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke is the vegan front man for one of the most influential and brilliant bands of all time, Radiohead. Yorke speaks out against the cruelty of the meat and non-vegan fashion industries. He speaks to young people about rising above the peer pressure and marketing strategies that try to persuade you to eat and wear animals. Much of Radiohead’s music is about breaking down cultural...
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Senate Bill Allows Backyard Slaughterhouses.
Oppose Washington State Senate Bill 5350 This bill expands a previous bill from 2003 which allows farmers with fewer than 1,000 chickens to slaughter the animals on their property, provided they pay $75 for a permit. Senate Bill 5350 adds all birds, including turkeys and ducks, to this regulation. If this bill passes it will allow farmers to slaughter more animals on their property. This could...
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POV: Sea Shepard Collison with Japanese Whalers
The Sea Shepard Conservation Society has released new footage of the infamous collision with Japanese whalers. This video shows the hit from on board the Sea Shepard:
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The Virtual Battery Cage
Animal Visuals has come out with an interactive 3D model of life for hens in a battery cage. This is a great tool to use for tabling and demos if you are able to set up a laptop. Open it up at school and show your friends or take it home to show your family. This a horrific yet realistic look at what life is like for these tortured animals. This is the egg industry like you’ve never seen...
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Eating Endangered Species on Facebook
Two very stupid people have been arrested for eating endangered species, including iguana and “undersized” conch, and posting pictures of the cruelty on Facebook. Vanessa Starr Palm, 23, of Illinois and Alexander Daniel Rust, 24, of Indiana, were arrested last Monday when, according to police, Facebook pictures showed “the pair catching an iguana, parts of an iguana on a grill,...
7 tags
PETA: Bands Should Change Their Names.
As many of you have probably already heard, PETA has been running a campaign to change the the word “fish” to “sea kitten.” It is believed that if people thought of fish the same as they do innocent little kittens, people would stop massacring fish by the millions. I personally think the Sea Kittens campaign is brilliant and hilarious. It’s drawn tons of people to...
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Next President a Vegetarian?
Even though Obama has only been president for a few weeks, analysts are already looking for his successor. The Guardian UK is predicting a 2016 presidential run from Newark mayor Cory Booker a “non-drinking, non-smoking vegetarian.” Like Obama, Booker is a rock star with very wealthy and power friends (including Oprah). He’s also a powerful speaker with an Ivy League...
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Weekly Vegan Reader.
- PETA compares AKC to KKK. - Vegan diet works miracles for diabetics. - Britney Spears decides to not torture elephants. - Horse saved from frozen pond. - Armani is a liar. - Ringling Brothers are about to go down. - FDA approves drug made from goats. - ACTION ALERT! End hermit crab abuse in Washington. As always, something to keep you smiling… Have a good week!
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Charges for Factory Farmed Bird Abuse.
A grand jury has issued 19 indictments for cruelty to animals against three former employees of Aviagen Turkeys, Inc. and 11 of those indictments are on felony charges. This is the first time in U.S. history that factory-farm employees have faced felony cruelty-to-animals charges for abusing birds. Workers were caught on camera stomping, kicking, throwing, and killing turkeys in a horrific...
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Friday Vegan Spotlight: Alanis Morisette
Those who are thinking about going vegan deserve some encouragement and a little love. When someone finally decides to live a cruelty free/healthy life they deserve A LOT of love and A LOT of praise. That’s why this Friday we say, Alanis we love you! Alanis Morissette announced her switch to a vegan lifestyle about a month ago. She was well received by vegans around the world and got...
5 tags
HLS Infiltrated by Undercover Investigation
Post courtesty of SHAC. Now for the seventh time in ten years Huntingdon Life Sciences have been infiltrated and exposed again. Shocking cruelty and footage of experiments have been filmed inside HLS during 2007 and 2008; and primates captured in the wild were shipped over by plane to France and then road to HLS, enduring 30 hour journeys in small cages from Vietnam. Animal Defenders...
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Let Live Confirms 2009 Speakers.
The Let Live Conference in Portland, OR is going to be HUGE this year. Last year was incredible with guest speakers, demos all weekend, VEGAN SOFT SERVE, and great lessons taught by amazing activists. I thought nothing could top last year but today they released the list of confirmed speakers and OMFG it’s gonna rule. Here’s a slice of the awesome pie: Kim McCoy (Sea Shepherd...
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Sarah Palin vs. Nature
The Defenders of Wildlife have launched a high profile campaign to urge Sarah Palin to stop encouraging the slaughter of wolves in Alaska. This issue received some attention during the Presidential campaign and thankfully, dedicated activists aren’t letting anyone forget. Eye on Palin claims that Palin authorized the killing of wolves by shooting guns from airplanes and helicopters after...
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Cast Your Vote: Should Billy Be Free?
Cast your vote for whether or not you agree with the L.A. City Counsel’s decision to keep Billy the Elephant in the Zoo. VOTE HERE! Read more about Billy the Elephant here.
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Police Arrest 73 in Cockfighting Raid.
Seventy-three people have been arrested during a raid on a North Carolina cockfighting ring. By the time police arrived there were already 20 dead birds from that night’s competition. Cockfighting in North Carolina is a felony so participants will most likely face harsh prison time. Cockfighting is a cruel and brutal “sport”. The HUSA describes the problem with cockfighting:...
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Bug Extract in Food Will Soon Require Label.
Starting in 2011, the FDA will require all cochineal extract and carmine color additives to be included in the ingredient statement on food and cosmetic labels. Frighteningly, these animal products are often listed as “artificial color.”
Cochineal extract and carmine color are used to dye food, drinks and cosmetics in various shades of red, orange, pink and purple, and are extracted...