April 2011
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April's Top Stories.
April has come and gone and to help us look back on a wacky/depressing/inspiring month, let’s look at the top five stories (by pageviews):
5. Mike Tyson Puts Up Vegan Billboard.
Newly minted vegan Mike Tyson almost eats bird on pro-vegan billboard.
4. Baby Calf Abuse Caught on Hidden Camera.
Even though the video has been removed from YouTube for “disturbing content” the...
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Dyed Chicks Are A Disturbing Trend.
From the “animals as bizzare trinkets department” comes the story of vendors around the world from Asia to Arizona encouraging impulse shopping by dying baby chicks.
The chicks have a chemical dye injected into their shells which permanently dyes their flesh and young fuzz. The young farmers organization, 4-H, teaches kids about dying embryonic chicks and claims that the processes...
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Revealed: Paula Deen Has Diabetes.
Diabetes is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly but you have to admit, the butter queen trying to hide her Type 2 Diabetes is pretty ironic.
The National Enquirer (a bastion of important news) and the UK Daily Mail reveal that the celebrity chef is hiding her Type 2 diabetes while continuing to promote the most outrageously fatty and sugary recipes (i.e. sausage and egg...
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Capital One Rejects Graphic Image for Credit Card.
Capital One has rejected a New Jersey woman’s attempt to use a picture of her husband next to a slaughtered deer as her credit card’s background.
The bank returned the woman’s submission saying they were sorry but that they could not approve ”any images that contain the following: violence, hatred, or cruelty to humans or animals…”
The upset customer...
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More Pets Die Delta Than Any Other Airline.
The Department of Transportation released information about the number of reported deaths and injuries of animals on planes in 2010.
The numbers show 39 deaths and 13 injuries to animals on airplanes in 2010 with Delta as the worst offender. Delta took the top spot with nearly 3 times as many reported deaths as the next worst airline.
Here’s the breakdown:
It’s best not to take...
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Korean Mass Graves May Soon Leak.
After burying 9.7 million animals alive this winter, South Korea could be facing a seriously karmic moment.
The mass graves holding the corpses of 9.7 million pigs, chickens, and cow may begin leaking the decomposition fluids of the dead animals into the country’s drinking water. Contaminated drinking water could spark a very serious clean water shortage sending the country into crisis.
...
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Navy Training Blows Up Dolphins.
The US navy is defending a training exercise that killed a pod of dolphins with an underwater explosive device off the coast of San Diego.
A Navy spokesperson told press that an underwater explosive test resulted in the accidental deaths of at least four dolphins and possibly more. Navy personnel had cleared the area of sea mammals before initiating a 15 minute countdown. At the ten minute...
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Dogfighting Video Game Draws Heat.
A new video game app from Andriod called “Dog Wars” is stirring up anti-dogfighting advocates and the the LAPD.
The game allows players to train pitbulls for dogfights which earn the player cash and ‘street cred.’ Players are encouraged to pump their dogs full of steroids and fight to the death with other competitors’ dogs. Occasionally, viritual police will raid...
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Manolo Blahnik Treats Dairy Cows 'Like Ladies.'
Two majority owners of the fashion line Manolo Blahnik are trying their hand at a new business venture, high-end dairy.
Blahnik’s owners George Malkemus and Tony Yurgaitis recently purchased a $5 million dairy preprocessing plant in Connecticut where they’ve begun to produce very expensive milk and cheese. Their brand, Arethusa, is already available in 23 retail outlets, including...
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23,000 Bunnies Killed For Easter Hunt.
Organizers of the “Great Easter Bunny Hunt” in New Zealand estimate that this year’s kill is over 23,000 bunnies.
The Great Easter Bunny Hunt is an annual event that raises money for multiple charities in the region and is considered “pest control” for farmers. Witnesses say it’s a “party atmosphere” where inexperienced hunters travel around...
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U Penn Frat Rents Camel, Causes Controversy.
A University of Pennslyvania fraternity has stirred up anger over their use of a live camel as a decoration for a spring party. The Zeta Psi fraternity rents live animals for their parties every year and this time, someone got a picture.
Outraged faculty and students are calling for an investigation into the incident one professor called “exploitative and thoughtless treatment, if not...
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McDonald's to Raise Prices Again.
This one is bound to cause a few slug-out brawls at Mickey D’s restaurants around the country.
Due to the increasing cost of cheese, meat, and bread, McDonald’s will begin raising the cost of their menu items by 4%. Does this mean the dollar menu will become the “$1.04 menu?” That is still cheaper than any meat and dairy meal should ever cost.
Bloomberg Business Week...
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Cattle Prices Drop After Abuse Video.
Mercy for Animals’ recent undercover investigation into cattle abuse at E6 Cattle in Texas has led to a Nationwide drop in cattle prices.
A shaky market was affected by scenes of baby calves having their heads split open with pick-axes and hammers causing futures to drop over 1% the day the video was released. In the billion dollar cattle futures market, 1% translates to millions of...
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Follow Friday!
Hey folks. Can you believe it’s already Friday?
I want to give a big shout-out to all our tumblr followers and encourage everyone to follow The Informed Vegan on facebook and twitter.
Being a fan on facebook, twitter, and tumblr makes it easier to share posts and comment on stories.
While you’re at it, drop me note in the comments and let me know who you are so I can follow...
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Parliament Sacrifices Sheep, Blames 'Evil...
Members of parliament in Kyrgyzstan were frustrated with the squabbling in government and decided that ‘evil spirits’ were to blame. In an effort to drive the spirits out, seven sheep were sacrificed at a prayer ceremony.
Nearly all the members of parliament were in attendance at a special ceremony where seven sheep had their throats cut and died. The meat will reportedly be...
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Prime Minister Banned From Smiths Fan Club.
UK’s hunting fanatic Prime Minister David Cameron is forbidden from being a fan of his favorite band because he stands against everything they represent.
The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morriessy are vocal vegans and animal rights advocates and have publicly stated that they forbid Cameron from liking them. They’ve even gone so far as to ask him to stop saying he’s...
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Shocking Calf Abuse Uncovered.
If you share one investigation video this year, this should be it. Mercy for Animals released undercover footage of calf abuse from E6 Cattle in Texas that is more horrific and shocking than any I have ever seen.
The first shot opens up with a baby calf having her head smashed with a pickaxe. She is hit multiple times before she is finally killed. The video goes on to show calves having...
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Vivisectors Strike Back With Billboard.
A pro-animal testing group has placed a billboard in Seattle, Washington in an attempt to frame the vivisection debate as a choice between saving children or saving rats.
The billboard has a picture of smiling child and a white rat and reads “who would you rather see live?” The ad deliberately places a break in the word “rather” to appear as “rat her.”
This...
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Glenn Beck Goes Vegan.
First Mike Tyson goes vegan and now Glenn Beck? You know, I think this might be a sign of the approaching apocalypse Beck’s been warning us about.
Beck announced to a crowd in Chicago that he became vegan back in February for health reasons. He said he is also trying to cut out sugar and gluten from his diet. Taking it all on at once seems to be pretty rough and Beck calls his new diet a...
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520 Dogs Saved From Slaughter.
Activists in China were able to throw a wrench in the dog meat industry when they organized a protest using twitter that saved 520 dogs from being turned into meat.
Over 200 activists blocked a road leading to a dog and cat meat slaughterhouse and refused to move for 16 hours before the dogs were purchased and saved.
Dog and cat meat is thought to promote bodily warmth and is very popular to...
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95% of People Refuse to Wear Fur.
A new survey released by the RSPCA reveals that despite the increased showing of fur on the runway, more people than ever refuse to wear it.
Of the people surveyed, 95% said they refuse to wear real fur and 93% believe faux and real fur should be more clearly labeled.
This is great news. The fashion industry tries to push fur on people but they won’t buy in. The only people I see wearing...
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Mike Tyson Runs Vegan Billboard.
Legendary boxer/actor/reality TV star, Mike Tyson, is working with Last Chance for Animals to promote veganism with a big new billboard in West Hollywood.
Tyson commented on the billoard saying:
“I’m truly honored and grateful to be apart of this cause. It has been awhile since any organization has wanted me for anything and to be apart of something that benefits people and...
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Drug Resistant Bacteria in Half of US Meat.
A new study from the journal “Clinical Infectious Diseases” reveals that 47% of America’s meat is tainted with drug resistant staph.
Researchers found drug resistant staph on beef, turkey, pork, and chicken bought at different grocery stores around the country.
Due to over exposure to antibiotics in factory farms, the staph bacteria have developed resistance to three major...
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This Is What McNuggets Look Like.
O…M…G.
This is what McNuggets look like at the processing plant.
The above photo is actually a shot of Advanced Meat Recovery (AMR). AMR is the process in which machines scrape the remaining meat bits of meat off bones and turn them into a bright pink paste.
The paste is then turned into McNuggets, bologna, hot dogs, and other processed meats depending on the source animal.
The...
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Blogs More Influential Than Celebs.
A new Social Media Matters study shows that bloggers are nearly twice as influential at affecting people’s decisions as celebrity endorsements.
The study looked at women who use social media networks (i.e. twitter, facebook, tumblr, etc.) and found that 20 percent were likely to purchase a product that was promoted by a blogger vs. 12 percent for a celebrity endorsement.
It’s basic...
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Alaska to Ban Using Tasers on Wildlife.
Alaska has begun the process of banning the use of Tasers on wildlife.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife says the measure is proactive because they don’t have any experience dealing with incidents of animals being Tased but they worry the concept could become popular as a form of catch-and-release hunting.
The ban would outlaw any use of an electronic control device used...
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High Heels Made of Cheese.
As part of a fashion design contest were participants are required to make accessories out of cheese, design student Lisa Dillon has produced the ‘Jimmy Cheese’ shoe.
The high heels are sculpted from cheddar and stale cheese sandwiches and are the worst smelling shoes ever known to mankind.
The average person eats 32 pounds of cheese a year, but how much more do they wear?
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Burger King Launches "Meat Monster."
Oh boy. If you thought KFC’s double-down was bad, meet Burger King’s new “Meat Monster.”
Currently only available in Japan, the Meat Monster tips the scale at 1160 calories and is made of two beef patties, two slices of cheese, three strips of bacon, a chicken breast, and two white buns. Its sodium content is the equivalent of two bags of chips and contains 69 grams of...
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Meat Pollution Costs You $1,300 A Year.
A new study shows that excess nitrogen, introduced into the environment as livestock grain fertilizer and produced by livestock as waste, is polluting the environment and costs every person $1,300 a year in increased health costs and environmental damage.
Nitrogen contributes to respiratory problems such as asthma, lung cancer, and can even reduce life expectancy by 6 months. Nitrates in water...
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Animal Testing Proves People Like French Fries.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience used cruel testing methods on rats to prove that people feel good about eating French fries and other salty foods.
The study suggests that elevated levels of salt in the body reduce stress and increase a hormone called oxytocin (i.e. the love hormone). Oxytocin helps calm you down and reduces anxiety. This could explain why we reach for salty...
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Elephant Abusers Say Activists "Ruined" Circus.
Bobby Roberts, owner of Bobby Roberts Super Circus, did a great interview in The Guardian in which the author tries to portray Roberts and his wife as the true victims of the recent elephant abuse scandal.
Roberts claims he feels “ruined” by animal rights activists and that Anne the elephant meant the world to him. During the interview, the couple received a call from a landowner...
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Cop Pepper Sprays Baby Squirrel.
A Mesquite, Texas cop was caught on camera pepper spraying a baby squirrel in front of horrified middle school children. The kids at least knew right from wrong and were screaming at the officer to try to get him to stop.
From the video, it sounds like the jerk’s name is Officer Davis. Other reports say that the school’s principal also kicked and sprayed the squirrel.
...
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Radioactive Wild Boar Meat For Sale.
Researchers in Austria caused a stir this week after purchasing wild boar meat direct from the supermarket only to discover that it contained illegal levels of radioactive cesium.
The meat became radioactive after the boars ingested wild truffles in the forests of Austria that had been hit 25-years ago with radioactive fallout from Chernobyl. After 25 years, the cesium is only half as dangerous...
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52 Things Only Seen in America.
Great post from Buzzfeed contains a photo collection of “only in America” moments. Not surprisingly, a lot of them involve poor health, poor eating habits, and general laziness. Scary and hilarious stuff.
Judge for yourself if this stuff is really unique to the US of A.
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Is Dutch Slaughter Ban Racist?
Would you support banning the cruelest methods of animal slaughter if it meant cooperating with racists and xenophiles?
Dutch politicians in the racist and xenophobic Freedom Party, and the animal friendly Party for Animals, have put forth a bill that would ban cruel religious animal slaughter. Religious animal slaughter is a major part of the Jewish and Islamic tradition and involves...
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New Speed Limit Threatens Animals.
The Texas House of Representatives just passed a bill that would turn Texas’ speed limit from 80mph to 85mph. Beyond the enormous risk to human life, an 85mph speed limit puts even more animals at risk of becoming roadkill.
Online resource group Culture Change put the issue in prespective:
“[Every year] experimenters kill 100 million lab animals, hunters kill 200 million...
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UK to Ban Animal Circuses.
Since footage surfaced of Bobby Roberts Super Circus employees beating an elephant with a pitchfork, the UK Environmental Secretary has been pushing to impose a nationwide ban on circuses that use wild animals.
The head of the RSPCA, Ros Clubb, feels like the ban is long overdue saying “it’s about time that in Britain we show we are really a nation of animal lovers.”
The...
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Bestiality Still Legal in Sunshine State.
It might be hard to believe but Florida is one of 22 states where it is still legal to force sex on an animal. Think about this; in Florida, you can’t drink until you’re 21, you can’t get married if you’re gay, but you can rape a horse anytime you’d like.
The Florida legislature has brought forth legislation to ban bestiality twice before, both times it was voted...
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Beastie Boys Release New Single.
“Make Some Noise” is the awesome new opening track from the Beastie Boys’ upcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2.
I like ‘em even more knowing the Beastie Adam Yauch is vegan.
Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 drops May 3rd.
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Meat Gets Colored Freshness Indicator.
A new freshness indicator is coming to the world of packaged meat.
A colored sensor strip has been developed for use on packaged meat products. A full yellow bar would indicate “fresh” and full blue would indicate “rotten.” The sensor changes color based on the amount of smelly amine molecules released from the decaying meat. The more molecules released, the more the...
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Having a Big Gut Can Cause Blindness.
A new study has shown a connection between male belly size, diets heavy in red meat, and macular degeneration (aka blindness).
Researchers say that even small increases in waistline can raise a man’s risk of blindness in old age by 75%. They say one of the main factors is diet and that eating 10 small portions of red meat a week can increase an adult’s risk by 50%.
Luckily, eating...
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Recalled Burgers Have Drug Resistant Salmonella.
The recent Jennie-O turkey burger recall may be worse than previously thought. The company recalled 28-tons of turkey burgers last week due to reported illnesses and after further testing it appears the tainted patties harbor drug-resistant salmonella.
The salmonella is a super-strain that has evolved from exposure to antibiotics. This means that it can’t be killed with most available...
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NASA Tests Chicken Fat Jet Fuel.
NASA and the US Air Force are currently testing chicken fat as a “renewable” fuel source in part of their jet fleet.
The US military is trying to come up with petroleum-free fuel for their vehicles and chicken fat may be an option. The Air Force has purchased 8,000 gallons of chicken fat to help power their jets. The only hurdle now is their ongoing testing for possible health...
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Mayor Cory Booker's Birthday Wish.
Cory Booker, the vegetarian Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, released a video on his YouTube asking for help to make his birthday wish come true.
Booker’s wish is for Newark to build America’s best animal shelter. He wants the facility to be an example to cities across the country and around the world.
The mayor was inspired by the story of the Newark dog ‘Patrick’ who was...
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Cows Produce "Human" Milk.
Two hundred cows in China have been genetically altered with human DNA to be able to produce “human” milk. Scientists behind the research hope the human milk will provide a “healthy” substitute for breast milk and cow’s milk-based infant formula.
The project involves cloning technology (only weirder) in which a cow embryo containing human DNA is implanted in a...
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Canned Meat Sued for Looking Like Spam.
The makers of canned “meat” Spam have sued a Netherlands based company for producing a “meat” product that looks eerily similar called Prem.
Prem and Spam are actually made at the SAME facility by the SAME manufacturing company. Essentially they are the same product under different names and sold by different companies.
Spam’s not upset at the...
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Chicken Truck Flips, 100s Dead.
Hundreds of chickens were killed Tuesday when a truck flipped while carrying 5,000 chickens bound for the Foster Farms slaughterhouse in Washington State.
Hundreds of chickens were crushed and killed under the weight of the flipped semi while many more were severely injured. Multiple news sources are reporting that the injured birds were taken to the slaughterhouse “to be...