(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
Posts tagged blog.
Activists Burn Firework and Fur Depot.
Animal Liberation Front (ALF) activists have claimed responsibly for the destruction of the Rocky Mountain Fireworks & Fur store near Boise, Idaho.
The ALF operatives drilled a hole in the outside of the store’s storage space and poured in several gallons of fuel. When lit, the fuel ignited several other placed explosives placed and much of the store’s firework stock. Thousands of chemically treated animal pelts helped grow the blaze which caused $100,000 of damage.
Along with a full selection of fireworks, Rocky Mountain Fireworks & Fur was selling fur pelts from mink, chinchilla, rabbit, fox, and the traps and gear for fur trapping hobbyists.
There is no word yet if the store will reopen for business but the ALF says they are ready for anything. A communique from the activists warns the shop owners, “stay in business, and we’ll be back.”
Dresses Made of Cow Nipples.
Last week, British fashion designer Rachel Freire unveiled her latest designs, dresses made almost entirely of cow and yak nipples.
To make her couture cow dresses, Freire went to a leather tannery in the UK and bought 3,000 discarded nipples. She had them sent through the tanning process and worked with them like leather. Some elements of her designs, such as the metal piercings, play on masochist nipple imagery and and other parts try to hide the fact that the dresses are made entirely of tanned teats.
Freire calls the project “recycled art” but animal lovers call it exploitation. Commenting on the controversy, UK based animal rights group Viva! asked “Isn’t the way we treat farmed animals bad enough without turning their dead bodies into a runway freak show?”
The designer doesn’t seem to mind the controversy, it helps her get exposure and she genuinely seems to like her designs. Freire told the press, “I love all 3,000 of my nipples.”
Ugh.
This is different than leather….how? both are gross
Meat Sales Drop After Abuse Exposed.
A meat processor in Victoria, Australia, is telling ABC that recently released undercover video of meat industry practices have caused their sales to severely drop.
The processor reports a drop of 15-20% in sales since undercover videos of Australia’s live cattle export industry surfaced. The videos show widespread abuse of Australian cattle exported to Indonesia for slaughter. Workers in Indonesian slaughterhouses were following “standard operating procedures” when they were caught tying cattle with crude ropes and slitting their throats while they flop on the ground.
These images have disturbed Australians and many are reducing the amount of meat they consume. Amazingly, the 15-20% decrease accounts not only for beef but for other meats like lamb. Meat processor, Robert Radford, calls the dropping Australian meat sales a “real tragedy for our industry.”
The real tragedy is that consumers are deliberately kept in the dark so they’ll continue to purchase an unethical product. When people have the facts and are able to make informed choices, it is a triumph.
West Hollywood Bans Fur Sales.
West Hollywood is officially the first city in the country to ban the sale of fur.
The West Hollywood City Council has voted unanimously to ban the sale of fur within city limits. Any store caught selling fur products after the ban is in place will be hit with a serious fine. The City Council will meet in two weeks to work out enforcement procedures and a ban start date.
The West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce intends to battle the ban, telling press, “We feel it’s unconstitutional.” The Chamber worries about the effect the ban may have on the local economy. Forty-seven percent of all clothing retailers in West Hollywood sell fur and 7 percent of those say they would move out of town if the ban passed.
Fur, especially in warm Southern California, doesn’t seem like a major customer draw. To top it off, a survey earlier this year found that nearly 95 percent of people “refuse” to wear real fur. It might be time for these folks to get into a different business altogether.
Banning the sale of fur sends a strong message to consumers that they should be concerned about how fur products are produced. Whether it hurts the economy or not, in the end, banning fur is right thing to do.
[Call Judge Penny Freesemann at 912 652 7252 to save Troy Davis. She has the power to pull the death warrant. The DA can ask her to rescind the warrant or she could rescind it directly. You can leave a message tonight.]
The Informed Vegan: Bob’s Red Mill Funds Animal Testing.
Bob’s Red Mill Funds Animal Testing.
Bob’s Red Mill’s standing as a conscious and compassionate company is about to take a serious hit. The grain seller is donating $25 million to the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), an institution responsible for extensive animal testing.
Bob and Charlee Moore of Bob’s Red Mill have chosen to give OHSU this massive donation for “nutrition education” and “research on obesity and other diseases.” OHSU will not deny that the funds will be used to conduct animal experimentation or provide a special guarantee that these funds won’t be spent on animal testing.
OHSU is one of the most notorious animal testing schools in the world. According to whistleblowers, OHSU hires unqualified low-paid workers to conduct sloppy and unscientific experiments. Animals, like baby monkeys, are kept in cramped cages in standing water and bodily fluids where disease and sickness are rampant. All the experiments, including the most absurd ones, are done in the name of “health research.” A few years ago, OHSU famously spent close to $1 million terrorizing baby monkeys with Mr. Potato Head dolls as part of an obesity study.
When I heard Bob’s was donating to support OHSU I immediately contacted both parties. After several exchanges, neither party will deny that the funds will be spent on animal testing. Bob’s is avoiding discussing animal testing altogether and OHSU is defending their legacy of experimentation. Jim Newman from OHSU told me over e-mail that, “There are currently no other ways to obtain this info that assists both human and animal medicine.”
Bob’s Red Mill runs a serious risk by taking their customer’s money and giving it to a notorious animal tester. Their loyal customer base of animal lovers and vegans may boycott them if they choose to go through with the donation.
To encourage OHSU to stop their animal experimentation, tweet @OHSUnews or @ONPRC.
To express your disappointment over the donation, tweet @Bobs_Red_Mill or contact them via their site.
Bob’s Red Mill, WHY. I love your shit! What the hell am I going to eat for breakfast now??
NOOOO! Fuck. Go fuck yourself, Bob. You and your Red Mill. The red mill covered with the blood of the animals you’re hurting. I’m boycotting your sorry ass.
This is extremely disappointing. For shame, Bob. I hope this means that Whole Foods will stop selling the brand, due to their animal testing beliefs, if that’s even true.
UGH time to find another place to buy GF baking products.
ALSO he is super proud of his donation judging by his tweets/replies. So feel free to knock him down by posting a tweet talking about his decision!!
Harvard Food Plate Disses Milk.
Harvard University nutritionists have decided to tweak the USDA’s new “My Plate” chart in a move that is sure to piss off the dairy industry.
In June, the USDA updated the old food pyramid and put out a healthy eating pie chart called “My Plate.” The chart depicted a relatively positive diet but almost as an afterthought, tossed a glass of milk on the side urging eaters to have a glass with every meal. The problem is that almost any reasonable nutritionist will tell you that a serving of dairy with every meal is far too much and Harvard nutritionists agree.
The Ivy League school decided to release their own My Plate which shows a glass of water in place of the milk. They urge eaters to drink lots of water, tea, or coffee, and avoid sugary drinks while limiting their dairy. Their defense of such a non-traditional move was this:
“High intake [of dairy] can increase the risk of prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer. Plus, dairy products can be high in saturated fat as well as retinal, which at high levels can paradoxically weaken bones.”
The human body is made of about 70% water so telling people to drink more of it does seem more important than telling them to drink more milk.
Dog Thefts Rise 50%.
Dog thefts are on the rise as the economy continues it’s steady decline.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is reporting that theft and kidnapping of dogs is up 50% from this time last year. Thieves are taking dogs from cars, outside of shops and restaurants, and even from yards. Smaller breeds like Pomeranians and Pugs are easier targets but the AKC says reports are related to all breeds and sizes.
Thieves turn around and sell the dogs online or in newspapers for hundreds of dollars. Sometimes, the dogs even come with falsified papers to make the seller look credible. The AKC says they are getting reports where dogs are being snatched out of parked cars with laptops and GPS units left untouched. Truly evil people.
Stealing a dog is the lowest of lows. These thieves should be punished with the full force of the law. Don’t leave your pup unattended, even for a minute.
Fugitive Cow Still On The Lam.
A brave cow in Germany escaped a slaughterhouse in May when she was mere moments away from being turned into ground beef. She is still on the loose and officials are calling in reinforcements.
While she was being prepared for slaughter, 6-year old cow, Yvonne, sensed that something was just not right. Presumably hip to the fact that she was about to be brutally slaughtered for meat, Yvonne busted down an electric fence in May and has been on the run from her captors ever since.
Millions of people are rooting Yvonne on. A German newspaper wrote that the sweet cow is “a kind of freedom fighter for the animal loving German republic.” When German officials started urging hunters to shoot and kill Yvonne on sight, a local tabloid responded by offering a 10,000 euro reward for her safe capture.
Along with calling in hunters, officials have deployed the muskiest male bull they could find. They are hoping that the bull will be able to track Yvonne and that she will seek the male out of curiosity.
I say let the girl roam. She is a inspirational hero and her escape is more evidence that animals are feeling and thinking beings who won’t be led to their deaths with heads hung and without resistance. Sometimes just fighting back, even if you ultimately lose, is enough to forever impact your oppressor.
Being new to the vegan diet is really difficult.
It can be easy!! Take a look at my blog and follow me on tumblr if you’d like some good reblogs of recipes!!
