On Wednesday’s The Colbert Report (1/7/09), Stephen discusses not one, not two, but three animal-related stories!

First up: Barack Obama’s possible appointment of CNN’s Sanjay Gupta to the post of Surgeon General. Stephen includes a clip from CNN’s Planet in Peril: Battle Lines special in which Gupta attempts to purchase illegal tiger penis:
 

 
In case the video doesn’t embed/play properly (I couldn’t resist tinkering around with Comedy Central’s unwieldy block of code), the segment title (with link) is “Dr. Gupta’s Penis Pyramid”.

Then, in his Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger segment, he mentions

1) The EPA’s (supposed) proposed tax on cows (and pigs), in order to combat climate change and

2) Recent “scientific” “research” in which liquid cocaine was placed on the backs of honey bees in order to assess their reactions.
 

 
Because fucking with bee populations is exactly what we should be doing right about now. Not.

——————

Tagged: the colbert report stephen colbert videos video blogging planet in peril penis in peril sanjay gupta barack obama epa cows methane climate change bees cocaine tigers conservation cnn penis tiger penis environment meat factory farming

Action Alerts

American Rivers: RiverAlert: Help Us Designate 82 New Wild and Scenic Rivers
“On Sunday, the U.S. Senate will vote on a package of bills that includes Wild and Scenic designations for 82 rivers. This is a rare opportunity to protect so many rivers at one time — this has only happened once before in the history of Congress. We need your help to get this legislation passed — please ask your Senators to vote in favor of this historic bill.”

Kelly’s note: If you choose to use the sample letter provided by American Rivers, please edit out the following phrase in paragraph #2: “fantastic hunting, fishing…”

Campaign for America’s Wilderness: Urge Support for Omnibus Lands Package in the Senate
“Wilderness was one of the first orders of business when the new Congress convened this week, with New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman introducing a new version of the omnibus lands package that ran out of time in the final days of the 110th Congress. This legislation is ripe for early passage, but it must overcome procedural obstacles first. Urge your senators to vote for cloture (i.e. avoid a filibuster) and passage of the bill to make it one of the first to reach the new president’s desk!”

Defenders of Wildlife: January 19th Day of Service to Fight Global Warming and Save Wildlife
“Global warming is already impacting all of us: threatening the air we breathe, the water we drink, the foods we eat, even the medicines we use. Global warming is also threatening polar bears and other wildlife with extinction. [...] Urge President-Elect Obama and the Congress to pass legislation to address global warming and help polar bears, wolverines, bighorn sheep and other animals survive and thrive in a changing climate.”

PETA India: Ask MCI to Stop Animal Experiments
“PETA India is already campaigning hard for MCI to stop forcing medical colleges to use animals in experiments. Please support our campaign by writing to MCI and the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) to urge them to amend their regulations and stop forcing medical colleges to use animals in experiments.”

Save Our Wild Salmon: President-Elect Obama: Give us a Working Snake River for Salmon and Communities in 2009!
“Tell President-Elect Obama to solve the Columbia-Snake salmon crisis and give us a working Snake River! With the right leadership and policies, we can craft science-based and economical solutions to help save the national treasure of wild salmon for future generations.”

Kelly’s note: If you choose to send the sample letter provided by SOS, you’ll need to do some heavy editing, as it repeatedly entreats Obama to save the salmon because they are a source of jobs and food. In particular, you’ll want to delete the sections “Invest in the salmon economy.” and “Create new jobs and economic opportunities.” in their entirety.

(more…)

Blub alert! Grab a box of Kleenex and the nearest doggy (or kitty) before watching this video about Baby, an ex-puppy mill poodle who lost a leg due to the abuse she received during her nine years as a “breeder.”

Her human, Jana Kohl – who authored a book about Baby’s ordeal called A Rare Breed of Love – writes:

Like all the breeding dogs, Baby was tattooed with a number and had her vocal cords cut so the owners wouldn’t have to listen to her cries to be let out of her cage. Her leg was amputated after her rescue due to the abuse she suffered. On the day Baby was scheduled to be killed – because she had gotten too old to breed – she was rescued by a passing stranger who was dubbed the “Drive-by Angel.” Eventually Baby found a forever home with author Jana Kohl, who was inspired to tell the world about her ordeal and hopefully reform this cruel industry.

Baby famously posed with President-elect Barack Obama; the duo is currently featured on the cover of American Dog magazine.

Let’s hope that the Obama family thinks of poor Baby – victimized and exploited, caged and enslaved, her babies and life stolen from her in the name of corporate profits and human wants – when they consider whether they should adopt and/or buy a dog for daughters Sasha and Malia.

—————-

Tagged: cnn video baby poodle dog canine barack obama puppy mills Jeanne Moos Jana Kohl a rare breed of love three legged dog

Action Alerts

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Gates Plan to Close Down Guantánamo an Important First Step
“Last month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that he had ordered aides to draw up plans for closing down the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, an important first step toward turning the page on eight years of shameful policies that allowed torture and violations of domestic and international law. Take Action: Sign the open letter to President-elect Obama to demonstrate your support for him to close Guantánamo.”

Environmental Defense Fund: Take Action: Support a Smart Stimulus Bill
“We need to create jobs now by building the smarter, more efficient transportation and infrastructure system America will need in the 21st century, not throw money at “bridges to nowhere” projects that will set back our efforts to create long-term, environmentally sustainable growth.”

Farm Sanctuary: End Cruel Confinement Nationwide
“California voters approved Prop 2 on Election Day 2008, banning battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates in their state. Please take action now to ask your state legislators to ban these cruel farm animal confinement systems in your home state.”

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Vote Now In LA Times Poll For Elephant Billy
“The L.A. Times wants to know whether the elephant Billy should remain at the L.A. Zoo, or go to a sanctuary. We want Billy to go to a sanctuary, and would appreciate if you could take a few seconds to visit this website and vote. Scroll to the bottom of the story. Where you see this question: Do you agree with Jack Hanna that Billy the elephant should remain at the L.A. Zoo? Please vote No.”

Internet for Everyone: Take Action: Sign the New Year’s Resolution
“America has fallen to 15th in the world in Internet adoption. Millions of people trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide are being deprived of a better education, good jobs and full participation in our democracy. Sign this resolution and we will send it to President Obama beginning Jan. 21. Let’s make 2009 the year America commits to connecting everyone to a fast, open and affordable Internet!”

(more…)

No, it’s not spring yet, but I’ve been busy with a ton of “virtual” housekeeping chores on the site:

* I spent a good deal of last weekend updating the Get Active! page, which had previously gone neglected since April. The list of activist resources has easily quadrupled in size. Because the list is so huge, I also subdivided the “human rights” category, adding sections for civil rights, elections & voting reform, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and click-through sites. This is in addition to the animal advocacy, environmental issues and general activist resources categories. No, women’s rights are not animal rights, but I’m a big believer in the intersecting nature of oppressions – and, while this is primarily an animal rights blog, I do encourage readers to speak out against oppression in all its forms.

Whereas the links previously took you straight to the “action center” section on each organization’s website, I parsed them out a bit in order to make browsing easier. Instead of just linking to PETA’s action center, for example, now I link to their main page (should the webmaster should change the URL of any given page, you can at least find your way home), as well as their action center and e-mail subscription management page.

So please, check out the list of resources, and feel free to suggest any links I may have missed!

* Regular readers will notice that I’ve shifted my focus a bit. Whereas I first started easyVegan.info as a place to crosspost action alerts, I’ve been posting more original material as of late, especially pertaining to the marketing (commercial, advertisements, etc.), as well as the intersecting nature of oppressions. I still include links to actions alerts, newsletters and such as part of my near-daily “easyVegan Link Sanctuary,” but I rarely post individual alerts in their entirety. This is a much faster way of working through my email, and frees up some time for me to blog about other things. Which I very much enjoy, I might add.

I’m curious what y’all’s thoughts on this are? How many of you read the link roundups and use them as a jumping off point for taking action? Is a useful tool, or a waste of time that might be better spent? If I offered the “link sanctuaries” via email (in addition to posting them here), would anyone be interested in subscribing? Which do you prefer, action-oriented posts or cultural analysis? Thoughts, comments, points of discussion?

(more…)

As a follow-up to Sunday’s disturbing series of ads for Hobie Kayaks (Truth in Advertising: Fishermen are stone-cold killers.), today I have an ad campaign for the Little Boys line of “gourmet” “sausage.” Apparently, this New Zealand-based company thinks that little boys are natural born killers.

Here we have two mischievous little rubes, about to decapitate a helpless chicken:

Or, in the words of The Inspiration Room, “One boy with a chicken and herbs, the other with a small axe. What possibly could they be up to next?” Such inappropriately cutesy language to describe animal abuse, dontchathink?

(more…)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Jan 7, 2009 4:21 PM
Subject: ACT by 1/12: Misery For Profit At Michigan Pound

KINSHIP CIRCLE DISASTER AID NETWORK / PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

Fill out a VOLUNTEER FORM online, so you’re officially registered in Kinship Circle’s Animal Disaster Aid volunteer network:

www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/volunteer/default.html

*******************

COMPANION ANIMAL CAMPAIGNS
1/7/09: Misery For Profit At Michigan Pound
This issue comes up for a vote at the commissioners meeting, 1/12/09

FOR A FORMATTED LETTER (WORD DOC), EMAIL: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Easily modify letter. Copy/paste it into an email or print letter to fax or mail.

Michigan Deals with the Devil, www.poocini.com/report/archives/964

(more…)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Jan 6, 2009 9:54 PM
Subject: ACT/ Broken Promises: Armani Returns To Fur

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY / Permission To Crosspost As Written

1/6/09: Broken Promises – Armani Returns To Fur
FOR A FORMATTED LETTER (WORD DOC), EMAIL: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Easily modify letter. Copy/paste it into an email or print letter to fax or mail.

LEFT: Rabbit at factory fur farm

www.furfreeshopping.com/press.php?p=1203&more=1

RIGHT: Mink in the wild, Rick Lechevia, flickr.com.jpg

(more…)

Update, 1/19/09: VERDICT: Brindi lives and comes home soon!

Please note: You can also view the original Kinship Circle alert on easyVegan.info, here.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Jan 6, 2009 1:20 PM
Subject: Update/ Brindi’s Fate In Judge’s Hands

KINSHIP CIRCLE – PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST
1/6/09: UPDATE: Brindi’s Fate Awaits Judge’s Decision

Many Kinship Circle Primary and KC Animal Disaster Aid subscribers participated in our recent campaign to save Brindi — the five-year-old shepherd-lab mix on “death row” for the last six months in Halifax, Nova Scotia. On January 5, 2008 Brindi’s person, Francesca Rogier, appeared in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia to plead for Brindi’s life…

BRINDI SITS IN PURGATORY AFTER GUARDIAN PLEADS TO SPARE HER LIFE

1/6/09, SOURCE:
Jim Willis, tiergartenjim [at] yahoo.com
A Cause for Paws – Toronto, c4p [at] mediaintelligence.ca
Carol Waterman, cbwaterman [at] videotron.ca

Halifax, Nova Scotia/Jan. 6, 2009:

Francesca Rogier pleaded in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia yesterday that her beloved dog “Brindi” be spared from a death sentence. Brindi, originally rescued from an animal hoarder and then adopted by Rogier, has sat in a Halifax shelter since last summer, after she was seized by local animal control. Rogier has been denied the appeal process on the decision to kill Brindi and forbidden from visiting her dog in a shelter that has sometimes gone without heat during bitter cold. After hearing all testimony, Justice Duncan R. Beveridge is deliberating over Brindi’s fate with no word yet on when that decision will come. Meanwhile, Brindi sits alone in the shelter,
waiting to be reunited with Rogier. Or not.

(more…)

Action Alerts

1Sky: Prevent the next Tennessee Coal Sludge Disaster
“The Tennessee Coal Sludge Spill was not a natural disaster. This was a man-made disaster, directly tied to our reliance on fossil fuels. The disaster is 48 times larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill. [...] In the face of this tragedy, the coal industry still wants to build more pollution-belching coal plants, and we cannot let that happen. Tell Congress to support a federal moratorium on new coal-fired power plants that emit global warming pollution!”

Corporate Accountability International: Tell your Governor to Think Outside the Bottle!
“State governments are spending millions of taxpayer dollars each year to buy bottled water. Be it water coolers by the copier, or plastic bottles at state events, our elected leaders are choosing the bottle over the tap. Over the past six months, more than 1,000 mayors have resolved to end city spending on bottled water. Now it is time for our governors to do the same. Lend your name to the letter today and circulate it to your networks!”

DawnWatch: Us Weekly’s terrific anti-fur Olsen page — January 12, 2009 edition
“There is a lot of great animal media this week! How fun to let you know about a truly fabulous photo spread in Us Weekly magazine. The celebrity culture magazine, with a circulation of close to two million, made a wonderful statement on the Hot Pics page, page 24, of the January 12 issue. The pages has four pictures, or “Hot Pics,” all of Mary-Kate Olsen decked out in fur. But wait for it: the headline is ‘How Many Animals Have Died for MK?’”

Defenders of Wildlife: Take Action for Green Jobs and Wildlife
“America could put nearly 60,000 people to work within 90-180 days by funding important conservation projects on public lands — projects like restoring wetlands, reconnecting habitat across highways, removing invasive species, rehabilitating native forests and prairies, and making facilities and buildings on public lands more energy efficient. Projects like these projects would have tangible benefits for imperiled wildlife, could keep local construction, electrical, landscape and other companies working throughout 2009 and would provide the next generation of workers with the skills they need to lead a green revolution in our economy.”

National Wildlife Federation (NWF): Urge Our New Leaders to Repower America with a Green Stimulus Package
“The economic recovery legislation that’s topping the agenda of the new Congress and administration’s first days in office provides a decisive opportunity to set a bold new direction for our country’s economic, energy and environmental future. Please send a message, urging our new leaders to make smart investments today that will protect and restore our valuable natural resources and set us on the path to a clean energy economy!”

(more…)