Yeah, I know it’s the New York Post…and maybe this is their misguided attempt at “satire” (dog, I hope this is supposed to be satirical!)….but still. FELONIOUS BALL OF FUR DESERVED EVERY BLOW - WTF!?

THE stupid cat had it coming.

Forgive me, all you animal- rights nuts, you freaky lovers of things furry, fierce and woefully incontinent. I’ve got something to say to all assorted people who’ve got nothing better to do with their days than stick their noses in another man’s litter box.

The dead cat at the center of a whacked-out catricide trial now eating up precious court time and tax dollars in downtown Manhattan is no innocent wittle victim.

PHOTOS: Man On Trial For Cat Killing

Norman the Cat, who was pummeled to death last year at the age of 8 by an inarguably hot, allegedly drunk, former Met minor leaguer and bit-part actor named Joseph Petcka, had serious issues.

The first of which may have been his name.

Owner Lisa Altobelli testified yesterday that she named Norman after the zhlubby character Norm from “Cheers” - “my favorite show.” Norman Bates sounds more accurate.

No one likes to see a little frisky drowning in a pool of his own blood. Well, not many.

But Petcka had grown tragically fixated on the idea of getting along with the pet pussy that Altobelli called “my little buddy.” He wrote in his diary that he’d made “progress” getting the pea-brained flea bag to allow Petcka to pet him.

Early on March 27, 2007, Altobelli testified, Petcka had too much to drink. She said he chanted, in a weird, sing-songy voice, “Nor-man. Nor-man!”

So Altobelli did what anyone overly attached to a neurotic hairball would do when danger was afoot: She left Petcka alone in her apartment with her beloved cat.

Hours later, Altobelli returned. She found the puss under a table.

“He was cold,” she said, crying crocodile tears and hanging her head petulantly.

Petcka claims the thing sank his teeth into his hand. So he had to violently knock him away.

Innocent victim? Or kitty provocateur?

Why can’t we just ask Petcka to clean a few hundred litter boxes, and end this fiasco?

Petcka, if you couldn’t discern from the dreck above, is currently on trial for killing his girlfriend’s cat Norman - pummeling him to death with his fists. Petcka’s “defense” is that Norman attacked him, thus justifying the beating. Trouble is, Norman’s declawed. And, erm, even if he weren’t - there are other ways to deal with an angry cat. It’s a fucking cat, ferchrissakes, not a cougar.

Petcka is a liar, a psychopath, an animal- and (future) woman-abuser. He allegedly killed Norman in a jealous rage because Altobelli loved the cat more than him. A woman who cared for an innocent, fluffy, unconditionally loving sentient being more than her cold, unfeeling asswipe of a boyfriend - you don’t fucking say!

If you’d like to fire off a complaint to the New York Post, here’s there online form for submitting letters to the editor. Andrea Peyser - the sub-human who wrote this piece - can be reached at andrea.peyser@nypost.com.

Please keep the misogyny and death threats to a minimum, people; instead of calling her a bitch or cunt or suggesting that you send your own C-list actor over to her place so that she, too, can experience the joy of being beaten to a bloody pulp, why not remind her of the link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence?

Also, here are a few related petitions you can sign, if so inclined:

NY Post Columnist Says Beaten Cat Deserved to Die!

Celeb. Boyfriend Kills Girlfriends Cat in Jealous Rage

(Crossposted from.)

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts petitions the petition site new york post animal abuse animal cruelty cruelty to animals Joseph Petcka Norman cat feline pet companion animal New York NYC Lisa Altobelli interpersonal violence Andrea Peyser

UPDATE, 11/15/07:

Updated to include Daniel McGowan’s unit # on his mailing address:

Daniel McGowan
#63794-053, Unit I
FCI Sandstone
P.O. Box 1000
Sandstone, MN 55072

Thanks to Jenny for the correction!

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In honor of International Human Rights Day (December 10th), Amnesty International is holding a “Global Write-a-thon” through December 7-10, 2007.

The details:

On or around International Human Rights Day (December 10) activists from around the world write letters on behalf of individuals at risk of human rights abuses. The Global Write-a-thon was initiated by Amnesty International Poland in 2002 and was a huge success. It became a global, annual event that involves tens of thousands of participants from more than thirty countries. The goal is that this intense and concentrated pressure will elicit positive change in the lives of human rights defenders, prisoners of conscience, and other victims of human rights abuses.

Everyone can participate. It’s easy! Follow the 5 simple steps below:

1. Register for the write-a-thon as an individual or as a group. Watch as your pledges help light up the Amnesty candle.

2. Spread the word! Encourage your friends and family to get involved.

3. Check out the write-a-thon resources online starting the week of November 12th. You’ll find everything you need to participate on this site including case sheets, sample letters, a checklist for how to plan an event, and promotional materials. For hard copies, please email us at writeathon [at] aiusa.org

4. Write and mail lots of letters on Dec. 7-10.

5. Report back: Let us know how many letters were sent.

While Amnesty International focuses its efforts on prisoners of conscience who have been jailed for their human rights activities (for example, some of this year’s cases include “a prisoner of conscience from Myanmar, a disappeared student from Chechnya, and a survivor of rape from the Democratic Republic of Congo”), why not organize an event to generate letters of support for jailed animal rights and eco-activists instead of in addition to AI’s suggested targets? Better yet, register your event with Amnesty International and report your letters to the org - tell them that animal rights activists, tree huggers, and other “terra-ists” are important to you, too!

Interestingly, the same day that Amnesty International emailed their announcement of the Global Write-a-thon, Last Chance for Animals (LCA) sent out an action alert urging supporters to “Reach Out to an Animal Activist in Prison!” You can find that email - along with additional resources for AR prisoner support - after the flip.

(more…)

UPDATE, 6/27/07:

The results are in.

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Here’s an interesting poll from Corporate Accountability International:

Voice Your Choice in the Corporate Hall of Shame 2007!

Which of these corporations are the most abusive, manipulative and harmful? You decide.

Vote for the three nominees that deserve to be inducted this year—or use your votes to write in another corporate candidate. You can even post comments about why these corporations should be inducted. We’ll announce the three new inductees in June, so check back then, but vote now and spread the word to other voters.

The nominees include Coke, Exxon, Ford, Kimberly-Clark, Halliburton, Merck, Nestlé and Wal-Mart.

I voted for Exxon (their, erm, black enviro record) and Halliburton (hello, warmongers!), and wrote in Menu Foods Income Fund as my third choice. It’s doubtful that they’ll win - even if all 23 of my readers vote for ‘em! - but at the very least, it lets the folks at Corporate Accountability International know that animals abusers, like abusers of the environment and human rights, must be called out for their heinous actions. So write in your (least) favorite animal abuser and tell your fellow activists that members of all species should benefit from progressive values.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts Coca-Cola ExxonMobil Exxon Ford Halliburton Kimberly-Clark Merck Nestlé Wal-Mart Corporate Accountability International Corporate Hall of Shame

If so, CNN invites you to nominate him or her for their Hero Awards:

Do you know someone who should receive a CNN Hero Award? Click on the link below, tell us a bit about yourself and your Hero, pick a category, and tell us why your Hero should win. The most outstanding entries will be revealed at The CNN Hero Awards, a December broadcast hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

Among the listed categories is one that’s well-suited for readers of this blog: Defending the Planet. Hello, greenies! On the flip side, I’m not sure whether animal advocacy would mesh with this obviously environmental grouping…but there do seem to be some opportunities for slipping animal activists into some of the other categories. For example, crusaders against animal abuse would be perfect for “Fighting for Justice”, and younger activists of any stripe can be nominated as a “Young Wonder”. Plus, we all know what an animal lover the Silver Fox ™ is - let’s just hope he’ll be helping judge the entries. So get creative already!

And if you’re super-creative (and, um, geeky), here’s an extra credit assignment:

Tell us: What does it take to be a hero?

What are the qualities that make someone a hero? Send us a video telling us what you think. Start with the words: “A hero is…” The rest is up to you!

Right now I’m totally loving me some Sgt. Carri Lucas, Senator Sheila Kuehl, and activist pattrice jones. Problem is, I don’t actually know any of them personally. So if on the off-chance you do, do me a favor and give ‘em a shout out for me.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts cnn heroes contest anderson cooper the silver fox activism activist ireport CNN Hero Award advocacy advocate

Thus far, 2007 is shaping up to be a fairly melancholic year, at least virtually. First came the passing of Zeke, beloved blog dog of the liberal/progressive corner of the internets. Last week, I was saddened to discover that Heidi, my favorite - and perhaps the most-photographed - dachshund on Flickr had died suddenly in a freak accident. I don’t think I’ve shed so many tears for other people’s companions, ever. Perhaps it’s just because my first-born is starting to get on in age, and I’m dreading the day when…gah, enough.

Anna Nicole Smith’s death…well, normally I wouldn’t pay much mind to the demise of a B-list star. And yet, I find myself mourning her death, albeit in a low-level way. Smith was something of an advocate for animals; she posed in several PETA ads, including two protesting Iams and fur. (Interestingly, the ads featuring Smith were arguably - and ironically - the more tasteful of PETA’s largely exploitative campaigns.) As an animal rights activist, the loss of a fellow activist hits hard. Yet, even my pensive mood and our shared values don’t explain why I feel such sorrow over her death.

Though she’s been (and even in death, continues to be) derided as a dumb, no-talent bimbo by the media, Smith is more deserving of sympathy than spite. Salon explains it eloquently, so rather than offer a half-assed paraphrase, allow me to quote Cintra Wilson:

Vickie Lynn Hogan of Mexia, Texas — the woman Spy magazine once called a “super-duper-model” — was ripe for the taking: She had always been compared to Marilyn Monroe, and she nursed these comparisons, right down to her own sense of victimization by a society that she perceived as having no respect for her, and to her self-fulfilling prophecy that she would die young and tragically.

Naturally, the death of her 20-year-old son didn’t help, and neither did the methadone. It was clear she lacked coping skills. Following the death of Daniel Smith, three days after Anna Nicole gave birth to a baby girl, the tabloids reported that the distraught new mother was so sedated that she needed to be reinformed of his death, again and again, every time she woke up … an excruciating ring of hell.

Even in such times of private agony, prurient interest now follows its victims everywhere. Wherever there’s a cellphone and an Internet connection, the camera can steal a soul. […]

What needs saying — what it seems nobody has yet said — is that when she was able to suppress her demons enough to pull herself together and look her best, she was fabulously gorgeous. Numerous red-carpet moments, the footage of which we now run over and over again like a televised rosary in order to understand her death, reveal this. Anna Nicole was a star because she possessed an unusually large amount of beauty. At her best, she didn’t evoke Marilyn Monroe so much as Anita Ekberg in “La Dolce Vita” — the strapless black dress, mounds of white flesh, piles of blond hair. She was indelicate, but an unstable element nonetheless — not so much a candle in the wind as a bonfire in a hailstorm. But the real similarity between Anna Nicole and Marilyn was their shimmering tension — an unsettlingly powerful physical beauty, collapsing irresistibly in real time beneath the frailties of its hostess. She was entropy porn at its finest.

Our fascinated gaze was her real addiction — and the humiliating media tractor pull between our disgust and our attraction for her was, in all likelihood, both her lover and her murderer. Fame, the only chemotherapy available for the desperate toxicity of narcissism, proves once again that it is deadly enough in its own right to be avoided.

Like all women, Smith tried her damnedest to adhere to society’s mandate that women be teh sexxy, that they be ready and willing to bend to the patriarchy at will. And then she was scorned and derided - abused - for doing so. Just as women like Hillary Clinton are criticized for being too smart, too successful, too manly, Anna Nicole Smith was castigated for her uber-submissiveness, her unabashed sexuality, her exaggerated femininity.

As Twisty opined:

If any doubts linger as to the sinister essence of the feminine directive marketed by the beauty industry, I urge you to consider the painful case of poor Anna Nicole Smith, dead of femininity at age 39.* Blonde bombshells are disturbingly disposable.

* The system that rewards a woman’s acquiescence to pornulation with fawning attention, cash, glamor, and fame can be fickle. Here is what one enlightened genius commenting on Smith’s Miami-Herald obit had to say about yet another icon destroyed by the pornsick culture he jacks off to on his computer every night: “Anna Nicole Smith — Stupid Life, Lived Stupidly, By a Stupid Person. A disaster from beginning to end.”

Too sexy or not sexy enough. Women just can’t win.

The media blitz is sickening, really; not just on accounta it mostly hates on the deceased, but because there are much more important stories out there. Those covering mocking Smith’s life and death reek of hypocrisy: they drone on about how inconsequential Smith’s life was, all the while trivializing the important events that they’re not affording adequate coverage, such as the War on Terra, the crises in Darfur and the Congo, heck, climate change, even. But 300000+ dead Iraqis does not a pornalicious scandal make, I ’spose. Add to that the fact that those who made Smith famous are now decrying her undeserved fame, and you’ve got a pack of patriarchal media pricks.

So let’s help the press out, shall we? Take a moment to write CNN, the NY Times, your local paper, whathaveyou, and tell them how you think Anna Nicole Smith should be remembered. Not as a drugged-out bimbo, or every misogynist’s jagoff material.

Remind them that she was more than her celebrity.

Unlike more educated, esteemed, “respectable” individuals, Anna Nicole Smith worked to improve the plight of the single most disadvantaged group in our country, indeed, the world: animals. She spoke out against Iams’ torturous treatment of dogs and cats and campaigned against seal slaughter. She was more than boobs, booze, and blonde curls - she also had a big heart, in a world sorely lacking big hearts.

And that’s the Anna Nicole Smith that I’ll remember.

After the jump - a selection of Anna’s PSAs.

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People for the American Way, a progressive human rights organization that primarily works to protect and promote religious freedom, civic participation, civil rights, and constitutional liberties, has a new survey available online. Even if you’re not a member/supporter of PFAW, please take a moment to fill it out.

Specifically, question #7 asks “With regard to civil liberties and oversight, on what should PFAW work hardest?”. The options include “Restoring habeas corpus; Ending the warrantless surveillance of Americans; Protecting free speech; Restoring due process; and Restoring checks and balances/oversight of the executive branch.” Afterwards, participants are urged to share additional comments.

This is an excellent opportunity to encourage another civil liberties group to take a stand against AETA, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. According to the Equal Justice Alliance, PFAW has not yet joined the list of groups opposed to AETA. Let PFAW know that the rights of animal rights and eco-activists must be protected too!

Additional information and talking points available in past easyVegan.info posts.

Spread the word!

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalist environmentalism action alerts pfaw people for the american way activism free speech first amendment censorship aeta Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act civil liberties protest survey war on terror war on terra terrorism eco-terrorist animal rights terrorist

The ACLU’s got a new petition to Congress up; here’s the full-text:

It’s the beginning of a new year, the beginning of a new Congress and time for us to look ahead at where we want our country to be a year from now.

In the coming year, I will ask you to take a number of steps to enhance freedom and fairness for everyone in America. This year, my New Year’s resolutions include working with you to help:

1. Restore habeas corpus and due process
2. End torture in secret prisons
3. Stop warrantless eavesdropping on innocent Americans
4. Fix the Patriot Act and bring it in line with the Constitution

I hope you’ll make these resolutions a priority for 2007. By doing so, you and the Congress can reassert your Constitutional role as a check on the executive branch and ensure oversight of the president and the administration.

They also invite signers to “Tell us, and Congress, your own resolutions for moving freedom forward in 2007. What matters most to you?”

Please take a moment to sign it - because it’s the fun thing to do - and then, in the comments section, leave a polite rant about the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). Ask Congress to repeal it post-haste, and chastise the ACLU for their failure to oppose it.

New to easyVegan.info? Find out more about AETA here.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights animal+welfare action+alerts aclu american+civil+liberties+union aeta Animal+Enterprise+Terrorism+Act terrorism animal+terrorism activism civil+liberties free+speech censorship congress

Via Dogs Deserve Better, I got wind of the Volvo for Life Awards.

Here’s Volvo’s explanation of the program:

Who would you give a Volvo to? Visit our Web site to read the amazing stories of more than 250 real life heroes – and then vote for your favorites. You hero could receive up to $50,000 in funding, a trip to our NYC awards gala – or even a Volvo for life!

In order to cast your vote, go to www.volvoforlifeawards.com and click on “Vote”. This will open an interactive map; apparently, the first round of voting is by state, with several nominees per state. In order to choose a state and see that state’s nominees, click on the small red and blue “push pins”. You’ll see a pop-up menu of the state’s candidates; click on any candidate’s name to go to the ballot. Here, you can cast your vote directly (by clicking on the box next to your choice’s name and clicking “submit”) or view each nominee’s bio.

Though I haven’t yet had a chance to vote in every state, South Carolina’s Cheri Thompson is a sure pick.

From her bio:

Cheri Thompson has given of her time, energy, money and heart to create and implement the mission of The Healing Species throughout South Carolina. The Healing Species is a violence prevention and compassion outreach program that uses animals to teach children the value of life, empathy, compassion, conflict resolution and critical thinking. […]

To learn more about Cheri and her cause, and how you can make a difference, please visit: www.healingspecies.com.

List your favorites in the comments, especially if you come across another animal-friendly (and/or green) candidate!

UPDATE: I’ve started browsing through the other states, and here are some additional heroes worth your consideration:

* Ritu Primlani and Jane Williams, both of California

* Jennifer Heath of Colorado

* Jami Harper and Bill Whitney, both of Nebraska

* Kristal DeRuise and Stephanie Pierce, both of Nevada

* Robin Pressnall of Oklahoma

* Chant Thomas of Oregon

* Jill Morrison of Wyoming

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist animals animal+rights animal+welfare volvo volvo+for+life award vote ballot contest hero

MoveOn.org is currently circulating a petition asking the Democrats of the 110th Congress to fulfill their campaign promises and pass the so-called 100 Hours Agenda.

According to Move On,

Speaker Pelosi and the new Democratic leadership are launching a bold “100 Hours Agenda” that would take real steps towards kicking the oil addiction, fighting poverty, improving public health and cleaning up government. Click here for more details.

But big oil, drug companies, and other right wing special interests are spending millions of dollars to shoot it down. We must speak up now.

The total signature count and some of the comments from this petition will be read aloud on the floor of Congress– the more signers, the bigger the impact. Please add your name to following statement.

Though animal rights/welfare issues are not (to the best of my knowledge) included in the 100 Hours Agenda, the Dem’s proposed changes do include some environmentally friendly policies, such as reducing/ending subsidies for Big Oil, as well as investing in alternative energy. Even so, the petition allows for comments. So take a moment to add your Jane Hancock, and urge Congress to act on animal-friendly issues during their first 100 hours as well. My suggestions included passing the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503 / S.1915) and Animal Fighting Prohibition Act, and of course repealing the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA).

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Tagged: animals animal+rights action+alerts move+on 110th+congress speaker+pelosi petition

I just completed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) “100 Hours Legislative Survey.” Though only one question deals with environmental issues - and NO questions address animal advocacy concerns - there is a box where participants are invited to share the “other issues [you would like] like the 110th Congress to take up in the first 100 Hours?” Please take a moment to complete the survey and ask the 110th Congress to repeal the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) immediately.

Other suggestions you can include are for Congress to act on the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act and the Animal Fighting Prohibition Act.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights action+alerts free+speech first+amendment censorship aeta Animal+Enterprise+Terrorism+Act terrorism animal+terrorism eco-terrorism activism advocacy horses horse+slaughter dogs canines dogfighting cockfighting American+Horse+Slaughter+Prevention+Act Animal+Fighting+Prohibition+Act 110th+congress