Michelle Obama Fur Free

According to her press secretary, she does not wear fur.

...America's first lady, the fabulously fashionable Michelle Obama, has also declared via her press secretary that she, too, is fur-free. Here's the official statement: "Mrs. Obama does not wear fur."

European Money Goes to Alternative Testing Research

Why is it so damn difficult to get the same kind of interest from the US government? I have yet to read anything official in which there is even an interest of getting away from these barbaric practices. We're not even talking drugs or medical treatment here, we're talking stupid cosmetics.

It's disheartening.

From the University World News...

A substantial fund of EUR50 million (US$74 million) is being offered to European research teams to develop alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics and related industries.

The joint partnership between the European Commission and the European Cosmetics Association (Colipa) is calling on scientists to develop proposals for studies into new non-animal testing methods before a February 2010 deadline.

British Man Arrested in Illegal Tortoise Trade

Another catch by the UK's National Wildlife Crime unit.

Darwin Award Nominee Falls Short

Yet another story of someone who decided to climb into a bear exhibit at the zoo. He was not injured.

Animal Activists Continue Attacks on Max Mara

A bomb threat was called into a Max Mara in Madrid. This comes weeks after an explosion in Mexico at a Max Mara shop there. Max Mara sells furs. From Biteback:

"On Wednesday Max Mara Madrid received an anonymous call that claimed that an explosive device had been placed in the shop.

The warning was false, but an action as simple and with so few risks can disrupt the normal operation of a business, causing them to lose money and creating a climate of suspicion.

We explore and experiment with techniques for fighting using what is within our reach.
For the animals."

Rescue Ink Gets Its Own TV Show

I first read about Rescue Ink in Best Friends Magazine. They are a group of big tattoed guys that go around rescuing animals. Now they have their own show on National Geographic Channel. NGC must be having success with Dogtown in order to bring on another rescue show.

I just love the picture of these guys.

1045 Animals Seized in Houston

The SPCA took 1045 animals out of a home in Texas that were living in horrible conditions.

When SPCA investigators received an anonymous tip Wednesday afternoon about animals in need of medical care at a home in northwest Houston, they had no idea it would turn into one of the largest U.S. animal seizures in memory.

"At that time, we didn't know how many animals were on the property," said Charles Jantzen, chief investigator for the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

They are apparently still trying to figure out whether to charge these people.

I Wonder If Someone Threw Glenn Beck in a Big Pot of Boiling Water If He Could Jump Out

Glenn Beck boils a frog to try to prove an analogy. It doesn't quite work out as planned.

This is what happens when a major network gives a goober who spent most of his career making fart noises on radio morning his own show. And don't forget it was CNN who gave him his big break in TV.

Quote of the Week

If a rabbit defined intelligence the way man does, then the most intelligent animal would be a rabbit, followed by the animal most willing to obey the commands of a rabbit.

~Robert Brault

ALDF Provides Grant to Fund Investigation of Animal Abuse

The Animal Legal Defense Fund provided $3500.00 to investigate the abuse of over 100 dogs by an animal hoarder in Michigan. From the ALDF site:

Dearborn, Mich.– Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced today that Dearborn dog hoarder Kenneth Lang Jr is being charged with two counts of cruelty to 10 or more animals, after more than 100 live and approximately 150 dead Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes were removed from the filthy home this past July. The national non-profit Animal Legal Defense Fund provided a grant of $3500 to allow the Dearborn Police Department to conduct necropsies on 10 of the Chihuahuas whose bodies were removed from freezers on 56-year-old Lang’s property. ALDF offers grants for necropsies, DNA testing, and other forensic support nationwide to ensure that local law enforcement is able to collect the necessary evidence to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in cases of criminal animal abuse.

You can read more about it by clicking on the link.

Japan's New Government Supports Whaling

Japan's new center left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama continues to support Japan's whaling operations.

Japan's new government urged Australia on Tuesday to help prevent violent attacks by activists on Japanese whalers as it stood by the country's traditional support for whaling, an official said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada met his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith on the sidelines of this year's UN General Assembly.

Why Top Chef Makes Me So Mad

I'm just watching the fourth or fifth episode of the latest season of Top Chef. It just irritates the hell out of me.

First of all, it highlights the deficiencies of today's chefs' training. Throughout the entire show, the judges and contestants always refer to their meats as the "protein." It's as though there is no other protein around. That's not true. Vegetarians and vegans know that you get protein from vegetables. Protein is not dependent on meat at all. That is total misinformation. Is that all these people can cook?

I've seen two chefs wear stupid meat-inspired shirts. Last season, one idiot (who actually won the season) wore a stupid shirt saying "Bacon is a vegetable." Another one from this season was wearing a diagram of a cow with all its "cuts" outlined.

Today's vile episode is one featuring French cooking. I have yet to see an episode featuring vegetarian cooking. Vegetarians are far more predominant than people who go to snooty French restaurants. And frankly, I'm not sure these chefs have the training to do anything that doesn't involve a baby animal.

Today, I've seen an elimination challenge involving snails and foie gras. The main challenge involves frog legs, rabbits, live lobsters (still moving) and other animals.

What the eff? I am so unimpressed by this pathetic bunch. And this frigging show. Add cooking schools to the list of animal exploitation promoters, along with medical schools.

UPDATE

On Top Chef Masters Season 1, a show in which famous chefs compete against each other for charity, there was a vegan episode.

South African Caught Smuggling Live Crocodiles

He was caught at an airport with about 70 live animals, including at least three different endangered species and eight inch-long Caiman crocodiles.

The article says most are okay, but in varying stages of health. I don't know how these poor animals survive stuffed in luggage. Very cruel.

India Reaches Out to Neighbors to Save Tigers

They have been pretty frustrated with China, who really doesn't give a rip about tigers...unless they can raise them on farms for "medicinal" harvest and other capitalist pursuits. Anyway, India is appealing to its other neighbors which would include Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Russians Introducing Leopards Back to Caucusus

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was on hand when two leopards were released into the Caucasus. While I think the gesture is nice, it appears to be more of a publicity stunt to head off environmental criticism of the 2014 Olympic Games construction.

"We are standing here and admiring your animals. Glorious animals, very beautiful," Putin, surrounded by International Olympic Committee members, told Berdymukhamedov by telephone as he stood by the cage in the Sochi national park.

Russia won the right to host 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and major construction works are about to begin.

Critics say huge construction projects may harm the environment. They question the need for spending billions of dollars on the games during a financial crisis and say they do not believe all the infrastructure would be ready by 2014.

Putin has at least shown some interest in saving the Siberian tiger, so let's hope this is more then just a gimmick.