It might be the genesis of a new era in animal rights: Wearing nothing but her long, flowing hair, Angela Simmons—devout Christian, founder of Pastry, and niece of longtime PETA supporter Russell Simmons—made the poignant revelation that eating meat is wholly unholy in a new ad for PETA. 

"I want to open people's eyes up. … If this is where I can find my niche to come and help, I want to help," she explained.   

Angela unveiled the ad to an enthusiastic crowd at Manhattan's Paramount Hotel last night, including her uncle Russell, whose vegan lifestyle inspired her own, Ami James, Simone Reyes, and other animal-loving VIPs, while enjoying music by Samantha Ronson (who wore a "no fur" button all night). 

Angela believes that God's creatures deserve love and compassion, not abuse on factory farms and painful slaughter. "I really want people to know what happens to animals … I think it's important we take action," she said.

You can follow Angela's advice and take action today by ordering a free vegetarian/vegan starter kit. And we promise it's not a sin to covet the delicious recipes you'll find on our Living page.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

It's a hazy day here on the Right Coast. As I watch leaves fall and steam rise from my soy mocha, the mood is set for a lazy (yet highly skilled) meander through gossip rags for fun stuff. Here are my faves:

• Warning! Seals can literally cute you to death.
• Kiddies catch E. coli from petting zoo. Animals unnaturally held captive. Why is this still appealing?
• "Clucking" mad at KFC? I bet that's why this chicken wanders through its drive-through.
• The real Scorpion King creatively atones for his sins. Love this!
• Sesame Street reps tofu! The revolution is here!
• Lacking imagination and compassion, yet another "Elmer Fudd" accidentally shoots himself.
• Hug a Vegetarian Day is right around the corner. Show some love, y'all!
• This is both creepy and thought-provoking.

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you next time, and don't forget to hug all your vegetarian friends.

Written by Missy Lane

Photo © Bryan and Carla Wilson
Adam and Eve speak out for chickens in their first-ever protest in behalf of animals.

You didn't think we meant the couple from the Garden of Eden, did you? Naw. Another young pair, who just happen to be named Adam and Eve, joined other caring individuals in Orlando to school residents about McCruelty McDonald's. The fast-food giant refuses to improve conditions for millions of chickens, many of whom suffer broken bones or die in vats of scalding-hot water—while they are still conscious—on their way to becoming McNuggets.

Photo © Bryan and Carla Wilson
One passerby had picked up a copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" earlier in the day. The double-whammy of print and protest made an impact—he mentioned his eagerness to explore vegetarianism.

Photo © Bryan and Carla Wilson
This band rocks, don't you think? Find out how you can get in on the action.

Written by Karin Bennett

Chick-fil-A founder and lifelong Southern Baptist S. Truett Cathy wrote the book Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People, but at the Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, PETA's "Jesus" and a "Chicken" were there to inspire people to eat no chicken—or any other animal.

PETA immersed convention attendees in our pro-vegetarian message, which is based on biblical teachings of love and compassion. "Jesus" carried a sign reading, "For Christ's Sake, Go Vegetarian," while the "chicken" reminded people that "Jesus loves me too." They also offered conventiongoers free copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" as well as leaflets relating vegetarian living to Christian teachings.

On a related note, our Sexiest Male Vegetarian of 2009, Monty, grew up eating meat in a Southern Baptist household—until he saw the light and announced to his family that he refused to eat abused animals.

I'm a believer—that many conference attendees will alter their diets to be more compassionate by going vegetarian.

Written by Karin Bennett

aact / CC

Thanks to global pandemonium revolving around swine flu, almost everything has ground to a halt in Mexico; schools in New York, California, and Texas have closed; Europeans are being urged to postpone travel to the U.S. and Mexico, and sore throat sufferers everywhere are dialing their doctors to ask, "Is it really just my allergies … or have I got swine flu?"

You know who's to blame? Yup, filthy factory farms. A headline in Vera Cruz's La Marcha points the finger at gi-normous pig-breeding farms operated by a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the world's largest hog producer. Local residents reportedly believe that feces from the pig farms has contaminated the water and the air, spreading the virus to people. Another article in the Huffington Post quotes La Jornada newspaper, which points the finger at a factory farm in La Gloria, saying, "Clouds of flies emanate from the lagoons where Granjas Carroll discharges the fecal waste from its hog barns …." Yup, knew all that.

Because human consumption of meat is the sole reason that these factory farms exist, PETA has fired off a letter to Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard urging him to encourage residents to go vegetarian, noting that such an action could help prevent future outbreaks. We're also shipping emergency Spanish-language copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" in case residents need helpful tips when making the shift.

If you live in the U.S., encourage members of Congress to stop the spread of these diseases by ending factory farming.

Written by Karin Bennett