Few things in life go together as perfectly as peanut butter and jelly or pigs and mud, but music and animal rights is definitely one of those perfect pairs.

It's been a sad few years since a little band by the name of Weezer—you may have heard of them—have had any new tunes. Well, the boys with those oh-so-catchy-lyrics are back with a brilliant self-titled album (a.k.a. The Red Album), which was just released on June 3. And here's the really terrific part: The bonus track, "Pig," contains a great animal rights message. Here's an excerpt:

Now promise me you'll go out and buy a copy of The Red Album in support of Weezer's animal-friendly lyrics (and their two vegetarian band mates). Thanks, Weezer, for taking on the plight of animals through your songs.

—JenPosted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Well, if you missed 30 Days on FX last night, don't say we didn't remind you. Fortunately for everyone, George Snedeker—the hunter (and incredibly good sport) who agreed to spend a month with a family of animal rights activists, including PETA's very own Melissa Karpel—has taken some time to answer a few questions about his experience. To watch this episode in its entirety, please click here. Check our the interview below ...

1. When you were first selected to participate in this show, what did you expect the experience to be like? I was pretty scared. I expected to be surrounded by people that just wanted to argue for a whole month. I'm not afraid of an argument, but I thought the numbers were stacked against me. All I was told was that I would be totally immersed in the animal rights movement. As far as the people I would meet, I expected a lot of angry people that yelled a lot. I figured girls and guys alike would be hairy-legged sandal-wearing hippies. For the most part, I was mistaken.

2. How did your opinion of animal rights activists change after your 30 days with the Karpels?I realized almost immediately that animal rights activists, PETA members specifically, were very normal folks. That being said, there are some out there—just as with the factory farms—that give everyone involved a bad name. I learned about several examples of the abuse, neglect, and suffering that occur in factory farming. It's not a pretty industry, and if people were able to experience what I did, you might see a major change.

3. What were your best, and worst, experiences during the 30 days? Living with Melissa and her family as a vegan for the month was by far the most fun. It just took a few days for us to find common ground, and then we worked from that point in a nonjudgmental way. The Karpels are a wonderful family that I was proud to be a part of throughout my adventure. I have made great friends with them, and I miss them. I am a lucky man. It's not hard to find the worst experiences—there were two. First was the initial time I spent at Animal Acres, and second was the time I spent at the UCLA protest. Without getting into specifics, I can just say that being the loudest is not always the best way to be heard. These people were deliberately offensive and were the most close-minded individuals I have ever met. On several occasions, I was verbally abused. I traveled 3,500 miles with an open mind to learn, not to be judged.

4. Are there any animal rights issues that are particularly important to you now that you hadn't thought about before staying with Melissa and her family?I am aware that there need to be changes in factory farming, but aside from veganism, I haven't heard about a practical alternative. I personally prefer to buy my meat and produce from grocers that support the smaller local farms. The Burberry demonstration was hard-hitting, but we don't have very many fur coats in North Carolina. The one subject that I find the most offensive is vivisection. I can't give away anything about the show, but I had no idea how unnecessary it was. Tissue samples are infinitely more effective. For the sake of money, it seems people are abusing animals just because they can. They should be ashamed of themselves and pray that they never have to answer for their actions.

5. What are your views on the tactics that PETA uses to draw attention to the suffering of animals? One area where I think PETA could use some P.R. work is separating themselves from some of the other animal rights groups out there. The term most people relate to animal rights is PETA. Anything that happens for the sake of animals, regardless of how offensive it is, gets hung on the neck of PETA. Consequently, most people think PETA people are nuts. I believe PETA does it the right way: education. ... They keep it fun and provide people with information.

6. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?I can't imagine changing a thing. Our director, Jay Blumke, and producer, Matt Hobin, did their homework. It would take years for anyone else to get the entire experience that I had. I had total access. It is amazing what can happen if you walk into something with an open mind, even if it is against everything you know already. You might think you are 100 percent right on a particular subject. Here's a news flash: You don't know everything. Just watch, listen, and learn. I still can't get a hold of "bugs." Is it against the PETA tenet not to like them? I have about 1,000 red bugs (chiggers) that hate me. They're trying to eat my legs clean off. Is it OK to hate them back?

* * *

And here are some photos of George and Melissa delivering doghouses that didn't make the final cut of the episode:

Before the doghouse delivery


George and Melissa after the doghouse had been delivered

—ChristinePosted by Christine Dore

Without letting even the tiniest opportunity to help nonhuman animals swim by, my inventive comrades have devised a delightful new stratagem to help free some of our sea-dwelling sisters and brothers.

The Pitch: To open the world's fist-ever Lobster Empathy Center in the lobster-execution capital of the world (Creative, yes?) The Setting: A prison (Bloody genius!)

mikefeeney / CC

In the state that boasts the world's "best" (read "most evil") entrées of lobsters boiled alive—or still struggling on a plate, only to be eaten alive—the lovely town of Skowhegan, Maine, has unassumingly put their jailhouse up for sale. Muwahahahahahahaha! So with foresight in our eyes and love for crawly crustaceans in our hearts, we placed our bid to lease the space with a theme so poetically apropos: "A prison is the perfect setting to demonstrate how lobsters suffer when they are caught in traps or confined to cramped, filthy supermarket tanks," our offer letter explains.

The proposed attraction would include wrapping visitors' hands in giant rubber bands for the duration of their stay, serving faux-lobster treats, and giving kiddies free stuffed toy lobsters labeled "Lobsters Are Friends, Not Food."

Can't wait to go, right? I know, me neither! Sadly, our dreams will have to be put on hold for a bit, as the prison was just sold to the highest bidder. But do keep us in mind if you hear of any sweet oceanfront prison property up for grabs!

Now if all this talk has given you a hankering for some vegan lobster tail, here's a recipe to satisfy your urgings.

—MissyPosted by Missy Lane

Killer birds from PetSmart. It sounds like a reimagined version of Hitchcock's The Birds or maybe Troma's follow-up film to Poultrygeist, but it's a true, tragic story. A bird-loving family from Corpus Christi, Texas, reportedly lost their beloved father—and the daughter almost lost her life—after they both contracted psittacosis from a cockatiel whom they had purchased at PetSmart and named Peachy. Check out the Associated Press Article here if you don't want to take my word for it.

Peachy, who also died, allegedly from this "parrot fever," was bred at Rainbow World Exotics, a breeding mill that PETA recently investigated, where we found rampant abuse and neglect of small animals and exotic birds. Bird-breeding facilities such as Rainbow World Exotics are no different than puppy mills—they're massive animal factories that crank out birds with no regard for their health, happiness, or individual best interests. It doesn't just hurt the birds when unsanitary, inhumane conditions are the norm.

The good news is that this heroic and forever scarred family is now standing up to PetSmart and demanding an end to the sale of all birds. And you can help them succeed!

And please read this important info about how to keep you and your bird safe.

Angel's Story: Another PetSmart Casualty

—JoelPosted by Joel Bartlett

The following open letter is a response to this letter.

—JeffPosted by Jeff Mackey

She's blue about being pimped out to a circus and a zoo! Meet Sydney—the pachyderm protagonist in Sanctuary Song, a new opera opening this summer in Toronto. A dynamic combination of song, dance, and theater, this ele-friendly opera follows Sydney as she recounts her life during a journey to a sanctuary in Tennessee. Discussing her abduction by poachers and her years spent in a circus and a zoo, she relives the fond memories of her friends and family as well as the fearful memories of captivity. Will Sydney be reunited with her childhood friend in the last act? No spoiler alert here! Like they say, it's not over until the elephant sings.

cityparent / CC

Can't make it to Toronto to see Sanctuary Song? Put on your favorite aria, and check out the lovely ladies at this real-life Tennessee sanctuary.

─JenPosted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

The USDA just completed an investigation of a Butterball turkey slaughterhouse in Arkansas that confirmed PETA's findings of intentional cruelty to animals, including punching, kicking, and tormenting turkeys destined for slaughter. So what happens next? Well, not much, as far as the law’s concerned: Because there simply aren’t any federal legal protections for chickens and turkeys. None. The only thing that can be done is to take matters into our own hands and put pressure on places like Butterball to make changes that will benefit the animals they profit from. And, more importantly, boycott these companies by going vegetarian. Here’s the video of the Butterball supplier’s abuses:

--ChristinePosted by Christine Dore

The photo speaks for itself. OK, OK, I may have doctored it a bit to get the point across, but COME ON! As you can see, Jessica Simpson was recently caught wearing a "Real Girls Eat Meat" T-shirt. Puhleeze!

For a gal who's best known for her less-than-stellar brains (Chicken of the Sea, anyone?) and her ability to proportionately fill out daisy dukes, I'm gonna go on record saying that if anyone had to wear a ridiculous shirt like this, I'm glad it was Jessica—as people are more likely to follow the opposite of her lead ... ya know, since she's so well respected and all (yes, that was difficult to type without tossing in a hefty LOL). Maybe the meat-eaters of the world will be embarrassed to be categorized in the same field as Jessica Simpson. Ecorazzi has more on the story.

Just for funsies, here are the top five reasons that only stupid girls brag about eating meat:

1. Meat increases the risk of breast cancer. A 2007 study of 35,000 women published in the British Journal of Cancer found that women who ate meat were far more likely to develop breast cancer than women who consumed none. Will Jessica's next t-shirt will say, "Real Girls Smoke 3 Packs a Day"?2. Real girls don't support animal abuse. Compassion is super sexy, if the huge number of hot celebs ditching meat is any indication. Young women turn vegetarian in droves when they learn that the meat industry cuts the sensitive beaks off newborn chicks and cuts off the tails of baby piglets.3. The meat industry is destroying the Earth. The only thing that's hot about the meat industry is that it's toasting the planet. According to the United Nations, raising animals for food causes more greenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, SUVs, planes, and ships in the world combined. 4. Meat will make you fat. All the saturated fat and cholesterol in chicken wings, pork chops, and steak eventually leads to flabby thighs and love handles. I hope the upcoming "Jessica Simpson's Intimates" line comes in plus sizes! Going vegetarian is the best way to get slim and stay that way. 5. Eating meat steals food from starving kids. Jessica's trip to help kids in Africa got a lot of media buzz, but by gnawing on meat, she's essentially stealing food from the mouths of starving children since it takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat. If more people went vegetarian, we'd free up enough grain to feed every person in the world. —ChristinePosted by Christine Dore

Today Canada, tomorrow the world (insert maniacal laughter here). We were totally spent from doing a victory dance over our recent KFC campaign triumph in Canada, but we've rested up and now we're ready to get back to kicking the Colonel's bucket. Continuing our Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign in other countries, including the U.S., we're not going to let up until KFC cries uncle and agrees to make some serious changes to the way its suppliers treat chickens.

Speaking of our campaign, we were recently reminiscing—while recovering from our V dance—about all the actions we've taken against KFC. We couldn't decide which one was our fave, so we thought we'd ask for your input. I'm partial to the completely unappetizing but utterly inspiring, demo-licious Bucket of Blood. Then again, Pam Anderson's video is pretty cool. See why we need your help? Check out our list below, and vote for your favorite by leaving us a comment.

1. PETA staffer changes his name to KentuckyFriedCruelty.com2. Pam Anderson video3. Super Chick Sisters video game4. The Rev. Al Sharpton's video5. Bucket of Blood 6. 'Crippled Chicken Crosses the Road' demos7. KFC sign generator8. Kentucky Fried Cruelty: The Movie9. Colonel Sanders headstone10. Kentucky Fried Cruelty HQ

—AmyPosted by Amy Elizabeth

If you have plans that don’t involve watching 30 Days, first of all, how dare you? I told you it was going to be on. And second of all, you should immediately cancel them. ‘Cuz the show’s going to be really interesting, and it has my friend Melissa in it. And a very funny hunter dude named George.

For those of you who were already planning to watch the show, well, I’m glad that some people are listening to me. You guys get a gold star. To recap:

Cool?






--ChristinePosted by Christine Dore