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HSUS Releases Scary Results On Petland  Tuesday, June 30th, 2009  by Connie T. Yesterday the Humane Society of the US released the findings of their follow-up investigation into Petland, the pet store chain that that the HSUS announced in November of last year was the nation's largest retailer supporter of puppy mills. Their initial eight-month investigation uncovered puppies in Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, and other states that came from massive commercial breeders in the Midwest, and were being sold at Petland stores. What has changed since then? "Nothing," the HSUS wrote. In their new investigation the HSUS found Petland stores to still be supporting puppy mills, "including some of the largest and most notorious in the country." "Almost every Petland store in the country is buying from puppy mills, either directly from commercial breeding facilities or indirectly through middleman brokers," the article states. They even found at least two Petland stores in Florida still buying dogs from the facility associated with Kathy Bauck in New York Mills, Minnesota - Bauck has been convicted of multiple counts of animal torture and one cont of animal abuse. Over 80 stores were linked directly to Hunte Corporation, a huge Missouri broker that resells about 80,000 puppies a year and has been reported for Animal Welfare Act violations. Out of state shipments of pups from brokers have landed in more than 95% of Petland's stores, still. What exactly is a puppy mill? If you haven't heard Oprah Winfrey explain it - she is an avid opponent of the practice and has spoken about it on her show - puppy mills are large commercial breeding facilities that operate under inhumane conditions and with blatant disregard for the animals in their care; the dogs tend to have health and social problems as a result of being raised in cramped cages with many other dogs and being transported long distances in poor conditions (sometimes resulting in their death). They often are nervous, have unhealthy eating habits, and diseases or conditions not disclosed by the shiny pet stores where they eventually end up. This is so ridiculously unnecessary. So many dogs are euthanized each year because the shelters are overflowing with animals that no one has stepped up to take care of. Why are thousands of puppies being bred into sick conditions, with both pets and owners suffering the consequences, when there are already more than enough pups to go around? 1. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Refuse to buy supplies from any pet store or internet site that sells puppies, and do not buy your pet(s) from a store or internet site. 2. Add a Stop Puppy Mills banner to your MySpace page, Facebook page, blog, or website. It's an excellent way to spread the word without having to say a thing! 3. Help by working with your local pet stores to implement puppy friendly policies. For more free and easy ways to make a huge difference on this issue, please visit here. Comments > >

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Vibe Magazine Goes Out Of Business  Tuesday, June 30th, 2009  by Connie T. Well, we're told over and over that print media is suffering: now here's yet another clear example. Vibe Magazine, which is over 15 years old (it was founded in '93 by Quincy Jones and Time Warner), told it's employees today that the magazine is closing immediately, the New York Times has reported. The mag tried four day work weeks, layoffs, and cutting costs, but it just didn't pan out. Former CEO Steve Aaron wrote, "Vibe will be remembered as a shockingly brilliant content company that everyone can be proud of." Vibe was an entertainment magazine that featured R&B and hip-hop music artists, actors and entertainers. Famous faces that graced it's cover were Mary J. Blige, TLC, Aaliyah, Brandy, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Lil Wayne, The Fugees, Eminem, and Michael Jackson, among many others. The magazine also used to host the Vibe Awards and the "Best Rapper Alive" tournament. Comments > >

Working Americans Struggling With Hunger  Tuesday, June 30th, 2009  by Connie T. More than 36 million Americans are dealing with hunger every day because of a lack of financial means to properly feed their families - and 40% of them are employed. The working class in America has seen an increase in the working poor since the economic decline, and while we'd all like to see an end to world hunger, we're instead seeing more of it here at home. According to Feeding America, 41% of those who turned to food banks in 2008 said they had to choose between buying food and paying utilities for light and heat. More than one-third reported having to choose between paying for food and paying their rent or mortgage. What can be done? sign this quick and easy petition to let your Representative know that America needs a comprehensive strategy for fighting hunger. Over 20,000 people have already signed the petition; it's an issue that needs to be addressed for the sake of not just the jobless, or the homeless, but for those who are working and still struggling to make ends meet. Comments > >

Paris Hilton Oblivious To the Camel She's On  Tuesday, June 30th, 2009  by Connie T. Notice anything wrong with this picture? We sure do. Paris Hilton - clad in sharp stilettos and obviously without a care in the world but making her camera face - is riding a camel in Dubai, where she is promoting her reality show BFF something-or-other. What's wrong with this picture is that the camel her people are using for the shot is wearing a thick crocheted muzzle covering its mouth and nostrils, in weather that ranged between 100 and 112 degrees Fahrenheit. And moreso, that no one posting this picture on the celebrity blogs seems to notice or care. Heat stressed camels pant, and if you've seen a dog or a horse pant you can imagine how difficult this would be to do with a mouth covered as in the picture above. We checked out PETA's website, the animal rights organization famous for calling out celebrities on their inhumane misdeeds, but there was nary a word about it; since it happened just a week or so ago, we decided to drop PETA a line and make sure they're aware of the press op at the camel's expense. We'll let you know what they have to say. Comments > >

Video: Angelina Jolie Gives Emotional Refugee Speech  Tuesday, June 30th, 2009  by Connie T. In Washington, D.C. this month, Angelina Jolie celebrated World Refugee Day by listening to other speakers and talking herself of her experience with refugees, and the state of displaced people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Darfur, and elsewhere worldwide. Angie was moved to tears by the subject and the people that are so severely effected by the conflicts that create violence, death, displacement, poverty. There are more things that you can do to help than just donating. A few? Stay informed, spread the word, get active online. Find out more about these and other ways you can help refugees across the world by visiting this page at the UNHCR. Comments > >

Brooke Shields' Prescription Ad For Thicker Eyelashes  Tuesday, June 30th, 2009  by Connie T. Last night we saw Brooke Shields in three commercials for three separate products within an hour or two: Colgate Total? Check. Coppertone? Check. Latisse? Wait, what? Okay, so Lipstick Jungle was cancelled. But things can't be bad enough for Shields to agree to push prescription drugs for something as superficial as thickening one's eyelashes, could they? A few years back, we were 100% in Brooke's corner when Tom Cruise infamously criticized her for taking an anti-depressant for post-partum depression. After all, a man like Tom has no clue how the surge of hormones can plummet a woman into a very dark place post child birth, and that "vitamins" can't solve it. But now we're beginning to wonder if Brooke is actually pro medication in any situation, and if maybe Tom wasn't (slightly) onto something about her. Latisse is this new drug that costs $120 per month, and is painted on the eyelashes with a small brush once a day. According to the Consumer Reports blog, Latisse can potentially mask undiagnosed glaucoma, change any color eye to brown, permanently darken your eyelids, and/or cause red and itchy eyes. Not to mention that new drugs obviously don't have the trial of time behind them - a lot of lawyers would be out of business if bad side effects weren't constantly discovered from medications that have been on the market for years. I literally cannot believe that anyone would take a prescription to get fuller eyelashes. Mascara, falsies, eyeliner, eyelash extensions, as long as you have a steady hand are not going to carry a risk to you. Nor can I believe Shields is advocating this. What's next? A pill that makes leg hair fall off by itself? Or how about one that makes your lips turn the color of your favorite lip shade? The makers of Latisse claim the drug is helpful for people with hypotrichosis; the ads call it "another name for inadequate or not enough eyelashes," which really generalizes a condition in which hair growth doesn't occur. And the posters and advertisements in hair salons make it pretty obvious that it's targeting the general population looking to spruce up their looks, and that's just sad. What makes it worse is that Brooke Shields is in healthy-type ads like "Got Milk?" as well, and that people might actually trust the recommendation. Comments > >

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