"Two of the nation's largest beef processors were slapped with humane handling violations during a government review of meat providers to the National School Lunch Program, records show."

This is why we ONLY sell humanely raised, grass fed, hormone free beef.

Got the new formulation of MimicCreme in. Now the sweetened is made with non-bone char sugar (finally) and apparently it doesn't seperate in coffee. So.. in theory, you can tell Silk Creamer to kiss your ass.

"A sea lion captured at a Columbia River dam died Tuesday while state authorities were preparing to transport it from a Tacoma zoo to another facility.

The 1,454-pound California sea lion had been anesthetized Tuesday afternoon during a veterinary exam at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, said Sandra Jonker, spokeswoman for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. As the male sea lion was coming out of anesthesia, it struggled to resume breathing and died."

Others are on their way to Sea World in San Antonio. Geez. Maybe getting shot would have been less painful.

Some more top-notch writing by Will Potter, who, by the way, is going to be speaking in Portland at the Let Live Conference.

Got the new shirt online for your consumtion.

Check out what's on the front page of VBS.TV today! If you miss it, just search for it, it's kinda cool.

Hey everybody. If you're gonna come out this summer, pretty please pre-register through our site: www.letliveconference.org

It'd be a big help to see where things stand as it's our first time trying to put this kind of thing together.

Wow, who knew? Awesome sounding organization based in Portland. Local groups take note.

"Thank you to everyone who supported the Try Vegan week Karokee fundraiser. If you were there and survived Robert Cheeke's history making take on Kiss and seeing Peter from NWveg sing Billie Jean you'll know it was fun and we made over $300. So Yeah thanks!

Now the bad news...The temptation Soy ice cream has been shipped from Chicago but it will not be here in time for the event this Saturday. We're calling Saturday off but don't fear we will be selling temptation at both days of Vegfest! Proceeds going to Try Vegan Week. So head on down to Vegfest May 9th and 10th and Bensen High school and pick up all you can eat vegan ice cream!

Prices: $5.00 Waffle cones with toppings. $3.00 a bowl $10.00 all you can eat.
www.portlandvegfest.org

The Try vegan Week reading event fundraiser is still set for Sunday night at 7 PM at the Red and Black Cafe.

Help us Spread the word!"

"'While it is not unusual to have two animals performing aerial behaviors at the same time, we are reviewing the situation to ensure even such a random incident does not occur again.'"

Free tonight? Go see.

"In remembrance of countless beings who have and continue to live, suffer, and die in labs throughout the world.
In recognition of our commitment to- and solidarity with those who suffer -
You are invited to a very special candle light vigil this Sunday at an undisclosed location.

- Meet 5pm Sunday at Red & Black Cafe 400 SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR
- Bring $5 for public transportation
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Dress warm enough to be out for several hours
- Bring a few candles :-)

Please plan to come out and voice our opposition to the continuing, failed disgrace that is animal testing!"

Great to see all these things popping up around the country. Go!!!

So, we just restocked pretty much all of our shirts. The Fur Farm Revolt one is coming in another week on a new color. All the black shirts are now on organic cotton ts and we have a limited run of our logo design on a "dijon" organic T with brown ink. Pretty dope looking we thinks.

"Given this backdrop, imagine the scene that played out at a major Land Grant university over the past few weeks. Students who promote what's known as 'Vegan,' or vegetarian diets, set up an outside display and recruiting booth near the student center of this university. Passing the Vegan students at a close distance on his way to class was a young man who talked loud enough for those around him to hear. As he passed the 'Vegan' group, he said 'Boy, I sure enjoyed that big steak I ate last might,' and he kept walking.

If the Vegan folks heard it, they didn't acknowledge it. They went on bantering to the few folks who had stopped by their booth. But at least one adult standing nearby gave the young man kudos, and thanks him for what he said."

SAN FRANCISCO (April 24, 2008) —This afternoon, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco granted The Humane Society of the United States' and the Wild Fish Conservancy's emergency motion to halt the planned killing of up to 85 sea lions at the Bonneville Dam this month. The Court found the agency's plan likely violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and that "the lethal taking of California sea lions is, by definition, irreparable" harm – thus warranting the issuance of an injunction.

"The government's plan to kill sea lions for eating fish, while at the same time increasing fishing quotas by 33 percent is irrational, and the court has rightly put a stop to it," said Jonathan R. Lovvorn, vice president for animal protection litigation for The HSUS. "It's time for the agency to abandon this plan and work cooperatively with us to protect both sea lions and salmon in the Columbia River."

Last week, The Humane Society of the United States and the other plaintiffs asked the Ninth Circuit to stop the killing of sea lions after the federal district court in Oregon denied plaintiffs' request for an injunction. The lawsuit challenges NMFS's conclusion that sea lions must be killed to prevent them from consuming an average of 0.4 to 4.2 percent of salmon returns, even though both Oregon and Washington states recently proposed increasing fishing quotas by 33 percent (from 9 to 12 percent of the run), in light of record 269,000 Chinook salmon expected to return to the river this year.

"Blaming sea lions is nothing but a distraction," said Kurt Beardslee, executive director of Wild Fish Conservancy. "We're glad the Court recognized that the agency must consider its salmon conservation decisions openly and carefully, considering all impacts to salmon – including dams, fisheries, and habitat degradation."

Federal law only allows the killing of sea lions when the agency proves they are having a significant negative impact on salmon. The court found that plaintiffs are likely to prevail on their claim that the agency's conclusion that sea lions are having a significant negative impact on salmon is irrational in light of the agency's previous finding that fishermen can catch up 17 percent of the same fish with only a "minimal impact" on the species.

Tonight, 6-8pm. Come get involved.

"According to authorities, three trainers were outside the facility in a fenced-in area training a 5-year-old grizzly bear. The bear lunged at one of the trainers and bit him on the neck. The trainer, 39-year-old Stephan Miller from Canyon Country, died at the scene."

Holy shit. Not that you should be going to McDonald's for anything other than to take a crap in their bathroom or to smash it up, but... beef and milk in french fries? Lovin' it.

"French Fries:
Potatoes, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor (wheat and milk derivatives)*, citric acid (preservative), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), dimethylpolysiloxane (antifoaming agent)), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil ((may contain one of the following: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, partially hydrogenated corn oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness), dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent). *CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK (Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients.)"

Teese is back in stock. Come get chubby.

We were bored and looking up stuff from our childhood on youtube. Do you remember Animalympics?

Pretty sure these are listed on our calendar page too, but:

"Monday, April 28 @ 6:30 PM
Vegan Karaoke
Location: Chaos Cafe
$3.00 to watch, $5.00 to sing
Bring your favorite CD's!
Don't miss this opportunity to see your favorite members of the Portland vegan community make complete fools of themselves! Check back for updates on this event!

Saturday, May 3 @ 11:00AM - 2:00 PM
Temptation Ice Cream Social
Location: Food Fight!
West coast premiere of Temptation Ice Cream!
If you haven't heard of Temptation that is because it's not available on the West Coast. Join us for the premiere of PETA's 2007 Libby award winner for best vegan Ice Cream. Get some Free samples! We'll be selling waffle cones, pints and a few surprises!

Sunday, May 4 @ 7:00 PM
Reading Event
Location: Red and Black Cafe
$4.00 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Four published, local, vegan authors share their fiction.
Featuring:
Gina Ranalli
David Agranoff
Kristopher Young
Cari Beltane

Don't forget to sign up as a vegan mentor and save the date for the vegan prom. Try Vegan Week is June 7th through June 14th, 2008.

More information is available at http://www.TryVeganPDX.com. Donations and Sponsorships are still being accepted for this event."

"To others concerned with the well-being of fellow living beings. First and foremost, go vegan. If you've been vegan for a while, it's time to start looking up animal abusers in your area and doing the research for how to effectively cripple them. Work in small affinity groups, be cautious always-- macho never, and never give information if captured. It's time for animal rights to move beyond consumer sub-culture, towards an active liberation movement, which threatens the capitalist commoditization of life and the speciesist ideology itself."

"3:30pm Protest at USFWS Building (911 NE 11th Ave) Wed. Apr. 23rd rollover
after OHSU demonstration (39th and Division)"

"Vegans For Animal Advocacy is Hosting a SHAC7 Movie Benefit @ 5th Avenue Cinema!

Come watch "Behind the Mask" from Uncaged Films, its a documentary on the ALF. Donate some cash for SHAC7 and even register for the Let Live NW Animal Rights Convention!!

What: "Behind the Mask"
When: Doors Open @ 7:00 with Movie starting at 7:30 (Its 72min long...) Friday 04/25
Where: 5th Avenue Cinema
How Much: Suggested Donation of 3-5$ (Come on you know you want to donate!!)

Bring your own snacks, although there may be some provided!

Also, We are happy to be part of the Let Live NW Animal Rights Conference coming to PSU this Summer! If you would like to register your spot we will be able to do that at the movie :) For more information on the conference visit: www.letliveconference.com"

Any Questions? Shoot us an email :)

Thanks,
VAA
www.vegansforanimaladvocacy.com"

"The organization said it would announce plans on Monday for a $1 million prize to the “first person to come up with a method to produce commercially viable quantities of in vitro meat at competitive prices by 2012.”"

Hell yes. Good job (again) PDX ADL.

We know, another online petition, but... just shut up and sign. You never know....

"In the wake of the HSUS Chino slaughterhouse investigation, several members of Congress are now calling for video cameras to be installed at slaughterhouses.

Please urge your representatives that you support this legislation for the benefit of the animals and food safety."

Thanks to IDA Portland for helping sponsor Let Live. Big ups.

Hey, if you want to help us out and post a Let Live banner ad on your site or MySpace or whatever, we'd really appreciate it. Go here to get the codes.

Still some seats available. Come eat with Emiko, Chad, and Chad's parents. Come hear Chad's dad say, "You know what? This isn't bad!" and mean it.

"Vegan Spring Dinner
April 25th @ 7 pm

At Cellar Door Cafe
11th and Harrison in SE next to Ladd's

Three courses of early spring goodness. All proceeds to benefit Thymos, a group dedicated to dealing with Asian-American issues, particularly the perception of Asians in mainstream media.

Come have fun, check out the new Cellar Door space, and know you're helping out a great cause.

Sliding Scale $10-$25

Please RSVP to benttail@gmail.com"

Haven't watched any of this yet, but... great name, right?

Thanks bunches to Cosmo's in Atlanta for their generous donation to Let Live. Even though they're too cheap to fly out for the conference. Send 'em some love, buy some stuff and tell them Food Fight sent ya.

The new belgian frites cart, Potato Champion, is now open. Located at the food cart parking lot of SE 12th and Hawthorne. It's a late night place, so they're only open like 6pm-1am, Thurs-Sat. They have a couple of vegan ketchups, but hopefully will be getting some vegan mayo mixes soon. Go show them how much vegans love french fries.

If anybody wants to, they can register here at the store. Just come in, drop $10 or more in the Let Live donation jar, and give us your name and email address. Cool? Cool.

Hell yeah. The real site is up. It's gonna be updated plenty more, but it's a start. And you can register now and sign up for the email list and all that stuff.

"Activists with Portland Animal Defense League were out in full force tonight to let the City of Portland know the cruel truth about foie gras. Armed with signs, fliers, video, and a high spirit, the night began at TEN-01. Before a 'Pledge to Not Serve Foie Gras' was even handed to the owner, he came out to engage the activists and promised to keep it off the menu forever. While he refused to sign the pledge, he went on film and conceded to the activists demands. 'I will not serve foie gras,' he stated. It was victory at TEN-01!"

Oh hell yes! Good work folks.

Go here and sign up for the Let Live email list. Keep up to date and stuff.

Hey you! Come hang out here on Wednesday the 23rd, from 6-8pm and meet Elaine from CAAT. She's nice and won't beat you up. You can talk about getting involved with CAAT and their door-hangering Sundays a couple times a month. So... come get involved, OK?

+++++++++++++++

CAAT (Coalition to Abolish Animal Testing)is a non-profit organization based in Portland, OR. CAAT campaigns to shut down the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center run by
Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). We primarily focus on our local primate center, but we also disseminate general information about the scientific invalidity of animal experimentation, the waste of public monies to fundit, and the negative impact on human health from animal-based research.

Cool site. Read it, learn it, live it.

"Buy a home, save a life. I'll sponsor an animal at a sanctuary in your honor."

Another vegan realtor in Portland, if'n you're looking for one.

"When the new vegan restaurant, Nutshell, opened up in the up in the NE last year, people throughout Portland were thrilled to have a new option. That delight quickly turned to anger when people found out that the owners of Nutshell also owned TEN-01, a restaurant in Portland notoriously known for selling Foie Gras. Letters were written and calls were made to get them to drop this delicacy of despair and end the hypocrisy, but they refused. So only one choice was left... DEMO ON THEIR DOORSTEP!"

"Greg Mitchell of the trade publication Editor and Publisher said it was "perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate this year."

Not this really has anything to do with anything, but saw the first half of the "debate" last night, and geez.... fucking flag lapel pins? Serisouly? What a stupid world.

April 22nd. Check their site for more details.

""Sea Lions don't vote, fishermen do.""

Fucking depressing.

Awesome. Just found out that Dan Piraro from Bizarro has confirmed to help kick off the Let Live Conference. He'll be doing his thing and donating the ticket price to help pay for conference costs. Details to come later, but for now... thanks Dan.

So, if you go to the Let Live MySpace page, there is a donation button in the "About Me" page. It works. If you're interested...

"Enforcing new guidelines adopted to protect exotic animals, Los Angeles Animal Services last week shut down a controversial circus elephant act that is under federal investigation. The elephant act, appearing in Panorama City with Circus Vazquez, was forced out of Los Angeles after the city learned of the act's record of Animal Welfare Act violations and documented elephant abuse, which violated city permit requirements."

If anybody can help Andrea, it'd be really great. She busts much ass for the animals and so does Jake.

"Does anyone out there have hook ups for discounts on Hotels and/or flights? As you can imagine, it gets very expensive to make the trek to visit Jake in the middle of nowhere on a monthly basis. If anyone has an "in" on getting discounted hotel rooms or flights or rental cars, please email the support jake myspace and let me know.

thanks!
andrea (jake's partner)"

New gum. Flavored as tea is flavored. Real good.

Back in stock, finally. Now take that information, and process it, and think about what this all means to you. God Bless.

Now in the online store. Order up a tummy ache.

Come show support for Jonathan Paul and all the Green Scare defendants!

When: Sat. April 26, 6pm
Where: Red & Black Cafe SE 12th & Oak
What: Music, slideshow, speakers, and tabling
$5 suggested donation (but no one will be turned away)

Jonathan has been an animal and environmental activist since the 1980s and a vegan for 25 years. He is currently serving a 51 – month sentence in federal prison in Phoenix, Arizona for his role in the 1997 arson of the Cavel West horse slaughterhouse in Redmond, OR.

Jonathan was arrested in January of 2006 in the largest roundup of animal rights and environmental activists in history. This was what the FBI dubbed “Operation Backfire”, also called by others the Green Scare. Fifteen activists were arrested in late 2005 and early 2006, then charged with numerous property destruction crimes. Many faced multiple life sentences.

So, we're gonna be starting begging for money now. Setting up a PayPal donation thing too (send $$$ to letlive at foodfightgrocery.com) and all that crap, but for now, we have a donation jar at each of the "minimall" shops in our building. Anything you can spare will help. We're trying to raise around $5000 to pay for flying in kick-ass speakers and doing lots of other things to make this a really positive event for activism in the NorthWest. Anybody have a transferable frequent flyer ticket thing they'd like to donate? That'd be rad too.

The specifics haven't been totally decided yet, but if there is excess money raised, it won't be wasted, we promise. It will be split up amongst grassroots groups and probably prisoner support stuff too.

Thanks in advance for the help and for putting up with the constant drone of conference talk that will be coming out of us for the next few months.

xoxo
Food Fight + Let Live

Fairhaven candy. They're like Butterfinger nuggets but in 4 flavors. Come try some.

"lawmakers are trying to push the limits of what a long history of First Amendment law has established. They’re singling out a group of people solely based on their political beliefs, and restricting their speech because of those beliefs. If someone posted information about an executive at Wal-Mart, because of a labor dispute, that wouldn’t be prohibited. Or, perhaps a better comparison would be someone who posts information about an abortion doctor (a situation which, unlike animal rights campaigns, has led to murder)."

Lookee here.

"The salmon run collapse is a blow to fishermen, tackle shops, charter boat operators and other businesses that depend on commercial and recreational salmon fishing."

It is also a blow to salmon. And fishermen, tackle shops, etc can blow Food Fight.

"Hi everyone,

Don't forget about World Week for Animals in Laboratories (WWAIL) coming up starting April 20th. Below is a listing of IDA's events during WWAIL. Please post them on your blogs, my-space pages and EVERYWHERE! :-)

Thank you! Conine

Sunday, April 20: OHSU Doorhanger Outreach
9:30 a.m., meet at Haven Coffee Shop, 35th and SE Division St., Portland

Join IDA and the Coalition to Abolish Animal Testing (CAAT) in an ongoing joint effort walking through neighborhoods and leaving leaflets on doors with a message about ending OHSU experimenter Eliot Spindel's cruel and useless nicotine experiments on mother monkeys and their babies. No need to feel shy about this outreach: We do not knock on doors or solicit people, we only leave information.

OHSU Demonstrations
Noon - 2:00 p.m. each of these days:

1) Wednesday, April 23rd: OHSU Clinic, SE 39th and Division St., Portland

2) Thursday, April 24th: OHSU main campus, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland (meet under pedestrian bridge at main hospital entrance)

3) Friday, April 25th: Oregon National Primate Research Center, 505 SW 185th Ave., Hillsboro (carpool available - RSVP to matt@idausa.org)

Saturday, April 26th: Leafleting the March of Dimes, March for Babies
9:00 a.m.

Locations in Vancouver and Portland: Please RSVP to matt@idausa.org for more details.

Your actions are desperately needed to help bring about the day that no animal has to die in a laboratory.


Connie Durkee
In Defense of Animals
5428 NE 30th
Portland, OR 97211
connie@idausa.org
503-249-9996 x3
www.idausa.org"

"Tired of tripping over all that clutter? Now you can get rid of all
that stuff and help animals at the same time.

Out to Pasture Animal Sanctuary is having a garage sale on May 24th
and 25th. Donations are tax-deductible and can be dropped off anytime
on the porch at 2907 NE Weidler St in Portland. (Yellow house across
the street from Fred Meyer).

All proceeds go for veterinary expenses and winter hay. For more information call Kit Collins at 503-493-9155 (work) or 503-756-8652 (cell). (www.outtopasturesanctuary.org)"

"Hi everyone,

We're trying to get a postcard mailed out to Portlanders ASAP about World Week for Animals in Laboratories (WWAIL) that lets people know what they can do for the animals during WWAIL. I need to slap together a mailing party ASAP to get them out. We're only sending out 1,000 postcards so it shouldn't take long and we don't need to sort them by zip code like we do the newsletter. It should go pretty fast.

All we have to do is slap a label and a stamp on them. I'd like to plan a work party for tomorrow afternoon (Friday) say around 5ish. If you can help, can you please let me know. That would be soooooooooooo great. IDA will even buy the pizza and beverages!

Here's my contact info:

home - 360-666-1578
cell - 360-356-4827
office - 503-249-9996 x3
connie@idausa.org"

"The Department of Homeland Security used its authority to waive environmental and land-management laws to complete a 670-mile border fence between the United States and Mexico. What do you think?"

""It would be tremendously expensive and, in fact, drive the egg industry out of the state," Macdonald said, noting the proposed law would require dramatically more space for hens.

Keeping hens in cages, he said, allows farmers to better control diseases that harm them."

"Announcing Friday 4PM-5PM Quickie Demo @ Ungar Furs! (12th
& Yamhill)

Here at ADL, we know how much you hate the cruelty that is the
fur industry.

We also know that not everyone can make it out to the absolute
fabulousness that is the Saturday demo at Ungar Furs.

Well, we want everyone to be happy! (Mostly, kinda)

So, we are having a demo this Friday right before Ungar closes,
just to let them know we are thinking of them during the week
also :-)

Please come out to this short demo and/or join us on Saturday
morning 10am-1pm as well!

Nicholas Ungar Furs
1137 SW Yamhill St
(12th & Yamhill)
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 241-8024"

$7.50 for a pound. About the same cost as Follow Your Heart by weight, but better.

So, now let's say samosas are $1.75 OR 2 for $3! Holy shit-balls, right? Right!?! Come eat.

Take note. Get involved.

"Can't make it to the demo? Here's a quick and easy way that you can help make IDA's WWAIL demos across the nation successful."

"HELP!!!
Do you have a room to spare??
I’m a desperate vegan in need of housing. I just found out my cushy sofa-surfing days will be over come May 1st. I could afford about $300/month and I’m hoping for someplace fairly close-in NE or SE. If you or someone you know has anything available, please let me know. I’m Michelle and you can contact me at hessmick@yahoo.com"

"My friends and I are doing a benefit dinner for their Asian-American Awareness group. They are trying to raise cash to get a couple of famous playwrights to talk about the portrayal of Asians in popular cinema. Please come to the dinner! Also, please forward this message to all your friends.

Vegan Dinner on April 25th, 7pm
at Cellar Door Cafe
2001 SE 11th Ave (Se 11th and Harrison, next to Ladd's)

Three Course Spring Menu
$10 to $25 Sliding Scale

Please RSVP to benttail@gmail.com

Thanks,

Aaron"

"Ungar Furs - Let's make this a *SPECIAL* Saturday 10am-1pm 12th & Yamhill !!!

Saturdays have been a little light lately, but some of our friends are back from being out of town or finding themselves freed of scheduling conflicts...

Even with the light turn out, believe me when I say that several of us think that we're getting some progress.

So let's all show up and rock it :-)

A little inspiration:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wmEkqp6TNrE&feature=related

--------------

Portland made history with the shutting down of schumacher furs but there is still much more work to be done. We must continue the fight and let others know that we will not tolerate fur stores in our city. Nicholas Ungar Furs, you are next...

This is a protest/rally at Ungar furs...

Saturday Febuary 9th at 10am.

The store is only open from the the hours of 10am to 1pm on Saturdays so lets all get out there!

Nicholas Ungar Furs
1137 SW Yamhill St
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 241-8024
M-F 9-5 Sat. 10-1"

Got a fresh batch of S'mores in today. So come eat 'em while they last.

"A 140-pound chimpanzee escaped from a research center by jumping more than 15 feet, snatched a tranquilizer dart gun from an animal worker and threatened police by flailing its arms before an officer shot and killed the animal last month, according to a new report.

Officials said the University of Texas police officer who shot Tony shouted he was going to shoot before firing at the 17-year-old chimpanzee."

"Regular customers at the store say they do not mind paying a bit more for organic products because they consider them better-tasting, healthier and more ethical."

Hey, our building is for sale and we can't afford to buy it. Know anybody with $$$ that doesn't suck? Maybe even (gasp) a vegan investor person? How awesome would it be to be bought by somebody that wouldn't want to eventually kick us out when a Starbucks wants to move in eventually?

Finally, ALL of our tote bags are back in stock and waiting to be purchased.

"VEGAN POTLUCK & GAME NIGHT @ People's
This Friday, April 11th, 6-9pm
People's Food Coop Community Room
3029 SE 21st Ave. Wheelchair Accessible.

Please bring a 100% vegan dish (and ingredients list) and your
favorite board games to the potluck. After dinner, we'll start
playing some fun games. :) See ya there!
No RSVP necessary. All welcome."

"The PDX ADL campaign to put a stop to Dr Spindel's wasteful, ineffective, and cruel primate research at OHSU kick-starts this weekend.

To initiate our campaign, we are distributing door hangers in conjunction with CAAT (Coalition to Abolish Animal Testing), who are doing AM door hangering in NE.

Please come out and help us spread the word!

2:30pm
Fuel Cafe
1452 Ne Alberta St
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 335-3835

Distributing door hangers is fun activism! You get out , exercise, and empower people to take action to end cruelty.

For more information:
ohsukillsprimates. com
vivisectioninfo. org/campaigns/spindel
primatefreedom. com/centers/oregon. html"

*Also, another group will be meeting at 9:30am at meet at Haven coffee shop (SE Division and 35th) for some hanging around the SE.*

Free show Sunday April Sixth. @ 8:00pm

Slingshot Dakota (PA/NY)
http://www.myspace.com/slingshotdakota

Cars and Trains (PDX)
http://www.carsandtrains.net/

This will be in the store. After we close.
Come on out and have some fun.

Teese is coming soon. Like towards the end of next week. $7.50 for a pound. Not too shabby.

Got this email, passing it on. Good job Libra Max:

"The Genesis Awards used to be run The Ark Trust, until it merged with
HSUS in approx 2002. The Genesis Awards, designed to honor those who
have made exceptional contributions to animal causes, are now run by
HSUS.

This is the second year in a row that Puck has been honored at the
Genesis awards for his contributions to animal causes.

Here is the text of the letter:
------------------------------------------------

My dear friends and fellow activists,

I find myself in the painful position of composing a letter to my own
community, my compatriots, the few fellow humans with whom I have felt
a kinship in our unified commitment to the animals. I am writing with
a self-consciousness that I am breaking with code by expressing
something I know many of us who come to The Genesis Awards are
feeling, but no one wants to openly say.

I am writing to express the sadness I felt upon opening my Genesis
invitation and seeing "Special Recognition, Wolfgang Puck." My heart
hurt then and still does. My conscience simply will not allow me to
attend an evening that both approves of the use of animals for food by
promoting Puck, while claiming to work against cruelty. It is more
than misleading and confusing; it is hypocrisy and an unconscionable
betrayal of the animals for whom we had promised to stand.

I do welcome pluralism within our movement, but this has gone beyond
diversity among activist groups; we are now in collusion with the meat
industry. I do not believe that spotlighting Puck in a celebratory way
falls into even the broadest definition of reform or welfare. Some
might argue that a 'thank you' to Puck for removing foie gras and
crated veal from his menu was appropriate. However, to recognize him
at an animal event two years in a row, and to prominently feature him
on the Genesis invitation in a manner that gives the distinct
impression that he is the singular guest of note, is not only
inappropriate, it sends a profoundly toxic message to the less
informed people who come to Genesis with an authentic desire to help
the animals.

Honoring Puck sets a potentially malignant precedent with the
influential, moneyed, and media attendees like Anderson Cooper: Is
Puck the face of our movement? Whether or not Puck will be in
attendance is immaterial; the message is being sent.

Puck's new restaurant is called 'CUT.' Does this celebration of pain
sound like it comes from someone who cares about animals? Or just a
savvy business person who has removed two of the most egregious forms
of cruelty from his menu, only to replace this cruelty with a higher
volume in sales of "humanely raised" animal parts. He has used his
relationship with HSUS as a successful marketing ploy to increase
diminishing veal sales. According to the New York Times, his "humane"
veal schnitzel is the third most popular item on his menu and what
used to be considered a taboo food item is newly chic and skyrocketing
in sales since receiving the "humane" stamp of approval. What are we
doing? Why are we doing PR for Puck? He was thanked last year. Any
further recognition or dealings should remain in the boardroom, not at
Genesis. No matter how he is cloaked in celebrity, he is a person who
makes his living by causing suffering. There is no way around this
truth.

We are far more forgiving of the food animal abuser than we would be
of those who inflict torture upon dogs, cats, or mink, for example.
Can we imagine featuring Blackglama Mink at Genesis if the mink were
"cage free" before electrocution? Each one of the millions of cows,
pigs, chickens, and baby calves that Puck serves up had once valued
their lives the way we value our own. They were to themselves, and to
their family members, beings of great importance who believed with
absolute certainty that their lives were worth living.

I hope for us all to do better, mostly myself, which is the very
reason I felt I had to write to all of you on the eve of Genesis. I
have to live the kind of world I want to see and my activism and my
life must be a daily reflection of that vision. I hope for us all to
more critically examine the consequences of our actions and how our
public alignments impact thinking in the world. We are powerful, more
than we know, and so we must remain vigilant not to tacitly condone
abuse and killing by promulgating the "humanely raised" myth. It only
reinforces the thinking that animals are mere pieces of property and
helps the meat and dairy industry to sell more pain. If we remain in
collusion with those who believe the animals don't matter, well, the
animals will never matter.

My wish for our movement is to raise ourselves to a place of integrity
and truth telling and to imagine what we would most desperately hope
for if we were forced to rely on someone else to fight for our lives.
We owe this to the animals. We are all they have.

I write to you with respect and in kinship.

Libra Max
Genesis Awards Committee"

Sue Coe is a bad-ass. Just stumbled upon this (check the link). Fitting to find this with the circus this weekend.

"School lunch lines across the country are filled with greasy, high-fat cheeseburgers, chicken wings, and pizza. But this past March, PCRM helped Broward County, Fla.—the sixth-largest school district in the country—introduce Gardenburger’s Flame Grilled vegan burger to students at Everglades High School, Driftwood Middle School, and Eagle Point Elementary."

"Tonight!!! 6:30Opm

LAMA - The Laboratory Animal Management Association, (AKA - the professional dog/cat/mouse/primate torturer/killers of Amerika).....

are having a party this week in our town.

TONIGHT, they will be attending a comedy show at:

6:30pm
BridgePort Brewing Company
1313 N.W. Marshall
Portland, OR 97209
Phone (503) 241-7179

We are putting together a welcoming party to let them know how PDX feels about professional animal torturers partying in our town!

This promises to be fun, these people usually hide themselves behind expensive PR campaigns and tightly secured facilities.

Please come out and share the love!!! "

Hey, ADL Portland now has a site up. More to come I'm sure.

" The authorized killing of California sea lions at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River would be postponed under a proposal agreed to Tuesday by the Humane Society of the United States and federal and state governments.

The Humane Society filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against the authorization for killing the animals on March 28 and said it would seek a temporary restraining order if it wasn't granted by Friday, the earliest date the "lethal removal" was likely to begin."

Just talked to IDA and they'll be there an hour before each showing to meetup with folks and hand out literature and signs. We also have some pamphlets here at our store (12th and Stark) if you want to get stuff early. Thanks to everybody in advance for showing up.

Wanna learn more?
http://circuses.com/fact-gatti.asp
and
http://circuses.com/pdfs/Shrine_fact.pdf

Thursday meeting at 7pm at the Bridgeport Brewery. That could be fun!

So, we've really dropped the ball on this, sorry. But the circus will still be here this weekend (check the above link) and hopefully folks can get out there and hand out literature and talk to folks. We have a box of stuff (Shriner specific pamphlets and comic books for kids) for anybody who can put it to use. I'm guessing IDA has stuff too if anybody can get in touch with them. We'll try and scrounge up extra stuff too.