THE LONG WEEKEND

Boy, wasn't it? So long it almost seems like it's next week already.

No matter. Let's clear out some of the itemettes we have loitering around from June...

Vegan Options More Popular Than Ever on College Campuses; ARAMARK Focuses on Meeting Customer Needs in Honor of Vegan World Day

ARAMARK nationwide research has revealed that, out of more than 100,000 college students surveyed, nearly a quarter said finding vegan meals on campus -- which contain no meat, fish, poultry or other products derived from animals such as dairy, eggs or honey -- was important to them. To better serve its customers and in honor of Vegan World Day on June 21st, ARAMARK (NYSE:RMK), a worldwide provider of managed services, has increased its number of vegan menu items on campuses and continues to work with campus vegetarian and vegan resource groups to meet customer demand.

Great... this is good news. But... what the hell is Vegan World Day?

No more circus elephants in city?

"'Bringing circus elephants to Chicago would be difficult, if not impossible, under an ordinance being developed by a North Side alderman. Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th) said she has asked the city's law department to draft the ordinance, which she aims to introduce this month. Under Smith's proposal, circuses would have to provide 10 acres of exercise area -- half indoor, half outdoor -- for each elephant they bring to Chicago. That requirement, Smith acknowledges, would be "difficult" to meet."

While I enjoy the image of circus owners having to jump through flaming hoops to get their reward, this proposal is both simple common sense and a political impossibility.

Film features vegan athletes

This includes Tonya Kay, whom some of you saw at Summerfest.

Some scientists want to shave that milk mustache

Good to see PCRM's suit getting more coverage. This one quotes Walter Willett, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health as saying there's no credible evidence of milk working as a weight-loss tool. "In fact, there is better evidence to suggest that recommendations to increase dairy consumption could lead to weight gain." Then, "It's easy to be skeptical of dairy-industry claims and academics who are funded by the industry they are researching," this article candidly points out, but then weasels back to "objectivity" by suggesting we rally 'round the beleagured industry. Disappointing, but ya takes what ya gets.

Indonesia plans to ban U.S. beef imports

I love this one: USDA Fails To Figure Out Why Tiger Attacked Illusionist Roy Horn

The tiger-was-hungry theory was ruled out. And there was no proof that the animal was deliberately provoked by someone in the audience, or that a terrorist sprayed it with a behavior-altering scent, or that it was unhinged by a woman with a beehive hairdo. But federal investigators still do not know what led a Bengal tiger to attack illusionist Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy during a performance nearly two years ago.

Hmmmm..... now this is a crazy idea, but... did anyone examine the possible motivation that IT'S A GODDAMN WILD ANIMAL???

And in a related note of moronic human behavior jeopardizing animals' and humans' lives...

Horses die as publicity stunt ends in stampede

It was an image meant to rekindle the romance of the Old West: A herd of wild horses brought into Calgary to mark Alberta's centennial. But officials with the Calgary Stampede were facing a public relations nightmare yesterday after at least nine horses died in a horrific stampede when the animals spooked while crossing a bridge into the city. "We were trying recreate some of the romance of the old trail rides," said Lindsey Galloway, communications manager for the Stampede. Instead, those involved faced a terrifying spectacle of being caught in the middle of a charging mass of horseflesh.

Here's a tip, folks: When a publicity stunt involves animals and is called a "Stampede," you can be pretty sure the people involved have thought this through about as thoroughly as they have your bodily safety. Might wanna stay away.

And to cap it all off, still another story about people who, you'd think, wouldn't be put in charge of animals' lives.

Another polar bear dies at St. Louis Zoo

For the second time in five weeks, a polar bear at the St. Louis Zoo has died, leaving the zoo with just one of the animals, zoo officials said Friday. Penny, a 19-year-old polar bear, died Thursday night of peritonitis. Zoo officials feared something was wrong when she refused to eat.



An examination Friday morning determined the bear was, unknown to zookeepers, carrying two dead fetuses that should have been born in the fall, said Bill Houston, assistant general curator.

So... they had the bear in a situation where she got pregnant... yet never checked to see if she was pregnant afterward? What, did they just wait around and say, nope, she's not craving pickles and ice cream, so we're OK? And... they feared something was wrong when she refused to eat? Yeah, that's about as strong an indication as you can get without doing any, you know, actual medical examination as one might be expected for large wild animals put into situations like this. Good to know those in charge of all these divere types of animals' lives have as much diagnostic expertise as every pet owner in America: She refused to eat. Something, I fear, is wrong.

OK, that's enough, back to regular bloggin on Monday (I hope).