A BLESSING

If you happen to be in or around Philadelphia, be aware that the fourth annual Blessing of the Animals from Public Eye Philly will be held this Saturday, September 27th, at the Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Drive. Please note that "The blessing is not affiliated with any religion or religious practices" and that "Friendly animal companions must be on leashes or in carriers."

OBLIGATORY TIE-IN TO ECONOMIC NEWS

A new study - research funded by a veggie-oriented company - has found that vegetarianism is a good way to save both money and the earth: "VEGETARIANS save 20 per cent at the checkout and have sixfold lower greenhouse gas emissions than carnivores, a new study shows. Research comparing diets heavy, light and free of meat has found that vegetarianism is cheaper, healthier and easier on the environment. The findings show it costs $508 a week to feed four adults on a traditional meat diet. A reduced meat diet costs $418 a week, while a vegetarian diet costs $394."

In the classic journamalism style, this is "balanced" by a cautionary note that "dieticians" say vegetarianism isn't necessarily better. This is sourced, further down to one guy, the creator of the diet plan that did the most poorly in the study, pointing out that doughnuts can be vegetarian, and they're not good for you, ergo, that somehow supposedly outweighs the statistical data presented above. Great work there, Tamara!