The U.S. military has declared war on animals by burning, stabbing, and shooting them in unnecessary training exercises, and it's time to fight back! Animals need you to enlist in the army of animal lovers willing to speak out against these cruel exercises. If you go above and beyond the call of duty for this mission, you'll be in with a great chance to win an iPod shuffle.

Enlist Now
Join the battle for animals by signing our Facebook petition to end military trauma training on animals.

Recruit Your Friends
Click "Ask Friends to Sign" on the petition page to recruit your friends to this cause. The more invites you send out, the more people you will recruit. Tell them how live pigs are shot, stabbed, and burned; live goats have their legs broken with bolt cutters and cut off with shears; and live monkeys are poisoned with harmful chemicals.

Go Home Victorious
The individual who collects the most petition signatures by September 10, 2009 wins the iPod Shuffle. We'll announce the winner on September 14, 2009.

Share the petition on your Facebook wall and everywhere else you can. The harder you fight, the larger the impact you'll make, and the greater the chance is that you'll go home with an iPod in hand.

Please take action today for all the monkeys, pigs, sheep, and other nonhuman victims killed in military training. Humane, responsible training is essential in our effort to work toward a peaceful world. Learn more about this campaign at PETA.org/trauma.

Heads up: By entering the contest you're acknowledging that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy and terms and conditions.

Good luck, soldier!

Thanks for all your wonderful comments on this Win It Wednesday. The winner of the Drinkwell Pet Fountain is Taylor Loscialpo, along with Poopy the cat. Congratulations!

As summer approaches, humans aren't the only ones drinking more water. Our feline friends are sweating too, even if it is only through their paws, and we have a fun way to keep them hydrated and happy: the Drinkwell Pet Fountain.

safepetproducts / CC

In nature, wild cats drink from running streams, so why should their domesticated brothers and sisters have to drink from a stagnating puddle? This water fountain for cats keeps the water moving, which encourages persnickety kitties to drink more and helps them stay healthy.

How do you win? Tell us how your kitty companion changed your life for the better. The most heartfelt comment takes home the prize.

The contest ends on May 20, 2009, and we'll choose the most touching story as the winner on May 22, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

For this week's "Win It" Wednesday, we're calling out Colonel Sanders for Kentucky Fried Cruelty! As you know from our Super Chick Sisters game and The Roost Web series, the farms that supply the Colonel's KFC restaurants raise and kill chickens in horribly cruel conditions. Birds raised for KFC are forced into filthy cages and sheds and are sometimes scalded alive while they are still conscious. It takes a pretty awful mindset to be responsible for this kind of cruelty, so we created an evil Colonel bobblehead figurine to reflect KFC's true nature.

How do you win? Post a comment about what you'd say to Colonel Sanders if he were still around. I know it's difficult, but keep it PG-13 so that we can make sure your comment gets approved. The five people who post the most creative answers will each win a Colonel Sanders bobblehead.

The contest ends on April 29, 2009, and we'll contact the winners on May 1, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

gawker / CC

This week, we're giving away a copy of Majesco's Gardening Mama game for Nintendo DS to celebrate the game's U.S. release. Remember a few months back when we duked it out with Majesco over the lack of vegetarian options in its Cooking Mama game? We showed Mama that a Thanksgiving dinner full of blood, guts, and feathers is not the only option, and we helped her create a delicious vegetarian menu instead.

The new Gardening Mama game helps you plant, raise, and harvest produce in your very own garden. Hopefully, this game will lead to the development of the much-desired Cooking Mama: Vegetarian Kitchen.

How do you win? Post a comment letting us know which video game you'd like to see PETA parody next. The most creative answer will earn a copy of Gardening Mama.

The contest ends on April 15, 2009, and we'll contact the winner on April 17, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

It's that time again—"Win It" Wednesday! What's the prize this week? It's our brand-spanking-new "Mean People Wear Fur" T-shirt, in honor of our equally brand-spanking-new "Stolen for Fashion" PSA.

"Stolen for Fashion" follows an alligator and a bunny (voiced by Pink and Ricky Gervais, respectively) as they confront the people who stole their skins. It's the first and only animal rights video using CGI (computer-generated imagery), so it's pretty special, just like these awesome T-shirts.

The tee comes in milky red and black amethyst, so if you win, you'll have to let us know which color you want, in addition to the size.

How do you win? Leave us a comment letting us know why you think people should only wear their own skin. The three people who post the most creative answers will each take home a "Mean People Wear Fur" T-shirt.

The contest ends on March 25, 2009, and we'll choose the three most creative comments on March 26, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

With the Canadian seal slaughter about to begin, we're doing everything we can to get it stopped. Hundreds of thousands of baby seals are murdered in this annual massacre. Can you imagine the horror a mother seal experiences when her baby's skull is smashed in right in front of her? We can't either, so this week, we're giving away a limited-edition plush seal pup to help remind the world to hug seals, not club them.

Comment below to win or click here to order a baby seal plush now.

How do you win? Post a comment below letting us know what you're doing to help stop the seal slaughter. The response that shows the most initiative will win a plush seal pup.

The contest ends on March 25, 2009, and we'll contact the winner on March 27, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.

Not feeling lucky? You can go ahead and buy a plush pup now. Or two or three. No need to feel guilty for splurging—all the money goes to a good cause!

Posted by Lianne Turner

Happy "Win It" Wednesday to you! With Canada's annual seal slaughter looming this month, we decided that a real hero for seals should be featured in our weekly giveaway. Musician and animal rights activist Morrissey has refused to play shows in Canada until the government agrees to stop letting hunters smash in baby seals' skulls. The former Smiths frontman just released his ninth solo album, Years of Refusal, and we snagged three limited-edition vinyl copies to pass along to you.

How do you win? Post a comment about your favorite thing that Morrissey has done for animals. The three people who post the most heartfelt answers will each win a copy of this limited-edition vinyl.

The contest ends on March 18, 2009, and we'll contact the winners on March 20, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

Happy Win It Wednesday, everyone! All winter long, I've been relying on my handy PETA lip balm kit to fight the drying effects of cold air. This week, you get a chance to win a set of lip balms of your very own.

They come in five fun flavors, so you can choose between "Viva Las Vegans" Vanilla Bean, "Cut Out Animal Experimints" Peppermint, "Go Faux Fabulous" Fruit Smoothie, "Animals Out of the Act" Tangerine, and "PETA Compassion" Fruit, depending on your mood. Or you could just do what I do and throw one in the purse, one in the car, one in the desk drawer, and so on.

How do you win? Post a comment with your idea for a new PETA lip balm flavor—and don't forget to give it a fun animal rights-themed name. The three most creative suggestions will take home the prize.

The contest ends on March 11, 2009, and we'll choose the three best comments as the winners on March 12, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

Judging by the response to our "Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door" contest, neighborhoods across North America are practically infested with nubile young herbivores (I'm sure my neighbors think the same thing every morning when they see me pop out the front door in my footie jammies to grab the paper). Out of hundreds of entries, we've narrowed the field down to 32 finalists—16 lovely young ladies and 16 hunks of (veggie) beefcake.

Just to whet your appetite, here are a couple of sample showdowns between some of the finalists:

The evil geniuses behind Skinny Bitch have yet another convert in Chicago resident Sheena. Since switching to a vegan diet, Sheena reports that she has lost weight and gained energy and stamina. Maybe it's just us, but even her smile looks energetic.

A Minnesota resident who was apparently photographed during warmer months, Amber is a professional photographer who volunteers with a local boxer rescue group. She says she loves knowing that, in addition to making her feel stronger both mentally and physically, her vegetarian diet shrinks her carbon footprint.

Nathan is an avid weekend warrior who credits his vegetarian diet with improving his performance when skiing and playing tennis, beach volleyball, and soccer. The Toronto resident switched to a vegetarian diet while volunteering to help build a school in Ghana, West Africa (awwww), because he couldn't bring himself to even think about eating the farmed animals who lived side-by-side with villagers.

A loan-modification specialist, Chris is a hero not only to animals but also to struggling homeowners. What's not to love? The Oregon native went vegetarian six years ago after reading Diet for a New America by John Robbins and has noticed a marked improvement in his health, including increased stamina, high energy levels, and clear skin.

Post a comment below to let us know who gets your vote—and don't forget to check out the other contestants here.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

It's the second-ever Win It Wednesday here at the PETA Files, and we have a fun one for you this week. To celebrate the launch of McCruelty.com, we're giving away "Unhappy Meals" to 10 lucky commenters. An Unhappy Meal is a lot like a McDonald's Happy Meal—it comes with toys, anyway—but our version also contains a super-sized order of reality at no extra charge. It includes a bloody chick who's so drugged up that he can't stand on his own feet as well as a cow whose throat was cut while she was still conscious—all inside a carton printed with the facts about McDonald's cruelty.

How do you win? Just leave us a comment letting us know what you'd say to Ronald McDonald if you could. I know you'd all like to give him a piece of your mind, but try to keep it PG-13 so that your comment will be approved. The 10 cleverest commenters will receive one of these limited-edition Unhappy Meals.

The contest ends on March 4, 2009, and we'll choose 10 winners on March 5, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

We're giving away a pair of inspirational books written by two leaders who know about making an impact on the world: PETA President Ingrid Newkirk's One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World and the Dalai Lama's Becoming Enlightened. Both offer moving stories and guidance for making the small changes in your life that can make a big change in the world. And because most of us will enjoy a day off on Presidents' Day (another reason why the holiday may be superior to Valentine's Day), what better time is there to settle down for a good, inspiring read and get some tips on taking action to help animals in need?

To enter, leave a comment here and let us know how you plan to create change for animals this year. The contest ends on February 23, 2009, and the most inspiring comment will win. We'll contact the winner on February 24, 2009. Make sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.

So what are you waiting for?

Posted by Liz Graffeo

PETA is psyched to declare today our first-ever Win It Wednesday! Every Wednesday, right here on the PETA Files, we'll have a cool prize up for grabs. All you have to do is post a comment for a chance to win. This week, we're choosing three lucky winners to take home the exclusive PETA Crow and Roach couture T-shirt, which is popping up in all the most fashionable circles these days.

Hip L.A. T-shirt company Spiders & Caviar designed and made this limited-edition shirt especially for PETA. It's super-soft, super-cute, and could be super-free!

How do you win? This shirt reminds us that all animals—even less popular ones such as crows and roaches—are important. What is your favorite animal, and why? Post your answer in a comment to be entered! If you're a winner, we'll also ask you to tell us which style and size T-shirt you prefer.

The contest ends on February 25, 2009, and we'll choose the most endearing comments as the winners on February 26, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

Carey Hart has so many job descriptions that he's practically a one-man employment agency. He's a professional freestyle motocross rider, successful business owner, AMA team owner, and reality TV star, and now he can add one more line to his résumé: anti-fur model for PETA.

That's right! Hart's got heart. He's so passionate about the fur issue that he's starring in our latest "Ink, Not Mink" ad. OK, enough from me, now feast your eyes on this:

Phew, I know, he's definitely easy on the eyes. We've also got some fantastic interview footage in which Carey calls fur-wearers "petty" and "shallow" and also describes how ex-wife, Pink, got him involved in animal rights.

Check it out:

You didn't think that was all we had to offer, did you? Just for a little extra somethin', we're giving away a FOX jersey autographed by Carey himself. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling us what you think about people who wear fur. The contest ends on February 15, 2009, and we'll pick the lucky winner on February 16, 2009. Make sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.

Good luck!

Posted by Christine Doré

Ready for a really cool two-fer? Not only do we have a brand spankin' new veggie testimonial from actor Daniela Sea (who plays transman computer tech Moira/Max Sweeney on Showtime's The L Word), but we also have a season DVD of the hit show that we're really itching to give away. But before we scratch that itch, let's take a look-see at Ms. Sea's testimonial:

"Animals are not ours to torture and dominate," says the longtime vegan. Not one to mince words about the meat industry, Daniela gave us the inside scoop about the three things that made her go vegan in this behind-the-scenes Q&A:

Now back to that itch … All you've got to do to get your hot little hands on this primo prize is focus on another "L" word we all like: "lunch." Just send us a comment telling us about your favorite vegetarian lunch by February 1, 2009, and you could be the lucky duck to walk away with a season of The L Word.

We'll contact the winner by February 2, 2009. Be sure to read the contest terms and conditions and PETA's privacy policy, as you are agreeing to both by leaving a comment. While you're waiting, check out our New Year's Veg Pledge. Daniela would be proud!

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

One of the animals' greatest friends (and one of my heroes), Chrissie Hynde wants you to be in a new Pretenders video.

Ever the activist, Chrissie has found a way to promote animal rights issues—specifically, what happens to animals who are killed for leather—and promote her new song at the same time. The Pretenders are looking for one lucky fan who also happens to also be an animal lover to appear in the official fan video for their new single, "Boots of Chinese Plastic."

To enter, all you have to do is make a YouTube video for the song and show them your "boots of plastic" while you sing your little heart out. Pretty easy, huh? Click here to get all of the details from the woman, the myth, the legend herself.

How cool is that? Being flown to L.A. to appear in a video, just for spreading the word about animals who are killed for fashion—which is something most of you are doing anyway, right? Not a bad deal. And it's not every day that you get the chance to be in a video with an icon. My only problem with this is that I can't enter. But I'm not bitter … honest. Good luck!

latimes / CC

So, we're hosting a contest to find one!

For PETA's Fine Faux Foie Gras challenge, the winning chef must create a purely vegetarian foie gras that must be almost indistinguishable in taste and texture from the real thing. The grand prize winner will win a $10,000 prize and two runners-up will each receive $1,000 worth of professional kitchen equipment.

Click here to check out the full rules and to find out how to enter.

Good luck, and bon appétit.

Posted by Christine Doré

When we first announced our plan to find the "Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier," we meant to end up with just one winner. But how could we come up with just one winner when there are five branches of the military that are equally deserving—and equally sexy?

That's why we've selected one winner each from the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, and Air Force. Of course, we did promise to find the single Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier, so, as much as it pains us, we did have to choose one overall winner—and here he is!

Overall Winner: Erich Allen, Warrant Officer Class 1, representing the U.S. Army

Syracuse-born Erich Allen joined the Army in 2001 and is currently stationed in Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he is attending flight school and earning his degree in History from Columbia College of Missouri. And where does this busy soldier find all his energy? From his vegetarian diet!

"Since I stopped eating meat, I have noticed an increase in my energy and I am able to better control my weight," Erich says. And as for anyone who hasn't yet figured out that the strongest animals on the planet—stallions, elephants, and bulls—are vegetarian, Erich is glad to serve as evidence of the human species' prowess!

And not only is Erich "Army strong," he's also compassionate—his own doggie companion, Vienna, was a stray whom Erich took in and made part of the family. Put that together with his ability to speak German and some Russian as well as his love of the "great outdoors," and you've got somebody who's strong, sweet, smart, and sporty—now that's sexy!

But wait—there's more! Check out the winners from the other branches of the military:

Katie Adams, Petty Officer Third Class, representing the U.S. Coast Guard

Lovely Katie, pictured here, is stationed in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. She has been a vegetarian ever since she watched a documentary on, as she says, "how they torture animals" before killing them for human consumption, and it made her "totally disgusted." On the other hand, she thinks that being a vegetarian "is the sexiest thing ever besides fighting for our country."

Bob Lucius, Lieutenant Colonel, representing the U.S. Marine Corps

Bob, who is currently assigned as the Assistant Provost and Dean of Students for the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, California, recently returned from a three-year assignment as the Naval and Marine Attaché in Hanoi, Vietnam. He has been a vegetarian ever since the life-changing experience of seeing a dog slaughtered for food in a Vietnamese café and now volunteers at the Monterey County SPCA. He was also active in advocating for California's Proposition 2.

Jane Taylor, Lieutenant, representing the U.S. Navy

Jane had been stationed in California, Washington state, and Hawaii before resigning her commission as a Naval Officer in September 2008 to pursue a career in animal rescue—and not just any career! Jane has since set sail on the Steve Irwin as part of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. That's right, Sea Shepherd—the same rockin' folks we all love watching on Whale Wars! Now that's sexy—a 13-year-vegetarian who uses her abilities to go out and actively, physically save those whales.

Gina Lewis, Second Lieutenant, representing the U.S. Air Force

Gina, who is stationed in Hurlburt Field, Florida, has been a vegetarian since the age of six—that's right, six—when she realized that Bambi and his mother were no different from the other animals killed for food. Even though many people told her that she wouldn't be able to maintain her vegetarian lifestyle in the military, Gina not only graduated from boot camp as a Distinguished Honor Graduate—because of her high fitness scores—but also went on to complete four marathons! She is the guardian of two animals (both rescues), has rescued animals at every duty assignment, and hopes to convince the Air Force to switch to leather-free combat boots. And if that weren't enough, she's also a former model—how could anyone argue with this kind of sexy?

Congratulations to our five sexy winners! They will each receive a basket of yummy vegan goodies, as well as a PETA T-shirt—so, ya know, the next time someone dares to doubt their vegetarian sexiness, they'll be able to say, "See this T-shirt? I happen to be the sexiest vegetarian in the whole [insert military branch]. So there!"

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Some celebrities who are hooked on rescued mutts include Sandra Bullock, Simon Cowell, Kristen Bell, and—hopefully—even the next president of the good ol' U. S. of A. And according to ecorazzi, actor Kate Bosworth is so used to sharing her sheets with her mixed-breed rescue dog that any man who can't deal with those sleeping arrangements will find himself bounced. Of course, mutts are so cute that it's hard to resist a snuggle.

Even if you're not a star—and so many of us aren't these days—you can still get in on the mutt-loving action by entering your mixed-breed dog in PETA's Cutest Mutt Alive contest. PETA is celebrating mutts because they are typically healthier and live longer than their purebred cousins who are pumped out by puppy mills and other breeders. Plus, every mutt is one of a kind!

Posted by Jeff Mackey

Stumped about what to wear for Halloween? Forget trying to hustle up some horror out of a hockey mask, and for the love of all that is unholy, please leave that tired old Scream costume in the attic where it belongs. If you really, really want to scare the hell out of people this year—go as one of the Trollsen Twins!

Pelt-wearing party girls who don't give a crap that animals are gassed, electrocuted anally and vaginally, and skinned alive for their fur, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are a truly gruesome twosome. So, with Halloween creeping around the corner and our Trollsen Twins campaign in full swing, we thought, "Why not make Hairy-Kate and Trashley masks?" Then we thought some more and said, "Hmmm, why not give 10 of these terrifying things away?" Which is where you come into the picture: Just send us a comment telling us about your best Halloween costume by October 12, 2008, and you could be one of the lucky stiffs to walk away with either a Hairy-Kate or Trashley mask.

We'll contact the winners by October 13. Heads up, though: We can only send masks to people in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. … but that doesn't stop us from spreading the "troll-y" love—you can print your own mask here.

Be sure to read the contest terms and conditions and PETA's privacy policy before you comment. By commenting, you're acknowledging you agree to them both.

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

whatsupdownsouth / CC

However, some people think that some of our campaigns "cross the line." Hmmm, if you were in a battle for your life—as the billions-with-a-"b" of animals in slaughterhouses, on fur farms, in laboratories, and in circuses are—wouldn't you want a defender to come to your rescue who is mighty ferocious and not afraid to take some flak? Well, in 28 years, PETA has never backed down from a fight. And believe you me, we can take a hit. Lawsuits, federal investigations, infiltrators, slanderous news articles … the list go on. Yet we're stronger than ever in our relentless battle for what's right, and we're gaining momentum every day.

From the boardroom to the classroom, we employ every tactic and tool we can get our eager hands on in the defense of animals, so send us your ideas and we might add 'em. Now, maybe you've only heard about the colorful tactics we use to catch the media's attention, but that's only a fraction of what we do. Here's a quote from PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk:

Few people know the depth of our work, as it is mostly our stunts that make the news. While cruelty to animals is a serious matter that should elicit widespread public outrage, efforts to reach the public through more serious means often fall on deaf ears in a world in which sex sells and there are both a war and an economic downturn. . . . Forgive us our bikinis and our shock tactics, but our message that all beings—both human and nonhuman—deserve compassion and respect is one that we must work hard to make heard.

So, in celebration of our anniversary, we decided to give y'all some free goodies for showing us your stuff. Here's the contest—let us know your favorite PETA victories (you can totally cheat by going to this heartwarming site), and you'll be entered to win a copy of the acclaimed documentary I Am an Animal on DVD. It answers quite a few questions about PETA and our tireless president that you might have had—and it just might get ya fired up enough to join us! If so, we've got a bikini with your name on it!

You can comment until September 4, 2008, to win the DVD. We will contact the winner on September 5, 2008. Be sure to read the contest terms and conditions and PETA's privacy policy before you comment—you're acknowledging that you have read and agree to both by leaving a comment.

Posted by Missy Lane

i76 / CC

So we wrote and explained that encouraging teenagers (or anyone!) to hurt and kill even the smallest life form "just for fun" can desensitize them to suffering in general. Besides, all insects, like them or not, play a role in our ecosystem. And there's also the small matter of health risks like allergic reactions, nausea, and gastrointestinal distress—humans, you may realize, are not meant to eat giant hissing cockroaches.

Six Flags agreed! Six Flags public relations manager Sue Carpenter said, "We're on to other Fright Fest events that do not include any living creatures!"

Roller coasters, Halloween, and no harm to animals? Sounds great to me!

We're so glad that Six Flags has decided to pursue only animal-friendly events that we're sending a small token of our appreciation to Ms. Carpenter—a box of vegan chocolate roaches—completely cruelty-free, maybe a little bit scary, and 100 percent delicious.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Gossip gurus are all worked up over recent rumors that PETA supporter Jenna Jameson is pregnant. Jenna recently stripped down to her birthday suit and slipped beneath the sheets (again, which you can win!) to appear in our new animal birth control ad.

Jenna definitely knows a thing or two about birth control—and she understands the necessity of birth control for animals too. Why is it so important? She says:

Until dogs and cats can go on the pill or wear condoms, we need to help them practice safe sex—by spaying and neutering. Millions of homeless animals are turned in to shelters every year because there simply aren't enough good homes for them all. The answer is as easy as ABC: Animal Birth Control, which means get your Fido of Fluffy fixed!

Jenna can decide for herself whether or not she has the time, love, patience, money, and desire to have a baby—animals cannot.

You can comment until August 29, 2008, to win Jenna's autographed sheets (how hot is that?). We will contact the winner on September 3, 2008. Be sure to read the contest terms and conditions and PETA's privacy policy before you comment—you're acknowledging that you have read and agree to both by leaving a comment.

Sexy and blogger aren't two words that you often find in the same sentence. That's not to say that there aren't sexy bloggers (and don't forget the vloggers) out there—because there are—but some people still picture those of us who do anything remotely tech related as more homely than hot.

Let's prove them wrong!

PETA here's to bring all you sexy bloggers out of hiding to show the world that we really do exist. So stop checking your Technorati rank or page views for two seconds, and enter our first-ever Sexiest Vegetarian Blogger contest.

No, you don't have to submit a picture of yourself scantily clad or in a provocative pose, and you don't have to look like a wanna-be model who's pretending to be deep in thought. We're just looking for normal vegans and vegetarians who write blogs and—you know—are ridiculously good looking.

Use the form below to nominate yourself or another sexy vegetarian blogger that you know for a shot at the title. The winner will receive a snazzy banner for their blog and a certificate announcing the win. Since I'm a PETA employee, I probably can't enter, so that means someone else out there in the blogosphere still has a chance. But I wouldn't be mad at you for nominating me...

Sorry! The entry round is over. Stay tuned to The PETA Files to learn more about the finalists and winners.

Posted by Amy Cook from the VegCooking Blog

Back when I was coming up, we didn’t need all these whistles and bells to enter a good, ol’ fashioned video contest. We’d just throw on our Sunday best, cue up the Kodak Super 8, and make ourselves a video. And a damn fine video it would be. But apparently that’s not good enough for kids today. They won’t do a video contest unless there’s a famous pop star standing by to judge it. And if there’s no chicken costume for a prize, well, they turn their noses up at it. Is what they do.

Actually, this is starting to sound pretty sweet. More details at peta2.com.

I’m just going to come out and say this: PETA is offering 1 million dollars (say it in your best Dr. Evil voice) to the first team of scientists that can develop a method to produce commercially viable quantities of in vitro (lab-grown) chicken meat.

The figure was reached by a team of math nerds working in PETA’s basements who have determined that 1 million is actually very close to the number of chickens killed every hour in the United States—so there’s a nice element of symbolism to the offer as well. But symbolism aside—we’re deadly serious about helping to fund developments in this new science, which has the potential to end the suffering of literally billions of animals if a commercially viable lab meat is made available. As PETA President Ingrid Newkirk puts it:

"People are surprised to learn that PETA is interested in lab-grown meat, but we have overcome our own revulsion at flesh-eating to champion a breakthrough that will mean a far kinder world for animals. One million dollars is a lot of money, but it's a small price to pay for something that has the potential to save about 1 million lives every hour."

To qualify for the prize, scientists in the field must be able to produce a quantity of meat that is sufficient to market in at least 10 U.S. states at a price that is competitive with prevailing chicken prices.

There’s plenty more information on our contest page. Once you’ve had a look at it, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from both vegetarians and meat-eaters—would you eat lab meat?