As you may know, we’re launching the first-ever worldwide virtual anti-fur protest within the virtual community Second Life in conjunction with Stella McCartney this week. It all kicks off today, in fact, so I wanted to give you a quick recap of what’s going on, along with some exciting new additions . . .

It’s going to be amazing, with a full schedule of exciting events all taking place on the newly created PETA/Stella McCartney island. The island, inspired by the English countryside, will feature roller skate, bicycle and rowboat rentals, a topiary maze where you can get massages and check out Stella’s new organic and cruelty-free CARE skin care line. Entertainment will be provided by live dj sets and of course, food will be available through Linda McCartney veggie burgers stands. Both Stella and PETA will have dedicated tree-houses, where visitors can check out Stella’s latest fashion shows and see PETA’s most recent anti-fur ad campaign images, anti-fur videos and a PETA 25th anniversary birthday cake. And there will be a contest for the best new anti-fur slogan based around the iconic PETA tagline “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur.”

OK, so all of that stuff is pretty cool, and none of it has ever been done before in the animal rights movement. But check out these exciting addions: a virtual naked Pam Anderson photo-op, a screening of Pam’s KFC video and check this out, a screening of the new video for Paul McCartney’s song ‘Dance Tonight’.

Here’s the full schedule of events and activities. The first schedule is for US visitors and the second for UK/European visitors.

US Schedule (eastern standard time)

Daily

Protest marches take place at 8am and 1pm.

Thursday 12th July:

12 Noon: Island opens

1pm: Competition for guests to create the best anti fur slogan, based around the iconic PETA slogan ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ launches.

2pm - 6pm: Outdoor celebration and picnic to celebrate the island launch.

Tuesday 17th July

2pm: Pamela Anderson will make a guest appearance on the island for one hour. Pamela will pose naked for a photo op behind a ‘rather go naked than wear fur’ banner and then visit the PETA tree house to introduce her PETA Kentucky Fried Cruelty video.

Thursday 19th July

2pm: Screening of the new Paul McCartney video for ‘Dance Tonight’

Saturday 21st July

2pm: Wheelbarrow race.

Sunday 22nd July

2pm: Winner of anti-fur slogan competition announced:

The best 3 slogans will win Stella McCartney prizes. First prize: 2 tickets to the Spring Summer 2008 fashion show in Paris in October. Second prize: a Fall / Winter Appaloosa bag. Third prize: a full set of CARE by Stella McCartney, the first luxury organic skincare line, containing 100% organic active ingredients.

Monday 23rd July

9am: Winning anti-fur slogans uploaded in main island areas.

Friday 27th July

2pm: Sack race.

Sunday 29th July

7am: Final protest. Island closes with a celebratory wrap party with live dj.

UK/Euro Schedule (Greenwich Mean Time)

Daily protest marches take place at 13.00 and 18.00 (GMT).

Thursday 12th July:

17.00 (GMT) Island opens

18.00 (GMT) competition for guests to create the best anti fur slogan, based around the iconic PETA slogan ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ launches.

19.00 - 23.00 (GMT) outdoor celebration and picnic to celebrate the island launch.

Tuesday 17th July at 19.00 (GMT)

Pamela Anderson will make a guest appearance on the island for one hour. Pamela will pose naked for a photo op behind a ‘rather go naked than wear fur’ banner and then visit the PETA tree house to introduce her PETA Kentucky Fried Cruelty video.

Thursday 19th July at 19.00 (GMT)

Screening of the new Paul McCartney video for ‘Dance Tonight’

Saturday 21st July at 19.00 (GMT)

Wheelbarrow race.

Sunday 22nd July at 19.00 (GMT)

Winner of anti-fur slogan competition announced:

The best 3 slogans will win Stella McCartney prizes. First prize: 2 tickets to the Spring Summer 2008 fashion show in Paris in October. Second prize: a Fall / Winter Appaloosa bag. Third prize: a full set of CARE by Stella McCartney, the first luxury organic skincare line, containing 100% organic active ingredients.

Monday 23rd July at 14.00 (GMT)

Winning anti-fur slogans uploaded in main island areas.

Friday 27th July at 19.00 (GMT)

Sack race.

Sunday 29th July at 12.00 (GMT)

Final protest. Island closes with a celebratory wrap party with live dj.

I'm not quite prepared to kiss and make up with Madonna after December's chinchilla coat debacle, but it does seem like she's beginning to make some efforts to quench her bloodlust a little bit—starting with a commitment to stop shooting at birds. Under the compassionate influence of her good friend Stella McCartney, Madonna has evidently decided to stop renting out her estate in Wilts for hunting parties; she had already given up hunting herself after one of the birds she had shot took a long time to die. As she put it:

"It wasn't dead. Blood was gushing from its mouth and it was struggling up this hill and I thought, 'Oh God, I did that. I haven't shot since."

Anyway, as I said, I'm not exactly ready to hold a parade in her honor yet, but this does seem like a promising start. As many of you probably know, I was recently named a co-winner of Time magazine's 2006 "Person of the Year" award, so I'm hoping that Madonna will pay more attention to me this time and give up the fur for good.