Embarrassing as it is to get scooped by the peta2 blog on a story, this news is way too exciting to pass up. After negotiations with PETA, PepsiCo (the multibillion-dollar parent company of the Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Quaker Oats, and Gatorade brands) has pledged to end all animal testing. The company's official statement on the topic is just about as progressive as it gets—both a powerful endorsement of alternatives to animal testing and a strong warning to other companies that they need to embrace these alternatives if they want to survive in the marketplace:

“PepsiCo does not do any animal testing and does not directly fund testing using animals. … Where testing on animals is not required, PepsiCo strongly endorses efficient and effective research that does not include the use of animals. We will encourage our partners to use alternatives to animal testing and share this statement with organizations we believe to be involved in projects potentially involving animal research done on behalf of PepsiCo or with PepsiCo or PepsiCo Foundation funding.”

It goes without saying that this is a big step forward. For some more detailed information on the topic, you can check out PETA's PepsiCo victory feature here. And if all this good news puts you in the mood for some witty banter about vegan cupcakes and dreamy rock stars, you should check out the peta2 blog.

So very recently we revamped the PETA Catalog. Yes, it looks great, and yes, the layout is exceedingly pretty. But whatever. Because there is one massive flaw in the design, which I have brought to the urgent attention of the PETA higher-ups. The image for the lovely "Don't Test on Me" ringer T-shirt, which used to look like this:

now looks like this:

Outraged? Me too. Did they not like my smile? Was there something wrong with my hair? Or were they sooooo busy campaigning to end the suffering of millions of animals in pointless experiments that they didn't have just a few minutes to think about how it would make me feel to be unceremoniously replaced on the screens of countless compassionate T-shirt purchasers with a decapitated, armless torso? It makes me livid to even think about it.