Did you know that June 1st is 'World Milk Day'? Or, as I think it should be called, WMD? I think this acronym is more than suitable because milk is a Weapon of Mass Destruction -- for cows, calves and the environment.

On WMD, let's remember the 1 million bobby calves who were taken from their grieving Mums, only to be slaughtered as 'waste products' of the dairy industry -- so that the milk nature intended for them could be fed to humans...

On WMD, let's spare a thought for the struggling Murray Darling Basin. It takes 200 litres of water to get one glass of milk. Not only is this the driest inhabited continent in the world -- our river systems are at record lows. But I'm taking shorter showers while the dairy industry is draining our waterways!

On WMD, let's think about how we can change things for the better. What better day than World Milk Day to mark the day you ditch dairy?

Going dairy-free is easier now than it's ever been. Every time you choose soymilk, rice milk, soy ice creams, dairy-free cream cheese, whipped 'cream', yoghurts, or any other dairy alternative, you're helping the cows, the environment and yourself!

Here's an amazing recipe to get you started... a non-dairy cheesecake (it's a Weapon of Mass Deliciousness!)

P.S. Did I mention, "Milk is for babies"? Check out our new WMD-inspired banner! Show you care by slapping it on your Myspace, or uploading it to Facebook :)

A couple of weeks ago I started my un-wishlist - all the things I really don't want as presents. First to go on the list was a revolting bathtub covered in cow skin. Well today I stumbled across something else I just had to add to the list:

BK Flame: A body spray by Burger King, which as they describe it captures "the scent of seduction, with a hint of flame broiled meat.". Puke!

That's what I'd call 'date-free deoderant' - for the man who likes to be alone. You know you've hit rock bottom when you stink so bad that smelling like a dead animal from a greasy fast food joint is an improvement! I've got to ask... Girls, do you want your boy to smell like 'flame broiled' animal flesh? I didn't think so!

Personally, the last thing I want is a constant reminder of Hungry Jack's (owned by Burger King), and the fact that the way they treat their animals stinks! Mother pigs in crates so small they can't turn around; piglets having their tales cut off without pain relief; hens in cages where they'll never be able to even stretch their wings... These are just a few of the things that come to mind when I think of Hungry Jack's and just a few of the things I don't want to be thinking about when I'm freshening up for a date.

If you agree that the way Hungry Jack's treats their animals stinks, then sign the petition calling on them to stop caging their animals. You can also print this petition out and get all your mates to sign too.

Have you ever broken a bone? I have, I was 5 and I broke my collar bone at school - YEEEOUCH!! Lucky I'm not a horse, that's all I can say! Because if I was, I wouldn't be here to tell the tale...

We've all seen it far too often. Horse after horse breaking bones from falls in jumps races. These poor guys don't have the luxury of a loving family who'll nurse them back to health. But then, a loving family wouldn't force you to perform a death defying spectacle for their entertainment, now would they?

I wonder what was going through the mind of poor Sirrocean Storm (RIP), when he broke his hind leg in a jumps race at Warnambool, a few weeks ago. I wonder if he dreamt of doing something like this:

...you couldn't blame him if he did!

If you want to help stop horses from being needlessly injured and 'humanely euthanised' please write to the VIC and SA Racing Ministers and tell them to put an end to this unfair abuse of gentle animals.

So I just went out and saw a great movie. I didn't feel much like eating the popcorn though (I'll tell you why in a sec). Believe me, you MUST see Food, Inc. SO it's lucky that we've got 5 double passes to give away!

I don't think I need to tell you how cruel factory farms are. In fact, I'm sure you tell other people about this all the time. And no doubt you've come across at least one person who seemed not to care. Well, maybe they'd care if they knew they might literally be eating sh!t!

I've had the misfortune of visiting a feedlot. I saw how they pile up the dung in the middle of each pen to provide - get this -"enrichment for the cows"! Many of the cows I've seen in feedlots were caked in each others faeces from nose to tail, so it's really no surprise that some of that finds its stinky way into the meat people eat. I know... YUCK! It sounds like I'm making this up, I wish I was. But this is actually a reality! In fact, Food, Inc. features a 2 year old, who died after eating a hamburger infected with E.coli from traces of cow dung in the meat.

Oh yeah, the popcorn. I learnt today that if the massive amount of corn grown isn't used for livestock, it's used for nearly everything else. As high-fructose corn syrup, you can find it in cakes, cheese, yoghurt, Coca-Cola, bread, orange juice, even in batteries and charcoal. They grow too much corn, because of government subsidies and so they end up putting it in charcoal?!? Don't they realise there are people starving in Africa!? And here we all are wondering why people make corny puns, we can't help it - there's an excess of corn to go round!

Even if you've already made the healthy switch to being veg or vegan, there is still so much to learn about the food you consume. There are moments in this film that will have you throwing that popcorn at the screen in frustration, but it's an excellent film and well worth checking out!

If you care about animals, people, the environment or yourself, this film is a must see. And here's how you could WIN a free double pass: Leave a comment below to tell us what makes you hungry for change and you could win! The competition ends next Monday (31/05/10), so be quick if you don't want to miss out!

UPDATE: Congrats to the winners who each get a double pass to see this amazing movie. Well done to sarahwithanh27, Carly, Sammy, Sabavana and Nikkikats. Enjoy watching Food, Inc. (with or without the popcorn)!

I don't know about you but I've always steered clear of 'shoot em up' computer games. Especially ones that glorify killing innocent animals like in Big Buck Hunter. There's one of them at my local pizza place. Nothing turns me off more than seeing someone order a meatlovers pizza before putting a dollar in that gory hunting game to simulate slaughtering deer while they wait for their factory farmed ham to cook on a doughy base. It doesn't make you look tough, boys.

So you can imagine my sheer delight when I met Tofu Hunter!!

You can only progress through this game by meeting your tofu quota, that's a lesson for life I say! Nabbing the soy milk buys you extra time and you get bonuses for seeking out tofu dogs and seitan birds. Who needs a dietician with messages like this from tofu hunters?

Via AdultSwim

It's definitely a 'shoot em up' game, but to me it does represent something more. Because each time someone hunts out the tofu or veggie dogs in the supermarket and buys that over meat, it's a little step closer to ending the misery of animals who are confined for life on factory farms.

And as for my local pizza place, imagine someone ordering a vegie pizza then shooting tofu while they wait  - let me hear you ladies, now that's manly!! Give me a Tofu Hunter any day!

Let's see who can get the highest score!

You'll never forget the first time you see EARTHLINGS.

It's a journey into a world that most people never get to see. Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, EARTHLINGS is the most comprehensive film ever made about the ways people use animals for food, clothing, experimentation and entertainment.

Think you know where pets come from? How cows are turned into leather jackets? Or how meat actually gets from inside a pig and onto a plate? Well most people actually have no idea! And believe me, the truth is more shocking than you could ever imagine.

That's why gutsy filmmakers Nation Earth teamed up with Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator) and platinum-selling record artist Moby to create EARTHLINGS - a wake-up call to all of humankind. Though it took six long years and lots of money to make, the filmmakers believe its message is so important that you can now see the film right now online, for free.

Are you ready for the truth?

To mark the release of EARTHLINGS online, Unleashed is giving away a free EARTHLINGS DVD in original high quality. It could be yours! Just comment below to tell us who in the world would you most like to show EARTHLINGS to, and why?

UPDATE Wow, Earthlings has certainly stirred up the passion in everyone with some amazing and very creative answers. We all agree this incredible movie needs to be shown to everyone from friends and family to Oprah, the Obamas and Kevin Rudd. Ryan wants to travel back in time and show his younger self, while Hayley W wants to show her ethics class. All wonderful ideas and we hope you can do it (Ryan may have a bit of trouble though!). It was a tough decision but Celia won the vote with her poignant answer: "I would like to show it to that little, vulnerable, curious child inside every one of us that does care, that does hear the screaming, that does feel their pain, that does want to and knows that we CAN make a difference". Well done Celia!

And remember, everyone wins here! Because we can all keep sharing this important movie with our friends. The more people that see Earthlings, the better!