Gulf Oil Spill: How you can help...

Photograph by Sean Gardner, Reuters

For anyone interested in helping out with the oil spill disaster, here are a few organizations that have set up oil spill relief funds.

Greater New Orleans Foundation – Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund
National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Emergency Fund
(You can also donate $10 by texting "WILDLIFE" to 20222)
Oxfam America Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response Fund
United Way Greater New Orleans Gulf Oil Spill Fund

And check to see if your employer will match your donation.

It has been estimated that the spill is already far larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill from 1989.
BP spill vs Exxon spill comparison chart.
NY Times article on the rate of oil flow into the gulf

More info on the oils spill and how you can help:
EPA
The Daily Green
Deepwater Horizon Response
Google News
National Wildlife Federation
NY Times
Oil Spill Volunteers
Take Part
White House

Chickens wear sweaters?

Photograph by Debora Durant

I had no idea

This post, on the Berrocco Blog, describes Mo Rocca's appearance on the NPR show Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. Mo mentions that he hates handmade sweaters because they are always itchy. Of course someone started a Ravelry thread And of course several people have set out to make Mo a non-itchy sweater to prove him wrong. But what triggered Mo to confess his dislike for handmade sweaters? That's right folks sweater wearing chickens.

Raveler JoniMarie described the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me discussion in more detail:

"They were talking about the woman who has launched an effort to knit sweaters for hens without feathers. Hens kept in industrial egg-laying facilities are so stressed they lose their feathers. When they can’t lay anymore, some people
rescue them and they need sweaters. His comment came up in this context."

My mind is officially blown.

Hear the segment of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me

Visit Little Hen Rescue [sweater pattern] to find out more about hen resuce and to find the pattern for a chicken sweater (this is the organization mentioned on WWDTM)

For more instructions on chicken sweaters visit Invisible Voices