Issues news

A new legislation was bought into the UK this week in an effort to curb the million-dollar illegal pirating market that “threatens to kill the established music industry”. The “three strikes” policy will essentially make Internet service providers privy to and responsible for the content their customers view and download. Users taking advantage of peer-to-peer technology (downloading music/TV/films etc) will first be issued a warning from the ISP company, further illegal use will see the customer's account suspended and the final strike – for those particularly defiant users – will result in the cancellation of the their Internet account. The Australian government is apparently quite eager to see how the policy unfolds in the UK, with sights on implementing it here. Apparently about one billion songs were traded illegally in Australia last year and, lets face it; you, I and everyone we know is part of that statistic – whether a hardened crim or a poor, music loving uni student. So is this policy too intense (not to mention invasive) or will us filthy pirates just be getting what we deserve?

We're on the lookout for YEN TESTING GIRLS for some of YEN's upcoming eco-features. Testers can be from any part of Australia and should be willing to review a service or product and have a photo of themselves appear in YEN.  The testing features will be similar in style to Turn Your Lights Down Low (Issue 31), and Organic Compulsive Disorder (Issue 30). If you're interested in testing a new product, action or event for us please contact Kristy or Fiona.

Most of us have been chewing on meat from the age of two, so becoming a vegetarian in your 20's is kinda revolutionary to your eating regime. If you're keen to stop eating meat it's probably a lot easier to evolve your eating habits instead of revolutionizing them. Take the PETA pledge to 'Be Veg for 30 days!' All you have to do is hit up PETA, sign the pledge and PETA will send you an email with tips on the best places to eat out, favourite recipes, the tastiest animal-friendly snacks, and the most delicious pre-packaged foods. From my own experience, The Cruelty Free Shop is an awesome source for vego meals - they even sell 'fake' cheese.

As a kid I was sometimes taken to the races. For the most part I loved it but I remember hating the steeplechase; there would almost always be a horse felled by one of the obstacles and consequently carted off to a shrubby enclave in the middle of the track to be put down. While it's commonly known that many of these pre-maturely expired animals end up as dog food, the recent news that purpose-bred racehorses are ending up on dinner plates overseas is a bit more stomach turning. Of the many thousands of thoroughbreds born each year only about two-thirds will race; out of that number most will become injured and many will not run fast enough. That statistic leads to this one: last year 8.5 million tonnes of horse and donkey meat was exported from Australia to Russia, France, Belgium and predominantly; Japan (where raw meat of young horses is considered a delicacy). Gross yeah? To find out more about the less-glitzy side of the racing industry head here.

Part of Yen’s tagline is ‘if you want abs like Calista Flockhart, don’t read our magazine,’ and now, whenever someone asks what Yen is, that is how I describe it. They get it then. So, in my ever present boredom during never-ending uni holidays, I was browsing through Facebook groups and came across this awesome group, that totally relates to that promise. It’s called Beauty vs. Industry and its basic premise is that beauty is about whatever you are, not what modern celeb culture dictates, nor what the latest magazine says. Members of the group do what I did in the picture above. Mine is pretty basic and needs a bit more added to it, but that’s simply what the group does. There are thousands of images, and I find them all so fascinating to see what people are saying about themselves, and emphasizing that they really don’t give a damn about the industry. They are all beautiful. A real pick me up.

I'm sure most of us have either held or been to a "yay my parents are in Europe, let's get trashed"  type of party. Yes, they have been wildly fun and all the more naughty, but hey, at least cop cars haven't been smashed as a result of our crazy antics! Above is ACA's story on the kid who was too 'scene' to put a shirt on or take off his 'famous' sunglasses on air. He was publicly attempting to apologise to 'who -really -knows -who'  for copping a $20 000 fine for acting like a total tool. Not only is this an absolute scream, it's actually really really embarrassing. So fella's if you want to plan a great open house party, humiliate yourself on national television and be grounded for the rest of your life, take advice from this kid; he is clearly the hottest thing around...... NOT.

Whenever the term peer-to-peer is mentioned we think of file sharing our music, movies and software online while occasionally the debate about the moral implications of the free online markets that have been created is raised again. While the debates about the legality and morality of sharing our entertainment raged on the team at Kiva.org realised that a P2P platform was the perfect way to channel loans from the rich to the poor across the globe without the overheads that leave those in need receiving a fraction of the original donation.
Benefactors are able to give loans to struggling businesses that in turn gradually repay their loan, a system that guarantees the working poor are able to gain economic independence. An independence that has enabled those such as Roselyne Namala Makendo (pictured) to expand her grocery store in Kenya to continue supporting her nine children and an invaluable commodity if the gap between the North and the South is ever to be bridged.