MNN - Mother Nature Network

If you're one of those who cringes at pop culture milestones that make you feel old, here's one: Paul McCartney just turned 70. 

 

The former Beatle, however, isn't showing any signs of slowing down, with an upcoming performance at the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics, new tours, and another album planned for 2013. 

 

"If you're enjoying it, why do something else?" he told Rolling Stone back in February. "And what would you do? Well, a good answer is 'Take more holidays,' which is definitely on the cards, but I don't seem to do that. I love what I do so much that I don't really want to stop. I'm just kind of casually keeping an eye on how I feel, and onstage, it feels like it's always felt. So for the time being, the band's hot, I'm really enjoying myself, still singing like I sang, not experiencing — touch wood — any sort of problems to speak of. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

A vegetarian for more than 40 years, McCartney has also been at the forefront of animal rights. Late last year, he released a vegetarian cookbook as a companion guide to the "Meat-Free Mondays" campaign he started in 2009. 

 

"I'm all for any movement in the right direction," he told the UK Guardian. "I'm not black and white. You know, 'He's a baddie if he eats meat'. I'm not all or nothing. With those guys, as you say, the good husbandry is a big side of it. I would go further and say, well then, don't kill 'em, don't eat 'em, perhaps? But the fact they are considering not eating them, one or two days a week, is a move in the right direction."

 

To honor Paul turning 70, PETA UK sent him a special birthday card re-creating the famous Abbey Road cover. This time, however, instead of the Fab 4, we see a fish, pig, chicken and cow carrying signs that spell out ‘Happy Birthday, Paul! Thank You for Loving Us.’

 

“PETA couldn’t be happier to celebrate Paul’s birthday”, says PETA Manager Mimi Bekhechi. “He has done so much to help animals during his legendary career, and we can’t think of a person more deserving of celebration.”

 

PETA UK will also be distributing free copies of its “Glass Walls” DVD, narrated by McCartney, to any fans that might gather on Abbey Road and in Liverpool to honor the musician.