No, this is not an introductory college course on the captive dolphin industry. One hundred and one is the number of dolphins cruelly taken from the wild over a 6-day tragedy in Taiji. I recently wrote to a journalist the following: I know no other cause as worthy of my time as the dolphin cause. It is painful as hell to be a dolphin supporter.
Why is it so painful? When you know that young ones will never see their parents again, your heart breaks. When it happens one hundred and one times, what do you do to mend your broken heart?
To add lasting insult to injury, what do you do when you see the cove turn red because 23 dolphins are being murdered while their family members are swimming nearby, unable to do anything to stop the madness? Again, how do you heal your broken heart?
You write poems. You listen to music. You find joy and laughs when and where you can. And sometimes, you pour your heart out into a blog...
When I was young -- maybe 4 years old, I want to say -- my family and I went to SeaWorld in California. Can I tell you what my favorite memory was going there? It wasn't the show. (And you might argue that's my animal rights activist self re-writing history. No, it's not.)
My favorite memory from that trip to SeaWorld was riding around in a stroller, pushed around by my family. (To be perfectly honest, the simplest things made me happy.)
I would say, if you're a parent or a grandparent, and you're thinking of ways to entertain your children or grandchildren, please -- for the love of dolphins -- do not take them to SeaWorld or any other place where dolphins are held captive, against their will.
Take them to the park. Take them to the mall. Take them to the library. Take them to see a children's theatre production.
But please don't take them to a place that directly or indirectly supports Taiji's captive dolphin trade / slaughter. These places may tell you they oppose drive hunts / drive fisheries; however, by the very nature of holding dolphins in unnatural habitats, the captive dolphin industry fuels what Taiji is doing.
"If you want to know where you would have stood on slavery before the Civil War, don't look at where you stand on slavery today. Look at where you stand on animal rights."
-Captain Paul Watson
Let's not forget that captivity is a synonym for slavery.
Please help my broken heart.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Sunday, December 09, 2012
Grateful
Believe it or not, this blog was unplanned. Nonetheless, it's a blog that I must write. How far do I backtrack? Well, let me just say that I've been vegetarian since March 2010, and I've been vegan since February 2011. In some ways, that doesn't seem very long, but as I've been saying for a long time now, everything happens for a reason.
Fast forward to actual Thanksgiving Day 2012. For those of you who don't know (and that's pretty much everyone except maybe two people), I spent quite a bit of the day planning for an online rally for the dolphins and whales that swim near Taiji, Japan. Now, some of you may think I'm crazy for doing that. Maybe all of you do. But it was worth it to me. And I would do it all over again. That holiday weekend, we saw five straight blue cove days.
Saturday, December 8
So this past week, I had been obsessing over going to The Cinnamon Snail to get a donut – hopefully a jelly donut. I love jelly donuts. I learned that the Snaily (affectionate term for fans of the award-winning food truck) would be at the Vegan Holiday Shop-up in Brooklyn on Saturday. Recently, on Saturdays,the truck has been serving neighborhoods affected by Super Storm Sandy. For FREE. So I've been missing my opportunities to get my favorite ancho chili seitan burger, but I have no reason to complain: I love the fact that they are helping the victims of Sandy get back on their feet. I arrived at the truck a little bit before noon yesterday. I was the first person in a line of one for about half an hour. Okay, yes, that was totally awkward, but once they opened, a long line formed very quickly, and I didn't have to wait in it! Boom. Worth it. I was greeted with a cheerful "Good morning!" and I ordered a Thanksgiving Sandoo, plus two treats, one of which was a cranberry jelly donut!
I briefly popped into Pine Box Rock Shop for a quick look around the shop-up. I've already bought Christmas presents for my family, so I just wanted to see what the vendors were selling, just in case! I then made my way on foot to Dun-well Doughnuts which, by subway, is one L train stop away. But I used the time to stroll and eat and savor my Thanksgiving Sandoo. I normally don't eat while walking, but that sandwich was perfect for multitasking. It held together nicely, and it was OH SO GOOD. It was heaven in sandwich form. Though I brought my camera with me, I didn't take a picture. Sorry. If you're in the NYC area, get the Thanksgiving Sandoo. You will be singing its praises, trust me.
By the time I got to Dun-well Doughnuts, I was so full that I convinced myself to only get one doughnut to go: traditional glazed. After all, I already had two treats from Snaily to eat later. ;)
Sunday, December 9
During my planning for the Vegan Holiday Shop-up, I browsed the website and took a look at all the vendors that would be there. I got really excited when I learned that Chickpea & Olive was among the food vendors! Now, I honestly can't remember how or when I'd first heard of them, but I have indeed. Their logo is adorable. Then I learned that they'd be at Bread and Yoga's Om Grown Market on Sunday, so thankfully my dilemma over which food to eat on which day turned out to be a no-brainer: I could have both Snaily and Chickpea & Olive in one weekend!
I was originally planning to go to a vegan holiday market down in SoHo on Sunday, but once I learned about the holiday market in my own neighborhood, again, it was a no-brainer. You can't beat local.
I made my way around the market and then stood in line at Chickpea & Olive's table. I heard a few people in front of me ordering the grilled cheese sandwich. They had run out of Daiya, so it would be a ten-minute wait. No worries. I already knew I wanted the Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich!
I had a little chuckle when Danielle, the woman who took my order, said "Another Gracias" to Daniel, the chef. Yes, I notice the little things, and even that was appreciated by me.
My order was ready in a few short minutes. There wasn't really anywhere in the market that I could sit down and eat, so I packaged up the sandwich in a "to go" container that I brought with me and took it home.
I devoured the first half of the sandwich in less time than it takes to boil water. I told myself to slow down, waited for my water to boil, and then savored the second half. The sandwich is perfect. In every bite, you get seitan, you get gravy, you get cranberry jam, you get pumpkin. It's a slightly messy but OH SO GOOD sandwich.
Chickpea & Olive, I bow down to you. I support you because you are more than the amazing food you make. You are the only food vendor that I have seen retweet Sea Shepherd's updates about the horrors in Taiji. To me, that means everything. It's nice to know that someone else in NYC cares about dolphins and whales and is making a difference doing something they love.
So again, dear reader, if you find yourself in NYC, please support Chickpea & Olive. Their food is so incredibly satisfying! I am already a fan and look forward to trying more of their creations.
Full of gratitude and full of Thanksgiving leftovers,
Allison
Fast forward to actual Thanksgiving Day 2012. For those of you who don't know (and that's pretty much everyone except maybe two people), I spent quite a bit of the day planning for an online rally for the dolphins and whales that swim near Taiji, Japan. Now, some of you may think I'm crazy for doing that. Maybe all of you do. But it was worth it to me. And I would do it all over again. That holiday weekend, we saw five straight blue cove days.
Saturday, December 8
So this past week, I had been obsessing over going to The Cinnamon Snail to get a donut – hopefully a jelly donut. I love jelly donuts. I learned that the Snaily (affectionate term for fans of the award-winning food truck) would be at the Vegan Holiday Shop-up in Brooklyn on Saturday. Recently, on Saturdays,the truck has been serving neighborhoods affected by Super Storm Sandy. For FREE. So I've been missing my opportunities to get my favorite ancho chili seitan burger, but I have no reason to complain: I love the fact that they are helping the victims of Sandy get back on their feet. I arrived at the truck a little bit before noon yesterday. I was the first person in a line of one for about half an hour. Okay, yes, that was totally awkward, but once they opened, a long line formed very quickly, and I didn't have to wait in it! Boom. Worth it. I was greeted with a cheerful "Good morning!" and I ordered a Thanksgiving Sandoo, plus two treats, one of which was a cranberry jelly donut!
I briefly popped into Pine Box Rock Shop for a quick look around the shop-up. I've already bought Christmas presents for my family, so I just wanted to see what the vendors were selling, just in case! I then made my way on foot to Dun-well Doughnuts which, by subway, is one L train stop away. But I used the time to stroll and eat and savor my Thanksgiving Sandoo. I normally don't eat while walking, but that sandwich was perfect for multitasking. It held together nicely, and it was OH SO GOOD. It was heaven in sandwich form. Though I brought my camera with me, I didn't take a picture. Sorry. If you're in the NYC area, get the Thanksgiving Sandoo. You will be singing its praises, trust me.
By the time I got to Dun-well Doughnuts, I was so full that I convinced myself to only get one doughnut to go: traditional glazed. After all, I already had two treats from Snaily to eat later. ;)
Sunday, December 9
During my planning for the Vegan Holiday Shop-up, I browsed the website and took a look at all the vendors that would be there. I got really excited when I learned that Chickpea & Olive was among the food vendors! Now, I honestly can't remember how or when I'd first heard of them, but I have indeed. Their logo is adorable. Then I learned that they'd be at Bread and Yoga's Om Grown Market on Sunday, so thankfully my dilemma over which food to eat on which day turned out to be a no-brainer: I could have both Snaily and Chickpea & Olive in one weekend!
I was originally planning to go to a vegan holiday market down in SoHo on Sunday, but once I learned about the holiday market in my own neighborhood, again, it was a no-brainer. You can't beat local.
I made my way around the market and then stood in line at Chickpea & Olive's table. I heard a few people in front of me ordering the grilled cheese sandwich. They had run out of Daiya, so it would be a ten-minute wait. No worries. I already knew I wanted the Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich!
I had a little chuckle when Danielle, the woman who took my order, said "Another Gracias" to Daniel, the chef. Yes, I notice the little things, and even that was appreciated by me.
My order was ready in a few short minutes. There wasn't really anywhere in the market that I could sit down and eat, so I packaged up the sandwich in a "to go" container that I brought with me and took it home.
I devoured the first half of the sandwich in less time than it takes to boil water. I told myself to slow down, waited for my water to boil, and then savored the second half. The sandwich is perfect. In every bite, you get seitan, you get gravy, you get cranberry jam, you get pumpkin. It's a slightly messy but OH SO GOOD sandwich.
 |
| Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich from Chickpea & Olive |
So again, dear reader, if you find yourself in NYC, please support Chickpea & Olive. Their food is so incredibly satisfying! I am already a fan and look forward to trying more of their creations.
Full of gratitude and full of Thanksgiving leftovers,
Allison
Sunday, December 02, 2012
A Letter to the International Whaling Commission
Please e-mail secretariat@iwcoffice.org right now. Copy and paste the below and say you support this letter, or write your own, but either way, please demand change for the Bottlenose Dolphins and Pilot Whales, who need us to speak up for them.
Dear Members of the IWC Secretariat,
I have spent quite some time learning about the International Whaling Commission. I understand that, as of now, you do not have protections in place for whales such as the Bottlenose Dolphins and Pilot Whales that are currently netted in Taiji's killing cove in Japan (2 December, 2012). They await their fate in the morning. What is stopping us -- the world -- from saving all whales, regardless of size and regardless of the mouth make-up they have?
Per your website: "The 1946 Convention does not define a ‘whale’, although a list of names in a number of languages was annexed to the Final Act of the Convention. Some Governments take the view that the IWC has the legal competence to regulate catches of only these named great whales (the baleen whales and the sperm whale). Others believe that all cetaceans, including the smaller dolphins and porpoises, also fall within IWC jurisdiction."
Bottlenose Dolphins and Pilot Whales may be "smaller cetaceans," but they are, in fact, whales. I am among the "others" who believe that all cetaceans should be protected for the future of our planet. We are running out of time.
Please do what you can this very moment to urge Japan, a member of the IWC, to end Taiji's dolphin/whale hunts, live capture, and slaughter. This has gone on for far too long.
Respectfully,
Allison Cabellon
New York, NY
Dear Members of the IWC Secretariat,
I have spent quite some time learning about the International Whaling Commission. I understand that, as of now, you do not have protections in place for whales such as the Bottlenose Dolphins and Pilot Whales that are currently netted in Taiji's killing cove in Japan (2 December, 2012). They await their fate in the morning. What is stopping us -- the world -- from saving all whales, regardless of size and regardless of the mouth make-up they have?
Per your website: "The 1946 Convention does not define a ‘whale’, although a list of names in a number of languages was annexed to the Final Act of the Convention. Some Governments take the view that the IWC has the legal competence to regulate catches of only these named great whales (the baleen whales and the sperm whale). Others believe that all cetaceans, including the smaller dolphins and porpoises, also fall within IWC jurisdiction."
Bottlenose Dolphins and Pilot Whales may be "smaller cetaceans," but they are, in fact, whales. I am among the "others" who believe that all cetaceans should be protected for the future of our planet. We are running out of time.
Please do what you can this very moment to urge Japan, a member of the IWC, to end Taiji's dolphin/whale hunts, live capture, and slaughter. This has gone on for far too long.
Respectfully,
Allison Cabellon
New York, NY