The circus is in town

October 8, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Last weekend, the Northwest Animal Rights Network held peaceful demonstrations in Kent, WA, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This weekend, we’ll be doing the same thing in Everett.

This style of circus reeks of colonialism and is a throwback to Victorian times, when swindlers like Ringling, Barnum, and Bailey first got started. P.T Barnum was a money-grubbing showman who’s known for saying “there’s a sucker born every minute.” He promoted blackface minstrel shows and got away with exploiting animals, women, minorities, little people, people with health issues, and anyone else he could make a buck off.

These days at Ringling, only the animals are allowed to suffer.

Ringling will tell you (as they do on their site) that they provide excellent care for their animals and that the animals are ambassadors for their wild counterparts. However, there’s no denying that Ringling had to pay the largest fine for animal abuse in US history ($270,000) for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

No matter how the animals are treated, here’s one thing I stand by: Wild animals don’t belong in circuses. They’re not here for our amusement. They don’t deserve to be caged and carted around, forced to perform 11 months a year, and beaten into submission (that’s essentially how one “trains” an elephant).

Seeing an elephant balance on her hind legs teaches me nothing about how they behave in the wild. I guarantee that bears don’t want to ride bikes, and tigers never line up to jump through fiery hoops. Circuses are bad for animals, and not safe for spectators.

If the circus comes to your town, find something else to do. I can think of at least 10 ideas:

Spend the day riding roller coasters
Ride your bike, go for a hike, or fly a kite
Two words: Go carts!
Catch that blockbuster film you’ve been wanting to see
Visit an animal sanctuary
Go to the beach
Attend a sporting event
See your favorite band in concert (or check out the symphony)
Spend the day at a flea market or craft fair
Take a cooking class
Go kayaking (or swimming–if you fall out)

Or, go to a circus–a circus that doesn’t exploit animals! Cirque du Soleil and other acrobatic, theatrical shows are exciting and showcase very talented humans–who aren’t enslaved, and actually like what they do!

What are you going to do instead of going to a circus with animals?

Walk for Farm Animals 2013

September 23, 2013 by Jean Coburn

This past Saturday was the Seattle Walk for Farm Animals, organized by Farm Sanctuary. About 120 people raised funds for America’s largest farm animals sanctuary (although it looked like a lot more were in the walk). Together, we raised almost $11,000–just shy of our goal.

Animal advocates in the Walk for Farmed Animals (photo courtesy of Paul Litwin)

We met at Green Lake, a beautiful Seattle park with a 2.8 mile path around a lake. Despite rain in the forecast, we had a beautiful, sunny day. My friend Shelly and I got to carry the event banner! I felt like I was in a parade. The walk was a great opportunity to honor farm animals–both the ones who are rescued and the ones who’ve lost their lives because of people’s desire for animal flesh.

Several people gave us a “thumbs up” or peace sign. Many more were learning for the first time that there are people who care about all animals and who don’t want to eat them.

Barb helped distribute posters for people to carry in the walk

When we finished the walk, the Green Lake Community Center was set up for us with a delicious, filling buffet, live music by Gary Finkelstein, and a slide show of rescued farm animals.

Many thanks to Mighty-O, Violet Sweet Shoppe, Araya’s, Veggie Grill, Pizza Pi, Field Roast, and all the other businesses that donated vegan eats for the hungry walkers.

I’m glad I bought raffle tickets before the walk. I ended up winning a beautiful faux leather bag by Susan Nicole! There were many other prizes too, like dog treats by Adventure Days, pet portraits by Vegan Me, and a mini vacation at Someday Farm Vegan B&B.

The walk was a wonderful time for community with like-minded people and a chance to help support a great organization. I’m looking forward to next year!

Gearing up for Farm Sanctuary’s Walk for Farm Animals

September 8, 2013 by Jean Coburn

In less than two weeks, September 21st to be exact, the 2013 Walk for Farm Animals comes to Seattle. The event is organized by Farm Sanctuary, the largest farm animal shelter in North America. Farm sanctuary’s mission is to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living.

That’s why I’ve joined the event and have started raising funds for the cause. The purpose of my blog isn’t to solicit money, but if you’re interested in donating to a great cause, I’d love that! Of course if you’re in the area (or in a participating city), you’ll probably have fun joining the event and raising your own pledges.

I’m walking for Mesa, a friendly hen who escaped the brutal world of cock-fighting; for Winston, a scared piglet who escaped a live market in New York City; for Mark, a lamb who was sick and headed to slaughter; and for Michael, a dairy calf who was on his way to becoming veal.

There are many other stories like the ones above, and that’s why I support Farm Sanctuary (I even have a Farm Sanctuary credit card, so a small portion of my purchases can help animals).

Won’t you walk with me?

Japan Dolphin Day

September 6, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Today is Japan Dolphin Day and more than 16,000 people are joining 117 events all over the world to raise awareness of the annual dolphin hunting season that started on September 1st in Taiji, Japan.

Every year, thousands of dolphins are captured and slaughtered in Taiji, by a small group of fishermen. For too long, this information was kept from the Japanese public and the rest of the world. The Oscar-winning documentary, The Cove, brought the horrors to light a few years ago.

We marched from Westlake Plaza, an outdoor square in downtown Seattle, to the Japanese Consulate a few blocks away. At the consulate, we held signs for passers-by and handed out literature to raise awareness of the issue. Some people knew, others were shocked by what they learned.

Dolphin meat isn’t a profitable venture, but the fishermen in Taiji can make a killing by selling live dolphins to marine parks around the world. For every performing dolphin, 17 of his friends and family are killed. Incredibly, dolphin trainers are in the boats with fishermen, picking the best candidates for marine parks. The rest are slaughtered.

Dolphin meat, isn’t healthy or safe (it’s loaded with mercury and PCBs) but it’s distributed to children in the school lunch program anyway.

The Japanese public hadn’t been aware of these atrocities until recently. Now that they know, they’re starting to do something. Brave activists from Japan and other countries are in Taiji now, protesting the slaughter. It’s especially significant that concerned Japanese are joining the efforts. Their culture doesn’t encourage speaking one’s mind, protesting in the streets, and questioning the government. But they are, and I applaud them.

Back in Seattle, far from Taiji, we showed our support for the activists in Japan and let the Japanese government know that we do not condone this abuse of our friends of the sea.

Resources

Save Japan Dolphins – A project by Earth Island Institute (with info on how to take action)
The Dolphin Project – Former Flipper trainer Ric O’Barry’s site (with info on how to help)
The Cove Movie – Eye-opening documentary about the slaughter in Taiji
Digital Journal – Article in the news about activists in Japan

A Plum good vegan blogger brunch

August 11, 2013 by Jean Coburn

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Celeste from Honk if You’re vegan, and her husband Paul. I’d know of them only online but suggested a get together when I found out they were coming to Seattle.

Luckily Celeste chose to meet me at Plum Bistro, one of my favorite vegan restaurants. I invited a couple of other local vegan bloggers, Megan and Molly, and we turned brunch into an impromptu blogger meetup!

Celeste and her husband were so wonderful. It felt like we’d known each other for years. We chatted about blogging, vegan things, travels, and had a great time.

Our food was amazing too. Plum never disappoints, whether you get banana hotcakes…

tofu benedict…

portobello cake tartine…

or a spinach asparagus crepe.

Time flew by and it was time for Celeste and Paul to head out. I really appreciated that they took time from their busy travel schedule to meet virtual strangers! I’ll repay the favor by visiting them next time I’m in SoCal!

Running of the bulls

July 8, 2013 by Jean Coburn

It’s time again for another blood ~~sport~~ bath. Every summer from July 6th to 14th, the San Fermin Festival takes place in Pamplona, Spain. It’s a festival honoring Saint Fermin, a 3rd Century Roman who converted to Christianity.

Sadly, the festival revolves around the running of the bulls. Every morning bulls are forced onto slippery cobblestone streets filled with thousands of crazed revelers. As fireworks and explosives go off, the terrified animals run through a cordoned off section that creates a chute of sorts. The route leads to a bull ring, where they will be tortured and killed.

The festival is steeped in tradition related to transporting bulls to market. Today, it attracts stupid (mostly) men, many of them tourists, who think running among terrified animals makes them macho. It’s not brave or masculine. It’s shameful.

Many Spaniards oppose this cruelty. This year, animal rights activists from PETA UK and Spain’s Anima Naturalis joined forces to demonstrate against the barbaric practice. They stood in coffins (representing the 48 bulls that will be killed during the festival) to protest.

The San Fermin festival attracts thousands of tourists to watch the bull runs. Bull fighting is actually on the decline but tourism keeps it alive. When travelling, stay far away from bull fights and other forms of cruelty and vote with your dollar. Spain is a beautiful country so enjoy the scenery, hospitality, dance, art, architecture, nature and beaches instead.

Benjamin Zephaniah, writer and poet, says it best: “Tourists who participate in the run or visit Pamplona simply to watch it contribute to the carnage. Every shared tapa, every cerveza, every booked hotel room and balcony bolsters the killing. As long as the city makes money off the event, bulls will continue to suffer and die.”

The festival isn’t really about the saint behind the name. If a raucous drink-fest is what people are looking for, there are lots of ways to do that, from dance clubs in Ibiza to music festivals. At least at La Tomatina, animals aren’t involved, although throwing tomatoes around is a waste of good food.

In a fun 21st Century take on a cruel tradition, New Orleans has their own running of the bulls festival, where roller derby skaters from the Big Easy Rollergirls league play the part of bulls. You can run down the street and get knocked over by a derby player. Drink, sing, dance and no animals get killed! In fact, part of the proceeds from the event support Animal Rescue New Orleans.

There’s always a way to keep traditions alive with new, fun versions of outdated cruel practices. Last year 12,000 participants were chased by over 350 RollerBulls!

March to close all slaughterhouses

June 17, 2013 by Jean Coburn

This past Saturday, several cities around the world marched to close all slaughterhouses: Paris, Toulouse, London, Istanbul, Houston, San Diego, Zagreb, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Perth, Florence, and Toronto. My mom joined in the Toronto march.

Compassionate protesters (my 61-year-old mom is on the right — her first demo!)

The Toronto march started at a city park, wove through the streets and ended at one of Toronto’s slaughterhouses (it’s not called Hogtown for nothing). I imagine emotions ran high at the site of the building where 6000 pigs die each weekday.

The march was organized with four tenets:

Because oppression, living conditions and slaughter cause immense suffering to animals
Because meat production is destroying our planet and our health
Because eating animal products is not necessary
Because sentient beings should not intentionally be mistreated or killed

The food industry is the largest contributor of animal exploitation, abuse and death but most people condone it through their dollars and their diets. The abuse goes on behind closed doors–literally. We’re not supposed to see it.

The marchers show what the meat industry tries to hide

Animals raised for food have a nightmarish existence. Confined, castrated, de-horned, debeaked, injected with hormones and antibiotics, and finally shipped to a house of horrors, where they see, hear, and smell other animals dying all around them before they too are killed.

The animal rights movement is part of a greater social justice movement. People need to speak up for injustices, and that’s exactly what they did on June 15th, all around the world. They marched to raise awareness and be a voice for the voiceless.

Speaker Robert Caine and my mom met after the march

When we stop viewing animals as commodities and start seeing them as individuals with the right to live free from exploitation, it’s a no-brainer.

A memorial to slaughtered animals marked the entrance to the slaughterhouse

The best part about this cause is that the solution is right in front of us. It’s healthy and delicious and easy to do: adopt a plant-based diet.

The people in the march were a cross-section of society. They came from all classes, ages, genders, political leanings and beliefs. Animal abuse is something everyone can do something about.

Compassion starts at a young age–don’t suppress it!

Each year, 60 billion land animals and 1,000 billion water animals are killed for humans. It’s staggering to think about. It’s cruel and unnecessary. By changing to a vegan diet you can save about 100 animals a year. This makes a difference. It adds up. Animals matter.

The message is simple and powerful: Go vegan!

I hope Seattle has a march next year so I can join too and speak up for those who can’t.

Vegan fashion at the VVC gala

June 13, 2013 by Jean Coburn

One of the highlights of Vida Vegan Con was the gala and silent auction many of us attended on the Saturday evening, smack in the middle of the conference. The gala was an even that raised money for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, a home for chimps saved from the biomedical industry.

One of the highlights of the gala was seeing everyone dressed so stylishly. I snapped a few pictures. It’s just a sampling of the people in attendance. I wish I could have documented them all.

First I stopped this lovely couple on their way into the event. They aren’t bloggers but they’re friends of bloggers and supporters of the chimp sanctuary. I love her strapless dress, sparkly shoes, and the adorable bow on her belt. His shirt and tie combo is fantastic (nice pattern mixing), and so are his slim-cut trousers and low-profile shoes.

Next I stopped Taylor from Tacoma who writes Hot Piece of Class. She also had sparkly shoes and a skinny gold belt (I see a theme) but her look was completely different. She looked great throughout the conference and I wish I’d gotten more pictures of her.

Rebecca, the next woman I stopped, was just as stylish. Her neutral outfit set off with wine colored tights and a blue cardigan. You can tell by people’s outfits that spring evenings in Portland are cool. Luckily the people are cooler!

I was so enamored with those gray booties that I snapped a close-up of them, along with a yellow pair of heels someone had on. Both are wedges but they’re nothing alike. Proof that there’s a huge variety of wedges out there. They both look comfortable, stable, and stylish.

The person wearing those cute yellow wedges was looking stylish from the ankles up too. She had on a great faux-leather jacket and skinnies. After I took her picture she pointed out that her collar isn’t part of a shirt, but rather a collar necklace. What a great way to change up an outfit!

Meet Joe and Sadie, the stars of The Intrepid Herbivores, a vegan TV show about travel and food. Their show is fun and funny and is a great way to learn about how to travel vegan-style. Check out their site, “like” them on Facebook, and look for them on TV in the near future. I just saw a screening of their pilot and I can’t wait for more.

Oh, and don’t they look great? Sadie managed to match her scarf to her hair (possibly a coincidence). If I had a utility belt purse like hers it would have saved me from juggling my clutch, camera and glass of wine. Joe made his look unique with a utilikilt and combat boots.

Intrepid Herbivores

I approached Staci and Justin as they basked in the warm glow of a heat lamp. They’re another example of two people who look fabulous on their own but together really turn heads. I love the statement necklace Staci chose and her bold combination of gray and orange. Justin has a monochromatic look with a great tie. He let his style shine through with the checkered Vans.

Staci was nice enough to get in touch with me after the gala. She sent me a couple of other pictures that really show off her look. She’s not a blogger, but she could be. She knows how bloggers like to list brands so she sent me a list. Her dress is H&M, her shoes are Madden Girl, and the necklace is from Nordstrom. Justin is wearing a Van Heusen shirt and tie, Dockers, and Vans. Both of them prove that you can look like a million without spending it.

I stopped one last group at the gala. They all had such great style! The woman on the left in the elegant halter dress is Kendra Peterson of Biting the Hand that Feeds You (Thanks Sarah, for providing that info!). Next to her, in the slinky, one-shouldered dress, is Sarah of Bentoriffic. Sharon, in the tomato-red and black ensemble is half of Big City Vegan, a site she runs with her sister. Finally, with the amazing purple flower in her hair and black lace overlay dress, is the one and only Super Diva (AKA Dawn). They all have great stories to share and I encourage you to check out their blogs.

They also were nice enough to remind me that no one had taken my picture. Dawn offered. Thank you Dawn! I’ve had this dress for a few years but it hasn’t made it to my blog until now. I got it at Fashion Crimes in Toronto. My Shoes are by Hot Lips and my empty cage necklace (perfect for the occasion) is from The Sapphire Bee.

After that last photo, I hit the bar, the vegan sundae line, and the dance floor. Even bloggers need to clock out sometimes and just have some fun.

Vegan fashion at Vida Vegan Con

June 4, 2013 by Jean Coburn

I had a lot of fun at Vida Vegan Con, the vegan blogger conference I attended last week. Most bloggers had food blogs, some had lifestyle blogs, and a few had style blogs. Everywhere I turned I saw fashionable bloggers! It was hard to get photos though–we were all so busy. I managed to get a few shots at least.

I stopped Ky Lee Fournier because I loved her casual style. I’m a huge fan of fedoras and skinny jeans and I like how she threw a denim jacket into the mix. The faux leather booties add a bit of toughness and the cotton floral bag is a great soft spring piece. Ky Lee is a vegan sports nutritionist from British Columbia and she’s as fit as she is stylish!

When Londoner Kip told her friends she’s had her photo taken for a style blog, they laughed. Kip runs The Messy Vegetarian Cook blog and is known for her recipes, not her outfits. But who’s laughing now? From the red tights and adorable polka-dots to the cute cardi, this is a great look. I think I need a pair of 8-hole vegan Dr. Martens now too!

I was thrilled to meet Jesse Anne O in person. I’ve been reading her blog for a couple of years and was thrilled when I found out she was going to VVC. She runs a smashing style blog with a focus on ethical attire. I love following her New York adventures and seeing what she’s thrifted. She’s also got her pulse on vegan designers and local shops.

As proof that we met, here I am with Jesse.

I saw a few people donning stripes over the three-day conference. Case in point: Anika of Vegan Score and Dawn of Vegan Moxie. I know these two lovelies from Seattle and it was great to reconnect with them in Portland.

I love Anika’s black, white and red look. She shows how to “dress down” with a denim jacket. And you’d never know it, but those cute ballet flats are Crocs! Waterproof shoes for temperamental spring days–genius! Dawns tights and cardi are a great way to wear a summery dress when it’s a bit cool out. I love how she chose green tights and caramel faux-leather flats. Adorable!

Helen and Molly are also from Seattle. They are the voices behind Vegtastic and Vegan Princess in an Omni Kingdom, respectively. I paired them up for my impromptu shoot because they both had on dots. Helen’s top has a subtle Swiss dot and Molly’s dress is a whimsical circle print. I like how they show how to layer with cardigans and how to rock flats. I think Helen might be wearing Cri de Coeur (and Jesse, above, might have on the same style. Great minds…).

Speaking of great minds, meet Megan and Megan. Megan on the left, runs The Opinioness of the World, an awesome blog filled with info about film, food, and feminism (among other things). I almost bought the very scarf she’s wearing but I left it at Herbivore Clothing. Moments later, unbeknownst to me, Megan popped in and got it. Good call! It looks great and it’s super soft.

Both Megans got their shirts at Herbivore, which is why I thought they looked so good together in this post. It’s a black and fuchsia theme! The shirts read “Love life: no matter whose.” A terrific message! I like how these women took the same shirt and created completely different outfits. Megan on the right is on twitter and YouTube and has tons of adorable cat stories and photos because she fosters kittens. Awesome!

Finally, it’s me again. But only because I bumped into Lulu. We’d been carrying around the same bag all weekend and had a couple of photo ops together. Lulu looked fantastic all weekend long. I wish I’d gotten pictures of her every day. Her wardrobe is all about color and texture and she makes it seem effortless. She doesn’t have a blog–yet. Here’s hoping to that happening soon. No pressure, Lulu!

There you have it. I snapped a bunch of photos at the vegan gala too, so look for that post next!

Vida Vegan Con 2013

May 30, 2013 by Jean Coburn

I already wrote about the nine-hour Portland bloggers pre-funk, but what about the actual event?

Well, it began unofficially with a supermodel scramble at one of Portland’s original vegetarian restaurants, Paradox Café. I had breakfast there with Vegan Score before heading to registration.

The conference was at the Portland Art Museum. Registration was all morning long, which gave people time to check in without long lines, grab a latté, explore the museum, and find long-lost friends. We grabbed swag bags and checked out the exhibitors hall, both of which were filled with vegan goodies.

On Friday I attended the following sessions: Blogging as Writing, Monetizing Your Blog, Expanding Your Message to Include Animal Rights, and the MoFo (Month of Food) Workshop. All the sessions were helpful and I gained the most from the animal rights one. I learned that through gentle suggestions, reminders–even humor–I can let people know about how to eliminate cruelty. Jasmin Singer from Our Hen House said something as simple as, “I made this recipe without eggs because I don’t like how hens are mistreated” goes a long way to getting people to think about their impact on the world.

After the sessions, Veggie Grill hosted a delicious reception and then a lot of us headed over to the world’s only vegan mini mall. I met up with Vegan Moxie, Vegtastic, Vegans Don’t Bite, and whole bunch of others. I am in the habit of calling bloggers by their blog names, but I assure you, they all have proper names too! We had vegan gorditos at Food Fight, vegan s’mores at Herbivore Clothing, and lattés at Sweet Pea vegan bakery. After filling our bellies I went to Hungry Tiger, a vegan-friendly bar, for a drink with the Fat Gay Vegan, Vegan Score, and The Messy Vegetarian Cook.

Saturday started with a scrumptious breakfast buffet at the conference, followed by these sessions: Ethics Beyond the Plate, Vegan Invasion, Finding Balance, and International activism. Mind you, these are only the sessions I attended. There were three going on at any given time–from iPhone Photography to Vegan Parenting. There was something for everyone.

We broke for lunch halfway through the day and I was still full by the time I got to the gala. We had lots to choose from: a vegan sundae bar, vegan artisanal cheese table, drinks, dancing, and of course, the silent auction to benefit Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW. We raised over $4000 for them!

Sunday began with another great breakfast. I attended four sessions: Publishing, Body Image, Social Media, and Interdietary Co-habitation. Of course we had another great lunch–a sandwich bar!

I was sad when things wrapped up for the day, weekend, year. I’d made new friends, got to know acquaintances from online and in Seattle, and reveled in the company of kind and compassionate people. Everyone had a different story. There were 20-year-old bloggers and 60-year-old ones. We came from all walks of life, but we were united in our love of animals, health, the earth, and of course food.

I’m excited for the next event and I have a lot of blogs to read in the meantime.