Tyke
Today is the 15th anniversary of Tyke’s murder in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1994. She was an 8,000-pound female African elephant who was “owned” by John Cuneo and “performed” with Circus International. During a performance in front of hundreds of paying spectators she crushed her trainer to death and bolted from the arena running through downtown streets of Kakaako for more than thirty minutes. Police fired 86 shots into her before she collapsed and died from the wounds.
Guardian and Vegetarianism Again and Again
Remember the letter to the Guardian which complained about a previous week’s “New Vegetarian” recipe? Well, this past Saturday the paper published yet another letter saying that the correspondent had followed the recipe to the letter and didn’t break their teeth on uncooked bulgar. They also said it was delicious. So there!
PS The Grumpy Vegan would include the follow-up letter but can’t find it on the paper’s Web site and doesn’t have the printed version to hand.
The English Channel, as seen from St. Leonards on Sea this late afternoon
More Elephant Undercover Footage in the Circus
This time the expose is in the UK at the so-called Great British Circus. Here’s Animal Defenders International report.”
Here’s a reminder of what happens to elephants in circuses in the United States.
Palined out on Vick
The Grumpy Vegan is Palined out on Vick. Or should it be Vicked out on Palin? Anyway, I can’t keep up with all this activity. Let alone have the time to watch 60 Minutes on the Internet. The GOP should run a slate of Palin and Vick as candidates for president and vice president for the post-Obama world-going-to-hell-in-a-floral-handbag celebrations. Francione says this. Singer says that. HSUS one thing. PETA another. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion. My thinking is all over the place. Can’t trust Vick but want to give him benefit of the doubt. What’s unequivocal, however, is that he earns too much money doing something that’s completely pointless. I guess the only justification for sport is that it helps straight men from going to war. Yes, it’s straight men that are the problem. Straight men with guns are the worst, particularly when they’re liquored up on politics and religion. Oh well. And I don’t even live in the country anymore. So, I don’t know what to think because I’m too busy trying to think about other things over here. But I definitely want to no longer see dogs used by anyone anywhere as pathetic displays of machismo. Real men cry when their dog suffers. I want to see Vick out of the spotlight quietly working with men who desperately need help to make them wanted and valuable members of the community. He could be a role model who could make all the difference. Only time will tell.
