Horse-drawn carriages. Get your romance elsewhere.

The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated. - Mahatma Gandhi. 

Horse-drawn carriages seem very romantic. Imagine taking a tour of a great city like New York, led by a majestic creature, clip-clopping down 5th Avenue while you and your sweetheart snuggle under a blanket, taking in the fancy Christmas displays while breathing in the crisp, winter air.

Matt and I did this many years ago. It was a sweet idea, but the reality of the experience did not live up to my expectations. I love New York, but the open air of Manhattan is not really something that you want to draw deep into your lungs. It was cold and we were given a blanket, but, there was a gross stain crusted on for life. You know some Taxicab Confessions action probably went down at some point underneath that blanket. And if nothing quite so pervy went on, there were probably germy kids and other weirdos who tainted the cloth with some sort of nastiness. I'm not a germ freak, but it's been proven time and time again that people are disgusting. 

The sounds of the city are not really relaxing, either. Unless you like the sound of cabbies cursing at other drivers while car horns blare for no good reason, you're probably not going to feel very peaceful. Another thing that we heard? The sound of our horse peeing at a stop light. For like, 5 minutes. It was distracting because it was so loud and odorous, but mostly, I felt bad that this horse wasn't taking care of business in a grassy meadow somewhere. 

While the whole experience is kind of a let-down, horse-drawn carriage rides are not just an unpleasant and overrated activity. These horses are overworked, living with physical pain, and denied a natural existence where they can gallop and interact with other horses. Yesterday, a Manhattan carriage horse collapsed and died right in the middle of the street. There will be a necropsy to determine the cause of death; however, even if this horse died of natural and unavoidable causes, it is really important to understand the miserable reality of life as a carriage horse. 

The Committee of the Coalition for New York City Animals has a page on their website listing the top 15 reasons why New York should ban horse-drawn carriages. The list is filled with compelling reasons. Here are some examples that made me feel very sick and sad:

4. The horses live in multi storied stables on the far west side of Manhattan and most stalls are on the 2nd floor. They are fire traps with only one means of egress. Horses reach the upper floors by ramps, which is hard on older arthritic horses. 

5. By law, horses are allowed to work 9 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although they are supposed to get a 15 minute break every 2 hours, there is no way to enforce it. They are stuck between the shafts of their carriage and are unable to even scratch an itch. When they are unecumbered by these shackles, horses can back into a tree or fence to relieve an itch. 

 8. Horses are often seen eating their grain off the street, which is thrown there and can be mixed with dirt and glass. In the winter, only one water trough operates in Central Park and there are no water troughs in Times Square where they work at night until 3:00 AM. 

15. For their entire life in this industry, NYC carriage horses do not have the opportunity to perform natural movements or experience normal socialization, so necessary for a herd animal.  

http://www.banhdc.org/archives/ch-fact-reasons-6-4-11.shtml 

Hopefully, the state of New York will eventually ban horse-drawn carriages, but until that happens, please do not support this industry with your hard-earned money. Cruelty-free opportunities abound for romantics in Manhattan. If your loved one is an animal lover like me, s/he may appreciate a donation to a horse rescue, or any other animal sanctuary, where beautiful creatures are given a second chance at life. Here is a video of one such horse, Bobby, a former carriage horse. It is sweet to see him roll in the grass, as he should. 

Dawes, Private Artist Showcase, Ram's Head Annapolis

Dawes was in town tonight, playing a sold out show at The Black Cat. I would have loved this show, but it's a Monday night and it's all the way in DC and I am a lame, old woman. Luckily, I had another chance to see them. 103.1 WRNR hosts Private Artist Showcases when bands come in to town. I won a pair of tickets so I met my friend Jen at the Ram's Head On Stage for an acoustic set at noon.  

They played a short and sweet set, including So Well, If I Wanted Someone, and the reworking of Middle Brother's Million Dollar Bill, also included on Dawes' album, Nothing Is Wrong. I don't usually record things, but since this was a quiet, intimate setting, I snagged a few songs on the iPhone. The glass that is partially obstructing the view is just one reason why I will never be a professional videographer, but the sound is pretty amazing for a phone recording.  

Of course, they ended with Time Spent In Los Angeles, which is apparently getting some love on Vh1's weekly countdown. Here's the official video for this song that is garnering the band some well-deserved attention. 

Just a Thursday morning at the Obama's. No big deal.

Many people think that Twitter is a silly waste of time. Sometimes, that is absolutely true. Sometimes, I look back at the things that I put out in the world, and I'm a little embarrassed. I forget about the potential readers and just splatter my id on the screen. A lot of the time, I am favoriting tweets that link to articles or websites that I want to read later. Once in a while, a tweet delivers more than a moment's entertainment or future reading material. A few weeks ago, the White House tweeted a call to anyone interested in attending a White House tweet-up. I had no idea what this would involve, but I responded anyway. Within ten minutes, I received an email with an invitation to attend the arrival of the President of South Korea. Holy crap!

My mom and I were on the road at 4 in the morning. When you're scheduled to hang out with President Obama, you do what you have to do. It was so dark and drizzly, but we managed to stay dry as we found the entrance to the South Lawn. Secret Service men checked our names on the list, we went through a security screen, and then we headed for the lawn.

We waited for about an hour while the rain became heavier and heavier. Despite our umbrellas, most of us in the crowd were soaked from the torrential rain. At 8:30, just as the rain let up, an announcement was made. They were going to cancel the outdoor ceremony. At first, the crowd thought that meant that we would be allowed to go inside the White House, but um, no. We were invited to stay on the lawn and watch the motorcade pass. Boo! Since we were all supposed to be tweeting and I have no impulse control on Twitter, I sent out a Marie Antoinette inspired, #LetThemGetWet tweet. I might not be invited back. A lot of people expressed, perhaps more politely, their disappointment, and a little while later, a new announcement was made, basically saying, "Sike! All of you mofo's are already drenched and we have Presidential umbrellas and guards to hold them for us, so The Pres's will be here in a few, y'all!"

We listened as President Obama and President Myung-Bak addressed the crowd with formal greetings, discussed trade and job growth, and told us to peace out so they could get ready for their swanky state-dinner. That's the ticket I really want!

Seriously though, it was an honor to be there and to share the morning with my mom. She voted for the first time in 2008, for President Obama, after spending 40 years thinking that she was a conservative Republican like my dad. In the last several years, she started to really pay attention to politics and realized that christianity and the GOP do not exactly pair well. We're still working on my dad... this might take a while. (It also involves my pretending to still be a christian, but that is a story for another day!)

Thanks to the White House for letting the public be involved in these events. Even though it was brief, it was a magical moment to be standing on the lawn of the White House, looking at our President, and hearing the band play our National Anthem. I'm not usually super-patriotic. I feel lucky to have been born in the U.S.A. (Actually, born in Germany, but as an American citizen.) It's hard for me to justify nationalism when it's not like most of us choose to be where we are. My mom did though. And when I think about how passionate she is today about politics, fighting for the oppressed, and exercising her right and duty to vote, I see the beauty of democracy and how great our country could be.

October - Vegetarian Awareness Month



 It's Vegetarian Awareness Month and I'm sure all carnivores have already stopped reading! If that's not true, don't worry, meat-lover. I'm not here to chastise your decision to masticate on the flesh of bright, sentient creatures.

Ok. I swear to God, I'm going to stop talking like that now. 

The truth is, I'm not judging my carnivorous friends. I get it. Meat is delicious but it's not for me. Once I acknowledged what had to happen before that lifeless mound of yum made it's way to my plate, I couldn't do it anymore. Paul McCartney said, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian." While that setting is surely gruesome, for me, it's the animal's tortured existence before they even make it to the slaughterhouse that convinced me to become vegetarian. Most people do not want to think about it. It took the sudden death of my beloved dog Molly for me to consider the life of a plate-bound animal. Obviously, I'd never eat a dog, but what makes a dog different from any other animal? We just happen to live in a society where we would never eat dogs. Molly only lived for 2 1/2 short years, but she loved life! She was smart, enthusiastic, affectionate, and clearly, a happy animal. This personal connection with an animal, and the heartbreak of losing her suddenly, made me wonder about the quality of life for all creatures. I learned that pigs are smarter than dogs and as smart as a three year old human child! Cows love their babies just like we do. I also learned that pigs on factory farms are separated by a barrier from their nursing piglets and cows cry hysterically when their newborn calves are taken away from them. Tasting good is not a good enough reason for me to support such suffering. And the suffering goes far beyond the examples that I provided.

I understand that people don't want to think about it. Maybe it's worth thinking about the fact that we don't want to think about where food comes from? I don't expect the whole world to become vegetarian, but we should all be mindful of the things that we consume and where they are coming from.

In honor of Vegetarian Awareness month, I hope that people will learn a little about factory farming, alternatives to factory farming, and the effects that an animal vs. plant-based diet have on environmental and personal health.

Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs.

Tonight, I am thinking about how amazing it is to live in the world in this age, and how this has a lot to do with the brilliant Steve Jobs. Innovative, ambitious, and wise, his vision changed the world. 

I am grateful to be old enough to know a world before and after all of these extraordinary technological advances in the last 20 years. What an amazing time to be alive.

While I am obsessively in love with my Mac, iPhone, and iPod and I covet an iPad, what I appreciate the most about Steve Jobs is how he lived the life that he was meant to live. I've spent my entire 20's wondering what I am supposed to do with my life. I'm 33 now and I'm still not sure, but I'm not going to give up on finding my passion and living a life that I love. I know what I don't like about my job and my life. The time to do something about it is now. 

There are so many great quotes to pull from, but my favorite collection of words that Steve Jobs left us with are from his Commencement Address to Stanford University's Class of 2005.

You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. and, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

Fiona Apple on Katie Darby Recommends.

In my last post, I shared that I went to a Fiona Apple show at the Largo Theater in L.A. but I didn't really write much about it.  A really cool girl that I only know through Twitter, (@kwdarby) has a great music blog called Katie Darby Recommends and I'm really honored that she asked me to share my Fiona Apple experience with her readers. 

Click here for the full post on Fiona and while you're there, "Like" her page for Facebook updates from her blog. Katie has excellent taste and is dedicated to keeping her blog fresh with interviews and features from the best musicians around. Check out her blog and impress your friends with your newfound music expertise.