Regarding PETA and Horseracing

Caveat: PETA’s rabid activism approach to animal rights really pisses me off.

Thoroughbreds: Drugged, Whipped, and Run to Death–Join Our Call for Congressional Hearings
from http://getactive.peta.org, direct link here

Eight Belles’ breakdown and euthanasia at the Kentucky Derby on May 3 has put the spotlight back on an industry that puts speed and profit first and leaves the horses in last place. In pursuit of cash prizes and hefty stud fees, some trainers and owners run horses too young, dose them with large quantities of drugs, order jockeys to whip them mercilessly, race horses when they’re exhausted and lame, and sell them for slaughter when they can no longer turn a profit. Click here for more information.

Please ask your member of Congress to take action to investigate the horse racing industry’s dark side by calling for hearings right now.

I may be naive to the “truth” behind the barn doors in the racing world, but I do believe that a huge majority of racehorse owners and trainers love their animals and would not push them to the point of exhaustion or, like in Eight Belles’ case, severe injury. Moreover, no trainer would run a lame horse. It doesn’t make sense to further injure a horse can’t run, either give him rest until he can. If he can’t run ever, well it would be a waste of time and resources. All horses race young. Racehorses might start as yearlings and usually reach their peak at three or four years old; the Kentucky Derby is a race for three year old horses. If you think this is cruel, consider how light a racing saddle is and how tiny a jockey is. These horses are not hauling full-size people, they’re flying with a slight difference in aerodynamics.

I think PETA needs to reevaluate its approach to animal rights and focus on one issue that will actually make a difference. Someone had the right idea to respond to a post on PETA’s “Take Action” blog here saying:

The suffering of these horses is a relatively unimportant problem.
Every year, over nine billion (with a B) equally sentient animals spend their entire lives in unbearable misery, which every concerned person should have courage to inform themselves of at PETA’s other website, Meat.org.

The level of public concern for these horses is a truly wonderful sign, and I sincerely hope that it can increasingly be extended to all the rest.
Meat.org

In response to expecting infidelity.

My best friend writes,

I feel like we only focus on the negative experiences of others; are we just waiting for the worst to happen? When did dating change from working for the best and having faith in ourselves and others in to fearing for the worst and suspecting infidelity out of our partners?

Having been in a few dating-type relationships, I will speak for myself and say no. In the beginning of a relationship, a compatible couple is usually infatuated with one another. That is, the lovebirds are experiencing extreme happiness in the relationship, accompanied by strong sexual desire and a need to spend every waking moment with each other. Over time – and I believe this happens with a lot of people – the infatuation fades and the couple is probably left with love for one another. At this point, maybe flaws and minor annoyances are starting to show through the perfection that was once blinding. Or, maybe doubt and unwarranted suspicion kick in. (In some cases, suspicion may be warranted. In other cases, suspicion may be a projection of one’s wrongdoings onto the other. That is, she cheated so she assumes he did too.)

Are we, as humans, incapable of true romance? Of complete trust? Or is it a choice we make? Can we choose to fully trust our hearts with another without doubting them?

I believe when two people agree to begin a relationship, they are also making a promise to be honest, open, and trusting. These things are key to making great relationships last. I have experienced, first hand, what happens to a relationship when distrust is brought into the equation. Suspicion lead to questions and prying, and shortly after, an arduous breakup. This taught me that accusations to not solve problems. If you have a feeling, share it.

I think that the movement for romance needs to be put in to effect. It’s starting tonight, with me. From this moment on, my heart is completely trusted with another, and I’m not going to spend time worrying about all the things that could go wrong, but simply appreciate all the things that are right. I am going to give in to love, and not give up on it.

Heard. Nine-and-a-half times out of ten, things are going to be “right.” As long as you “do the right thing,” like my dad always told me to do, you can expect the same in return.
 

On cigarettes, as of now.

I consider myself a smoker.
I have recently been creeping up to a pack a day of delicious, straight-up Camel Filters. After the glorious – and often frantic – unwrapping of a fresh pack of smokes, each Camel is enjoyed in either times of joy or times of extreme stress. I always told myself I would quit when smoking became something that I do not enjoy. “I’ll quit when I’m ready,” I would say.

Now I am being forced to quit smoking cigarettes. This is the end of the first day, and I am damn well near creating a shrine to cigarettes in my room using every sort of media and material possible, okay? I am a smoker. I truly enjoy every cigarette, I share smoking bonds with friends, I know that my favorite energy drink* goes perfectly with a cigarette or two cruising down the highway. I am indignant and wonder how long I can be compliant because I know the truth about me and cigarettes.

I am not ready to give smoking up.

But I have to.
So I’m going to give it the ol’ college try (ha), and maybe get started on a collection of cigarette-based art.

Edit: Apparently I’m not the only one. See here.

*My favorite energy drink is Sugarfree Red Bull.

The tethers of this scene.

I do not believe in God, but I spend most of my weekends at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.  Over the past few visits I have come to realize that the campus is absolutely beautiful; especially now, in Spring.  There is both a benefit and drawback of dating a heavily-worked Holy Cross student because when he was recording music, I decided to duck out and find some photo-worthy scenes.

More in my flickr photos.