Go read the whole article “Children Of All Ages Delighted By Enslavement Of Topsy The Elephant” and check out Circuses.com for more serious follow-up reading.

Topsy also delighted the audience after the trainer repeatedly thrust a hooked rod into his skin, causing the miserable animal to lift one leg and his trunk to simulate waving.

“Aww…” said the assembled circus-goers, who were taken by the cuteness of the barbaric spectacle.

Branden Helger, 9, said Topsy was his favorite performer at Ringling Bros. because the elephant knew how to do neat tricks like pretending to limp. The third-grader also excitedly pointed out the “cool necklace” clamped on the animal’s foot.

Topsy and the other elephant performers, who are separated from each other at all times, preventing the socialization that’s so crucial to their well-being, received a standing ovation from the crowd when they marched into the center ring, nervously rocking back and forth.

“Look, they’re dancing,” said 5-year-old Jonah Meeks, mistaking the elephants’ constant swaying for something that wasn’t a maladaptive behavior caused by serious psychological trauma. “I can dance like an elephant, too. Look at me!”

Someone poke this man with a knife.

• Vegan Drinks is TOMORROW. Free stuff, and booze, and vegans, and what else could you want for a Thursday night?
• Teany’s coming back, y’all! The teahouse/maker of delicious baked goods and light meals just began rebuilding the space, more than six months after a fire put them out of business. Pleasepleaseplease, chicken salad melt, come back!!
• Feeling generous? Or, hey, feeling like a greedy, selfish scumbag? ‘Til the end of the year, your donations to Farm Sanctuary will be matched TIMES TWO by some secret and super generous donor for the rest of ’09. Easy math: $1 for you = $3 for a cuddly lamb or frisky pig. So if you were planning to give nothing because you thought $20 wasn’t good enough (which it totally is!), now you’re giving $60, and that’s, what? Food for a family of four (goats) for a week or two, right?
• OK, guys, more easy math: Buy one of Isa’s cookbooks and she will donate ALL the proceeds to Out to Pasture Animal Sanctuary. Christmas shopping: done.
• Governor Paterson spoke at an NYLHV VIP reception held in his honor. Take a looksee at Ecorazzi’s interview with him.
• So there’s an octopus…snatching a coconut? I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never seen an octopus run like that.
• One of us (Patrick? Maybe?) ate vegan fried ice cream at Soy and Sake. Devourable or detestable? YOU DECIDE. (I’ve already decided that every system in my body would shut down if I got near that thing.)
• A Ringling Brothers employee outted those elephant-abusing clowns, the Washington Post reported.
• Garden blend mock meat from Gardein appeared at Chipotle in Chelsea! Vegan mainstreaming, YES.

Some of the tortured animals of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

Horrified by the way the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus beats its animals, thousands of concerned German citizens appealed to the venues that would have hosted the Circus in Germany.

This concern for animal welfare made it clear that Ringling Bros. is not welcome in Germany because of the way Ringling tortures animals. The result is that Ringling Bros. canceled their entire tour of Germany!

If Germany can stop the circus from coming to town, what’s stopping us in the US from opposing such blatant useless cruelty?

Full story here.

“Excessory Baggage” by Meryl Smith

Too much news piling up, so I’m just gonna spew it atcha:

• Jessica Simpson is “deeply hurt,” “disgusted,” and “upset” that Pamela Anderson called her “bitch” and “whore” for wearing that “Real Girls Eat Meat” T-shirt. Thankfully, Pam ain’t apologizing (though she does claim she was only “kidding” … we can let a little damage control pass, and still be proud of her, right?).
• A giraffe at a circus in Amsterdam led a jailbreak, helping 15 camels, 2 zebras, and some llamas and pot-bellied pigs escape. (They were later recaptured.) Anyone have links to pictures or video of this?
• The New Scientist tells us that “Rhesus macaques have been shown to possess yet another numerical talent once thought unique to humans – they can simultaneously count audible beeps and dots on a computer screen.” Good to know, but can we stop experimenting on them, please?
• Ryan from VegBlog points us to a list of “The 20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1” and notes “17 of the top 20 (and 9 of the top 10) are vegan. Show this to the next dummy that says, ‘Being vegan is too expensive.’”
• The Food Fight! Grocery blog continues to be your go-to source for headlines such as “Dog Meat Off the Menu for Olympics”“, “Woman Shoots Herself While Trying to Kill Mice”“, “Woman’s fingertip bitten off at meat market“. Go read. And buy some unhealthy vegan food that costs over $1 while you’re at it.
• Lewis Cicero of Fairfield, Connecticut faced either execution or declawing after scratching some of his human neighbors in 2006. His guardian Ruth demanded a trial on criminal charges. The case was just dismissed, as Lewis has kept out of trouble under house arrest.
• The Discerning Brute checks in with some stylish non-silk ties, non-leather martial arts gloves, non-wool post-consumer recycled suits, and more.
• Boing Boing Gadgets points us to this fake Louis Vuitton Piglet Dog purse by artist Meryl Smith (see picture). I don’t know where she falls on animal issues, but a lot of her work is animal-related, and her sad greyhound piece The Last Race is pretty affecting.

Today was the press conference in support of Intro 389, which, if it passes, will ban the use of wild animals in circuses. (Did any of you attend?)

And tonight at midnight, there’s a protest scheduled to coincide with the 2008 Elephant Walk; literature on Intro 389 will be handed out, and footage of elephants being trained will be shown. (The current meeting place is in front of Tourneau Watches on 34th St. & 7th Ave., though that could change.) Cindy from Wetlands Activism Collective will provide anti-circus T-shirts, so give her a call at 917-526-3560 if you’d like her to bring one for you.

If armchair activism is more your thing, tell TNT to scrap plans for a new reality show about Ringling Bros. I thought reality shows were taking a turn for the better when Oprah debuted a show where families compete to better the lives of others. One step forward…

Tom Rider, former Ringling Bros. employee

Join the League of Humane Voters of New York City at noon tomorrow to support Intro 389, which would ban the use of elephants and other wild animals in circuses. Reps from the Humane Society of the United States and In Defense of Animals, as well as former Ringling Bros. employee Tom Rider, will be among those voicing their support of council member Rosie Mendez’s bill. The conference will take place outside Madison Square Garden at 33rd St. and 7th Ave., near Borders bookstore.

LOHV-NYC is also asking people to call their council members on Thursday, March 20, to urge them to support the bill. (Thursday’s the first day of the new Ringling Bros. show.) To find your rep’s contact info, call 212-889-0303.

Update: I couldn’t make it, but here’s a peek at the press conference from Gothamist. Our very own Patrick Kwan (now working for HSUS) was quoted as saying that the bill will “end the cruel transport, abusive training, and inhumane conditions of elephants and other endangered or threatened animals in circuses.”

Dave says: “what is more American than eating cotton candy and watching animal abuse?”

New York City Council Member Rosie Mendez, has introduced a bill to prohibit the use of wild/exotic animals in circuses and other performances throughout New York City.

This Saturday, she’ll be joining the League of Humane Voters, Nellie McKay, and a slew of animal rights personages (including you, hopefully!) to protest the arrival of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey at Madison Square Garden. But the real hook? A man in an elephant costume will be chained up and beaten with a bull hook, just like they do to real elephants. (Sounds like a good way to get ready for the Foodswings party!)

Details: Saturday, March 31st, 2007 at 11AM. 7th Avenue near 33rd St.

Animal advocates have long spoken out against the conditions under which elephants are kept in zoos and circuses as being far from natural and often painful and cruel. From lack of stimulation to lack of space, there are issues-a-plenty when it comes to the care of captive elephants.

Fortunately, zoos in cities such Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit, where elephant exhibits have been closed, as well as the United States Depart of Agriculture (USDA) are wising up to these shortcomings. Following the submission of a citizen petition by the group In Defense of Animals, the USDA is now asking for public commentary on the issue.

Between now and December 11th, the USDA will be accepting commentary from the public and In Defense of Animals has put together a helpful page for those seeking to send in their thoughts.

Sparky

In case you need another reason to be afraid of clowns, The Cumbria, UK News and Star brings us word of Sparky the Clown’s arrest before a performance by Peter Jolly’s Circus near Goole in Humberside on July 19. Activists from Captive Animals Protection Society were protesting the circus (one of only eight remaining circuses in the UK that uses live animals), and an annoyed Sparky backed into them with his car, knocking over one protester.

This is a repeat offense for the clown. In October 2005, a fully made-up Sparky “shoved a female protester who was taking pictures of him, causing the camera to hit her in the face. She suffered a minor mouth injury and bruising.”