Happy New Year!

Sort of. Kind of. I guess. A lot of stuff is going on, so here's what you need to know:

1. Sea Shepherd's Cove Guardians are still on the ground in Taiji, Japan, opposing the slaughter and captivity of dolphins and small cetaceans. I am not participating in that campaign this year, but right now, as I type this, four dolphins are arriving at an aquarium in Japan. The dolphins spent 15 hours being driven across Japan, crammed into coffin-like crates just for human entertainment. Cove Guardians followed the truck and are livestreaming the arrival here: http://livestream.seashepherd.org/ (assuming I hit "Publish Post" soon enough). You can read my account of a similar (but much shorter) transport from last year HERE. Read about ways you can help HERE. Follow them on Twitter @coveguardians.

2. Speaking of the Cove Guardians, Vegan Drinks will benefit the campaign tomorrow. We'll have amazing food from Monks Meats and Mister Sister and some great raffle prizes, including hard to find, vintage Sea Shepherd gear and DVDs signed by Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson.

3. Sea Shepherd NYC will be tabling the Red Hot Chili Peppers show at the Barclays Center on Saturday, January 30. If you're there, come by.

4. We'll also be at the John Butler Trio's shows at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg, February 3 and 4, respectively.

5. Then on the fifth, fellow Cove Guardian, Dam Guardian and Sea Shepherd NYC coordinator Ethan and I will be speaking at a free screening of Blackfish at Bluestockings on the Lower East Side. Free vegan refreshments will be available as well, so don't miss it.

6. THEN, on February 16, we'll have our annual Whalentine's Day Bake Sale at MooShoes, also on the Lower East Side. You all know how delicious that event is, so don't get me started.

We hope to have a volunteer training some time in February, before our tables at the Vegetarian Food Festival and Beneath the Sea dive show in March, so if you'd like to get involved and live in the NYC area, please email nyc @ seashepherd . org to attend.