Pro-Activist Team

A Momentous Occasion

BradleySaul — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:23:11 -0700

Zirin reminded me of important event that happened on this date 40 years ago. Fists for freedom.

Kenneth Williams called me today, and I'm thinking biceps for freedom. The dude is going to champ Natural Olympia, November 8th in San Francisco. Is anyone going to watch with me?

I add a good run today. Damn it's beautiful here in the Fall light. I'm looking forward to the half marathon next weekend.

Pro-Activist Team

Cross Racin' in Boulder County and around

CatJohnson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:22:02 -0700

I have two cross races under my belt so far this season. The first was weekend before last at the Juvenile Correction Facility in Golden. I kid you not, there is such a facility, and it has a sweet cross course made of mostly singletrack, and hella bumpy. I missed racing the weekend before that due to sickness, so I didn't get a call up. It didn't go as well as I had hoped. I ended up second to last in the 1-2s. I think I was 14th. Of course it was the first race I've done for a while due to work commitments, so I was happy to get back into the swing of it.
I also raced last weekend at Interlocken in Broomfield, a 10 min drive or so from my apartment in Boulder. I love this course. It's mostly grass, some pavement, two barrier sections back to back, and is basically not really technical. Last weekend there was one muddy section, that was ridable without much trouble. I, again, didn't get a call up. Too bad, because now they're calling up the top 20 in the Best All Around Rider... and I guess I didn't make the cut. I don't think it mattered too much. I got off to a pretty good start from the third row back, and just kept passing people as I went, lap by lap. I was feeling good with only three to go, thinking to myself about how I planned to get ahead of the next rider up ahead, when all of a sudden I felt my breaks slack. I had them pretty tight, and I was like, sure that I was without brakes. This took me back to my messenger days, when, yes... I submitted to riding around without my brakes in DC traffic once or twice. It never lasted long to tell you the truth. Once I carried a package down M St. that way... but I had trouble turning without causing a scene... ANYWAYS! So I was like, well, hell yeah! I'm gonna ride wid out the breaks, and see how long I can get away with it for. It seemed possible.
It turns out I was a bad ass for no real reason, although they were really slacked out... but they did work. Thank God, or I'd be currently part of a concrete ravine. It changed my cornering approach a bit. Probably for the best, really. I ended up 10th overall, and 8th in the 1-2s. The other two people.... who snuck in were a pro roadie and a pro mtn biker. So, that was fun. I'm heading up to Frisco this weekend for some more cross racing! It really feels like Fall in Colorado, and it's so great!

Cycling Team

2008 AR Conference

PamelaBoteler — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:45:40 -0700

I want to personally thank Alex Hershaft for inviting me and OA Pro-Activists Jeremy Moore and Robert Cheeke. The AR Conference is an opportunity for AR activities to come together annually and share success stories, challenges and strategies. Over the years Alex has increasingly added nutrion/health and environmental-related information and the addition of high level athletes only boosts this strategy. I personally look forward to attending again in the future as I learned an incredible amount just that weekend. And I look forward to more vegan athletes and nutrition/health/environmentally minded folks being included in the agenda/activities. Thanks again Alex!

(The other photo is of me and Howard Lyman - one of the nicest, most generous men I have ever met, and one of the most influential and powerful in the AR movement).

Pro-Activist Team

Boulder Road Race

CatJohnson — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:21:30 -0700

I raced the Boulder Road Race, today. I haven't done a Road Race that was just pavement in I think, five years or so. I've done things like the Boulder Roubaix, and the Koppenburg, which are part road/ part dirt... but yeah, it's been a long time since I did a road race.

I was inspired to do it, because I originally trained with the idea of doing mostly the Mtn States Cup... all Mtn Bike XC. But I learned that the technical skills required to do those races at the level I want to do them at, requires more time and $$ than I have. Being in Boulder, I can't easily get to the Mtns to train due to the cost of gas, time, and quite frankly -- I try to avoid driving as much as possible, and ride my bike instead, when possible. So in a value based sense, I was getting tired of all the driving, as well.

Also, I consider myself a peaceful warrior of veganism... so I like having Go Vegan on my butt and riding around. Quite frankly, it's fun!!! My fitness is pretty good from all the Hill Climbing I've done this year, so I thought... what would be a better time to try a road race, again, and see how it goes!

It's kind of hard jumping into a road race with women who focus solely on road racing as a sport. I'm thinking of focusing on road racing in the summers with some short track thrown in for good measure.

The race started out pretty well. I spent most of the first one or two laps up front, before realizing that my legs were feeling a little torched from all the racing I've done, recently. I tried to sit in on the back, but kept getting near dropped, and had trouble following the attacks from the back. I know from experience that's just not the best place to be. So I rode mid pack/back for a while! Sort of like, back..... with serious intentions of not getting dropped, and moving up! I dropped off the back with a bunch of women with I think 3.5 laps to go, or somewhere around there. There were five people that kept the faster pace. The course was over seven miles with 900 ft of climbing per lap. The race was 6 laps. This seemed fine to me. I was already riding hard, and worried that I would not make it through the whole race if I went any faster. After a while, there were still about 5 girls up the road just a minute ahead of me or so, and one girl always with me, with whom I paced myself with through the race. We kept trying to catch up to them, and sometimes it seemed like it was quite probable we would. But we never quite did. On the last lap, it was evident we would be racing for 6th or 7th place. I was pretty spent, and my legs already feeling sort of numb, and not planning on going any harder no matter how much I really wanted them to. Isn't that always the way. Wanting.... to be faster... never does much good. Probably more training for distance road racing would be necessary! Will be necessary, to catch those girls! So I ended up 7th or 8th or somewhere around there. It was a Women's 1/2/3 race.

Anyways, I had fun. I love working out, and I really pushed myself, which always feels good. Plus I conquered my nervousness of road racing that had developed into something vicious over the past few years. It was fun! So, I'm up for another road race and then some in the future! The Boulder Roubaix is next weekend. It'll be similar but with dirt. I *heart* dirt. Bring on the dirt! Looking forward to that, for sure.

Cycling Team

Boulder Crit Series, Race #1

CatJohnson — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:49:50 -0700

So I attached myself to my drops, today, and got out there after work, barely making it to the crit before the start... number pinned to the wrong side... way cool.

Super-sweet short course. After the first lap I nailed every corner in in my drops. Legs sore from racing this past weekend, I wound up ahead of three women, and kept drilling it till we were lapped with 5 min to go. It was not just a women's race. There were guy categories in the race too.... small town fun! yee-haw! There were two women racing with the pack. I have no idea if they were dropped and jumped back in, or what. I hear you can do that, though. The course couldn't have been more than a few minutes per lap.

So much fun. I am figuring it helps to really push yourself to improve your skills. It's fun if you have some people to work on it with, that are chill and strong!

Pro-Activist Team

Fed Center Circuit Race, Bannock St. Crit

CatJohnson — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:10:23 -0700

I did a couple of races this weekend. The first on Saturday, was a circuit race at the Fed Center. I didn't get in much of a warm up lap, but got in a good 20 min warm up before the race. I try to catch up on sleep on the weekends, too, because I have work, an internship, and class during the week. So, alas, that was as much of a warm up as I could afford. In a perfect world, I would have more time for such things.

I did the Cat 3 race. It started out super-slow. The course was a nice gradual steady climb, and back down, with some twisty corners on each side of the loop. As one girl said at the initial pace... " the fours will catch us at this rate!". So true. Anyways, I was happy to sit in. I was determined to not make a move until I felt like it would help me win... i.e. not let everyone draft on my wheel the whole time. We did 4-5 laps. This was my first road race that wasn't a climb in almost a year. I felt the improvement in my group skills/ cornering skills lap by lap. The pace remained pretty chill, and on the second to last lap, myself and another girl took some pulls off the front to see if we could drop anyone. Everyone kept up. I grabbed some H20 on the downhill before the last lap, chilled a little at the beginning of the last climb, and then drilled it off the front as hard as I could. I could feel the burn after the first few minutes, but kept digging hard to pick up the pace. After all, I had a good gap on everyone, thanks to my climbing fitness. It was a long lap. I kept ahead up the whole climb, and down at least 1/2 of the descent. This was actually pretty good for me. I was nervous on the descent, and I think I owe some of my nervousness to it being my first road race of sorts in a while. Anyways, it was worth a try, and was a memorable attempt. Needless to say, I missed the final sprint, but it was a race well fought.

On Sunday I raced the Bannock St. Crit. Again, first crit of the year, and my legs were a little shaky at cornering in the pack. Definitely something I can improve upon. Jeannie Longo was there,.... again, and it was pretty evident I would be crushed, ego bruised, legs drilled into the hot August pavement.... pretty evident, there from the starting line up. But I thought... how could I not improve! We're getting used to seeing Jeannie Longo in Boulder. She got quite an introduction at the Fed Center, and was quite the topic of attention at Bannock, as well. I hung back out of the crowd for the most part in the beginning of the race. Sue Stokes and I worked off the back, together, and it was great to have a corner buddy, to corner with! I am feeling better in the corners, actually. I owe some of that to my recent parking lot practice sessions. But my legs were cooked before the end of the race. When Jeannie Longo lapped me a 2nd time.... yes you read right, a 2nd time! I decided to call it a day. I just had one short 3 min lap left, but couldn't find the drive to suffer any longer.

I am happy to have a rest day, today. Racing has been non-stop this week, and I'm doing a crit tomorrow, as well.... then Short Track again on Wednesday... I did better at short track last Wednesday, and we'll see if I have some energy for this week's show down. It's the last one of the season, so I can't not go! ;)

Later, sporty vegans!

Cycling Team

Mt Evans HC, etc...

CatJohnson — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:15:28 -0700

So I am late in race reporting this, because I've been unusually sick with some sort of bronchial virus, and on vacation. But anyways, I did race the Mt. Evans Hill Climb last week. This was kind of a disappointing event for me, because I was really sick, and not feeling well at ALL. I have been mostly climbing this spring/ summer, with some mtn biking and short track thrown in for fun on Wednesday nights.... but just for fun.... no time to take short track very seriously.

So, I pre-rode Mt. Evans a week before the race. It's about an hour away, 28 miles, over 7,000 ft. of climbing.... apparently the highest peak you can drive to in the US! It's such an awesome ride.... such an awesome race, really. It was really too bad to get sick for it. I'll spare you the details of what it's like to race something like that when your body aches, and feels mostly like sleeping rather than pounding out some efforts to try to catch Jeanne Longo.... there are more fun things, let's just say that....

I already unburied myself by going on vacation in Maine this past week, so am back on the up and up... and feeling positive about cross season coming up, and probably doing a few crits this month.... one last short track race to say I've lived up Wednesday night again in Boulder, and yes.... lots of cross training, i.e. running free on the trails, jumping over BYOBarriers in the park on the horizon with the Boulder cross goobers..... probably a good place to start will be to assemble my cross bike which hasn't been together since my one lap at the ice fest otherwise known as Cross Nationals last year....

Regarding the HC.... No, I am not throwing all hopes and dreams of that road racing/ climbing sort in the future. Quite the opposite, I am really into it, and not too swayed by factors out of my control. I'll have to ride Mt. Evans on my own more often, too. I didn't realize how easy it was to train there on my own, and now see that I have no excuse not to ride there more in the future. I guess I'm getting wiser. I had forgotten that sometimes you get sick for something you've trained your ass off for.... sometimes the cards are just like that, and you deal, and realize it's just one race, and not the be all and end all of who you are, and not a reflection of what you can do......

Sorry I don't have any pictures. Just imagine a national park, a road by a beautiful lake, and a mtn. goat at the top with a comfort range of 5 ft. Then chant a bit. That should cover it.

Boulder OA rocks!!!! (that'd be me!)

Pro-Activist Team

The Cover Boy

BradleySaul — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:37:54 -0700

Robert Cheeke made the cover of the Willamette Week, Portland's weekly newspaper with the feature article "Lean, Mean, Meat-Free Machine."

Way to go Robert!

Pro-Activist Team

Rist Canyon Hill Climb, Ft. Collins

CatJohnson — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:28:27 -0700

Climb every Mountain...follow every stream... la...la... la... follow every rainbow, until you find your dream! I've been doing a lot of this, recently. I signed myself up for my third HC in three weeks last Friday. I don't know if this was a good maneuver, but it sounded like fun. 4018 ft of climbing, 18.5 miles, my road bike, and me! It all seemed like it would be easy until a girl started to jump off the front when the road began to go uphill. I am but a Cat 3, and we started 10 min after the 1/2s. Everyone had been drafting behind me on the road towards the climb. I jumped on the girl's wheel, but she had a nice jump on me, and I drifted back for a bit.... I think due to general fatigue. I regained my composure after the first descent, as the climb began again, and caught the three girls who were still chasing the one who jumped off initially. I rode by them hoping I would drop them, but two of them came with me. A friend on the sideline yelled at me, just five to go, so I put my head down and started peddling as hard as I could. Five miles is, in fact, a lot when you're climbing, but it was more fun when I was more into it, and riding harder. I could see the girl in our category just ahead of us, and it was motivation to ride harder.

I am not familiar with the Ft. Collins area, so I must admit, I didn't know where the race ended. All I knew was that it was at the end of a steep section. It was still hard to tell. I ended up fourth, and was taken just at the end by the two locals who were climbing with me. I almost caught the girl in front, and was pleased with myself for trying hard, and doing much of the work for the last 5 miles. It was a great workout, and a beautiful sunny day. I drank a whole water bottle full of H2O during the race, and have rarely had to drink a drop of H2O while racing during the other three climbs I've done this year. I am definitely getting stronger, and though suffering through sore legs, and less than fresh legs isn't always the best, it's motivating in and of itself to keep climbing.... or something is!!!

My next big climbing race will be Mt. Evans, which is 7,000 ft of climbing. This race was a good workout in preparation.

Pro-Activist Team

Winter Park Hill Climb

CatJohnson — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:59:14 -0700

Saturday morning in Winter Park was beautiful! Having never done a Mtb. race in Winter Park, or ridden on the mountain there, I was excited to get going and see where the trail went, and how the trail unfolded. It was a 5.3 mile 2,062ft. climb. The race went up a long, gradual fire road. The road was fairly wide, and switch-backed quietly among the evergreens. It was really beautiful. I knew the race would be a real leg-burner before we even began. Well, if it wasn't I was determined to make it one. I took off after Judy Freeman at the start, and struggled to stay on her wheel. She really sprinted up the first part of the climb. I felt strong, though, and decided to go down trying rather than not try at all. I mean, if I blew up on the climb at least I could look back and know I tried. Thankfully, I just felt better as we got going. Sure my legs were working hard, but I was halfway up, and feeling strong, so I kept at it. The guys started riding back down the hill after their race, about twenty minutes into ours. There was a lot of happy cheering from them as they descended. My fingers started to feel numb.... and I tried to relax as best I could. No sense gripping the bike to such a degree, no doubt! The race itself lasted only 44:49 for me. I was almost three minutes behind the winner, Judy. I stuck with it in fourth for most of the race, minus the first few minutes, because I started in the second row, and spent a bit of effort getting up front. The climb ended with a steep pitch, and a few meters to the chair lift deposit.
I managed to stay in front of thirty-one Experts, and three Pros, winning the overall Expert category. I guess I shouldn't be too proud of this, because I climb all the time... there being mtns in my backyard. But it none the less felt good. Fresh air and a great Hill Climb must be the secret to happiness?!

Cycling Team

Become An Archetype - Grapevine, CA

TonyaKay — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:29:16 -0700

I am an idealist.

By choice.

Because sometimes in an idealist's world, the ideal thing happens.

I mean; surely the ideal thing rarely happens in the pessimist's world. But the most dangerous perspective to think one possesses is realism. As if all perspectives weren't mutable and chosen. The realist thinks hers is fixed and actually more valid than the others. At least the pessimist knows perspective is subjective and theirs tilts towards impending doom. The most dangerous human beings in the world think there is an objective reality and they have a monopoly on it.

Well, I know my ideals aren't real and I choose to continue their dreaming.

My ideals are strong, and are one of two things that define the depths of my character.

And if you haven't figured it out by now, performance is the other. To search the self and the human condition so thoroughly that with one breath, my lungs breath the air of the collective unconscious - that is the connection this performer aspires to. To go straight where I am uncomfortable and root around until it hurts, while others are watching, seeing, sharing, relating to, forming opinions of - that is the epitome of vulnerability, bravery and belligerence only a performer's soul can glimpse. To purge my demons through sweat and motion, to work my magick through obsession to detail, to become an archetype, representing whatever the receiving psyche will have me as, is an important, adventurous, and noble pursuit the way I see it. And performnace, combined with ideals, wholly define my core.

And yet, I have been vehemently challenged by fans that I am not living up to their ideals when I dance in a commercial for a product I personally wouldn't use. Or act in a film in which's message is not aligned towards social transformation. To which I jest, with sincerity, that "my career and my life will be complete when the avocado company has enough money to hire me for their next billboard campaign."

Well, last week they did.

Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection hired me to perform in their upcoming public service announcement - which is a fancy way to say "commercial". However, while a commercial sells a product, a public service announcement sells an idea. An ideal. In this case, I'll be selling climate protection with the message, "it matters," "you make a difference," "now is the time," "we are powerful."

The entire process was a positive one. For the audition, I actually got interviewed about some of my life, which gave me the platform on camera to speak about a jillion environmental implementations I use on a personal daily basis. On the set, the craft service company, rather than providing "disposable" (next to realism, the second most dangerous concept in human history) plastic water bottles, provided just one intended for reuse with markers for labeling it and a large water dispenser to fill it from (I of course had my usual glass water bottle in tote and still didn't need the plastic one). In holding, conversations about Burning Man, alternative fuels and raw vegan diets were plentiful. And in the final edit, this production will hopefully reflect what an amazing experience it all was for me; in particular, to get to be a part of mass media that's breaking the rules.

It's moments like this that I know the world is catching up with my ideals. And it won't be long before I'm performing the roles and delivering the messages that an entertainment medium of this global magnitude has the responsibility to deliver.

We are doing it now. Watch and remember what you see. Note who is pushing the limits. Support those, big or small, that are generating health and environmental media. Now is the time for responsible film and television propaganda. It's happening now.

Pro-Activist Team

Will Not Settle Down - Hollywood, CA

TonyaKay — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:36:40 -0700

The West Coast Best Coast was settled by some crazy muther fuckers. No doubt.

Imagine looking at that canyon, one of the seven wonders of the world, well deserving of it's implicated grandness, thinking, "let's see what's on the other side". But their horse and carriages didn't stop for the great chasm in the earth, no, they relented not, they pushed forward, they dreamed big and over the snow-covered avalanche/blizzard frozen gray mountains they persevered. Many surely died trying. Many surely decided the risk was not worth their family's lives so they settled in desert or plains before. But some ... the people I choose to feel an ancestry with, are the believers.

"There's gold in them thar hills!" - an alchemic purity of spirit that existed in this world, worth searching for, possible to find. These are my people. Only stopping when land disappeared - at the ocean, my people may not have discovered the alluvial nuggets that beckoned their impulsive idealism, but they did find something. Every day, setting sun across and aquatic horizon - we are touched and our dreams continue for one day more. The gold rush, I am convinced, is legitimate and lives on.

The mind of the people on the West Coast remains that of pioneers. Things change more rapidly here than anywhere else in the world. The fashion of the moment, the progressive thinking mind, the suggestibility required to try something new simply because it's new and ... who knows how brightly beauty may shine?

But the exact speed at which this city, Los Angeles, is capable of change, not only lays the foundation for eternal youth and sets the stage for the embracing of all modern practices, including cultural arts, science fiction religions and overwhelming international commerce via mass media, but also ignites a convenience compulsion that covets all things that don't take too long, last too long or require too much effort. In other words, the West Coast's Pioneering mind was the first to embrace organic agriculture while driving packing highways single-passenger in lieu of the car pool lane. Disposability is the down side of too rapid a change: disposable wardrobe, architecture and even identity. This change - obsessive change - for change's sake, leaves landfills needlessly where cemeteries and public basketball courts used to shine.

My industry, the film and television industry in particular, is the most excessively expendable industry of them all. The waste generated on set in one of filming a major motion picture, from the plastic, glass and aluminum beverage containers alone, leaves me wondering how I, who goes all the way for clean living inside and out, can possibly be content with quietly reusing my little glass water bottle while dozens are being tossed this very minute with only two sips depleted. If five more people on set are inspired to be responsible for just their water bottle after reading this, then ... maybe it really does matter.

As an actor in the Los Angeles film and television industry, my ability to even get through a casting director's door lies gently in recommendation and reputation, but heavily on headshot. Printed, mailed, dropped off, then resubmitted, the headshot often gets saved when one's audition warrants possible employment, but too often follows the path of common, unsolicited junk mail: straight from the press and into the trash.

The advent of online casting submission services like LA Casting and Breakdown Services allows managers and agents to communicate actors' images digitally, saving literally forests in paper production, hours in time and hundreds of dollars in photo reproduction. And while I wish with all my might that the digital headshot, resume and demo reel will take over as the exclusive professional casting exchange, I still count 300 headshot, postcard and business card reprints every other month in my promotional output.

1,800 shots/year really is something when you add it up. So I asked the photo reproduction facility, knowing that recycled paper is being used in everyday paper items due to it's actually being cheaper to produce than virgin paper and far more agreeable with our precious environment, "What percent of your reproduction paper is recycled?" They did not know, but they were happy to find out; "25%". Now, that's fantastic! "I'd like to print on 100% recycled paper. Can you help me do that?"

It took four weeks, $200 extra dollars and a small sacrifice in image clarity, but I can with near complete assurance state that with only tiny effort, I have become the first actor in film and television to print her shots on 100% recycled paper. This is the industry that so heavily relies on headshots. This is the city of where said industry's epicenter lies. This reproduction house is one of the most popular in Hollywood, and I was their first. They found out for me. And the next time someone else says, "I want to print on 100% recycled paper. Can you help me do that?" - it will be fast. And the twentieth time someone asks the same question - it will be cheap. The paper will be in stock and available.

We Who Travel West ... I stand at the ocean bathing in sunset's magick hour, dreaming that the next rush of gold might be right beneath my dirty fingernails. Feeling like the pioneer of everything that is about to be. Reminding myself that Pioneers are not settlers. My people before me did not settle on the plains. They did not settle at the canyon. And I won't be settling either - especially not "down". So while I welcome with open arms the countless pioneers I see rushing gold one by one, and encourage them to insist on 100% - nothing less, I still press on towards digital exclusivity and the legalization of the hemp plant so that deforestation for paper products can cease altogether - for once and for all.

I will not settle down.

Pro-Activist Team

I'm Your Favorite Badass - Hollywood, CA

TonyaKay — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:46:18 -0700

It's a king sized bed in a cold, April bedroom. I was just snuffing out so I could enjoy a read about elephants, my most recent spiritual study, but instead I got amped - really inspired and here I am like a maniac trying to write it down.

Writing things can be the first step towards magickal manifestation. It's like the vision is more formulated, more complete ... more real. Picasso and Spare might have to agree.

It seems like the full moon OR the nite after. Yes, the nite after and the entire two weeks after is a time to realize what in the first two weeks was sewn. My dreams became steeped in waking coincidence. Of course, I use that word to communicate, not because I believe in coincidences rather everything I am experiencing is like a destiny based jig saw puzzle and whoa am I inspired!

***

I want to become a working actor. A name actor. By the traditional means: I will audition, I will get called back, I will book, I will prepare and play, I will perform and play and I will be hired again because I am fun to work with, I am easy to direct, and I have great ideas that accentuate the material and a global vision that makes history.

I am your favorite bad ass. I am her unlikely voice of reason. I am his curiosity. I am my own buoyant muse.

Most importantly, I am the face of everything that is going to be. I want to become a name actor by the traditional means, and wait for the age and my inspiration to meet as the audience and movement seamlessly combine and see a beautiful green world sprout up between sidewalk cracks and underneath my very own finger nails.

***

Pro-Activist Team

In The City, The Old Gods Live - Hollywood, CA

TonyaKay — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:48:38 -0700

In the city, the Old Gods live, but you have to assimilate to the geography to know where to find them. Not in the wide, open, fields, plateaus, altars of nature, preferably in an Oak wood, but reigning over the underground pedestrian tunnel, link fence restricted, no light, motion - just the hollow sounds of cars accelerating over. Down where to colder air settles. And guards the openings of pedestrian tunnels or gothic tombs. In the city, the Old Gods live in LED billboards, social contortions and old trees.

Pro-Activist Team

Tonya Kay

TonyaKay — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:26:30 -0700

Start: 03/28/2008 - 11:24

I filmed a fire spinning feature for NBC's "All American Summer" promo to air all summer long on NBC!

Pro-Activist Team

Vegan Bodybuilding Match

BradleySaul — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:54:08 -0700

In the battle of size vs. endurance, who wins? Robert Cheeke and I battled it out last night to see who had the biggest muscles.

Bodybuilding and Fitness Team

I Stereotype Me - Columbus, OH

TonyaKay — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:30:43 -0800

The curse of Hollywood: Indentity Crisis.

I get called into a commercial audition today. Casting for "vegan - preferably with dreadlocks". Let's see if I can pull this one off.

So I am getting around for the audition; cruelty-free, mineral make up applied, locks tied like ropes into braids on each side - it is time for the clothing. And I find myself toiling over what the writer might envision a "vegan with dreadlocks" wearing. Earth mother, hippie clothes likely (of which I have none), when I realize that I am exemplifying the curse of Hollywood: Identity Crisis!

I AM a vegan with dreadlocks and instead of trying to become what I think someone's stereotype of me is, why don't I just become more of myself and ... wear precisely what a vegan with dreadlocks would wear to a commercial audition on a rainy day in Hollywood.

Life is too short to wear clothes you don't like to impress someone you don't know to get a job you don't care about to make money you don't need to buy more clothes you don't like to impress someone you don't even know.

Life is too fucking short!

Pro-Activist Team