Precious Needs a Good Home

8-month-old female Precious as "an amazing animal," with the friendly and chilled-out demeanor of a Lab and the intelligence of a Shepherd.

Precious was brought to the shelter by an owner who could no longer afford to keep her. She's been well cared for. She has good manners and is housebroken. She's a "dog lover's dog," with the potential to be an excellent companion for years to come.

Precious is in NYC's Animal Care and Control shelter. Please spread the word.

Mouse Guard

How cute is this? Somebody should do a version of Zatoichi (the blind swordsman) with mice.

In My Head

This is what I've been busy with lately:

1. I would like to try taking ballet classes. Yes, I am one of those girls who wanted to be a ballerina but life did not turn out that way. Actually, my mom did not want me to go to ballet school because she thought it would be too tough - living away from her in ballet school dorm and things like that.

The other reason is because I am so damn inflexible right now. Ballet should be good for that and would be more fun than yoga in my mind.

So, I found the school I want to try, but now I am researching what I should wear. In reality,my regular gym outfit will probably work just fine. I just need to buy cruelty free ballet shoes. There is a dance wear store around the corner from my building so I will go tomorrow to see if they have any.

Very excited!!!



2. I am planning a trip to Ukraine in September.

3. Where can I buy bamboo towels in NYC?

4. Went away for the long weekend. Came back to find 100 ants in our kitchen. I freaked out a little and killed a few - now I feel guilty. Then, I sprayed various smelly things (nothing toxic, all natural) around the doorways and counters. All ants are gone! Why did they come in the first place? There was no food laying around at all.

Inspiration: Isaac Singer

Here is quote from Best Friends magazine article I am reading:

"Writer Isaac Singer grew up in Poland, and escaped the Holocaust by coming to the U.S. in 1935. He won the Nobel Prize for literature, and in one of his short stories, he wrote the famous comment that "for animals, life is an eternal Treblinka," referring to the infamous extermination camp of Nazi-occupied Poland.

The son of rabbi, Singer gave up traditional Judaism. He wrote that "eating meat or fish is a denial of all ideas, even of all religions. How can we pray to God for mercy if we ourselves have no mercy? How can we speak of right and justice if we take an innocent creature and shed its blood? Every kind of killing seems to me savage and I find no justification for it."

I would love to read his work - will get it from the library.

La Bayadere at the Met

I went to see La Bayadere last week at the Met. I wanted to compare the version I saw by Bolshoi Theater in Moscow with American Ballet Theater's version.

When I first saw it in Moscow, I disliked the plot - it felt very forced as if it was written at the last moment.

This time, knowing the limitations of the plot, I was able to enjoy La Bayadere much more. The role of Nikiya, the temple dancer, was performed by Nina Ananiashvili. I had an out of this world moment watching her dance the first scene. She made it seem so effortless, like her body is made out of hot wax and there were no angles in her movements - just perfect flowing. I would love to see more of this dancer.

Irina Dvorovenko was Gamzatti. She was good, but I felt like the role does not give her a chance to have a "wow" moment.

I also loved the music - hearing it for the second time made it more memorable.

Dharma and the Dollar

I like this quote from Tricycle Daily Dharma newsletter:

Dharma and the Dollar

Awakening entails economic pursuits that foster self-respect and self-reliance and that serve to integrate, rather than disperse, the energies of the local community. From the perspective of the Dharma, economic goals include not only production and profit, but also their human and environmental impact. The conservation of material resources, their humane use, and their equitable distribution are taken as preeminent concerns.

--Joanna Macy in Mindfulness and Meaningful Work by Claude Whitmyer

Feed Bag

Vanity Fair's Green Issue had an article about Feed Bag created by Lauren Bush. The proceeds from FEED products go to feed hungry children in school around the world. I think I might get it for one of my friends as a gift.

As for me, my Puffin Organic Cotton bag is still going strong after many washes and heavy groceries. It is always with me - folded inside my other bag until needed. It saved the world from hundreds of plastic bags.

Enlightenment Card

I stumbled on a web ad for "enlightenment card". It is a credit card with points reward system. Points will get you discounts on health-conscious stores, products, and services or you can donate them to charities.

You can pick from several designs for your card - one of them has Buddha statue on it.

I have very mixed feelings about this product. My main objection is with its name, as enlightenment and consumerism are such opposite concepts. I also do not like an idea of showing off your belief system. I know I am not perfect, but one should show off his or her beliefs with actions, rather then credit card design.

I do like that you have an option to donate points to charities with this card. I think it would have been less of a turn off if the point system was entirely about donating to charities.

Dogwood Kennels Puppy Mill

Tragically, on March 21, of this year 192 dogs and puppies suffocated and burned to death in a puppy mill known as Dogwood Kennels that is owned by the Schmucker family. This incident appears to have occurred because Dogwood Kennels used a kerosene lantern. Their puppy mill has no electricity. Less than a year before this very sad event, dozens of dogs and puppies died at the same puppy mill allegedly from drinking unsanitary water given to them.

Dogwood Kennels has continued to operate the puppy mill and it turns out, they never obtained a conditional use permit from the county to operate a puppy mill. They have been operating all this time without a permit. But they have not stopped their illegal operation. Instead, they now have applied for a conditional use permit from Bland County, Virginia where they are located.

If the county gives them a permit, hundreds more dogs will be at risk. You can help stop this!

Pointer mix needs a good home

2-year-old Chyna is a slender and elegant Pointer mix. She's a bright, alert, affectionate dog who loves to play outdoors and enjoys the company of kids and other dogs.

She's got sweet, expressive eyes and wonderful ears that are somewhere between pointy and floppy.

Chyna is currently in Animal Care & Control shelter in NYC. It is a kill shelter, so please adopt her or spread the word if you can.

Update on recycled envelopes search

I posted couple of weeks ago about having trouble finding recycled envelopes in NYC.

Eventually I was able to find a decent selection at Paper Presentations store (23 West 18th Street) and bough Genesis brand envelopes.

And thank you Rick for pointing out where I can get Hemp Heritage products. I assume you work for the company - it is very smart of you to blog search what people are saying about you.

Pure-bred English Springer Spaniel Needs Home

Jack is a pure-bred English Springer Spaniel, whose former human companion didn't have time for him.

Springers are affectionate, playful dogs who make excellent family pets. But not for lazy families! They need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy.

Jack is young enough to adapt well to a new home, preferably one filled with people as energized as he is.

Jack is at NYC Animal Care and Control shelter (a kill shelter).

More Action Alerts

This one is unbelievable: Sony Decapitates Goat to Promote Violent Videogame

Sony displayed a beheaded goat carcass at a launch party in Greece for God Of War II, a newly released title for the company's PlayStation 2 console.

The gory "sacrifice" of an actual goat in a commercialized ritual of domination was clearly meant to advertise the vividly rendered violence that characterizes God Of War II, which has earned the game a rating of M for mature (ages 17 and up). However, this supposed safeguard will not prevent underage gamers in the UK who subscribe to Sony's official PlayStation magazine from getting an eyeful of the headless goat in the latest issue, which includes a two-page photo spread of the launch party. Though Sony pulled 80,000 copies of this edition from newsstands last weekend, it has already been mailed out to subscribers and cannot be recalled.

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Action Alert: Tell GUESS to Stop Selling Fur

If you think GUESS should get with the times and stop selling the products of cruelty, please let them know.

Elephants Abused at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

IDA (In Defense of Animals) has launched a new campaign targeting Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif. where dozens of animals have died prematurely in the past decade. The seven elephants on display there now experience continual suffering from the noise and crowds at the park, and painful abuse from trainers who use sharp bullhooks to control them. Six Flags is the only facility in the country accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association that still offers elephant rides (!?!?!?!?!?!), even though they endanger the safety of park visitors and are stressful for the elephants. Other zoos stopped providing elephant rides long ago for these very reasons.

Find out how you can make a difference and please write to the City of Vallejo (which “owns” most of the elephants) right now.

Dulary's Diary

Dulary (left), the elephant from Philadelphia Zoo, arrived at the Elephant Sanctuary. Check out the slide show of Dulary getting the courage to step out of her trailer into the new world. Dulary came from Thailand to The Philadelphia Zoo more than 41 year ago.

Angel needed for hospice and a home

Bear, a 10-year old Belgian Shepherd mix, has been at the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services (C.A.R.E.S.) for several days, and has just been diagnosed with oral melanoma, an aggressive cancer in his mouth and throat. At the time it became apparent that he likely had cancer, his foster parent of over a year refused to take Bear back into her home.

Yvonne of Hope for the Animals (in Washington Crossings, PA) is awaiting information from the veterinary oncologist regarding the possibility of chemotherapy. There is a a new drug available that has been achieving positive results; however, they do not yet if it is appropriate for Bear. If Bear can receive this medication, he will have to be taken into New York City 3-4 times over a period of weeks to the clinic that would be providing the treatment. Yvonne and Hope for the Animals can transport him if his new foster parent is unable to arrange the travel.

Bear is still enjoying a good quality of life, despite the fact that he has to breathe entirely through his nose. His appetite is fine, and he is alert and behaving normally. Because it is the HFA’s policy to allow a dog to enjoy his life for as long as he has the capacity to do so, they do not want to euthanize Bear right away. He is a loving and happy guy who enjoys life and wants to live fully to the end of his days.

Hope for the Animals is therefore looking for an angel: a person or a facility that can take Bear and give him a loving environment until his cancer compromises his quality of life. If they decide not to treat the cancer, Bear’s time will likely be very short—a month or so. With chemotherapy, the possibility exists that he can enjoy his life a bit longer.

If you know of anyone who might be willing to provide a home for Bear to enjoy the last days of his life, please let Hope for the Animals know. HFA will cover all costs for veterinary care, medication, and food.

If you would like more information on Bear, please call Yvonne at (215) 321-1798 before 5 p.m. Friday, or at (215)945-6204 after 5 p.m. on Friday and throughout the weekend. Bear’s profile can be found on Petfinder.org at http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=5317765

You can also help Bear by passing on this message to your personal contacts. With your help, we can make a difference for Bear and all the animals.