Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Dr. Seuss Paraphrased... Sort Of

Some Halloween silliness here!

Monday, October 09, 2006

Well this is bizarre...

In the news today:

Anti-drug campaigners today attacked the makers of a soft drink who have called their product cocaine.

The high-energy drink is being billed as a "legal alternative" to the class A drug, using a massive hit of caffeine instead of cocaine.

Its maker claims the title is "a bit of fun" but critics slammed the technique as a cynical ploy which could tempt young people into using drugs.

The drink's inventor, Jamie Kirby, said: "It's an energy drink, and it's a fun name. As soon as people look at the can, they smile."

He claims Cocaine is "350 percent stronger than Red Bull" but that people do not experience the "sugar crash" or jitters that he says some of the other energy drinks can produce.

But David Raynes, of the UK National Drug Prevention Alliance, said: "It is people exploiting drugs. It is a pretty cynical tactic exploiting illegal drugs for their own benefit."

Las Vegas-based drinks company Redux Beverages is producing the drink which contains 280 milligrams of caffeine. According to the company's website, the only way to get more caffeine per ounce is with an espresso.

Mr Raynes added: "The fact is that subliminally, it is making the image of drug use cool and that's what kids what to be, cool.

"Kids will be drinking Cocaine and will inevitably link the two. The drink is relatively innocuous, but they will be linking it with cocaine use and the market, which is far from innocuous."

Dr Charles O'Brien, a professor and vice chairman of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, said: "It's just a bad idea and has all the same downsides of too much caffeine plus a very bad name."

The company has received inquiries about selling Cocaine in Britain and throughout Europe. At the moment it is being sold only in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas - mainly to teenagers.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Meow! er... yip, yip!



Meet Johnette, the newest addition to the household. A Maltese/Poodle mix, she's made herself and home and endeared her cuteness to the rest of us. Us humans, that is. The other three cats (by the way, we believe she considers herself one of them) didn't quite know what to make of her when she first came into the room. But they seem to have tolerated her presence a little better, the more time they spend getting used to each other.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Response: Sleep On the Streets (vlog #1)

As part of the recent focus on homelessness here on my blog, here is one woman's personal account of having been there. This is a very powerful, moving story and proof that such shelters and programs are desparately needed.
Sleep On the Streets (vlog #4)
Sleep On the Streets (vlog #4)

My friend, VioletKitty411 speaks at her church about Bridge of Hope, an organization that helps homeless women and their children.

Also click on this link for a video from a woman who has been there, and now has made a better life with the help of a similar shelter program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaT28egHkm4
Sleep On the Streets (vlog #4)

My friend VioletKitty speaks at the Bridge of Hope sponsored event on the subject of homeless families.
Response: Sleep On the Streets (vlog #1)

This is a very powerful story about being homeless, and how important it is for safe houses and shelters to continue running.

Friday, September 29, 2006

More about homelessness

Finally, I was able to get this video to load properly.
This is a woman who shares her sobering story of being homeless and the events that led up to it. If nothing else, this serves as proof that shelters and programs like Bridge of Hope are desparately needed. Luckily this person is no longer homeless or stuck in a terrible situation because she found help with a similar shelter program.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

VioletKitty411 speaks at her church on the effects of homelessness...



Also click on the link for the personal story of a woman who's been homeless and now has a better life thanks to a similar program.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Sleep On the Streets (vlog #3)

More info on the Bridge of Hope event, which happens tonight.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Sleep On the Streets (vlog #2.911)

My friend in Pennsylvania is to speak on the subject of homelessness as well as sing at her church. She's also participating in a "Sleep on the Streets" event to build awareness and raise money for homeless families, so please watch and donate if you can. Thank you!

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Sleep On the Streets (vlog #1)

A very good friend of mine is participating in a fundraising event coordinated by her church. Its designed to help families who are homelesss. Please watch this video for more details.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Re: American YouTube

This was a video response to one of my subscriptions on YouTube. It was basically an invitation to include national anthems from different countries. Hope you enjoy!

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Oh, I'll Tell You, I Will

How did I get Bob to succumb to the lure of my camera... I may tell you, but for now it'll have to remain a mystery. Mua.. muahahaha!
Seriously, for some reason when I uploaded his poem it processed right away, but as of right now my own reading is still being "processed" by YouTube... It's happened before, it may just take some time. But in any case, enjoy Bob's poem :)

Monday, August 21, 2006

Video addiction!

Oh my, my... Enjoying another day off. I mean Really enjoying. My "weekends" begin on Saturday night, actually... So while most of you are heading to work and dealing with a sad case of the "Mondays" I'm sleeping in a bit and catching up on the internet.
Today I'm anxiously awaiting arrival of a new video editing program. Adobe Premiere Elements, ordered from Amazon and estimated to get here sometime early this afternoon (I hope.) Last I heard it was at the nearest UPS station not 15 min. away, but I've had to wait since they don't deliver at all on the weekends, *sigh*
I'm really kind of exited about this, just to see how much easier its gonna be to put things together. It's supposed to have a better timeline than QuickTime Pro, and a lot of other features QuickTime doesn't have... I'm hoping it works. If it does, I'm gonna have a lot of fun with it... lol, not that I didn't have fun before... We'll see how it goes.
In the meantime, you could visit my account on YouTube and see what I'm talking about here: Baileykix
It seems I'm addicted to YouTube. Imagine that!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gizmo Flushes

This was so cute and bizarre that I just had to share it here... I just wonder what their water bill is up to these days?

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Thanks 4 The Invite

Far away from thrillers and sci-fi,
snakes on a plane or bears on a planet,
the daisies are waving at us
through a screened-in sliding door
that separates a well deserved breeze from
comcast-on-demand.

They are saying, "Come join us...
The air is much better out here
and there's still enough light yet
for a good book or that one elusive
perfect shot.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Beautiful day here in Jersey! The neighbor's out walking his Westies, its nice with the temperature not too hot and muggy the way it was last week, the balcony garden has gotten its share of compliments (now if we could just get whoever's dumping those gigantic buckets of water over the balcony above ours to just Cut It Out...) I picked up a hummingbird feeder before I left work yesterday. There was at least one around the neighborhood two days ago and I wanted to get the feederÿs soon as possible so he'd come back, but so far there's just been the bees and wasps that I've seen today. There's still plenty of summer left so maybe the hummer will make a few more appearance before too long.

Reading? I highly recommend Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer)You might have seen his show Wednesday nights on the National Geographic Channel. Really an enjoyable read and I learned a lot from it even though there might be a some repetition in some of what he's saying. In a way I think that might be intentional though, because it's not just the individual dogs he's working with, he's also getting their owners to approach an issue from a different angle. Everyone who's an animal lover should read this book... it doesn't matter if you're not a "dog person" per se, you can still be able to get something good from it.

One last thing before I go. I was playing around with some ideas the other night and this is what resulted. You could also say... hmm... Pablo the cat has ADD, annoyance ensues. Well, you be the judge:

On The Phone

Pablo has attention issues

Sunday, August 06, 2006

China's brutality (Graphic content)

I am frustrated, outraged, sometimes at a loss for words, pissed off to the extreme... want to lash out brutally myself at those responsible. I want to make the monsters pay. I can imagine some satisfying justice in this world, become some kind of neo-vigilante, join the equivalent of the Guardian Angels... no, they're too passive for the state of my mood right now. Something more like this: an animal abuse version of the Boondock Saints. I want to make the monsters pay. Slowly. They are poison in society with their own sick agenda and mindset. Hate is not a strong enough word for my feelings about these people.

Grrr... the best that I can hope for is swift judgement and punishment through the proper channels. That's why I'm calling for tougher legislation regarding animal abuse. Make it a felony across the board, not just in a few states. I am sick to death of so many of these cases never going the full course or ending in aquittals.

I'd like to see it become law that shelters and pet shops comply with checking names on a database of convicted animal abusers before adopting out or selling a pet. I'd like to see jurors in such cases dole out more of a sentence than a slap on the wrist. I'd like the public mindset to go beyond the assumption that "boys will be boys" or "its not like it was a person" or "a pet is merely property." It's been proven nearly since day one that too often torturing and abusing an animal is a precurser to child abuse or domestic violence, in fact they very often occur simultaneously. There are tons of cases that illustrate this very point on the books right now. Just check out http://petabuse.com/

Sometimes its not just the individual cases that get to me. Sometimes its the attitude of a powerful organization.

Say you have always had a dog or cat in your household. You've always cared for that animal, made sure it had plenty of food, water, adequate medical care. Always took it to the vet when it was sick, always made sure your pet's vaccinations were current. But one day you're out in the neighborhood walking your dog. A stranger suddenly approaches and tells you he's been ordered by the government to exterminate all the dogs within a three-mile radius. Why? To ensure containment of rabies. He wrestles the leash away from you, other officials approach with canes or sticks and begin beating your dog to death... How would you react? This is what's going on in China right now.

Ok, so we live in America, not China... but put yourself for an instant in the other guy's shoes. If someone was killing your pet, would you stand by and let it happen? Not me. Not even if it was government sanctioned.

Who's with me on this? You can view and add your electronic signature to a petition designed to prevent this from happening again: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/131317412?ltl=1154864998
You can view the story I found at CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/08/04/china.dogs.ap/index.html?section=cnn_mostpopular

What happens now is up to you.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

It's friggin' hot out there people!

Ok, it seems I'm a little late in reminding people to be careful of the high temperatures when it comes to their pets, because in the last few days there's been neglect and just plain avoidable stupidity. In York, PA a puppy strangled on its leash trying to get out through the window of a locked car. And in Chicago, a man left his German Shepherd tied up the entire day in the blazing heat with no food or water, resulting in the animal's death.

Is anybody listening?

I'm reposting this article, and will continue to repost as long as I think it needs to be seen...

Keeping Cool - Keeping Cool Dogs Out of Hot Cars
In the warmer months, hundreds of reports come in from across the country where pet owners have left their dog in a hot car. Since many of these incidents occur in situations where the dog is otherwise well cared for, we must assume that it is ignorance on that part of the pet owner that causes these tragic situations.

Keep Your Pets Safe
Never leave a dog in a parked car. On a mild 73ºF day, the temperature inside a car can reach 120ºF in 30 minutes. On a 90ºF day, the interior of a vehicle can reach 160ºF in minutes.

If you have errands to run, leave the dog at home. Tha majority of cases we see involve pet owners who were "just running into the store for a minute". Minutes turn into a half-hour, and suddenly the dog is in a life-threatening situation.

If you see a dog in a car and in distress, take down the cars color, model, make, and license-plate number, have the owner paged inside nearby stores, and call local humane authorities or police. Have someone keep an eye on the dog. If police are unresponsive or too slow and the dogs life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness (or several) who will back your assessment, take steps to remove the suffering animal, and then wait for authorities to arrive. Contact PETA for a supply of fliers on the dangers of heatstroke to leave on windshields.

Dont carry your dog in the bed of a pickup truck. This is always dangerous, but the heat brings the added danger of burning the dogs feet on the hot metal.

Dont take your dog joggingexcept on cool mornings or eveningsand dont force exercise. On long walks, rest often and take plenty of water. Hot pavement can burn dogs paws; choose shady, grassy routes.

Trim heavy-coated dogs fur, but leave an inch for protection against insects and sunburn. Keep an eye on areas where hair is thin, like eyelids, ears, and nose as they can get sunburned.

Keep your dog indoors. If he or she must stay outside for long, avoid the hottest part of the day. Provide shade, water, and a kiddie pool. Keep drinking water in an anchored bucket or a heavy bowl that wont tip over.

Be a watchdog for chained dogs. Make sure that they have food, water, and shelter. If you see a dog in distress, contact humane authorities. Give the dog immediate relief by providing water. Click here for more information.

If You See an Animal Suffering From Heatstroke
Heatstroke can come on quickly and result in brain damage or death. Watch for symptoms such as restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite, dark tongue, rapid heartbeat, fever, vomiting, or lack of coordination. If your dog shows any of these symptoms, get her or him into the shade immediately and call your veterinarian. Lower the animals body temperature gradually by providing water to drink, applying a cold towel or ice pack to the head, neck, and chest, or immersing the dog in lukewarm (not cold) water.

source: http://petabuse.com

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Pet Shoppe Pic of the Week



Female Wire Fox Terrier

This bundle of energy is waiting for a good home and a big yard. Always a sweetheart, affectionate and loves to play fetch, loves to run, and always ready with a joyful greeting. You can find more info at
The Pet Shoppe.

Breed Information:

Breed Group: Terrier

Weight: male: 17-19, female: 15-17 lbs

Height: 15.5 inches

Color(s): white should predominate (brindle, red, or liver markings are objectionable)

Coat: The Wire Fox Terrier has a broken coat giving the coat a shaggy type appearance. The hair of this breed should twist, and always have longer hair on the muzzle, giving him a beard. The coat of this breed should never be soft or silky and should always remain harsh and wiry. The beard of this breed is the most noticeable, and most likely requires the most maintenance.

Overview: The Wire Fox Terrier has been used for many hunting activities, the most common being hunting foxes in England. This breed would harass the fox out of his hole by biting and snapping. The Wire Fox Terrier has also been used for ratting on occasion and has done exceptionally well. This breed can also excel in many different activities such as, hunting, watch dogging, as an alarm dog, agility, tracking, and also performing tricks which he is known for.

Character: Being a terrier, this breed is very lively and energetic making him a joy to be around. The Wire Fox Terrier will always liven up the room. A great sense of humor and a very loving companion, this breed can also be wary of strangers so proper socialization is a must. The Wire Fox Terrier has a very fun loving and energetic personality making him very popular among families, but the owner should always do their research to be sure that this lively dog is right for their environment and lifestyle.

Temperament: The Wire Fox Terrier is very friendly and alert. This breed does make a good alert dog, but does not do well as a guard dog. The Wire Fox Terrier can do well around children, but if around smaller children, he should always be supervised as this breed has the tendency to snap when irritated or pestered. The Wire Fox Terrier generally doesn't do well around other pets and should never be trusted around smaller and more passive animals. If socialized and trained properly at an early age, this breed can do well around other dogs and lose the tendency to be combative and aggressive towards them.

Care: The Wire Fox Terrier does not require much grooming, however brushing is necessary. Stripping of the coat is required for show dogs, however can be done less frequently if not used for these purposes. Hand plucking of the coat may be necessary to remove dead hairs but should only be performed by an experienced groomer. The Wire Fox Terrier has a much longer beard along his muzzle which should be brushed and cleaned every other day to prevent caking, matting, and dirt. Washing with a mild soap and brushing with a fine-toothed comb will prevent this.

Training: The Wire Fox Terrier is very lively and can be independent making training at an early age very important. This breed loses interest quickly and should have a firm and consistent handler. Making training a game and fun will be sure to keep this dogs interest. The Wire Fox Terrier should have an experienced handler, as they can be very stubborn and willful. If the proper techniques are not performed, this breed will be very difficult to train and become somewhat of a tyrant.

Activity: The Wire Fox Terrier loves exercise and is very active. This breed can do well without a yard, however due to the energy, at least a small yard would be best. This breed does remarkably well running along side a bike, and loves long jogs with his owner. The Wire Fox Terrier does best in a home with a fenced in yard as they love to run and chase, however the fence should always be reinforced in some way and should always be at least 6 feet in height to prevent escape.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Heroes

A special tribute to those who volunteered to rescue and care for some of the most important family members, collectively.

Also important to remember that nearly every city is still just as unprepared in should a disaster like this occur.... Are you ready for the unthinkable? Always have your pet carriers handy, food, water, and a personal escape plan. You just never know...

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Videos and MLS Rants

Hmmm.... I haven't quit writing. Just haven't written as much for some time now, and haven't been posting them. I'm still writing. Still writing. Occasionally.

Since I've got my camera I've been more into the photography thing. Got some pics I'm planning to submit to a few magazines. Some outdoor animal portraits I'm wanting to send to Dog Fancy. Maybe they'll accept them, maybe they won't.

Also I've been into the video thing. Since the new camera has a video feature as well. Getting them uploaded on a site called YouTube has been a frustrating experience though, to say the least. A learning experience at best. What editing program to use, what works, what doesn't. What type of files are compatable. For weeks I was driving myself crazy whenever I uploaded because each time major parts failed to be included and the video itself would be shortened. Compressed in such a way that the audio was all messed up and, well it just seemed the best parts ended up being sacrificed. But now, but now... I've made a breakthrough. Mwahahahaha! So watch out people, Bailey could be on a rampage and out of control with the video thingy here.

Speaking of things out of control. What the hell is up with Major League Soccer? As if it wasn't bad enough already, now its seems the entire league has lost its collective mind. First there was the Kansas City Wizards (my hometown team, btw) unceremoniously dumping Tony Meola, without notifying him. That was at the beginning of last season. Then finally he was offered a place with the NY/NJ MetroStars (my second favorite team) in time for the new season and Mo Johnston (also a longtime KC Wizard) was offered a coaching position with the same team after retiring as a player. So, all was right with the MLS. Not for long, because at the beginning of THIS season, when I anxiously tuned in to watch the MetroStars play their first game, I find out that there IS no longer a team called the MetroStars. Some energy drink company had bought the team and from this point forward one of my favorite teams will be known as the New York Red Bulls. Can they do this? Apparently so, because they did. Why? Because they can. The corporate powers that be have decided to play hardball with the fans. With the fans? Its more like "against" the fans.

I had a hard time accepting the name change... in fact I'm still calling them the MetroStars. But as if that wasn't enough, the league has still been making some pretty idiotic decisions of late. Here it is mid-season and they've replaced coach Mo Johnston with this Bruce Arena guy, because of a losing streak... rather than wait till the end, they schedule a mid-season replacement so not only do the players have to deal with a lack of wins, they also have to deal with getting used to a new coach, who know what else. That's not gonna change it to a winning season. Geez! Now goalkeeper Meola is out with a staff infection and hasn't been playing the last few games.... but the timing leads me to wonder if it really is a staff infection. Remember, those two played on the same team for ten years (the Wizards.) I can imagine the level of fed-upness. Meola walks off the team.

Allmighty Corporation: "Well, what are we gonna tell people?" Meola: "Tell 'em I have a staff infection and will be out indefinitely."

Ok. We'll see what happens with Saturday's game between the Wizards and the team previously known as MetroStars.

What a surprise. The Kansas City coach has been replaced for the same reason.

And who decided it was a good idea to give up New York's star player to Denmark? Bad, bad, bad!

In other words, "soccer be goin' crazy!" And this time it's not necessarily a good thing.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Where Have all the Def Poets gone?

Wow... Georgia Me, Poetri, Lemon, Black Ice, Stacyanne Chin, and Beau Sia all in one place. Actually there's more. About 300 more, right here:



Internet Broadcast - Poetry & SpokenWord 24/7
Eadons Place
They've also have an event planned for October 14, The MidAtlantic Poetry Festival... So check it out!

Sunday, July 16, 2006

A Sunday Storm

Wow, I finally got this thing redone to where it uploaded halfway decent this time... Watch all the way through and listen for the special poetry appropo of the weather!

Friday, July 14, 2006

Wednesday, June 28, 2006


These Westies belong to a neighbor who lives just down the street from us... we always see him walking them past the apartment after I get home from work. I was lucky that day when I just happened to have my camera with me out on the balcony, and shot this pic... come to think of it, I haven't posted any new ones lately. I've been meaning to get those printed up and let him see how they turned out, since they're among my favorites now.

They've been threatening us with flash floods for over a week, and it seemed like the experts were going to be wrong again. Until late last night and early this morning when it just poured. Robert got soaked going into work this morning, but by 7:30 a.m. the sun was out again and it was already starting go get humid. That was here in south Jersey. Over towards Philly and areas north, the Schuykill river continued rising and a lot of streets were under water. And up in Trenton they're estimating the river will rise by 27 feet, peaking at 8 p.m. Which was about an hour ago. Well, I'm glad we didn't get all that here.

The other night we put in the new edition of Boondock Saints in the DVD player, the one that has the director commentary. I highly recommend this one... of course I recommended the original when it came out on video. It's always been one of my all-time favorites. Now if only Troy Duffy will tell us when the sequel will be released!

I haven't been writing anything new lately. Instead I've become addicted to a relatively new site called YouTube. So I've been trying to think of all these different ways to get some of my older poems out to a different audience... we'll see what takes shape there. This could get scary, haha!

Had a bit of an emergency with Pablo last week. He was throwing up, not eating or drinking, and was straining to go in the litter pan. Right away I thought it a urinary infection or blockage, so we rushed him to the closest vet who kept him overnight. He had the beginning of cystosis (sp), and an upper respiratory infection. Poor little guy. We got his meds and so far he's been improving... none of those wild sneezing fits anymore either, lol.

DC United is shutting out my Wizards even as I type. Dammit. It's already 2-0. I would watch, but I don't know if I could take the disappointment. "Sigh."

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Hey... I just had to share this!



A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the
answer to "Where do pets come from?"

Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with
us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and
it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us."

And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will
be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so
that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how
selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will
accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of
Yourselves."

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.

And it was a good animal.
And God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged
his tail.

And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the
Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."

And God said, "No problem. Because I have created this new animal to be
a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own
name, and you will call him DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved
Them.

And they were comforted.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said,
"Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen
like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has
indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."

And God said, "No problem! I will create for them a companion who will
be with them forever and who will see them as they are. The companion
will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are
not always worthy of adoration."

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's
eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings. And
Adam and Eve learned humility.

And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn't give a shit one way or the other.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Imagine

I just joined a site called Youtube not tot long ago. Just thought I'd share one of the better videos I've found on the site. The video (of lipsyncing to John Lennon's Imagine) was edited from submissions of various site subscribers by a high school senior. Definitely a project worth sharing!

Monday, June 12, 2006

Sunday, June 11, 2006

You've just been mooned



I couldn't resist trying to capture the full moon last night. I really like the manual feature on the camera, it gives you a lot more creative control with your photos... Anyway, its my first attempt so be kind with your critique, folks. :P

I've been missing a lot of the MLS games lately. It's almost like the Direct Kick cable channel is trying to pull a fast one by airing a lot of the games during the week... and here I was all used to "Soccer Saturday." Well I guess I just ought to pay more attention.

Speaking of Soccer.. the World Cup just started a few days ago... But the US team plays its first game on Monday. ("USA... Ole, ole, ole".... got that as a ringtone for my Virgin Mobile phone. Not my idea of a decent Team USA chant, I wonder what Mexico's FIFA ringtone sounds like?)
Anyway, our home team should do OK, since they have three Wizards on the team. Always partial to the Wizards when it comes down to the crunch.

It's also been a cool spring... only for a few days so far has it been really warm to speak of... the rest of the time its been rainy and sometimes even a little chilly.

This past week I've been exploring a site called
You Tube, which is a user video site... so I've been thinking of ways to creatively get my content up there as well. So far I've only posted footage of some of the dogs in the pet shop, and a slide show..

Before I go, I'd like to share one of the gems I found on the You Tube site...
Guitar Instrumental

Monday, June 05, 2006



I submitted an entry to a challenge in an online photo group I just joined.



The challenge was: Pick three things that are related, arrange them in any position, you control the lighting, paying attention to composition, light and shadow. It had to be in black and white.




Which one do you think I posted in the group?

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Memorial Day Pics





Some things we saw when we went for a walk on Memorial Day...


The fire marshall must live here...



Then we happened to pass this church I never noticed the few times I've been down this road. Funny what great architecture you miss when you're not looking for it...




... And what detail in the artwork!



Friday, June 02, 2006

Java-holic

Ok. I admit it.
I can't start the day without a pot of coffee.





Mocha Frappuccino



Hyper and driven, you'll take your caffeine any way you can get it. Frappuccinos are good, but you'd probably chew coffee beans in a crunch!

Sunday, May 28, 2006












Happiness In A Gardening Metaphor

Laying an essay down that I've been
reading to scan this balcony of all
its dirt-full containers,

the eye works
right to left, left to right
through the varigated yellows, purple
and reds. Again a new set
and I'm surrounded closer here by green.

Leaves of tall sprouting Sun
and Moon flowers before me and
to my right. I'm busy
anticipating at least five
black centers with a burst
of neon amber.

Funny how I've just noticed
the same bird singing a different
song than the one I
woke up to this morning.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Pet Shoppe Pics of the Week


Meet the latest resident of the Pet Shoppe, she just arrived today. This Pomeranian is barely two months old and weighs a mere 1.84 pounds... so she won't be much larger than this when full grown (she's really not much bigger than a hamster at this point!)Thanks to co-worker Allyssa who helped pose little Pommy, for also providing scale. Really. Can you even resist a ball of fluff like this?


Monday, May 22, 2006

I'm sure most of you have heard already what happened to Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro at the track over the weekend. I haven't usually extended focus to race horses but as an animal lover, I was really concerned with this story. I knew the racing career was over but was shocked to learn that the injuries were considered life-threatening. At this point he's out of surgery and enjoying an excellent first few days since the accident, but as they say... he's not out of the woods yet. So keep Barbaro in mind and wish him a full recovery.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Unweary

Motion like that could turn your thoughts
loose to build momentum out in the wind,

while the breeze is still chilled
in its own way, this late in the season.

My thoughts are with the hawk, barely visible
and soaring the undercurrents of surprise.

He must feel it too, this thing unseen until
the effect reaches wing, feathers; and lower

still where it sings through limb and leaf.
Alive when another gust compels an understanding

of instinct and action immediate.
Flow with it, flow with it...

And he does, high above and tethered
by my lens.

Bring it back...

I've been hearing off and on about NBC cancelling one of their most successful sci-fi shows from last season. After a spectacular cliffhanger for the season finale, they've chosen to cut the entire show from the lineup. Wanna do something about it? If you're a fan of the show Surface feel free to visit this site and sign the petition directed to the executives at NBC. Other shows have been brought back this way (correspondence from a fan base) so get your name on the petition to bring the show back on the air.

Thursday, May 18, 2006





Oh, the weather... the month is already half gone which means next month by this time it should be summer. You couldn't tell it by how chilly it still is in the mornings, and in the evening once the sun starts to set.
But in the meantime when the sun warms up the day, there's always this...



... Which I caught on a quest by taking an alternate route home from work yesterday, passing a retirement community which hosts the pond and footbridge that can be seen from the road.




I can remember a time when it seemed I would never be able to do anything like this again... the opportunity to take such pictures, the sense of contentment that comes with it. Just the chance to do something I always wanted to do...




I stayed at that post a good half-hour, snapping picture after picture. Ah, life is good!







Then later at home, I snuck these covert shots of Pablo, a before and after set during which I got even with him for all the times he woke me up waaay too early...







Wakey, wakey!

Friday, May 12, 2006




Well, just a little sample of what I've been up to lately... taking pictures. It seems I've rediscovered photography, and just recently got myself a new digital camera. I'm still learning the features on it. That and the software programs. It seems pretty easy to follow. That's not the problem, though... the problem now is deciding which ones I want to keep - oh hell, why not all of them? Lol. Looks like I'll be photo crazy this summer for sure.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Woah... a video of my pet shoppe Bengal kittens... The quality isn't really up to par because I was moving the camera a little more than I should have I guess, plus it's not what you'd call top-of-the-line equipment... But its a start, though. Oh, the possibilities! :)



Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Sunflowers, candles and poi, oh my!

Springtime has been busy so far... not so much at the pet shop where things have slowed down quite a bit at the moment, but in general. About a week and a half ago I planted sunflowers, and already they're getting some height. It didn't take them long, I can't wait till they start to bloom. Not a very good picture though, but maybe you can still see what I'm talking about. I've noticed with the camera I have now, its been nearly impossible to take inside pics because for some reason the camera doesn't register available light, especially if the source is from a lamp. The only halfway decent ones taken indoors are those with daylight streaming in from outside. In other words, the subject has to be right at the sliding glass door.
I just finished the Harry Potter book that came out last summer. It took me long enough to get to it, and the ending wasn't such a shocker for me, thanks to Nick Pickerell of Blue Springs, MO, who posted a surprise spoiler on his Xanga site last year. What gets me though, is he never even read the book... he told a story about how him and a friend went into the local Barnes and Noble, and he happened to see it on display, picked it up and quickly turned to a point near the end, read a few paragraphs, set the book down and then commented to a complete stranger the end events. He's still a jerk for doing it in my opinion. So I've decided that when the next (and final) book in the series comes out, I'm not going near anyone's blog until I finish the book. It was really a dirty trick, a smart-ass stunt.. grrr...
So The Half-Blood Prince has been logged on my "have read" list. Now I'm on to The DaVinci Code. Not to worry, I'm conditioning myself to be well aware of potential spoilers until I finish this one, lol.

I've also been keeping up on the latest with my daughter's new home-based business venture candle sales. So if any of you might be interested, feel free to visit her site.

This spring I've been trying to get back into yoga more... I enjoy it, that is on those days I'm not being lazy. And I think I've found something I can really enjoy as much if not more, as well. I'm anxiously awaiting my order from Home of Poi, which is a site showcasing an art form similar to fire dancing. Fascinating, I'm really looking forward to learning more about this. I happened to see an episode of Survivor: Exile Island where half the tribe members were allowed to bring some kind of luxury item for winning a reward challenge... one of them being a firedancer, her luxury item was a set of fire poi. Very cool, very cool indeed.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Last Day of National Poetry Month

I was somewhat disappointed this year with the poetry awareness being so scarce locally. I guess that's what makes today's find in the Courier Post's South Jersey living section a real treat. Therese Halscheid is Haddon Township poet who's just released a new collection, Uncommon Geography. I'm impressed. My only concern was there were far too few articles like this in the local papers.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

New Photos

These are the new Bengals that came into the Shoppe today.

A collection of Himmies...






.... One of the two Puggles we got in today :)


A. Einstein demonstrates How Its Done after replacing Chris Canetti as Red Bulls assistant GM.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Break, Blow, Burn


As National Poetry Month winds down in its final week, I find a review on the new book by Camille Paglia, Break, Blow, Burn. Which, while I still haven't read it, has made a major impression on friends who have. Paglia takes a collection of 43 of what she considers to be the best poems of all time andblends commentary with the actual history of each chosen poem. According to one reader, it changed the way he interprets a poem, how he approaches it. Another wishes Paglia would publish a second volume of favorites.

Friday, April 21, 2006

Soccer Saturday

Excuse me while I rant:

Now that the MLS season is well underway, I have a few bones to pick with some of the new team names this year. The New York/New Jersey Metrostars
have now become this: The New York Red Bulls.
What happened to New Jersey? Why were they dropped from the namesake? Did anyone bother to ask the fans? Who thought up the concept for this logo, Red Bulls? It sounds like an energy drink, the one that's supposed to give you wings. Is it just me, or does the image on the T-shirt looks like it represents two members of the same team on a collision course. Is that the idea they want to impart? Or is that what happened to the Jersey part of the team, they got caught between two bullish clones on a simulateous path to destruction. Were they in the wrong place at the wrong time? I ask you, am I the only one who's wondering all this?

The MLS is now into its 11th year as a league... why mess with the strong familiar MetroStars? New name, and a pretty lame logo to go with it...
I guess its for the same reason major sports arenas are now named after huge corporations and banks... some executive who could probably care less for the game itself sees a way to make a little extra money he doesn't even need by doing so.
I just wanted to know why... I went through the team's entire timeline and only found this at the very end:
3/9/06
The team is purchased and renamed as Red Bull New York.


It doesn't say who purchased them or for what reason they changed the name.

By the way, I watched yesterday as Meola was not having a very good night... I still say Meola and Johnston are the only good things this team has left.



You Were an Eagle



You are able to rise above the details of life and see the big picture.

A spiritual being, you tend to go beyond material concerns.



What?! I wasn't some kind of cat?