Something Good: Rescue Doggies

Someone shared this gorgeous and well produced 2-minute video on Twitter, which made me feel great, so besides RTing it I'm sharing it with you. *smiles*

Now, have you noticed the message at the very end?


If not all, most of you know that I'm a dog person. In fact, I have not one but two rescue dogs (that are my inspiration for the #FridayFlash Writer's Pets Contest).


My dogs are lovely. They got even lovelier (if that's possible :P) after I came in contact with Cesar Milan's teachings. Have you ever heard about the show The Dog Whisperer?


If you haven't and you have a dog, you're considering getting one, you simply like dogs, of even if you're afraid of them, I suggest you take a peek. The man is amazing! What he did for me and my lovelies just through his show is incredible, and what he does for the most troublesome dogs I've ever seen... Ohhhh! 


"What does he have to do with the video, besides the obvious fact that there's a dog featuring in it?" you ask.


Well, Cesar has many campaigns to promote rescue dogs adoption, but this one called my attention the most: To Hell and Back - The Story of Micheal Vick's Pitbulls


Let me ask you something: when you think of pitbulls, is aggressiveness the first image that comes to mind? If your answer is "yes", you're not alone. But you know, this is not necessarily true. When people say that dogs are just like their owners, they're more right than you imagine. But not because their natures are the same, but because it's in dogs nature to make themselves what their masters want in order to please them.  


So, if you care to see things under different perspectives, check out that article about pitbulls. 


And to add to my opinion about human-dog relationship, check out this other article about non-verbal communication between humans and dogs: Beyond Words: Human-Animal Interaction. It's mind-boggling!


Now, after seeing the movie and reading the articles, tell me you don't want to adopt a rescue. Impossible! You might even consider getting a lovable and submissive pitbull like Cesar's rehabilitated ones, eh? ;P (Well, not unless you're a cat person, in which case you're forgiven, heh.)


Oh, if you ever decide to adopt a rescue dog (or any dog for that matter), will you let me know? :)


Psst, check out Cesar's tips for getting a new dog. ;)

Random Cool Things #10 - Water

Lately, randomities hasn't been as random as it used to be. There has been mostly stories, book reviews and a lot of knigh-posts, which are all great! But today I'd like to present you something different I stumbled upon on, err.. StumbleUpon. :P


So, check out this video of water caught at 700 FPS. Amazing:

Team Ghost - High Hopes from 16ar on Vimeo.

Neil Gaiman Needs Help with "The Price"

Picture Credits

I'm sure you know who Neil Gaiman is. You don't? Sinner! Just kidding, heh. He's the award winning author who wrote one of the best comic books ever made, Sandman, and several fantastic(al) books, which latest are Coraline -- that was made into a spooky animation -- and The Graveyard Book, which won the Newberry Medal. He's also my favorite writer. (As if you hadn't guessed it by now, heh.)


You see, Gaiman also wrote a short story called The Price that you can hear here, narrated by him, for free. The story is so good that Christopher Salmon wants to make it into a 3D animation. 


If you care about my opinion, I love Gaiman's comics and novels, but I'm not as affectioned to his short stories. Every author has a weak point, right? However, The Price is fantastic! It's gripping, chilling and surprising. Curiously enough, I though it'd make a great animation when I read it. 

Check out this video, which I hope will tick your curiosity, if I haven't yet. ;)

"So why all this?" you ask. 

Well, if you saw the video you know what we need to do. If not, I'll summarize it for you. ;) 

To make the project into the real thing, they need to raise $ 150,000. 3D animation are expensive, eh? They're almost half under way, but there are only ten days to go, so your help is most needed! 

Check out the widget on the sidebar to see the progress. So far, more than a thousand people are backing the initiative! Now go and do some good. :) 

p.s.: Here's the movie's website. Pretty! 

Random Cool Things #8 - Bookish Bookmarks

I found this awesome bookmarks with calendars on a nearby paper shop and I couldn't resist sharing them with you.

Hey Anne, talk about head monkeys, eh? ;P

Now, I know those are from past months, so I'm sharing also this one, of October. If you like, you can download and print it. ;)

The other bookmark-calendars are not bookish but some are really nice, including the ones of the incoming months.

If you're curious drop me your email on the comments that I'll send you the whole pack. :)

The Air Has Color

It's salmon.

It is no mist, no veil, no illusion.

The sun gave me a twilight gift.

It is meant for all of us.

It is on the trees, on

people's skin, on the air.

I breathe in the gift

and smile without smiling.

Note: The picture was taken by yours truly in the vicinities. I suggest you click on it to enlarge if you want to have a better grasp of what I felt when receiving this wonderful gift. :)

Breathe

I had promised another installment of the zombie dragon story for this week, but, but... It doesn't matter does it? heh ;P

So, I wrote this a few days ago, which I thought I'd share with you although it doesn't really qualify as #FridayFlash. But there you go; I hope you'll like it. :)

Breathe

I'm walking on a large road with no room for pedestrians. I'm going from one appointment to another and I have plenty of time. I'm hungry. I'm eager to sink my teeth into the half-eaten sandwich I'm carrying in my purse.

My strides are calm yet determined. I spot this:

I had seen this small path before, walking on the same road. I've wanted to explore it although it looked too much like the entry to a private property. Today I dare going in. It might have been the pending flowers that made it look like the door to another world, or it was the sun inviting me to rest under the trees tops. It doesn't matter.

I look back to see if someone sees me and I stroll in. I'm welcomed by chipping birds, a kind breeze and white butterflies.

As I advance I'm more and more certain that I'm trespassing. I ignore the knot on my stomach and look at the shades of green of the tree leaves above my head; I smell the humidity of the earth below my feet; I hear the cracking sound of the fallen branches at my every step.

I hear a rumbling sound that does not come from my belly. Shortly after I see a construction between the tree trunks; there's no doubt anymore.

I turn to go away. Nature invites me to stay for a while longer, so I leave the rough road embracing the woods, feeling that the birds will hide and protect me from the owner's wrath. I'm wearing red under a black coat.

I give my back to the house and the noise and sit on a tree stump. I eat my sandwich, leaving the crumbs in appreciation of the bird's greeting. The sun thanks me with a warm beam, illuminating every one of us.

I breathe in the moment and go. The butterflies salute me in my way back.

*

I'm writing this in a charming town, drinking a good caffè macchiato. I pause every once in a while to gaze at the passing people, the buildings and into nothing.

The sun has hidden behind the clouds, providing a cool afternoon. My red scarf protects me from the mountain air and the coffee heats me from the inside. Life is good right now.

Note: These pics were taken by yours truly with her crappy cell phone camera. Please forgive their bad quality, although I've tagged this post as "pretty things". It's the essence that is pretty, not the form. ;)

Oil Spill - Take Action

You have heard about the accident that leaded to the largest oil spill in American history, right?

You have heard about the horrific consequences for the environment, right?

You can track its growth here. I'm in awe of the extent of its taint.

Here you can read about National Geographic photographer Joe Sartore's experience when visiting the site. (Thank you Debra, for the thought provoking link!)

These are the US government initiatives to contain the disaster.

What can we do to help?

Phyl Good wrote a post in her bookish blog that pushed the start button of an engine in my head. There are people, good people, taking action to contain or remedy its impact.

All illustrations you see in this post were taken from the Ripple Project blog. This is an incredible initiative by illustrator Kelly Light to raise funds to help animal victims of the oil spill. Each drawing is a card that can be purchased by only $10; all income goes straight to two non-profits: The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and The International Bird Rescue Research Center.

You can take action by purchasing something beautiful.

"I can't draw", you say, "and I'm short on cash." Well, I'm on the same page, but you can help in other ways.

For instance, Jim Bronyaur has an awesome project that demands no disbursement from you. All you have to do is read and comment on a given list of blogs and websites. He will donate $10 to each 50 comments in the sites of the list.

One of the included links is a fantastical story (literally) that takes place in the post-Katrina New Orleans: Devil's Blood.

He is also recording an album which income will go to the same goal. You'll be able to download it from his website. Watch his blog for further news!

You can take action by supporting other actions.

You can spread the word, like I'm doing. You can be inventive.

We live in a oil-based society, so, even if only indirectly, we're all responsible for the problems risen from the extraction, processing and usage of its by-products.

Be responsible. Take action.

Note: Here are the links for the illustrations featured in this post, by order of appearance. The name of the illustration leads to its post on the Ripple Project Blog, and the illustrator names lead to their website (when available). Visit them, show your support. This is also a good and inexpensive way of taking action!

>> We Will Emerge, by Danielle Gaudet

>> Swiss Ripple, by Jart Studio Gallery

>> Etegami Set: Moon Jellies, by Deborah Davidson

>> Hope for New Life, by Karen Erasmus

>> Sea Life, by Amalia Hillmann

>> All the Seas Were Ink, by Kathleen Jennings

>> Save Them, by Ginger Nielson

Random Cool Things #5 - Winnie the Pooh et Le Crocodile

See this little French girl's fantastic tale. Cute awesomeness! :D

Motto

This is a quick note to tell you that I've found a motto for myself.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” ~ Plato

I don't know why I haven't chosen this phrase before, as it rings so true, but it doesn't matter.

What do you think of my choice? :)

Note to add: I'm a sucker for images. I couldn't just leave this post image-less, so I've put this beautiful mosaic of Plato in Athens to illustrate it, which I found here. *snort* heh

Random Cool Things #4 - Kazuki Takamatsu

This is the work of the astounding Japanese painter Kazuki Takamatsu.

Believe it or not, his artwork is produced with acrylic and gouache. So, if you need further confirmation, no, it's not 3D computer made illustration. Crazy, eh?

His themes range from beautifully psychedelic, as seen above, to a curiously disturbing social criticism,

reaching the peculiar Japanese sensuality.

Yes, you did not misunderstand it. They do have a thing about panties. ;)

Different cultures, different mind sets, eh?

What I didn't quite understand is his fixation with lamps. You can see more of his work here, or on his website, Distanfeerism.

If you get the lamp thing, would you come back here and tell me? I'm rather curious, heh.

Note: He changes periodically the artwork showcased in his website, so I'd advise you visiting him often. ;)

Mother Nature Calls - The Volcano Speaks

Oh, no. This is not one of those "I told you so" posts in which I'd tell you how disrespectful mankind have been to our home planet.

I just thought you'd like to see the beauty in all this.

Although a volcano eruption is terrifying,

if we allow ourselves to see, there's art everywhere. :)

Check out this link if you'd like to see even more astounding pictures of the Fimmvörðuháls volcano, in Iceland, that have been bothering our mighty financial and touristic necessities.

Note: The pictures, originally published somewhere in this website, and the fantastic link were sent to me by a twitter friend @baianissima48. Thanks Chris! :)

Edited to add: The Fimmvörðuháls was actually the first volcano to show activity this year, in early February. The pictures above and the ash clouds that covered North Europe air space are from his neighbor, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

Edited to add (again!): Another friend of mine showed me this link to the most incredible pictures I've ever seen! There are lightnings, horses, brave people, and more beauty than I can describe. Don't miss it!

Traveling Souls, Opening Eyes

I'm reading Cape Wrath to Finisterre, by Björn Larsson. This is not a usual novel, like his famous Long John Silver; it's more a collection of thoughts and reflections. This book is so rich that in the third chapter I had to stop and write this post.

Larsson's life circles around the sea, his travels, and of course, his writing. He met many people in his wanderings: a guy who wanted to build his own boat; a man who worked on a nuclear submarine spending six months under water, and when he came out he'd say that the surface reeked of putridity; an Irish couple who lived a very simple life and were happy, he was the type of sailor who would go out for a "ride" in a storm that kept everyone else at home; a captain who had a heart attack the day after paying Larsson and his wife a visit, clad in full uniform to honor the couple's nautical abilities, and whose faith is unknown, as of numerous other friends they have made on their traveling.

Reading about these people who live by and for the sea, casting anchor only to gather supplies for their journey, triggered a frequent contemplation of mine.

Once again I come to realize how many worlds there are in our World.

We hear frequently about the "sea people" -- sailors, travelers, merchants, etc. -- but we never get to feel what their life is like. In this book, there's a hit of that feeling, which is one of the most precious things to me, because these fleeting impressions can teach us more than many believe.

You can learn a whole different way of seeing life, of thinking, an unlike set of desires, fears and goals. You get to feel it too. I could almost smell the scent of a storm by his description of a moment in someone else's life; I could feel the urge of moving forward, never remaining in a place for long --even though my personal needs are diametrically opposite -- I could taste the salty wind in a bright day.

His tales also brought back the memory of my own encounters with people of various cultural backgrounds: a friendly man who lives in Eastern Island, where the natives still live by the standards of their ancient culture, with hints of modernity provided by television, alcoholic beverages, and internet; a black man with the hardest gaze, filled with suffering and danger; a Japanese man who fell in love with a foreign land where he felt free, but had to go back to his own country for not being able to get a visa; Chinese people and their sons and daughters born abroad, who struggled to live by contradicting codes of conduct and honor; an Italian family who lives practically the same life of their ancestors, although being in the 21st century and benefiting from its technology.

Each of these people live in their own world. My world is not that of deep waters and passing shores, the world of a native from Easter Island is not the one of bucolic and static landscapes (although their scenery is gorgeous), the world of a refugee is not the one same of a man of the country he immigrated to.

What conclusion do I reach with this? That every and each of us see things from a singular perspective. We're the same, yet we're unique.

I don't know about you, but I want to be introduced to as many cultures and viewpoints as possible. I want to feel their viewpoint, not only understand it. Since I'm not the nomad type of person, I read, I talk to people, and I observe. And of course, I write about it.

Now, why don't you tell me about your own world?

Note: The painting are these, in order of appearance:

Lonely Sailing Ship, by Peter Pavlov

A Sailing Boat off Deal, by Joseph Mallord William Turner

Smooth Sailing, by Robert Bisset

Sailing Boat, by Ginger Lovellette

On The Sailing Boat, by Caspar David Friedrich

Sailing at Sunset, by Lissa Friedman

Home

This is our home:

Marvel at the most detailed image of our pretty little planet ever made. It's still blue, our home. I hope we manage to maintain it alive.

Yes, our home has many faces, much like the human being.

See Earth's west face below, and while you do that, please remember that the planet is one single thing. That is, even if we live in opposite sides we're sharing the same home.

We're one large family, the humanity.

Note: Err, maybe I got too emotional on this one, no? This pictures were taken by a bunch of Nasa satellites and put together by their amazing scientists. You can see these and other images of the visible Earth here.

Random Cool Things #2 - Sigur Rós' Angels

Sigur Rós, or Victory Rose, is a band from Iceland that I got to know through my friend Anon-Claudio, who pointed me to other good info in this post's comments.

If you're puzzled, what might help you connect the dots is knowing that Vanila Sky ending song "On the Roof of Skycraper", or Njósnavélin (aka The Nothing Song) is theirs.

But this is just introduction babbling to the video below. Watch it, and then tell me how do you feel, or what you think about it?

Venice Carnival: Pink-Headed Girls and Clowns

It all started with a clown.

You see how he's enveloping me, with his busy hands working his magic?

It worked.

Well, it must have, because I became clown-obsessed.

I started to follow them.

See the fuzzy first photo? Now picture me running like a mad woman, pass the normal people, to take the second shot. (uh)

After my success with clowns I decided to stalk other interesting people, who were wearing the most stunning costumes.

You know what?

They actually liked it.

Not the stalking part, but the (nicely) asking to take a picture.

Some were proud, some were gentle, but they all smiled, even behind their masked faces.

So I got bolder.

I started stalking whole foreign families, splendidly well dressed, -- man, are they tall or what? -- and even little girls!

But hey, I promise their feline (really) mother allowed me to, and they liked it! Check out their faces.

But then -- there's always something, isn't there?

Can you spot something, err, foreign, to this picture?

Oh, yes, the pink-headed girl started showing up in all my photos.

Psst! Check out Cinderela's step sisters. Hilarious, no? heh

After hours of strolling around Venice I got a bit tired.

So I decided to try a pizzetta (a small pizza) from a peculiar bar I'd never been to.

Guess who was there?

But I kept firm on my intent, recording all wonderful things I saw there, for your very own delight:

In case you're feeling confused, this is exactly what it looks like: three people with -- literally -- brilliant costumes, and small bluish lights hanging on their backs.

My hand is not very firm, I know, but the final effect came out quite nice, no? :)

It was night when I finally decided to confront the pink girl.

Note: This is the Grand Canal, seen from the Rialto Bridge. Well, part of it anyway.

We were tired and it was time to go home.

So, who's the pink girl after all?

She's my sister, and we had a blast together in Venice's Carnival!

*

I hope you had fun joining me on this dream-like day.

Please feel free to shout out your opinion on the comments. I'd love to hear it. :)

Wait, I'm not done yet!

Instead of making shameless self promotion, I want to promote this fantastic-al event, of which I could enjoy very little; although you saw how worthy it was. ;)

Obviously, the Italian carnival is not dying. Here's an interesting (and recent) article about it, published on Time magazine.

And if you like to know the origin of things, here's some interesting historical information about it.

Finally, here are some of the many events of Carnivale di Venezia that called my ludicrous attention:

Circus San Polo, telling the most intriguing tales for kids. (like me?)

And an escargot slurring itself in the middle of Piazza San Marco. (eh?)

So, why don't you tell me some experience of yours in Venice? Maybe you have an amusing tale as well? If it has to do with the carnival, even better!

Also, do feel free to link up to your travel blog, your personal blog or webpage on the comments. Let's share our experiences, shall we?

Final note: Please be courteous and tease us before sharing your link, if it's the case, ok? Thanks!