"Out beyond ideas..."

...I'll meet you there.

         Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,

                               there is a field.                                                                                                  I'll meet you there.

                  When the soul lies down in that grass,
                         the world is too full to talk about.
                              Ideas, language, even the phrase                                                              "each other" doesn't make any sense.




                                                         Rumi-                                                                                                                                       Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi - 13th century poet, philosopher

" The greatness of a nation...."

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

   -Mahatma Gandhi

             This is not an easy subject to write about. We don't want to see photo's of tortured or mutilated animals. Being aware of  intense suffering and injustice for most people is too difficult.to process. Psychologically, it's easier to deny such terrible acts occur or we try to justify torture. As an animal advocate who absolutely loves and respects dogs with all my heart, a dog meat festival where 10,000 animals are brutally murdered horrifies me. The "Yulin Dog Eating Festival" is a yearly tradition in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang which is an autonomous region of China. The summer solstice celebration follows an ancient ritual beginning June 21, 2015. Despite what we may believe in the United States regarding the Chinese festival, torturing animals is not "cultural". Rounding up hundreds of stray dogs, stuffing them into crude wire cages, stealing dogs from their families, skinning, boiling and burning them alive is not "cultural" or just "accepted" behavior among modern Chinese students and citizens. Some dogs are transported into Yulin from the countryside in unsanitary overcrowded shipment trucks increasing the likelihood the dying animals will carry contagious diseases or even rabies. Human beings consume this meat at great risk to their own health. If children are fed contaminated meat they could die. World health organizations are ready to step in as well.There are millions of Chinese citizens who are passionately protesting and trying desperately to put an end once and for all to the atrocities in Yulin. Thousands of native protesters are outraged and ashamed that this sickeningly cruel event continues to take place in contemporary Chinese society.

Please, if you are against all forms of animal torture, sign the petition from Change.org which will support a worldwide ban on Yulin's barbaric animal cruelty. WARNING: This link contains a video that is not suitable for children. Adults please use caution, Note subject matter is disturbing  .https://www.change.org/p/mr-chen-wu-yulin-governor-please-shut-down-the-yulin-dog-meat-festival-in-guangxi-china

    For many people our disbelief  that dogs can be treated with such unimaginable cruelty stems from our deep understanding and knowledge of what dogs are capable of doing for human beings. Dogs are not only trusted affectionate, loyal companions, hunters and field workers, they are keenly intelligent therapists, intuitive healers and protective guardians. Dogs are family. Premiering next Friday, June 26th look for Max in theaters near you. But this Max is far from being "Mad".  Max is a "Best Friend, Hero and a  Marine,"  Written and directed by Boaz Yakin (Now You See Me, Safe )  with Sheldon Lettich, the film revolves around the  heroic story of a military canine that assisted US Marines in Afghanistan. The dog returns Stateside to his adopted handler's family after suffering trauma. The official Max movie trailer is approved for all audiences.

"Before we make music, music makes us."

" At the root of all power and motion, there is music and rhythm, the play of patterned frequencies against the matrix of time. We know that every particle in the physical universe takes its characteristics from the pitch and pattern and overtones of its particular frequencies, its singing. Before we make music, music makes us." 

Joachim-Ernst Berendt, The World is Sound

               Music lovers deeply immerse themselves in the mysterious oceans of sound. Music can be a form of escape. It gives us a voice when words fail. Music is the universal language that allows people to see themselves in others. Through music we validate suffering, pain and joy. Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix once proclaimed, "Music is my religion.".  It is a tonic for the mind and a salve for the soul. Whatever makes us feel good has healing properties. But to what extent does music really affect our brain and body chemistry?  

       A  recent study by Oxford University  found classical music compositions matching the rhythms of our bodies can be used to control the beating of our hearts. Research presented to the the BCS-  British Cardiovascular Society  conference in Manchester, UK suggests that listening to music with a 10-second rhythm directly coincided with a drop in blood pressure. The findings show significant heart rate reduction. Beethoven's 9th Symphony adagio was one of those selections. (listen above) Compositions used in the Oxford study with similar heart rate effects include Franz Shubert's Ave Maria in Latin, Nessun Dorma by Giacomo Puccini and Va Pensiero by Giusuppe Verdi,

     The study seems to indicate soothing music calms us regardless of whether we prefer the Foo Fighters or Franz Liszt. So it's not surprising heavy metal, rock music and even classical compositions with pulsating beats and quick tempos increased heart rates. But that doesn't mean rock music is harmful to our health either, It's not the 1950's. In fact more research will be done to examine the effect of music on our resting heart rates and blood pressure. Some day soon your cardiologist may be writing you a prescription for Dvorak instead of Diuril.

       Many scientific studies have concluded or are still in progress evaluating different aspects of music and music as therapy. Instinctively, we may know that music heals, gives us happiness and finds a way to connect us to people who lived hundreds of years ago and those who live a thousand miles away. 

This blog post is dedicated to my musician nephew, Drew celebrating a birthday, Saturday June 13th. Like many families, friends and strangers we have formed a bond by our love of music. So for those about to rock or Bach, we salute you.

      

"Free speech is the bedrock of liberty..."

"Free speech is the bedrock of liberty and a free society. And yes, it includes the right to blaspheme and offend." — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, activist, author, Nomad: From Islam to America

      

            For four years 31 year old, Raif Badawi ran the Liberal Saudi Network, a medium open to
 the exchange of ideas, encouraging online debate and discussing religious and political issues. On June 17th, 2012, Badawi was arrested on a charge of insulting Islam by electronic channels. In December of 2012, he was also cited for apostasy (the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief) a conviction which carries an automatic death sentence. During that same month, a General Court in Jeddah decided to proceed with the apostasy ruling however, the higher court refused to hear the case and referred it back to the lower court. After receiving 50 lashes in January it was announced on Monday, June 8th that Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court had upheld the sentence for Badawi of 1,000 lashes and 10 years of imprisonment for blogging his beliefs. Foreign outcry has been intense off and on. Human rights groups worldwide such as Amnesty International  have been campaigning on Badawi's behalf since his original arrest. Full details can be seen here:  https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/saudi-arabia-free-raif-badawi-flogged-blogger

        Raif Badawi's blog the Saudi Free Liberals Forum  (sometimes interpreted  as Saudi Arabian Liberials’) championed free speech and self-expression. In many of his writings he urges the importance of separating religion from the state. The following is taken from a recent article in The Guardian which printed and analyzed many of Badawi's blog posts.  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/14/-sp-saudi-blogger-extracts-raif-badawi

 "Secularism respects everyone and does not offend anyone ... Secularism..... is the practical solution to lift countries (including ours) out of the third world and into the first world."

      Freedom of speech is the United States most important Constitutional right. Freedom of speech and expression is considered a universal right of birth. Yet it's also the right we take most for granted. Imagine if your local police department or the FBI showed up on your doorstep because you posted on Facebook or Twitter. "Secularism respects everyone and does not offend anyone ...Secularism ...is the practical solution to lift countries (including ours) out of the third world and into the first world." 
     It's almost beyond our comprehension that even speaking about  progressive movements or understanding the depths of secularism is cause for a jail sentence or even the slightest bit of outrage. But this is what bloggers and free thinkers like Raif Badawi and millions of Saudi Arabian men, women and children face every day. This type of unjustified censorship and persecution occurs in hundreds of countries around the world. Saudi Arabia is not an enemy. They are our allies. It's time American citizens become more conscious of our freedom of speech and start using it.

“The moment you say that any idea system is sacred, whether it’s a religious belief system or a secular ideology, the moment you declare a set of ideas to be immune from criticism, satire, derision, or contempt, freedom of thought becomes impossible."
[Defend the right to be offended (openDemocracy, 7 February 2005)]”
― Salman Rushdie, author

"Deep ocean, vast sea."

"Our past, our present, and whatever remains of our future, absolutely depends on what we do now."

— Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer

                     Friday, June 5th is World Environment Day,  Monday, June 8th has been designated World Oceans Day and the entire month of June is dedicated to education and awareness of our deep oceans and vast seas during National Oceans Month.

     World Environment Day (WED) is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging immediate worldwide action for the environment. - See more at: 

http://www.unep.org/wed/

     Be an agent of change. Start today. The 2015 WED theme  is "Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care."   In order to sustain life as we know it, we need to take immediate action for the well-being of our environment, the world economy, and the health of humanity. Our planet’s natural resources.are being consumed far more quickly than the Earth can possibly provide.  We are killing animal species at an alarming and frightening rate. Our air is polluted and toxic. Our oceans, rivers and lakes are now garbage dumps. We have a limited amount of time to make serious sweeping changes- worldwide governmental reforms, corporate responsibility, education and innovation are crucial. It has to happen right now. Time is running out to ensure there is enough water, food, and energy to meet the demands of  rapidly rising populations.

    70 percent of our Earth is water so it's little wonder the entire world celebrates the oceans and seas  which links us all. On June 8th and during the entire month of June there are numerous ways to honor our beautiful, life giving oceans. Any one who has ever been fortunate enough to visit or live along our worlds oceans understands the depth of our connection to the water. Our beaches and aquatic wildlife need to be cherished and protected. It is our collective responsibility,   For more information and ideas to help honor and heal our waters go here : http://www.worldoceansday.org/2015-celebrations/

 The fascinating documentary  "Light the Ocean" provides us a glimpse of the immense mysterious world beneath the sea. The film was produced by National Geographic and can be seen in the video above.

    "With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you're connected to the sea. No matter where on Earth you live. Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere is generated by the sea."

— Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer

"On this summer night..."

On this summer night.....

On this summer night
                               by Jusammi Chikako

 On this summer night
All the household lies asleep,
     And in the doorway,
For once open after dark,
Stands the moon, brilliant, cloudless.








A special birthday wish to my beautiful and wise sister Leslie, born June 2nd.
Love and peace to you always.

"If we fail to act..."

"The damage that climate change is causing and that will get worse if we fail to act goes beyond the hundreds of thousands of lives, homes and businesses lost, ecosystems destroyed, species driven to extinction, infrastructure smashed and people inconvenienced."

David Suzuki, scientist, author, environmentalist

       The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average. Changes in the Arctic climate creates a ripple affect around the world like a stone thrown into a placid pond. Rising sea levels and altered weather patterns are occurring at an accelerated pace. Mainly, melting snow and ice expose a darker surface, increasing the amount of solar energy absorbed. March of 2015 was the warmest month of March in 136 years on record. The CO₂ levels are now higher than they've ever been in 800,000 years.  Across our planet we continue to damage or destroy entire ecosystems.

 The following paragraph is an excerpt from an article written by Ilissa Ocko, climate scientist at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), who contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

"The warming of the Arctic may also render Greenland largely ice free. While Greenland's ice loss will likely reach the point of no return within this century, the full transition will take at least a few hundred years. The impacts of the Greenland ice melt is expected to raise sea levels by up to 20 feet. Half of the 10 largest cities in the world, including New York City, and one-third of the world's 30 largest cities are already threatened by this sea-level rise. Today, those cities are home to nearly 1.8 billion people. Other vulnerable American cities include Miami, Norfolk and Boston."

      If humans act responsibly by stabilizing birth rates, reducing our consumption and eliminating hydrocarbon energy we might be able to reverse the current warming we've created. If we fail to act now, we face an escalation of heating beyond our control. Carbon emissions are dominated by the US, China, Europe, and India. Primarily, sources of carbon emissions are coal, gas, oil, and cement manufacturing. All of these sources and more are preventing the carbon uptake by plant life, reduced further through deforestation and the increased acidity of our oceans. We are killing our planet or perhaps to be more brutally accurate- we are committing suicide. If we continue on our current path without making major changes we continue poisoning our own plant, food and water resources, our wildlife and ultimately ourselves.

"The time will come."

"The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men." -- Leonardo Da Vinci

            Ending confined farming is a huge step forward for ensuring humane treatment of animals Recently, multinational retail corporation Walmart announced they were demanding associate meat suppliers and egg producers use antibiotics only when absolutely critical for disease prevention or essential treatment. The common practice of fattening up cows, pigs and other livestock are over in an industry that is finally being held accountable. Educated shoppers are insisting on information about where their food comes from. Conscientious consumers want to know what farm animals are ingesting and how they're being physically treated. Transparency when it comes to how things are grown is not only a matter of ethics but one of protecting our own health.
           Even if economics is the primary motivating factor for Walmart's humane leap forward, human beings and animals will benefit from the end of the horrifying practice of confined farming. Animals suffer tremendously stuffed into gestation crates and wire cages. They are subjected to castration and other forms of mutilation, often barbarically abused by workers before being slaughtered. The abuse has become so common there are controversial laws that may be enacted to prevent workers from video taping or speaking out against animal abusers on farms. Walmart stated in their announcement quite adamantly, "First, we expect that our suppliers will not tolerate animal abuse of any kind."
 According to one Consumer Affairs report Walmart stated its own market research study showed:

               77% of its shoppers said they will increase their trust in the industry.
              66 %  of those polled will increase their likelihood to shop at a retailer that improves the                               treatment of livestock.

Walmart supports the globally-recognized “Five Freedoms” as an aspiration for animal welfare in their supply chain. The "Five Freedoms" are as follows:

1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst – by providing ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.
2. Freedom from Discomfort – by providing appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease – by ensuring prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behavior – by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress – by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

       Walmart will  be working with their own supply chain partners to implement all of the above practices consistent with the "Five Freedoms" of animal welfare. Consumers should demand that all food suppliers adhere to the same standards. Even people who consume meat demand animals be treated humanely. As a society we have to demand that animals will never be ruthlessly tortured.


         CEO and president of The Humane Society of the United States,    http://www.humanesociety.org/ Wayne Pacelle  announced the move by Walmart is “game-changing progress and signals to agribusiness that the era of confining farm animals is ending.”



  Ask questions. Check your own local grocery and supply stores to see how they are measuring up.

             

       

"You are the memory that lives in me."

   

"Wars can be prevented just as surely as they can be provoked, and we who fail to prevent them, must share the guilt for the dead."

                               Omar N. Bradley- US Army General, author (1893-1981)

                   

            A LOVE THAT MOVES THE SUN   

                         We are One.
                          I am a part of you.

                         You are a part of me.

                         You are the heart of me who never returned.

                         Courageous and brave standing on a battleship

                         silently waving good-bye to everything and 

                         everyone you ever loved.

                         You are the haunting shadow of the past

                         who chose passion over quiet resistance,

                         who chose noble warrior over gentle stillness.

                          You are the memory that lives in me,

                          selflessly flying missions on the untamed wind,

                          mapping out the intricacies of our future freedom.

             

                          You are a part of me cut open, wounds bleeding

                          heart beating out of your chest with fear,

                          swallowing tears and moving forward into

                          the unknown darkness.

                          We are One.

                          I am a part of you.

                          You are a part of me.

                          We will never glimpse the beauty of the

                          Universe in each others eyes yet

                          every atom we share of our Truth and

                          our Legacy gives me the strength to fight for

                          Our peace.

                     

                                                            

                                                                                                 by Lisa More

Happy Birthday to my sister Laurie, love you!

"Laugh and the whole world laughs with you..."

"There’s power in looking silly and not caring that you do." -Amy Poehler  writer, comedian, actor.

                    You may be wondering why so many print, internet ads and TV commercials are featuring children, adults, celebrities and even beloved pets sporting bright red Rudolph the Reindeer-esque  face decorations. No, its not the latest Japanese fashion craze. Just as Billy Madison once reassured his best school buds " you ain't cool unless you pee your pants." this Thursday, "you ain't cool unless you wear the nose". The red clown nose. Red Nose Day, the U.K.’s #1 television fundraising event since it began in 1985, is coming to the States. Red Nose Day is a charity campaign to raise awareness and funds for children and young people living in poverty. It officially takes place in the US, May 21st, 2015.
               Do you like to laugh? Do you like to make other people laugh? Would you like to raise money benefiting millions of children here at home and around the world?  Then this good time, gag filled gig is for you. Make a pledge to share your engaging wit, sarcasm, practical jokes, parodies, puns and stand up to make a difference.  Red Nose Day will culminate with a three-hour TV marathon special on NBC. The show will bring together your favorite Hollywood movie and TV stars, comedians, and musicians for an evening of spectacular entertainment.
 It all starts at  8PM EST.
       Funds donated during the Red Nose Day campaign will be given to a variety of nonprofit organizations including Save the Children, The Boys & Girls Club of America, Oxfam and many more. These organizations have the power to transform children's lives and so do you.


To find out how to get your red nose, check the official Red Nose Day (#rednose) website below for all details

https://www.rednoseday.org/about


 A list of appearances, videos and contributors can be found here:
http://www.nbc.com/red-nose-day

"Where there is doubt, there is freedom."

"When I write, I don't allow the fear of consequences to interfere with the writing process. I have in the past paid for my commitment to the truth and the way I live my life. I am prepared to pay more if I have to." -Taslima Nasrin- author

brainyquote.com/quotes

  

            Ananta Bijoy Das was said to have received death threats from Islamist extremists shortly before his attack Tuesay, May 12th.  Das, a Bangladeshi science writer was leaving his home when  viciously hacked to death by assailants armed with machetes. The governments reaction in Bangladesh has been disturbingly indifferent. Citizens are furious and frustrated. Two young men were arrested for a previous hacking murder, seized by a crowd of onlookers instead of captured by  police. Speaking out in Bangladesh has become more dangerous but the increasingly angry population understands silence is even more treacherous. The courageous men murdered were only guilty of honesty, bravery and the integrity to express their own views.
          Das wrote blogs for Mukto-Mona, a progressive website written in Bengali and translated into English which allows freethinkers to contemplate science, humanism, rationalism and all subjects pertaining to human rights and freedom for the people of Bangladesh. Now the entire world is reading and listening. Mukto-Mona was once moderated by Bangladeshi-US citizen, Avijit Roy, himself tragically hacked to death in February of 2015.
             Bangladesh is officially secular (or attitudes of no particular religious or spiritual bias). But citizens and critics alike agree the government is blatantly ignoring the rise of blogger murders. The attacks are not being investigated properly or punished.
     Death threats against secular writers by hardline Islamists a few years ago, demanded a                   " blasphemy law " to stop bloggers they perceive to be anti-Islamic from expressing opinions about Islam. So far in addition to Das and Roy, in March of 2015 blogger, Washiqur Rahman, was hacked to death in the Bangladesh capitol of Dhaka.
       In an article for Aljazeera, director at Human Rights Watch  - Asia, Brad Adams stated:

       "This pattern of vicious attacks on secular and atheist writers not only silences the victims but also sends a chilling message to all in Bangladesh who espouse independent views on religious issues.
     The Bangladesh government needs to act swiftly to bring to justice those responsible for these brutal attacks, and to make clear public statements that attacking freedom of religion and expression will not be tolerated." 

For more information regarding protecting human rights and freedom campaigns around the world please check out the Human Rights Watch website  http://www.hrw.org/
       

                    

"What a lovely day..."

"Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust."                                T.S Eliot, The Waste Land

                  The best part about losing yourself in a gripping novel or temporarily escaping reality in cinema is that most characters and situations portrayed in a book or on the big screen are purely derived from incredibly creative imaginations. In the case of Mad Max: Fury Road, we can all be grateful it's a riveting tale of action adventure FICTION. There cannot be a more horrific premise for a movie than apocalyptic madness and mayhem. Directed by the amazing George Miller who has been at the helm of the entire Mad Max franchise, the theme plays upon our darkest fears of what "might" occur if  humankind continued barreling down a dry dusty path of unbridled greed and selfish ignorance like a frantic furious fireball nightmare. Survival is ALL in a violent dystopian hell on wheels wasteland. Mad Max: Fury Road opens on May 15th and features powerful performances from the kick-ass Charlize Theron and smokin' hot Tom Hardy. Not for the squeamish, Fury Road is Rated R for intense violence and disturbing images.   http://www.madmaxmovie.com/

                 Another ethically themed wake up call was directed by the accomplished Andrew Niccol (In Time, Lord of War) and stars the brilliant Ethan Hawke as an American Air Force drone pilot who questions the morality of his missions, Good Kill opens in US theaters May 15th and features January Jones and Zoe Kravitz. Good Kill is Rated R. Check out the official trailer here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcDB6OZgqzo

May movies coming soon:

    Opening the 15th

Area 51 (Sci-Fi)

Time Lapse (Sci-Fi)

Pitch Perfect 2

May 22nd

Tomorrowland (Family)

Poltergeist (3D)

May 29th

San Andreas 3D 

Aloha (Romance)

 May 10th-  Happy Mothers Day to my beautiful sisters Leslie & Laurie. Happy Mothers Day to Lorraine, Patti, Marge, Angie, and Krissy. Happy Mothers Day to all women everywhere who have chosen to be mothers. Hopefully, you are honored, cherished, respected and loved by your families every single day.

 As a country, let us always remember that being a mother is a choice. Motherhood is a right which should always remain a choice for women in the United States and a choice, not a duty or forced requirement for ALL women around the world. 

"Infinite possibilities...."

Limits are nonexistent.

The infinitely small is as large as the
infinitely big. Limits are nonexistent.
The infinitely large is as small as
the infinitely minute.
No eye can see their boundaries.

             -  Sengstan

"Hope breeds peace."

"Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

                                                                                                         - Confucius

                       Dr. Fareed Zakaria earned a PhD from Harvard University, a B.A from Yale, is an international bestselling author of four books, including, The Future of Freedom, The Post-American World  and now available, In Defense of a Liberal Education.  Zakaria  has been the host of CNN's GPS (Global Public Square) since 2008 and contributes a weekly column to the Washington Post.  So why is the subject of a liberal arts education so important at this moment? Believe it or not, Governors in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina have announced they're refusing to spend taxpayer money on subsidizing liberal arts. Why are college Majors such as English, History, and Humanities suddenly under attack in the United States?  Why are numerous State officials implying that a student learning to write, speak, read and think for themselves "ain't " a priority for well being?
           Apparently, a few of our elected officials are against funding education, upholding women's rights, raising the minimum wage and deny climate change yet emphatically insist the United States be globally competitive in business, technology and science? Wait!? This is making my head and my heart ache.

      Science, math and technology require the ability to read, write and think creatively. True or false?  How do American college students learn critical thinking skills if we eliminate English, writing and especially reading?  Curiosity, a love of learning and being literate is 90% of my own education.   Aren't you surprised I can form sentences? After all, I attended Kent State and a community college in Florida. What the hell do I know? Who needs to read any way? Life is so much easier when children and teens shut up, close their eyes and do what they're told. Don't they grow up to be such wonderful, narrow minded, uncaring, robotic, perfectly compliant adults?

              In Defense of a Liberal Education,  Zakaria argues that a liberal education is America's greatest exercise in freedom. The human mind and spirit has a limitless desire to know and create.   The book is a powerful examination of the undeniable value of liberal arts studies in a well rounded education and the effects of underestimating those contributions for the  future of our society. Please view the brief clip above from Big Think http://bigthink.com/

"And shed tears..."

Though I think not
To think about it,
I do think about it
And shed tears
Thinking about it.

           -Ryokan

Nepal Earthquake Relief Resources

http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/
https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/

"In suffering, animals are our equals."

"Animals don't have a voice, but I do. A loud one. I'm a fucking big mouth. My voice is for them. And I'll never shut up while they suffer."- Ricky Gervais, writer, actor, activist

           

        April has been designated, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and Sunday April 26th is "Help a Horse Day" . https://www.aspca.org/  Animal abuse is a critical issue world wide not only because we know animals feel intense pain and suffer great loss but because extensive research shows children who had a history of harming animals acted violently or intentionally injured other human beings as adults. In the US alone the percentage of children who abused or tortured animals then went on to commit a violent offense is 46%.
       In the United States, we have finally established animal abuse as a serious major crime. Recently, a decision made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) means animal cruelty crimes will be  classified within the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) - National Incident Based Reporting System http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr  The action will advance how law enforcement officials investigate and prevent brutal crimes against defenseless animals. These cases will serve as early warnings, alerting the criminal justice system to individuals posing a future threat to our own communities. Animal abuse is now regarded as a crime against society which includes other offenses such as homicide, kidnapping and arson. Categories under the new animal classification are:

 simple or gross neglect

 intentional abuse and torture

 organized abuse (i.e dog fighting)

 and animal sexual abuse

    All of these crimes will now be reported to the FBI UCR  under the individual category just as someone were reporting or documenting a murder or human sexual assault.

        As much as we love them, animals cannot speak for themselves and they cannot vote.
                                                            We are their only voice.

We represent them in the political process. Animal advocates can take the appropriate steps to lobby for pro-animal legislation by getting involved. City council members, state representatives, U.S. Senators, elected officials need to be reminded what their constituents think. They are supposed to be listening to and working for all of us. Make your voice heard by sending letters and e-mails to support pro-animal measures. Tweet, like a Facebook page, post a blog but get the word out---don't stand for animal abuse. Stand up for animals.

"The only home we've ever known."

“Earth is a small town with many neighborhoods in a very big universe.”

― Ron Garan, The Orbital Perspective: Lessons in Seeing the Big Picture from a Journey of 71 Million Miles 

                     


         Earth Day is observed worldwide on April, 22nd and 2015 marks its 45th anniversary. Founded  by former United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day was intended  to promote ecology and respect for life on our planet. The first Earth Day resulted in the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act . On the first Earth Day back in 1970, over 2,000 United States colleges and universities participated, along with 10,000 primary and secondary schools. Earth Day is a celebration among global citizens used to encourage action and awareness of  urgent issues affecting human life, all animals species, soil, water and air pollution. So what can we do right now?

Share information.  Educating ourselves is the only way to save our planet and help children understand taking care of Mother Earth is a moral imperative. We have the ability to stop, improve or involve ourselves in some form of resolution for the following disturbing facts.

The average person tosses out about 4 pounds of garbage every single day. 84 percent of our garbage is recyclable.


Half the world’s tropical and temperate forests are now gone. Forests around the globe provide habitats for thousands of animal species which are being destroyed or endangered, gravely upsetting the balance of our ecosystems.

Every ton of paper that's recycled saves 17 trees.
During a 2011 Earth Day celebration, 28 million trees were planted in Afghanistan by the Earth Day Network.

Art, instruments and other trinkets manufactured with ivory can only be made from dead elephants. Don't buy, sell, trade or promote ivory. Don't promote or condone trophy hunting.

Approximately 5 million tons of oil produced in the world each year ends up in the ocean.

Water pollution comes from many sources including pesticides, fertilizers and other toxic substances that wash away from industrial factory waste, untreated human wastewater, and farms. Talk to your local government representatives to see what's being done to prevent water pollution and how its affecting your family, community, food and health.

Plastics contained in garbage dumped in our oceans kills at least 1 million creatures each year.  Last week alone pollution from excessive garbage caused the death of more than 37 tons of fish in the Rodrigo de Freitas lake in Rio de Janeiro.


   It may seem unbelievable for many of us who have instant access to tap water, 24/7 but 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water. Only 3% of the world's water is available to us, and soon we will run out. https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity



Earth Day is a time to take action, reflect, honor and be grateful for the natural resources and beauty of our planet. But Earths resources are limited and our time is limited. Its the only home we've ever known because its the only home we have.

















A special Happy Birthday to Chuck on April 20th.