You wouldn't expect to see a link to a People Magazine story here, but the magazine covered the Humane Society's recent award to Hayden Panettiere, a star of the TV show "Heroes." I was so moved when I read about Hayden's efforts to save dolphins from a horrible slaughter in Japan (sadly, she and her colleagues were unsuccessful). I've never forgotten that story, and I'm glad she was honored for her willingness to step forward in the name of animal welfare causes. So many young "startlets" today have so little to say about anything important or are spending their time partying or in rehab, and here is a young girl using her celebrity for something real. Congratulations, Hayden!
You can read the story here:
Hayden Panettiere Awarded For Trying to Save Dolphins
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Celebrate Earth Hour Tonight
From an email sent by the World Wildlife Fund:
Earth Hour is tonight, March 29, from 8 to 9 pm local time! Get ready to make it a great celebration for the planet.
Wondering what to do after you turn the lights out? Here are 10 fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference today.
Time to switch to CFLs!
1. Host a Green Party
Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you're each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.
2. Give Yourself an Energy Makeover
Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power-like wind, hydro or solar.
3. Go Green with Your Kids
Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? Check out our downloadable Earth Hour kids' activities.
4. Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt
Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you're using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags... and reuse them!
5. Green That Workspace!
Working the night shift? Even if you can't turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight--shut 'em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference, too.
6. Involve Your Local Leaders
If your city or town isn't hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community "green" discussion this spring. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they're doing to make your city greener.
7. Clean Up Your Neighborhood
Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It's a great chance to do some stargazing, too!
8. Unplug and Chill Out
Most of our daily activities--like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends--require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill... turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?
9. Take Your Temperature
Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37 degrees F. and the freezer at 0 degrees F., you'll make a big difference.
10. Make a Pledge for the Planet
Earth Hour shouldn't end at 9:01 pm--it's a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more--recycle, drive less often, turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we're going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.
Of course, there are more than 10 ways to make a difference. Visit WWF's website for additional ideas on things you can do every day to help the Earth and reduce your environmental footprint.
Thank you for being a part of Earth Hour and committing to lowering your impact on the planet.
Switching off,
Richard Moss
Managing Director and Vice President, Climate Change
Earth Hour is tonight, March 29, from 8 to 9 pm local time! Get ready to make it a great celebration for the planet.
Wondering what to do after you turn the lights out? Here are 10 fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference today.
Time to switch to CFLs!
1. Host a Green Party
Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you're each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.
2. Give Yourself an Energy Makeover
Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power-like wind, hydro or solar.
3. Go Green with Your Kids
Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? Check out our downloadable Earth Hour kids' activities.
4. Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt
Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you're using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags... and reuse them!
5. Green That Workspace!
Working the night shift? Even if you can't turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight--shut 'em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference, too.
6. Involve Your Local Leaders
If your city or town isn't hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community "green" discussion this spring. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they're doing to make your city greener.
7. Clean Up Your Neighborhood
Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It's a great chance to do some stargazing, too!
8. Unplug and Chill Out
Most of our daily activities--like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends--require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill... turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?
9. Take Your Temperature
Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37 degrees F. and the freezer at 0 degrees F., you'll make a big difference.
10. Make a Pledge for the Planet
Earth Hour shouldn't end at 9:01 pm--it's a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more--recycle, drive less often, turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we're going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.
Of course, there are more than 10 ways to make a difference. Visit WWF's website for additional ideas on things you can do every day to help the Earth and reduce your environmental footprint.
Thank you for being a part of Earth Hour and committing to lowering your impact on the planet.
Switching off,
Richard Moss
Managing Director and Vice President, Climate Change
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Very cute parrot story
Parrot can solve puzzles faster than humans!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10500421
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10500421
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
I just received this letter forward to me from the Boston area. Is anyone looking for a new kitten? If so, email us, and I'll send you the email address of this person.
"Couple months ago, a little black cat began visiting us looking for love, food and attention. These visits continued for over two months. Most were late at night when the temperatures were in the mid teens or even below. He looked cold, seeking for a warm place, but unfortunately I couldn’t let him in because Tico (my other cat) was going crazy. I gave him some food and hoped he had good owners.
Two weeks ago, the kitty visited us again on a Sunday late afternoon, but this time something was wrong. He looked in pain and seeking for help. I discovered a big infected cut in one of his front legs. I took him to Angel Memorial Hospital where I had to give him up to the Shelter.
The cat is still there, in a cage and miserable. He is in quarantine because we do not know the source of the cut and we don’t know when he has his last rabies shot. My guess is that the cat is fine, but per Massachusetts law he must be in quarantine to make sure he is not contaminated with rabies. I have been in contact with the Shelter, and they keep telling me how sad he is.
I am desperately seeking someone who would at least foster him until he is eligible for adoption. If I don’t find a foster home, I am afraid he would be destroyed (I am not kidding about this). If you cannot take him, please help me to find a good foster home.
A little more information about the cat I believe he is about over a year old and was either abandoned or his owners do not take a good care of him. You just don’t leave a cat out every night when the temperatures are below 15 degrees. Every time the cat would show up he looked cold and lonely. He is very friendly and cute, and I can guarantee he would be a good companion. Please be his foster parent. HE NEEDS YOU!!! The best place is a home with no other pets so he can get better without distressing.
Please help me to give this cat a chance."
"Couple months ago, a little black cat began visiting us looking for love, food and attention. These visits continued for over two months. Most were late at night when the temperatures were in the mid teens or even below. He looked cold, seeking for a warm place, but unfortunately I couldn’t let him in because Tico (my other cat) was going crazy. I gave him some food and hoped he had good owners.
Two weeks ago, the kitty visited us again on a Sunday late afternoon, but this time something was wrong. He looked in pain and seeking for help. I discovered a big infected cut in one of his front legs. I took him to Angel Memorial Hospital where I had to give him up to the Shelter.
The cat is still there, in a cage and miserable. He is in quarantine because we do not know the source of the cut and we don’t know when he has his last rabies shot. My guess is that the cat is fine, but per Massachusetts law he must be in quarantine to make sure he is not contaminated with rabies. I have been in contact with the Shelter, and they keep telling me how sad he is.
I am desperately seeking someone who would at least foster him until he is eligible for adoption. If I don’t find a foster home, I am afraid he would be destroyed (I am not kidding about this). If you cannot take him, please help me to find a good foster home.
A little more information about the cat I believe he is about over a year old and was either abandoned or his owners do not take a good care of him. You just don’t leave a cat out every night when the temperatures are below 15 degrees. Every time the cat would show up he looked cold and lonely. He is very friendly and cute, and I can guarantee he would be a good companion. Please be his foster parent. HE NEEDS YOU!!! The best place is a home with no other pets so he can get better without distressing.
Please help me to give this cat a chance."
Friday, March 21, 2008
Today's quote of the day
"Women might scale back their own fashion purchases, but that doesn't mean they're going to let their dogs down."
- Time Magazine, in an article about retail stores in the current recession
- Time Magazine, in an article about retail stores in the current recession
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
WWF Earth Hour Event
I just found out about this event where millions of people around the world are joining together to make a statement about climate change by turning their lights off for an hour. It's called Earth Hour and I just signed-up to participate-I thought it might be something you'd want to sign up for too. Earth Hour is on March 29 from 8 - 9 p.m. local time, and it looks like it's going to be really big. So far 25 cities around the world are taking part, including Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco in the U.S.
Sign up for Earth Hour by visiting www.earthhour.org/sign-up and join the movement!
And remember - Lights Out on March 29!
Sign up for Earth Hour by visiting www.earthhour.org/sign-up and join the movement!
And remember - Lights Out on March 29!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Thursday the 13th
I had Fiona, one of the Scottish folds, back at the vet yesterday. This poor little thing. She has a foot infection between two toes on a back paw that has returned, and I have her back on antibiotics now. She's also been struggling with an ongoing eye issue. First the doctors thought it was an infection, then an allergy, then a herpes virus infection (which she had as a kitten, and therefore will always have in her system).She's on eye drops four times a day now (YOU try to catch a shy little cat four times a day and put drops in her eyes!) and antibiotics twice a day, and, as perhaps the largest indignity, she has had to tolerate my soaking her back paw in an antibiotic solution for five minutes a day, three days in a row.
Is is any wonder that she runs whenever she sees me now?
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Nora the cat plays the piano
A very fun YouTube video going around...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0zgQAp7EYw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0zgQAp7EYw
Friday, March 7, 2008
Duncan and the tie
Duncan decided to claim a tie that was left on the kitchen table yesterday. He obviously is trying to both sit on the tie and find a way to get warm in the sun patch. Every day the sun patch moves across the kitchen, and a cat follows it from place to place.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Eye drops
I've been treating one of our cats with eye drops for the past few weeks for herpes infection. She had been blinking her eyes for weeks, never really opening them completely. At first the vet treated her for conjunctivitis, then suggested allergies. But a second opinion led to the herpes diagnosis, since she had the virus as a kitten. The drops are really helping...but catching her to give them to her FOUR TIMES A DAY is no fun!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Our new content is now up
Hello again,
If you're in New England, I hope you're enjoying this brief warm-up in the weather. What a relief after so many cold days and nights. But I have a feeling winter isn't over yet...
What is over, or at least now online, is our new March content! Visit www.ourplacetopaws.com and click through our pages to see a new product review, columnist, feature story, kid's corner project, Reader Photo Winner and Cats vs. Dogs essay winner. There's plenty to check out on the site, and we hope you'll continue to read our content, write in your own and encourage your friends and family to sign up for the monthly e-newsletter.
Our friend Lilla, mentioned below, is doing very well! The last word is that Lilla is getting better everyday and returning to her old self.
Please write, comment, send in photos and essays...join us on Paws!
If you're in New England, I hope you're enjoying this brief warm-up in the weather. What a relief after so many cold days and nights. But I have a feeling winter isn't over yet...
What is over, or at least now online, is our new March content! Visit www.ourplacetopaws.com and click through our pages to see a new product review, columnist, feature story, kid's corner project, Reader Photo Winner and Cats vs. Dogs essay winner. There's plenty to check out on the site, and we hope you'll continue to read our content, write in your own and encourage your friends and family to sign up for the monthly e-newsletter.
Our friend Lilla, mentioned below, is doing very well! The last word is that Lilla is getting better everyday and returning to her old self.
Please write, comment, send in photos and essays...join us on Paws!
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