Well 2009 made sure it bit me right in my ample derriere before it went on it’s way. We got to Austin and set up ready to participate in the First Night celebration. Just as we were ready for business a cold front blew in. Blew in is an understatement. It came through like a locomotive, tearing down anything in it’s wake. A 15′x15′ outside bar, built especially for the event, succumbed to the wind and went down. An EZ tent did too. (However, as my dad used to say, they’re made from Prince Albert Can and a mouse can toot in their general direction and they topple over if not properly anchored).
Other vendors outside, ran inside to shield themselves from the incessant wind and dropping temperatures. Stubborn as I am though, I waited it out on the plaza for almost two hours, til I also moved inside. Needless to say, the event didn’t go nearly as well as we’d hoped. A bright spot was when a woman who I’d painted( Christine) and her friend (Barb) invited me up to the VIP party upstairs.
They were a Godsend, and kept dragging their friends over to be painted. Without them, we would’ve gone in the hole for sure. Anyway, our night was a bust, but I made two new friends; that’s a good way to start the new year.
True to my preachings of last year, I’ve decided on something that I’m chucking for the new year. Somehow, I’ve gotten listed it seems on every political and environmental crusade website in cyberspace. (I’m not even political). I know how some of the sites found me; I filled out a form or signed a petition. But some of them I have no clue. I know I should, but I can’t care about the purple algae that grows under the big toe of the red crested booby that nests on tropical rocks in El Nino years on an atoll somewhere in the Pacific.
I just counted, I get at least fifteen emails a day either begging for contributions to some cause or trying to guilt into contributing m. Enough, I’m done with it. I’m still keeping up with my animal sites; that’s my weakness. But I just realized that I was spending almost an hour a day reading all these other emails. I’m just me, and last year I was getting spread too thin- mentally, at least. (And with my brain, the thicker the better). BTW- Does anyone else turn the sound off on the ASPCA ad “In the Eyes of a Angel? I have 6 rescue dogs right now. I’m doing all I can. That ad is very disturbing. It’s over 4 minutes long; and I can’t believe they’re really getting more contributions because of it. Everybody I know turns it down. I was just wondering.
I hope everyone has had a good start to the year. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we left all that BS behind us.
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i use a combo of shea butter and aloe vera moisturizer. Works great. I use shea butter on my lips, around my eyes and nose (dry areas), My father swears by vasoline.
p.s. I dropped your name on Gina's post, Barb. ;)
OMG! That ad makes me sick. I have rescued animals for 40 years since I was 18. At one time I had 25 cats and 2 dogs. I have spent thousands of $$ on animals, contributed to different shelters AND the ASPCA. Right now I have 2 dogs and 7 rescued cats. I can’t do any more than I’m doing and the ad makes me want to cry and cry. If people aren’t giving now, do they think that ad will affect anyone else but animal lovers who are already carrying a huge load!?! I feel horrible about what is happening to animals and pets due to the economy and I don’t need to be made to feel like I’m not doing enough. Out here in El Paso, it cost over $100 to even rescue a pet from the shelters. I had some of my pets taken from me in NM by animal control because they caught me with too many and you’re only allowed to have 6 total. How can they run ads like that with laws like NM has???? All my animals were vaccinated & well fed/groomed, etc., but that didn’t matter. They took them anyway and I lie awake at night praying they found homes again. This is a very sore issue with me as an animal rights person. Twenty mins. away in TX, I can have all that I want as long as all are vaccinated and chipped. If I had only known sooner, I’d have left NM in a heartbeat.
Thanks for listening to me rant!
Hi Leandra, I am so sorry that you lost your pets. As long as the animals are loved and well taken care of- housing, food, vaccinated and of course spayed or neutered, I don’t see a problem with many, many pets. If I ever hit the lotto, I’ll probably buy a big piece of land, build a doggie pool, hire a vet to be on-site and have I can’t even tell you how many dogs. I’d be like one of those crazy “dog ladies” you see on the news; but with the money to take care of them all. Some people want fancy cars, clothes or jewels if they ever get rich. I just want a place where I can take care of more animals. You’re welcome to rant here anytime.
Hitting the mute button helps but not much, they still have the horrendous pictures of abused animals. It almost seems as though in their real desperation to raise funds they’re exploiting the very animals they’re trying to help. A bit like but on a different level from those help a starving child ads. They’re meant to compel people to donate, out of a supposed sense of guilt, but how much of that money actually makes it to the people or animals they claim to be trying to help? We don’t know. I’ve asked and gotten no answers.
From what I’ve seen by the comments here some people have been moved to donate to them. However, I think most of the women here though get as far away from that ad as they can as fast as they can. When I’m working at an event and there is a dog rescue, I usually offer a free face painting for the dogs that are there. It’s usually a rainbow- pastels for the girls and red, white and blue for the boys. It draws a lot of attention to the dogs when they’re being walked through the crowds. More people stop to talk to them because of the paintings and it gives the dogs just a little more time to make an impression on the people. I don’t think anyone knows how there money is exactly spent. Perhaps I might try to do a search sometime soon. I think people would like to know.
Turn off the TV. Better yet get rid of cable. We did, and our home is so much more peaceful. Consequently, the ASPCA ad (or any other ad) doesn’t bother me at all because I haven’t seen it.
That’s certainly one way to avoid it. Consider yourself lucky that you haven’t seen it. As you can tell, most people find it very upsetting.
The commercial is meant to show the real side of what shelter pets go through. It is not supposed to be a good thing. Seeing this type of abuse doesn’t even come close to the commercial. I applaud them for creating it. If you simply turn if off and do nothing then you are part of the problem. People believe that dumping their pet at the shelter is ok, well it isn’t a pet is for the life of the pet. There are no excuses. I have heard some that will make you laugh at people in the face. One person dumped their white cat, because it didn’t match their new Black sofa!!
The cat was gassed the next day.
Don’t just sit there and complain about the commercial do something about the suffering these poor animals endure.
I think you may be confused. Most of us don’t just sit there and complain. Personally, I’ve got 6 rescued dogs at this moment and have rescued many more than that. I also donate my time and services to different organizations. I think many of my readers are doing all they can in this regard. I once had a friend who had her dog put down because her new boyfriend said that the dog shed too much. You might noticed that I used the word “had”. She later married the guy. What a putz he is.
here is the problem. Those that feel upset and sad about this commercial are only a source of funds to the ASPCA, when the real issue and problem is/are the people that are cruel to animals, those that do not spay and neuter etc etc. Those commercials do NOTHING to correct the true problem which is over population.
I, for one, will NOT give to the ASPCA because of these commercials. There are plenty of animal rescues, rehabilitation facilities, organizations that do not “guilt” me into giving. I am not the bad guy and I feel these commercials place the guilt of those that are really guilty on to innocent bleeding hearts to fund an organization that is throwing good money into a bottomless pit. Lets educate and change people/laws or whatever that needs to be done…