inspiration

Horses – Priceless Inspiration

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Horses are art in motion. When still they are the calm and peace of the world. When they run, it’s with invisible wings. When they trot, it’s as if each step springs them into heaven. Few things in nature compare to the beauty of the horse.

 

How many a child has felt the call of the wild horse who responds only to them? How many feel they could win any kind of battle when astride a horse? How many dream of the moment that they and the horse become one with the same zeal as many dream of a championship?

Many, I know. They inspire and empower us. And most of all they instruct us: listen, watch, become one with them and their gentle calm or their wild nature or their joyous run.

From the shy autistic child to the recovering drug addict to the soldier with post traumatic stress, the horse has stepped up time and again to aid in their healing. Their beauty alone is a balm to our hearts. To brush one soothes us. To befriend one is to have a stalwart companion through the worst of times. And to ride one is to gain a glimpse of heaven.

Those who cast aside the horse as a mere ‘animal’, an object to dispose of as they will without regard for it’s nature are diminishing humanity as well as the horse. We need them now. We always have. We need the reminder that to tame all of nature means to lose some of it’s beauty. To cast aside a companion who has stood by someone through all is to toss away a piece of one’s existence that was as important to them as a limb.

We need the horse. We need the horse even more than the horse needs us. For the things you would trade it for: wealth, land, money or power, don’t last forever. But friendship, hope, faith and courage do. They must.

In this last video, the situation between those who under rate horses is largely summed up with : :The heart of the problem is there is no value put on wildness.” Or, I would add, on beauty. Or anything that truly matters. Far too many would sell it out, destroy it for money. But the inspiration that is the horse is worth far more.

White Collar only has 6 Episodes to Wrap up…Unless Fans Convince Them.

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The news that White Collar was to have a Season 6 was not the joyous relief fans hoped for.

Instead it was met with outrage as USA networks idea of a wrap up was only 6 episodes. The fact is Fox network, who owns it, wanted a full season. But USA only wanted a mini series, even though all their other shows had received proper full seasons to tie up the series.

The claim is that it’s expensive to shoot. But Fox was willing to cover some of that cost, and others of its series had also filmed in expensive locales. It’s also hinted that USA wanted to fill up with shows from NBC, their parent company.

Now the question is: are we, the fans, going to take it?

We have nothing to lose by asking for more. What will they do, ignore us, scream at us like Oliver Twist asking for more? White Collar has been a feast. Now they expect us to settle for scraps. Other shows have returned from the dead. Ironically, it is NBC, USAs own parent network, that have suffered serious losses over killing the shows.

Here are some famous return from the dead shows and all of them involve NBC, parent company of USA.

  1. STAR TREK –  It was yours, NBC. Fans got it renewed for one season after they wanted to cancel it. Years later all rights go to Paramount and CBS. Movies, Spin off TV shows….all those lost because they let it go. I’m betting someone in NBC cringes at the thought.
  2. JAG – If you’ve already forgotten, was about the Navy’s Judge Advocate General office adventures and investigations of courtroom lawyer Harmon Rabb (David James Elliot) and his colleagues. You are probably familiar with NCIS, that show is the spin off. Now there is NCIS: LA and another yet to come. Guess who cancelled it? NBC. Again. CBS picked it up and turned it into a long running champion.
  3. CHUCK – Another one on NBC, a funny, adventurous spy drama, was nearly cancelled at season 2. Fans rallied and got it back for another season.

I’m sure NBC has cancelled TV and it was never a big deal. But they have been known to make mistakes that at the time probably seemed like good business decisions. I believe chopping White Collar short is another – USA is, after all, one of their networks.

White Collar is a diamond in the rough, and even if Fox owns it and gets the profits, USA gets the glory. They cut and polished it. Now they seem ready to just drop it in the rubbish and replace that diamond with costume kid’s jewelery.

So I say, no way, no how, do we give up. Write letters, Post on Facebook, Twitter, and alert your friends to do the same if they like the show at all. It doesn’t take long. Join us on Whitecollarclosure.tv and https://www.facebook.com/wcclosuretv for more info.

Don’t forget a picture is worth a thousand words. You can use screencaps and add captions to post to twitter, tumblr or facebook.

Here are a few places to find screencaps:
http://mattbomerfan.com/
http://screencapped.net/tv/whitecollar/

Post on: https://www.facebook.com/USANetwork
https://www.facebook.com/whitecollar

Address your Tweets to:
@WhiteCollarUSA
@FOXTV
 @USA_Network
 @NBCUniversal
 @foxnetworks
@USA_PR

EMail:
http://www.usanetwork.com/feedback
or feedback@usanetwork.com

More ideas can be found at White Collar Closure. Just say Yes to More Neal & Peter

Vid by ravensmoon2 feb 16 2010

References:

On Wikipedia:

Star Trek

JAG

Chuck

On IMBD

Star Trek (Classic)

JAG

Chuck

New York Carriage Horses: What is Compassion?

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This is one of those cases where I have to ask: “What would Black Beauty say?”

I believe he would say that what makes a job good or bad is largely up to the human and whether they are cruel, kind or indifferent. Horse and human are in this together, sharing the environment, the reward and the punishment.
Rearing Black Horse Coaster

“It is good people who make good places”
― Anna Sewell, Black Beauty

From the horses view, (allowing for modernization)  no doubt the streets are even harder. The temperatures may be more extreme, due to the tall buildings affect on the weather. And then the cars add in a new element, complete with greater speeds, reckless drivers and car horns.

From the drivers point of view, the driver has to worry about steering, traffic and weather too. The driver may also have family to think about.

What they have in common is that this is their livelihood: the food, shelter and all rely on this job.

Here are the laws as of now:

  • Horses can’t work in 18 degrees or below weather.
  • In winter, they must wear blankets
  • They can’t be driven faster than a trot,
  • For every 2 hours working they must rest at least 15 minutes.
  • During rest, they  must have fresh water available.
  • They must have enough food and water at reasonable intervals.
  • Horses can’t work when lame, ill, injured or in poor condition.
  • No working in adverse slippery weather.
  • Must obey traffic laws
  • not allowed in tunnels
  • may not be abused and driver may not fail to provide food/water as required.

What is lacking:

  • Factoring in wind and humidity in weather and temperature conditions.
  • Enforcement.

Recently, the NYPD was put in charge of this and seem to feel it a burden. I fail to see how checking if the horses are blanketed (should be obvious) or lame (again, should be obvious) is difficult. And a big enough stall, clean, with sufficient food and water are again, easy to check. Of course, the issue might be they don’t have enough man power (which is hardly a carriage horse only issue.)

How many of those demanding the carriages be made illegal actually know anything about horses? Have those protesting met the horses and drivers, ridden in carriages or been to the stables? Or is it just a wave of well meaning but false information? Or for that matter, does someone profit? Like, for instance, whoever would provide the electric antique cars they suggest should replace them? Or the politicians who may or may not care about animals, but probably would not hesitate to use them to earn votes and points for their political agendas.

In the midst of this apparent compassion, where is the consideration for what comes after? Yes, they claim the retired horses would go to rescues. But even if you believe that, doesn’t that just bump aside horses that would otherwise be rescued from a worst fate? And what about the humans? No one is volunteering to ‘give’ them the electric cars. They apparently are not offering to replace their livelihood.

I love horses. I love riding them and would love to try a carriage. I do believe a city is not the ideal place to live, at least for a horse. A horse should have room to relax and stroll during their time off.  But then again, horses are not the only ones who should have it. How many kids have nowhere to play but asphalt? In the city, those horses may be the closest thing the country some kids will ever see.

I would never wish harm or a cruel handler on any horse. But few people live in ideal circumstances either. People end up homeless and their pets do too. And not all of them are given a choice either: ask anyone with a physical or mental disability. Will these horses handlers also be consigned to the unemployed or homeless? Is that fair, if they were good and kind handlers who cared for their horses as they cared for themselves?

Banning the carriages seems like taking the easy way out at the expense of the innocent. It’s like swatting a fly with hammer. Not all of the drivers can be breaking the rules, or they wouldn’t have their licenses to be renewed. We are a people who have a million gadgets to measure how far we run or walk, how fast our heart beats. We can measure our health on the go. There is even a teddy bear designed to monitor a child’s health. And we are supposed to believe there is no way they could find a way to measure a horses health on the go while pulling a carriage? No way to measure if it’s getting enough rest, water or food? Because I can’t for a moment believe that. What I can think, is that horse, human and family will be without work and tourists, too, will miss out on a piece of history, just because the mayor want to take the easy way out.

Helpful Links and References:

 NY City Tourists Rush Horse Carriage Rides

Eight Lies Advocates Told About Carriage Horses

Just Let Carriage Horses Do Their Job

Save Horse Drawn Carriages

Ban Horse Drawn Carriages

My Little Pony Power VS Bullies and Prejudice

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I came into the story of Michael Morone late, since I was late checking my email. But it quickly got my attention.
I have a few random, thoughts swirling in my head after I read about his suicide attempt after being bullied over being a Brony (Male My Little Pony fan)

I’m female. When I was a kid, I played with both My Little Pony and Star Wars. I was bullied, but not particularly over them. I disliked boys, because several were bullying me. Now that I see reports of what goes on at some of the comic conventions and the ‘white boys club’ mentality, I wonder if some small minded ones were jealous. Maybe they thought I was intruding on their turf. Girls didn’t see why I disliked them, nor why I stayed with My Little Pony and Star Wars (and horses in general) while they were growing into makeup and fashions. I don’t know, perhaps I just saw, and still see, that there are more important things than how you look. More to the point, I notice there is still a big gap in mentality. Some people just can’t see past the ‘kid’ label they have on things. Why do adults watch a  kid show or collect teddy bears or dolls? Well guess what naysaying adults. Some of us do. There is a whole industry supporting it. You don’t have too, but you have no right to deny the rest of us either.

That poor kid must have felt very alone. Did he really have no friends, no support? For in this age of the internet, it seems to me it should be easier to connect to other ‘Bronies’. Did no one know how bad it was? Did no one, even someone unrelated to the ponies say, ‘let me help you find the others?’ It would not surprise me if they didn’t, for no one helped me. Finding so many like minded souls on the internet wouldn’t come for many years.

Another thought is more disturbing. This kid is already being used to chase agendas. Seriously. just from the search terms that cropped up on the internet I can tell. Saying things like a gay boy attempted suicide and homophobic bullying caused it. Nowhere does it actually say the boy is gay in any of the stories I’ve read. It just says he loves My Little Ponies! So there you go. Not even conscious to answer questions and already labeled. Whether he is or not is his own business, in my opinion. But I find the automatic label disturbing because it does imply just because he loves My Little Pony he must be gay, in spite of the broad male fan base. God forbid someone go against the marketing only to female strategy (just as Star Wars is marketed to males.)

On the flip side, as much as I dislike bullies, I have to note that no one writing these articles is a mind reader. The slurs and taunts the bullies used appear nowhere in the articles. Maybe it had nothing to do with homophobia and was just jealously. Perhaps they had nothing they were so passionate about and envied his having that joy over something. They don’t have it, therefore they will tarnish it. It isn’t just fear that causes bullying. The worst of it is, apparently it hasn’t stopped. At least, I haven’t been able to find the web site supposedly set up for him and his Facebook page has vanished. I’m assuming negative comments from people who have too little heart and too much time on their hands caused it to be taken down.

I hope and pray this boy wakes up, healthy and well, no matter what the odds. If an outpouring of love can help, I’m sure he’s covered. For every bully there is a My Little Pony lover to counter, whether a ‘pegasister’ (female eqivalent of brony) or the brony. My Little Pony fans are a generous lot of all ages and the outpouring of MLP art, funds and tattoos in his name should tell him he’s not alone. Wherever there is a My Little Pony lover, he’s got a friend.


For Michael Morones by Astringe on deviantART

For some inspiration on how others are trying to reach this comatose boy, check out this page full of art, just for him. ‘Art for Michael‘.

Here is an interesting vid on the My Little Pony and Brony issue, dispelling some common misconceptions and even explaining how they came about.

Video by : Pinkie3point14

Spotlight on a Design: Isaiah Angel Bear.

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It started with a couple of Bible verses (listed here in KJV):

Isaiah 6 :  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
and 65 : The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.

The idea that nothing would hurt or destroy on God’s holy mountain was such a peaceful, appealing idea. It still is. I love animals, and apparently the whole predator and prey system will be changed on his mountain. As a member of a species that seems to be hurtful even to its own, I find it such a hopeful promise that someday, that even the animals won’t be like that. And if the animals won’t be, than maybe we won’t either.
No more bashing politicians. No more mocking over insignificant differences. No more fighting and killing over money, land, or race.
Right now, we must leave the wild animals wild or they will be killed, perhaps for poor reasons like sport, by accident like being in the wrong place and hit by a car or understandable reasons like food.
But some day, maybe we too, can cuddle up with that previously wild animal. The bears really will be teddy bears. The wolfs will be as friendly as dogs. A lion may be a bigger wilder but still gentle cat. And we can be friends, not enemies or competition for resources.

That’s my idea of heaven. Where lost loved ones are reunited and new friends of all species are made, and previous ills are just a nightmare that fades away in daylight.

 

Sad over Politics Teddy Bear

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All the heartbreak and anguish of people suffering made me do it. All over the failure of political leaders. I do not blame either party. I, for one, blame parties in general. Both groups in deadlock, refusing to yield until the little people cry in pain. Party labels stick people in a box. The agenda must be this or that because of the label.

People don’t fit in a box. they live and breathe with their own hopes and dreams. Sometimes the dream is greed. Sometimes its misguided. Even people who want the best don’t agree.

I hate politics. To me, every political campaign is like listening to the worst behaved children yelling ‘he hit me’, ‘he broke my doll’, ‘he broke Mrs so and sos window, don’t trust him!’
This is our choice for leadership? It’s mind boggling. Its horrifying. And I don’t believe any of them at this point, even when they claim to have the same beliefs I do.

Speaking of same beliefs, I’ll admit freely I have doubts that the government even belongs in some areas. Where do they get off closing ‘public’ parks? Don’t those belong to ‘the public’? And for politicians not to take their messages is pure cowardice. They know people are upset. They just don’t want to hear it.

In reality things like health care and other issues should never have needed to go so far. The fact that something needs federal regulation means its broken on a lower level.

For instance on a somewhat less ‘hot’ note: The tennessee walker shows were so rife with corruption the feds stepped in.
Tennessee walking horses and the protection against ‘soring’ – a practice of putting painful chemicals on their legs to make them step higher in shows were so prevalent, it required federal intervention. How pathetic, that as many horse lovers as are out there, the horse industry couldn’t regulate itself. No, in spite of many chances, greed won out and the horses kept suffering.

Which means greed won on a lower level. But what happens when the greed has infiltrated so high up the feds themselves are involved? Then everyone suffers. Who is left to regulate?

So, I express my own discontent in my usual fashion: with my art. Not a new bear, but newly used with different background and text.

Happy Fourth Of July! – May the Right Spirit Win!

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Independence Day

Looking back on our founding father’s woes, its not a shock to realize that we have been a nation divided almost from the start. In order to get all the colonies to agree on the Constitution, they had to let a few things go. The biggest thing was slavery. Pretty ironic, that in order to get a free nation, the founders had to agree to leave some enslaved. Of course, the natives of this land were not considered at all.

The division is there to this day. Getting rid of slavery did not get rid of the problem. The real problem was greed, people putting their business over human life. They might be more subtle about it, but they are still at it. Whether it’s conniving land from mustangs and wild life for cattle and mining, or cutting corners to stuff more animals for slaughter into a farm, they care more about money than their fellow beings..

That’s the real secret of American freedom. That freedom’s cost isn’t just sending people out to defend it. It’s about defending it from greed right here. It’s about saying no to something because it curtails freedoms.  But it’s not so easy to identify it. There is so much demanding our time and attention, it’s easy to just focus on issues we believe affect us.

That’s what the sophisticated greedy think. If they throw enough one sided info at you, maybe you won’t notice they are not telling you everything. Maybe you won’t notice the lies.
For instance, I hear all sorts going on about jobs and the big pipelines. On the other side, I hear about environmental risk. Truth be told, I’ve yet to hear or see anything that told both sides at once. Now the truth is, they are both right. We need jobs, but that doesn’t mean we’d be willing to literally pay with our health or the destruction of our land. Some things, you can’t pay to fix. So the real question is, if these people want to be helpful and run their business and create jobs, why do they think the pennies they save are worth the cost of safety?

My point here is, when it comes right down to the wire, America has two spirits vying for control. One is that wonderful spirit of freedom, independence, help others and creativity that inspired it in the first place. The other is that stubborn pride in money that refused to sign the Constitution if slavery was banned.

That second spirit has new forms now. It hides in businesses that say ‘we are creating jobs’ while cutting corners for profit and dumping toxins that make people sick. The people with those jobs lose either way, because even if you earn money and have health insurance, you end up spending on health care, assuming even that will cure them! They also claim that while dumping huge amounts of money into their account they can’t pay the workers any more.
What’s terrifying is how these people respond to challenge. They take advantage of  their funds to pay for lawyers to get them out of it. Worse, some government agencies are in cahoots. The way the Bureau of Land Management is run, you’d think that land all belonged to them personally, rather than the citizens of America.

I believe when the average person celebrates the Fourth, we are celebrating our freedom, the hope of that chance to not only have a job, but a fulfilling life. But do we? I hope so. But we have to keep battling that other spirit. Gunpowder can make for fabulous fireworks. Our country is full of magnificent creatures, wild and free.  It’s up to us to do our best to see they are their for future generations. It’s up to us to save that gunpowder for the fireworks and not waste in blowing each other up. It’s up to us to keep our authority figures reminded that we elected them to serve us, not their own wallet. To remind the big corporations that without their workers and buyers, they have nothing.  To remind the police that they are there to protect and serve, not bully the people who essentially are paying them.

So here’s to the Fourth of July and our continued fight for independence. May the right spirit win!

Teddy Bears, Frivolous?

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Are Teddy Bears and other Hobbies Frivolous?

Frivolous.  Dictionary definition: carefree and not serious. It’s antonym is considered: serious or important.

Today, I came to the ironic realization the other day that ‘frivolity’ is actually extremely important. And this is how it came about:

I was scrolling through teddy bear images, just to brighten a gray day. And I came upon the headline about the Boyd’s Bear store in Pennsylvania closing. More people out of work and darn it, I’ll never get to visit. But it was the comments that really drew my eye.

There were comments calling teddy bears and teddy bear stores frivolous. The attitude was that teddy bears were a waste of time. After all, they are a toy or collector item. They usually just sit and look cute. This got me to thinking. Are they ‘pointless’ in today’s society? And suddenly I was indignant. I thought of people jumping up and down in war paint at football games. I thought about those same people turning up their nose at those of us who are science fiction and fantasy fans and convention. I thought of people who hunt for sport. And what about people who chase a little white ball around a golf course as a hobby.  I suddenly wondered who is one person to claim another’s hobby is frivolous.

In this modern world we fret about war, about gun control and paying the bills. We may have a roof over our heads and food, but that doesn’t mean we have all we need. True, we have more than many. But we have a spiritual and emotional needs too. And all that stress takes it’s tole on our well being, on our emotions and even our physical health.  Without frivolity, without laughter and smiles, we would self destruct.

Nearly all hobbies have one thing in common: the ability to get us to relax. Most have another feature as well, they improve our skills in some area. Maybe it’s hand and eye coordination, or creativity, problem solving or physical education. But they are all ‘play’ for the one who loves to do them.

I can’t imagine that anything that keeps us from self destructing, calms our tattered, overworked nerves and keeps us healthy is truly unimportant.  So I’ll keep my teddy bears, thank you. And when I can’t buy, I’ll look and draw. Because it relaxes me. And that is anything but frivolous.

Teddy in the Lillies
Teddy Bear in the Lilies with Scripture Verse about Stress.

Full Size Available as Wallpaper – FREE

References:

The Effects of Stress:

Stress Management and the Effects of Stress

Health Benefits of Teddy Bears:

Teddy Bears Why We Need Them

Teddy Bears Make You Friendlier and Maybe Healthier

Teddy Bears: How Stuffed Animals Can Relieve Stress

Family Teddy Bears Shares Benefits of Bear Hugs

Four Psychological Powers of Teddy Bears

Sleeping with Your Teddy Bear, Habits for Grown Ups

Teddy Bears and Creative Memorials

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How distressing. So distressing I can’t ‘bear’ to stay silent.

Yes, I know they have too many. And yes, I know I’m ridiculously sentimental.  And I can see that turning the excess into parts of a memorial make sense. But turning teddy bears into bricks? OUCH. UGH. Those poor bears.

My approach would be entirely different. I would ‘pass on’ the unused bears and items.  Sure we know about the families and children involved in the shooting. But what about the ones we don’t know about? Are there no other grieving families there, whose children were lost to accident or illness? What about in neighboring counties? No children in hospitals that would appreciate them? No kids whose families are hard up and could use the school supplies or toys?

I know the logistics sound difficult. But ‘passing on’ the gifts to those with nothing would be a tribute in itself. It would honor the fallen and help the living too.  There are plenty of other ways to ‘build’ a memorial without the bears.  

For that matter, how about a ‘teddy bear auction’ with proceeds donated to a charity of the families choice?  I bet that $5 Wal-Mart teddy would go for a lot farther if put up in a charity auction.

Must we resort to ‘cremating’ unused teddy bears into bricks?  

How heartbreaking. Don’t ask me to explain why I hurt over a threatened teddy bear, or one abandoned in a thrift store. I just do. And I hurt for a real animal that is driven from it’s home by human encroachment.  And yes, I can still have room to hurt for those families too. Better too be too sensitive on these subjects than not sensitive enough.  I think our hearts are meant to be like Doctor Who's TARDIS: bigger on the inside than out.

So, visitors, what would you do with the teddy bears in a memorial? Any creative thoughts?

News on the Memorial

Two Teddies who have no fear of being turned into bricks. They get to pose for artwork.
Two Teddies who have no fear of being turned into bricks. They get to pose for artwork.

Too Many Teddies?

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Teddy Bear Collection
A Big Group of Teddy Bears – these live with me.

It’s raining teddy bears in Sandy Hook, Conneticut! Yes, bear lovers and sympathetic folks everywhere have sent love in teddy bear form en masse. So en masse that the people of Sandy Hook are now drowning in bears and asking for donations to the United Way instead.

This is a thought provoking moment: can there be any such thing as too much teddy bears? As too much love? NO. However, love does need room to expand so it doesn’t smother. How about donating some of those cuddly bears to others in need? Not every lonely child or grieving mother makes the news. Yet children die without being shot and some live without a parent because that parent is overseas defending our country. And to be fair, there are kids in some countries who've never laid eyes on a toy!

So let’s consider our options and look around. Who else needs some love? I guarantee you, there is somewhere for a teddy bear to be sent on a mission of delivering love. We need to learn to find it in the smaller more personal tragedies too. For the single mom who can’t afford her kids birthday because it’s too close to Christmas, to the orphan, to the sick children in the hospital….they are there all the time. It shouldn’t take a gunman to make us notice.

So bring on the bears! They have a mission!

Merry Christmas to you and your teddy bear.

Joyful Christmas Bear
Joyful Christmas Bear
Christmas Tree sweater bear
Christmas Tree Bear

 

References:

Evening Sun: Newtown asks people to stop sending bears

Latino Fox news Sandy Hook draws worldwide outpouring support