For most families have the long weekend to spend time with and eat left overs. Shop the stores on Black Friday for great deals. While we focus on to Christmas there still is a need, there are only a few days left of National Shelter Dog Month to help draw the attention for shelter animals. However the message continues into and through on a daily basis. While shopping think of a gift you could provide a shelter… a blanket, water dish, maybe a bag of food for the animls.

It has indeed been a few days since my last entry here, but I wanted to say a belated Happy Thanksgiving to all and to bring you up to speed on current happenings here at the shelter! 

Red Stripe is assimilating well into our pack.  As I had mentioned in previous posts, he came to us as a foster child from the American Black & Tan Coonhound Rescue (www.coonhoundrescue.com) and even before he got here, I suspected that he would become part of our resident ‘pack’, which he clearly has!  He is a cutie and quite the good looking man, with a fair amount of puppy left in him.  He has 2 brothers in other foster homes that are in need of ‘forever homes’ and I can tell you, they will be welcome additions to any home.  You can have a look at them on the website at this link: http://www.coonhoundrescue.com/MICROBREWS09.html  If you’re looking for a great companion and vary smart pup…these may be your guys!  If you are looking for something other than a pup…there are LOTS of hounds in need of rescue on their site and they would all LOVE to have homes for the holidays!

Speaking of foster care, we are looking for folks who are interested in becoming foster parents.  It’s not a job for everyone and requires some effort, but your rewards are many.  If you’re interested in becoming a foster home, e-mail us at info@uh-s.org and we’ll be happy to fill you in on all of the details and get the process started.  Hounds are tremendous companions and they reward your love by giving you plenty back in return, however they do require some attention.  Bloodhounds must be kept in an enclosed area or on the lead or they are bound to follow their primal instinct and let that nose take them wherever they may.  As a large breed, they also require a fair amount of exercise…the old cliche of a lazy dog laying around all day is just that, a cliche.  Young hounds are quite active and very inquizative…they need attention and love and prefer to have a fair amount of interaction with other hounds or humans.

All in all, hound dogs make GREAT pets and are, like all others, wonderful companions.  If you can do anything at all to help, please think of them this Holiday season and do what you can.  For more about us, visit us online at www.uh-s.org or call us at 717-458-2786, we are happy to provide information and assistance!

MY toy!

I just read this article from the Globe and Mail about the Toronto Humane Society. 4 staff members have been arrested for animal cruelty. If you want to see pictures of the state of the shelter, follow the links here and then adjoining page.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/toronto-humane-society-officials-arrested-charged-with-cruelty-to-animals/article1378385/

Police have arrested the Toronto Humane Society’s president, chief veterinarian and three other senior staff members and charged them with animal cruelty, six months after a Globe and Mail investigation revealed widespread troubles at the shelter.

At the same time, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals executed a search warrant at the shelter’s River Street facility late Thursday afternoon.

…

Christopher Avery, a Bay Street criminal lawyer representing the OSPCA, said Mr. Trow’s own dog, Bandit, attacked a police officer during the arrest on Thursday. It was pepper sprayed.

He also outlined the poor conditions of a number of animals.

“[OSPCA] officer [Kevin] Strooband recalled one animal in particular. He came in and lifted a cat and its skin came off in his hands,” Mr. Avery told reporters outside the THS building.

“We are in the process of going cage by cage, animal by animal throughout the facility and comparing those with veterinary records, and we’re doing our utmost to determine whether or not further charges should be laid by the end of the weekend.”

EcoFactor: Recycled house for disaster victims.

Every year millions lose their house due to some natural calamity or various other happenings. In such a situation the demand for a temporary dwelling is huge. Designed by Azin Valy and Suzan Wines of I-Beam Design, the concept of intermediary relief housing is a brilliant idea. Thus, the Pallet house is an ground-breaking move that caters to the aforementioned.

via Eco Architecture: Pallet House – A Provisional Refugee Dwelling! – Ecofriend.

May your day be full of fun with family and friends. Remember your pets and the business in the house… keep them safe and provide a quiet place for them. Have a great day.

The sharper end of the recession has hit the poorest in society. 90% of households earning less than £20,000 a year or £25,000 in London, claimed they were struggling to stay afloat, up from 56% when the same survey was carried out in 2006.

Four out of 10 people on low incomes said they thought their debts were impacting on their physical and mental wellbeing, rising to 50% among households with children.

The groups also found that 60% of households in receipt of housing benefits or local housing allowance received less than the cost of their rent, with a quarter of these people having to make up a shortfall of more than £49 a week.

Yougov carried out the research  for housing charity Shelter and the Money Advice Trust. They questioned 745 tenants with household incomes of less than £20,000, rising to £25,000 in London, and 440 landlords.

Just about caught up with myself!  Now just need to get a replacement Landy, complete with electric death chair for the unawares (only joking) and replenish my lesser used tools (like a tool bag for instance!)  Finish off the dining chairs, small table and then it’s full speed ahead Christmas. May even do some logging soon, oh yes, must get a petrol/oil can for the saw.

Here’s the next project starting up:

Improvised long steamer.

I’m making a log hod (or tote as it’s called in the American steam bending book I’m using).  I added the bag on the end of my normal steamer which was only made to take chair backs.  It kind of worked but I think the end of the hod bows didn’t really get hot enough, even though they were in for an hour.  Here are the two bows drying:

This one failed.

Always a danger, I think this one may be due to uneven thinning with the draw knife.

The fibres couldn’t bend enough on the outside and gave way:

This one’s better (not perfect, a knot has spoiled the top bend), but it will do as a prototype for testing use at home.

I’ve learnt from this though, proper extension to steamer needed, clear timber and thinner, more even work on the bow profile.  I think I’ll change the riving out of the timber 90 degrees and see whether that improved the bending evenness.

Here’s the penultimate dining chair back I glued up yesterday in the woods

Today I’m finishing off  #4 and sizing the side rungs for #5 above in the luxury of home – it’s a bit too muddy at the bodgery for weaving seats.

Look what we found under the porch

Luckliy we kept Pearl and her siblings were accepted down at the shelter where they were fostered, fixed and then adopted out.  That summer was full of many surprise kittens which the shelter helped us out with.

Here’s a photo of  Batley, an adopted dog.

Times are tough and so the small animal shelters need support .

I don’t have a lot of money either, but I am saving $240 from the sale of an art piece to buy supplies for our local no-kill shelter.

And I will do this once I get 1000 sign ups on the new Blastoff site. It’s free to sign up, it cost you nothing to basically donate to an animal shelter.

If you use the Mall part, it benefits you by giving you cash back when you buy something. You don’t even have to do anything with Blastoff at all, but there are some great games, you can watch Hulu and update your Facebook all on the one page.  At least take a look!

Here’s how you will know the supplies will go to the shelter.
1. It will be video taped and put on Youtube, and I will put it below.
2. The first tape shows the money being put in a sealed, distinct envelope.
3. I’m going to open the envelope on camera and buy actual supplies and video tape it being taken into the shelter so you know the money is going to be used properly.

The distinct envelope

I will keep an updated filled gauge here of how close we are to 1000 sign ups.

Why am I doing this?
1. I love helping the shelters anyway I can.
2. I don’t make money on sign ups unless people use the mall, but it would help me feel better to see some numbers. I’m sure you know how I feel.
3. This is a good way to hold me accountable to give stuff to the shelter.
4. I want people to see how fun the site is and that is can save people money.
5. It’s fun!

If this goes well I would like to do it again and again as I get more sign ups.

1. Perhaps next time take in some treats and toys in for the animals and workers
2. More supplies
3. A full starter pack for a new owner including food, supplies, paid fees, and paid 1st vet bill, for a fixed income person. Because what the animals really need is loving homes.

Please feel free to tell me of more ideas.

Every little bit counts

Video will be here shortly

The site is

A armarse del regalo navideño.

Qualche giorno fa qualcuno (pensando peraltro di trovarsi su un forum) ha scritto sui commenti di questo blog che non è giusto idealizzare il Canada, che non è certo il paradiso ecc. ecc.

Lasciando da parte il fatto che questo è un blog personale, e non un sito che incita gli italiani a trasferirsi in massa all’estero (Dio me ne scampi), mi rendo anche conto che la maggior parte dei miei post, quando parlano di Halifax, ne parlano in termini abbastanza positivi. Colpa mia, sono un’inguarible ottimista (“sei una di quelle” mi disse con orrore la mia amica Flora la prima volta che ci incontrammo).

Questo non significa che non veda il “lato oscuro”, o che non gli dia il giusto peso. Glielo do eccome, ed ecco perché sono contenta di non essere in Italia.

Comunque no, questo non è il paradiso terrestre. Tanto per cominciare d’inverno fa un freddo terribile. E questa è una provincia povera. La più povera del Canada.

Questo vuol dire che ogni inverno decine di persone si ritrovano per strada, senza un riparo e senza un pasto. Questo vuol dire che ci sono persone, a volte enti statali, a volti privati con tanta buona volontà, che aprono i cosiddetti “rifugi” per senza tetto.

La “stagione” dei rifugi è iniziata domenica scorsa, il clima è ancora abbastanza mite, ma di notte va sottozero e comunque l’inverno è alle porte, da un giorno all’altro potremmo svegliarci tutti sotto la neve.

Perciò bisogna cominciare a pensarci.

Il problema è che ci sono dei limiti, e non solo di tipo economico. Alcuni rifugi accettano solo uomini, e altri solo donne. Il che esclude le coppie, o i transessuali, che sono rifiutati in un caso, e non si sentono a proprio agio nell’altro.

Altri rifugi hanno una policy di tolleranza zero nei confronti di droghe e alcool. Se sei ubriaco, anche solo un po’, non entri.

Di fronte a questo problema si è mosso un professore di Dalhousie, e ha aperto un nuovo rifugio chiamato Out of the Cold, via dal freddo, che ha la caratteristica di accettare tutti quelli che, per un motivo o per l’altro non possono essere ammessi negli altri rifugi della città.

Dopo un po’ di difficoltà in partenza (gente troppo preoccupata per il buon nome del proprio quartiere si trova anche in Canada), Out of the Cold ha trovato casa nella parrcchia di San Matthew, su Barringto Street. Circa 200 persone ruotano come volontari intorno al rifugio, che può ospitare fino a 15 posti letto, ha accesso alla piccola cucina della parrocchia e perfino alla palestra. C’è un angolo per la lettura, per chi non è pronto a spegnere la luce come in caserma.

Quest’anno si spera di riuscire ad offrire un pasto caldo, oltre alla leggera colazione del mattino.

Ecco, certo c’è bisogno di una politica seria per i senzatetto, non basta la buona volontà, ma mi piace molto questa collaborazione tra università, parrocchia e privati cittadini per risolvere un’emergenza.

Aspetta un attimo, ho di nuovo visto il lato positivo, eh?

Oh, beh, sue me!

Più dettagli qui

Each and every Saturday of the year the volunteers with the Ministry of Hope at Cross and Crown Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois, serve a feast for the homeless and low-income of the area. Approximately 50 to 70 people enjoy the hot breakfast and lunch each week. Many partake in the opportunity to attend a worship service.

The volunteers and pastors of Cross and Crown are a gift from God to the homeless. They live from their hearts, offering smiles, joy, friendship, hope and support to all who need. They serve delicious meals, give clothing, bikes, and more. They give transportation to and from the church in a church member’s van. The Ministry of Hope is NOT even part of the church budget–all costs come out of their own pockets!

The Ministry of Hope volunteers are absolutely amazing! I honestly don’t know how such a small church can do so much for so many! Some may remember that it was this same church that was vandalized around Christmastime. There was an outpouring of support from communities all around, including an awesome new Christmas tree to replace the one that was damaged by the vandalism.

I felt glad that this church was able to celebrate Christmas and feel the warmth of the community help that we homeless feel when we go to the Ministry of Hope on Saturdays. I hope to return the love and kindness someday by finding a way to help them myself, perhaps by finding them a new or used van of their own to give us rides in to and from the church. It would even grant the church the ability to give us rides to the church on Sundays so that we may attend the regular worship service–something many of us wish to do but can’t get to the church on our own.

View a pdf file about the Ministry of Hope.

Sphere-shaped Emergency Shelter Bonds Community

Emergency shelter during disaster that provides physical & psychological needs. The concept behind “sphere” not only considers taking shelter from extreme weather conditions but also reestablishing the feeling of security and companionship without losing ones privacy. The center of “sphere” is constructed as a social place, which consists of single families and inhabitants. These people constitute a community, a circle. This place offers the opportunity of once again getting in contact to others, cooking and simply getting together in a social way. In this way every “sphere” becomes a germ cell for a community working properly.

via Sphere-shaped Emergency Shelter Bonds Community » Yanko Design.

Volunteers from Baltimore Gas & Electric spent two days renovating the Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County’s transitional house located in eastern Baltimore County.

The BGE crew, which was made up of the workers who maintain the underground lines that run through our area, arrived at the house before 7AM to get started on the project.

The volunteers worked to give the transitional house a much needed facelift. New ceiling tiles were installed, wood floors that were previously under carpeting were sanded and exposed, walls were painted, the house was cleaned, and much more. The workers even did the house’s laundry.

Michael LeSavage, Director of the BGE Underground URD Construction & Maintenance Department leads the crew of volunteers on a daily basis. He stated that BGE likes to be involved in the community that they serve, and feel as though working with the Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County really makes a difference.

The transitional house at the Family Crisis Center provides a safe space where residents can plan for a future free from domestic violence. The transitional house also provides the opportunity for the residents to receive job training and career counseling, return to school, find employment, save money, and find safe, affordable housing.

Have you ever wanted to help out shelter animals but always too busy with work and family to do so? You can do so much more than you once thought! A simple click can help!

This website is your answer to helping out animals with just one click of the mouse. Return to the site daily, click the button and there, you just helped bring food to animals that need it. This site is having trouble getting the word out, animals need you to click in order to help them out. 

For anyone that wants to help, it’s just a click away. =)

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Well the day before Thanksgiving, and we are running around packing, or preparing for guest, in the kitchen. I wanted to share…what I am thankful for. I am thankful my boys will be home for Christmas, my brother in Canada is having F>U>N FUN ; ) and I have good friends and neighbors. My folks are well and active.

My wish for you…have a safe Holiday – day and weekend.

Remember I am still pondering the next Dog in my life and Yes The DOG will come from a rescue program/shelter.

The TOP DJs in the world you should know about!

DJ FREEDOM

www.mixcraftmedia.wordpress.com (01)

Of course I am my own favorite DJ. I listen to my own mixes, play them for others, remix a multitude of songs weekly and although my releases are not being played by every DJ or radio station, the respect by many is there. You should also know I didn’t get into this for the status just the respect and the music.

One of the DJ standards

DJ culture has long been the backbone of nightlife: if you have the right DJ spinning it can be the difference between a lot of folks sitting around talking over drinks or crowds rushing in to hear the best music-regardless of the atmosphere (although flashing lights are nice).

My list is just that-my opinion, lumped in with the millions of others. Only consider these guys not just because I say so but I have heard them all spin LIVE and I have at least one or more of their mixes. Ahh, now we separate ourselves from all the other bloggers online. Yes indeed!

================================

THE CROOKLYN CLAN (02)

www.myspace.com/djriznyc

Check them out. You’ve probably danced to one or more of their tracks if you have gone to a party at ANY major city in the U.S. Or how about the last wedding reception. Or the New Year’s Eve party. Their records are everywhere in EVERY DJ’s crate and their fame doesn’t stop there. You can hear them spin live if you live in NYC, or attend the WMC in Miami each year in March. Among my all-time favorites. Just ask Fatman Scoop!

================================

DJ SPINNA (03)

www.myspace.com/djspinnafrombrooklyn

Attempting to book him for an event may be difficult due to his always-full agenda, but if you are looking to enjoy good music this is a great DJ to hear do it. He can go from house to hip-hop to soul to funk depending on the theme of the evening. Or, he may do all of them in a set of smooth transitions that are signature Spinna.

================================

ERICK MORILLO (04)

www.myspace.com/erickmorillo

DJ Erick Morillo is a constant in dance music the world over. He claims NJ as home, runs one of the most respected super club brands in the world in NYC known as Pacha, and does residencies in Miami (where I hear he has been living for a while), Ibiza (THE dance music capital of the world) and endless other places. He also has a hot dance label, Subliminal and one of the most annoying dance anthems ever, “I Like To Move It” under the name Reel 2 Real. He’s earned the credible title of a top five DJ on my list of DJs.

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JAZZY JEFF (05)

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RUBEN TORO (06)

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DJ SPINBAD (07)

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DJ KERVYN MARK (08)

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LOUIE VEGA (09)

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DJ GREEN LANTERN (10)

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JAZZY JOYCE (11)

================================

DJ ENUFF (12)

www.thatsenuff.com

Another all-purpose DJ rooted in hip-hop who made good on his hunger to be one of the best on the 1 and 2’s…DJ ENUFF! Still a key player in radio, club gigging, and the occasional mixtape, this guy has always been one of my favorite DJs…and is a force that no other DJ in the game will deny. If he is on a flyer don’t walk RUN.

================================

DJ COCO CHANELLE (13)

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FOREIGN BASS (14)

www.myspace.com/bigbadforeignbass

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Funkmaster Flex "The Kingpin"

FUNKMASTER FLEX (15)

www.funkflex.tv

“The Kingpin” Funkmaster Flex has been in the game for a long minute and continues to be an important force in hip-hop. He’s a credible club DJ which is what I like the most, considering his celebrity has long ago grown into being one of the most significant voices in hip-hop CULTURE; what matters can get a thumb up or down with legions following.

================================

STACY KIDD (16)

www.myspace.com/stacykidd

================================

DJ Blazita

DJ BLAZITA (17)

www.blazita.com | www.myspace.com/blazita

One of a handful of lesser known DJs who I love when she spins. DJ Blazita is a class act! She plays a party-oriented style of hip-hop, R&B, dancehall/reggae and club that is always upbeat and floor-ready. I’ve had the pleasure of hiring her for a party recently and she brought the house down-more than all of the DJs on the bill (we won’t say any names). Blazita is also a mixtape DJ and hosts her own internet radio shows. Go to her site and tell her Freedom told you about her!

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TONY TOUCH (18)

www.myspace.com/therealtonytouch

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CHUCK LOVE (19)

www.myspace.com/chucklove909

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DJ AM (RIP) (20)

www.myspace.com/djamone

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DJ DISCIPLE (21)

www.myspace.com/wwwdjdisciplecom

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SISTER STROKE (22)

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JEANIE HOPPER (23)

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MARK DOYLE (24)

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Armand Van Helden

ARMAND VAN HELDEN (25)

www.myspace.com/armandvanhelden

A pioneer of hybrid styles in house, I look forward to what I will hear whenever this dude puts the needle to the groove. A DJ, a producer and remixer with EQUAL quality on all three, Armand brings hip-hop, rock, electro, punk and soul sound bits to dance music.

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THE CUT UP BOYS (26)

www.myspace.com/kutupboys

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DJ KUT (27)

www.myspace.com/therealdjkut

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DAVID MORALES (28)

www.myspace.com/djdavidmorales

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QOOL DJ MARV (29)

www.myspace.com/djqoolmarv

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DJ KARIZMA (30)

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Q TIP (31)

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DJ SOUL SISTER (32)

www.myspace.com/djsoulsis

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DJ SKRIBBLE (33)

www.myspace.com/djskribbleny

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DANNY TENEGLIA (34)

www.myspace.com/dannyteneglia

He’s a pioneer of deep and tribal styles from the late 80’s and early 90’s by MY own experience. He has probably been doing it longer, but Danny gets props for being credible for keeping the marathon sets alive and well. For DJs who play 2 hours and think they are doing something for all the money they get, take note: this is a guy (like myself *ahem*) who will play for 12 hours and longer.

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DENNIS FERRER (35)

www.myspace.com/dennisferrer

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MARK FARINA (36)

www.myspace.com/markfarina

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DJ Q BERT (37)

www.myspace.com/djqbert

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QUENTIN HARRIS (38)

www.myspace.com/quentinharris

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DJ CRAZE (39)

www.myspace.com/crazearoni

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Sting Int'l, the original class act

STING INTERNATIONAL (40)

One of the forces behind the Shelter NYC movement, Sting is a mainstay in both house and Caribbean styles (reggae AND soca). I love this guy! He’s a class act and continues to thrill and pave the way for what a great DJ is all about.

Look for my list of the top 40 singers and bands to come in December, as well as YOUR votes on the 2009 Reader Survey of the year’s best. Peace!

DJ Freedom & DJ Rashida

DJ FREEDOM

www.facebook.com/freedom.us

www.socialtravelers.net

www.mixcraftmedia.wordpress.com

]]> http://arambler8.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/after-hours/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:38:47 +0000 arambler8 http://arambler8.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/after-hours/

It’s tension. This talk
of the temporary. No shelter—
but a stretch 

to represent. I
would not live 

in a tent. To go
to parties means meeting
a man who says: 

“Let’s light up
the Third Avenue Bridge.” 

Not burn it
down. That’s a different party
on a different night. 

Because the darkness can
be so random I rarely go
out without my torch.

KRS-ONE

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I was trying to think of some songs that related to Thanksgiving.  But then I realized most of those songs would end up being really corny, so that idea was scraped.  Still wanting to blog about music and the Thanksgiving theme, philanthropic ideas came to mind.  I stumbled across some news that Hip-Hop pioneer KRS-One is preparing to feed the homeless at New York’s Bowery Mission center on Thanksgiving night.  Lawrence Parker (his real name) was once homeless himself as a teenager, and sought the services that Bowery Mission provided.  He feels it is his way of giving back to a place that once provided him with food and shelter.  Now that’s what I call the real meaning of Thanksgiving.  I just hope that more individuals from the music industry (particularly Hip Hop) can follow in KRS-One’s direction.

Eco Factor: An eco-friendly shelter to provide accommodation when the nature turns it guns on our planet.

When disaster strikes, thousands are rendered homeless. Be it folks living in mansions or those lesser mortals existing in shanties, all face the same brutal fury of the environment. And for such times Rafael Smith has conceptualized an eco-friendly shelter dubbed the Uber Emergency Shelter. Large enough to house two to three rooms, I feel that this kinda refuge can be touted as the mansion of emergency housing options. Shipped in a compressed form, the Uber rises up without much effort. Crafted out of recyclable and reusable materials, this make-shift house for homeless is not only a basic structure with four walls and a roof. It can also be tweaked to accommodate essential cannot-do-without amenities too.

via Eco Shelter: Uber Emergency Shelter – An Eco-friendly Haven For The Homeless – Ecofriend.

Moving ahead, let’s look at Robert Nightingale’s Water Shelter. The Water Shelter is primarily designed to cater to regions prone to flooding. The uniqueness of this structure centers around the way it assists the victims, during every phase of disaster relief. Not only does it provide housing, it also can be a temporary shelter even as it is being transported. Talking of which, it can be dropped to safer ground from aircraft. The structure also has a roof harvesting system which takes care of the drinking as well as sanitary needs. This makes the Water Shelter a very versatile design that manages to be practical enough for real time usage.

Water Shelter – Sustainable Shelter Solutions by Robert Nightingale » Yanko Design.

Home is where the heart is. That makes HOMErgent's heart an easily transportable, flat-packed, high-quality shelter designed to house the needy and help the planet.Following a “hexayurt” design and using readily available building materials, HOMErgent uses existing eco-friendly infrastructure technologies to provide users with water, power, cooking, lighting, sanitation needs for living off-grid — whether the grid has just been destroyed or was never really there anyway.

via HOMErgent shelters the needy, with room for Mother Nature | DVICE.

Every now and then there is a GREAT story that is inspiring and a reminder as to why we fight the fight.

This picture says it all. This beautiful guy was saved as the result of networking thru Facebook, email, MySpace etc…

Look how majestic he is after only 3 months of love and care.

If you cannot foster, volunteer, adopt, or donate then NETWORK!

You CAN make the difference, even if it’s just for one dog.

]]> http://sheltermovie.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/i-turned-a-corner/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:34:17 +0000 docuguy http://sheltermovie.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/i-turned-a-corner/

Here is a guest post from a contributor in the UK who publishes her blog under the name WanderingScribe. She has described her situation this way:

For the past five months I have been living alone in a car at the edge of the woods — jobless and homeless and totally unable to find a way out. I can’t sing, I can’t dance, I can’t scream loudly enough, alI I can do is write. So here I am laying down tracks…hopefully the start of an online paper trail out of here.

At the time she wrote that she listed her interests as:

• Hot food
• mugs of steaming tea
• warmer weather
• feather mattresses
• curtains to shut the world out. Getting out of this laneway…

In time, though, her blog was ‘discovered’ and, as she writes, “I eventually got a publishing deal and made it out of my car to write a book about it… Miracles do happen.” Her book is titled Abandoned and can be purchased at Doubleday and Amazon.

Here’s one of her posts.

Written by WanderingScribe

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Today it was the smell of lilacs that got me. I turned a corner, on a road I’d never walked down before, quite close to home, and bang… There I was a child of seven or eight again, dragging her feet on the way to the big houses under the railway bridge, where on some Sunday mornings, a tiny lady who lived in one of them sold us rhubarb, and bunches of mint for potatoes. Delicious smells…but before we got to them, we walked with our huge bundles of rhubarb along a crescent-shaped road that was full of (what I now know to be) lilacs, and the smell cleared everything else from your mind. For a while, everything…One of the saving graces of childhood. To this day I love lilac – the colour, the smell, the look of them…and of course the way they make my mouth water for rhubarb crumble.

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It’s been almost 2 years since Darby past away. I am starting to feel having another dog again would be great. The happy memories I shared with Darby will be there for ever. You the reader can share those memories with me and Darby. The book is written to celebrate his life and the hope of all rescue dogs.

First I ask my self do you have the time?

 The reason I ask this.  My animals are more like people than animals. Each have there quility moments or two…. : ) I work from home. So I am here. What if in a year my schedule requires me to leave the house for days … what then. I know the cats hate the fact I leave to go grocery shopping! Let alone away for a couple of days…….