WARNING. This Post Contains Information About Cruelty To Animals.  

Posted by kw in , , , , , ,

I just spent a lovely evening, making up bags of Christmas Raindeer Food for the neighbourhood kids.  I mixed up large-hex iridescent glitter, with shelled mixed bird seed.  The glitter is big, so that the Raindeer don't peck at it by mistake.  I used gossamer bags and tiny Christmas  Chinese Take-out boxes.  I wrote directions on little cards that I attached with ribbons.  Good grief, they're bloody adorable, if I do say so myself!
In the meantime, if you're wondering what to do with your time, five days before Christmas, here's an idea.   It's for a great cause and you'll save yourself from a few hours of last-minute, desperate shopping.  You may even save some lives.  Now if that's not the Christmas spirit, I don't know what is.


 
WHEN: Saturday, December 20, 2008 from 12:00PM to 4:00PM
WHERE: Meet up at Monster Pets' South Philly, 1946 South Columbus Blvd.., Phila. PA 19146
We will then split the group and carpool some advocates to the West Philly Monster Pets.
FAMILY FRIENDLY:  This is a family friendly event!   The atmosphere will be peaceful and calm.  Bring the kids, the grandparents and even the next door neighbor!  The more, the merrier!
DOGGY PICTURES WITH SANTA:  Santa will be joining us, so bring your dogs for a photo with the jolly old guy!
VEGAN DINNER PARTY:  After the events, we will be hosting a delicious dinner at a local vegan restaurant!  $20 per person – all you can eat!!  You must attend the holiday event for information.
WHO:
The Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS), the only national nonprofit dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals.
Puppy Mill Awareness Day, a group that just held its fifth annual event in Lancaster PA, to bring to light the horrible conditions of puppy mills and their connection to pet stores.
The Boycott Monster Pets Campaign, a local grassroots group that holds weekly pet store awareness outreach events at both the South Philadelphia and West Philadelphia Monster Pets’ locations.
Along with these groups many other animal advocacy groups will be demonstrating at pet stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.

WHAT:
A rally against pet shops that sell puppy mill puppies.  Local animal advocates will distribute information about the horrific puppy mill industry and what consumers can do this holiday season to break the cycle of abuse.

WHY:
Pet shops sell more puppies during the weekend before Christmas than at any other time of year. The participating groups want to alert consumers to the problems associated with purchasing a puppy from pet shops such as:
• Most pet shops obtain puppies from puppy mills, inhumane breeding establishments, in the Midwest and Pennsylvania.
• Many puppies are ill or incubating an illness at the time of purchase. Puppies commonly die or must be euthanized.
• Pet shops usually charge very high prices for puppies, thereby earning huge profits.
• Pet shops provide registration documents, but registration, such as with the American Kennel Club (AKC) or the American Canine Association (ACA) does not guarantee health, quality or breed standard.
• Pet shops usually treat animals as merchandise that can easily be returned for a refund or exchange. Warranties often preclude reimbursement for veterinary bills.
Signs and flyers will be provided.  Parking is convenient and accessible. Remember to dress for the cold weather! 
 
For more information, please visit www.BoycottMonsterPets.com or email BoycottMonsterPets@yahoo.com.

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Looking For Raindeer, I Found A Disturbing World.  

Posted by kw in , , ,

It had started out as a simple search for a link to the word "Raindeer", also spelled in the Americas as "Reindeer".  Trawling down the various links, I stopped by one that promised videos of said creatures.  I clicked and lo! and behold! I found myself at a site which had a slew of them.  But what caught my eye was not the little scenes of various clips of Raindeer, but the box to the upper right.

The legend that ran below it was "Metafestwinner"  Now, what made it more appealing to me, was the still-shot of a ventriloquist dummy's grinning face.  I clicked play.  It was creepy, disturbing, provocative and gosh-darned well done.  It  is not for the faint of mind and spirit.  But it's bloody good.

So, here's the link to the films that were their top choices, for your viewing enjoyment.  If you feel hearty and hale, content and peaceful, sure in yourself and your world, then watch the winning entry.  But if you are disturbed by dummies, bothered by nightmares, or have eaten some cheese a little late in the evening, this may not be the best thing for you to watch right now.

Oh, but why was I searching for raindeer, when I do not hunt, eat or even cross paths with them?  Because my friend Jodi over at the CVS was filling some of my scripts.  I felt compelled to explain why I was buying clear, glittery nail-polish.  (I'm making Christmas cards, and most people don't like actual glitter on the cards, as it makes a pretty mess).  She told me about a tradition that she has done for over ten years:  Raindeer Food.

She mixes glitter, (she says the large crystal kind) with bird-seed.  She puts some in a little cloth bag, with instructions and a story.  She gives them to the kids she knows, with instructions to pour a little trail for the raindeer, heading up to their house.  In the morning, the birds have eaten the seed and all that remains is the glitter!  How brilliant is that?  She says that she has fifteen year old nieces who still ask her for Raindeer Food.

Well, Hell, Bells and Yells, (a WWII expression), if she can have fifteen year-olds still asking her for this simple, shiny magic, then there is hope for the world.

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