Friday, 25 April 2014
10 Quotes to Turn you & me On.
10 Quotes to Turn you & me On.
What turns us on? Sex. Food. Adrenaline.
But what really turns us on? Joy. Feeling genuine. Just being. Appreciating the real things in life. A cool breeze. Love. Coffee. Community. Sunshine.
Or, at the Buddhists would put it, waking up to what is, and serving others, helping to awaken our own innate goodness in the process.
So, in that spirit, here are 10 Hot & Steamy Quotes to Turn you (Truly) On…to Life, to Love, to Service, to Sacrifice, to Sadness, to Truth.
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Regarding our daily life as a sacred ritual turns us on:
“We could learn to stop when the sun goes down and when the sun comes up. We could learn to listen to the wind; we could learn to notice that it’s raining or snowing or hailing or calm. We could reconnect with the weather that is ourselves, and we could realize that it’s sad. The sadder it is, and the vaster it is, the more our heart opens. We can stop thinking that good practice is when it’s smooth and calm, and bad practice is when it’s rough and dark. If we can hold it all in our hearts, then we can make a proper cup of tea.” ~ Pema Chodron
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A life of service, inspired and fueled by compassion, turns us on:
“And while I’m here I’ll do the work. And what’s the work? To ease the pain of living — everything else, drunken dumbshow.” ~ Allen Ginsberg
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Heartbreaking, unthinking heroism turns us on:
“My son made his mother cry, but saved hundreds of mothers from crying for their children.” Mujahid Ali, the father of Aitzaz, who tackled a suicide bomber, saving the lives of his schoolmates. He was 15.
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Imagination turns us on. Refusing to give up turns us on:
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” ~ Muhammad Ali
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Joy, and Pain, Sadness and Love turn us on:
“What do you want out of life?” I asked, and I used to ask that all the time of girls.“I don’t know,” she said. “Just wait on tables and try to get along.” She yawned. I put my hand over her mouth and told her not to yawn. I tried to tell her how excited I was about life and the things we could do together; saying that, and planning to leave Denver in two days. She turned away wearily. We lay on our backs, looking at the ceiling and wondering what God had wrought when He made life so sad.” ~ Jack Kerouac
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A sense of humor about ourselves turns us on:
“I’m so glad I never feel important, it does complicate life!” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
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Fearlessness turns us on.
“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” ~ Winston Churchill
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And, yes, Love turns us on.
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ~ Dr. Seuss
For he has taken the goddess within
In the green wood they dance, they embrace and spin
The power is building in the dark of night
All dance round the fires than now burn bright
Tonight we celebrate the union of life
The winter has now gone with all of the strife
Warm days now beckon so we play in the fields
Giving power to the land and encouraging the yields
The Goddess has taken her consort in hand
And now together they walk their land
For young they are and pleasures they seek
And I join them in the dance that’s not for the meek
This is a time to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh
Lay down in the orchard to your lovers caress
Beltane is a time for love and the union it brings
With the power of creation all life awakens and sings
It’s a time to laugh, make merry and cheer
Gone are the cold winds and the dead of the year
Now I walk into summer with my head held strong
And dance in the Witches circle where I have always belonged
Tonight is a time when freedom is sought
At the hands of the goddess and her loving consort
They teach us to be ourselves, find freedom within
Casting away the notions that are often called sin
Enjoy tonight the merry time of year
Enjoy yourself without redemption or fear
Tonight we are free to follow the path; the air is cool as we leap in the grass
The green man is watching from the every blossom bower
Dancing to the tunes of the pipe this midnight hour
Dance to drums on the distant hills
Dance to the Beltane songs and never be still
Dance in the fields where the power is strong
Dance in the open where you truly belong
Thursday, 24 April 2014
I'm not a bully! Heartwarming portraits of rescue pit bulls hope to challenge harsh misconceptions about the breed
A New York-based commercial photographer has launched a campaign called Not a Bully which aims to challenge the all-too-common view of pit bulls as a 'bully-breed'.
Douglas Sonders, 32, himself the owner of a pit bull mix called Emma, feels compelled to speak up for a breed that is often neglected, mistreated and typecast as mean, aggressive or dangerous.
'Despite what some bad humans have done to these dogs, they are inherently sweet and very trainable,' he tells MailOnline.
Happy face: Photographer Douglas Sonders captures the charming characters of rescue pit bulls, for his Not a Bully campaign, which hopes to change the way people see the breed for the better
In a stunning array of photographs, Mr Sonders captures a host of noble and gentle looking pit bulls, all of whom have touching stories and are now blessed with loving owners.
Although it started off as a photo campaign, Not a Bully is growing. National Geographic Wild recently profiled Mr Sonders with Ceser Milan, the acclaimed TV dog trainer, who he describes as 'wonderfully enthusiastic about helping animals.'
Mr Millan, who posed for Mr Sonders with his Pit Bull Junior, is now an avid supporter of Not a Bully's mission, and in return, Mr Sonders has been donating his time and efforts to the Cesar Millan foundation for abandoned and abused dogs.
Famous friends: Mr Sonders (left) has gained support from TV dog trainer Cesar Millan (right) both seen posing with their handsome pit bulls for the campaign
Noble: Pit bulls are often referred to as 'bully-breeds' - assumed to be mean, aggressive and dangerous, but many proud owners know them to entirely the opposite
But it was Emma, the pit bull mix Mr Sonders adopted two years ago, who started it all.
When his beloved boxer dog, Winston Churchull, died leaving Mr Sonders 'heart wrecked', he decided, following a period of intense mourning, to adopt a new canine companion.
He didn't know quite what he was looking for, but he says he planned to avoid pit bulls, assuming, like many others, that they were a difficult breed.
Not so scary: This pampered pooch, named London, was rescued from a life on the streets of Baltimore, and couldn't look less intimidating with her wonky ears and soft pink bandana
Inspiration: Emma is the two-year-old pit bull mix adopted by Mr Sonders, who taught him what a loving, gentle breed she comes from and sparked his Not a Bully campaign
'I’ve since learned that “pit bull” is a bad word in society, which is a real tragedy,' he says, adding that over 40 per cent of dogs in shelters are 'bully-breeds' and 22 per cent of pit bulls are euthanized regardless of their disposition.
Still, the day he walked into his local Petco adoption drive and saw one-year-old Emma sitting quietly at the back of the room, he was in love.
Emma had been rotated around foster care for nine months prior to finding a forever home with Mr Sonders. 'No-one wanted her because she was a pit-mix with black fur,' he recalls.
Unfair: Mr Sonders says he 'tears up' every time he thinks about the fact that Emma (pictured) was nearly euthanized because of the way she looks
Savior: Winnie (pictured) was adopted by a shy little ten-year-old girl, whom she helped 'break out of her shell' - the pair now compete in dog training competitions together
'The thought makes me tear up when I think how she was nearly put to sleep because of how she looks.'
Aside from her tendency to sneak into Mr Sonders' bed when he's away, Emma is 'perfectly behaved; naturally gentle, great with kids and other dogs, and an excellent running partner', according to her loving owner.
Still, to his disappointment, Mr Sonders noticed his neighbors 'recoil' when they first saw him around the neighborhood with Emma - a knee jerk reaction he hopes he can shift with his project.
Buddies: Cesar Millian (pictured with his dog Junior) appeared in the campaign and were filmed with Mr Sonders for a National Geographic documentary about pit bulls
Sleek: Mr Millan is well-known for his work with behaviorally challenged dogs, but his own four-legged friend poses no trouble at all
Behind the scenes: Mr Millan can be seen attracting his dog's attention with a fluorescent ball as Mr Sonders dutifully snaps away
Another portrait in the series stars Winnie, who was adopted by ten-year-old Gillie, a shy little girl who found she was finally able to break out of her shell after finding a four-legged friend in Winnie. The two now compete in dog training competitions together.
London was rescued from a tough life on the streets of Baltimore, and nursed back to health by volunteers at Good Doggie Daycare. Her adoptive owner, Carolyn, discovered that London, her first pit bull, was 'gentle, smart and good with all other living beings.'
Porter is undoubtedly the most heart-wrenching subject Mr Sonders has photographed. He was found on the street with his legs crushed and his jaw smashed by an unknown assailant.
Disgrace: What looked like it would be a grisly ending for poor Porter (pictured) turned into a hopeful tale, when a rescuer at the Humane Society ensured he was nursed back to health following a brutal attack on him
Heart of gold: Porter won everyone over by displaying nothing but love, despite his awful mistreatment, and now has a happy forever home
Child friendly: Mr Sonders seen visiting a local elementary school with his trusty Emma, to teach kids about the negatives of dog abuse and the importance of adoption, particularly with pit bulls
Despite his despicable treatment, Porter showed nothing but a warm, trusting heart to rescuers at the Humane Society. Instead of putting him to sleep, Julie Conway, an employee at the organization, paid out of her own pocket to save him. He now fronts one of the I'm Not a Bully campaigns ads.
Hundreds of thousands of pit bull and other 'bully breeds' are put to sleep in the U.S. every year, and breed-specific legislation currently bans them from several states - essentially serving these dogs with a death sentence.
The ASPA credits 'putative over-reporting and false reporting' of pit bull attacks on humans as a major cause for their public perception.
Man's best friend: Mr Sonders (pictured with Emma) hopes he can get people to see the breed in a new light, so that more pit bulls can enjoy happy endings
In fact, it's the human attacks on what many insist to be a naturally gentle breed that perhaps need addressing; attacks mainly in the form those who abuse pit bulls, use them as 'bait' and force them into cruel dog-fighting rings.
Mr Sonders points to the case of Michael Vick, the New York Jets quarterback who was jailed in 2007 for mistreating pit bulls as part of vicious dog-fighting racket. Almost all of Mr Vick's former fighting dogs were placed in family homes after positive training rehab, he reveals.
At the end of the day, the Not a Bully campaign simply hopes to shine a very different light on this little-understood breed, so that more pit bulls can enjoy happy endings.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2610527/Im-not-bully-Heartwarming-portraits-rescue-Pit-bulls-hope-challenge-harsh-misconceptions-breed.html#ixzz2zqEZMZqE
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