Received this from a friend who said "totally made me cry. . ."
Incredibly, right after the married couple who had just finished filming “Born Free” dropped into a furniture store looking for a desk, they ran into these two guys who had raised a lion and now didn't know what to do with it. (Born Free was a movie about the inspirational story of Elsa, the lioness who is reintroduced to the wild)
In 1969, Australians Anthony “Ace” Bourke and John Rendall lived in a hip section of London. Out of curiosity they went somewhere you could buy exotic animals (which wasn't unusual back then) and spotted a 35-pound lion cub in a small cage. It was born in a zoo and sold to a department store (!). Bourke and Rendall felt sorry for the cub and bought it inexpensively.
Inspired by the Bible and a sense of irony, Rendall and Bourke named the lion “Christian,” a name that became even more appropriate when the Vicar of the St. John’s Church, which called itself the “Church at the World’s End,” gave the young men permission to exercise Christian in the churchyard.
Rendall referred to the video below in describing the reunion. "You can see in that clip his body language," he said. "When he first starts seeing us, he's looking, looking. Is it us? Is it us? And then suddenly, he says, 'Right, this is them.' And down he comes. And there wasn't a moment that we ever doubted that it was going to be a wonderful greeting ... we never doubted it."
But the video tells what you really need to know:
Today Show interview with Anthony and John (starts at 2:02):
"It is pretty extraordinary footage and quite humbling. But it is sort of very beautiful, the response," Bourke told Vieira. "I suppose, 35 years later, to find that people are so fascinated by it and have so enjoyed it, is slightly overwhelming ... and all the comments on the YouTube site, they're so positive. It is marvelous that so many people are getting so much enjoyment out of it."
Okay, we saw Neil Diamond in a sold-out show at the Xcel energy center last night. He did a two-hour set. Amazing energy at his age.
He has everyone sing parts of Sweet Caroline, starting with 'Bahp Bahp Bahhh!" (see video). Really a lot of fun. And while the video below shows kind of a collective unconscious version of everyone you might find in the woods, there was also a wide variety of people at the concert. Besides the "out of the blue" theme, there's an out of the lonely wilderness and into love theme in the video that matches the song beautfully.
Anyway, people say a lot of things about his songs, but this (yes, VERY offbeat) ad about a man and woman trying to reconcile says it best---his songs bring people together and lift them up:
Found a really fun "instant Photoshop" site: PhotoFunia! (Note: They recently moved from their old site at en.photofun.od.ua and upgraded their server to a Dell 1750 2xXeon 3.2GHz to handle all the traffic!)
Choose an effect and instantly modify the photo of your choice.
See the example at left, where I put my cat on Paris' album. It took all of 5 seconds! Scroll down for more examples with our family photos. Other sites such as Dumpr offer similar effects, but PhotoFunia is best! (Scroll down for ever more sites).
They have several dozen effects to try, and again, each of those shown on this page was created in just seconds with the automated tool at PhotoFunia. (If your photo needs a little adjusting first, try Improve Your Images -- quick and free.)
PhotoFunia even offers an ultra-large, ready for printing setting: just click on the "Save for Printing" option when your image is done processing. (They reserve the right to disable this option from time to time if traffic gets too heavy on their server.)
More free and cool one-click tools!
Then what? How about take your final image over to fd's Flickr Toys (most famous for their faux motivational poster tool) or Image Chef for some additional processing and then over to block posters to make a wall-size image from your regular printer!
I've already mentioned Dumpr, but did you know you can stretch your image like silly putty with Gooifier, or start with BeFunky's free cartoonizer (video version coming soon) or digital dieter and then use their free e-card or comic strip maker? Their cartoon avatar creator ("Uvatar") is also great! I like using the function to make my photo look like a sketch (in cartoonizer). You can even add their tools to your MySpace page (and similar sites).
Or heck, why not a free virtual makeover? You'll need a shot of someone with very short hair, or hair pulled back (take a new picture of yourself and try it!) but then this amazing site will take your image from nobody to celebrity!
If you want to make animated images or slideshows with effects, try Rock You or MixerCast. Some other fun and free tools out there:
Put your image on the cover of a well-know magazine at Mag My Pic.
Here are the original photos I used, followed by some of the photoshopped versions. Those are our cats on the magazine and CD covers, Dave in giant posters, and an artist drawing me. Click any image to view larger.
Organize your photos with Pictomio Pictomio is a very useful, fast and cool photo organizer/browser for your computer, similar to Adobe Bridge, but currently free for personal use. They're adding more features all the time too!
That's amazing: Brooke McEldowney has written (to date) 189 comic strips,
each identifying a different hallmark of Felinity. And if you're looking for tips on HOW to BE a cat, here's a great list. But if you just want to understand cats better, read on and check out the videos below.
"Cats aren't clean, they're just covered in cat spit."-Anonymous
Cats are not crazy about vet appointments:
We've got two cats. Photographic proof: That's Stasha at left sorting laundry, and Ruby dreaming of tuna at right. Below that you can see them following their rigorous lounge training schedule:
"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshiped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this." - Anonymous
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." -Jeff Valdez
When we're not around, like all cats, they talk to each other:
Also, something my husband noticed:
Dogs and people form gangs, but cats don’t. Why?
Because the nicknames are all wrong:
"Word up, Cuddles ... Mr. Pitter Patter ... You take down Fluffy and Pumpkin, but leave Mr. Buttons to me."
Cats are not known to enjoy obedience training:
"There are many intelligent species in the universe. They are all owned by cats." -Anonymous
With proper motivation, cats can imagine
themselves doing almost anything:
The physics of cats:
First Law of Energy Conservation
Cats know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little energy as possible.
Law of Cat Composition
A cat is composed of Matter + Anti-Matter + It Doesn't Matter.
Law of Rug Configuration
No rug may remain in its naturally flat state for very long.
The engineer's introduction to cat ownership:
Ruby demonstrates how cats stay limber by stretching:
What is the difference between a cat and a comma? One has the paws before the claws and the other has the clause before the pause.
It's important to realize that cats, while cute, are also natural predators:
Rules for cats: HAMPERING
If one of your humans is engaged in some activity and the other is idle, stay with the busy one. This is called "helping," otherwise known as "hampering." Following are the rules for "hampering:"
When supervising cooking, sit just behind the left heel of the cook. You cannot be seen and thereby stand a better chance of being stepped on and then picked up and comforted.
For book readers, get in close under the chin, between eyes and book, unless you can lie across the book itself.
For paperwork, lie on the paper in the most appropriate manner so as to obscure as much of the work as possible. Or pretend to doze, but occasionally reach out and slap the pencil or pen.
For people paying bills or working on income taxes or Christmas cards, keep in mind the aim: to hamper! First, sit on the paper being worked on. When dislodged, watch sadly from the side of the table. When activity proceeds nicely, roll around on the papers, scattering them to the best of your ability. When being removed for the second time, make all four legs flail around wildly in order to push pens, pencils, and erasers off the table.
When a human is holding the newspaper in front of him/her, be sure to jump on the back of the paper. Humans love surprises.
When a human is working at the computer, jump up on the desk, walk across the keyboard, bat at the mouse pointer on the screen and then lay in the human's lap across arms if possible to hamper typing in progress.
Cats generally believe they are smarter than you:
Most cats love to help you wake up in the morning:
Multiple cats can be difficult to herd:
A Cat Workout Program:
Cat fitness really can be fun. However, it is important to start any fitness program only when you feel like it. Don't let a few extra pounds intimidate you into becoming more active.
The most important aspect of fitness is: when to start the program. The best time is at about 2 a.m. The house is quiet; there are no distractions. The warm-up is critical. Cats are experts at stretching, so this won't be a problem.
Start with a few wind sprints, full speed, toenails clicking on the tile or linoleum floors. A few low but loud growls will help you feel charged up. Now it is time to add some eye-paw coordination work. Find a marble (the big steelies work even better) and roll that down the floor as the sprints continue. See how many times you can ricochet it off the wallboards before it disappears under the fridge.
Now put it all together. A speed sprint to the end of the hall! A race around the living room! Leap to the back of the rocking chair! Let the rebound launch you to the top of the swinging planter! Rock that baby! Feel those muscles work.
Just as the hook pulls loose from the ceiling, dash to the bedroom and dive under the covers. Establish your alibi just in time to hear the crash of the plant to the floor below.
Have a good Work-Out!
Cats love to play. Here's Stasha going after a feather:
Cats like tuna:
The only thing cats like more than tuna is catnip:
But they don't like water, generally:
I gave my cat a bath the other day ... they love it. He sat there, he enjoyed it, it was fun for me.
The fur would stick to my tongue, but other than that ..
- Steve Martin
If you let cats outdoors, there will be less birds in the world:
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now ....
In our house, Ruby is often protective of her sister:
In 1969, Australians Anthony “Ace” Bourke and John Rendall lived in a hip section of London. Out of curiosity they went somewhere you could buy exotic animals (which wasn't unusual back then) and spotted a 35-pound lion cub in a small cage. It was born in a zoo and sold to a department store (!). Bourke and Rendall felt sorry for the cub and bought it inexpensively.
