An Act of Devotion

I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

An Act of Devotion is written by T. A. Ashcroft and revolves around the life of Franklin (a 3-year-old chocolate lab) and the humans whose lives he becomes a part of.  

Admittedly, I don't care how many times I was told that Franklin was a Labrador, I kept picturing him as a Golden Retriever for some strange reason.  This book is told from many points of view, occasionally even from Franklin, although I would have liked to have been inside Franklin's mind a bit more.  Ashcroft does a superb job of setting the scene of the story and making the reader feel intimately connected to Franklin; likewise, it was easy to connect to the main characters in the story. 

In the beginning there is some getting used to the varying point of views, as it is a bit unique from most books.  Ashcroft does an excellent job of showing both the good and bad of humanity, especially in terms to the treatment of dogs.  I will warn the faint of heart that there is some detailed dog fighting in the story that was really hard to read, even she was good at steering away from it before too long.  It gave an intimate look at the training that left me feeling sick at heart. 

I took longer to read this novel as there were times that I needed to take a break away from the horrors of those who do not feel the same love and respect for dogs that I do, and felt dread at certain parts.  Luckily Ashcroft does a stupendous job of ending the story that left tears in my eyes and a wish that the same ending could be possible in reality. 

The negative aspects of the story for me were that this story is very obviously written in the UK style (given that the author is from England), and it was slightly distracting with the different colloquialisms that are not familiar in US English.  I actually was under the impression that this story was taking place in England until Colorado Springs and Denver were talked about as the location.  There also were typos throughout the story, but not enough to make me exasperated, yet still enough to cause as a slight distraction. 

Overall I give this book a 4/5 stars.  I must applaud Ashcroft for taking on the task of tacking such a painful subject and still providing a feel good ending for the reader.  If you are an animal lover, dog lover, humanitarian, lover of what feels like a small town story, fiction lover or just like a good book on the short end of length, than this book is for you.

Patches & Buttons

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Patches & Buttons is a cute children's story that is written and illustrated by Jennifer Link.  Buttons is an adorable bunny that seems to be afraid of everything, especially loud noises and the dog named Patches. 

It is 36 pages wrong with an illustration every other page.  Buttons the bunny likes to hide when he is scared.  The story culminates with Patches wanting to play with Buttons and bringing him a toy and buttons finally manages to get over his fear and be friends with patches.

This book is quite simplistic but cute, fun and easy to read.  My son loves it and we have already read it more than 5 times since it came in the mail.  It has the toddler stamp of approval.  The illustrations are vivid and go along with the story very well. 

I give the book 4 out of 5 stars.  Very cute and fun to share with little ones. An enjoyable read from the realm of children's books.

Q & A with the Author
Name:Jennifer Link
Website: Jennifer Link Bookstore

Why did you decide to write Patches & Buttons? 
Jennifer Link: I sketched different concepts and fantasized about the possibility of bringing my art to children's books for many years, but admit life often got in the way.  A few years ago, I decided I would write a book for my nephew when he turned one.  It was a board book and I made it just for him so I never planned on publishing it.  But after good responses from the book from friends and family I set a goal to finally write a book to publish.  I wanted to create one for children that would be colorful and serve as a story about my two favorite animals: a dog and a bunny.  I wrote the book in memory of my dog Amber and bunny Buster.  When a child reads the book and begins to smile I know I have done my job in honoring my pets in a way that allows them to still live on.

How did you get your book published?
JL: I spent a good amount of time researching different types of publishing options available for new authors and the best route for children's books in general.  I decided to go with self-publishing because it made the most sense and allowed me to keep the rights to my artwork and story.  I picked Outskirts Press because they seemed to offer the most control over not only my publishing options but marketing at well.  They have marketing options that I have not seen in other companies. 

What types of readers will be interested in your book?
JL: Patches & Buttons was written to be geared towards 2-5 year olds.  Half of the book pages were created with text and the other with only artwork in order to keep the short attention span on the little ones.  I wanted to use bright colors and variety throughout the book to allow my readers to connect with the personality of the characters. 

What is special about your book and differentiates it from other books in the same category?
JL: I think what sets my book apart from others is the style in which I created the artwork.  I drew the pages manually then took it into a computer artwork program in order to add the color and textures.  I still managed to create the impression of fur on parts of the bunny and the dog without making it appear like a photograph.  I combined cartoon and realism to appeal to children and adults at the same time.

Have you published any other books?  Do you plan to publish any future books?
JL: This is my first published book so far but I would like to work on another one eventually.  I haven't decided if this will be a series yet or if I would create my new book with a totally new story and characters.  

Dog Aliens

I was given the opportunity to review this book for free in anticipation of the release of the second book.  As a dog lover, I was intrigued by the title and couldn’t pass it up.  

The author Cherise Kelly was very imaginative in allowing the story to be written completely from inside of the dog’s mind.  You are introduced to Clem, the dog whose mind you will be a passenger of for the remainder of the story.  Clem is a reincarnated alien dog from outer space.  He is on his 99^th life and is a 6 month old puppy.  He is from the planet Kax and there is an interesting back story.  

Clem has a bit of a rough start in this life and find himself in possession of some abnormal abilities.  There are distinguishing alien races between the large and small dogs and the inability to effectively communicate with cats.  This was a fun and light read and I could relate to many of the dog/cat interactions.  

The Kaxians (alien dogs from Kax) have come to Earth to spend their lives mining Jax.   Jax is also needed for the Niques (the small dog breeds).  This results in them being at odds with one another.  

The cons for me: What in the heck is Jax?  Having no idea what this was or what it would do for the Kaxians was really annoying.  All you know when reading is that it is very important and their life’s work but by the end of the story you are none the wiser.   There was a bit of jumping around in the story without cohesive flow between ideas.  The wolves for example are telling a story and then it shifts back to Clem and later back to the wolves and to an almost exact same dialogue.  As I was reading on my kindle I had to shift back and forth a couple of times to be sure that I was actually reading a new passage and not getting shifted back to an earlier part within the story.  There were too many loose ends at the end of the story and things to wonder about.  It didn’t feel like anything really got resolved by the end of the story.  It was apparent that another story would follow, but it shouldn’t involve every single issue from the first book (in my humble opinion).  Give your reader a tiny bit of relief or you will lose them.

Pros: Very imaginative.  Quick and easy to read, very good for a light read.  If you are an animal owner (especially dog or cat) you should be able to see something of your own pet within these characters.  There is now a sequel so that hopefully some of the unanswered questions will bear fruition within the second installment.   It is very fun to read from inside the mind of an alien dog.  

All in all I recommend it for a filler book, I give it 3/5 starts.  It doesn’t have a lot of re-readability but the story is intriguing enough to want to continue on with the series.

Thankful

I have spent a lot of time this year, and especially today thinking about all of the things in my life that I am thankful for.  I wanted to share some of those precious things with you and let you know all that I am in gratitude for that have made an big impact on my 2013.

First and foremost Liam, my son, my #1 man, my rock, my heart, my world.  I never knew what love was until he came into my life.  I never knew for sure what my purpose was until I became his mother.  To love something completely before you even get to see it is amazing.  Watching him grow up into such a character with so much personality, and energy  but also compassion for others.  I am so proud to be Liam's mommy, and very blessed to have him brought into my life.

Then we come to my mother.  I am so happy that you were a young mother, that you were such an unselfish mother the whole time I was growing up even to your own detriment at times.  That you taught me kindness and love and showed me how to be a good mother.  That you have been able to be the type of mother that I consider to be my best friend, that we have been blessed to be such a big part of one anothers' lives.  I regret that we do not live closer, because I hate not being able to see you all of the time.  I am so happy that I get to see you next week, because we are too close to not see one another, and I want Liam to know his grandmother.

I am so very thankful for my daddy.  You can be a hard man to live with, but I would not choose any single other person in this world to call my father.  You have been in my life from the beginning.  You are an amazing and honorable man to love me as your own and to continue to love me regardless of divorce from mom.  You have always been my hero in life, from fireman, to green beret to grandfather.  You have made the 20+ hour trek to Texas at least once a year to spend time with us and it does not go unnoticed.  I have always had you to look up to, and many of my major decisions in life I have made based off of your intelligence and your example.  I remember you being worried that I wouldn't love you anymore when you and mom got divorced and I could not fathom how you could even ask me that question.  You are the only father my heart ever has and ever will love.  I always loved you and appreciated all that you have done for me, but it wasn't until becoming a single mother and dating and seeing the way men would interact with Liam or tell me their stance on "someone else's child" that I truly found appreciation in the selfless love that you and all of that side of the family has always shown me.  I have NEVER felt like I didn't belong with you all and I am so thankful for the closeness and love that I have known because I have had you in my life.  I will not EVER get married unless I can find someone who can love Liam and I the way that  you loved us.  

Of course my dear sister.  The only person that can drive my emotions onto a roller-coaster in mere seconds.  The friend I always wanted to be closer to, the sister I always worried about.  The person who has pushed every single limit and boundary I have and then tested them again.  I am thankful that we find a way to live close to one another even if we are far from home.  I am thankful for you being there for me and helping me with Liam when I was all alone.  I honestly don't know how I would have survived those first few months without you.  You have taught me so many lessons about life and I only ever hope to see you happy.  I know I am overprotective at times and worry too much and get constantly told to quit acting like your mother, but you are my dear sister and I would not be who I am in life without you to push me past my comfort zone.  You are my polar opposite in life, and I would not chose you to be another way.  I am thankful that no matter how mad you can make me, that I still love you.  Sometimes I wish that I could live life as freely as you do, but ultimately I am thankful for the moments when we can laugh and protect one another and I miss spending time together, the fleeting moments in recent times makes me miss my sister even when we live in the same city.  

My dog Kiri, I named you aptly for in many a dark time, you have been the sunlight that has shown through.  Before Liam, you helped me through very dark times in life.  You gave me purpose and reason.  Your ability to accommodate and become the 2nd best in life, is amazing.  I am thankful for your loyalty and your intelligence and that you are more bear than dog.  You make me smile and give me love all the time, unconditionally, and I am happy to be able to come home and always be loved no matter what has happened in life.  

My grandma Shirley, YOU ARE MY SALVATION.  Truly I cannot say anything deeper than that.  You have rescued me when I was drowning.  When I was at my lowest low, you were my anchor to help me come back to the surface.  You are the most selfless person I have and probably ever will meet in this life.  I live my life always hoping to repay you for all that you have done for me.  You are my example of what a true saint in life really is.  There truly are no words that can express the gratitude I feel in my heart, and I am so blessed to have you in my life, I love you so much.

My mentor, Bunny.  You have always shown me what a true example of self power can be.  The calm that is felt just in entering your house.  The way that a short talk with you can seem to solve so many unresolved issues is amazing.  You are so talented and gifted and caring.  I have learned so many amazing things from you, and I am sad that I do not get to feel the peace that I find in your presence more often.  I miss your energy in person and wish that I was closer to do more things like bring you flowers and drink tea and soak in the sunlight and bask in your wisdom.  You are such an amazing being.  

My cousins Savannah & Marie, I am so thankful that we are so close in age and got to grow up knowing one another.  I have recently been very sad that Liam does not have that, and does not know people in the family and be close like we were.  We have experienced things in life that no one ever will.  I don't think I have ever laughed as hard as I have in the presence of you both.  You have both taught me what being the short non-artistic cousin is like and how I can excel in other ways ;)  I will never know another driver quite like Marie, and never will I know another laugh as full of happiness as yours either.  With Savannah I will never be able to share a quirky humor that could be understand outside of us, or the love of dogs, and I am so thankful that we live within driving distance.  You have helped me escape and have been a wonderful :auntie: to Liam :)

I am so thankful for each and every family member in one way or another, I could write an entire book.  But I will be here all night.... to be continued...

My job, I am so thankful to have been lucky enough to stay within the same line of work for over 11 years now.  I have somehow escaped my degree thus far, but I do hope to return to school in 2014.  Even when I have a hard time going, it gives me the security that helps me to be the best mother that I can to Liam.  I am also very thankful for an amazing boss who has stood by me and fought for me when he didn't have to.  Who has helped me more than he will ever know and is a truly good person.  I am thankful for the timing of this job when I needed quickly out of a desperate situation and that I had a quick and easy transition to the other side of my office :)

I am thankful for the military for giving me skills and experiences that I would not have otherwise ever encountered in any other way.  And for life-changing people who have taught me many lessons in life good and bad.  I would not be me without those people.

I am thankful for my friends far and wide and never fully realized just HOW amazing and special my friends in life have been and how blessed I was until I moved here.  I wish I lived closer to at least one of you, because life is lonely without my amazing bonds.

I am thankful for the internet and social media to allow me to easily continue friendships from afar and to make new ones.

I am thankful for a car that gets me to work and where I need to go, and for the ability to have a roof over my head.  

I am thankful for music, that my music tastes are so wide and that I can listen to a vast amount of different things and not be so limited by a narrow mind.

I am thankful for books, that help me escape and teach me so many things, and give me things to look forward to.  

My sense of humor and the ability to find humor in SO many different things, and those few friend that I can share the worst of jokes with and know that you will laugh with me.

Netflix, which has been a savior in many ways.  

Movies: My love and obsession.

But most of all, I am thankful for the little things in life, I could be here all night.  But let me close with saying that I am thankful for opportunities that can somehow appear to be horrible disasters that are life changing and eye opening and really ways of saving yourself in a way that you would have never encountered before.  But really I am just THANKFUL to be alive and to have this opportunity at life.

Hilarious YouTube Videos Part 2

I figured with 4 days down, it was time to add some humor as we head into Friday :)

First we come to an episode of =3 which a friend of mine showed me.  You really only need to watch the first part of the 3.  This is for all of my Pokemon watching friends.  It is a guess that Pokemon and someone gets a little TOO into it.  The more you watch it, the funnier it gets.  Enjoy

In case anyone has missed one of the earlier episodes of College Humor's Jake & Amir, this has been and will always be one of my all time favorites.  I am still disturbed as to what Jake does in the bedroom after watching this haha.  Enjoy

Since you got to see the Sad Cat Diary last time, I couldn't leave out the Sad Dog Diary :)  I love when the delicious candy in pee flavored sprinkles haha.  

In case you have not yet seen the humor and retardation that is EW!  You have to check out Jimmy Fallon & Channing Tatum int his video haha

Last but not least we come to a funny but sad persona names Francis and his Candy Crush addiction that lead to an expenditure of $380.  Haha  I know this guy is supposed to be acting, but in comparison to his other rant videos, this one seems like it was WAY too real for him, what do you think?

In case you missed the first part of Hilarious YouTube videos and would like to check it out you can just follow this link: Hilarious YouTube Videos Part 1

Technology for Your Pet Part 1

Tonight I want to share with you some of the technology that is out there for your pets.   Unfortunately most of the gadgets that I came across were more geared towards owners of dogs and cats, but some of these items could easily be used with other more exotic pets.

CAT LIFELOGGING

Sony currently has a cat Twitter collar, which will automatically tweet about 11 different things to a cat's twitter page based on their action with the device attached to their collar.   It is equipped with a camera, an acceleration tacker and a gps device.  However, this device looks quite bulky and I can't imagine the majority of cats allowing it to stay attached to them all for sending a tweet.  It can send messages such as "This tastes good" when the cat is eating or licking something.






PUPPY TWEETS

No need to be jealous if you are a dog owner because there is also a device called Puppy Tweets.  The puppy tweets collar analyzes your dogs movement and sends one of over 500 pre-generated messages to their twitter account (this make sony left WAY behind with only 11 statuses embedded for the cats).  This device is made by Mattel and can be purchased on Amazon for under 10.  You can get it in blue or pink.






TAGG
Then of course there is Tagg the pet tracking device.  This sends you e-mails and texts about where you dog is at all times and if it has traveled out of the designated area that you can specify, this can be great if your pet gets lost as it is a GPS enabled device.  It will cost you about 100 and then the service is about $8 a month after the trial period has ended.  For that price it also comes with proactive health monitoring services, such as the ability to attack the short term and long term activity levels of your dog.  Due to it's size it is only intended for dogs over 10 pounds.  The device easily attaches to your dog's collar. 

DOG-O-MATIC

Now we come to what seems to me to be a horrid invention.  It is a washing machine for your dog or pet.  You select a wash cycle put your pet into it and then sit back while your animal is cleaned for the next 30 minutes and they can't escape.  It is advertised as being humane, but I just couldn't bring myself to put any pet into their myself.  It horrifies me.  It was designed in France and is advertised as a car wash for your dog. 





COFFEE TABLE CAT HAMMOCK
Now this is an awesome thing!  I want one for myself.  It is a spectacular hammock that hangs under a stylish coffee table.  My biggest complain is the outrageous price tag at $2,400.  This must be one of those things for rich old cat ladies :)





ICPOOCH

Now I think this is a wonderful device created by a teenager.  It was designed with dogs in mind (mostly because they will come when called) as opposed to cats who may or may not ever show up when you call.  It is a video chat screen that stands up so that you can video chat with your dog and then you can also remotely dispense a treat to them for coming over and talking with you.  What an excellent device if you have to be away from your pet so that you can check on them and see that they are ok.  However if you have a hyperactive dog I could see them knocking the device over and ruining the point.  Although not currently released, it is an awesome plan, I just wonder if you can dispense more than one treat, as in give them another treat at a later time.  Wonderful idea however! 


BOWLINGUAL & MEOWLINGUAL
In case you couldn't tell by the title, these devices were created to help translate your animals speech so that you can better understand them.  The Bowlingual is an actual device which runs for about $222, whereas the meowlingual is currently just an app that you can get on your phone.  The bowlingual is advertised as being able to work with over 50 dog breeds and 6 mix breeds.  IT can store up translations for up to 30 days.  However the major downside is that it was created in Japan and currently only translates into Japanese so then you would need to translate the Japanese.  The meowlingual app is a little more helpful in that it translates into English. 

Screaming Animals

I was looking through news articles this evening in hopes of blog inspiration when I was lead to a hilarious animal video.  That being said I thought I would share some funny videos with you all.  Somehow screaming animals became the theme.  Enjoy

First I will share with you the hilarious video of Cody the dog who screams instead of barks/howls.  There's not much more to say for it, but I am sure it will have you laughing, check it out

Now we come to some hilarious goats screaming.  Goats have got to be some of the most hilarious screamers in the animal kingdom.  Enjoy!

Here is a great compilation of screaming animals.  I have to say that the frogs are the funniest part of it all (you also get to revisit Cody).

Due to the hilarity of the screaming frogs, I found an entire video dedicated just to them.  I have to say that "Tarzan" is my favorite one :)

I leave you with a great animal compilation with some repeats, but a pug that is so hilarious that he whole video is worth sharing.  Enjoy and let me know if you see any other screaming animals while you go about your daily life.

101 Dalmatians- 1996 Version

101 Dalmatians the 1996 version

Having recently watched the cartoon version and “live action” version of 101 Dalmatians, made me want to do a review on the movie itself as well as the actors & actresses within it.   To give a bit of background knowledge in case you have not seen it before the “live action” version came out in 1996.  101 Dalmatians is about 2 people Roger & Anita who both have Dalmatians Pongo & Perdita (name changed to Perdy for the “live action” version) who have 15 puppies.   Anita works for a horrid woman named Cruella DeVil.  Cruella has an insane fascination for furs and wants to make a fur coat out of Dalmatian puppy skin.  She tries to buy the puppies but Roger & Anita refuse to sell to her which causes Cruella’s henchmen Horace & Jasper to steal the puppies.  Altogether there are 99 puppies that are stolen waiting to be skinned and turned into a fur coat.  This results in dogs and a few other barnyard animals bonding together to attempt a puppy rescue.

I have to take a moment to say that this could possibly be one of the most brutal animal villains in Disney’s history.  I can’t think of any other movies that want to turn animals into coats, especially not puppies.  You can tell that in the 60s this was more of an acceptable villain than today.  There would be an uproar if that was to be created today as I can see parents saying how it would affect their children to think of dead puppies….  Not that I fully disagree, but we can’t shelter them from everything.  However, that is a whole other topic for another day.

For the live action version there was a pretty great cast.  Glenn Close was cast as Cruella DeVil and she owned that role.  She did such an excellent version that it was almost seamless from the 1961 cartoon version.  Her henchmen were played by Hugh Laurie & Mark Williams.  Mark Williams looks as if the cartoon version was created in his image and Hugh Laurie does a wonderful job in his role as well.  Anita is played by Joely Richardson and she also does quite well in her role.  Now we come to Roger who is played by Jeff Daniels.  Now as much as I think he can be a great actor I think that he drags the movie down in his role.  He is somewhat slap-stick funny in the beginning but than his character feels mostly empty for the rest of the movie as if he is trying to force the role instead of actually BE the role. 

As I was doing more research into the “live-action” version of the film I ended up doing quite a bit of comparing with the stars of the film and what they have done since.    I found it very interesting how many of the characters ended up being huge TV show stars.

Glenn Close with The Shield, The Simpsons & Damages.  Hugh Laurie with Fortysomething, Stuart Little & House.  Joely Richardson with Nip/Tuck & The Tudors.  Mark Williams with The Fast Show, Grass, Carrie & Barry, The Indian Doctor, Father Brown & Blandings (He sticks to mostly British filming).  Jeff Daniels in the Newsroom.

 It is always interesting to watch an old movie and see how big some of the stars’ careers took off.  I definitely recommend watch the “live action” 1996 version on 101 Dalmatians if you haven’t had the chance to see it.  The animals did the best job of all in my opinion, it is always great to see a lot of highly trained animals fulfilling their roles and interacting with other animals. 

The above video is taken from YouTube and is not created by me, it is used for entertainment purposes only.  Please enjoy

 

*There was also a 102 Dalmatians movie made with a return by Glenn Close.  I have yet to see this movie and hesitate especially due to the majority of rushed production of Disney sequels.  

Contemplations of The Adventures of Milo & Otis

Milo & Otis

I have wanted to write a blog about the movie Milo & Otis for quite some time now.  In case you have never heard of it, The Adventures of Milo and Otis is a 1986 movie about two animals, Milo (an orange tabby cat) and Otis (a pug) who go on an adventure and interact with an assortment of other animals & sticky situations.  When I was a child I thought this was a fantastic movie.  I actually ended up re-buying it a few years ago before I ever had my son, thanks to a wonderful $5 movie bin.  During my entire life, I would have bet money that Milo and Otis spoke during the movie.  You can imagine my devastation when finally watching this movie in adulthood that there is actually only a single narrator (Dudley Moore) that tells the story and voices all characters throughout the movie.  I was highly impressed by the excellent story telling skills that had me convinced as a child that these characters were brought to life in my imagination.   From Milk & Otis hatching an egg, to traveling downstream, interacting with a bear, riding on a turtle’s back, meeting mates,  making it back home and many other little anecdotal adventures along their journey. 

Just a few weeks ago I got my son into Milo & Otis and we were watching it together.  I again saw this movie with a new set of eyes.  I started paying more attention to how amazing it was that the film maker had actually caught all of these animals on camera doing these amazing things.  There are a few moments of possible staging, but overall, it appears that the filming of Milo & Otis took quite some patience in following their journey throughout the movie to be able to catch such amazing animal interactions.  I began to look at the movie in a whole new way.  This brought about the question of whether these animals were set up into staged scenarios, and whether or not they were trained.  Then I began to wonder if any animals were harmed, especially since there are several scenes showing a black bear interacting with the main characters that could easily result in harm to the animals.  Keep in mind that this was originally a Japanese movie that was created in the early 80s and later translated into an American film and narrated by Dudley Moore.  No matter what the circumstance, it is still amazing to see the animal interactions and wonder at the man hours to capture all of this on film.  If you have never seen Milo & Otis, I recommend watching it at least once just for the sheer awe of 80s animal adventure cinema.  If you have seen it before, I invite you to revisit the film to see how a new set of eyes might view the story.  I still love it to this day and have been happy to have the opportunity to share it with my son. 

Please view this movie trailer to pique your interest or bring you back to memory lane.

*Disclaimer: this is a video borrowed from YouTube, I am not the owner nor do I have any rights to this video, this is for entertainment purposes only.

*According to Wikipedia, the entire movie was comprised of roughly 40.3 hours of film shot over a period of 4 years.

Now that is dedication if you ask me.