animal nation

Baby Step Resolutions for 2016

Posted on by Dr. Harp Seal

Hi Friends. You can watch this message over Video below. If you prefer, you can read the text version below the Video.

Good evening friends.

Happy New Year everyone. Thank you for stopping by.  Tonight’s message is called “Baby Step Resolutions”  — I think this gives us a practical and realistic shot of keeping our word.

Firstly, let me share some homework I did today. This is literally pointless information but fun to know. I was curious how many times the term “Happy New Year” would be said today. Here’s what I came up with.  There are 6 billion people in the world. Lets say half of them participate in the celebration. Now lets assume each person says “Happy New Year” at least 7 times today.  I think thats reasonable average to assume. I myself have said it 60 times already today.  Ok, here’s the math.  3 billion people, multiplied by 7 Happy New Year’s each.  So today Happy New Year will be said 21 billion times.  Like I said, pointless information.

So now lets go the through the Baby Step Resolutions.

1. When things are going well, sometime well is good enough. We don’t have to keep pressing the gas and doubling down.

2. When things are not going well, we have to change something in order for something to change.

3. This year I am going to make an effort to drop; “Should have, would have and could have from my vocabulary.

4. This year, If I did my best, I’m not taking anything personally.

5. If I am feeling kind of lonely, I am going to try to Not isolate.  I will call someone or go for a walk, but I am not going to isolate.

6. This a great resolution for anyone to have. Bringing a pet into our homes saves lives. And in return, the pets make our lives better.  That’s a win win.

7. I posted this Dr. Harp Seal quote on the platforms today, but I want to pay more attention to this in 2016.  Here’s the quote; ” You Can’t have what you Do want. You Can have what you Don’t Want.  And somewhere in the middle lies Happiness.”  Another words, let go, just be and try to enjoy the ride. Other than ourselves, we are not in control of anything.

8. I would like to go to the gym a minimum of 2 times a week, for a maxim of 30 minutes.

9. I am personally going to try to curb the binge eating.  It has to stop.

10. This is a great resolution for any day of the year; “Just because I was like that, Does Not mean I have to stay like that. Each day I get a new chance to do the right thing.

11. I am going to close on 11 because this is my lucky number. If I can have some of the joy that I had in 2015 in 2016, that will be just fine.

Happy New Year friends. God bless all of you.  Scott Smith for Sammy & Family.

Reflections

Posted on by Dr. Harp Seal

Reflecting on 2015

Good evening friends.

Many a times our pets pick up on our moods and energy. As you can see Sammy is quite reflective here tonight. And it so happens, that is exactly how i feel tonight. It was kind of a quiet day and gave me time to reflect on all that’s happened this year.

You can almost see Sammy saying to himself; “I started out with Scott in NYC, and now I live in Puerto Rico with 5 other dogs”.  I can tell you this friends, Sammy adjusted a lot quicker than I did. As for pets, as long as there’s love and food in the house, geography is low on the totem pole. People are different, it takes us more time.

OK we are closing up shop tonight.  Lets close out with a really nice message.

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you”  — Winnie the Pooh —

Friends with apologies, my count has been off by 4 days the last two weeks or so. I arrived in Puerto Rico on January 11th, 2015.  So today is day 352, not 356. Looks my my math score on the SAT’s still plagues me, lol.

So signing off from Puerto Rico on day 352, Dr. Harp Seal for Sammy & Family.

Christmas Tree and Kelly

Posted on by Dr. Harp Seal

a Christmas Tree and Kelly

Goodnight dear friends and family.

This is Jessica writing to you tonight from New York. I hope you’ve all had a nice Monday. To be honest I can’t get over the weather here. I would swear it was spring based on the warm temperatures, if I didn’t already know that it was mid December. My brother Scott would definitely like this type of ” Winter”. Many people love that it’s still warm out, but I also know that many like me are hoping for a white Christmas this year.

I have to tell you that having the light of our Christmas tree sparkling makes such a difference to a home. It brings the most wonderful feeling to just see it there on the side of this otherwise ordinary room. Of course my Menorah is also lit up. Both sides of our heritage are always a part of me and my children’s holidays, and I love them both. 8 nights of lights and a glowing tree. What could be more beautiful.

I know those of you that celebrate are seeing the beauty all around you as well. In your own home, in the Homes of others, or out on the street. I’ve seen some of your decorations in my newsfeed and they are all just gorgeous. Although we are at different locations, it’s so nice to be able to come together this way. It’s amazing how the Internet makes this all possible. It’s wonderful to be able to see you all with your families and friends enjoying this special season. If we could all put our lights together, we’d be like the stars, endlessly lighting up the sky.

I hope you all have sweet dreams tonight. I’m sending you love from my family to yours. Goodnight everyone.

No lives will go in vain. No pain will go unnoticed. Amen.

With love from,
Jessica Lee Smith,
For Sammy & Family

Tonight we pay tribute to Pei Pei

Posted on by Dr. Harp Seal
A tribute for PeiPei who passed away in November of 2014

Good evening friends.

Tonight we pay tribute to PeiPei who passed away on 11-5-2014. A little over year now. PeiPei belonged to our good friends Sandra. Let’s hear what she has to say about her fallen angel.

 “We got PeiPei when he was 5 months old. He seemed to know he belonged with us, as we were bringing him home he was not afraid. He was always very alert & curious or some would say nosy about everything. If he saw a closed door he’d try to get in to see what was in there. He was very intelligent, he knew when I was going somewhere even before I started getting ready. When we’d leave he’d stick his head between the vertical blinds & look at us as if to say “Hey you’re leaving me”. I always felt bad about leaving him. but my work was at home so I didn’t have to often.

He loved to sit up like a human, & that is how he wanted to be carried. He had to sit up on my hip like a child no other way would do for him. He didn’t seem to know he was a dog & didn’t have much to do with other dogs. He was jealous of our other dog, he never played with her or toys either. But was such a joy to us. He would look at us like he knew exactly what we were saying when we were talking even from the first time we met him.

He was a house dog & didn’t like the outside he only went out when he had to & never stayed long. He also didn’t want us outside. He wanted to be with me all the time. I miss that constant companionship even now after 13 months of his being gone.

He lived to be almost 16 yrs old. He slept beside my bed & every morning when I got up would wag his tail in greeting. I would pick him up & carry him to the sofa & pet him for a while before taking him out, then it was breakfast time for him. He loved people food especially fried squash, chicken & sweets. Even tho he ate dog food he always got a few bites of what we were eating. He wanted to eat out of the palm of my hand. He’d beg when we were eating, then yip if we ignored those eyes.

I still find it hard to talk about his passing, he was eating less & loosing weight. We found out he had cancer & kidney failure about 3 days before he passed. We did all we could to make him comfortable & he fought very hard. He passed early one morning right before I got up. We were devastated by his passing. He was born 12-28-1999 & passed 11-5-2014. There are volumes Everyone loved him & wanted to pet him. He knew he was little, our vet said he had little dog syndrome. But we loved every aspect of his personality. He was just perfect. He will forever be missed

Sandra thank you for sharing such wonderful story with us. He is gone but never forgotten. Sammy & Family wants to thank you for making the world a better place. You gave PeiPei a great life for over 15 years. A life filled with love, joy and companionship.

No lives will go in vain, no pain will go unnoticed. Amen. Scott Smith for Sammy & Family.

A personal message from Scott Smith and Dr. Harp Seal

Posted on by Dr. Harp Seal

A personal message from Scott Smith on Gratitude

Good evening friends.

It’s great to be alive on November 5th, 2015.  Good, bad or indifferent, today is a gift.  Many people that were here yesterday are no longer with us.  We have to remember that.  A lot of people pass on each day that wanted to live.  We owe it to them and ourselves to live this life as best we can.

In recovery I was taught what gratitude means.  Whether you had those kind of problems or not, living a grateful life is an open invitation for all to enjoy.  Again, I used to think that life was a series of losses and then you die. Now I know life is a series of experiences and then you grow.

Had I not gotten into alcohol and substances, I would’ve never gone into recovery and learned what happiness means.  I would have just kept being miserable whether I was sober or not.  The good news is that its not a prerequisite to get into the trouble I did to be free. You don’t have beat the hell out of yourself to realize whats important.

Things can always be better, things can always be worse. The question is; “What am I grateful today?” — Whoever those people were that told me life is better with the glass half full, than half empty, you were dead right.  Nobody needs to give themselves a beat down with alcohol and drugs to understand that. Just accept it as a truth, and a fact from a person who has made more mistakes than 1000 people put together.

Signing off from Puerto Rico on day 299.  Dr. Harp Seal for Sammy & Family.

The Soldier of Love came to say goodnight

Posted on by Dr. Harp Seal

Henry-October-27-2015

Good evening friends.

Tonight “The Soldier of Love” came to say goodnight.  We hope everyone had a nice Tuesday.  It great to be here with everyone tonight, I know I sound repetitive always saying that, but I’m always feeling that.

There are so many topics we need to cover in regards to the plight of animals.  We have done some heavy pieces before as you know.  The one topic I keep shying away from is the situation in Taiji Japan with the slaughtering of dolphins.  I am committed to doing an elaborate piece on this topic in the next two weeks. I will put together an audio and text if you prefer to read it.  And if its something you want to just to take a pass on, I understand.  Some of these realities are too much to hear about.

From Sammy & Family’s perspective, to learn about it and understand what is happening to these dolphins is a small price to pay for the horrors of what they endure.  As for Sammy & Family, life can be incredible and enriching, but all species need to participate in safe living and the fruits of the Earth for us to feel the true bliss of life.

All for one and one for all.  This land is their land, this land is our land, this land is made for them and us.

Lets close with two Notions for animals.

1.  “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”  — Mahatma Ghandi —

2. “The Path to a better world flows through the Humane treatment of all Animals”  — Without that, we have nothing.   — Dr. Harp Seal —

Signing off from Puerto Rico on Day 290, Scott Smith for Sammy & Family.

Time Marches on and so must we by Jessica Smith

Posted on by Dr. Harp Seal

Time Marches on and so must we by Jessica Smith

Goodnight dear friends and family.

This is Jessica writing to you tonight. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. It’s absolutely beautiful outside.

A lot has happened in the past month. In fact it’s been a while since things have been peaceful.  As many of you can relate, sometimes it feels like just when we climb over one hurdle in life, another seems to comes around the corner. And with all of this, we have to just take each one as they come, and give it our very best fight. I’ve learned to not get too swept over when I am faced with a new challenge. If I spend too much time on my knees from the shock of something, I can get lost in it. I have found that just proceeding ahead, even if I’m crawling, I can somehow make my way over it, inch by inch.

I know there are exceptions to this, of course. So never blame yourself or put a time limit on grief or pain.  The only way over it, is through it. However long that takes. Even if it’s forever, and even if you have to learn to live with a whole new reality, as in the case of losing someone dear to you. There are no rules. Go at your own pace. Nurture yourself always.

I don’t have the answers to everything at all. I am always learning each day,  just as we all are. The only thing that I always tell myself, and I’ve mentioned to all of you before, is that giving up is never an option. I try and think of myself as a soldier many times. Ready to fight anything that is thrown my way. Ready to give it my all. Wether I win or lose, I will always know that I fought and never gave in.

One thing that must remain always in our hearts,  is hope. There is always hope for a better day. There is always hope for all the dreams that we hold close. Never forget that.

Many prayers of love and healing to all of you tonight. May the new week ahead bring all new possibilities into your life.

No lives will go in vain. No pain will go unnoticed.
Amen.

Love from,
Jessica Lee Smith,
For Sammy & Family

Fear Thy Neighbor

Posted on by Dr. Harp Seal

Fear Thy Neighbor

Good morning friends.

In lieu of the shooting in Oregon we are going to skip our normal morning post. Sammy & Family sends our thoughts & prayers for the victims and their families. Last count that I read, 10 students were killed and 7 injured at a Umpqua Community.

If anyone would like to stop reading here, just a respectful heads up this post is now headed in different direction.

I said a few weeks ago when people were freaking out about the Iran Nuclear deal, that not to fear, we will all die of something else other then a Nuclear attack from Iran. Whether it be cancer, heart attacks, natural causes or random killing sprees that have become somewhat common in this country.   I stand by those words a few weeks ago and I stand by them now.

Don’t fear a 13 year old Muslim that built a clock, fear thy neighbor.  In fact don’t fear the Muslim at all, just fear thy neighbor.   The answer is simple and clear to me, the Second Amendment needs to be abolished and the NRA should be looked at a subsidiary of the KKK.  When I hear the letters “NRA”, I immediately think of murdering racists. I am referring to murdering in the sense of the killing of millions of innocent animals just for the fun and sport of it.  But its an illustration that many people just like to kill. They like it. They enjoy it.  Believe me, if it was legal to kill people they would do that too. Is everyone in the NRA like that ? No. But most of them are. — “The Right to Bear Arms” is a bullshit term. What is means is, “I like to kill and cant wait to use my firearms”

I want to further address that just because something is constitutional and from our founding fathers doesn’t make it perfect or infallible.  I would like to remind people our founding fathers had slaves.   In the days of the Horse & Buggy’s from past several hundred years,  maybe “The Right to Bear Arms” meant something.  In today’s times its a bullshit term and means Nothing Productive.

The Second Amendment needs to go, deleted like a bad file.  No civilians should have the right to bear arms, period.  Just ask the people from Columbine, Sandy Hook, the killing spree in a Colorado movie theater, the recent Church shootings in South Carolina, or two year old girl that accidentally shot her father to death in Alabama, and now this at a community college in Oregon.

We are living in 2015 and referring to the “Founding Father’s” like they are the holy grail. Well I got news for everyone, they’re not. And some of what they said has become outdated. They were people just like us, and they made mistakes just like we do now. The Second Amendment is one of those mistakes. Enough is Enough.

I will close with this, don’t fear the Muslim or Iran, fear thy neighbor.

Sincerely,

Scott Smith