The Good, the True, and the Beautiful

All you Martial Law babies out there who would like to reminisce "the good, the true, and the beautiful" would really appreciate this.

It's a website dedicated to this wonderful icon of Dekada 70 who -- together with her equally dashing husband -- so wonderfully led this nation to an era of darkness, fear, and despondency. Check out The Wit and Wisdom of Imelda Marcos.

And don't forget to also click on the links there.

A word of warning especially for those from my generation: have your fill of antacid before browsing through this. It may just cause unnecessary attacks of hyperacidity. hekhekhek...

Website Watch 8: the Little Pet Project

This website will definitely appeal to two types of species: the hound dogs and the hot dogs -- hound dogs meaning those of the waggy-tail type, and hot dogs meaning those of the virile, testosterone-laden type. But it should matter most to those who genuinely care for their loving pets, as well as those who have a heart.

The Little Pet Project was borne out of the concern of its founders -- photographers Lisa Presnail and Colleen Walsh -- for animals living in several shelters all over the US, a vast majority of which end up being euthanized because no one adopted them. They came up with the idea of putting several of these pets from the shelters, together with supportive models, in front of the camera. The result is a relatively impressive portfolio of steamy yet artistic photos featuring women and their furry friends. They have also linked with several pet advocacy/welfare groups who help in generating more popularity and support for the site and its worthwhile campaign.

In essence, The Little Pet Project gives more chances for homeless animals in shelters to have a second chance at life and find loving people to adopt them.

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Another important advocacy of The Little Pet Project is for the responsible care of pets. To be a responsible pet owner is for a family/individual to have their pets spayed/neutered to lessen chances of breeding. This is the best solution to the problem of having litters of furry babies that will end up either in a shelter or in the streets. Either way, chances of their survival will be slim to none.

I hope Presnail and Walsh don't mind if I show several photos from their site:



Beautiful, aren't they?

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Looking through The Little Pet Project, I learned that there are actually several clinics in the US that provide low-cost spaying and neutering services for pets. I wish there were such clinics here in the Philippines. Here in Cebu City, prices for these said services range from three to five thousand pesos. This is quite exorbitant, especially for those who may love their pets but who only have enough to feed and support their lives (like me). I don't even know if the City Vet even has these services, or if they do, facilities for these surgical operations are below par.

I remember when I was in Manila, I adopted a sickly kitten who I named Zorro from the SPCA and had him cleaned, given deworming medicine, and administered with vitamins. I think the SPCA also provides neutering and spaying services at a relatively cheap price, especially for animals adopted from their shelter. I wasn't able to have Zorro neutered though because he was still too young when I got him, and he went to Cat Heaven before he got to the best age for neutering.

I sincerely hope that the SPCA would open more offices in other provinces of this country, considering that it's not only Manila who has pet owners.

Some provincial vets do administer neutering to male pets, but spaying for the females is out of the question. Neutering is a relatively easy operation, considering that all they have to do is to make a small incision just above the animal's scrotum, squeeze out the testicles, and slice them off. After a few stitches to cover everything up, in a few minutes the animal is as good as new. Meanwhile, spaying requires a more intensive and delicate operation, considering that the female's eggs are inside her belly. That is why among private vets, it is much more expensive to spay than to neuter.

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I had my Leyte cat, Cali, neutered by the local vet a few years ago. The funny thing about this was that our local vet was more adept at castrating pigs than small animals like cats. Thus, when Cali was prepared for neutering, the operation was made in our neighborhood talipapa. He was made to lie down belly up (not without complaints) on the tiled table in the meat section, with four people holding on to each of his legs. Then, sans any anesthesia or antibiotic, the vet flashed his seven-inch long scalpel -- used for his porky clients -- before Cali. You could only imagine the horror in Cali's eyes upon seeing the massive tool that was to be used on him.

Then, with the deftness of a magician who does card tricks, the vet sliced, squeezed out, cut, and pressed the wound shut in less than two minutes. I didn't even see where he placed the now-displaced testicles of my poor hemorrhaging cat after that. After a few more minutes of pressing, the bleeding ceased and the vet said that I can bring Cali home already. He did give a warning that as soon as the cat is brought home, he shouldn't be carried or else the wound would open up again.

Thus, I brought Cali home then went to work. I was in the middle of a class when our division secretary called on me to receive a phone call in our faculty room. It was my mom. Cali was bleeding all over the place.

I rushed home immediately after my class. Cali was walking around with blood trailing behind him. My mom related to me that while I was out, Cali kept on requesting my mom for a "carry-carry." I already warned her against it but since Cali was insistent and she felt so much pity for the cat who obviously needed some cuddling after his recent trauma, she picked him up. I guess everybody knows what happened next.

My mom and I half-walked half-ran to the vet's house with a bleeding Cali thoroughly wrapped in a towel. (Thank God, the vet's a neighbor.) When we got there, the vet merely pressed on Cali's wound again to stop the bleeding, injected some antibiotic into him, and rewrapped him -- this time, more tightly -- with the towel.

Cali's wound did heal after that horrifying ordeal. But I doubt it if he'll ever trust another vet with a seven-inch scalpel again.

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Going back to The Little Pet Project, I do hope that you blog readers would visit it, admire/gawk at/drool on/ the beautiful pictures there, and do a little something in support of their endeavor.

Website Watch 7: TheAnimalRescueSite.com

Now here is a website that caters to my advocacy for animal welfare: TheAnimalRescueSite.com. The great thing about this website is that you don't have to donate actual cash in order to help animals living in rescue shelters. All you have to do is to click on a button there, and affiliated advertisers will be funding for the needs of these animals. Visitors can also buy items being sold there. Here's a screenshot of the said site:

I wish that our local animal shelters, as well as Philippine animal welfare advocates as PAWS and the SPCA would get this same idea and create a local counterpart of this site. It's a brilliant idea, and this would be a great help in improving facilities and feeding in our animal shelters.

Website Watch 6: SubservientChicken.com

There are simply no words to describe it. It's a subservient chicken. Do with it what you will. Here's a screenshot to give you an idea:


If you're mad at your boss, check out the subservient chicken. If you and your boyfriend/girlfriend split up, check out the subservient chicken. If your parents disowned you, check out the subservient chicken. If you lost your job, check out the subservient chicken.

To sum it all up, if you're mad at the world -- even at yourself -- then vent out all your anger at the subservient chicken. Come out of the experience with a smile on your face.

Website Watch 5: ICanHasCheezburger.com

Are you an animal lover with a preference for cats?

Do you have a healthy sense of humor? (emphasis on the healthy part)

Do you stink at spelling?

If you managed to say yes to at least two of the three questions above, then you're ready to appreciate ICanHasCheezburger.com.

I find this website utterly entertaining, not only due to the fact that feline photos reign supreme over this site, but also because of the really funny intentionally-misspelled captions on each photo.

Below are just some examples of photos on ICanHasCheezburger.com:



I told you, they are cute...

Website Watch 4: Stephanie Matthews' Photography Website

I have several adjectives to describe photos posted in the website of this very talented photographer named Stephanie Matthews: exquisite, poetic, visually-stimulating, and beautiful. Here are samples of photos from the said site:



















If you want to check out more of Stephanie Matthews' pictures, then simply click on this link to bring you there.

Website Watch 3: CostumeCats.com

Okay, so this is a choice not without bias. (I'm a cat-lover, so sue me.)

Check out http://www.costumecats.com/ and die from extreme cuteness.

Here are several samples of pictures from the website:




















The nice thing about this site is that it has a wide selection of links to other cat websites. Cat-lovers are sure to get their feline fix from exploring this site.

My most favorite picture which I found on CostumeCats.com is this:

I have an aversion for worms, but if these slimy critters looked like this cutie, I may probably take up vermiculture. Hakhakhak!!!

Website Watch 2: Andrew Sovjani Photography

Nature and landscape photographers are almost a dime a dozen, but Andrew Sovjani stands out among the rest for his unique technique in doing his nature shots. He calls this technique "reAction" printing.

Allow me to quote Mr. Sovjani's description of his "reAction" printing:

"Each reAction print is one-of-a-kind. A negative is projected on silver-gelatin paper like traditional photography. Then the paper is taken to the sink and the development chemicals are rubbed, painted and splattered on the photographic paper resulting in a unique layered expressionistic feel with unusual colors emerging. Much of this work is done in the dark, so serendipity and chance play a large role. The negative is used again to make another improvisational print in the series that will look different from the last print in the series."

In other words, no two photos that underwent this process are alike because each had its own unique treatment. With due respect to Andrew Sovjani and his breathtaking photography, here are some samples of his works that went through the "reAction" printing process:

Now, these are what I call works of art.

If there are any of you who are interested in purchasing photos like these, or if you just want to see more of his wonderful photography, you can view and explore the website of Andrew Sovjani.

And no, I wasn't paid to feature his photographic works. He simply deserves the recognition.

Website Watch 1: Classic Hollywood Glamor Photography by Roger James

I couldn't say much about my work as a copywriter, but one of the few perks I get from this job is that I get to encounter sites on the Internet that are really worth visiting.

This is one example of an adorable website by a photographer named Roger James who's located in Los Angeles, California. This photographer is nothing short of a miracle worker for turning average-looking people into visions of beauty and glamor straight from a 1940s/1950s movie set. A perfect example of his magic is seen in the before-after pictures below:

Astounding, aren't they?

Websites like these inspire me to seek other sites that are worth one's while. They make the Internet a truly great virtual place to surf in.

Stay tuned for more of my Website Watch!