Franki

I had one of my insomniac nights last night and was on Facebook and saw a post from Xtreme Rescue Inc about a dog called Frankie, who was skin and bone, in a shelter, no one wanted to adopt her and she was due to be put to sleep today. It broke my heart to see her so skinny and curled up in that bare cage, how cruel people can be, it takes a long time for a dog to get to that state. Here's the post and picture that I found so compelling:

This is FRANKI (A1500649). She is at Miami Dade Animal Services. Tomorrow she gets euthanized because no one has come for her and no one has stepped up to rescue her. She is emaciated... skin and bones. She has given up on life.. would not even look at me... she knows tomorrow is her last day. WE CANT SAVE HER BECAUSE WE ARE FULL. We have NO foster offers, or adopters!! I will think of Franki all night.... maybe a miracle will come our way....

Well due to this post on Facebook, numerous people responded, with offers of help with fostering and transport and money to help Franki. Someone fostered a dog from Xtreme Rescue Inc so there would be a place for Franki. A stay was put on her euthanisation and she was picked up by the Rescue. 

A miracle did happen for poor Franki, and she is now safe and not going to be put to sleep. Let's hope that more miracles will happen for her and that she can be nursed back to health and find a loving home and realise that humans can be kind and caring towards dogs.  It just shows the power Facebook can have for mobilising people for good, and how it spurs action by uniting  communities. It is also great that there are organisations like Xtreme Rescue Inc willing to stand up for these unfortunate animals. And here's happy photo of Franki leaving the shelter!

Bono and Edge at Lincoln Premiere in Dublin

Lots of bits of U2 news around. Bono has had a spider named after him (LOL!) A scientist has discovered a new few species of trapdoor spiders in the US desert near where the Joshua Trees grow and has named one A.Bonoi after the B-man! What next.

Bono is also taking part in a new documentary about Muscle Shoals, a famous US recording studio of that, showing my ignorance, I have never heard of!

Today Bono and Ali and Edge and Morleigh attended the European premiere of Lincoln in Dublin. Photos can be seen here.

New U2 Album in September?

Photo from RTE 2FM Website

Larry Mullen has taped an interview with old pal Dave Fanning which will be broadcast in full on Saturday 12th January on RTE 2FM 10am-12. Meanwhile a lot of the details have been leaked and they point to a possible release date of September for the next album. Here's an extract that was on the RTE website:

"I'd say we will be finished by the summer - and hopefully we will have something released by September.

"Hopefully what we will be able to do is release September this year and shortly afterwards, release again. That's what we want to do.

"We are working with [producer] Brian Barton at the moment of Dangermouse, no will.i.am is not there, just Mister Mouse!

"We have been working for the last couple of years mostly in Ireland which has been great, we have been here for a long period of time. There's lots of music which is great."

Us U2 fans know not to get too excited by stuff like this, but it must be said that Larry tends to be the most reliable when it comes to such info, so maybe The Edge is on fire ..... After the long silence it would be wonderful to have some new music from them. Watch this space!

New Bowie Music!

In his long career David Bowie has never been afraid to be experimental and daring. I've liked Bowie since the Ziggy days and loved the various characters he created along with the music. Always reluctant to live his life in the limelight, after nothing new from him for ten years, I, like many others, thought that he had just quietly retired. Then suddenly, with no fanfare at all, on his 66th birthday, he released the single Where Are We Now, via the Internet. It's a poignant, odd and very moving song, which reminiscences  about his time decades ago spent in that most enigmatic of places, Berlin. It is accompanied by a wonderful, slightly surreal black and white video that compliments the song perfectly. Great stuff, good to have Bowie back!

Bah Humbug Christmas, 2013 and All That

Well the mad Christmas season is over and I'm glad, I'm a bit "bah humbug" at Christmas. I was maybe a bit more bah humbug this year than usual as I had two event over the festive season. One was that my dog Max went a bit barmy, got really crotchety and bit me! I've never been bitten by any dog I've had and it was a shock. He was generally extremely bad tempered for no apparent reason. Now, my Max has always been a bit of a grump but this was extreme and I knew there must be a physical reason for his behaviour.  So after the holidays I took him to the vet and she diagnosed arthritis in his thoracic vertebrae. I had been worried that maybe he had the dreaded dachshund curse, slipped/herniated discs due tot heir long spine, so I was actually relieved it was something less serious. She gave him a pain-killing jab on the spot and gave me some to give him each day. And I'm pleased to say he is much better, just a bit grumpy occasionally, but not aggressive, poor fellow, he must have been in a lot of pain.

My other Xmas event was sewage coming up through a grate in my garden! Luckily it was only slowly oozing out, but still, not very pleasant! I rang United Utilities and they said what I already knew, if it was a pipe from the apartment it was my responsibility to sort, if it was a main sewer it was theirs, they said they would send someone out to check it out.  After phoning I went to a friend's for a meal and three hours later when I got home all the sewage was gone! Luckily the blockage must have been in the main pipe and they sorted it in record time, thanks United Utilities!

So now it's 2013. I always get quite sentimental at New Year, thinking of the times past and those to come.  It loved ones not with you anymore, and now, especially as I get older, how fast time is passing by.  This year will be a BIG birthday for me and I'm celebrating it in Dublin with a week's stay in Dublin with a small party one night in the gorgeous penthouse of The Clarence Hotel, so looking forward to that!

Another plan for 2013 is to spend New Year in Iceland with my good friend Dianne and her daughter Danielle. It all depends on funds on my part, but I hope to be able to do it, New Year in Iceland seems amazing and I've always wanted to visit that stunning country in mid-winter - very good chance of seeing northern lights too! Besides those two trip I haven't anything else planned but I'm sure things will come about as the year progresses.

But really, what matters is to be happy and healthy, that's my main wish.  Something I've learned through life experiences is to take every opportunity that presents itself, life passes so quickly and once you get into middle age you really don't know what's around the corner, so make the most of every day and, if possible grab every experience life throws at you.  So I hope 2013 will be good for you, and thank you for reading my musings on this blog :)