The Elephant Whisperers
Courtesy David Yarrow Photography
I have always been in awe of elephants, these highly intelligent animals with complex emotions, feelings, compassion and self-awareness. They have a life span of 50-70 years, have the longest gestation period of any mammal (22 months), form very close family ties, are matriarchical and have teeth the size of bricks, among many other interesting facts. And they are one of very few species to recognize themselves in a mirror! In fact, when my husband died, I looked to these animals to educate myself about grief.
I think you will enjoy The Elephant Whisperers, this lovely Academy Award nominee for best documentary short film about Raghu and Ammu, two elephants in the south of India. Couple Billie and Bomman successfully raised these two orphans at Theppakadu Elephant Camp, one of the oldest elephant camps in Asia, established approximately 140 years ago. We are all connected and love conquers all...
Michael Moore
Again!
I don't think I exaggerate when I tell you that I think Michael Moore is one of the most important voices America has right now and I want to amplify his wisdom by including his March 3rd Episode 285 of Rumble: Blue Continues to Crush Red in 2023 here. He is not an optimist, as he so aptly puts it, but this podcast will leave you feeling encouraged and hopeful about the future of our political scene. Moore has been no slouch on foreseeing the future--he predicted Trump's victory in 2016 when all the pundits were predicting Hillary and in 2020 he was one of the few to insist that the midterms were going to break in favor of the Democrats, not the landslide expected for Republicans.
Moore has his hand on the pulse and it has been there for a long time, as seen through his outstanding films (Bowling for Columbine, Roger and Me, Farenheit 9/11, Sicko, Where to Invade Next, to name a few). I for one think I am going to spend some time revisiting some of these documentaries.
And if you still want more, here is a vintage interview with Michael Moore given by the indomitable Amy Goodman of Democracy Now where, among other subjects, Moore tells a personal anecdote about an encounter with Donald Trump and also meeting the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg Trials.
Some Favorite Proverbs
Here is a list of some proverbs that have struck a chord in me:
"There is only one beautiful child in the world and every mother has it." — Chinese proverb
"A kind word is like a spring day."
— Russian proverb
"Failure is the mother of success." — Chinese proverb
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” —Japanese proverb
"It takes a whole village to raise a child." —African proverb
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.” —Chinese proverb
“Got no checkbooks, got no banks, still I’d like to express my thanks. I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.” —Irving Berlin
“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
‘Enough’ is a feast. —Buddhist Proverb
Products of the Week
The PERFECT HOSTESS GIFT! Thick laminated wood CHARCUTERIE board that doubles as the perfect size cutting board (the opposite side). Adds a festive note to any table. Made in America $76.00 https://www.pamelasmilow.com/tabletop-kitchen
Charity of the Week:
Feeding America
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New York, NY 2022
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.