So, don't judge or anything, but I watched Oprah today, and was really touched by a segment she had on. There is an academy award winning documentary out called "The Cove" about the dolphin fishing/massacre happening in Taji, Japan.

It was super disturbing to watch, they trap all the dolphins in this small area, and then just go at them with spears. At the end of it all, the ocean is red with blood. Some of them are captured for sale to amusement parks.

Now, I understand that just because I don't want to eat a dolphin, that doesn't necessarily give me the right  to say no one can/should.

However, according to the director, the mercury levels are so high in whales and dolphins, that all of the meat from them that has been tested in Japan is unsafe to eat anyway. Plus, he said that Japanese school children are required to eat and finish school lunches. I'd like to think that we wouldn't stand for compulsory mercury poisoning in our schools here, and if I were a Japanese parent, I'd want to be made aware. (They were able to get this practice stopped in Taji somehow.)

There were a few other issues that really got me thinking though. One of the men who worked on the film, is the world's foremost dolphin activist, Richard OBarry. In the 1960's, Richard was the dolphin trainer for the television series Flipper. B/C of this he says he feels responsible for the way we currently handle dolphins. Apparently, at some point Mr. OBarry noticed that the female dolphin who played Flipper was becoming depressed from captivity. One day, she swam up to him, looked him in the eye, took a final breath, and then stopped resurfacing for air. (I guess that dolphins don't breathe automatically, and every breath for them is a choice.) Mr. OBarry was put in jail for trying to set her free when this happened.

It was also mentioned that dolphins, like humans are self aware, as in when they look in a mirror, they know that they are looking at themselves. They are also the only wild animals that have been documented saving human lives. And I have heard of that happening time and again. (the films director said it had actually happened to him.)

So my question is;

Is it right to kill and eat an animal like this, that is self aware, capable of compassion and possibly suicide? I don't think that it's the same as me thinking it's wrong to kill and eat dogs b/c I happen to have some as pets, but I don't know, what do you think? The mayor of the village where this occurs said that the film was not based in scientific fact, (not sure what he meant since it's hard to argue w/ video footage, but whatevs) and that we (westerners?) needed to be sensitive to differences in food culture. I get that, but if cannibalism was a part of someone's culture, wouldn't we be justified in being against that? The point was made time and again, that the Japanese fishermen are under the impression that dolphins are just big fish. That isn't how I see them at all.

What do you think????

To help the dolphins, go to www.savejapandolphins.org and you can find a link to sign a petition.

*this post is Ranger Emibella approved :)

Welcome to A Different Forest's Weekly Pim and Rec Campfire

A day late because Emibella is _______ (feel free to fill in the blank, I deserve it.)

This week we celebrate once again stories that may not get the attention they deserve. 

Stories that our friends write, stories that we write, stories that we are LOVING RIGHT NOW.

Pimping is a beautiful thing, so let's do our best to fill this campfire with every possible wonderful story we can think of.

the predator in the pool- let's discuss bones

 please talk about tonight's episode of bones.  spoiler warning if you haven't seen it yet.

but so help me, if you post spoilers for future episodes, i will end you.

now tell me, campers.  predictions for next week?  discuss the promo!  and for DB's sake, link me to good bones fanfics.

I love listening to piano music when writing Edward. It's not loud, as to be distracting, and then of course, it's just rather fitting for his character. The thing is, I tend to abhor classical music. It IS loud and distracting to me, most of the time; it also tends to be far too aimless for my liking.

But...I love contemporary / minimalistic piano music. Sadly, I know of very few artists in this genre. I've tried randomly browsing on Amazon and other music sites, but that tends to lead to lots of hair-pulling as I find countless rehashed classical pieces. (Everyone loves Beethoven and Mozart. EVEN BABIES. I GET IT.) Sooo, I'd love some recommendations for artists in this genre.

To give an idea of the kind of music I'm looking for, here's some of what I like and listen to within that genre. Each name is linked to examples.

• Carly Comando
• Rob Costlow
• Ludovico Einaudi
• Ehren Starks (Paper Lights...sigh.)

Thanks ahead of time for any recommendations!

Much love, girls,
Solar

P.S. - Anyone on Last.fm? I'm a stats nerd/lover...

As I lay here choking and sneezing in my death bed (I have the flu) picturing my co-workers plotting against me in my absence, the last thing I want to do is read something angsty.  Please don't misunderstand me, I LOVE dark, I usually mark a good fic by how hard it makes me cry.  (I know, my husband thinks its weird too.)  But I'm looking through my 'must-read' list, and they're just so dark and serious my eyes burn at the thought.  

So to make things short, I'm in the mood for some levity.  Not crack-fic but something clever and not too angsty.  A completed fic would put a smile on my dry lips, but a non-abandoned WIP would work as well. 

A list of light fic / comedy that I LOVE:

Port Angeles Players - WriteOnTime

Unexpected (tears) - ohl

I Hate Myself for Loving You - Halojones

Edward Wallbanger - Feathersmmmm

Mr. Horrible - Algonquinrt

Do you have any light or funny fics that you love?

(BTW, I'm officially de-lurking with the post)

 Yeah, we are addicts.  We love this crazy thing called FF.

But can I tell you a secret?

I have another FF addiction - it's called Fantasy Football.

Yeah - I love sports. I am sitting on my couch with a beer and wings, watching the draft with my boys.

What are your addictions? What crazy things do you love?

Oh - and for the record, SM didn't know her positions.  Emmett wasn't built like a linebacker, he was built like a tight end.

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2252775/Morgan_Locklear

And here's his story Bella Voce

 I'm hosting tonight's read along on twitter. We will be reading Abbracciare il Cantante by ADF's very own Bratty_Vamp! We will begin at 9:30Est, jump right in.

For more details about the read along you can view my blog post.

 www.postpals.co.uk/

This website was started by a young woman named Vikki, who has been bedbound since 2001, although she is now able to go outside in her wheelchair.

This site is for people to send letters, emails or even gifts to young children suffering from terminal cancer.

I just found it and wanted to share it because I thought it was wonderful

This is just for the UK, but I was wondering if there was anything similar for children in the US? Or anywhere else for that matter?

Just thought it was nice, and I'd share it, if anyone wants to send these kids anything (it's free btw lol)

I know I didn't get ranger approval...but damn it it was too sweet not to share.

What do we think is going on here, Campers.....

Caption that pic...

Hello Campers!

Our good friend, Jessica Stanley, has asked me to help her out with some of her articles for the Forks High Herald.  She’s really committed to becoming a serious journalist, so I’ve offered my super-awesome proof reading skillz, as well as a suggestion or two of what to ask during an interview (omg I had nothing to do with the dilf question---you’ll see what I mean).  Jessica tends to ramble when she asks questions, so we’re working on that, but she’s definitely got the makings of an excellent writer!

This week, she interviews Esme from Krismom’s The Velveteen Mother. 

If you haven’t read this story, I strongly urge you to do so.  But I don’t need to convince you…just get to know Esme a little and you’ll see why her story is so awesome.

Jessica’s interview is in the comments…

today is earth day

i don't really wanna talk about hippie dippie stuff, man.  i'm not an activist.  i just hate waste.

like, i shop with reusable bags because plastic drives me crazy (okay, except for target bags, but i use those in the bathroom trash bin), and i always brown bag it at the grocery store so i can reuse the bags for other stuff like craft projects for my kids.

i don't use plastic water bottles because holy shit, do you know how much room those take up in landfills?  talk about freaking wasteful.  try getting a brita filter if you don't like the way tap water tastes.

i take my bottles and cans to recycling centers for cash.  i drink about 30 dollars' worth of recycled soda and booze every month.  that's 360 extra bucks a year, man.  that buys me 9 bottles of costco-sized gentleman's jack. 

i eat organic when i can because i hate the way genetically and chemically altered food tastes most of the time.  (beware of the organic label, too.  it doesn't take much to be able to be labeled "organic" according to FDA standards.  always read your nutritional labels!  label.  one more time- label.)

i recycle empty ink cartridges because again, wasteful.  and this helps keep the cost down on name-brand ink when the company can reuse the cartridges.

i mean, i think i just hate when people are so blase about throwing out perfectly reusable stuff.  to me, it's like you're sort of unknowingly shitting on less fortunate people who would really appreciate having a water bottle to use over and over again while you toss the third of the day in the garbage.  or like, i have relatives in the phillippines who give the boxes we send them (we send american stuff over there every few months in these ginormous boxes any filipino can tell you is called "balikbayan") to neighbors to use as beds, you guys.  beds.  how many cardboard boxes have you tossed out this week?

i'm not really into the whole "mother earth" vibe.  i don't drive a hybrid.  i'm not a vegetarian.  i don't smoke pot and i don't always wear all-natural fibers on my body.  but i do appreciate all of those things and kind of long for having the discipline to do so.  i just like all-natural products and packaging because i hate overprocessed, man.

i guess what i'm trying to say is maybe stop a moment and think about how much you waste in a day.  and trust me, i'm guilty of it, too.  but i'm getting better.  i'm not talking about minimizing your carbon footprint or other stuff like that.  just... maybe instead of throwing junk mail in the trash, you might use it to pack a box with, or at least put it in a recycling bin.  or, instead of throwing out clothes that don't fit, drop 'em off at an assistance league/goodwill/salvation army.  (man, i didn't realize how many people just throw out old shoes and clothes and stuff.  D: )

does it take effort to do these things?  yeah.  of course it does.  but man, it doesn't really hurt to pay attention to shit like this, does it?  and once you get used to it, as with most things, it doesn't seem like much effort at all.

all right, someone tell me a good fart joke before i start feeling sanctimonious or some shit.

tl;dr crowd: how do you feel about this planet we live on?  don't care at all?  hand out pamphlets at slaughterhouses? have a fred flintstone foot-peddled automobile? come in and tell me, campers.  and pick your damned trash off of my forest floor, got damn.

i need your help because right now my favorite stories are all mid crisis and it is killing me.  can someone rec a completed edward/bella story where eddie is snarky, screws up and has to work really hard to get bella back (or at least her attention)?  i need to complete a roller coaster ride before i go insane with all the unresolved angst in my fanfic world.

Thank you.....

Anyone?  Ok- So I have been obsessed with the Anita Blake Vamp series for a while. I feel like the vamps are everything that the twilight kids aren't (although I love me a cullen.)

So is anyone else reading this series?

I want to play a game.

I want you to show me who your Twilight cast would be.....

only using actors and actresses from Old Hollywood.

basically your actors and actresses have to be dead. and can't be born before after 1940.

Is your Edward, James Dean? Gene Kelly? Marlon?

Is your Bella, Lauren Becall? Elizabeth Taylor?

Show me, show me.

Montgomery Clift thanks you for your time

this post is basically an excuse so that I can be spammed with Old Hollywood actors to add to my collection.

So, the campfire about what you can't read anymore inspired me.

I'm asking you the same thing, except it would be more like "what do you read now that you didn't read at the beginning of your FF obsession?"

Personally, for the first two months of my FF addiction, I didn't read AH (ew, I mean, if they're not vampires, WHAT'S THE POINT?). And then one day, I just tried it, and now I read it as much as AU (mmm. Geekward. *drool).

I had a breaf love affair with the Bella/Jasper ship but I broke up with it and went back to Edward/Bella. You know what they say about old habits

I also found the idea of Jasper/Edward slash completely creepy and weird for the longest time, but I'm starting to see the appeal of it now. I still haven't read any slash, but.... Maybe in the near future. Perhaps. Omg don't rush me, I'm just warming up to it.

I also didn't read lemons at first!

...

...

And then I read The Office.

Yeah. That changed my mind pretty quickly.

So, campers? What did you not like in the past that you like/adore right now in FF?

Sometimes I really think that all of the years that I've spent obsessing over fanfiction have melted my brain.  I've been sitting in the library on campus for a few hours trying to write a paper for my spiritual ideal class and all I can think about is whether or not my fics have updated.  It seems to be worming its way into every part of my life.  When I sleep I dream about fanfiction, when I eat certain foods I'm reminded of stories, when I'm in class I'm on my laptop rereading stories that I've read a bajillion times. 

I took my GRE a couple of weeks ago and I did terrible.  I feel like sometimes fanfiction can be so simple, at least structurally, that I don't really get anything out of it besides instant gratification.  WHEN WILL THE MADNESS END?  

So, does anyone else feel like this is taking over your life? Or am I just crazy? And if you've discovered some sort of fanfiction rehab please let me know.

Oh, the good old days, when I'd give just about anything a chance. I remember them fondly. Now, I have 348,334,293 requirements before I start a fic. Is Edward an addict? No thanks, I read at least three fics like that so I'm done. Did Edward raise Bella? Get the f*ck out of my face. Is Charlie mean and abusive? Goodbye. I won't go into every single thing I say "Turpentine" to, but I'll tell you the two things that I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT STAND FOR:

1. Did you replace Kristen with some other actress on your banner even though Bella is somewhere between the ages of 16 and 28? Goodbye. You're just a hater and I won't read your stuff. I'm offending so many people right now, but you offended me first, so whatever.

(lookatthatfaceomgIcanjusteatitupomg)

2. EDWARD MASEN. UM, NO THANKS. I know there are a lot of awesome Edward Masens. I believe my dear friend and beta Writeontime made Edward a Masen in TPAP (errr, right?), and I read it and loved it, but that was before I realized, I DON'T WANT EDWARD MASEN, I WANT EDWARD CULLEN.

Why? Well, because of this:

"Hello, I'm sorry I didnt get to introduce myself last week, I'm Edward Cullen."

(sidenote: I'm glad the great SR who writes UoEM made Edward a Masen, because... Yeah. I'll stfu now.)

okay so now I want you guys to share what turns YOU off. PLEASE? AND I'M SORRY IF I OFFENDED YOU. I JUST LOVE EDWARD CULLEN.

I am not sure how many of you out there have read this fic, but I thought I would recommend it in case.

It has a really low review count, but the author has said that she isn't interested in getting reviews and doesn't care whether we do review or not. Although I try to review everything I read, I have decided to wait until I have finished reading it, because my brain is not capable of complete sentences when I read it.

It starts just after Breaking Dawn, with a young Nessie (about 9mths in real time, looking like a 6 yro) growing up amongst her varied family. It is told from the point of view of Jacob and the voice the author uses is very true to the Jake chapters in BD.

I have no affiliation with the author. I haven't so much as PM'd her yet. I plan on showing my love for her writing very soon, though, because she deserves nothing less.

So, if you are interested in a good, long, canon, post-BD fic, have a go at this one.

www.fanfiction.net/s/4934383/1/A_Legendary_Bourn

I'd be interested in hearing whether any of you have read it. If you haven't, what is your favourite Canon fic?

ok. 

So I am on other bulletin boards, right? (gasp! adulterer!)

There have been some discusssions about the relationship between sexting and sending pics of "hot bods" (gender neutral of COURSE).

Basically this was what was said this morning (not verbatim-but the general idea):

"some person(17 years old) sent my child (16) a nude picture of themselves on the child's cell phone and then my child sent it to a few of their friends, thinking it was funny. The authority at school got wind of it and called the police."

Then also this: 

"The craziness here is that just recently, hollywood has been showing Taylor Lautner  like a piece of "wonderfully yummy bear meat and that was "okay."  Do we wonder kids don't understand?"

My question is this:

Are we contributing to the delinquency of minors?  What does that even mean?  I know we have had "law talk" before, but I would love to discuss this within this light and circumstance of the new "sexting" laws and how it will be affecting us(on the internet, as cell phones and internet go hand-in-hand today) both short and long term.

LETTUCE DISCUSS. (omg I got my new John Deere tractor yesterday and I am in LURVE with it...my new Green Machine!)

(I will be back later on this evening-let's remember to post our opinions as opinions, no man has the corner on the Truth, and NO FLAMES! unless its PASSIONATE LOVE for one another!)