For the Love of a Dog

I guess it can only be called dramatic irony to write a post about kinship with sharks, only to find two days later, this story

When he saw his dog being attacked by a reef shark, a Florida man, Greg LeNoir, dove in and punched the shark to save his dog.  Wow!

In a way, you could call that a type of kinship.  Because only a very special bond with your pet drives a man to such a bold and heroic act.  And I guess you could call it communion as well.  Like: "Nooo!", or "Get away from my dog, sharkface!" and finally, "I love you Jake!"

Jake here being the rat-terrier.  Who suffered lacerations to his stomach and back, but is expected to make a full recovery.  That's one lucky dog, one loving owner, and one sore shark.

Like I said before, when it comes to sharks, there's nothing to be afraid of.  Now would I have jumped in for my dog... well, that's another story.

-jordan

Kinship Through Dance

I just love videos that say so much with so few words.  Here's a powerful one that speaks only through dance:


This guy Matt's random joke dance has turned into a movement, with over 10 million viewers to date. A testament to the power that simple ideas can have in the world. 

Now I wonder if someone would sponsor SuperForest to go do the same?
For more on Matt and his dance, check out his website here:

Kinship With All Sharks

Yes... sharks! Those man eating super-predators that glide through the collective fears of millions upon millions of us rational, nature loving folk.And maybe you've already heard the statistics: for instance only 4 of 360 species of sharks ever attack humans, most of those accidental. Or that the odds of a shark attack are way way lower than say, getting struck by lightning.

I'm guessing you're not running for the water just yet, (you're running out of it, thank you Mr. Spielberg!) And I get it, believe me... a waterboy from Hawaii who's swam with sharks on a number of occasions. I know. It can be a disconcerting experience. It's also an amazing one.

And while I'm not trying to pet the things or hypnotize them like this crazy dude:


I do respect their intelligence, beauty and power. Up close you have to. Because man isn't the only great species ever to have evolved. Which is why I urge everyone to watch this film:


The simple truth that Sharkwater raises is that we fear what we don't understand. And too often we seek to destroy what we fear. Instead we should learn to appreciate and understand all life. And protect it.

That doesn't mean you have to go out and commune with a shark. But consider it next time you're in the ocean. That shark you so fear... is probably more afraid of you.

-Always merry and bright,
jordan

Kinship With All Dolphins

Have you ever been on a date where you have so little in common with the other person that you find yourself asking them 3rd grade questions like "if you could be an animal, what animal would you be?" No? Well try it sometime, it may just turn your night around. Me, I'd choose a dolphin.

They are amazing animals. I have rarely felt more awestruck and humbled than when swimming alongside them in the wild.


If you've never done this before, it's an incredible experience. One of those 1001 must do's before hitting the big jackpot in this game of life. Speaking of which, I've just added lion cuddling, personal jet-flight, and wingsuit gliding to my list.

But what I never knew before about dolphins and just found out (thank you Neal), is that they can do this:


Ok, so humans can do that too...but we can't play with our rings or bounce them through the water. How do dolphins do it? Theories abound, but no one's really sure. The one thing I do know is that it looks really, really fun. They've got to be at least as smart as we are.

So make sure you buy dolphin safe tuna, so that this won't ever happen!

-jordan

Kinship With All Lions

In line with this week's Kinship with all life theme, I present Christian the Lion:



Amazing... cheesy music and all.
-jordan

Visualizing Kinship

As I stated before, my theme for this week is Kinship with all life. And I can think of nothing that better represents that theme (visually at least) than Gregory Colbert's Ashes and Snow:






The show encompasses over 60 expeditions to almost every continent and more than 16 years in the making (and ongoing). Ashes and Snow has been viewed now by over 10 million people worldwide, making it the most attended exhibition by a living artist in history. All in all an epic endeavor, the success of which I believe must be attributed to the power of its message.

And if that's not cool enough, the show is housed in The Nomadic Museum, a sustainable and transportable structure, made originally out of recycled shipping crates and most recently, out of sustainable bamboo in Mexico City (the largest bamboo building in the world, to date!).



Emily Dickinson once wrote that great poetry can knock your head off. This does it for me. Tune in later for more in my series of kinship with all life...

-jordan

Kinship With All Life

The title of this post will be my theme for the week. It also happens to be the title of the first book my grandmother gave my father, and the first book (and same love-worn copy) that my father gave to me.

It is a wonderful book with an important message: that there is a universal language of love that transcends and translates amongst all living things. And with an open mind (and heart) we can communicate, and commune, with all life (animal and human).

This is something I'm sure most animal lovers or pet owners at one time or another have experienced, and it's a message that's personally had a lasting impact on my life. As a largely 'civilized', urban dwelling, technologically advanced species, we often forget our true context in the world, or lose touch with that special connection to nature.

This book is a wonderful reminder.

It's available here at Amazon or from the publisher.

The Superforest Book Club

Speaking of books and Kinship with all life...


This novel is essentially a running dialogue between a (yes, I'm saying this correctly) telepathic gorilla, and an Average Joe Schmoe. If you can get past that odd premise (and it took me a minute to do so), you'll find yourself thrust into an engaging, challenging discourse on the evolution and mythology of mankind and the resultant course we've set for ourselves and our planet.

As silly as it sounds, it's surprisingly refreshing to find yourself put on the spot by a 600 lb gorilla, even if he is fictional.



This book was certainly a mind-opener for me, and for several of the high school students I taught. Even those who disliked seem affected (or at least engaged) by the resulting lively debates. Now I invite you to buy it, read it, and discuss amongst yourself (or here in the comment boards on Superforest!)

Find it here at Amazon. And enjoy!

Always merry and bright!
-jordan