Introduction
My name's Rocky and my master, Shaun, has written several books about me and my adventures. Now he's got a website he's let me keep a diary and post my thoughts on the website. I've called it Rocky's Barks and Howls - howls for the damage that man's greed has done to the environment and barks for when I get really angry with someone or something (some of my barks are reserved for Shaun) and for Snowy, the other dog who invades my kingdom. I've had an exciting life and Shaun's books are based on some of my adventures and he's added some new twists. But sometimes I just like to lie in the sun, so don't expect a diary entry every day!
Rocky's Barks & Howls - May to August 2007
21 August 2007Sorry I haven't kept up to date but we've been busy selling my book and finalising the second book 'Rocky and the San Bushman'. Shaun's been pulling his hair out in frustration, as normal. Wrong disc, old proof copy et al. At last, however, it should be fine and at the printer next week.
We appeared on E-TV's breakfast show this Tuesday – Cindy the presenter was very nice to us. Asked us if we planned to do a TV series, Shaun said yes and we had already pitched it to E-TV!
Last night Shaun had a dream and I was in it too, seems like Tom Cruise invited us for lunch: baked beans, egg and a cell phone. Shaun said to Tom there is no way we could eat the cell phone with the knife he provided, so Tom kindly gave him a sharper one. Anyway, after slicing and dicing the phone and eating half of it, Shaun complained of a sore stomach and we left. I wisely stuck to eating the baked beans and egg! … There is a moral somewhere in all this – but I can't think what ...
29 July 2007
This week eight rare mountain gorillas were shot dead in the Virunga National Park in eastern Congo, in a mountainous area on the borders of Rwanda – the reason, for charcoal – it seems corrupt park officials are turning a blind eye to this evil crime. Humans think they own the earth and everything in it. Only the creator, the Great Father has that right. For those of you involved in acts such as these, may you receive your reward in Hades … and the everlasting damnation of God, because there, there'll be so much fire you won't have to bother about making charcoal!
The bio-diversity of earth is shrinking and yet humankind still perpetrates atrocities such as these …
27 July 2007
Went to another reserve today to do some filming for a TV series on me. Shaun only got to sleep at 2 am as he was still working on the script. Then he woke me up early for a walk. We got together with the film crew, and off we went. Shaun was so dog-tired and bleary-eyed that he muffed all his lines royally, but we did get some funny shots of a giraffe I befriended. He was real tall, gosh! He spooked a bit and kicked out at Shaun and me, but we managed to jump back out of harm's way. His mate then came storming over, she stood there staring at me; if looks could kill; with daggers in her eyes he slowly approached, her eyes burning and on fire. Very aggressive! Well, discretion being the better part of valour, Shaun put me back in the crew van as it looked like she was going to kick out!
Anyway the executive producer thought Shaun didn't know what he was talking about, so everything's on hold. However, that won't stop us from doing our own though – watch this space for my DVD. You can't keep an old dog down, eh Pinky … So, what are we going to do today … Take over the world!!! … Just like the Chinese, economically of course! I mean, have you every wondered at the amount of trash they distribute in the form of packaging to the four corners of the world. The amount of fossil fuels that are used, the pollution that's created. And what about the rhino horn, elephant tusks, the hard woods from Congo and Indonesia et al, they buy with the money we give them. It's powering their economy and contributing to global warming. We should be manufacturing goods in our home countries and supporting our respective citizens and economy. Incidentally they are the major carbon producers in the world now - and Indonesia with a population of 60 million was the third now probably the second, all through cutting down vast tracts of forest and burning the peat at a rate unparalleled in the history of the earth. Hey guys don't you get it … It's hard to spend the money you've greedily extracted through destruction of mother earth if we're all dead ….
15 May 2007
Funny thing about people: they strive to buy material goods but when they have then they throw them away. Take for instance Shaun. He bought a Chinese manufactured running music player, styled in the good ol' US of A. What happens, after a week it stops working – his only recourse is to chuck it in the trash can. And what about those little plastic toys you find in crisp and snack packets that get stuck in your throat as you wolf a packet down. Snowy still can't find a use for them, fact is she doesn't even notice it's plastic she's chewing. It's amazing the technology man is producing, shame nothing works! Oh yeah – that little toy in your snack pack – check where it's made … maybe since mankind hasn't got anything better to do with their time they should take up the same hobbies as Snowy – namely digging holes all over the garden, pulling up the strawberries, ripping her bed basket to shreds, jumping up on the jeep and generally being as irritating as she can … hold on, I'm seeing some resemblance here …
14 May 2007
What is the world coming to, now the Chinese are selling poisoned dog-food as high quality food, because the poison mimics protein in tests. I guess they must use the same stuff on Chinese made running shoes that mimics glue cause Shaun's soles keep falling off. Anything to improve their profit margins and bring down manufacturing costs. When will the world learn … never I suppose.
13 May 2007
PS: Shaun's crazy he's off running and it's the middle of the night. Me, I'll just stay here between the cover of my nice warm, duvet. No wonder there are no psychiatric institutions for dogs … yuck, yuck … arf! We dogs are very loyal though – so I'm torn in two, do I get up and go for a run with him, or stay where I am – naaa. I'll stay here and listen to Shania Twain on the stereo … Uhhh! Shaun's walking out the door. Oh shucks – can't resist a run.. alright I'll go with – bye folks! who's the crazy one now – the one who leads or the one who follows!!
Boy can Shaun snore. He woke me up last night, well, that and his growling in his sleep. And I thought us dogs were bad. Bad dreams I guess. Shaun says I also growl and bark sometimes as I sleep with my eyes twitching under my eyelids. They call it rapid eye movement, REM for short. We've had a lot of adventures, some good, some bad. In the fifth book it describes one incident when fifteen men with knives attacked Shaun – you'll read more of it in "the fighting dogs". Don't worry there's plenty of me too. After all, I am the star. Which reminds me, went for a ride with someone the other day, the lady insinuated I had fleas and that she was sure I was rabid and would bite her and her friend, said if I did, she'd sue. Gee some people have no animal sense. Honestly I didn't really like the way she smelt either.
Shaun spends a lot of time writing and sketching at the moment so I've had my walks cut short. I suppose it's tough being a human. Oh, oh – saw a cute golden laborador today, looks like she had a nice temperament too.
12 May 2007
Today was a bush day. We went out to take photographs for the cover of the second book "the san bushmen". I really didn't feel like a photo-shoot, I've had a runny stomach and the flu, so I really wasn't in the mood. But hey, stick a piece of biltong in front of me and I'll do anything …. We went down to my old haunts. Didn't see any of my old friends though …. one of these days I hope Shaun finishes the 5th and 6th books so we can spend more time in the sandveld and bush. There's nothing better than spending the night under a blanket of stars with the cool desert air wrapped around you. No lights, no noise, just me and Shaun in the barren nothingness. You really do feel one with nature and not divorced from it like when you're in the city. But, I'll be so pleased when every child, old and young and everyone young at heart, reads the series and starts appreciating nature, instead of wanting to destroy it. We received a nice letter from HRH Prince Charles today. He sent his best wishes. If every human on the planet shared his beliefs in saving the earth and leading a non-polluting lifestyle the world would be a better place and we animals wouldn't be under threat of extinction. I'm feeling rather tired today, so I'm going to hit the sack, goodnight mom, I still think of you …. and shog's … rrruff …
11 May 2007
You try to teach a dog manners, and what happens – Snowy!
I mean there I was laying on the paper in the morning reading and munching my dog biscuits, when Snowy started tearing the paper up. She has absolutely no manners. I've done my best but she just doesn't listen. Even when I snarl at her to lay off. Even when I'm busy in the garden, if you know what I mean, I get her cold black nose sniffing my … , anyway back to the story I was reading, before that is, the white rat Snowy tore it to shreds. It was about an indaba (meeting) on global warming. The idiocy was incredible, it must have been funded by the oil companies. They want to push the level up to 650 ppm of carbon in the atmosphere by 2030 and carry on cutting down the trees. Wow, doesn't take a brain surgeon to realise that by then the stocks of oil will dry up and the oil companies and Sheik your monies will be smiling all the way to the bank driving their gold and platinum luxury vehicles. Shame the rest of humanity won't be enjoying watching them spend their hard earned cash on palaces, electric luxury cars, yachts and islands. Uh, scratch the islands as they'll all be submerged under the waters of what once was ice in the arctic and Antarctic. Uh, oh yeah, and other cataclysmic events possibly brought on by the fling of magnetic poles sometime in December 2030 by the alignment of all the other planets on the other side of the sun.. Armageddon here we come proudly sponsored by the oil and coal companies and global warming. Arrf-arrf men – so gullible! When will they learn. It would be nice for one of them to stand up and say "global warming is wrong, pumping carbon into the atmosphere is wrong, we will personally start doing something about it. Because, honestly, all I see is more hot air being created …. Wuff ….
As each year passes more cars end up on the road, pumping more obnoxious gasses into the atmosphere. Do you realise that between 1970 and 2004, the majority of greenhouse gases were emitted, ie 70%. Is there a doctor in the house, because the whole world gone insane. Either that, or they never had any marbles just like Snowy …
10 May 2007
Today we went to my favourite coffee shop for breakfast. Shaun always gives me a piece or two of macon and egg for a treat. I'm not always allowed in there, they say I'll chase away customers, but I'm very well behaved. We were asked to sit outside in the wind once – but Shaun's manuscript started to fly of. He was pretty cross as I never cause trouble. We left without ordering needless to say. People say you can spoil a dog with love: rubbish – exercise, discipline and love that's what a dog needs. Take me for instance, every morning I get up, off Shaun's bed of course, he always without fail puts my duvet cover next to his feet at the bottom of the bed, or if we're in the bush, I sleep between his legs on the sleeping bag. He'll never let me shiver or get cold. I even have a camouflage vest! Anyway back to my story – we went for our walk. As we walked past a large expensive looking 4x4 double cab, its owner just dumped out all the accumulated trash, bottles, cans paper bags and junk, onto the street. Shaun was cross, not seething but simmering. Yesterday a similar thing happened, a guy in a metallic green Audi just dumped some bottles onto the curb. This time Shaun went over and asked him whether he loved Africa, the guy said "yes". Then Shaun said "why do you cover her in litter then". Sheepishly the fellow returned "sorry" and picked the trash up!
I read in the paper today how an Indian sugar company in Uganda want to pull down and destroy half a game reserve to plant sugar cane. That's an evil thing to do. What about all the animals – they'll kill all the myriad of organisms that will die when the trees are burnt and the land cleared. Hey, even termites and ants and worms have jobs on mother earth to do. They're greedy. I'd assume by the looks of things they'll sell it to bio-diesel companies. It's like in Indonesia, they pull down all the trees in Borneo to plant palms for bio-diesel. Quite stupid really. I mean you save 40% carbon emissions with bio-diesel but cut down trees that soak up CO² and give off oxygen, then, burn off the peat on the forest floor producing 200% more carbon. Crazy! What will humans think of next! And now, the Chinese want to propel their economy at the expense of mother earth and all other species to provide cars for 1.4 billion people. Bit of an oxymoron there, don't you think. Let's build up our economy have lots of money – then die! Because we've created too much pollution and way stressed our planet due to global warming and kill off every living creature …. There is a better way. Hey, I'm only a dog and I know the solution – and I thought humans were meant to be the smart ones – wuff wuff – I think not …
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