our new website is up -

It's taken a long time but I'm happy to say that the new version of downtown pets website is now online. It was a very fun project with the graphic design being done by my assistant acacia rodriguez and I did the photography and web design.

When I ran into a snag on my coding I found a wonderful company named the choppr and specifically I worked with someone named krasen who was a pleasure. The main service they offer is you can give them a jpg image of what you want your website to look like and within a few days they give you the coding for that image as a website. It's a great service!

a dog surfing video -

mini monkey -

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sleepy monkey -

Robert DeNiro - GREATEST living movie actor?

You could make a strong case that Robert DeNiro is the greatest living actor around and he ranked first on my top ten working actor list which you can view here. My definition of a great actor is one who disappears in the role they are playing and is unrecognizable from one movie to the next. A category that one of my favorite actors, Gary Oldmam ("sid and nancy", "state of grace" and "true romance" to name a few), would fit into also. While actors like Kevin Costner and Denzel Washington are charismatic and fun to watch, I do feel like they are being themselves at all times and you will find them to be similar from one role to the next. This to me is the making of a good but not all-time great actor.

Let's take a look at this outstanding top ten list I've put together of Robert DeNiro's films. They can easily stand up against any fellow actors resume, from now or in the past.

10. heat - Heat is a pulsating romp through the crime underworld of LA seen through the brilliant eyes of director Michael Mann. This movie carries an all-star cast of Val Kilmer, Al Pacino and many more but in every scene we see DeNiro (including DeNiros first ever scene with Al Pacino) he steals the show.

9. his comedies - Rarely can you find a dramatic genius such as DeNiro who at the same time has been immensely successful in the comedy genre. From the overly sarcastic cop he played in "midnight run", to the ex CIA father in law of Ben Stiller in "meet the parents", to a mobster in need of a therapist in "analyze this", DeNiro has show an ability to make fun of himself and his very unique facial expressions. He was also great as the star crazed fan in "the king of comedy" and a CIA agent in need of a war in "wag the dog".

8. the untouchables - This wonderful movie by Brian DePalma stars Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and DeNiro among others. It is set in 1920's Chicago and DeNiro plays Al Capone. As usual, every scene he is in is an event to look forward to.

7. the mission - A gorgeous but tragic tail of redemption and greed set in the 18th century. Spanish Jesuits (including Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson and a converted DeNiro) try to protect a remote South American Indian tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal. DeNiro's character is interesting in that he starts the movie as a mercenary who hunts the Indian Tribe but is born again through the Jesuits and winds up living with and eventually fighting along their side in the end.

6. taxi driver - While I grew up on independent films it was martin Scorcese's "taxi driver" that showed me the technical brilliance possible in film. Every shot, every piece of dialogue has a specific purpose in this movie and of course you have to love DeNiro in a mohawk. Some of his lines in the film are still quoted in pop culture to this day.

5. mean streets - A young DeNiro, Scorcese and Keitel, all hungry and on fire in this tour de force through the mean streets of New York City. DeNiro's Johnny Boy is timeless.

4. raging bull - DeNiro plays Jake LaMotta in this true life adaptation. LaMotta was a wonderful fighter with a very difficult personal life. He would fall from grace hard and DeNiro went the extra mile (as he always does) to portray LaMotta's demise. They took a break in the middle of shooting this movie to allow DeNiro to go to Europe and gain 50+ pounds to play Lamotta in his later years. Some people criticized this approach, saying it was not acting but DeNiro's performance is nothing short of brutal and brillant.

3. goodfellas - Goodfellas is one of the greatest gangster movies of all time and has one of the best opening 15-20 minutes of any film ever made. Goodfellas was critically acclaimed and exposed you to the daily "street level" dealings of the mafia. It became a box office success (when you include rentals and dvd sales) and has also reached cult status with many of the lines and scenes from the movie being imitated by everyone from pop icons to those talking at the water cooler. In the midst of an all-star cast DeNiro still dominates the screen in every scene.

2. godfather 2 - In one of the best films of all time DeNiro stands out as the young Vito Corleone. His concentration and intensity is so strong throughout the movie that when he rests for a moment to hold hands with his wife before dinner, the simplicity of it alone makes for a memorable scene.

1. the deer hunter - In my mind this is the greatest american movie ever made (yes I think it's better than citizen kane). There are scenes that are hard to watch but well worth it to witness a cast (DeNiro, Christopher Walken (won the academy award), Meryl Streep, Jon Cazale) and director Michael Cimino who are all in top form. DeNiro's performance is nothing short of brilliant.

honorable mention - angel heart - DeNiro was so creepy in this twisted tale that I actually looked behind my couch to make sure I was alone. Mickey Rourke endures a torturous travel through the underworld of New Orleans only to meet DeNiro in the end for a mind blowing climax to the film.

the one scene stolen from DeNiro - Leonardo DiCaprio in "this boys life"

simplify -

"Simplify, simplify..."

"One simplify would have sufficed."

- H.D. Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson in response

a turkey and her chicks -

UMBRELLA WARS - the bigger the umbrella, the bigger the...

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With the recent rain here in new york city it was yet another opportunity to witness the umbrella wars of our streets. With the jagged edges of broken steel tips coming towards my eyes I couldn't help but ponder how many people don't pay attention to other peoples space. At the same time it seems the bigger the umbrella, the higher chance I'm going to have to dodge out of the way of a steel tip.

Chivalry seems to have become a victim of a more and more self-obsessed city. Those persons barreling through public with their umbrellas only seems to support this feeling. Slow down a bit and take in your surroundings!

Next Generation of American Workers, the millenials -

60 minutes had an interesting piece recently on what they are calling the millenials (watch video), the next generation of americans about to enter the work force. The overriding theme of the piece was that this next generation, overall, cares most about themselves and are very sensitive. As Marian Salzman, an ad agency executive at J. Walter Thompson, said:

"You can't be harsh. You cannot tell them you're disappointed in them. You can't really ask them to live and breathe the company. Because they're living and breathing themselves and that keeps them very busy."

The end result is that corporate america is scared witless about this next generation in the workforce and I think they should be. But the theme of the 60 minutes piece seems to be that this will be bad for the american economy. I'm not so sure about that...but even if it's true, might this new generation lend to happier and more fulfilled lives? And might this new generation be forcing corporate america to take a second look at how they treat their workers? Look at the new breed of companies like google, starbucks, zappo's. They are the anti-walmarts and might even be forcing walmart to improve their employee benefits which they have said to be doing lately.

I watched the 60 minutes piece with one of my walkers who is a part of the millenials. He put his head into his hands on repeated occasions through the piece and at the end, not surprisingly, he was blown away. He felt the piece had embodied his generation better than anything he's ever seen. His reaction seemed to imply, as the piece might to some, that this next generation will be soft. Will they be soft or maybe just work less but more effectively? Countries in Europe who work 1/3 less than we do had economies that thrived as much as ours did in the boom of the clinton years. And they were home on fridays and work actually promoted social lives a little bit more than hawaiian t-shirt fridays.

There will always need to be pen pushers or laborious jobs but maybe the next generation of companies will be in environments where you are rewarded and appreciated for whatever job you hold. It might also be a generation that moves even more towards small business and as a small business owner I think this would be a great thing. Might our economy suffer with less of a corporate dominated culture?

Possibly but when corporate greed is associated with everything from environmental to social and even political illegitimacy, it sounds like a better alternative to me. Smaller companies where you can concentrate on your customers, employees and product more without worrying about your public stock or downsizing to keep investors happy can only lend to happier workers and customers.

dog wearing a raincoat in new york city -

Leadership -

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"...leadership is often different than success. Success is culturally defined. When you give the culture what it expects, the culture will reward that. But, a leader is someone who gives the culture what it needs, not what it expects...A real leader heals the wounds of their culture."

- Rachel Naomi Remen, physician and storyteller

washington square park dog run - new york city

PETA - crossing the line? or exposing it?

"If you don't cross the line, how do you know where the line exists?"

- bill maher, speaking on the philosophies used by peta

In light of next monday's (11/19) HBO special ("i am an animal: the story of ingrid newkirk and peta") on the founder of peta, Ingrid Newkirk, I thought it was a good time to discuss the controversial animal rights group.

I advise people to look at peta in the same way I did my high-school footbal coach. Listen to what they say and not how they say it. Like them or not, you can not deny the stories they uncover or bring to light. What exactly is peta talking about and are they someone for you to be scared of? Peta exposes extraordinary abuses to animals in all areas of life. You can click the following link to view video of their investigations to stop animal cruelty. They include everything from inhumane lab tests like the ones at our very own columbia university, to the horrors of selling and transporting animals to distant countries and exposing the worst perpetrators of animal abuse of all, american industrial farms.

Some would like to dismiss peta as a group that wants to force everyone in the country to become a vegan or ban the production of honey. That would be way too simplistic a view and not true anyway. You have nothing to worry about. You'll forever be able to buy a cheeseburger or steak but groups like peta want you to know that if you don't care where your meat comes from, or how it gets there, then these abuses will only increase. The same is true for the cosmetics, fabrics and clothing you buy too.

I don't personally have a problem with how peta has built its name, I guess because I know where there end goal is and also what they are up against. American minds need a little shock and aw when it comes to their realization of the state of american animal welfare. The american industrial farming complex is nothing short of a horrific science fiction movie. Peta, in my estimation, exposes issues in animal welfare in a way I don't think anyone has done before. They are getting their hands dirty, doing undercover operations and you're going to upset people when you do that. But read any of the scathing articles or t.v. editorials about them and you'll never actually find that person acknowledging the cruelty that peta has exposed. To me that's the key. What peta uncovers is the truth. I just don't think everyone is ready for it yet...

black pug on new york city street -

T.V. shows you might not be watching -

iconoclasts (on sundance) - On each episode of iconoclasts they follow two celebrities who happen to be friends. The pairings are most often a surprising mix of personalities, ranging from eddie vedder and laird hamilton, to quentin tarantino and fiona apple and sean penn and jon krakauer. The settings are always fun and the dynamic between the pairings, many times, makes for great t.v..



real time with bill maher (on hbo) - I worked for bill maher back when he was on comedy central and in new york city. When his show is working, for me, it's the best thing on t.v. for no holds barred, political commentary. It's live television too so there is that added dynamic of what will happen? What will someone say? The casts can be so dynamic too. The recent guests included - director michael moore discussing "sicko" and the health care crisis, ben affleck, p.j. o'rourke, and presidential candidate ron paul.

Unbelievable imitation breakfast sausage -

I tried out the "gimme lean sausage" from lightlife the other day and it was amazing. There was absolutely no difference between it and the breakfast sausage I used to have. I was nervous at first because the consistency, before cooked, is that of cookie dough. But once it got sizzling with some light olive oil it charred in the same way normal breakfast sausage would and tasted the same too. You get the taste of breakfast sausage without the negative health, environmental and animal welfare repercussions of meat.

boston terrier, nyc street image -

ratatouille -

"The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new...needs friends."

- from ratatouille, the movie

greyhound and a boston terrier -

nyc puppy care goes online -

We've started another division of downtown pets and it's geared to helping nyc puppy owners with puppy proofing their house, house training and leash training among other things. You can click the following link to view the our nyc puppy care website.

dog and a baby chick -

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buy local - what does that mean?

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Would you believe that the only brand of apple juice you buy in the united states, who actually uses American apples, is martinelli's? The rest come from China!

It's hard to believe but true. On top of the growing concern over where the ingredients for our produce and prescription pills come from is the idea of keeping things local. The more local you keep the things you buy, the smaller the carbon footprint you will personally leave on the environment.

Patagonia is a wonderful company with a strong commitment to protecting the environment. On their website you can track the journey, from start to finish, of a single piece of clothing, shoe, etc.. You'd be amazed at how many different countries play a part in creating a piece of clothing, electronics or even the food on your plate at night. Obviously the longer the distance your item travels to you, the greater the carbon footprint.

Farmers markets are an easy way to ensure you are buying things local but looking at the labels on the brands you are buying can help too. It just doesn't seem necessary for your bottle of apple juice to be coming from china.

155 t-shirts -

the dog ate my homework -

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s'nice - great vegetarian and vegan food in the west village

S'nice is located on 8th Avenue between Horatio and Jane in the West Village. While their food is natural and healthy you don't sacrifice that for taste. They have everything from pre-made salads (creatively made with the vitamins and nutrients a vegan or vegetarian might need), charred or sauteed vegetables, paninis, wraps, vegan cupcakes, cookies and shakes.

Some of their items, like the mock chicken caesar wrap, are seasonal but the following is the from the menu I have on hand.

Among my favorites are the vegan panini with smoked tofu, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes and the amazing vegan cupcakes.

s'nice menu:

(v) = vegan

Breakfast:

* Bagels with cream cheese
* Granola mixed with fruit, yogurt & honey
* Steel cut oatmeal (v)
* Grilled nutella and banana sandwich
* Tofu scramble wrap (v)

Sandwiches:

* Brie, pear & arugula with raspberry mustard
* Sesame 'chicken' wrap with thai salad and spicy peanut sauce (v)
* Barbecued seitan with vegan coleslaw (v)
* Fontina, sun-dried tomato pesto with caramelized red onions and arugula panini
* Hummus sandwich with roasted red peppers, lettuce and sprouts on whole wheat (v)
* Roasted vegetable panini with arugula and goat cheese
* Philly-style seitan and sandwich with soy cheese, peppers and onions (v)
* Tri-color panini with gorgonzola, walnuts and apples
* Smoked mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil
* Meatball hero with or without parmesean (v)
* Triple-decker tofu club sandwich (v)
* Soy sausage sandwich with broccoli rabe fontina cheese and roasted red pepper
* 'Bien' burrito with avocado, tomato, salsa verde, salsa roja, beens and rice (v)
* Tempeh reuben with kraut, thousand island dressing and swiss or soy cheese on whole wheat (v)
* Curried cauliflower and chickpea wrap with mango chutney (v)
* Vegan panini with smoked tofu, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes
* Smoked tempeh wrap with avocado, mixed greens, cilantro, tomatoes and a spicy chipotle dressing (v)

Salads:

* House salad of mixed greens and tomatoes dressed with balsamic vinaigrette (v)
* Arugula, radicchio & endive salad with balsamic vinaigrette and shaved parmesean
* Autumn salad of greens, apples, pears, or cranberries & walnuts with blue cheese dressing
* Thai salad with edamame and roasted peanuts with a carrot ginger dressing (v)

Desserts:

* cupcakes, cookies, cakes and shakes