Alphachimp Gets Down in Dubai

Streets of Dubai from Alphachimp Studio on Vimeo.

Whilst on assignment in the United Arab Emirates, team members take an adventurous day trip to haggle for brand name knock-offs, peruse backstreet markets, and convince a taxi driver to make a speedy stop at the world's tallest building.

[view the same footage sans music here.]

The Elephant and the Rider

Nonprofit Management and Making Change: Chip Heath

Great podcast on how to switch behaviors when change is hard from Social Innovation Conversations.

Those in nonprofit management constantly adapt to move their organizations forward.

In this audio lecture sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Chip Heath, Stanford professor and coauthor of the book Switch, provides a framework for change.

He demonstrates in case studies that three principles are involved in successful change, whether it be on the personal or societal front:

1. Convince the driver.
2. Motivate the elephant.
3. Shape the path.

Leaders in nonprofit management are called to attune to these principles when tackling change situations.

And Heath calls out examples from cleaning coach Flylady to unlocking secrets to protect kids in Vietnam from malnutrition.

Messiest Home: What the Heck?

This is my wife's worst nightmare: specifically, that I will cram our home so full of live monkeys and tools that a make-over show will arrive with cameras and snarky professional organizers to mock us.

Host of Clean House: Search for the Messiest Home in the Country, Ms. Niecy, arrives with her crew at The Monkey House.

If it is any consolation, they only let the little one sleep in the bed.

The 100th Chimp at Tacugama

Tompey arrives in the late evening at Tacugama

Bala Amarasekaran abandoned his original career as an accountant to establish Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in 1995. Together with the Government of Sierra Leone, he is working to secure the welfare and future of chimpanzees in Sierra Leone. Sadly 100 – Tacugama: The 100th chimp was rescued two days ago! A tiny girl. Hardly 1 year old. Arrived dehydrated, weak, with deep scars under her neck and hips caused by the ropes cutting through the poor girl’s flesh….and I have seen those “helpless”, “all lost” eyes many times before! An employer of the Sierra Rutile mines felt sorry for the baby and had bought it from a hunter. The little girl was called “Tompey” Learn more and how to help >>

MONTHLY: Feed a chimp: $20.00/mo

ONE TIME DONATIONS:
Adopt a Chimp: Guardian ($149.00)
Adopt a Chimp: Sponsor ($79.00)
Tacugama 2010 Calendar ($20.00) 

NPR : RADIOLAB : ANIMAL MINDS

Credit: Photo by Kelly CarmodyWhat do animals think? Feel? Believe? Why do we care? Well, most of us do. We really do.

WNYC - Radiolab: Animal Minds (April 02, 2010):

ANIMAL MINDS When we gaze into the eyes of our beloved pets, can we ever really know what they might be thinking? Is it naive to assume they're experiencing something close to human emotions? Or, on the contrary, is it ridiculous to assume that they AREN'T feeling something like that? In this hour of Radiolab, we explore what science can say about what goes on in the minds of animals.