Where Have I Been?

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in the last few months but for some reason blogging just hasn't been important to me.  During my recovery I had time to reflect and one of the things I decided was that I've been wasting my time and the following quote from Tristero at Hullabaloo sums it up quite nicely.

Why? Because some of you, right now, are starting to waste the little time you have here on earth by marshaling reasoned arguments and accurate facts to refute Conservapedia's lies. And so are others. And that is terribly sad.

And then Jon Stewart crystallized it for me in a segment titled "I Give Up".

My surgery went well, at least from the doctor's point of view.  He didn't grace me with his presence until the evening after the surgery when he breezed into my hospital room to discharge me.  Then he wouldn't answer my questions and acted like I was a nuisance.  Heaven forbid that I should know what he did or what he found while surgeons and students in Los Angeles were privy to every aspect of my surgery.  All follow up appointments were handled by his physicians assistant. The conscious time I've spent in his presence is less than ten minutes.

The cancer was classified as being Stage 1A and if you have to get diagnosed with cancer this would be the stage you would want since it has a 93% survival rate.  What you don't want is to do the robot surgery.

It turns out that they cut everything into little pieces so they can be removed through the less than one inch incisions.  While it may be cutting edge technology it also means that during the slice and dice procedure some cancer cells may be dislodged and left behind.  It also means that they pump you full of air so they have room to move around.  This air cannot be expelled by normal means, it has to be absorbed by the body or you are deflated after the surgery.  This was not done for me.  For three weeks I looked and felt like I had beach ball in the abdominal area.  Simple things like using the toilet, getting out of bed, bending to put on shoes or simply sitting were extremely uncomfortable. 

One of the hallmarks of cancer survivors is that they realize that a positive attitude and a reduction in anger and frustration give them a better chance of surviving and/or preventing a recurrence.  I want to live a long and healthy life and I can't do that if I spend most of my time trying to convince stupid people to look at facts instead of listening to people who spread hatred and intolerance on a daily basis.

I live in Nevada now and the people here believe the darnedest things, most of which don't exist in reality.  From the Park 51 controversy to burning the Koran as a warning, this country has gone off the deep end and trashed the First Amendment while ensuring that the rest of the world can see how hypocritical we are.  We are no longer a shining beacon of light and freedom, we are a fading nightlight trying to shield ourselves from a bogeyman that has already accomplished his job.  People were worried about Y2K destroying our way of living and it turns out we did it to ourselves.

On a distinctly happier note there has been an addition to the family, a Boston/Rat terrier puppy.  His name is Galen and while Shadow wasn't too thrilled in the beginning she had a great time playing with him this morning.  Shai has been more tolerant and I think she's been enjoying Shadow's discomfort.  I will have pictures tomorrow.

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Harry Met Sally...And They Ate Bob

How did I miss this sad story?  I'm glad somebody wants them and that they weren't put down for their owner's stupidity.  Wanting to kill oneself is a  personal decision, but how could he leave his pugs locked up with his body without food and water?  How did he think they were going to survive?  Especially since most pugs get their exercise jogging to the food bowl.  It's sad that he left them with no other choice.

While dogs may not have memory exactly like people, Shai Shai has an incredible memory for food.  When she was a puppy I used to take her to a middle school (known for its Jazz/Swing Band, these kids are really good!) at night so she could run around off leash.  Santa Clara wasn't remotely dog friendly so I took advantage where I could.  One night she found a McDonalds bag that had some fries, the remains of a bun and some ketchup.  I couldn't get her away from it until she licked the area clean.  As in spotless.  She was quite adept at avoiding me and the leash while she made sure that there wasn't enough evidence for a forensic team to determine there had ever been anything there besides the concrete.

For one reason or another (someone started a fire during break so they put a fence around the school and  locked it up nights and weekends) we didn't return to the area for six months.  Shai headed straight for the same spot and could not be persuaded to leave the area until she was convinced that there was nothing edible on the sidewalk.  She forgot she had eaten it all, not where she had eaten it.

Pugs own you, you don't own them.  They were bred to be the lap dogs of royalty and besides expecting you to serve their every request and laugh at their antics, they will eat darn near anything.  Shai loves asparagus, red bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and green beans, but has been known to eat jalapenos.  Please note the plural.

I doubt that Harry and Sally have developed a taste for human flesh and as they will probably be spoiled by their new owners with every treat imaginable it's safe to let them back into a family situation.  I just wouldn't fall asleep with beef ribs on my breath.

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For My Baby Brother

Mom misses you and I'm worried about you.  You have my email, please use it.  You can come visit us in Reno, mom and I would love to see you.  If you give me a chance you'll see that I really do have your back.  Plus, I would love to see Xeek again.

Please?

This 'N That

OMG!  People have lost their freakin' minds.  Funny how the right likes to quote the Founding Fathers as gospel whenever the subject of gun ownership comes up, but not for anything else. John Adams, the Founding Father most likely to be ignored by those ruled by their reptilian brain, once said "we are a government of laws, not of men". And two even more appropriate quotes to the discussion of whether or not terrorists should be tried in New York, which directly suffered from the crimes of the accused, are also from Mr. Adams

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.

And, even more importantly:

The law no passion can disturb. 'Tis void of desire and fear, lust and anger. 'Tis mens sine affectu, written reason, retaining some measure of the divine perfection. It does not enjoin that which pleases a weak, frail man, but, without any regard to persons, commands that which is good and punishes evil in all, whether rich or poor, high or low. 'Tis deaf, inexorable, inflexible. On the one hand it is inexorable to the cries and lamentations of the prisoners; on the other it is deaf, deaf as an adder, to the clamors of the populace.

Both of those statements were made while defending the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre.  Inconvenient truths, indeed.  But not nearly as inconvenient as old Ben.

Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety.

The Republicans wetting their pants are determined we shall have neither.  Honestly, why are they so scared?  Timothy McVeigh was tried, convicted and executed by the same justice system, why isn't it good enough for foreign terrorists?  What do we stand to lose by showing the world, and ourselves, that we apply the law equally (sort of) to every accused criminal?  Or is it that New York isn't Texas and Republicans are afraid that the state can't meet the burden of proof?  New York has plenty of experience, they paid the highest price and they deserve to prosecute the offenders.  Or at least the ones hat are still living.

My pug is cuter than a French bulldog.  Of course that is my biased opinion, but Shai always gets attention when we go out, as do most brachycephalic breeds.  One of the reasons I got her was to meet people and she definitely accomplishes that, but all they want to do is talk about how cute she is.  It's amazing how everyone knows the names of the dogs at the park and who they belong to but not the owners names.  And sometimes we talk to each other for hours.  About our dogs.

The health care debate rages on, with nothing useful being accomplished.  I will probably never leave Reno, the VA facilities are too good.  I had another asthma incident this week but they nipped that sucker in the bud.  My doctor had switched me from Flovent to Asmanex, it got a little colder one morning and even though I stayed two aisles away from the soap aisle in the grocery store, wham!  Three hours after I arrived at the urgent care clinic I was out the door with an antibiotic because I was at risk for pneumonia, tapered doses of methylprednisone to reduce the inflammation in my lungs (and as a side effect my joints feel better) and Tessalon Pearls for the coughing since I'm allergic to codeine.  This is in addition to the blood pressure med and the synthroid I just started because my thyroid is giving up the ghost according to the doctor.  Mom is 79 and only takes two meds, this does not bode well for my old age.

When I worked at Universal Studios the secretaries were unionized and when our contract came up for renewal several things happened.  The first time they initiated a two tier wage system and then got rid of everyone on the top tier.  You get what you pay for and at $7 an hour in Hollywood all you get are bimbos who want to meet a movie star.  It took about six months and 90 percent of us had our jobs back.  I was working in the black tower, which happens to be a closed environment, during the second set of negotiations.  This time Universal got the bright idea to eliminate sick days because they said the secretaries were using them for personal business.  Flu season came around and within days half the building (executives) were out sick because the secretaries worked while ill and recirculated air contaminated with viruses was distributed around the building.  Sick days mysteriously showed up again.

I'm glad I renewed my library card.  Friday night television is just like Saturday night.  Useless for entertainment.  CBS, which doesn't have very many successful new shows, has cut the amount of episodes of Numb3rs to 16 from 22 as it prepares to cancel it.  Not for lack of viewers, but because they say it's too expensive since it's been on so long.  Fox canceled Dollhouse after completely botching the timing, audience and advertising.  What do those two shows have in common?  You have to pay attention.

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Pet Centricity

While Shadow might sit through a church service because she likes being with me, Shai Shai never would.  Her need to get love and attention from humans is pretty strong and with her friendly face and wiggling butt (her tail is curled against her back, so her butt moves when she wags her tail) most people can't resist her.  On the other hand she seems to make the people who pet her feel better and they smile more.

Which is why I would never consider eating her.  For any reason, even if I was starving to death.  Robert and Brenda Vale can take their idea and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.  For most people that would be their ass but for them it seems to be the place where their heart should be located.  My dogs don't eat beef, chicken, wheat, corn or soy and the companionship they provide is worth more than gold.  It's one thing to be green and another to be viciously stupid.  Using the argument that dogs are eaten in other countries isn't a good reason, didn't their parents teach them that if your friends jump off a cliff you don't have to follow them?

Not only can a cat has cheeseburger, it can also have H1N1, which directly contradicts the email alert I received two days ago.  There is no reason to panic, the cat caught it from its humans and is recovering nicely.  To prevent your pet from contracting it wash your hands, cover your coughs and don't play with them if you feel like you have the flu.  Duh.

BadTux must be so proud that one of his own has had a thirteen year relationship with a human.  Isn't that sweet?

World of Warcraft has virtual pets for sale.  What the heck is a lich?  And why would you want an imitation pet when you can have the real thing?

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Going To The Dogs

Wow!  Republicans really are willing to cut off their nose to spite their face.  The comments are fascinating.  No matter how the NY-23 race turns out the GOP is dissolving from within.  I almost feel sorry for the them but it's their own fault.  They embraced the wackos last year, they tolerated and encouraged the fringe to express their anger, rage and hatred during the campaign and as with any rabid animal, it's biting the hand that feeds them.

They don't need another job, they need to live within their means.  I'm sorry that one can't live comfortably on $93K a year and while I admire the work ethic of getting another job to support your lifestyle instead of doing what the rest of us do which is to cut back or eliminate expenses, taking a minimum wage job that might keep a family on the lower end of the economic spectrum from becoming homeless, is part of why we are in the economic mess we are all suffering through.  Those that have always think they deserve more or that they shouldn't have to sacrifice.  Marie Antoinette would be so impressed.

The kerfuffle about the Obama boy's club amuses me.  I tried warning people that he had little to no respect for women and their opinions, so it doesn't surprise me at all that women are being cockblocked while decisions are being made in circumstances that have no official record.

Somebody has been watching a little too much television.  The story never says why the owner had to steal his dog from the pound under the cover of night instead of picking him up during normal business hours.  It doesn't sound like the dog's behavior was a problem since the animal society released the dog to a friend of the owner.

Speaking of dogs, is this normal sleeping behavior?

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Tuesday Quickies

A tax break I can get behind and not only because I have two dogs.  Shai Shai saved mom's life many years ago.  She didn't do anything special, she gave mom something to believe in and care for after finding the body of a friend of hers.  Both my dogs lower my blood pressure and give me high quality love and affection.  In addition to reducing the blood pressure of their owners, dogs also require exercise and they enjoy etting it with their owners.  This helps owners lose weight because while it may take three weeks for exercise to become a habit for humans, for dogs it's about three days.  Cats are great too, I just find it impossible to breathe around them.

Booman, while Obama was a slightly better choice than the McCain/Palin ticket that doesn't make him the best president and when he consistently behaves the way I predicted he would, I reserve the right to point that out.  He is Bush lite and that isn't good for the country.  I'm happy he got the Nobel and I understand the committee's reasoning, but that doesn't make him the be all and end all.   Obama's latest volley at the people who supported him and naively expected he was going to help them instead of himself doesn't surprise me in the least.  If he wants us to be sycophants, he has another think coming.

I enjoy Dollhouse.  A lot.  Yeah you have to think and pay attention, but as much as I enjoy the alphabet shows I occasionally want a little more.  I find the supporting players and the premise on Dollhouse to be intensely interesting as well as thought provoking.  Watching Enver Gjokaj's portrayal of the character Kiki last week was absolutely brilliant and eminently believable.  And Topher?  My favorite.  As Boyd (Harry Lennix, the guy most likely to portray Obama in a future movie) points out, when Topher has ethical problems you know you're in trouble.

Here's hoping that Christian Slater doesn't become the new Eric Balfour (another one bites the dust, I like him but his track record sucks) of primetime television.  I enjoyed My Own Worst Enemy and was sad to see it go, but The Forgotten is a rehash of Cold Case except without the music.  Hopefully the characters will develop and the show might get a full season.

Orly, Orly, Orly.  You need a good psychiatrist.  And medication.  Lots of medication.  Something heavy duty like lithium to help ground you and bring you back to some semblance of reality.

Saturday night has been pizza night lately and it's been a lot of fun.  I make my own sauce, I vary the toppings and mom gobbles it up.  It's raining today so I think I'll make some homemade bread to go along with the split pea soup for dinner.  I've only made bread once before and I don't have a bread machine so I think I'll start with something easy.
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Odds And Ends

First butter was bad for you, then it was better than margarine with its transfats.  Eggs were bad for you, then they weren't.  Fish was good for you, now it has too much mercury.  Today's new health scare? Showers are bad for you.  Next thing you know swallowing saliva over a long period of time will cause cancer.  George Carlin always was ahead of his time.  Meanwhile, some guy in Texas is serving up Deep-Fried Butter.

Shai Shai and Shadow have me well trained.  Oh, they sit when I want them to, come when they are called but I'm under no illusions as to who is really in charge.  Those kisses they give me are because they want something. or they're my reward for doing something right.  They get fed before I have my tea, they go to the park or I have to put up with a lot of sneezing and shaking of the head, followed by a single authoritative bark if I don't get up from the computer.  The Geico eyeballs will blink long before they do.  I cook lamb and rice to add to their lamb and rice kibble because they expect demand people food of some sort and I won't feed them table scraps.  When fresh vegetables are chopped they hang around waiting for oopsies.  And they get them.  Shadow is happy with carrots but Shai prefers asparagus and broccoli.  Do I need to know the secrets of my dog's mind?  Not necessarily but I would like to think I'm not disappointing them.

Government may be one toxic asset, but it pays your salary and ensures you have health care Mr. Paul.  I agree that the economic recovery has not included the people, but one shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Government has its place, I wish we could all agree on what it is.

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Monday Morning WTFs

It isn't the President who termed it "torture", it was society.  And the law.  Many years before the Bush administration started using it on people they deemed less than human we had prosecuted and executed people for using those same procedures.

Panetta was reportedly upset over plans by Attorney General Eric Holder to open a criminal investigation of allegations that CIA officers broke the law in carrying out certain interrogation techniques that President Obama has termed "torture."

Oh good grief!  No wonder America is becoming dumber by the minute.  Name a holiday that isn't about selling or buying.  If it isn't sheets, furniture or clothes, it's candy and/or diamonds.  While Roman holidays seemed to be about debauchery, American holidays are about money and shopping.  December 7th is barely remembered and April 19th quickly became a mote in the dustbin of history so why should September 11th be any different?

As most sane people know, a good majority of Freepers are off their rocker.  Well, the Freepers are not only rocking to a different beat, they are rocking on a whole different planet.  The "birther" fringe is now preoccupied with whether or not Obama has been circumcised.  The General found this so you don't have to.

hoosiermama:
The only other thing that hit me was that Sinclair said BO was not circumcised. When my son was born in a hospital that was done as a matter of routine without even consulting us. Would the same be for Hawaii? OTOH People born at home or in some other cultures are not circumcised.

Okay, they aren't on another planet, they are occupying a whole different universe. Bizarroland.

I accidentally got bit a few years ago when Shai was playing with another pug.  They were between the couch and the coffee table and got under my legs while they were play nipping at each other and Jack caught me in the back of the knee.  He didn't break the skin but I had a four inch wide bruise for more than two weeks.  And it hurt.

The CDC says adults with two or more dogs at home are five times more likely to get bitten than people with dog-free households.

Please tell me that they didn't spend money to figure that out.

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Guns, Cuts, Tax Credits And War Crimes

Okay, I'm breaking down and buying myself a pistol.  Three of them to be exact, all strategically placed within the house.  And unlike the people from the right wing fringe who strut around using their Second Amendment "right" to intimidate people into not using their First Amendment right to free speech to express an opposing viewpoint (Arthur Frommer is trying to decide if he should recommend a travel boycott of Arizona but he personally has canceled all his trips), I'm going to be using mine to try and stop Shadow from barking at everything that happens outside in the parking lot.  Of course I will be using water instead of bullets and neither the President nor innocent bystanders can be affected by my actions.

And so it begins.  The closing of for profit nursing homes due to budget cuts.  88 elderly people, many who don't have families and all who are on Medi-Cal,  are being forced from their nursing facility into whatever dump can be found for them.  And the seniors have to hope that their new home doesn't end up closing due to the asinine budget cuts the Governator has determined must be done in his ongoing effort to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and the elderly.  While the rest of the country worries about end-of-life counseling nonexistent death panels, these defenseless members of society have become pawns in the California budget power game.  Isn't that just great?  The generation that lived through the Great Depression and the Second World War get to end their lives in urine scented dormitories with the same sad eyed compatriots.  Until they are moved to different facilities that can warehouse them for ten cents less a person.

The 47 million uninsured and the 30 million underinsured in this country don't need and can't use tax credits.  When making rent is an issue, when feeding the kids and keeping the lights on consumes your budget then money later on is not going to help.  Simply put, what people need is to be able to access medical, dental and eye care when they need them, not when their budget says they can afford to.  If you don't have $50 for a doctor's visit you either hope the problem goes away on its own, that you don't have to go to the emergency room or that you learn to live with the issue.  None of those are optimal health care options and not only do they directly affect the quality of life, they also affect the quantity of life.  Maybe if we were a healthier country we wouldn't be so angry.

I almost feel sorry for him but then I remember I have two Article 15s for disobeying a lawful order and know he had a choice and he took the coward's way out.  And now, many more years later than it should have taken, he's sorry about it.  Interesting how he served three years under house arrest for the deaths of 500 people and Charles Graner got ten years in Leavenworth for abuse, conspiracy and assault.  From a government that condoned torture.

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Of Men And Dogs

I've tried to resist writing about George Sodini because just like the man who shot John Lennon (and yes I know his name but refuse to use it) he shouldn't be glorified and he shouldn't receive in death what he couldn't achieve in life.  I feel no sympathy for the man or his dating issues and it most certainly isn't my fault or any other woman on the planet that he didn't have dates or get laid.  Because one has outdoor plumbing doesn't automatically entitle one to be a success with the opposite sex and it certainly doesn't mean women are emasculating, dominating or contemptuous if they aren't interested in you (beware, the link belongs to an angry wackjob site that hates women, which is obvious by the language they use to describe us).  It could mean that you are a little weird and women feel uncomfortable around you.  Which is more your problem than theirs.  And hating women because you feel rejected is not likely to increase your chances of dating success.

In my own life I learned many years ago that men were interested in me for mainly one reason and it was located south of their belt buckle.  A girl can get tired of that sort of thing, which I did, and take herself off the market.  Which I also did.  I wasn't put here to make men happy just as men weren't put here to make me happy but that doesn't give me the right to blame the opposite sex for their lack of interest in me as a person.  And it most certainly doesn't give me the right to take someone else's life out of frustration.

Speaking of dogs, they might not be as smart as a fifth grader but they can be pretty darn smart when they need to be.  When Shai was a puppy she knew all her toys by name and would bring the proper one when asked.  She also has emotions that are easily recognizable, the two most prominent being happiness and disgust. She's really good at letting me know when I don't live up to her expectations or aren't reading her mind correctly.  What I want to know is how my dogs know I've decided to take them to the park while I'm typing at the computer.  Without moving or stopping my typing they all of a sudden start running back and forth, barking at their leash, looking at the doggie bags and pawing at the front door.  Very strange.

And in the interest of being fair, since I picked on cats last week, here is how to take a puppy picture.

1. Remove film from box and load camera.
2. Remove film box from puppy's mouth and throw in trash.
3. Remove puppy from trash and brush coffee grounds from muzzle.
4. Choose a suitable background for photo.
5. Mount camera on tripod and focus.
6. Find puppy and take dirty sock from mouth.
7. Place puppy in pre-focused spot and return to camera.
8. Forget about spot and crawl after puppy on knees.
9. Focus with one hand and fend off puppy with other hand.
10. Get tissue and clean nose print from lens.
11. Take flash cube from puppy's mouth and throw in trash.
12. Put cat outside and put peroxide on the scratch on puppy's nose.
13. Put magazines back on coffee table.
14. Try to get puppy's attention by squeaking toy over your head.
15. Replace your glasses and check camera for damage.
16. Jump up in time to grab puppy by scruff of neck and say, "No, outside! No, outside!"
17. Clean up mess.
18. Fix a drink.
19. Sit back in Lazy Boy with drink and resolve to teach puppy "sit" and "stay" the first thing in the morning.

My dogs don't present with these issues, they are hams of the first order and as soon as they see a camera they stop doing whatever cute thing it was that made me find the camera and start posing.

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A Variation On...

How to wash a cat.

This was simply too much of a  time saver not to share it with you.

1. Put both lids of the toilet up. And add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the water in the bowl.

2. Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

3. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close the lid. You may need to stand on the lid.

4. The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a 'power-wash' and rinse'.

6. Have someone open the front door of your home. Be sure that there are no people between the bathroom and the front door.

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift the lid.

8. The cat will rocket out of the toilet, streak through the bathroom, and run outside where he will dry himself off.

9. Both the commode and the cat will be sparkling clean.

 

Sincerely,

The Dog



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Shai Shai Is 8 Years Old Today

For the pug of my life.




You are the best. I love you lots.!

Leaving Hotel California

Who would have thought that mom and I would trade California for fly over country?  Ms. Mule made me an offer I can't refuse, it's the only positive way to change my situation and we can't afford San Jose anymore.  Besides, this place is butt ugly and I've always hated it.

Later today I'll start running around like a crazy woman, buying boxes, sorting and packing.  My goal is to be on the road in less than two weeks.  Any move I make is going to be hard on mom and the stress of the last few months has about done me in so I might as well go for broke.  I'm trying to arrange times for my brothers to see mom one last time but schedules are difficult and reaching one of them is impossible.

The trip is going to be hard on the dogs but I'm sure that mom and I can manage this.  According to the Google taking the southern route is only two hours longer than the northern route and over three to four days it shouldn't make much difference. The northern route would be prettier but the southern route is likely to be safer in the wintertime.  Though I have to admit that on that same route I hit a patch of black ice during a freak snowstorm at the end of April a couple of years ago.  Did you know that frost on greenery lining the highway looks like cauliflower when you are spinning around at 70 mph? What a fun time that was.

I've spent most of the morning looking at renting a truck online, Budget is the cheapest, Penske is cheap and after the AAA discount will probably be competitive with Budget but the dropoff will be a pain, Uhaul is convenient on both ends but the most expensive. It's sad to say but everything I want to keep will probably fit into a 10' truck.  At least it will be easy to drive and gets the best gas mileage.

Next project, finding dog friendly motels.

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Is Stupidity Stranger Than Fiction?

Sometimes people's names reflect their personality.  Michael Savage is one of them.  Instead of taking on the attributes of his angelic first name, he prefers reveling in the negative qualities of his last.   The safest place for him is Arkham Asylum.

SAVAGE: Then we got into the dominatrix (he wishes!) issue. I don't understand that part of it. I truly don't understand it because any heterosexual woman today over the age of 25 who grew up in America is basically a dominatrix. You ask any heterosexual guy. Within a short period of time -- what do you think it's going to last? Ehhh -- 90 days and after that you're living with a dominatrix anyway, so what's the difference? Why do they have to go to a professional? What does a professional dominatrix do that an ordinary woman doesn't do in America today? Half the women look like post-op transvestites to begin with, trying to look like they're gay or keeping up with the mores of the society. You ever see what they look like? They thin themselves down, they're on some kind of diet pill. The lipstick looks like it was applied by, what's her name, Joan Rivers when she was high. They all have a mouth on them, and the guy is, like, pushed into the background. It's any wonder I'm in talk radio. The safest place for a man to be today is in talk radio and listening to it.

Perhaps a little time reading the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, a name that has been tossed around quite a bit lately, would help him on his so far fruitless quest for humanity.

Better to be silent and thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

But that would require reading, knowledge of history and logical thinking and those qualities do not go very well with the diarrhea of the mouth that Savage, and his companion toddler Limbaugh, spew when their gags diapers are removed.  The sad part is that these two burbled and babbled about how civility is practically nonexistent in the Democratic party.   As opposed to being completely nonexistent from the last remnants of the I need my daddy to make it all better party.

Every once in a while the Supremes remember what their job is supposed to be (clue, they're not kingmakers) and refusing to review Obama's birth is one of them.   Accidents of birth happen all the time.  Let's use Paris Hilton as an example.  She may have been born into wealth on American soil but anyone with half a brain knows she isn't qualified to be President much less a garbage collector.  I, and my two brothers, were not born in the contiguous United States.  We were, however, born on American ground while my father served his country when we still had bases that were located outside the continental US to protect us from the Red Menace, by virtue of being born in a United States hospital and are considered natural born citizens. Period. McCain was born while his father was overseas defending his country and that should not be considered a penalty.  Obama was born in Hawaii after it became a state and that should be the end of the matter.  At least it would be for thinking people, but it appears others escaped Arkham along with the potty mouths.

Over the last few weeks my friends have been having a difficult time and I've tried to support them as much as possible.  My friend, we'll call her Lin, ruptured the maxillary artery on the left side of her face.  It started as a simple nosebleed and with Kaiser's wonderful efficiency they sent her home twice in one day.  On the third trip to the ER, one of the ER people finally noticed that the blood was spurting and not leaking.  By the time they had admitted her she had lost half of her blood volume and it was five days before she was strong enough to survive the surgery to repair the aneurysm.  This vibrant woman, who hapens to be a psychiatric nurse, lost over 20 pounds and a lot of the oomph from her personality.

My next door neighbor, we'll call him Dale, had his beloved dog die the other night.  I would have a picture of Tycho but it was scheduled for the day after he was gone.  All the dogs in the neighborhood knew something was up.  Losing one's best friend is devastating,  Especially for those of us who treat our dogs as our surrogate children.

On an even stranger note, every since Sarah Palin hit the airwaves my keyboard keeps dropping the g.  Very frustratin.

Oh yeah, are we human or are we dancer?  I must be old because I don't know what that means, but my signs are still vital and my hands are warm.

BBB

Almost Having Fun

Better late than never.  This is what happens when legislatures rush to push through a bill without considering the consequences.  Not everyone is a good parent and just because you can have a baby doesn't mean that you are emotionally or financially capable of handling the responsibility.  Meanwhile, the kids who have been abandoned have to live the rest of their lives knowing that their parents didn't want them.

OMG!  Talk about creating a need where one shouldn't exist.  Lift and separate those manboobs.  Now men can wear bras to go along with all the other women's products that have been co opted in recent years.  I'm afraid to see what they will think of next.

Speaking of bras, Nipplegate is on its way to the Supreme Court.  It's nice to know that with all the wrongdoing that has occurred over the last eight years that the Supremes are finally going to tackle something important to us as a nation.  Boobies! 

What do my dogs say about me?  I have a purebred black pug and a terrier chihuahua mix.  Hmm, I must be slightly demented, have a good sense of humor, love food and like to chase my tail for no good reason.  Sounds about right.

Big Brass Blog

Saturday Morning Observations

Last night I had the unfortunate experience of listening to someone claim that the reason the car makers are having financial difficulties is because they have been forced to go green and make hybrids for the last few years and that this is the reason that the whole economy is failing.  I did what any normal, rational person would do.  I picked up my drink and walked out.  You can't reason with stupidity and now that the election is over I really can't be bothered.

I said I wasn't going to vote for Obama but the California GOP pissed me off so badly that I went ahead and cast my vote for him.  It seems they were so desperate to throw mud that they filed a lawsuit about his using campaign money to visit his sick grandmother.  That wasn't quite as stupid as those who felt that he had his grandmother killed for the sympathy vote, but it was up there in the stupid zone.

Meanwhile over at Open Salon another one of the intellectually impaired wrote a post blaming liberals for causing a future nuclear terrorist attack by voting for Obama.  It is utterly fascinating how the mistakes of the last eight years are being blamed on someone who isn't in office yet.  Typical Republican behavior.  Blame everyone except themselves.

One of the things I've noticed since blogs have become so popular is that a good proportion of people do not know how to spell.  Not just typos, they happen to everyone, but words that have been in the news on a daily basis such as Barack.  It isn't spelled Barak unless you are talking about Ehud.  The word is initiative, not innitiave.  And for Pete's sake, the word is Republican, not Repug.  Shai Shai gets offended every time it is used.

In regards to the First Puppy, I recommend a pug.  The cuteness factor is enormous and they are the comedians of the dog world.  No matter how bad the day gets they can bring a smile to your face and they are tenacious enough to entertain you until you do.

It seems that Italy's Prime Minister Berlusconi has offended some people by calling Obama "tanned".  Being biracial myself, I am not the least offended by the remark.  For most of my life I have been telling people that my skin color doesn't bother me since it is the shade that all those blonds waste time in tanning beds risking skin cancer to acquire.  Not every observation about skin color is racist.  Now it's time to break another color barrier, as soon as we find an albino willing to run for office.

BBB

The Plan So Far

On Tuesday, Nov 4th, mom and I will vote and then we will move the last of our belongings to the car, have our mail forwarded to a P.O Box and move into a homeless shelter.  Yes, I know it isn't the best plan, but at this point it's all I can come up with.  Rents in the area are more than we can afford, mom can't get into a decent nursing home and very few places will let us have two dogs.   Plus, my credit sucks.

It is important that mom stay in the area because she has convenient medical care,  knows where she is most of the time, and has benefits that would be stopped if we leave the county and she would have to qualify all over again.  As it is, she is going to have a hard time orienting herself in a new living situation.

It also seems that we will qualify for housing help if we don't have a place to stay, so if I can't find a place that we can afford, we can hang out with other people who also can't afford to live in the area.  It doesn't make sense to me either.  Somehow when I moved up here I never thought that this would happen.

I haven't been able to post because one, I'm depressed and two, I've been frantically looking for a place to stay and a way to make money that won't leave mom alone all day.   So far I've had no luck with either of my two projects.  If anybody knows of a safe place we can live in San Jose, I would appreciate you letting me know.  The absolute last thing a person with dementia needs is to live in a homeless shelter.  Mom needs a quiet environment that she is comfortable with so she can live out her last days in peace.

And I need a break so we can get back on our feet.

BBB

Excuse Me For Asking

But shouldn't the citizens be the ones getting the "loans" instead of the automakers, bankers and mortgage companies?  Isn't the crisis because people can't pay their bills and therefore they can't buy the cars or make the house payments?  Or could it be that the automakers didn't make products that consumers needed?

Meanwhile the babbling Bush keeps making promises to help out the guys who didn't plan for anything except themselves making a profit off of the average consumer.  Bush says he's working hard on economic turmoil.  Well, he's succeeded.  It almost cracks me up how short-sighted people have been for the last twenty eight years.  Nobody is propping me up except for a few people with big hearts.   If you offshore jobs to countries outside of the United States, eventually there won't be enough people with jobs inside the United States to be able to pay their bills.  So, they relaxed the credit rules and the economy was humming along nicely for a little while.  Now, just like falling off a building, the sudden stop at the end is a real killer.

If there is no such thing as a safe tan, how come people didn't have skin cancers throughout the ages?  If they weren't hunting for food, they were planting it.  People used to be outside from sun up to sundown.  Yes they died of cancer, but rarely was it a skin cancer.  Usually it was something that people couldn't see that killed them, like TB, stomach, colon or liver cancer.  You don't suppose that we've done something to the environment that caused the explosion of cancer in our lifetimes, do you?

Good grief!  I thought our representatives in Congress were lapdogs, but they have nothing on California's legislature.  This idea that taxes aren't needed for the public good is foolish.  For those of us who grew up here in the sixties and seventies and had one of the best school systems in the country to now not want to pay taxes so that today's children have the same opportunities as their parents, isn't foolish, it's stupid.  We have had wildfires burning out of control because there was neither the manpower, money or equipment to fight them quickly and at the same time reduced services to those who need it just so millionaires don't have to pay their fair share for enjoying all the benefits this state had to offer.  No wonder the cities are dividing into the rich and poor sides of town.  And this time it is without the railroad tracks showing the demarcation line.

On a personal note, thank you to those who donated to help my mom and myself.  Every dime is greatly appreciated.  Mom is aware that we are in trouble and it seems to have accelerated some aspects of her dementia along with making her even more stubborn.  If we become homeless we lose all of the programs that are helping to keep her out of a convalescent home where they send you to die and she loses any illusion of autonomy.  I would like to keep her away from that option as long as possible.  In other words, until she no longer recognizes me or the dogs, or dies at home as peacefully as possible.

BBB

Tortoise Vs. Felines

A little light hearted entertainment.


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Determined little guy, wasn't he?

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