Election Day or once bitten, twice shy
You know what I found myself wondering about the other day? What do penguins feel like? I mean if you were to hug an Empire penguin, would it be squishy and feathery feeling like a regular bird or kind of soft and fluffy like a cat? Or would it be solid, like hugging your dog?
Empire Penguins are big birds, big heavy birds, would it be kind of like embracing a person? Are EPs all feathers or are they mostly fat? Would a penguin want to be hugged or do they have personal space issues? Has any one asked? Tried?
I was watching the Hallmark Channel the other day and they were advertising their airing of March of the Penguins at the end of the month. I watched it in the theatres and I don’t remember if they addressed how the penguins felt about being hugged or what it felt like to hug a penguin. I also wondered if they smell. Birds nests really stink and Emperor penguins are their nests, so I would guess they would smell like a nest, in that case, maybe you wouldn’t want to hug them even if they were open to it, But maybe because it is so cold, there isn’t the same nest odor issues that present themselves as in warmer environments.
Well, penguin tangents aside, it’s Election Day. The big mid-term elections that we have been thinking about and plotting for since we got handed our asses two years ago. I worked so hard two years ago. I haven’t done jack this time.
I did make three calls for Moveon. Despite their best efforts to piss me off and turn me against them. I made my calls in spite of their heavy handed guilt tripping. I told them I didn’t want to do it and that I would be happy to write them a check instead, but noooo they wouldn’t take I-Don’t-Want-To or a $15 check for an answer. Fine. No means No, Moveon.
I was so hurt the last time. I had been all gung ho and going to meetings and getting up early on Saturdays and going out and knocking on doors and handing out literature and being so good. This time I didn’t do jack. I never even went by Democratic Headquarters. In my defense, the local Wake County people never called me either. I did notice a change this election cycle though, this time there was a lot of signage in my neighborhood and their was evidence that some one from the party had gone door to door. I bitched about the party ignoring the minority neighborhoods the last time around; I thought they were taking them for granted – which they were. The Democrats can be very stupid. I’m hoping they learned from their mistakes.
I can’t help but to think about how hard we all worked last time, how much energy was put forth, how many hours were spent working for the party and how hopeful and excited and happy we all were. We really thought we had a chance, and then we lost. Very.
It really hurt. It really hurt me, I did all that work and had a really good time doing it and then we lost. I couldn't get over how much fun we had and we still got beaten. I talked a good game afterwards but part of me died. I was too sad to get involved. It was like being burned by a bad boyfriend and being afraid to get out there again.
I think that’s why I didn’t do anything this time around. I’m not excited about being burned again. I’m paranoid that the Democrats good polling numbers and the Rethuglicans bad numbers are all a Rovian trick being played on us to get democratic voters complacent and hopeful and to light a fire under the rethuglican base, and to ultimately break our (my) heart(s) again. I don’t trust anything I see regarding our chances – good, bad or indifferent. I think the Rethuglicans are going to steal the election again and all the Rethugs being publicly outed as crooks and liars and pervs is just an elaborate form of a political purge. It’s like the Stalinist purges without the actual murders. It’s their political lives being snuffed instead of their actual lives. It’s a “lite” purge.
I want us to win. I want America to be okay again. I want to be able to fly my flag again. I want to believe again. I’m afraid I’m going to get burned again.
VOTE DAMN IT. VOTE A STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC TICKET. USE YOUR VOTERS GUIDE!!
edited to add - I was at my polling place when the does opened and I was the sixth in line and my ballot was the first one in the machine, Paper ballots tahnak you very much
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Monday, November 6, 2006
Be Aware
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department plans to dispatch more than 800 federal observers and monitors to 20 states to protect voting rights in potentially troubled polling locations, officials announced Tuesday.
That is a record number of federal officials watching polling stations in an off-year election.
The Justice Department is reluctant to make public plans for elections observers. One official said that is because observers are viewed, in part, as frontline collectors of data that could be used to construct cases against local jurisdictions.
Trust Issues
“Monitors” or voter intimidation? I don’t trust the feds in any way. There is no wrong doing or cheating that I would put beyond Bushco and its minions.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department plans to dispatch more than 800 federal observers and monitors to 20 states to protect voting rights in potentially troubled polling locations, officials announced Tuesday.
That is a record number of federal officials watching polling stations in an off-year election.
The Justice Department is reluctant to make public plans for elections observers. One official said that is because observers are viewed, in part, as frontline collectors of data that could be used to construct cases against local jurisdictions.
Trust Issues
“Monitors” or voter intimidation? I don’t trust the feds in any way. There is no wrong doing or cheating that I would put beyond Bushco and its minions.
Babe in Toyland
A couple of weeks ago I got a notice from one of the online shopping site that I go to. It wanted me to know about this “exciting” deal they had for me. If I so choose, I could have my very own MP3 player/bluetooth/phone/DVD player!, okay, actually, it isn’t a DVD player, but it is all those other things.
I said to myself “Wow! an MP3 player! I want one of those!”. I’m not really sure what an MP3 player is but I know that all the really cool kids have them. I want to be one of the cool kids too!
But.
I’m not a kid and I’m not cool. I have no experience with coolness. I wasn’t one of the cool kids when I was a kid. I was at very best one of the lukewarm kids. I didn’t actually do anything cool, but I knew the names of the kids who did do cool things. I used sun in on my hair, I made it damaged and orange. Not as cool as the kids who made their hair pink and some how not damaged . I was in remedial cool.
Being old sadly does not keep you from wanting to be like the cool kids, in fact, it makes the desire to be cool even more pressing because once you get old, you can’t be a kid again at all. All you can do is try to be cool. The cool kids will laugh at you, but at least you can laugh at the rest of the adults and say “Well, at least I know what a JoJo is”. This does not make you cool, actually it makes you a little lame, but not as lame as listening to Rod Stewart sing the classics.
So. My cool toy arrived and I opened up the packaging and discovered really fast that I didn’t have any idea what to do with any of it. It took me an embarrassing long time to figure out that reason it would not turn on despite the fact I put the battery in it, was because the battery needed to be charged. Oops. Once charged, I was able to make the little thing glow red. I could not make it do anything else.
I bagged it and all of its various bells and whistles up and made an appointment with Alphagal to make it work.
Alphagal kindly read all the paper work for me and made it work.
She explained to me how I could make it work. She even loaded music on it to prove that while my toy was cheap, it did have the capacity to do what it was supposed to. Kind of, a real MP3 player holds hundreds if not thousands of titles. Mine holds about two albums worth.
I went home feeling very smart. I felt so smart that I decided I wanted to start with a clean slate and put my own music on my toy. I searched the house for CDs and gathered some favorites. While I was tossing the house looking for CDs, I allowed the computer to put a new version of Explorer on.
This was a mistake, not only could I not do what I wanted, everything looked different too.
I told the computer what Alphagal told me. The computer laughed. I cried. Dogger whimpered, I yelled at Dogger, the cats knocked things over, I yelled at the cats, I yelled at the computer. I called Alphagal and talked to Broskey who did a good job of not laughing.
I think I’m too old for “ripping” MP3s. I couldn’t make it work even with expert advice. My computer didn't even know what it was supposed to do. We're both lame and neither of us seems to have the right vocabulary. I know there are fourth graders the world over who can do this and there are in all likelyhood toddlers running around with Playskool kIdPods jamming to Barney tunes, good for them. I think I'll go listen to a cassette tape my jam box.
A couple of weeks ago I got a notice from one of the online shopping site that I go to. It wanted me to know about this “exciting” deal they had for me. If I so choose, I could have my very own MP3 player/bluetooth/phone/DVD player!, okay, actually, it isn’t a DVD player, but it is all those other things.
I said to myself “Wow! an MP3 player! I want one of those!”. I’m not really sure what an MP3 player is but I know that all the really cool kids have them. I want to be one of the cool kids too!
But.
I’m not a kid and I’m not cool. I have no experience with coolness. I wasn’t one of the cool kids when I was a kid. I was at very best one of the lukewarm kids. I didn’t actually do anything cool, but I knew the names of the kids who did do cool things. I used sun in on my hair, I made it damaged and orange. Not as cool as the kids who made their hair pink and some how not damaged . I was in remedial cool.
Being old sadly does not keep you from wanting to be like the cool kids, in fact, it makes the desire to be cool even more pressing because once you get old, you can’t be a kid again at all. All you can do is try to be cool. The cool kids will laugh at you, but at least you can laugh at the rest of the adults and say “Well, at least I know what a JoJo is”. This does not make you cool, actually it makes you a little lame, but not as lame as listening to Rod Stewart sing the classics.
So. My cool toy arrived and I opened up the packaging and discovered really fast that I didn’t have any idea what to do with any of it. It took me an embarrassing long time to figure out that reason it would not turn on despite the fact I put the battery in it, was because the battery needed to be charged. Oops. Once charged, I was able to make the little thing glow red. I could not make it do anything else.
I bagged it and all of its various bells and whistles up and made an appointment with Alphagal to make it work.
Alphagal kindly read all the paper work for me and made it work.
She explained to me how I could make it work. She even loaded music on it to prove that while my toy was cheap, it did have the capacity to do what it was supposed to. Kind of, a real MP3 player holds hundreds if not thousands of titles. Mine holds about two albums worth.
I went home feeling very smart. I felt so smart that I decided I wanted to start with a clean slate and put my own music on my toy. I searched the house for CDs and gathered some favorites. While I was tossing the house looking for CDs, I allowed the computer to put a new version of Explorer on.
This was a mistake, not only could I not do what I wanted, everything looked different too.
I told the computer what Alphagal told me. The computer laughed. I cried. Dogger whimpered, I yelled at Dogger, the cats knocked things over, I yelled at the cats, I yelled at the computer. I called Alphagal and talked to Broskey who did a good job of not laughing.
I think I’m too old for “ripping” MP3s. I couldn’t make it work even with expert advice. My computer didn't even know what it was supposed to do. We're both lame and neither of us seems to have the right vocabulary. I know there are fourth graders the world over who can do this and there are in all likelyhood toddlers running around with Playskool kIdPods jamming to Barney tunes, good for them. I think I'll go listen to a cassette tape my jam box.
Sunday, November 5, 2006
Saturday, November 4, 2006
Friday, November 3, 2006
Am I insane?
I was tooling around Ebay the other day and I saw that Carl Haisson has a new book. I was thrilled! He needs to come out with new books more often, like weekly. Any way, there were all ready books up for auction, with the stipulation that they would be shipped after the publication date. Fine. I looked at several and bid on the cheapest one. It was a uncorrected copy, no cover art no nothing. I said fine, I don't need pictures to follow the story anyway.
Carl Hiaasen NATURE GIRL November 2006 ARC/PROOF - Bidding has ended for this item at US $36.88. You were outbid. .
No duh!
$36.88! or you could just go to Amazon and get it for about a third of that or you could go to your favorite real book store and still get out the door for less. Am I missing something here?
I was tooling around Ebay the other day and I saw that Carl Haisson has a new book. I was thrilled! He needs to come out with new books more often, like weekly. Any way, there were all ready books up for auction, with the stipulation that they would be shipped after the publication date. Fine. I looked at several and bid on the cheapest one. It was a uncorrected copy, no cover art no nothing. I said fine, I don't need pictures to follow the story anyway.
Carl Hiaasen NATURE GIRL November 2006 ARC/PROOF - Bidding has ended for this item at US $36.88. You were outbid. .
No duh!
$36.88! or you could just go to Amazon and get it for about a third of that or you could go to your favorite real book store and still get out the door for less. Am I missing something here?
Fear of a Blue Planet
The Democrats and the Republicans are so far apart that they can’t even agree on what day it is. I got these emails minutes apart on the same day:
6 Days
As of today, we only have 6 days left to help our candidates air critical last-minute advertising, as well as to contact, identify and turn out Republican voters in an unprecedented effort save our critical Senate Majority!
Although you and I have worked hard for our Republican candidates, the liberal special interests will do or say whatever it takes to win these tight races and take over the Senate!
Democrats win and gain a Senate Majority they will use to:
1.Raise taxes on you and all Americans -- and then spend your hard-earned
tax dollars on their elitist causes!
2.Grant amnesty to illegal immigrants;
3.Retreat on the War on Terror by cutting and running from Iraq;
4.Begin investigations against President Bush and his Administration.
Hmmmm. Let me check my super secret librul code book...
1. What “elitist causes”? Re-landscaping Barbara Streisand's back yard? Maybe global warming? Or assuring our troops have adequate armor? Or that our veterans get the support and services they deserve and were promised?
2.“Granting amnesty”? Just like Ron Reagan did? That old America hatin' pinko.
3.“Retreat from the War on Terra by cutting and running blah, blah?” Gosh, the last time I looked the majority of Americans were kind of in support of leaving Iraq. It’s hardly a radical concept. It's a concept that the GOP should have gotten behind before Bill Frist started to send panic emails. Shrub is the only one still happy to be there.
4.“Bringing Shrub to Justice”. Who's "soft on crime" now?
I wonder why? I also wonder why Shrub bought all that land in lovely no extradition Paraguay. Are the Rethuglicans knowing subverting justice here? are they asking presumably Law and Order Red America to knowingly allow criminals to go free? Are there laws being broken by our lawmakers? What exactly are they thinking about? How dirty is he? Could it be worse than we think?
I’m not sure that would be possible.
Bill Frist is worried.
And from the Good Guys:
5 Days
Karl Rove himself was quoted as saying that this year's conservative GOTV effort will be stronger and even more effective than their superior performance in the last two elections. RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman shared Rove's confidence by stating that early indicators of their voter turnout efforts are more promising than in 2004.
We are aware how hard it will be to defeat the army of conservatives. The financial imbalance is daunting. But this challenge cannot go unanswered. Support our work by sponsoring a GOTV package today. Your contribution will go towards essential parts of our plans for the final push: vans, food and supplies for volunteers, and election protection work that is essential to securing the progressive vote. Please give generously today.
And on the other hand. The Democrats aren’t quite as naked in their fear. They should be terrified. We thought we had it sewn up last time too! and see how well that turned out. I guess fear of a blue planet is not really at the top of our list, it's hard to be afraid of yourself. We do get points for using the Karl Rove card and name checking Ken Mehlman ( am I the one who’s gaydar pings when he’s around?) We lose points however for not using fear as effectively as we could. Fear is a great motivator, it along with vote rigging got Shrub into office twice.
I don't think we're worried enough.
Okay.
Moving on. I was driving home from the dog park Wednesday. I was fooling with the radio and as I was flipping through I heard:
Have a holly...:”
I turned the sound down and counted to five. I turned the sound back up. I thought that I must have suffered an audio hallucination. Perhaps I should check my meds, maybe I suffered a head injury and didn’t know it. Maybe it was a mistake on the part of the radio station.
Oh My golly have a holly, jolly Christmas this year!!
No. No to all of the above. After Burl Ives made me question my sanity, they moved on to Bing Crosby. The local station that plays carols every year, normally starting 24 hour play around Thanksgiving, had started their carol playing. The. Day. After. Halloween.
Isn’t Christmas supposed to be special? I could deal with the half off Halloween sales before Halloween, I could even deal with the plastic skulls sharing shelf space with the plastic Santa's, but CHRISTMAS CAROLS the first week of November?
I blame George Bush.
The Democrats and the Republicans are so far apart that they can’t even agree on what day it is. I got these emails minutes apart on the same day:
6 Days
As of today, we only have 6 days left to help our candidates air critical last-minute advertising, as well as to contact, identify and turn out Republican voters in an unprecedented effort save our critical Senate Majority!
Although you and I have worked hard for our Republican candidates, the liberal special interests will do or say whatever it takes to win these tight races and take over the Senate!
Democrats win and gain a Senate Majority they will use to:
1.Raise taxes on you and all Americans -- and then spend your hard-earned
tax dollars on their elitist causes!
2.Grant amnesty to illegal immigrants;
3.Retreat on the War on Terror by cutting and running from Iraq;
4.Begin investigations against President Bush and his Administration.
Hmmmm. Let me check my super secret librul code book...
1. What “elitist causes”? Re-landscaping Barbara Streisand's back yard? Maybe global warming? Or assuring our troops have adequate armor? Or that our veterans get the support and services they deserve and were promised?
2.“Granting amnesty”? Just like Ron Reagan did? That old America hatin' pinko.
3.“Retreat from the War on Terra by cutting and running blah, blah?” Gosh, the last time I looked the majority of Americans were kind of in support of leaving Iraq. It’s hardly a radical concept. It's a concept that the GOP should have gotten behind before Bill Frist started to send panic emails. Shrub is the only one still happy to be there.
4.“Bringing Shrub to Justice”. Who's "soft on crime" now?
I wonder why? I also wonder why Shrub bought all that land in lovely no extradition Paraguay. Are the Rethuglicans knowing subverting justice here? are they asking presumably Law and Order Red America to knowingly allow criminals to go free? Are there laws being broken by our lawmakers? What exactly are they thinking about? How dirty is he? Could it be worse than we think?
I’m not sure that would be possible.
Bill Frist is worried.
And from the Good Guys:
5 Days
Karl Rove himself was quoted as saying that this year's conservative GOTV effort will be stronger and even more effective than their superior performance in the last two elections. RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman shared Rove's confidence by stating that early indicators of their voter turnout efforts are more promising than in 2004.
We are aware how hard it will be to defeat the army of conservatives. The financial imbalance is daunting. But this challenge cannot go unanswered. Support our work by sponsoring a GOTV package today. Your contribution will go towards essential parts of our plans for the final push: vans, food and supplies for volunteers, and election protection work that is essential to securing the progressive vote. Please give generously today.
And on the other hand. The Democrats aren’t quite as naked in their fear. They should be terrified. We thought we had it sewn up last time too! and see how well that turned out. I guess fear of a blue planet is not really at the top of our list, it's hard to be afraid of yourself. We do get points for using the Karl Rove card and name checking Ken Mehlman ( am I the one who’s gaydar pings when he’s around?) We lose points however for not using fear as effectively as we could. Fear is a great motivator, it along with vote rigging got Shrub into office twice.
I don't think we're worried enough.
Okay.
Moving on. I was driving home from the dog park Wednesday. I was fooling with the radio and as I was flipping through I heard:
Have a holly...:”
I turned the sound down and counted to five. I turned the sound back up. I thought that I must have suffered an audio hallucination. Perhaps I should check my meds, maybe I suffered a head injury and didn’t know it. Maybe it was a mistake on the part of the radio station.
Oh My golly have a holly, jolly Christmas this year!!
No. No to all of the above. After Burl Ives made me question my sanity, they moved on to Bing Crosby. The local station that plays carols every year, normally starting 24 hour play around Thanksgiving, had started their carol playing. The. Day. After. Halloween.
Isn’t Christmas supposed to be special? I could deal with the half off Halloween sales before Halloween, I could even deal with the plastic skulls sharing shelf space with the plastic Santa's, but CHRISTMAS CAROLS the first week of November?
I blame George Bush.
Thursday, November 2, 2006
The Republican Culture of Corruption at Work
Rethuglicans at work, you can't trust even the most lowly volunteer. Does the RNC have How To classes for DYI dirty tricks? Are there symposiums? Another example why these people can not be trusted. Lesson to learn - BYO voters guides
Rethuglicans at work, you can't trust even the most lowly volunteer. Does the RNC have How To classes for DYI dirty tricks? Are there symposiums? Another example why these people can not be trusted. Lesson to learn - BYO voters guides
Hi, My Name Is:
I am totally into a dog cookie making place. It’s the weirdest thing. I told my dog walking friend that I would make him some before he leaves on November 22, and now I’m trapped in some sort of dog cookie making loop. So far I’ve made the meat loaf drippings flavor, peanut butter and now cheese. I’m going to Sam’s Club tomorrow and pick up some bacon pieces. I need to chill out on this because next stop is Christmas Dog Cookie land and I don’t want to peak too early.
It would be smart to bank cookies prior to that, but those cookies are in holiday shaped in nature and the cookies I’m making now are not. I know that bone shaped has a universal appeal, but not the same appeal that tree shapes or the word “noel” has. I mean, lets get serious.
So. My dog walking buddy is getting about half of them, Dogger is getting about a quarter and a couple of my doggy friends from the park are getting to split the rest. They don’t know that yet and I’m trying to figure out how to tell them. I’m afraid I’m going to seem creepy if I follow them out to their cars and force baggies of dog cookies on them. Not everyone likes getting unsolicited dog cookies from strangers. And we are strangers.
Today for instance, a woman I have spoken to a lot finally introduced herself. It’s nice to know the names of the people I see everyday. We all spend a good hour a day chatting with these people and I don’t know anyone’s names and I am not alone. I don’t think any of them know my name either, they don’t ask and I don’t tell. The woman who introduced herself today is a nice girl, we’ve been talking a few times a week for months. I know she works out of her home, she’s six months pregnant and her husband thinks hanging out at the park sounds boring. I know her dog, he greets me at the gate when Dogger and I arrive, well, he meets Dogger at the gate but he jumps into my lap. If the little dog could purr he would.
I don’t know how to not creepily hand his person dog cookies, especially home made dog cookies. Does that make me weird? Would you be creeped out if an acquaintance gave you food for your pet? I mean, I told her I was making them for my friend who is moving away, so she all ready knows that I make dog treats, would it be imposing if I offered her some? I just don’t want to be creepy. I worry about appearing creepy.
Part of me kind of likes the anonymous nature of the interaction at the park. No one really knows that much about each other, conversation is limited to dogs and dog related topics, it’s kind of freeing actually. I’ve over herd few huddled political conversations, we’re good liberals at the dog park - this doesn’t surprise me. When I was going door to door during the last election cycle the registered democrats’ front doors almost always had “Rescue My Pets” stickers for emergency personal. Rethuglican doors did not.
I did get a surprise the other day. One of the guys I talk to a lot, mostly about his charming dog and his near obsessive relationship with it, showed off a wrist band supporting the Duke Lacrosse Team rapists. I was horrified. I don’t know his name, but I thought I knew him better than that.
I am totally into a dog cookie making place. It’s the weirdest thing. I told my dog walking friend that I would make him some before he leaves on November 22, and now I’m trapped in some sort of dog cookie making loop. So far I’ve made the meat loaf drippings flavor, peanut butter and now cheese. I’m going to Sam’s Club tomorrow and pick up some bacon pieces. I need to chill out on this because next stop is Christmas Dog Cookie land and I don’t want to peak too early.
It would be smart to bank cookies prior to that, but those cookies are in holiday shaped in nature and the cookies I’m making now are not. I know that bone shaped has a universal appeal, but not the same appeal that tree shapes or the word “noel” has. I mean, lets get serious.
So. My dog walking buddy is getting about half of them, Dogger is getting about a quarter and a couple of my doggy friends from the park are getting to split the rest. They don’t know that yet and I’m trying to figure out how to tell them. I’m afraid I’m going to seem creepy if I follow them out to their cars and force baggies of dog cookies on them. Not everyone likes getting unsolicited dog cookies from strangers. And we are strangers.
Today for instance, a woman I have spoken to a lot finally introduced herself. It’s nice to know the names of the people I see everyday. We all spend a good hour a day chatting with these people and I don’t know anyone’s names and I am not alone. I don’t think any of them know my name either, they don’t ask and I don’t tell. The woman who introduced herself today is a nice girl, we’ve been talking a few times a week for months. I know she works out of her home, she’s six months pregnant and her husband thinks hanging out at the park sounds boring. I know her dog, he greets me at the gate when Dogger and I arrive, well, he meets Dogger at the gate but he jumps into my lap. If the little dog could purr he would.
I don’t know how to not creepily hand his person dog cookies, especially home made dog cookies. Does that make me weird? Would you be creeped out if an acquaintance gave you food for your pet? I mean, I told her I was making them for my friend who is moving away, so she all ready knows that I make dog treats, would it be imposing if I offered her some? I just don’t want to be creepy. I worry about appearing creepy.
Part of me kind of likes the anonymous nature of the interaction at the park. No one really knows that much about each other, conversation is limited to dogs and dog related topics, it’s kind of freeing actually. I’ve over herd few huddled political conversations, we’re good liberals at the dog park - this doesn’t surprise me. When I was going door to door during the last election cycle the registered democrats’ front doors almost always had “Rescue My Pets” stickers for emergency personal. Rethuglican doors did not.
I did get a surprise the other day. One of the guys I talk to a lot, mostly about his charming dog and his near obsessive relationship with it, showed off a wrist band supporting the Duke Lacrosse Team rapists. I was horrified. I don’t know his name, but I thought I knew him better than that.
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Finally
H.R. 3858, the "Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006," which amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that State and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency.
Signed into law last Friday. No more bad press about dead puppies.
H.R. 3858, the "Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006," which amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that State and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency.
Signed into law last Friday. No more bad press about dead puppies.
November 1
So this is the time change. Who exactly needs it to be that light before seven in the morning? I mean was their a questionnaire sent out? Did I miss a memo or something? I have to say, I was getting a little tired of it being so dark that I was thinking of investing in a bite light so that I could actually find the key hole in my door – I find being able to lock the door makes for a more secure home environment – that and the burglar alarm and 100 lb dog, but it all starts with a locked door.
But I was okay with it. I could deal with the darkness. I liked it. It was restful.
Now? Now I am not happy with the darkness. Please don’t tell me that we revert back to this for the benefit of farmers or school children waiting at bus stops – because that would so very much annoy me. There must be some modern reason we do this. I can’t think of any reason why we should not stay on daylight savings year round. Is it important that it get dark at 5pm? Is there a vampire lobby that is exerting way too much influence over our government? And has for generations? Wait, don’t answer. I don’t want to know.
Dogger was very excited yesterday when I walked in the door after work and almost immediately walked out the door with her to go to the park. Dogger was at first really thrilled but she looked around and didn’t find any of her little dog friends and spent too much of our time there plunked on the ground next to me, fortunately, on of our friends arrived soon after and Dogger got her little exercise in. It is really going to suck though in a few weeks when it’s going to be really dark really early. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to get home, change clothes and get Dogger out the door and to the park in enough time. In years past I have driven her to the baseball field and we usually got a good half hour or so of running around in. I’m hoping we’ll be able to get the same time in at the park.
My old dog walking buddy finally surfaced the other day. I hardly ever see him anymore since I abandoned Doggers daily walking routine. I found out he and his nice dog are moving back to South Carolina some time in November. This makes me sad. I made a batch of dog cookies last night and I’m going to walk Dogger after work to his house and try to drop the cookies off. They are a new flavor I’m experimenting with: “Meat Loaf drippings”. I’m hoping it will be a big hit in the “hunks of cheese” vein. Dogger taste tested them last night and she seemed to like them but Dogger seems to like everything and she may not be the best test subject. I’m pretty sure I could make her tin can flavored dog cookies and she would think those were swell too.
Tonight in lieu of more experimental dog cookies, I’m going to get to experiment with pilling Mini Kitty. I can’t wait! Mini Kitty hates me and won’t let me get closer than about a foot from her without drawing blood and making noises that would make the sound effects guy from The Exorcist blush.
I can totally see how she is going to be thrilled with the whole pilling experience and will no doubt turn over a totally new and previously unknown co-operative leaf as soon as she figures out what I am trying to do. It’ll be great.
I’m thinking of a dart gun to sedate her from a distance and then, maybe some four point hard restraints for when she wakes up and discovers she’s been had, and then the witness protection program for Kitty, Dogger and I for when she gets loose.
So this is the time change. Who exactly needs it to be that light before seven in the morning? I mean was their a questionnaire sent out? Did I miss a memo or something? I have to say, I was getting a little tired of it being so dark that I was thinking of investing in a bite light so that I could actually find the key hole in my door – I find being able to lock the door makes for a more secure home environment – that and the burglar alarm and 100 lb dog, but it all starts with a locked door.
But I was okay with it. I could deal with the darkness. I liked it. It was restful.
Now? Now I am not happy with the darkness. Please don’t tell me that we revert back to this for the benefit of farmers or school children waiting at bus stops – because that would so very much annoy me. There must be some modern reason we do this. I can’t think of any reason why we should not stay on daylight savings year round. Is it important that it get dark at 5pm? Is there a vampire lobby that is exerting way too much influence over our government? And has for generations? Wait, don’t answer. I don’t want to know.
Dogger was very excited yesterday when I walked in the door after work and almost immediately walked out the door with her to go to the park. Dogger was at first really thrilled but she looked around and didn’t find any of her little dog friends and spent too much of our time there plunked on the ground next to me, fortunately, on of our friends arrived soon after and Dogger got her little exercise in. It is really going to suck though in a few weeks when it’s going to be really dark really early. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to get home, change clothes and get Dogger out the door and to the park in enough time. In years past I have driven her to the baseball field and we usually got a good half hour or so of running around in. I’m hoping we’ll be able to get the same time in at the park.
My old dog walking buddy finally surfaced the other day. I hardly ever see him anymore since I abandoned Doggers daily walking routine. I found out he and his nice dog are moving back to South Carolina some time in November. This makes me sad. I made a batch of dog cookies last night and I’m going to walk Dogger after work to his house and try to drop the cookies off. They are a new flavor I’m experimenting with: “Meat Loaf drippings”. I’m hoping it will be a big hit in the “hunks of cheese” vein. Dogger taste tested them last night and she seemed to like them but Dogger seems to like everything and she may not be the best test subject. I’m pretty sure I could make her tin can flavored dog cookies and she would think those were swell too.
Tonight in lieu of more experimental dog cookies, I’m going to get to experiment with pilling Mini Kitty. I can’t wait! Mini Kitty hates me and won’t let me get closer than about a foot from her without drawing blood and making noises that would make the sound effects guy from The Exorcist blush.
I can totally see how she is going to be thrilled with the whole pilling experience and will no doubt turn over a totally new and previously unknown co-operative leaf as soon as she figures out what I am trying to do. It’ll be great.
I’m thinking of a dart gun to sedate her from a distance and then, maybe some four point hard restraints for when she wakes up and discovers she’s been had, and then the witness protection program for Kitty, Dogger and I for when she gets loose.
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