You must read Peter Wolf's blog - Vox Felina

Whether of not you support Trap/Neuter/Return, you must read Peter Wolf's latest blog post on Vox Felina.  It is absolutely unbelievable that Nico Dauphine is highly regarded in the conservation community.  After reading this it is obvious to me that she is, at the very least, vindictive.  At the worst?  I'll leave that up to you to determine.

http://www.voxfelina.com/

A year later

I've been home from the major hospital stay for nearly a year.  The follow-up, post hospital, has been a very bumpy ride.  Chase, Chaz, Colin, Charlie, Cissy & Caleb - gone, but not forgotten.  My half sized right breast finally completely healed, after a very painful skin graft & 13 derma grafts.  Of course, the aftermath is a scarred, nasty looking thing - but I'm the only one that has to look at it, so it really doesn't matter. 

The worst part is that the extended change of routine has left me unable & unwilling to get back on the treadmill of life.  I'm still in first gear, with little to no motivation to even attempt second gear.  I'm feeling my age.  I've come face to face with my own mortality.  Things just look different from this new perspective.  And, I'm flatout tired all of the time.  Fewer things carry much importance.  It's a struggle to get going in the morning.  I don't look forward to a heck of a lot.  I've restricted my life even more and prefer to stay home than go anywhere or do anything.  I'm not sad, just tired and not motivated.  Que sera, sera.  I guess Doris Day was right. 

Claudia's hyperthyroidism seems to be under control.  That's good, but she has blood in her urine and antibiotics haven't helped.  Colt has been losing weight, so he went to the vet this week.  He has hyperthyroidism as well, just not as bad as Claudia's was to begin with.  He also has an eosinophilic granuloma on the inside of his upper left lip.  Steroid shot & thyroid medicine for him. 

Oh, and I tore up my dishwasher months ago.  My washer & dryer work when they feel like it & I need 4 new tires for the CRV.  And, it would be a big help if I could just win the lottery.  If anyone reading this is psychic, please send me the winning lottery numbers.  I'm more than willing to share the jackpot with you. 

With any luck, I'll get back on track and work through this living in slow motion condition.  I wonder if this is what PTSD feels like.  After all, for nearly 2 years I've dealt with an unbelievable amount of personal tragedy.  In addition to 2 hospitalizations in a single year, the loss of 8 cats and 1 dog since February, 2010 has been devastating.  The brightest spot in all of this:  Cagney (the Hell on Wheels kitten).  Rarely does a day go by that she doesn't make me smile and/or laugh.  This kitten, who surely would have died had I not managed to get her trapped when I did, has a personality the size of the state of Alaska.  She's fearless, funny, acrobatic and delightful.  Life is new to her and she reminds me that life can be interesting and fun.  For the time being I'll remain an observer, witnessing it through her eyes. 

Perry says "Galileo outvoted"

We interrupt the regularly scheduled Rant to comment on last night’s Republican debate. 

My favorite moment?   By favorite, I don’t mean that I cheered or liked it, but that it defines why Rick Perry needs to go back to school instead of running a state and, certainly, not a country.  In response to Jon Huntsman’s statement on his position on climate change, Brian Williams asked Rick Perry about his previous statements on his position on this issue.  After all the erroneous statements about scientists daily abandoning the “theory” of human caused climate change, he uttered this gem of wisdom:

“EVEN GALILEO GOT OUTVOTED FOR A SPELL”

Galileo was a brilliant scientist.  He is credited with many discoveries, most notably the telescope.  Through his telescope, he was able to confirm Copernicus’s theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun.  The problem?  At that time, in Italy, the Pope and the Catholic Church were firm in their beliefs that the Earth was the center of the Universe.  To suggest something other than this was HERESY.  Galileo went on trial before the Inquisition and, primarily due to his advanced age, was sentenced to imprisonment in his cottage for the remainder of his life.  He was enjoined to no longer speak or write about his heretical theory of the solar system.  You can read more here about the lead up to the trial, the trial itself and the results:

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/galileo/galileoaccount.html

This wasn’t a trial as we now know it from Law & Order or even Franklin & Bash.  It was Galileo against the Cardinals and the Church.  For all intents and purposes the Church was The Government.  Galileo faced excommunication, possible torture, imprisonment and possibly even death for suggesting an alternative explanation for our “universe.”  This was not a democratic process – he wasn’t “outvoted for a spell” as Rick Perry characterized this episode of history.  Galileo was forced to recant his heresy and to never speak of it again. 

Fortunately for us today, climate scientists are continuing to speak up.  Recently thousands of people, in protest of the Keystone XL tar sands project, gathered outside the White House.  Several hundred were arrested, including Bill McKibben of 350.org, Daryl Hannah, Naomi Klein and NASA’s top scientist, James Hansen.  In the case of Galileo, at worst he would have been executed.  One person alone could have died.  Our continued denial of human caused climate change and our refusal to take action to, at the very least, slow down its progress will ultimately lead to the deaths of millions upon millions of human and non-human lives on our planet.  Just as The Inquisition ushered in The Dark Ages, the stance of Rick Perry and nearly all of the Republican candidates for the Presidency may very well cause the entire Earth to go dark.  They may, in fact, be responsible for killing all of life on Earth.  Denial and adherence to dogma is a recipe for disaster. 

Of course, there was more to the debate last night. 

·         PERRY: Social Security is a Ponzi scheme

·         PAUL:  Eliminate the minimum wage

·         BACHMAN:  Obama caused the rise of gas prices from $1.79 a gallon to nearly $4.00 a gallon

·         BACHMAN:  Obamacare is bankrupting America

·         CAIN: his 9-9-9 tax plan.  9% tax on businesses, 9% tax on income, 9% sales tax

Santorum, Gingrich & Romney contributed as well, but none of their remarks made as much of an impression upon me as those above.  I’m convinced that Perry will win the Republican nomination.  Do we really want another undereducated Texas governor in the White House?  If he or she is going to run our country, shouldn’t the President be, at the very least, as smart as the smartest amongst us? 

Land of Confusion

As an avid NPR listener I am rapidly approaching political overload.  Add to that the television programs I watch on a relatively regular basis:  The Daily Show, The Rachel Maddow Show and occasionally The Last Word and The Ed Show.  Not only are the candidates making quite a few statements that I find disturbing, in the very least, and outrageous, at their worst, but they keep changing their position or are making statements that I find have no logical explanations.  

 

One of the things I like best about The Daily Show are the dueling clips for various politicians.  Current clips are shown followed by the politician stating an opposite position months prior.  It certainly makes me wonder – do they actually believe in anything they are saying?  Apparently I’m in the minority in thinking this since most of them score relatively high in all of the polls taken.  Maddow, O’Donnell and Schultz have started doing similar segments as well.  

I can’t help wondering why people support these folks who one day like trees and a month later say trees are limiting our oxygen supply and should all be cut down.  (I just made that one up – but, hopefully, you get my point). 

There are quite a few issues where this is happening.  Bloggers and the aforementioned media sources can do a better job of pointing out these seeming discrepancies or outrageous positions much better than I.  However, since this is my blog and my opinion, I shall proceed anyway.  Since the list continues to grow, I plan to tackle each issue as a separate blog post.  And, I might even throw in a gratuitous cat post here and there, just to keep this from becoming too serious and mind-numbing.

So here’s the list so far:

·         DISASTER RELIEF

·         SMALLER GOVERNMENT

·         FEWER REGULATIONS

·         NO TO SHARIA LAW

·         SOCIAL SECURITY/MEDICARE/MEDICAID

·         JOBS

More later………….the litter boxes are calling.