Friday, May 21, 2010

Tim'rous Beastie

As of this writing, there are still four kittens and two mother cats living on the porch. The day after the first kitten was placed in a good home and picked up, I went out in the morning, and there was the body of what I surmise to be a vole waiting for me. I went back inside to get gloves and paper towels to remove the creature, did a couple of other things, and went back out. The carcass was gone.

What got me thinking was why it was there in the first place. While I know our barn is an attractive birthing suite to cats, I doubt the step was an attractive place to end one's life; the vole didn't climb the step and expire; no, it had help. Knowing cats as I do, I know it was a cat that left it there for us. I think there are a couple of possibilities why. First, it could have been an offering, a thanks for finding a good home for the first kitten and an investment to assure we will do the same for the other three. Of course, I could be wrong and there is another possibility. It could be a warning that says, "Touch one of us again, and you could be next. This could happen to you!"

I like to think I know something about cats, but not that much.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Two Wrongs...

"The relationship between President Obama and Afghan President Karzai has had its difficulties -- most recently exacerbated by Karzai saying continued pressure from the west to reform might lead him to join the Taliban. As evidenced by the red-carpet roll-out to Karzai this week, administration officials have clearly decided to change their attitude towards Karzai and are focusing more on carrot than stick." (ABC News 5/13/10) In other words, kiss his what?

You know what? Let him join the Taliban - every nation has the government it deserves (even the US. We elect those we do so the rich can keep getting richer and the rest of us be damned - do you think it matters one iota who gets in?). Let us pull out, return our troops to where they belong (here), and get on with things. We are dealing with civilizations that were around long before democracy (and will be around long after, the way we are going), and never the twain shall meet. If and when they are ready to change, let it come from them - we can't occupy and expect positive change.

We are again supporting a government rife with corruption (birds of a feather?). I am reaching the point where I may do something I have never done - not vote! I am sick and tired of feeling I have to pick the "better" of two lessers. In the last couple of elections, I found myself voting against someone rather than for someone. Maybe it's the nature of the beast, but as we keep electing "politicians," we are getting worse and worse off. Remember the old saying, "What if they gave a war and nobody came?" Maybe by not voting someone may sit up and take notice - but not if I am the only one. What would happen if people stayed away from the polls en masse? Remember the other saying, "If you don't vote, don't complain." Well, maybe that's been wrong all along! It seems to me that no matter who is elected, those who are owed (by those they own?) will get their due (many [most?] corporations donate to both candidates to hedge their bets). The rest of us? "So on we worked and waited for the light, And went without the meat and cursed the bread...."

Feh!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Go to snopes to verify

I received the following e-mail, the content of which isn't at all important. What is important is the last line. I received this from a right-wing type who forwards anything that is anti-Obama and/or anti-liberal. It doesn't matter if there is not a shred of truth in it or how ridiculous it is - if it's anti-Obama/liberals, it gets forwarded.

There are actually about five or six people who do the same thing. Either these are people who do not think or question anything or they know the big lie technique in propaganda and are living it (tell a lie big enough and often enough, and people start to believe it). Whenever one of their e-mails says check it at snopes, I do! I'd say ninety percent are false, but these people don't care. I still glance at every e-mail I receive, but if it is from this group of people, as soon as I see it's political, I delete it. Trust me, I am no Obama cheerleader, but fair is fair.

No wonder the country is so messed!
------------------------------------------------------

"Please take a moment to read this and share with others
It could save a life.....

> THE RECENT TRAGEDY OF A YOUNG WOMAN BEING KIDNAPPED AND
> EVENTUALLY KILLED; AFTER SHE HAD REPEATEDLY GIVEN THE
> KIDNAPPER A WRONG PIN TO HER ATM CARD . IF SHE KNEW THE
> METHOD BELOW, SHE COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED. SO I THINK IT IS
> IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO LET YOU KNOW. HERE YOU GO.

>

> IF YOU SHOULD EVER BE FORCED BY A ROBBER TO WITHDRAW MONEY
> FROM AN ATM MACHINE , YOU CAN NOTIFY THE POLICE BY ENTERING
> YOUR PIN # IN REVERSE. FOR EXAMPLE IF YOUR PIN NUMBER IS
> 1234 THEN YOU WOULD PUT IN 4321. THE ATM RECOGNIZES THAT
> YOUR PIN NUMBER IS BACKWARDS FROM THE ATM CARD YOU PLACED IN
> THE MACHINE. THE MACHINE WILL STILL GIVE YOU THE MONEY YOU
> REQUESTED, BUT UNKNOWN TO

> THE ROBBER, THE POLICE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED TO
> HELP YOU.

>

> THIS INFORMATION WAS RECENTLY BROADCASTED ON FOX TV AND IT
> STATES THAT IT IS SELDOM USED BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT
> EXISTS.

>

> PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG!!!

> You can go on
Snopes.com to verify."


BACK IN THE DAY....

I remember when I was growing up (as much as I did), there were a few career choices that I considered. The bottom line is that I was never ...