Usually, I try to write a lengthy story to convey my perspective and my opinion.
In this case though, straight-forward is the best approach.
About 4 nights ago, a stray cat wandered into our garage. I fed it - it ate a lot. In the morning, she was gone. The next night she reappeared and we repeated the process. This time I was able to inspect it with a flashlight. It was very thin and seemed very old. When I touched her she would purr. Even in her state she understood compassion and caring.
She did allow me to touch her and I could see that she had been spayed and micro-chipped. We borrowed a chip reader and informed the Humane Society.
Over the next 2 days, we tried to feed her and found that she just could not keep the food down. My wife carefully fed her baby food, a bit at a time - this did not stay down either. So, the following day, my wife took her to a veterinarian. The cat has since passed.
Through the Humane Society, the veterinarian was able to get in contact with the owner. The back-story is that the owner moved into a building which did not allow pets and gave the cat to someone who was to take the cat to the Humane Society. Instead this very old cat ended up in our driveway, emaciated, in dire need of help. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THIS WAY!
When will people begin to have compassion for their pets? When you take a pet you assume a responsibility. It is not a disposable item! You need to make this personal commitment or not take a pet at all.
Iris' (yes, we named her) life should not have ended by being lost and searching for help!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Wisdom of the Holy Man
I recall a time when we looked to our elders for wisdom and guidance. There was a time when that wisdom and guidance came from the church elders; when the religious leaders could show us the right path. This was a path of compassion and concern for your neighbor, a love for your country and a desire to do the right thing. I've never really been a church person; but I do adhere to and believe in the Commandments. And I do believe that God is guiding and watching us. Yes, I do believe I have a guardian angel -- I know that during times of young naive stupidity something or someone intervened to protect me (several times).
Disregarding the Jeremiah Wrights, the Christian Church in the US tends to possess the wisdom from the likes of Billy Graham. Maybe this is because Billy Graham is such a driving force and by sheer will he imparted common sense and wisdom into our preachers.
I know very little about the Muslim religion, aside from what I see on television and read in print. However, it seems to me that if a religious leader wanted to build a site for the gathering of all religions, he would first understand the effect of certain actions on those religions and furthermore on the surrounding community.
Here is an ABC News article which gives some interesting insight into Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/ground-mosque-imam-project-ahead-interest-national-security/story?id=11589316
He seems to be sincere in his desire. But, there are several factors which need some further attention............
My expectation is that he should have a better understanding of the US, the country which he wants to embrace. 9/11 was a horrendous act and it was carried out by devout Muslims. He understands this. He also understands that if all of this were entirely reversed and Christians had carried out a similar attack in a Muslim country, and then built a large Church near the site of that attack, it would be as much a 'spit in the face' as this mosque is to us. I also doubt that naming that church after a former christian conquest would be accepted either. The original Cordoba mosque in Spain commemorates a military conquest. If his goal is to embrace our country and further the acceptance of Islam, then the initial decision should have been to place it somewhere else and call it something guiding such as the "Friendship Mosque".
Now it seems that no matter how this situation plays out, Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf has created a situation where there are no winners. That was some great wisdom and guidance Imam.
Hmmm.... Or maybe I should say Well played Imam.
Disregarding the Jeremiah Wrights, the Christian Church in the US tends to possess the wisdom from the likes of Billy Graham. Maybe this is because Billy Graham is such a driving force and by sheer will he imparted common sense and wisdom into our preachers.
I know very little about the Muslim religion, aside from what I see on television and read in print. However, it seems to me that if a religious leader wanted to build a site for the gathering of all religions, he would first understand the effect of certain actions on those religions and furthermore on the surrounding community.
Here is an ABC News article which gives some interesting insight into Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/ground-mosque-imam-project-ahead-interest-national-security/story?id=11589316
He seems to be sincere in his desire. But, there are several factors which need some further attention............
My expectation is that he should have a better understanding of the US, the country which he wants to embrace. 9/11 was a horrendous act and it was carried out by devout Muslims. He understands this. He also understands that if all of this were entirely reversed and Christians had carried out a similar attack in a Muslim country, and then built a large Church near the site of that attack, it would be as much a 'spit in the face' as this mosque is to us. I also doubt that naming that church after a former christian conquest would be accepted either. The original Cordoba mosque in Spain commemorates a military conquest. If his goal is to embrace our country and further the acceptance of Islam, then the initial decision should have been to place it somewhere else and call it something guiding such as the "Friendship Mosque".
Now it seems that no matter how this situation plays out, Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf has created a situation where there are no winners. That was some great wisdom and guidance Imam.
Hmmm.... Or maybe I should say Well played Imam.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
A Battlefield Trophy
I was recently listening to Hugh Hewitt - as I usually do on my way home from work. Hugh made an observation: no one would have allowed a Shinto temple to be built at Pearl Harbor (I've paraphrased this). Now I've let this sink on for a few days and it's time for me to comment.
The September 11th attack on the Twin Towers really was this generation's Pearl Harbor in significance.
We now face the reality that this same enemy will build a huge memorial to this horrendous act at Ground Zero.
Let there be no mistake about this! If their desire is to make amends or to build a bridge, there are solemn and sincere ways to do this. By building a multi-story mosque, they are planting the flag of the conqueror on the battlefield of the vanquished!
Wake up New York City!!!
The September 11th attack on the Twin Towers really was this generation's Pearl Harbor in significance.
We now face the reality that this same enemy will build a huge memorial to this horrendous act at Ground Zero.
Let there be no mistake about this! If their desire is to make amends or to build a bridge, there are solemn and sincere ways to do this. By building a multi-story mosque, they are planting the flag of the conqueror on the battlefield of the vanquished!
Wake up New York City!!!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Bungling and Fumbling - Leadership American Style
Where are the leaders?
On April 20th, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.
It did not require a great deal of intelligence or education at that time, to see that this was going to be a truly devasting environmental event!
What it required was swift action from our leaders to get the hole plugged and begin corraling and capturing the oil. But, for WEEKS, nothing happened.... As Obama put it - "BP has to deal with it".
It wasn't until 2 months later, that the President actually went to look at this MASSIVE problem!
The Government then compounded the effort to contain this by assigning an incompetent Coast Guard Admiral as overseer, by refusing assistance from other countries, and by piling on a huge bureaucracy of federal agencies which have no ability to fix anything.
From the top down, there has been no leadership! At any time, the President could have stepped up and allowed a bypass of the Jones Act to allow for outside assistance! He could have become a leader rather than one of the flock. This is what we expect of our President.
In fairness, we need to include all of the Senate and the Congress, as well as all the environmental groups, and all the oil companies in our derision. Where is the outcry from the Republicans, from the Sierra Club, from Greepeace,....? Where is the technology which the oil companies are supposed to possess to address this?
They all should be very very very very ashamed! You are a despicable lot for not stepping up and speaking up! THIS IS NOT A REALITY SHOW! IT IS REAL LIFE AND DEATH AND SUFFERING!
On April 20th, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.
It did not require a great deal of intelligence or education at that time, to see that this was going to be a truly devasting environmental event!
What it required was swift action from our leaders to get the hole plugged and begin corraling and capturing the oil. But, for WEEKS, nothing happened.... As Obama put it - "BP has to deal with it".
It wasn't until 2 months later, that the President actually went to look at this MASSIVE problem!
The Government then compounded the effort to contain this by assigning an incompetent Coast Guard Admiral as overseer, by refusing assistance from other countries, and by piling on a huge bureaucracy of federal agencies which have no ability to fix anything.
From the top down, there has been no leadership! At any time, the President could have stepped up and allowed a bypass of the Jones Act to allow for outside assistance! He could have become a leader rather than one of the flock. This is what we expect of our President.
In fairness, we need to include all of the Senate and the Congress, as well as all the environmental groups, and all the oil companies in our derision. Where is the outcry from the Republicans, from the Sierra Club, from Greepeace,....? Where is the technology which the oil companies are supposed to possess to address this?
They all should be very very very very ashamed! You are a despicable lot for not stepping up and speaking up! THIS IS NOT A REALITY SHOW! IT IS REAL LIFE AND DEATH AND SUFFERING!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Al Gore one-liners
To the masseuse:
"is it hot in here or is it just global warming?"
To a visitor:
"Oh, that's my polar bear rug!"
"is it hot in here or is it just global warming?"
To a visitor:
"Oh, that's my polar bear rug!"
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Mist: an Observation....
We are now into the 6th week of the BP oil disaster.
BP is struggling. No one seems to have noticed that none of the other oil companies are stepping up with technology to fix this!
This must mean that none of the deep-water drilling oil companies have the technology to handle this! That is frightening!
BP is struggling. No one seems to have noticed that none of the other oil companies are stepping up with technology to fix this!
This must mean that none of the deep-water drilling oil companies have the technology to handle this! That is frightening!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Mist
Suddenly the air about you is filled with a fine mist. The small brown droplets begin to stain your skin. The smell is acrid.
You try to cover your mouth and nose. Each inhale pulls drops into your lungs. You can feel them in your throat. Your lungs start to burn. You try to take shallow breaths but you cough some and then begin to gasp for more air. Each breath brings still more drops into your lungs. Breathing becomes more and more difficult.... your gasps for air become more prolonged. Breathing becomes agonizing.
The end of your life is agonizingly painful! Your skin burns, your lungs sear. In your last moments, you see the bodies of your friends and neighbors around you - each succumbing to the same fate. About this scene is the lingering brown mist.
Any living creature that encounters this mist faces the same horribly agonizing death.
As the mist moves along, it leaves the bodies of the dead - 100s, 1000s, 10,000s, 100,000s, .........
This is a chemical agent attack! AND it is currently happening in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico!
.
You try to cover your mouth and nose. Each inhale pulls drops into your lungs. You can feel them in your throat. Your lungs start to burn. You try to take shallow breaths but you cough some and then begin to gasp for more air. Each breath brings still more drops into your lungs. Breathing becomes more and more difficult.... your gasps for air become more prolonged. Breathing becomes agonizing.
The end of your life is agonizingly painful! Your skin burns, your lungs sear. In your last moments, you see the bodies of your friends and neighbors around you - each succumbing to the same fate. About this scene is the lingering brown mist.
Any living creature that encounters this mist faces the same horribly agonizing death.
As the mist moves along, it leaves the bodies of the dead - 100s, 1000s, 10,000s, 100,000s, .........
This is a chemical agent attack! AND it is currently happening in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico!
.
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