So, over on the Hyatt Art forum, we're doing a 'draw-off'.
No prize, just for fun. We're doing presidential candidates.
I've entered a couple drawings...

Operation Baghdad Pups

Operation Baghdad Pups began with an email received on September 11, 2007. The desperate words of the U.S. soldier serving in Iraq told of his desire to get the dog, Charlie, he and his regiment had befriended out of the Middle East before their tour of duty ended. Because it is against regulations for troops to befriend an animal or transport one on a military flight, the likelihood of the determined soldiers succeeding alone seemed doubtful

Members of this Army regiment discovered the dog earlier that summer while patrolling a dangerous neighborhood on the outskirts of Baghdad. The malnourished and flea covered puppy, no bigger than a baked potato, was scooped up by a soldier who felt sorry for the pitiful orphan. Hidden in a tattered blanket, the puppy was snuck onto the Coalition Outpost. As the soldiers took turns secretly caring for the puppy the strong bond between man and dog grew.

read more of the story

By Eddie Wrenn
Daily Mail
7 October 2008

**Please sign the petition to save Ratchet

**See also theSPCA article on Ratchet



A soldier who saved the life of a young puppy in Iraq and expected to bring him back home with her could see her dog executed by her U.S. superiors.

Sgt. Gwen Beberg befriended puppy Ratchet while serving in Iraq, and sent regular dispatches to her home in Minneapolis charting the dog's process, with 100s of fans tuning in on Facebook to follow the pup's life.

Young Ratchet could face the death-penalty by U.S. Army officials

But the U.S. military takes a strict line with soldiers befriending animals, and confiscated Ratchet as Sgt. Beberg prepared to fly home from Baghdad Airport at the weekend.

Now animal charity Operation Baghdad Pups, which has the motto 'No buddy gets left behind', is pleading with the U.S. Army to allow Ratchet to fly out of the country - amid fears the military will shoot the puppy in the head execution-style.

Sgt. Beberg's mother Patricia said: 'This year has been extremely difficult on my daughter and her family. It has been a year of disappointments, loneliness, and fear because of all the sacrifices the army has required of Gwen.

'Ratchet was the savior of her sanity. Now they have cruelly ripped Ratchet away from her and sentenced him to death. I don't know how my daughter will cope. Ratchet has been her lifeline.'

Sgt. Beberg is also under military investigation for befriending the dog that saved her life.

A close friend of Sgt Beberg said: 'It hasn't been easy for her - and the puppy she saved has been one of the few things that has kept her going.

'She's shared pictures of him as he grew from a frightened ball of fur to an adorable young dog.

'She's kept us up-to-date on his travel schedule, and badgered us into contributing money to bring him home.

'Soldiers can face immediate court-marshal for befriending animals and some even see their animals brutally murdered by a direct gunshot to the head from commanding officers who will not bend the rules.

'It was so close... Ratchet was on his way to the airport. And now he might be killed, just because some power-hungry officers decided to flex their muscles and punish an innocent animal because Gwen dared to care about him.'

One soldier wrote to Baghdad Pups: 'I have sacrificed a lot to serve my country. All that I ask in return is to be allowed to bring home the incredible dog that wandered into my life here in Iraq and prevented me from becoming terribly callous towards life.'

The charity Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International has joined Baghdad Pups in asking the U.S. Army to show clemency to Ratchet, and allow the dog to return to gwen's parents in Minneapolis and friends of Gwen have launched a campaign to get American senators to intervene.

I recall the government saying they were going to give us, low-income
people, carbon tax credits along with our GST refunds but I had
forgotten about it. I'm sure the Liberals thought this would buy my
vote as the refund came on the 3rd, less than 2 weeks before the
election.
I mean, that's how the Liberals do things. First they gave me a $100
back in July to help me swallow the bitter pill of the carbon tax.
Even though BC has lower carbon emissions than Aberta, Ontario or
Quebec, we were still selected to be first to get the carbon tax.
So, I'm still ticked at the Liberals for that and another $50 every
3 months isn't going to change how I feel. Or get me to vote for them.

Stupid Liberals.

Still, after the ads and the debates(Which I only watched a small part of)
I like the NDP and Jack Layton a whole lot less.
Jack Layton has turned into the typical lying politician who spins
everything. He is more focused on smearing the names of his opponents
than anything else. But all I hear is 'blah blah blah'.

At least it makes it easier for me to not vote for the NDP now.

Dear Carrie:

Thank you for contacting us.

Unfortunately, there is highly inaccurate and misleading information
circulating on the Internet regarding our feeding studies, and I'm glad
you've given me the opportunity to provide you with the facts. We too are
passionate about cats and dogs, with a deep commitment to their health and
welfare.

We are accountable for making sure that our products are wholesome, and that
consumers can feed them with confidence. Instead of contracting other
companies to conduct our feeding studies, we choose to conduct such studies
in the homes of our employee families. Today, over 600 employee families
participate in our in-home testing program.

Even though the vast majority of our studies are conducted in an in-home
setting, there are some studies that require in-depth data gathering in a
more controlled environment. We do this type of feeding study in our
company-owned Pet Health and Nutrition Center. These studies follow our
industry leading research protocol and are the veterinary equivalent of
nutritional or medical studies acceptable on people. The studies are
monitored by our own staff of veterinarians, behaviorists and independent
experts.
( Read more... )
In 2007 we had several members of the news media tour our facility. Their
reports are available here.


If you are interested in reading more, please visit http://www.IamsTruth.com.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message. If you need further
information or have specific questions, please contact us at 800-525-4267.
We're very happy to speak with you about this very important issue.

Does Iams do cruel animal testing?

I had heard that they do but I needed to do some research first.
What exactly were they doing, I wondered? It turns out that this
stuff was going on between 2002 to 2005. But I haven't found
anything more current about it. Oh, sure, people are still talking
about this stuff but they're talking about it like it's recent.
Is it? After all this, is Iams still doing these things?
I'm sure Iams will deny that anything bad happens in their labs.
But I just don't know.
I'm sure Peta will say we can't trust them. But I don't know.
Although I have to admit that I still won't buy their products
even if they have stopped. They should have never done these
things. It is the type of thing most animal lovers fear is going on
behind closed doors.
Still, I'd like to know the truth. Why is that so hard to find?

( the stuff Iams was discovered doing )

It sounds like Hills 'Sciene Diet' for cats is an excellent choice.
I've been feeding my cat Whiskas for a long time(like 7 years or so)
but Sammy shows signs of poor health, possible a taurine deficiency.
Which seems unfair since there is taurine in Whiskas. But maybe not
enough?* One thing I can say for certain is that he has usually only
had dry food and since I've started feeding him canned more often,
he seems more energetic, happier and his poop looks less 'dry' and
just more 'normal'.(unfortunately I still find said poop on the
carpet occasionally. Sadie seems alright though. Still I feed her
a lot of tuna and although that might have given her some extra
protein and nutrients, it's also given her too much mercury, I'm sure.

Anyways, I'm thinking of switching to Science Diet. The more I read
about it, the more I like what I am hearing. Both of my cats are
'mature' adults now. Sadie is 7 and Sam is 14.
I think I'll buy the dry(for snacking) and the canned(for main meals).
I hope it isn't super expensive. (fingers crossed)

*Yep, it looks like Whiskas has very low taurine(min 0.1%)

Snagged from melian

4- the Individualist

you chose BY - your Enneagram type is FOUR (aka "The Romantic")

"I am unique"

Romantics have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

* Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.
* Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.
* Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.
* Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.
* Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being a FOUR

* my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level
* my ability to establish warm connections with people
* admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life
* my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor
* being unique and being seen as unique by others
* having aesthetic sensibilities
* being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being a FOUR

* experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair
* feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved
* feeling guilty when I disappoint people
* feeling hurt or attacked when someone misunderstands me
* expecting too much from myself and life
* fearing being abandoned
* obsessing over resentments
* longing for what I don't have

FOURs as Children Often

* have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games
* are very sensitive
* feel that they don't fit in
* believe they are missing something that other people have
* attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.
* become anti-authoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood
* feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-quick-painless-enneagram-test

Walk You Home - Karmina

Slow down, what's on your mind
It's alright, i'm on your side
I hate to see your injury, i wish that you could transfer all
Your pain to me
Stay here, it's ok to cry
Let me, help you make it right
Let's turn up our radio, let the bands remind you that your not
Alone
We all get low

Even the brave may depend on someone
The moon only shines with the help of the sun
It's not as safe when your walking alone
I'll walk you home

Suns out, but it feels like rain
So i will, illuminate your day
I'm afraid i'm losing it, what's it gonna take for me to get
Throught this
We'll get through this
( Read more... )

I saw Karmina perform this song on an episode of The Cleaner
and loved it.

A couple icons I made from the movie 'The Princess and the Frog'

1. 2.

Hey, have you heard about 'shoes for orphan souls' ?
Why throw away your old shoes and boots when there are people
who want/need them?


If you are in the North Texas area, you can drop off your shoes at
the Center for Humanitarian Aid.

Shoes for Orphan Souls Warehouse
5405 Shoe Drive
Mesquite, TX 75149

Or you can ship shoes there.

Shipping Information
Shoes can be shipped to the warehouse any time of the year. Click here for instructions on how to pack the shoes. Once the shoes are packed, complete theon-line packing form and make a copy to include with your shipment.

Shipping Location:

Shoes for Orphan Souls
Center for Humanitarian Aid
5405 Shoe Drive
Mesquite, TX 75149

Check out the website:
http://www.shoesfororphansouls.org/

Air fresheners marketed as a way to enhance the smell of your home may actually contain dangerous chemicals that could do harm, a CBC News investigation has found.

The CBC tested 19 types of air fresheners for two types of phthalates, DEP and DBP, and found seven contained one or both kinds.

DEP and DBP have been linked to fertility and developmental problems in rats, and are enough of a concern that 12 European countries have banned them from children's toys.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/09/09/air-freshener.html?ref=rss

Of course, polls can be misleading. I imagine a lot of people didn't bother to answer the phone when/if some pollster called. And if they had called me, I would have to admit I'm 'undecided'.
Also, of the people they polled, they give you percentages but not actual numbers. So, who knows really. Hmm.

It reminds me, on a totally non-political train of thought, how sometimes cosmetic companies will say '80% of woman found this product awesome' and then, in very tiny print, say 'tested on 20 women'. Well, Yves Rocher does that.

I hate Stephane Dion. Over there, in Quebec, putting a carbon tax on B.C. Three other provinces have higher carbon emissions(one being Quebec) but the Liberals decide that B.C. should be first to have a carbon tax. That was in July. So far it looks like B.C. is the ONLY province that is going to be paying the carbon tax. Well, of course. Nobody wants to upset the voters in Ontario and Quebec because you need them to get the majority votes/seats. Those 2 provinces decide who will be the Prime Minister and the rest of us don't really count. Of course after the election, maybe Alberta, Saskatchewan and a few other provinces, will get a carbon tax too. I'm sure they know it. I hope they do.(know, I mean)

We made the mistake of voting in a Liberal majority in the last election. Well, not me. :)
I didn't like Gordon Campbell, or trust him, from the very start.
I do like the NDP leader, Jack Layton. I always have. I'd like to see him as Prime Minister and I'd like to see the NDP push the Liberals back into the dark ages, where they belong.However, it looks like the Conservatives are leading the polls. And the polls matter to me this time.
I don't want the vote to be so split between Conservatives and NDP that the Liberals get too many seats. In fact, the Liberals have been preventing the Conservatives from doing a lot of things because they have the power/seats to do so. Fortunately, most people realize it. We have access to a lot more info, more easily and more quickly, than ever before.
So, I'm leaning towards voting Conservative now just to overthrow the Liberals.
It's kinda sad that I have to vote this way.
I'm not using my vote to get a party elected, I'm using it to try and make sure a party doesn't.

It's interesting that we'll pick up a can of soup, or whatever,
and read the ingredients. Looking to see if it has too much salt
or fat or other things that are bad for us. Yet, we hardly take
the time to do the same with laundry detergents,dryer sheets, etc.
We know that our skin absorbs things, more deeply than just into
the skin. Look at nicotine patches.
So, knowing that, we have to admit that whatever is on our clothes
is probably seeping into us.
But we can't even pronounce most of the chemicals listed on the
products we use, let alone know what they are or what effect they
have on us. But these days we have the internet and now we can find
out. And there's no reason not to. Especially because a lot of people
have already done the research, making it much easier to find out
which products are poisoning us and which ones are safe.
If you're willing to recycle and use enviro-friendly products
to treat the earth better, than how can you not be willing to
make the changes you need in order to treat yourself better.
It's not about being a 'fanatic', it's about being realistic.
And though it might be easier to ignore all of this, it's not
going to make it any less true.

Interesting Points to consider:


* The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals –

more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century.


* Less than 2% of synthetic chemicals have been tested for

toxicity, mutagenic, carcinogenic, or birth defects.

( Read more... )

Veggie burgers taste good?! Yes. It's true. At least, the ones I bought.
They're called Yves Bistro Vegetarian Burgers. And they're good.
You should try them. I bought the vegetarian chicken ones too but
I haven't tried them yet.
The only downside is that they're breaded and therefore contain yeast.
But I'll muddle through somehow. :)

It also turns out that the soymilk I bought tastes good on
Shreddies! Yay!

I wonder if soy cheese tastes okay...