"To ask how little, not how much, can I get along with. To say -- is it necessary? -- when I am tempted to add one more accumulation to my life."
~~~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh ~~~
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Coming Up for Air
The office area is a shambles. I'm sure it's going to stay that way much longer than I'd like. Of course, it's my own fault. I'm re-arranging, throwing out, filing, scratching my head and sneezing every few minutes. Dust, you know. And LOTS of it.
I dreaded doing this. Talked about it all last year and never touched a thing. Finally, I just couldn't stand it anymore. Plus, I think the idea of getting my own computer galvanized me to consider just where in the hell I was going to actually put one. I have a paper sickness: just can't throw information-laden pieces of it away. It's nuts. Today, I feel just like one of those hoarders Oprah helps periodically. Little slips of paper EVERYWHERE along with stacks of files and magazines. My mother says it's genetic; I got it from my father who was notorious for jotting down "notes" and tearing things out of magazines. Me, too. And it's crazy-making.
This Friday's quote should be tattooed on my forehead. Or, at the very least painted on the wall in big, big letters.
I dreaded doing this. Talked about it all last year and never touched a thing. Finally, I just couldn't stand it anymore. Plus, I think the idea of getting my own computer galvanized me to consider just where in the hell I was going to actually put one. I have a paper sickness: just can't throw information-laden pieces of it away. It's nuts. Today, I feel just like one of those hoarders Oprah helps periodically. Little slips of paper EVERYWHERE along with stacks of files and magazines. My mother says it's genetic; I got it from my father who was notorious for jotting down "notes" and tearing things out of magazines. Me, too. And it's crazy-making.
This Friday's quote should be tattooed on my forehead. Or, at the very least painted on the wall in big, big letters.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday Musing - Mad Men Mania
Yes, it's true. I'm just a born-again Mad Men Minx. I didn't discover this TV show till just a couple of months ago. Why didn't somebody tell me sooner that it's SO GOOD??? Don Draper: bad boy you can't help but be crazy for.
I sure hope they show the 3rd season before the new season starts this summer. It's not out on DVD yet and I'm dying to know what happened. They have some little recaps at the AMC-TV site, but I want it ALL. Every once in a while I fall in love with a TV show. This is it for now. I speculate it's not only because it's fabulously written and acted that I am enamored. Having been a teenager in the Fab 60s, I can remember the decade in spades. All the adults always having or going to cocktail parties, smoking, the fashions, etc. etc. The weekly hairdresser appointment. It's like revisiting a little teensy part of my past. I was too young to indulge in most of the goings-on, but I was a VERY OBSERVANT student. Teehee........
I sure hope they show the 3rd season before the new season starts this summer. It's not out on DVD yet and I'm dying to know what happened. They have some little recaps at the AMC-TV site, but I want it ALL. Every once in a while I fall in love with a TV show. This is it for now. I speculate it's not only because it's fabulously written and acted that I am enamored. Having been a teenager in the Fab 60s, I can remember the decade in spades. All the adults always having or going to cocktail parties, smoking, the fashions, etc. etc. The weekly hairdresser appointment. It's like revisiting a little teensy part of my past. I was too young to indulge in most of the goings-on, but I was a VERY OBSERVANT student. Teehee........
Friday, January 22, 2010
You Can Quote Me
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.
~~~ Thomas Paine
This has been a busy week. I've spent quite a couple of days at the state's seat of power with all the legislators. What an eye-opening experience! Because of some pieces of dog legislation on the upcoming calendar, I'll probably be going back. I think it would help everyone to have to follow a bill one time through the process. It would make the political process more real and understandable.
~~~ Thomas Paine
This has been a busy week. I've spent quite a couple of days at the state's seat of power with all the legislators. What an eye-opening experience! Because of some pieces of dog legislation on the upcoming calendar, I'll probably be going back. I think it would help everyone to have to follow a bill one time through the process. It would make the political process more real and understandable.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday Musing: The Organizing Month
Organizing: I'm such a sucker for "getting organized". And truth to tell, I hardly ever am no matter how many Rubbermaid bins I buy. Junk sticks to me like stink on a skunk. But I keep trying. It doesn't help that EVERY magazine in the month of January ballyhoos organization.
But I've run across an organizer -- AND full-time RV'er -- with attitude to spare. Visit her over at http://www.ramonacreel.com/ and dive in to spunkier straightening up. If you get tired of contemplating how to clean out your junk drawer, you can read about her RV travels.
This week I have an office area to tackle.....again. I'm always tackling it and it's always throwing me for a loss.
But I've run across an organizer -- AND full-time RV'er -- with attitude to spare. Visit her over at http://www.ramonacreel.com/ and dive in to spunkier straightening up. If you get tired of contemplating how to clean out your junk drawer, you can read about her RV travels.
This week I have an office area to tackle.....again. I'm always tackling it and it's always throwing me for a loss.
Friday, January 15, 2010
You Can Quote Me
The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.
~~~ Ferdinand Foch, Commander-in-Chief
Alllied Armies, WWI
~~~ Ferdinand Foch, Commander-in-Chief
Alllied Armies, WWI
Thursday, January 14, 2010
To Sterilize or Not
In yesterday's edition of the USA Today, there was an article written by Sharon L. Peters entitled "Sterilizing pets isn't a priority for new owners" (http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2010-01-13-petsurvey13_ST_N.htm). As I was reading it this morning, I couldn't help but be conflicted.
On the one hand, I understand the need for voluntary spay/neuter programs, especially in certain areas of the country. As Ms. Peters stated "Southerners and the under-35 set are the least likely to sterilize their pets." As much as I hate to admit it -- dyed-in-the-wool Southerner that I am -- this is true. Responsibility for one's animals here hasn't always been a very high priority. Slowly but surely that is changing though. More and more often I see and hear of pet owners buying a ticket on the Spay Train for their dogs and cats. This is a good thing because it shows a certain level of caring and commitment to responsible ownership of pets. People are becoming more educated about the role of responsibility and exactly what that entails in having animals in their lives. All I can say to that is "HURRAY!" More responsibility is directly related to less restrictive animal ordinances and laws for everyone. More responsibility is also directly related to lower shelter figures.
But embedded in this article are some things that just grate on my nerves and make the fillings in my teeth sing. For example, there is a pie chart showing where owners get their pets. According to it, 68% of owners acquire animals from family members, adoption organizations & shelters and pickup of strays. 12% are acquired by purebred breeders. TWELVE PERCENT. Yet, purebred breeders are always the ones fingered and catching hell for swelling the numbers of the homeless/abandoned/callously bred THOUSANDS of animals entering the shelter system. I'm sorry. Something just doesn't add up here. Purebred breeders are the ones used as the scapegoat to push mandatory spay/neuter laws on to an animal-loving population (that is already well on its way to "doing the right thing" without the big stick) when proportionately they contribute hardly a thimbleful to the gallon bucket called "overpopulation".
The second thing that makes my eyebrows get that quizzical look is this statement: "PetSmart Charities commissioned the survey by Ipsos Marketing, released today, in an effort to understand factors contributing to continued pet overpopulation, which results in an estimated 4 millon to 6 million shelter animals being euthanized each year." Ms. Peters needs to get her facts straight. According to the latest statistics, there are 74.8 million owned dogs in the United States (the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association). In 2009, shelter statistics were widely quoted as 6-8 million dogs and cats entering the shelter system, with 3-4 million being euthanized and the same number being adopted. Roughly, half are dogs and half are cats, although in some areas there are many more cats than dogs entering the shelter system. This is still way too high a figure, but remember that these are national figures. Nationally, of the estimated total number of dogs (owned and sheltered added together,the figure would be estimated at 78.8 million), only .05 percent are in shelter environments at any point in time. Not only that, but experts tell us that shelter numbers have been dropping for the last several years. All of this just doesn't seem to add up to a true "overpopulation crisis" scenario to me. Although I can understand that when you're the one doing the hands-on rescuing (as I did at one time), it can certainly seem like billions.
Other tidbits of information in the article, such as "17% said they have no idea of the proper age to spay/neuter" and "42% of people who recently got a pet did no prior research, formal or informal" tell me that the crux of the matter is still education. Teaching people how to responsibly acquire and own their animals is the answer to today's animal issues. I say if we're going to throw money and resources at the problem, let's throw it there where it will have the most longlasting positive impact for both animals and people.
On the one hand, I understand the need for voluntary spay/neuter programs, especially in certain areas of the country. As Ms. Peters stated "Southerners and the under-35 set are the least likely to sterilize their pets." As much as I hate to admit it -- dyed-in-the-wool Southerner that I am -- this is true. Responsibility for one's animals here hasn't always been a very high priority. Slowly but surely that is changing though. More and more often I see and hear of pet owners buying a ticket on the Spay Train for their dogs and cats. This is a good thing because it shows a certain level of caring and commitment to responsible ownership of pets. People are becoming more educated about the role of responsibility and exactly what that entails in having animals in their lives. All I can say to that is "HURRAY!" More responsibility is directly related to less restrictive animal ordinances and laws for everyone. More responsibility is also directly related to lower shelter figures.
But embedded in this article are some things that just grate on my nerves and make the fillings in my teeth sing. For example, there is a pie chart showing where owners get their pets. According to it, 68% of owners acquire animals from family members, adoption organizations & shelters and pickup of strays. 12% are acquired by purebred breeders. TWELVE PERCENT. Yet, purebred breeders are always the ones fingered and catching hell for swelling the numbers of the homeless/abandoned/callously bred THOUSANDS of animals entering the shelter system. I'm sorry. Something just doesn't add up here. Purebred breeders are the ones used as the scapegoat to push mandatory spay/neuter laws on to an animal-loving population (that is already well on its way to "doing the right thing" without the big stick) when proportionately they contribute hardly a thimbleful to the gallon bucket called "overpopulation".
The second thing that makes my eyebrows get that quizzical look is this statement: "PetSmart Charities commissioned the survey by Ipsos Marketing, released today, in an effort to understand factors contributing to continued pet overpopulation, which results in an estimated 4 millon to 6 million shelter animals being euthanized each year." Ms. Peters needs to get her facts straight. According to the latest statistics, there are 74.8 million owned dogs in the United States (the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association). In 2009, shelter statistics were widely quoted as 6-8 million dogs and cats entering the shelter system, with 3-4 million being euthanized and the same number being adopted. Roughly, half are dogs and half are cats, although in some areas there are many more cats than dogs entering the shelter system. This is still way too high a figure, but remember that these are national figures. Nationally, of the estimated total number of dogs (owned and sheltered added together,the figure would be estimated at 78.8 million), only .05 percent are in shelter environments at any point in time. Not only that, but experts tell us that shelter numbers have been dropping for the last several years. All of this just doesn't seem to add up to a true "overpopulation crisis" scenario to me. Although I can understand that when you're the one doing the hands-on rescuing (as I did at one time), it can certainly seem like billions.
Other tidbits of information in the article, such as "17% said they have no idea of the proper age to spay/neuter" and "42% of people who recently got a pet did no prior research, formal or informal" tell me that the crux of the matter is still education. Teaching people how to responsibly acquire and own their animals is the answer to today's animal issues. I say if we're going to throw money and resources at the problem, let's throw it there where it will have the most longlasting positive impact for both animals and people.
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