Big Sis Strikes Again!

Boy, how to take the "super" out of the Super Bowl! Yes, people attending the big game have had to endure screenings for years now, but pat downs? Is there even a hint of a threat to warrent  this?  Or is it paranoia run amok?

Consider it's going to be pushing 50 in Dallas. Having lived for a lot of years in Texas, 50 is freezing! People are going to be wearing coats over sweaters over shirts over undies. How the heck?? And how many security personnel will this exercise take? You'll have to arrive before dawn or you're likely to still be in line after the final whistle!

Also banned, among other things, are banners, noisemakers, horns...and...are you ready? Beach balls! Beach balls! Has anyone ever even thought about taking a beach ball to a football game? Not even one filled with contraband booze I would wager.

One of these days maybe we'll feel toward this insanity as the Egyptians have shown they feel toward the insanities of their government and have a protest that gets the point across. Just stop!

To make matters worse the TSA is going to be allowed to unionize. Maybe, as was suggested on one web site I was reading, we, the people should!

Enjoy the game.

The Catch All Called Foreign Aid

As events continue to unfold in Egypt and across the Middle East, I've been thinking about the return we've gotten for our billions in foreign aid and whether or not it has been worth it.

Consider Egypt, the people are fortunate for the fact they have had an opportunity for education. No jobs, but education. Our aid, however, had nothing to do with it. It went to strengthening their military. The same is true in Israel. And Iraq. It's going to bride tribal leaders in Afghanistan or into the out of country bank accounts of government officials. Pakistan? Who knows. So much is lost to pure corruption.

Then there are the poorest of the poor countries. Many in Africa. One at our own front door. Haiti. It suffered such a severe blow from the earthquake last year, I wonder if it will ever recover. People are still living in tent cities. The country is racked with an epidemic of cholera. Millions, if not billions of dollars in "aid" have flowed into the country. But where is it? There is nothing to be shown for it and their politics are in turmoil. They also have a largely undereducated population unable to mount a protest for change like the Iranians, who failed, or the Egyptians who at least have not given up.

Now Haiti is finally facing the finality of their botched election via a run off. In Egypt, if you can get past all Fox News fear mongering about the Muslim Brotherhood taking over to realize there are actually some credible potential leaders, there is hope. In Haiti I'm not so sure.

The run off has boiled down to two candidates, a 70 year old former first lady and a carnival singer. There is the problem of the current President's status and how he will handle it. An all too familiar theme. Then there is former dictator, Baby Doc Duvalier, already in the country and  Jean-Bertrand Aristide waiting in the wings for his credentials. Neither could possibly be up to anything good.

Aid to Egypt is likely to continue for a multitude of reasons regardless of the outcome short of a radical Muslim takeover. Aid to Haiti is threatened unless the current government toes the line the Organization of American States has set.

I have no answers. Everything is so complex. I look at the people and wonder who has the greatest need and who might be better able to fend for themselves. Forget the military and bribes.

What I see is a very uneven playing field.  For the people of those countries. And for the people of our country.  It's our money.

First They Starved Them, Then They Shot Them

One hundred sled dogs in Whistler, British Columbia, owned by Outdoor Adventures. All because their bookings were down since the 2010 Olympics. You have no idea how angry I am. You have no idea how angry Hub is. He wrote every person we know in B.C., which are plenty, telling them we would no longer patronize their galleries nor any other B.C. business unless the killer, his company and the SPCA were thrown in jail and the key thrown away.

Considering the movie Sled Dogs is one of my favorites, because I love those crazy dogs, I'm left dumbstruck. I don't know who to be the most angry with. The killer who is on "stress leave" after killing the dogs last April, the owner who ordered the slaughter or the SPCA who ignored numerous complaints regarding the conditions under which the dogs were living. Made, actually, by the man who did the shooting. He could and should have done more.

The SPCA called, but did not visit the site citing insufficient staff. A call to the owner informed them the dogs were in good condition. Well, duh! They dismissed the complaint by the employee, choosing not to substantiate it.

Other than basic good care, like water, food and warm shelter, sled dogs are a difficult bunch to look after. They have special needs. They need to run. Finding homes for them isn't like having you or me take one in, but it is not an impossible task, especially in regions like the northwest where dog sledding is popular. Ads in dog magazines and the papers would have done the trick.

I found it interesting that the story, in discussing who might be charged, the ages of both the owner and the killer were given. Like that makes a difference? I think not! Both are adult men. The only question I have is about the IQ of the shooter. Smart enough to file a complaint but too weak to defy the grisly order. Not much of a shot either, according to reports of dogs needing to be chased down and finished off. Are you getting queasy yet?

The dogs were buried in a mass grave and a plea has gone out asking the public to stay away so the site isn't contaminated and the RCMP and SPCA can do their job. I hope the "job" the RCMP does is better than the one the SPCA did. In fact I'd have the SPCA stay the hell out of the way.

The owner should be hung and quartered. The shooter? He could have said no. He wasn't going to have a job long anyway, if business was so poor! And yes, he has received a death threat.

Listen to all those words. Hung and quartered.  Death threat. Here I could probably be arrested for using inciteful language. There is, however, nothing they could do to me that would be worse than what was allowed to happen to those dogs.

One friend has already replied and assured us the anger is just as rampant there as it is with us. Of that I am glad. Maybe some changes will be made. What use is there of having organizations begging us for money to help poor, helpless animals if they don't do the job.

Just where does that money go anyway?

Speaking of Rights ~ Our Animals Deserve Better

We have a lot of animal hoarding cases in this area. Maybe it's because much of it is remote and are easily overlooked. They often end up as cases of animal cruelty. What really angers me is when there are repeat offenders.

Just this past weekend animal welfare personnel responded to a complaint and found over 120 animals in dire need of attention. The number is staggering. Twenty seven goats, 15 cats, 9 guinea pigs, 6 rabbits, ducks, chickens, sheep...

A sheep had to be euthanized at the site. The cats were suffering from respiratory infections and pneumonia and had been exposed to distemper.  Many, I would suppose, will not make it.

To make matters worse, if you can imagine, 76 dead animals were found.  The owner of these poor creatures was on site when the raid occurred.  What kind of a person is she?  How could you live with 15 cats with respiratory problems and ignore it?  Because you can't afford to do anything?  Or you just don't care?

And 76 dead animals. That is just beyond my comprehension.  How they must have suffered. It's winter here.  And cold.  And wet.  Horrible.  Just horrible.

This woman.  Unbelievably she had been convicted of 13 misdemeanor charges in 2004 including five counts of animal cruelty for keeping animals in an "unsafe manner".  That time around dogs and turtle were part of the mix. There was also an illegal kennel.  So what happened to her?   Two years probation.  Probation!

Perhaps animal hoarders should have a mandatory mental evaluation before they are turned loose to do it again.  They are definitely suffering a disconnect.  It's strange, they hoard to fill some inner need, yet they abuse.  Is that the need? I'm not so sure it is, but it is too often the result.

The mother who shot her two children, currently in the news, will probably go to prison for the rest of her life at most, or be incarcerated in a mental facility at the least.  It depends on how good her attorney is.

This hoarder is  saying she will get an attorney so she can get her animals back.  She was not arrested and no citations have been issued.  She walks free.

It's criminal.  I know many people, too many, feel animals are just animals and should have lesser considerations than people.  I don't. Animals live, breath, eat, feel love when given and pain.  What they don't have is the ability to fend for themselves when we, the superior beings, choose to abuse them.

If we're not going to punish them or keep an eye on them, at least get them help.  Whether they want it or not.

It won't happen.  There isn't any money in anyone's budget for treatment.  There isn't any money in anyone's budget to keep an eye on them.

What's the answer?  Forget probation.  Go directly to jail.  The animals deserve at least that much.

Is It Time To Reassess Our Foreign Aid Policies?

Senator Rand Paul thinks he has a solution for cutting federal spending. End all foreign aid, including that which goes to Israel. For such a bold idea he is being soundly criticized by both houses of Congress, the press and the Jewish community.

Let's Look at it though. First Israel. It is the most wealthy country in the region and is more than capable of standing on it's own. Sure they like the extra moola to buck up their military. But maybe it should be predicated on getting into some serious negotiations with the Palestinians.

We pour money into Pakistan and they thwart every effort we make to root out al Qaeda and the Taliban who are known to be camping out on the Pakistani side of the border.

Karzai, in Afghanistan, is squirreling away as much of our money as possible. Pallet loads of U.S. dollars are known to have been flown out of the the country.

Haiti is right up there with the others. What  happened to all the aid money that has flowed there since the earthquake? If it isn't in Switzerland I've a few other places to suggest looking.

What we spend on foreign aid isn't going to make a dent in our debt. I think that's the wrong way to be looking at it. If we really are for the spread of democracy and decent lives for millions of people living under oppressive rulers, let's look at the U.S. aid we seem to use to bribe them to conform to our demands. And don't. Including Egypt. At the very least make them earn it!

While considering that aspect, also consider setting up some accounting procedures to verify where the money is being spent. Our tax dollars shouldn't be like a kid's allowance, given to spend as they like.

If they're not willing to do that, if they demand to spend it as they see fit, than, sorry, no can do. If they're going to act like self-indulgent brats then apply some tough love. Shape up or no money.

And mean it.