Recent Blog Posts: Tehachapi News

Grocery Store Stalker

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:17:29 PDT

I gotta tell you what happened to me last night at SaveMart. My husband and I needed a few items so we stopped in. While we were there I started noticing this older lady watching me intently. I pointed her out to my husband while we were in produce, he just kinda shrugged. It seemed as though every aisle we went down, there she was. When we got to the diary area, even my husband began to wonder. That's when she came up to me and said, "I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. It's just that you are the spitting image of my only daughter who died last year in a car accident. I'm sorry to bother you." I felt kind of small for being nervous and I assured her it was all right, no harm done. As we arrived at the checkout, she was just ahead of us. Even though we only had a few items and her cart was almost full, I waved her on ahead. We chatted a bit, and then she said, "as I leave, would you mind terribly saying 'bye mom'?" I told her I'd be happy to. As the bagger loaded up her cart and she was walking away, I hollered "bye mama, see you later!". I was feeling all warm and fuzzy until the cashier gave us our total bill amount. There's no way we'd spent that amount. He said, "your mom said you'd be paying for her groceries, so I totaled them all together." I saw red, told my husband to get this straightened out and I ran from the store. She had put her last bag into her trunk and was walking towards the driver's side door when she saw me. Man could she move fast for an old broad, but not fast enough. As she jumped into her car, before she could get in all the way I grabbed her and started pulling her leg...

just like I'm pulling yours! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!!

The Holidays

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:10:23 PDT

When I was a child, one of the things that I loved about my birthday was that it meant that there were exactly three months until Christmas. That was when my family started planning and preparing. My mom and I would start shopping and baking and making gifts; my dad would begin planning and building decorations. Although my family has never been "religious", Christmas was always a big deal in our house. The family aspect was emphasized, and as both my parents were (and still are) wonderfully talented and creative, our house drew crowds every year, and even merited photos in the newspaper and was listed as a key spot for the Christmas Light tour bus at the local retirement home. It became so popular that my parents began holding an open house every Christmas Eve, when they would open their house to anyone who wanted to see it. It was wonderful. However, until I became an adult, I never realized how bloody expensive this wonderful tradition could be!

Now, whereas I looked forward to both my birthday and Christmas as a child, I utterly dread both. I dread my birthday for reasons obvious to most people in their forties. But I also dread it because it means that Christmas is coming. I still love the decorations, but especially now, when the economy is so bad, we are even more broke than in previous years. Our kids are already talking about what they want for Christmas, and all I can think of is, how in blazes are we going to pay for it? And what makes things worse is that my husband and my father have something in common...they both love those Christmas decorations! My husband is already talking about what he wants to get for the house this year, and all I can think about is the gasoline bill and the electric bill. And with the recent mishaps with two of our cars and my son's engine problems, I truly believe that I am putting our mechanic's children through college. I'm turning into a regular Scrooge...at the very mention of the holidays I cringe, grimace and grumble.

I recently found out that I am not alone in this. On the dry erase calendar in my office, I wrote in red and green letters in the block for September 25th Three more months until Christmas! My co-workers all seem to respond the same way: Oh, no, not that again, or Did you have to remind me?

Maybe the answer lies in my parents' house. They still have all those great decorations, although my dad is often away on business and my mother is in poor health, so they do not go whole-hog as they did before. Maybe we should just pack up and move back in with them. That way, we'd have all the wonderful trimmings and spend less money to boot! My mom really should have someone there at the house to look after her while my dad is gone, and their house is spectacular, even without the Christmas stuff! I was really beginning to like this idea, until my husband reminded me of one crucial point. Yeah, your parents' place is huge, babe, but it still only has one kitchen.

Oops. That won't work. I can barely stand it when my husband walks through the kitchen when I am cooking, which, when I am at home, is all the time. Two women plus one kitchen equals someone getting hurt or killed. But I got an idea for that, too. My dad built most of their house. Maybe if we move in, he'd build me another kitchen, one with a downdraft range and a Subzero fridge and two sinks! I'm not asking for too much, am I?

Okay, okay...I'll supply the Christmas decorations. And free cookies and baklava for life.

2nd Chance Rescue Ranch

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:50:51 PDT

Hello all 2nd Chance Ranch supporters,

Many of you know of the troubles we are going through at our ranch. For the people who do not, let me inform you: About 3 months ago we received a notice from the county that someone complained about our feed store. Although we were praised for our rescue efforts(by county officials), We have been trying to sort through this and with all the financial troubles concerning the complaint we have closed the store. The feed store was only to supplement the cost of running the rescue. Once we realized the complaint was also going to negatively affect our rescue we had to focus on the horses. We are asking for your continued support in helping us help the horses. Please come out for our open house on Sept. 20 10-4 and don't let the responsible party hurt our rescue horses who have come so far. Thank you for your continued support, Wendy Kreps 822-5657 Our Address is :23028 Cummings Valley Rd. Tehachapi

Illegal immigrants voluntarily going back to Mexico as US economy crashes

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:59:58 PDT

At least there is a up side to economic woes.......Thank you Bush!!!!!!!!

by John Martin

How bad is the economy in the United States? So bad that illegal immigrants are leaving this country and returning to Mexico in record numbers. Even the number of Mexicans wishing to enter the United States has dropped dramatically as indicated by the number of apprehensions by the U.S. Border Patrol. Arrests have fallen by as much as 20 percent compared to last year despite increased surveillance and enforcement.

With the devastating economic downturn in the housing market, immigrant workers are no longer in great demand and job opportunities are quickly drying up. Immigrant workers are choosing to go home rather than wait for an economic rebound as analysts predict a prolonged housing slump. Construction labor that would come from home remodeling, painting and landscaping is no longer plentiful as only the few well-off Americans have the necessary disposable income to spend on such projects.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Illegal-immigrants-volunta-by-John-Martin-080908-158.html

It is Governor Palin’s soul the Devil’s crowd fears

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:37:42 PDT

Long before this $200 billion “Mother of all bailouts” many of us were already aware the Federal Triune Dictatorship of America exists for We the People in no other capacity but to make all “the little people” slaves to the wealthy that own the government, which is also the primary reason our borders remain open for the sake of slave labor from Mexico and why We the People suffer the treasonous indignity of “Press one for English.” When Clinton was President he simply pardoned all his crony thieves and Bush has had Halliburton et al. It’s the Devil’s game and those trying to play by any other rules are the designated chumps. The tyranny of our dictatorship is organized thievery that only rewards the dishonest.

But I still believe Jesus was correct in saying it profits nothing to gain the whole world if you lose your own soul. The Devil’s crowd is facing a real nightmare in Governor Sarah Palin not only because she is a woman, and a brilliant, very strong woman with personal integrity threatening the Washington establishment, but because she has a soul and understands what this actually means. That she is a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul is even more daunting to the Devil’s crowd. The Devil’s propaganda is that such women are only useful in serving the lusts of men but never to be given power over men, a useful device of Satan that makes virtual slaves of Muslim women and continues to play an ugly and evil role right here in America.

The real virtue and character of America is found in the small towns with their rural churches across our nation, churches where people are not led of shepherds in fine clothing living in palaces but believe they must give an account to God for their lives. People who read their Bibles, memorizing portions of it and engage others in doing so is an American tradition long before we became a nation. And while the abuses of religion and the Bible are to be found throughout, the Bible was America’s textbook from the beginning. The fearful thing to the Devil’s crowd is that Governor Palin does not treat the Bible as a showpiece, to be ostentatiously displayed by those like Clinton and Bush et al. but to be treated as a living part of Governor Palin’s life and beliefs. There are no “lost books of the Bible” so much as the Bible increasingly becoming a lost book to Americans. And there is a real threat to America in this.

The Devil’s crowd treats this election like a Hollywood audition rather than pressing for specific answers to the very real and dangerous issues threatening America; the Devil’s crowd will give a pass to Senator Barack Hussein Obama’s racist church and minister but ridicule Governor Sarah Louise Palin’s church and minister. But the hypocrisy of this like that of Oprah Winfrey is obvious to all. However, Governor Palin and many others of us have every right to recognize and call attention to the Devil’s work in manipulating the media for propaganda purposes favoring the destruction of America, favoring those that deny heritage, culture, a common language and secure borders are essential to saving our nation. The Devil and his crowd rants, rails, and howls at any hint of Biblical, Christian morality while applauding perversion and violence, the thoroughgoing corruption in government, all those things that work to the destruction of our nation.

It’s a whimsical thought there may be as much variety among beautiful souls as there is among beautiful flowers, but I suppose God intended there be variety among souls even as with flowers. It may be that souls are planted like seeds and as with gardening it takes careful attention to things like weeding and making sure the soil is such as to nourish and grow a healthy plant, which is the responsibility of the gardener, something I think Governor Palin takes fully to heart.

However, if you sometimes find yourself thinking “I’m a lonely little petunia in an onion patch” as the song goes it may be you’re in the wrong garden. The difference between those things with a strictly utilitarian function like an onion as opposed to those things of beauty like a rose is that each have their place and no man in his right mind will give a woman an onion rather than a beautiful rose in tribute to her beauty and expressive of his affection, nor would well-mannered and civilized people fail to understand the need of both function and beauty in their lives. “We’ll live on love” generally lasts only so long as the basic needs of function lasts, and God must surely understand this better than we do though I believe he expects us to understand this as well.

The Parable of the Sower continues to draw my attention, and throughout the decades of my life I have come to know the truth of it. Some seeds are bad, and some soil is bad. The problem is that weeds will often grow where they are not wanted, where they may even prove to be harmful.

Many of us know the battle waged against dandelions when we have tried to keep a beautiful lawn weed-free. But as a child didn’t you enjoy picking one of those marvelous white puff balls of a flowering dandelion and blow on it in order to watch all those little winged seeds fly off? Children aren’t thinking of them as little winged devils seeking out a place in which to take root and grow another dandelion plant, it’s just a fun thing to do.

The Devil offers us many opportunities to have fun, but tending to our souls is a matter of the most sober attention to keeping them weed-free. John Bunyan’s remarkable Pilgrim’s Progress is as relevant in today’s world as it was when it was written. There is a famine threatening America, a famine of souls that are being starved out and the Devil’s weeds are taking over. In the Parable of the Tares Jesus pointed out an enemy, Satan had sown the weeds, but in the end God will have his angels separate the good fruits of the harvest from the weeds.

While I believe America may very well be Babylon of Revelation this does not prevent my trying to be a Watchman on the Wall, it does not prevent me attempting to do what I can to call attention to those things I believe are threatening America. This is where I believe Governor Palin is coming from; she is going to do what she believes God has called her to do on behalf of America. The proof of her sincerity in this, the proof of her having a great and beautiful soul is in the enemies she has made and is continuing to make as the Devil gathers his crowd in an attempt to destroy her.

One need not be a Christian, one need not have any religious beliefs or affiliations to hate and despise bullies, to appreciate the need of fairness and justice in order to have a civilized society. On this basis alone it really matters to the survival of America whether a candidate like Governor Palin who represents both function and beauty at its best is being treated with fairness and justice or whether the Devil is going to win the day against her by the ugliness of lies and innuendo. As with your own soul, it is a matter of personal choices that will discriminate in the end between those who are sensitive to the difference between those things of eternal value and the things of this world that will only pass away.

City Council Election

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:46:08 PDT

Would someone please tell me how the PRESIDENT and DIRECTOR of the Bear Valley Springs Association could be allowed to run for Tehachapi City Council?? Henry Schaeffer, candidate for Tehachapi City Council, said in his biography in today's paper that he, among other things, still sits on BVS Board!!!!

Who checks on the stuff anyway?? What happens if this guy gets two of his buddies from Bear Valley to run for our council?? Will Bear Valley Springs be calling the shots for our town?

I'd like to know how this happened?

Isn't this guy a carpetbagger????

Has it changed since he's gone, or is it just me?

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:56:32 PDT

My husband and I decided to have dinner in town Sunday evening. We've always liked Kelcy's, and since we hadn't been there in awhile, that's where my husband wanted to go.

Major let down...the salad bar has never really been worthy of that name, but last night it was downright pathetic. I ordered chicken-fried steak, barely passable. Way too salty. With it I asked for mashed potatos. They were fake and also loaded with salt. The "vegetable" was canned corn. I've never understood that. Two carbohydrates, it also made the meal unattractive, blah. Though there was only one other couple in the dining room, the server never once refilled my iced tea or even asked if I wanted a refill. We'll give it another go for breakfast, but not dinner...

Have they lost their heart and soul with the death of Kelcy? It seemed as if they really didn't care...

Puns Intended

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:07:56 PDT

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. Now matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.'

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

20. A backward poet writes inverse.

21. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

22. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

23. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!

A letter to Mr. Obama

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:31:01 PDT

It is August 30, 2008. My name is Mark Gregg. I am a 50 something conservative white male. I have followed your campaign closely, including the speeches you and others made at the democratic national convention. I am respectfully providing you with seven simple (probably shallow) reasons why I could never vote for you. I believe my opinion is shared by many people. While there may not be quite enough to prevent you from becoming president of this nation, I do think there is an awakening to the fact that you are not a (the) messiah that the media and liberal Hollywood entertainers are trying to portray you.

I hear your mantra of change, change, change. Yet, you picked a long term, liberal, Washington insider (Joe Biden) to be your running mate. This is NOT change. It is a move that hypocritically refutes the very thing you supposedly stand for. Your campaign then slammed McCain for picking Sarah Palin, apparently, because she is NOT a Washington insider. She is a maverick who cleaned-up Alaska’s quagmire of political scandals. Which way is it, Barack? Is it okay for you to pick a Washington insider under the mantra of “change”, but not okay for John McCain to pick a smart, aggressive, reformer?

You have the single most liberal voting record in the senate. This indicates to me and others like me that you may very well be an angry black man seeking to punish our country for sins of a different generation. I am not racist. I have some biases just like you and every other human alive. Unlike the democratic party who claims to be for the minority (but their record heavily refutes this), I will give any person who truly needs help, help. I married a “minority” girl 35 years ago (she is Hispanic) and have seen the evils of prejudice first hand. However, I have also seen my wife and my children and others in her family throw off the veil of self imposed prejudicial bondage and move ahead. They love our country and do not view themselves any different than I view myself as a citizen of this country. Your lovely wife so disappointed people like me during this campaign when she stated it was the first time she had ever been proud of this country. She apparently never noticed the massive aid we give dozens of other countries. She apparently never noticed the sacrifice of literally millions of veterans who helped make this country a free nation and helped liberate other nations from brutal dictators such as Adolf Hitler. She apparently does not remember that she attended ivy league universities with scholarship money that ultimately (at least some of it) was paid for by our taxes. This troubles me more than you know. She is an angry black woman who appears to not like her country very much. I don’t want her representing me to the rest of the world.

You claim Christianity but apparently do not realize that the Bible teaches that he who does not work, does not eat. The Bible does not say or even suggest that he who CANNOT work, should not eat. Yet, your liberal policies reward people who are capable of working, but choose to not do so. This bothers me. I know that if you are elected our taxes will spiral upwards. You should heed the words of Winston Churchill: “We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” If I like anything about you, it is your campaign promise to balance the federal budget. Unfortunately, we have heard this a huge number of times from a number of different politicians and we realize that when you energize the very liberal Nancy Pelosi, Robert Byrd, Ted Kennedy, etc, etc, and the many other democrats like them, a balanced budget will never, ever happen on your watch.

During your question and answer session with Rick Warren of Saddleback Church your answer concerning the question of where does life begin, stunned me: “Above your pay grade?” Does this mean when something bad happens as President of this nation that you are going to look at your salary to determine if you can respond? I am sorry, but this was the most serious gaffe I have seen you make. Frankly, it shows me that you are pandering in the most obvious manner. You will choose your words not from your heart, but from an agenda that I believe is still hidden from the American people.

If anything stands out about you it is probably your appeasement mentality. In this era of rampant, radical Islamic extremism and with the latest stunt pulled by the re-energized Russian government, I am not sure appeasement is healthy. I again revert to the words of Winston Churchill: “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”

You and your party tacitly believe that a 13 or 14 year old girl must have the parents approval to have the school nurse provide them with a Tylenol when they have a headache at school. Yet, this same girl can become pregnant and the school can skirt her off to a clinic and abort the child in her body without the parents knowing or being notified. This scares the hell out of me. You have two little girls. Would you be upset if this happened to them and you were not informed? Then why do you stand for this? It makes no sense to me.

My seventh and final point (for now) is your supporters. I have watched the Hollywood entertainers that support you, systematically embrace Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and others like him. I see the continuous smut and garbage produced by Hollywood, the very people who promote you the most vigorously. It is not a positive point to me and others like me to see these over-paid, bizarre, poor examples of human existence fawn over you and push you and your liberal agenda as hard as they do. The way that I see it; When the devil is for you, we should question whether or not we should be against you.

In closing, I just want you to know that you scare me. I cannot vote for you. It is not because of your skin color. It is because these items and many, many others like them. Do not claim that my dislike for you is race based. It is because I do not feel you have the best interests of this nation at heart.

Splash Dogs are coming---

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:22:24 PDT

The SPLASH DOG's are coming to the Kern County Fair! Little dogs, medium Dogs, or Big Dogs, all are welcome to come out and take part.
There are divisions for every dog to compete in. Dogs are placed in division based on how far they jump.
Splash Dogs      0' 0" - 9'11"
Junior Dogs      10' 0" - 14' 11"
Senior Dog division   15'11" - 19' 11"
Professional Division    20' 0" - 22' 11"
Extreme Division     23' & over

This is a fun event for you and your dog, go to www.splashdogs.com and check it out

Tehachapi Prison on lockdown...

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:26:12 PDT

I was really surprised no one commented on this and even more surprised I didn't see it on the front page somewhere.

http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4e6c9a98-6dbf-4281-85b7-c4908c32ceee

I find it somewhat alarming that they want to expand the prison in light of the apparent fact that they can barely handle the inmates they have now.

The Weedpatch Gazette

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:21:24 PDT

A column I wrote a few years ago comparing politicians to used car and real estate salesmen provoked an acquaintance in the R/E business to call me and complain. During the conversation I commented about agreeing to disagree, but she would have none of it and hung up on me. There are some points where people dig in their heels and agreeing to disagree is off the table. This is the situation surrounding Governor Palin; her suddenly being thrust into the limelight is, to say the least, polarizing. And much in the way of Val Kilmer in Tombstone saying to the fellow who was insulting him “Does this mean we’re not friends anymore?” some friendships are being strained over her candidacy.

Many years ago while playing and singing in some of the honky tonks I quickly learned the wisdom of the three subjects you do not discuss in bars: Religion, politics, and the Civil War. That was good advice then, and it remains good advice in the bars. After all, the topics are generally women/men “are no damned good” and usually suffice to pass the time in liquid camaraderie. But my not being a drinker I was always able to keep a clear mind while listening to many of the stories from others, especially women, and some of these eventually found their way into my book Birds With Broken Wings.

Assuming none of the candidates is assassinated, a sober possibility, at least no one can say this election cycle is boring. Some of the speeches yes, but not what is swirling around the candidates themselves. Personally I wish politicians were still making speeches to the sound of cocking pistols in their audiences, but now they are surrounded by armed guards everywhere and packing heat to listen to any of them seems to be off the table also.

Of all the political films my favorite remains Gore Vidal’s Lincoln with Mary Tyler Moore and Sam Waterston. The film so accurately portrayed the shenanigans of politics it should be required viewing for college students, though I maintain Lincoln’s War was an unnecessary attempt at national suicide and the seeds of America’s destruction had already been sown in slavery, a problem the war did not resolve and has only been exacerbated by the institution of a Federal Triune Dictatorship with its welfare and wage slavery.

While I am encouraged and applaud Governor Palin’s sudden appearance and maintain it was the wisest choice McCain could have made I have no illusions about making any substantive changes in the way our government operates no matter who is in the White House. The specifics of our nation having been betrayed and our being plunged trillions of dollars into debt defy any politician addressing the solutions to our problems. The specifics would have to address the fact that heritage, culture, a common language and secure borders are the only hope of saving America; and just how would these be accomplished? Even with McCain/Palin in the White House, short of cataclysmic events overtaking America demanding the needed Draconian solutions to our problems there is little hope of any substantive action being taken to save America.

From a Biblical perspective I continue to view our nation as the Great City Babylon of Revelation. Governor Palin certainly is a refreshing change from the usual way of politics in America, and I’m encouraged by her candidacy. But I’m not naïve to what is actually needed to do the things necessary to move our nation off the path to destruction the Devil’s crowd has already paved for America.

For nearly four years I was totally absorbed in the writing of the autobiographical novel Donnie and Jean, an angel’s story about two twelve year old children growing up in Bakersfield during the 40s. I became a virtual recluse during those four years, seldom going anywhere except the post office and grocery store. Then there was three years writing Bird With Broken Wings. Writers are generally absorbed in their projects and content to be alone with only their thoughts for company. But my critique of To Kill A Mockingbird was a curious undertaking, and during the two years of writing that the occasional visitor would ask why I would do such a thing?

But I had no ready answer to the question until I came to realize Harper Lee had written so much better than she knew in creating her literary masterpiece, and by the time she did realize this there was the need to withdraw and take time to understand it. What I came to understand was more than a book becoming a friend, some books do become such to some people and TKM became such a book for me. But more than that I came to understand Harper Lee had actually written the Novel of the Century before it even gained this distinction in literary circles. As such it deserved a very special place demanding great attention be paid to it. But I was also becoming aware that America was increasingly an ignorant and illiterate nation, an increasingly ill-mannered and violent nation, that the great literature of America was being traded for tawdry trash aided by TV unable to stem the tide of ignorance and illiteracy.

There is a question of just what responsibility the individual has for choices, and does God hold us totally responsible for the choices we make? I don’t question divine intervention in the affairs of humankind, I do believe this happens. But when it comes to the matter of individual choices I struggle with this concept. I do know I can choose my friends, I can choose what to read or what films or TV programs to watch, and in making such choices I know whatever I feed my mind has a lot to do with the kind of person I am and the way I think.

A great work of literature such as TKM demands a distinct kind of attention being paid to it, the kind of attention that requires thoughtful analysis of the details that make such a book a truly great work of literature. For some of us it goes beyond that, it causes us to continue to make reference to it in our own thoughts and writing, in our conversing with others. The actual points of reference demanded by TKM remind me of the closing scene in the film The Wind and the Lion where Sean Connery asks the fellow “Isn’t there one thing in your life worth losing everything for?”

We never know when something may come up that will so absorb our attention all else falls to the wayside; in its way it is not unlike falling in love when the object of our affection causes all else to pale to near insignificance. But an idea, ideals can have the same effect. The real loss in America is the lack of hope for a future; but a future is dependent on ideas and ideals that inspire hope; and when people fill their minds with those things that do not contribute to ideas and ideals and forsake those things that would contribute to making good choices in their lives there is nothing left but an empty void people attempt to fill by the things that will only perish in the using.

To be sincere in our convictions is an admirable thing so long as these contribute to a healthy mind. But when such sincerity becomes grotesque it is invariably due to holding the wrong convictions, and this is often due to not separating what we believe from what we know. There are certain things I believe but I’m not certain about my own ignorance because there are too many things I do not know, and like Leo Stein I question the wisdom of others because I question my own. I do find wisdom in some Scriptures, in others like Emerson and Harper Lee, but the best of such wisdom comes from the admission of their questioning their own wisdom, their questioning their own motives in coming at their own beliefs. And just who you choose as your authorities on any particular subject, about your beliefs tells others much about you.

Rover, Fido or Charley?

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 09:47:07 PDT

We covered names for humans, how about pet names? How do you name your pets? Not too long ago I was once bitched at for giving my animals "people" names...well excuse me, but they are my people, regardless of the fact they have four legs.

My first pet was a Heinz 57 given to me on my first birthday. I didn't name him, my older brother christened him "Sparky". I had him until I was 14 when we had to put him down, he'd developed anal cancer.

Over the years we had a homing pigeon called "Homer", a Doxie called "Nippy" (guess why?). He finally nipped the wrong person, my dad, and off he went to the pound. My chickens never got names, they were just my babies. My older brother had a white German Shepard he called "Shep".

Later, we had a "Gypsy" - how prophetic that name was, she was an Australian Shepard who could scale a 6' block wall like a cat. A cat name S'new - taken from the song What's New Pussycat?. A hamster called "Beethoven" - again from a song, Roll Over Beethoven.

My next cat was named "Petey Poys". My mother sent my father to the grocery store with a list. On this list she had Petite Pois (little peas). My dad came home and announced he couldn't find the "petey poys peas". Then came a rabbit named "Trixie" - yes, after the cereal. Another cat called "Lilky" - little kitty. A paraket named "Azul" - he was a beautiful shade of blue. More dogs, "Spiro" and "Clovis", then "Veronica". "Ginger", a gorgeous red color, and "Beulah" a beagle who bugled. A big tom called "McDuff". Another doxie named "Natasha" from the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, a collie named "Aslan" - yep, from the C's of Narnia, also two cats named from those books, "Lucy" and Fledge". More cats, two strays who adopted us, pregnant "Charlotte" jumped into the open window of my car while I was at a friend's house, curled up into my sweater on the front seat and went into labor; and "Hop-Along", he showed up with a bad limp. The cat who had lived in the house prior to us showed up one day, he was "Jeremiah". His owner came looking for him and asked if we would keep him, of course the answer was yes. Another cat, "Meesch". she was from Charlotte's litter, a runt, no one wanted her. She ended up being the best animal, dog or cat, I've ever had. Anyway, I named her after a friend who was still breastfeeding her 3 year old. The little girl would say "Meesch, mom" and my friend would whip out her teat.. Two more cats, "Smudge" and "Smidge". After we moved to Vegas, we aquired "Sasha", a very sassy Siamese, and three more dogs, a Jack Russell we called "Toby", "Dudley", named after Dudley Dooright, and "Ursula", a Newfie who looked just like a bear cub as a pup. She's a senior citizen, even the vet is amazed she has reached the age of 15. The rest of her pack is "Princess Lilibet of Castle ____" - "Lili" for short, "Daisy Foowentez", my Chi who thinks she is as big as Ursula, "Nelle" - after Dudley Dooright's girlfriend, and our Calico Manx, "Meescha" - named after Meesch.

So they haven't all been named people names...

I feel all warm and fuzzy...

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:07:35 PDT

I had never heard of this story and was absolutely blown away. Watch the video on this page:

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/09/christian-the-l.html?xid=rss-popwatch-20080905-Christian%20the%20Lion%20gets%20a%20movie%20deal...

Found Dogs - (2) Black Labradors (Male & Female)

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:54:46 PDT

9/5/08 - (2) Black Labradors, male and female (mating pair), both wearing red collars but no ID tags or microchips. Found around D & E streets, and taken to the Mojave Shelter. Call 824-1030 to claim. They are open until 4 p.m. today, and 10-4 p.m. Saturday, closed noon-1 p.m.