Guess
NOT!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
War Movie
I recently watched a disturbing movie, based on a true story.
The movie is called "To End All Wars", (2001) based on the book, "Miracle on the River Kwai"....by Ernest Gordon. I believe the director's name was David Cunningham.
Its kinda a similar story like Bridge on the River Kwai, which I have not seen in a very long time. About all I remember is the men were very brave, the bad bridge scene and the whistling. I put in my queue to watch again.
It was during WWII. A regimen of Scottish men were taken prisoner by the Japanese, along with one American. In the movie he was the only actor I could name, Kiefer Sutherland.
They were forced to build the railroad of death in Burma. That alone tells you this is not going to go well.
I have seen lots of WWII movies, but mostly it was the Germans doing the killing. What made this so disturbing was the brutality. Not that it wasn't in the movies where Germans are killing. This was just so up close and personal. In the German areas, its quite common to see some people slapped around and see fifty shot and killed in minutes. We see much less death in this movie. But we frequently see the person beaten or tortured for long periods of time. For the ones that did survive, they probably are glad they made it through, but they may not have thought that at the time. I guess the greater amount of suffering is what increases the brutality in my mind.
My favorite character in the movie dies an especially horrible death. What makes it even worse, is that it happened 2 weeks before the end of the war.
Is it a good movie? Not sure. Do I recommend it? Not sure, you should know what you are in for. But yes, it is worth seeing. Esp. since it is a part of our history not enough people are aware of. Just be forewarned. It was not that long ago, this was in the 1940's. Its not ancient history.
The movie is called "To End All Wars", (2001) based on the book, "Miracle on the River Kwai"....by Ernest Gordon. I believe the director's name was David Cunningham.
Its kinda a similar story like Bridge on the River Kwai, which I have not seen in a very long time. About all I remember is the men were very brave, the bad bridge scene and the whistling. I put in my queue to watch again.
It was during WWII. A regimen of Scottish men were taken prisoner by the Japanese, along with one American. In the movie he was the only actor I could name, Kiefer Sutherland.
They were forced to build the railroad of death in Burma. That alone tells you this is not going to go well.
I have seen lots of WWII movies, but mostly it was the Germans doing the killing. What made this so disturbing was the brutality. Not that it wasn't in the movies where Germans are killing. This was just so up close and personal. In the German areas, its quite common to see some people slapped around and see fifty shot and killed in minutes. We see much less death in this movie. But we frequently see the person beaten or tortured for long periods of time. For the ones that did survive, they probably are glad they made it through, but they may not have thought that at the time. I guess the greater amount of suffering is what increases the brutality in my mind.
Is watching 50 people suffer for 30 seconds and die more or less brutal than watching 1 person beaten almost to death for 10 minutes, or tortured almost to death for 2 days?
My favorite character in the movie dies an especially horrible death. What makes it even worse, is that it happened 2 weeks before the end of the war.
Is it a good movie? Not sure. Do I recommend it? Not sure, you should know what you are in for. But yes, it is worth seeing. Esp. since it is a part of our history not enough people are aware of. Just be forewarned. It was not that long ago, this was in the 1940's. Its not ancient history.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
House Rabbit Society
This is such a great resource if you have ever thought about having a pet rabbit. I have learned soooo much from the House Rabbit Society. Rabbits are becoming more and more popular as pets, but most people don't have a clue how to properly care for them. I wish I knew as much when I got my first rabbit as I do now. Unfortunately even I learned a lot of things the hard way. The link goes to the national HRS, but there are local chapters all over the place now. My home chapter is San Diego, about 35 miles away.. Its a great chapter. It has a great news letter that I learn something from each issue. Their mission is to find homes for rabbits in shelters before "their time is up". Also to educate people on how to care for rabbits. They do a great job.
Check it out! Even if you are not ready to commit to a house rabbit....the pictures are adorable!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Catch up
Its been a while. Nothing memorable to say.
Lots of little annoyances this week. Nothing big, not like the big stuff some of my friends are going through.
Up dates on their big stuff, then maybe listing my insignificant little things, will make them annoy me less.
A friend in AZ, J, is practically living at the hospital. Her 31 yr. old son was diagnosed with leukaemia Christmas week. He started Chemo Christmas day. He was supposed to get a bone marrow transplant from his brother last week, if all went well. Still waiting to hear. My friend has always been so positive, but she is just a basket case. They say has chances with the transplant are 50/50.
I tell her those are pretty good odds, but she is in such despair, I don't know if she will ever come back from this.
My friend Mark (with the ALS) continues to worsen. He had more mobility in his hands and arms a few months ago then he does now. He is still able to eat real food, which is very good. He was on pureed food for a while, when he had some trouble swallowing. He thought the food was bad before....but after that, he was thrilled to get it back. I think he may have gained a few of the pounds he lost back, looks a little less frail.
But his voice is almost gone. I don't know what part is going. Is it the tongue and lips, or vocal cords, or what, but it became almost impossible to understand him. Last month he finally got a talking machine. Not sure the technical term....its like what Stephen Hawking uses. He is able to use a sensor to make a cursor spell out what he wants to say, then he can hit a button that says Speak, and it speaks it. Its pretty cool. It takes a lot of work for him, but at least he is able to communicate again. It was looking like he would not get it until his Medi-Cal kicked in. (they are $10,000!!) Its on loan, but he desperately needs it. Imagine having a fully functional mind and no way to communicate.
His Medi-cal has not kicked in yet. He has been in the nursing home almost 8 months. Pretty sure insurance is not covering it now.
His sister is handling all his stuff. She is out of state, but comes out fairly often to get stuff done. I told her she needs to walk the Medi-Cal application in to the office, mail-ins take much longer. But it was mailed and received in Dec. It is unlikely to be looked at for several more months.
Then his house rabbit. I was going to take it if he could not go home again, and it is looking like he will not be able to live at home again. Live in help would have to be hired, and it does not look to me like his sister plans to do this. He can't do it. I can't do it. A friend has been coming over to take care of his rabbit, but other wise is home alone. Its great he has the run of the house, but he is probably getting lonely. I discussed with Mark, he would probably have to spend some time in my outdoor hutch while I got him and my house bunnies used to each other, but hopefully he would eventually be living in doors. He hated to see that, but thought it was probably the best alternative. The sister is now saying, well Mark does not want him outside, he is going to go to some vet place who will him find a home. Yeah, how long will that take? My girls were at the shelter a year before I adopted them, and can they be sure they will go someplace at least as good as here? For all I know the vet could sell them for snake food, or animal experiments. We will never know. No updates for Mark. It bothers me and I am worried about the bunny, plus I felt like I was just dismissed.
Then my massage person dismissed me yesterday. I had been going for years. The really good one I had close by for years, was stopping to get another type of job, and I knew this person, M, from something else. I think I had been paying L. about $45. and went every 3 months. Well when she quit I asked M. what she charged. I think she said $70. That's a lot for me. But I didn't want to totally stop, and since I knew her, figured maybe twice a year I could come up with that, so made my appt. After I go to write my check, and she says $30. is fine. I say "thanks, but I can't do that if you charge $70". She says its fine, she knows I can't afford that. So I go every 2-3 months, paying $30. for several years. She never says anymore. When I started making more I started writing my checks for $35. Lately I had thought maybe I should bump it up a little more, but had not done it. I go Sunday and I am 15 min. late. I just lost track of time, thought I could still make it, and raced there. I can't remember the last time I was even 5 min. late there. I apologize, she says its ok, but it will have to be just 45 min, not 60. I say I understand. After I pay, and make an appt. for 2 1/2 months.
The next day I get an e-mail saying basically, sorry, but with the bad economy I can't afford to give you reduced rates anymore, you might want to look for some place you can afford better. Dismissed again. I would have been fine, if when I gave her the check she would have told me then, $70. next time. I probably would have said fine, see you in 6 months, and started saving my pennies. But instead I was just dismissed, after all these years. I kinda felt like we were kinda friends. It felt bad. Like I did something wrong. Other than the one time 15 min. late, I can't guess what I did.
My utilities keep going up and up. I am not a phone person, hardly ever use it, but I guess I have to have one. I think the number of calls I make each month divided into my bill by the time they get all the tax and fees on is coming out to average at least $1.00 a call.!!! I called 411 last month. First in a long time. They didn't even have the number I was looking for. The last I heard, you could call 3 times a month before they charged you for calling. Nope. That one useless call was $1.50. When did that change?
All my hanging out friends are unavailable. Everyone is so far, and or so busy with jobs, significant others, kids, or just way too tired, etc. Its not even worth the trouble to try and get together more than once a year of so. Yeah, I guess I do still have some friends, but it sure does not seem like it most of the time. I go everywhere alone. Which is fine 98% of the time. But I hate telling other people I did this alone or that alone. It sounds too pathetic. And there are times when just chatting about stupid stuff like today's blog with a real live person would be nice. Or the occasional dinner or something without weeks of trying to arrange time to get together.
I have nothing in common with most of the people at work. Last job I did. One before that I did, but not here. Its all pretty much being quiet, or boring small talk. Why yes, I am single, and that's fine. I am not the kind of person that thinks any relationship is better than none. 99% of the time, its just more trouble than I want. But....one of my favorite lines about not having a relationship is "Then who do you tell your stories to?"
Then throw in some difficulties I have had lately doing stuff online or the computer in general. Some are just me, eventually I would figure it out. Its just frustrating. Others are the site/system problems, I have to wait for them to fix.
What else. Rain...I love rain, don't get me wrong. And we need it desperately here in S. CA. But...I have been working on some out door projects for several months. A big hunk of it was moving a lot of plants around my back yard. Of course everything always takes me longer than I expect it to. The other part is the rain. We went at least 6 months with no rain. When it came I was thrilled. But for the last 6 weeks or so we have averaged 2 days a week of rain. Except for 1 weekend in the past 6 or so, either it was too wet and rainy or too muddy to do anything out back!!! What are the odds of those 2 days having to always be on the weekend? I have plants I dug up weeks ago, and can't get replanted. There isn't time after work. At first it was like, oh, well I will do it next weekend. But no, it rained. This weekend? Another storm is expected. I could finish in a day and a half. Please, just one good weekend to garden. This is sunny California.
I think that's the bulk of it, must go eat and shower before Lost comes on. How will I survive it going away permanently?
Lots of little annoyances this week. Nothing big, not like the big stuff some of my friends are going through.
Up dates on their big stuff, then maybe listing my insignificant little things, will make them annoy me less.
A friend in AZ, J, is practically living at the hospital. Her 31 yr. old son was diagnosed with leukaemia Christmas week. He started Chemo Christmas day. He was supposed to get a bone marrow transplant from his brother last week, if all went well. Still waiting to hear. My friend has always been so positive, but she is just a basket case. They say has chances with the transplant are 50/50.
I tell her those are pretty good odds, but she is in such despair, I don't know if she will ever come back from this.
My friend Mark (with the ALS) continues to worsen. He had more mobility in his hands and arms a few months ago then he does now. He is still able to eat real food, which is very good. He was on pureed food for a while, when he had some trouble swallowing. He thought the food was bad before....but after that, he was thrilled to get it back. I think he may have gained a few of the pounds he lost back, looks a little less frail.
But his voice is almost gone. I don't know what part is going. Is it the tongue and lips, or vocal cords, or what, but it became almost impossible to understand him. Last month he finally got a talking machine. Not sure the technical term....its like what Stephen Hawking uses. He is able to use a sensor to make a cursor spell out what he wants to say, then he can hit a button that says Speak, and it speaks it. Its pretty cool. It takes a lot of work for him, but at least he is able to communicate again. It was looking like he would not get it until his Medi-Cal kicked in. (they are $10,000!!) Its on loan, but he desperately needs it. Imagine having a fully functional mind and no way to communicate.
His Medi-cal has not kicked in yet. He has been in the nursing home almost 8 months. Pretty sure insurance is not covering it now.
His sister is handling all his stuff. She is out of state, but comes out fairly often to get stuff done. I told her she needs to walk the Medi-Cal application in to the office, mail-ins take much longer. But it was mailed and received in Dec. It is unlikely to be looked at for several more months.
Then his house rabbit. I was going to take it if he could not go home again, and it is looking like he will not be able to live at home again. Live in help would have to be hired, and it does not look to me like his sister plans to do this. He can't do it. I can't do it. A friend has been coming over to take care of his rabbit, but other wise is home alone. Its great he has the run of the house, but he is probably getting lonely. I discussed with Mark, he would probably have to spend some time in my outdoor hutch while I got him and my house bunnies used to each other, but hopefully he would eventually be living in doors. He hated to see that, but thought it was probably the best alternative. The sister is now saying, well Mark does not want him outside, he is going to go to some vet place who will him find a home. Yeah, how long will that take? My girls were at the shelter a year before I adopted them, and can they be sure they will go someplace at least as good as here? For all I know the vet could sell them for snake food, or animal experiments. We will never know. No updates for Mark. It bothers me and I am worried about the bunny, plus I felt like I was just dismissed.
Then my massage person dismissed me yesterday. I had been going for years. The really good one I had close by for years, was stopping to get another type of job, and I knew this person, M, from something else. I think I had been paying L. about $45. and went every 3 months. Well when she quit I asked M. what she charged. I think she said $70. That's a lot for me. But I didn't want to totally stop, and since I knew her, figured maybe twice a year I could come up with that, so made my appt. After I go to write my check, and she says $30. is fine. I say "thanks, but I can't do that if you charge $70". She says its fine, she knows I can't afford that. So I go every 2-3 months, paying $30. for several years. She never says anymore. When I started making more I started writing my checks for $35. Lately I had thought maybe I should bump it up a little more, but had not done it. I go Sunday and I am 15 min. late. I just lost track of time, thought I could still make it, and raced there. I can't remember the last time I was even 5 min. late there. I apologize, she says its ok, but it will have to be just 45 min, not 60. I say I understand. After I pay, and make an appt. for 2 1/2 months.
The next day I get an e-mail saying basically, sorry, but with the bad economy I can't afford to give you reduced rates anymore, you might want to look for some place you can afford better. Dismissed again. I would have been fine, if when I gave her the check she would have told me then, $70. next time. I probably would have said fine, see you in 6 months, and started saving my pennies. But instead I was just dismissed, after all these years. I kinda felt like we were kinda friends. It felt bad. Like I did something wrong. Other than the one time 15 min. late, I can't guess what I did.
My utilities keep going up and up. I am not a phone person, hardly ever use it, but I guess I have to have one. I think the number of calls I make each month divided into my bill by the time they get all the tax and fees on is coming out to average at least $1.00 a call.!!! I called 411 last month. First in a long time. They didn't even have the number I was looking for. The last I heard, you could call 3 times a month before they charged you for calling. Nope. That one useless call was $1.50. When did that change?
All my hanging out friends are unavailable. Everyone is so far, and or so busy with jobs, significant others, kids, or just way too tired, etc. Its not even worth the trouble to try and get together more than once a year of so. Yeah, I guess I do still have some friends, but it sure does not seem like it most of the time. I go everywhere alone. Which is fine 98% of the time. But I hate telling other people I did this alone or that alone. It sounds too pathetic. And there are times when just chatting about stupid stuff like today's blog with a real live person would be nice. Or the occasional dinner or something without weeks of trying to arrange time to get together.
I have nothing in common with most of the people at work. Last job I did. One before that I did, but not here. Its all pretty much being quiet, or boring small talk. Why yes, I am single, and that's fine. I am not the kind of person that thinks any relationship is better than none. 99% of the time, its just more trouble than I want. But....one of my favorite lines about not having a relationship is "Then who do you tell your stories to?"
Then throw in some difficulties I have had lately doing stuff online or the computer in general. Some are just me, eventually I would figure it out. Its just frustrating. Others are the site/system problems, I have to wait for them to fix.
What else. Rain...I love rain, don't get me wrong. And we need it desperately here in S. CA. But...I have been working on some out door projects for several months. A big hunk of it was moving a lot of plants around my back yard. Of course everything always takes me longer than I expect it to. The other part is the rain. We went at least 6 months with no rain. When it came I was thrilled. But for the last 6 weeks or so we have averaged 2 days a week of rain. Except for 1 weekend in the past 6 or so, either it was too wet and rainy or too muddy to do anything out back!!! What are the odds of those 2 days having to always be on the weekend? I have plants I dug up weeks ago, and can't get replanted. There isn't time after work. At first it was like, oh, well I will do it next weekend. But no, it rained. This weekend? Another storm is expected. I could finish in a day and a half. Please, just one good weekend to garden. This is sunny California.
I think that's the bulk of it, must go eat and shower before Lost comes on. How will I survive it going away permanently?
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Charity Navigator
This is a gr
eat site to help people and charitable causes connect.
You can search by organization name or type of charity. They do the homework for you. They can tell you if the organization is using their funds wisely. It can be a little misleading in this economy. Hopefully most charities have some investment funds, that may well have tanked this year, so cut them some slack for that. You can find out if the CEO has a reasonable salery, and my personal favorite; how much they spend on fundraising.
You can give the charity your info, or be anonymous. You can keep all your tax record deductions in one place. You can pay with a credit card (I don't recommend that) or link your checking account to Pay Pal. I chose that way. That took a while...like several days for me, but I finally got it, and it will be easier next time. .
They say its better to not spread your donations too thin, but I have trouble saying no to all of them. Its silly. Its not like they are sitting by the mailbox, saying "Where is her annual $7.00 gift? Doesn't she care about us anymore? We could feed an animal for a week on that". Yet I guess that's how I feel. Anyway my point is it can be very easy to give to the cause of your choice. Any little bit you can spare would be appreciated. (possibly less so by mail than on line.) I received 90 requests so far in 2009! Sometimes I feel like they spent all of the little gift I gave them sending me mailings to ask me to send more. That's why I am switching to anonymous on line giving for a big hunk of the causes I support.
Check them out. You may be astonished at how many there are out there. Hey its the holidays, send a little to the animals or the environment, etc. It will mean more than some of the junk you buy people cause you think you have to get them something.
eat site to help people and charitable causes connect.You can search by organization name or type of charity. They do the homework for you. They can tell you if the organization is using their funds wisely. It can be a little misleading in this economy. Hopefully most charities have some investment funds, that may well have tanked this year, so cut them some slack for that. You can find out if the CEO has a reasonable salery, and my personal favorite; how much they spend on fundraising.
You can give the charity your info, or be anonymous. You can keep all your tax record deductions in one place. You can pay with a credit card (I don't recommend that) or link your checking account to Pay Pal. I chose that way. That took a while...like several days for me, but I finally got it, and it will be easier next time. .
They say its better to not spread your donations too thin, but I have trouble saying no to all of them. Its silly. Its not like they are sitting by the mailbox, saying "Where is her annual $7.00 gift? Doesn't she care about us anymore? We could feed an animal for a week on that". Yet I guess that's how I feel. Anyway my point is it can be very easy to give to the cause of your choice. Any little bit you can spare would be appreciated. (possibly less so by mail than on line.) I received 90 requests so far in 2009! Sometimes I feel like they spent all of the little gift I gave them sending me mailings to ask me to send more. That's why I am switching to anonymous on line giving for a big hunk of the causes I support.
Check them out. You may be astonished at how many there are out there. Hey its the holidays, send a little to the animals or the environment, etc. It will mean more than some of the junk you buy people cause you think you have to get them something.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Fred
Let me tell you about Fred.
I think it was about Feb. 2008 a co-worker was looking for someone to take a turtle her brother had "surprised" her mom with. I take my animal responsibilities very seriously. Apparently they had it about 2 weeks, it was a turtle and not a tortoise. I think they are adorable, but as I started to research it (something they did not bother to do any of), and found out all the care requirements, I am thinking "no way". But I must rescue this poor turtle. If I could not keep it, I would find someone who could.
She shows up with the turtle...a red eared slider. Its in a dishpan of grass, with a big chunk of carrot and apple.
I stop at the pet store on the way home, get a light, a floating platform, some actual turtle pellets and a little booklet. I go home, see if the big aquarium someone had given me for a small mammal years ago would hold water. Just put a little in at first to see, but it was more than it had before. I call the turtle and tortoise group number, get a recording that they all all volunteers, and it may be a few days before they get back to me, so I decide to see how I do.
Well, luckily for vegetarian me, the older they get the less meat type stuff they need and the more veggies. That's a plus. But they are supposed to have a large expensive filter, and frequent tank cleanings, and a very specific temp. range, and a heater, and thermometer, etc, etc. Feeling pretty over whelmed by it all.
But darn if Fred was not just getting cuter and cuter, and was an amazingly good listener. He just seemed to hang on every word I said. I thought he was a male, he looked like a Fred, and to me looked like the pic of the male turtle.
Time goes on, get more and more attached....gradually get more and more stuff for him, and am apparently keeping him. Two expensive vet trips when he stops eating several months later, and develops some gross worm parasites I treat him for.
Back to doing well, eating good. But often acted like I was holding him prisoner and he wanted out. Do people take their water turtles out to play? I don't know. Its not like he is a gold fish. So once in a while I would take him out for a while.
Oh, and they need sunshine, so I had a little tub for him to go outside on nice days. A few times I would take him with me as I was gardening to play in the dirt. Is that dumb? I did not know. But I found out if I blinked he would quickly bury himself up to his tail, and I would have to search for him, so I did not take him out that often.
Ok, a year goes by. He seems to want out even more than usual. Cleaning his tank one day, I find egg shells! A couple days later she is so frantic to get out, I am afraid the heater is malfunctioning, so I grab her out, and soon after she lays an egg on the floor!!! Fredrika does not have the same ring to it. So she is still Fred, and I switch back and forth between he and she...bear with me.
A few weeks later, out gardening again, think it would be a great day for Fred to go play in the dirt...maybe lay some eggs, get that out of her system. Its early, I have plenty of time to crawl around on my hands and knees looking for her before it gets dark. That was March 15, 2009. I did not find her. I looked and looked and looked. I have an average size yard (she was in the back, and I didn't think she could get out front), but when she did not turn up out back, I started out front. Put up signs, talked to the neighbors, called the Humane society, etc. I was sure she would turn up, but as time went on, I eventually about gave up, and just hoped she did get out and was living ok with some one else.
I had never taken her tank fully apart, just a little of the stuff was removed. Could not bring my self to.
So yesterday I go out back to do some gardening, hear a rustle in the leaves. I figure its little birds, but NO! There is Fred walking across the back yard!! My eyes about popped out of my head. Where the heck had she been? How did she keep from drying out? They need to be in water to eat. Seems unlikely that she hibernated for 9 months, including the summer. Shocked and amazed. Its a Christmas miracle. She looks pretty good. Is not eating yet, I imagine she swallowe
d quite a bit of dirt, but hey, she survived that, she will be ok. I am sure now. Welcome home Fred.
I think it was about Feb. 2008 a co-worker was looking for someone to take a turtle her brother had "surprised" her mom with. I take my animal responsibilities very seriously. Apparently they had it about 2 weeks, it was a turtle and not a tortoise. I think they are adorable, but as I started to research it (something they did not bother to do any of), and found out all the care requirements, I am thinking "no way". But I must rescue this poor turtle. If I could not keep it, I would find someone who could.
She shows up with the turtle...a red eared slider. Its in a dishpan of grass, with a big chunk of carrot and apple.
I stop at the pet store on the way home, get a light, a floating platform, some actual turtle pellets and a little booklet. I go home, see if the big aquarium someone had given me for a small mammal years ago would hold water. Just put a little in at first to see, but it was more than it had before. I call the turtle and tortoise group number, get a recording that they all all volunteers, and it may be a few days before they get back to me, so I decide to see how I do.
Well, luckily for vegetarian me, the older they get the less meat type stuff they need and the more veggies. That's a plus. But they are supposed to have a large expensive filter, and frequent tank cleanings, and a very specific temp. range, and a heater, and thermometer, etc, etc. Feeling pretty over whelmed by it all.
But darn if Fred was not just getting cuter and cuter, and was an amazingly good listener. He just seemed to hang on every word I said. I thought he was a male, he looked like a Fred, and to me looked like the pic of the male turtle.
Time goes on, get more and more attached....gradually get more and more stuff for him, and am apparently keeping him. Two expensive vet trips when he stops eating several months later, and develops some gross worm parasites I treat him for.
Back to doing well, eating good. But often acted like I was holding him prisoner and he wanted out. Do people take their water turtles out to play? I don't know. Its not like he is a gold fish. So once in a while I would take him out for a while.
Oh, and they need sunshine, so I had a little tub for him to go outside on nice days. A few times I would take him with me as I was gardening to play in the dirt. Is that dumb? I did not know. But I found out if I blinked he would quickly bury himself up to his tail, and I would have to search for him, so I did not take him out that often.
Ok, a year goes by. He seems to want out even more than usual. Cleaning his tank one day, I find egg shells! A couple days later she is so frantic to get out, I am afraid the heater is malfunctioning, so I grab her out, and soon after she lays an egg on the floor!!! Fredrika does not have the same ring to it. So she is still Fred, and I switch back and forth between he and she...bear with me.
A few weeks later, out gardening again, think it would be a great day for Fred to go play in the dirt...maybe lay some eggs, get that out of her system. Its early, I have plenty of time to crawl around on my hands and knees looking for her before it gets dark. That was March 15, 2009. I did not find her. I looked and looked and looked. I have an average size yard (she was in the back, and I didn't think she could get out front), but when she did not turn up out back, I started out front. Put up signs, talked to the neighbors, called the Humane society, etc. I was sure she would turn up, but as time went on, I eventually about gave up, and just hoped she did get out and was living ok with some one else.
I had never taken her tank fully apart, just a little of the stuff was removed. Could not bring my self to.
So yesterday I go out back to do some gardening, hear a rustle in the leaves. I figure its little birds, but NO! There is Fred walking across the back yard!! My eyes about popped out of my head. Where the heck had she been? How did she keep from drying out? They need to be in water to eat. Seems unlikely that she hibernated for 9 months, including the summer. Shocked and amazed. Its a Christmas miracle. She looks pretty good. Is not eating yet, I imagine she swallowe
d quite a bit of dirt, but hey, she survived that, she will be ok. I am sure now. Welcome home Fred.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Stop Global Warming
This picture came in one of those "cute" e-mails that go around. But this one is not cute. It makes me want to cry. Polar bears are not doing well at all. Global warming is real, and everyone of us is contributing to it. Is amazing to me how many people do not even think anything about the environment. I think about it constantly and feel bad that I am not doing more to help it. Every little bit helps. You don't have to go live in a cave or ride your bike 20 miles to work each day to help. There are so many little things. For starters why do you need to drive such a big vehicle??? Are you hauling a lot of stuff to your job site each day? Are you car pooling with 4 other people each day? No, then why...cause you think its cool. You contribute a lot more to the problem by driving your "cool" big car.
Don't even get me started on over population!! No body in this day and age should be having more that 2 kids. That's just selfish and irresponsible. Even if you think you can afford them, (not that that even stops a lot of people) you are not paying the full amount of money it takes, and you are sucking up way too much energy, and space on this planet. Don't be so selfish. OK, the 3rd one was an accident, and you made sure there would not be a 4th one. I can live with that. When I see these people that have a baby every year or two, I just want to scream.
Get another hobby! This is not hundreds of years ago, when we were told to go forth and multiply. Enough is enough! But they are "blessings from God". All those little blessings are contributing to plants, animals and yes even kids dying around the world each day. There is a limit to the available resources. Our government subsidizes all your "extra kids". But that money has to come from someplace. Your family takes more of the school resources, medical resources, more space in stores, amusement parks, highways. That's a big one, while I sit in traffic jams. Each of your six kids is going to grow up and get a car, traffic gets worse and worse. Then more than likely each of them will have kids, etc. Its like the poster of how many kittens a cat that is not fixed can have.
Ok, back to the Polar Bears I started with, as the ice melts they have fewer and fewer pieces they can haul out and rest on. They swim very well, but not forever. They are actually drowning in record numbers. They just get too tired to make it to the next little piece of ice, and drown. The young and old die first, then even the strongest will not make it to the next ice floe.
Just so you can have your big cars with bad mileage, and air conditioning, and plane rides and lots of babies. Everything is connected. What you do matters. We have lots of recycling containers at work, yet people still throw recyclables in the trash every day, with out a thought. It takes a lot more resources to make things from scratch than from products (glass, paper, metal) already here.
Its not that hard to do. Before you throw something in the trash, your first question should automatically be "how can I recycle this". Before you buy a car, or have unprotected sex take a second to think how your actions affect the rest of the world. Again, its all connected. From the drowning polar bears, to children starving in other countries. We are using way more than our fair share of resources. Knock it off!
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