Sarcasm...the best thing since swedish fish...

I am a sarcastic person. Many people over the years have told me that my writing frequently is exactly how I talk....
This is all good...

Today I share with you a clip about war, terrorism and comedic sarcasm. Christopher Titus is a comedian that I really like. I understand his comedy ...heck, I've lived through some of his comedy...

This however is ...well you decide for yourself...I think it's hysterical..but is NOT for those who like political correctness...of course if you DO like PC...then you have no business reading my blog anyhow.

Enjoy.

Cartoons of the Week

Cartoons of the Week

OMG...did NO one read George Orwell 1984 in the last decade?

There are times in my life when I simply wish to repeatedly beat my head against the wall. There are also those same times when I manically envision bashing someone else's head against that wall.

These feelings can be directly related to several important outside stimulus.

Today's frustration comes directly from a news article I read today...The government can tract your moves

" Government agents can sneak onto your property in the middle of the night, put a GPS device on the bottom of your car and keep track of everywhere you go. This doesn't violate your Fourth Amendment rights, because you do not have any reasonable expectation of privacy in your own driveway — and no reasonable expectation that the government isn't tracking your movements."

EXCUSE ME?....again with the welcome to the USA Soviet Union style....

I have news for the government...if they have a hot burning desire to know that I go to Walmart, several medical centers and Costco, then they should know that I am a large fat scary white woman who has NO qualms about chasing down some asshole in my driveway in the middle of the night dressed only in my underpants. They have been warned....I take no prisoners.

The partiot act...taking away your rights, one legislative justifcation at a time

"Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, who dissented from this month's decision refusing to reconsider the case, pointed out whose homes are not open to strangers: rich people's. The court's ruling, he said, means that people who protect their homes with electric gates, fences and security booths have a large protected zone of privacy around their homes. People who cannot afford such barriers have to put up with the government sneaking around at night.""

....survey says...NO WE DON'T...You don't have to "Put up" with anyone sneaking around your property...how arrogant is that statement??

hum....let's see....the poor man's version would be...strategically placed empty cat food cans filled with ...well what comes out of the cat after the cat food...
there can also be....cat food can hand crafted "razor wire"...tin snips are a wonderful tool...
after of course, the lovely hand painted sign "beware of cat" (and her owner)

Seriously people ...time to rise up and vote these "winners" OUT OF OFFICE.

the clothes make the woman....

I am a plus sized woman....I don't try to change who I am...however..I am a little tired of the pathetic offerings in plus sized clothing.

Here are some things I know for sure.....the clothes offered up in general locations (I am sure there are specialty shops out there for those with bigger budgets then mine..) these readily available clothing lines..suck....
let's discuss some of the frightening things I have seen lately....

Empire waist-ed tops..for god's sake people..these don't look good on thin women..the only good thing an empire waist-ed top/dress is good for is a pregnant woman. Makes the wearer look pregnant anyhow....
gathered necklines that just then fall....


again with the yuck.....

and tops with built in bras?....excuse me...my "girls" need either real support or nothing at all...but the tops with built in bras simply don't support anything and just ride up....to places you don't want them too....

and the sizing?....are you kidding me...even I don't what size it will be next week...and I am not the one changing sizes.

I don't know who designs fat woman clothes, but it sure as hell isn't anyone wearing those clothes.

and do we need "cut on the bias" /"dont cut on the bias" instructions printed in chinese or what???

if I wash one more tshirt and having it look like it will fit a pumpkin patch, I am going to scream..


and what the hell happened to cotton bras.??? tricot and wires hurt.....

for those times when you need to smile

This is priceless...truly...

tarra and bella story

sorry, I posted the wrong video the other day..try this one with the narrative..it's worth the time to watch

Government says Gulf seafood safe, now consumers decide | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Government says Gulf seafood safe, now consumers decide | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal



The government also assures us the housing market, stock market and economy are rebounding....and they probably have a bridge for sale some place, or are building one to no where for those who are gullible enough to believe it.

Fortunately for me the seafood is a non issue, can't afford to eat seafood right now anyhow..

I am starting to feel personally insulted by how stupid our government things we are...
I know there are "Sheeple" out there, but more and more people are starting to smell the toast burning....

Tarra & Bella: Summer 2010

More Bank Bailouts

bend over...here goes more of our tax money....

more bank bail outs

interesting web tool

Thanks to the sunlight foundation for this interesting little gadget....

Welcome to the USA....Soviet Union style.....

Today I found out about this bill in congress....my research into this bill and increasing my knowledge has only begone, so I don't have much to say about it, except W T F ??????

Yesterday I mentioned that the whoopla about the NYC mosque was a distraction measure and today I believe that even more.
We need to get our heads out of the sand people and reel our overspending, overstepping government back in..they are OUT OF CONTROL....

"For the people, by the people"...

Here's some of the the articles about bill s510
article 1
and another

This is kind of scary....

religion

Almost every time I read the news online or I turn on a new channel I hear about religion.

Religions interest me, in a scientific type way. They also interest me in a psychological type way.
There is no other topic on the plant that draws people to it like moths to flame. More lives have been lost in the name of religion then for any other reason. Yet it is not necessarily a tangible concept. In today's terms, you might even call it "virtual".

That is one of the things that make it interesting to me.

A recent religious debate has occurred over the building of the mosque in NYC...
Now on first blush with the news media, you would think that this mosque was being built right on the spot where the world trade center towers stood.
Further digging into the topic however reveals that indeed that is not the case. It's actually about 2 blocks away.
So ...

well here's the thing....I personally think that if people are going to spend the time and energy getting worked up about this, then they should be MORE worked up about that fact that the memorial still is waiting to be built...9 years later..

should there be a mosque in NYC???
I don't really give a damn...I think that the purpose of all of it is to take the attention away from more important things...like the deal with Russia and Iran and the nuclear programs/waste.
Or the unemployment rate that is sky high despite the billions and absurd billions of dollars in stimulus money.
the fact that the government is stealing away your Constitutional rights every single day.
the fact that the politicians in office are no longer representing the people of this country.

Believe me, there are way more obscene and ridiculous and important things then if the mosque should be build 2 blocks from ground zero, near McDonald's, burger king, and gentlemen's club and a pharmacy.

more on religion to come....

new improved oven insulation team

we got new and improved insulation for our oven

Something to think about

Everyone who knows me, knows I have rescued a lot of cats...and 4 dogs...it does make a lot of work and expense, but I feel like it is worth it, and I always have.

Sometimes, I have been told that I can not save them all. My usual response is to simply smirk and ask then who will. It's not the path for all. It is the path for me.

I came across this video today and while this clip does not say it, I do know that the injured dog in this video survived.
IF 90%+ of animals are killed in shelters and not worth saving, tell me if you feel the same after you watch this. It shouldn't be the animals that are euthanized....

Artistic Appreciation

As an artist, I frequently appreciate others work. Sometimes it is in idea form, I see an interesting piece, and it gives me an idea for work of my own...or sometimes it is simply in awe of talent.

Today I came across artist Jeff De Boer and his work see here

To put it mildly, it simply blew me away. I am in awe. Not only of the actual pieces of work he has created. (for me the appeal is in the cat and mouse armor (of course)).

It is simply stunning, both the idea of it and the creation of it. It is works of art like this that make me feel intimated and yet inspired.
Art is a very personal thing and I am reminded of it constantly when I view it with another. For example my daughter. She loves anything classic...as well as mood driven pieces. IF someone famous did it, she love it, though her favorite works would be those textiles done by Andy Warhol.(she has many of his tote bag/tshirt offerings) Yet his work leaves me, well let's say uninspired, bored...but then so do many others.
I remember my Grandfather and Nana taking me to the Louvre in 1977. I disliked so much of what I saw. The same on numerous trips to the Philadelphia art museum. I think with me it is tactile art, not paintings that appeal to me. I find DaVinci's drawings terribly interesting, yet his paintings...not so much...
I do like this rendition of mona though...

People have the most amazing ability to express themselves in artistic form. And artistic form can take so many paths. In music and writing as well as the more traditional painting and sculpting etc...even some surgeons are artists in their own way with precision cutting and stitching.

What form of creation do you like?

(oh, don't forget to feed the fish while you are here okay?...just click your mouse around them to drop them some food)

music is good for the soul

I love music....many types of music....here's tonight's offering

We are what we eat ??

Having spent the better part of my adult life in cat rescue, I have met many people also in rescue. Like any group of people, there are good, bad, extreme...

One thing I found interesting over the years was how many of those rescue people equate vegetarianism with pet love. In fact, as a whole, I have met more people that are vegetarians (or vegans) in pet rescue then in any other group I have come across or been a part of.

This leaves me as the odd one out, and the recipient of many a heated argument, because if there was ever a group that felt strongly about something, it can be those who do not eat animals.

Some feel like I can't possibly love animals on and off my fork. Yet, I can assure you with complete sincerity that I do love animals. I love some with steak sauce, and some at the foot of my bed. I don't have a problem differentiating that either. But there are those I have been acquainted with that will argue it to a point of absurdity.

Vegetarian diets and vegan diets and carnivorous diets are personal decisions. I believe the first and last have health benefits as well as lifestyle benefits. I respect people's decisions to eat whatever they like. The same as wear whatever they like. Extremism is not a quality that enhances your point of view regardless of what it is.

Recently I came across this article that basically equates eating meat with a lack of empathy. While I find it interesting, I don't accept that what you eat dictates your emotional responses. I have known some vegans and vegetarians and carnivores alike that were not capable of empathy, kindness or altruism on any level.

I do know a lot of vegetarians and vegans who push their life style on people regularly though I don't know anyone (except me perhaps in that sarcasic drawl) that would suggest a nice rare steak to a vegan.

I am however curious to know how an organization like PETA which promotes vegan-ism can possibly justify their actions towards animals. They are responsible for a lot of animal deaths.

I wonder just how they sleep at night with their little tofu filled bellies.

I do believe in accepting people for whom and what they are. It doesn't mean that all plant eating people are bad or extreme anymore then it means meat eating people are. But it also doesn't mean that one way is better then another....I don't believe that vegetarians are better pet lovers then meat eaters.

I found this paper interesting, it talks about animals killed during harvesting of grains, which makes the vegan diet not 100% animal friendly.

Where the changes need to made and addressed is not in should a person eat or not eat meat, but in how the livestock industry in this (and certainly in other) countries is allowed to act. It is disgraceful and disgusting and I would personally rather kill my own food. It is something I consider seriously on a regular basis.

If we are what we eat, then we need to raise our food with respect and kindness, regardless if it is a chicken or a tomato.

that's my thought..what's yours?

The people that you meet

The people that know me best, know that by nature I am a solitary creature, for a variety of reasons, but I have discovered that friends can be found in the most unlikely of places.

I have several friends that I care about that I met from a now defunct pet chat board. I even met one of them in person once when she flew to NJ to bring a cat to a rescue that would give this special needs kitty a forever home.

I have another friend who I chat in email with now that the board is no longer up and running and I shared the birth of kittens with her over an email evening back and forth. ( Her rescued kitty had babies) It was as special as if I had been there.

I have several more friends I have met on Facebook...(okay, so it IS designed to be a social network so you do sort of expect to meet friends there...)

Now granted, these are not friends I meet regularly for coffee, or go shopping with or meet for lunch, or even chat on the phone with, but it doesn't make them any the less important. In fact, I found that in moving to a new area, having them there when I sit down to my computer was a great thing.
On the topic of facebook, it has also let me stay in touch for some people from where we moved from,as well as former classmates, and because it has a variety of quirky little games, it even gives us strange new things to do together. (IE: Farmville, Vampire Wars and my daughter's current favorite Cafe World).

I like to call it Gaming Lite.... But a lot of those online friends are personable, and funny and you can see that not only in individual interactions, but with what they share about themselves..like music clips they post, or game "gifts" they send, and then there are the few that interact personally as well, like an oncology nurse that also plays several of my facebook games. While this isn't like having lunch or talking on the phone, it is none the less significant because of it's distance. I like signing onto my facebook account and seeing the friends that spiced my dish, or fertilized my crops or even helped me "ascend to the shadow council".

Interestingly enough, I also have friends who share similar religious ideals that I do not have currently in person. (but religion is for another day).

Now I know..I read all the stuff about predators, and stalkers and ""online danger"" but truthfully, I have to say that I don't think that should prevent you from going online and making friends. I have met some of my online friends over the years in person and look forward to eventually meeting others, and it has always been a positive experience. Now of course we always choose to meet in some local well populated restaurant the first time, but it really is no different then meeting a new person for real. There are always going to be victims and there are always going to be predators. I choose not only NOT to be a victim, but not to be afraid either.
Besides...I could always just sit on them.

I do have real friends too...sort of...I have my longtime die hard friend from middle school, and she knows where all the bodies are buried. Sadly though, my one friend from where I used to live, seems to be a casualty of my move. But truth be told, she was the better friend when I lived around the corner from her. I tend to allow family and that over flowing plate of mine get in the way of really being able to make new friends. It can be a timing issue for sure. I am working hard to be a good neighbor though now that we have them.

My sister is my friend too...we've been through the good, the bad and the ugly and she's helped me bury the bodies...but we've had to and will always have to work hard at being friends. Because like all good things, sometimes things take work.

Now I have to go harvest some crops, kill some vampires and let's see...I have mastered level2 cheeseburgers now...so I guess it will be onion soup next...

Friend me...


then I guess I will also do some laundry, make some dinner and work on some paperwork...
gee, spending times with friends IS more fun.....

Home improvements?

two things have come to my attention recently that I find curious, concerning, maybe even alarming....
1. MDF....for those of us who watch home improvement shows, we've all seen it used a zillion times. A few years ago I build a couple of shelves out of it myself. Worked great.
a while back we came across a small piece of it, not usable for anything I could think of, and my son asked if he could toss it in the fire pit....we regularly burn wood scraps and what not in the fire pit, so I said sure. Wow...talk about incendiary...if you were ever considering using this in your house..I'd say PASS....it went up like flash paper and burned hot. If you were to have a situation where this was near a heat source, I'd say you could be in a depth of trouble.
I certainly would take this right off the MUST have list for sure. It scared me how fast it burned and I was once a volunteer firefighter.

2. New Carpet...there are many studies and articles out now that link hyperthyroid disease in cats to the flame retardant in new carpets. Interestingly enough was also a conversation I had recently with an oncologist who told me that thyroid cancer is one of the more common cancers that is being seen lately....now that is some food for thought. On top of how carpets increase allergens, and are just a big NO NO for us pet lovers...I'd say time for a reconsideration on those replacement carpets.

Along the side of the blog, I am starting a bucket list....feel free to share yours..

Today I'd like to recommend a fabulous book I read called Expecting Adam It was given to me to read by my friend Ronit and it is a great book. I really enjoyed it.

a dead bug is a good bug....or is it??

When I was sitting in the hospital with Brian, I read a book of fiction that was loosely based upon facts. When I read books like that, I feel the need to research the science and facts stated as truth. In this case, one of the topics was how fipronil is in part responsible for the "disappearing bee mystery"
As a pet owner I recognized the name fipronil as the main ingredient in a pet flea control product. In fact, I even have some in my home. I was naturally concerned over the book implication, so research I started.
I was dismayed to find that indeed fipronil is not only in part responsible for the bee deaths (though this is a claim naturally dismissed by it's producer Bayer) But that it has been banned in France since 2005. China is in the process of instituting a ban
Further research shows In my opinion disturbing uses of it with obviously toxic effects. In fact, there seems to be warranted cause for this product to no longer be sold.
To compound my concern, it also no longer works at all on the fleas my pets have had this year.
The national pesticide information center has an alarming fact sheet on it, This report discusses it's further effects on bugs, as well as the fish in the water .
on a less science more discussion side of things, this blog discusses how the EPA may not renew the license for a fipronil product because of concerning long term effects.

And finally for those likely a little more drama This article sums things up nicely.

Finally...I recommend this website and it's video to tie up this little discussion....

What do you think??

Lucy5sense

My sister has referred to me as Lucy for long time. Now I am not sure if that was to compliment me on my kind hand holding abilities to give good advice or my adorable need to share my strong opinions whatever they are.
I am open minded as well as opinionated, so bring on the discussions, just spare me the spewed up kool-aid. I can get that from the TV....