Sugar, the Two-Legged Dog...

From the producer of this video:

"Sugar is a two-legged miracle dog who was found here in Taiwan more dead than alive as a puppy. She overcame abuse, pneumonia, a badly broken legs, an unsuitable adoption family, brain damage and ensuing paralysis from being left on a rooftop without any shade.

Sugar was rescued by www.AnimalsTaiwan.org, gave her a wheelchair, and just found her a new family. After all she's been through, Sugar has nothing but love to give. Love for humans and for the other animals in our family. With this video, which has now AIRED ON CNN, we want to share the puppy love and spread the word about www.AnimalsTaiwan.org . Strays like Sugar need Animals Taiwan, a fully volunteer-driven organization based in Taipei. Animals Taiwan needs you to please help us help more animals like Sugar. You may donate through Paypal at http://www.animalstaiwan.org"
__________

If dogs had attitudes, this one has a very very good one. And kudos to the organization that rescued her and the family that's taking care of her.

P.S: I put "Lab" & "Labrador" as tags. I am not sure this dog is but he/she sure looks like one. Tell us if you know.

Iraq...

My dad and I see things differently when it comes to the Iraq war. I think I am right, but so does he. He recently sent me pictures of American soldiers paying with Iraqi children. Some of the pictures are below.

Of course I couldn't let this be since I have a strong opinion about many people dying. Here is my first response to him:

Did you see this. If we are going to glorify the war we need to look at both sides:

Click on the picture below to see video and listen to our soldiers talk about their third thirteen month rotation and the things they see and do over in Iraq.

The Guardian's award-winning photographer and filmmaker Sean Smith spent two months embedded with US troops in Baghdad and Anbar province. His harrowing documentary exposes the exhaustion and disillusionment of the soldiers.

I couldn't let this one go, so I added this:

The part of our conversations that I am trying to figure out is why is that pictures of American soldiers holding Iraqi children and playing with the kids make KILLING people OK. There are more than 3600 American soldiers DEAD in a war that should never have been started. Another thing you brought up in an earlier email was:

Its ironic that the majority of the " Cut and run Democrats" voted to go to war but when it doesnt fit their political aspirations they want to QUIT.

The interesting part of this statement that you never seem to bring up is the fact that their LEADER LIED to the so-called "Cut and Run Democrats". Tell me that if you were told something at your job from your boss and had to make a quick decision and then found out it was falsified you wouldn't question your boss and even ask for an investigation if it involved the DEATH of many people?

Its also amazing that this administration has gotten away with so much shit and they don't stink one bit. You mentioned that Clinton is a murderer, but what is Bush when we lose over 3600 soldiers and more than 655,000 Iraqi civilians (according to the Washington Post). The approval rating of this president has been lower than ANY other president EVER. So what your telling me is that most of the country is WRONG. Remember that anywhere from 55-66% are not all Democrats - these are the people that DISAPPROVE of his job.

Now we have ANOTHER questionable incident under his command. The suspicious death of Pat Tillman. An all America NFL star that started to speak out about the war was suddenly killed. Here is an excerpt from Army Times:

SAN FRANCISCO — Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman’s forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former professional football player’s death amounted to a crime, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

“The medical evidence did not match up with the, with the scenario as described,” a doctor who examined Tillman’s body after he was killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2004 told investigators.

The doctors — whose names were blacked out — said the bullet holes were so close together that it appeared the Army Ranger was cut down by an M16 fired from a mere 10 yards or so away.

The Pentagon and the Bush administration have been criticized in recent months for lying about the circumstances of Tillman’s death. The military initially told the public and the Tillman family that he had been killed by enemy fire. Only weeks later did the Pentagon acknowledge he was gunned down by fellow Rangers.

Among other information contained in the documents:

• In his last words moments before he was killed, Tillman snapped at a panicky comrade under fire to shut up and stop “sniveling.”
• Army attorneys sent each other congratulatory e-mails for keeping criminal investigators at bay as the Army conducted an internal friendly-fire investigation that resulted in administrative, or noncriminal, punishments.
• The three-star general who kept the truth about Tillman’s death from his family and the public told investigators some 70 times that he had a bad memory and could not recall details of his actions.
• No evidence at all of enemy fire was found at the scene — no one was hit by enemy fire, nor was any government equipment struck.

Not only was it a blatant and admitted cover-up that he died of friendly fire, but now that too may have been a cover-up, when in fact he was murdered. The shots to his head were so close together that they could have only come from about 30 feet away, not far enough for friendly fire to make any sense since they weren't in a close range firefight, and he was apparently gaining quite a reputation in his unit as a critic of the Iraq War, a supporter of Kerry, and one who even had plans to meet with Chomsky, perhaps to try to figure out some sort of way where he could use his influence and moral stature within the military and as a post 9/11 cultural icon to speak out against the Bush regime, right in the middle of the campaign!!! If true, and if the Bush Administration knew this, and nothing comes of it, then one must really stop and question the cliche "straw that broke the camel's back." How much more will it take?

Seems to me like if this scandal evolves into a clear cover-up by the Bush Administration for the sake of their own political ambitions in 2004, this could be the one (out of countless) outrages that will put impeachment on the table for real. The American people need clear, simple scandals before their politicians will take action, just look at Monica Lewinsky (that had NOTHING to do with perjury or obstruction of justice, we all know that). Yellow cake Uranium, Scooter Libby, Alberto Gonzalez, FISA, these scandals are too nuanced, ambiguous, and boring for the average American to do anything but grow cynical. But a murder cover-up of Pat Tillman, a remarkable hero and patriot, the martyred symbol of so much that is still good about America post 9/11 -- all I can say is Wow. I am both disgusted and emboldened by the idea. It is suspicious that Bush mentioned Tillman's name in a speech invoking patriotism soon after his death, but made no mention of the cause of his death, and no one in the Administration is willing to provide the documentation explaining what they knew about the matter and when. If Rove was behind this one, too, I wouldn't be at all surprised.

Matt Damon - Bourne...

I am not sure when the obsession started with Matt Damon, but it has not subsided in any way. Now "The Bourne Ultimatum"hits theaters August 3. The Bourne movies (have not read any of the books yet) have, for me, redefined what an action movie should be. The mystery that comes with Bourne makes me want more. Who is Bourne, what did he do in his past life that makes so many people want him dead? Hopefully these questions will not be answered in the latest movie because if they are the mystery has ended. once the mystery ends, the movies become the old same rehash of Die Hard or movies by Arnold and Stallone. I personally have had enough of them.

So what happen in the next movie. Here is a synopsis from the book:

From Publishers Weekly
The literary faults and stylistic excesses that characterized The Icarus Agenda , The Gemini Contenders and other of Ludlum's works are present in his latest mammoth thriller, but fans will nonetheless cheer the return of his most popular character, David Webb, aka Jason Bourne, the assassin who never was. When the international terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal penetrates his civilian identity, Webb must again assume the Bourne persona to protect his wife and small children. In their renewed struggle, the two master assassins uncover the revived existence of Medusa, the sinister alliance that originally led to the establishment of the Bourne identity. In action that moves from the U.S. to Montserrat to Paris before concluding in Moscow, Bourne and his allies prove incredibly inept, barely escaping the Jackal's traps and failing in their repeated attempts to ambush him. The Ludlum trademarks are present: improbable bloodbaths, repetitive action, stilted and off-the-point conversations and--most annoying--the use of italicized words or entire paragraphs to simulate passion. This is formula writing that delivers even less than its meager promise.

Below is the explosive movie trailer - enjoy:

Life Support...

It’s 2:44 in the morning and I just finished feeding and putting Mikayla back down. During her feeding, I read some news and found out that Tammy Faye Messner has died. Now this would normally not have been a point of writing, but I started to think and I couldn’t stop. People die on a daily basis for one reason or another, and if one is in pain (constant pain as Tammy mentioned), don’t they have the right to take that pain away?

As I said, I just put my little girl done to sleep again and noticed that Eva, our 13 year old dog was not in the room with us. I noticed that she was in the hall and she was lying there alone. She is a bigger dog and being thirteen, she is not the puppy that Mark has so many timed told me about and I wish that I could have meet. There are times thatr I see the youth in her eyes, but I also see the confusion because she doesn’t understand why her body isn’t working the way it used to. Now we, as humans, have the ability to help our companion animals pass from this earth with grace, love, and care. Why then can’t we help our loved ones do the same?

I have always been part of the crowd that believed in assisted suicide. I hate that term, lets call it assisted life choice. It’s more PC for the people that don’t feel comfortable with death. I think I have the right to decide what to do with my life. Not the government, not my family, not even Mark, my partner. I have the right. If I am in constant medical pain and there is nothing that can be done for me, then I have the right to take that pain away. I have the right to decide when I should go. I have the right to my life.

I have already told Mark that if I am in the hospital with tubes and wires keeping me alive, PULL THE PLUG! First, what kind of life is it if I am just waiting for my life to slip away? Second (and most important) what kind of life is it for Mark? If the doctors know that I am going to die and if they know that keeping me on “life support” will do nothing but keep my brain active, I then have to ask why? I don’t want my partner and my daughter to have the last memories of me lying in a hospital bed waiting to die. I don’t want to have their lives taken from them as well. They are alive and should stay that way. Not to lose it in endless visits that do nothing accept make the Christian right feel good about themselves because they “saved another soul”.

I was talking with my mother not long ago and we got on the subject of my grandfather (her father) and the last memory that I have of him. The memory started when my mom got a call from my grandmother. I remember that she started to cry and my father jumped in the car and took off. He raced out of the driveway and when I found out that it was my grandfather, I took off in my car trying to keep up with my dad. He was much faster than I was and I lost him on the way. I then started to think about my mother and that she was alone. I turned around and went back to the house. When I got there, mo was in tears with keys in her hand ready to take off as well.

She told me that he (my grandfather) was taken to the hospital and that she needed to have me drive her there because she didn’t think she could make it on her own. When we got to the hospital most of the immediate family was there. The hospital had put us in a small room. This room was right next door to where the doctors were working on my grandfather. He was in emergency and my family was right next door. The room was getting stuffy and people were crying and I needed to get some fresh air. This I should not have done. I walked by the room where my grandfather was. The room had a window that you could barly see throough, but I saw more than enough when a nurse went in.

Tubes were running out of my grandfather’s body. Fluid was being pumped in to help stabilize him. A tube was coming out of his mouth to help him breath. Doctors and nurses gathered around him beating on his chest to try to get his heart started. Needles being stuck in his arm and chest. All to make him live again. Doctors frantically trying to start this man’s heart and then nothing. It suddenly all stopped. I didn’t hear the doctor call time, but I did see my grandfather’s body lay there limp and lifeless. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Then the worst thing anyone could have done or said happened. The doctor who was working on my grandfather came out and told me he had passed, but that wan’t the worst. He then said that they needed to “clean him up”, but if I wanted to “I could go in and see him”. I could go in and see my grandfather lying on the hospital table with tubes and wires still sticking out of his chest, arm and mouth. I could go say my final good byes to a man that I know was no longer there. I could have the last and final memory of my grandfather lying dead on a table looking like a plastic doll that doctors use in school. So I walked in and saw this body that used to be my grandfather. This is my last memory of my grandfather and it will live with me. No matter how many times I try to remember when we all went to see “Good Morning Vietnam” and laughed so hard. Or all the Christmas time and the gathering of the family and his smile. No matter how hard I try to rip that image from my mind – it’s there and always will be.

So back to my first rant. I don’t want my family to be burdened with memories of me in constant pain, hooked to tubes and gadgets not awake and will never be again. I want to be able to decide what to do. I want to know that MY wishes are being carried out, not some republican bureaucrat whose ideas are not his own, but the many of thousands who think they talk to god. We al have to remember that not all people follow the same religions and again – IT’S MY LIFE. Let me decide when I should be out of pain.

Support Our Troops...

I laugh when I come across a republican (my father usually) that tells me that since I am against the war and our president, then I am not supporting our troops. Well this is somewhat true and I will explain that in another post. This post has to deal with the Republican government that sent our troops to Iraq. They tell us "we are fighting them there so we won't have to fight them here". The thing that I like about this war is all the catchy little marketing and branding propaganda.

But I digress. I keep my mind open when it comes to the news. I think we have to since most of the news is bought and sold by the highest bidder. One of the things I read is the Army Times. This is a website/newspaper put out by the Army. The people that we are supposed to support. One article caught my eye: Department of Defense Balked at Pleas for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP).

I was intrigued so I read on, but before we go any further lets look at what an MRAP really is. A Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle is a family of armored fighting vehicles designed to survive improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. This sounds like something that our troops need. But the Pentagon has decided that Humvee's would be sufficient enough for our troops and the jobs they are doing to protect this wonderful nation of ours. So lets see if you think this is enough protection for our troops. Let me know if you would like to die this way:

Pfc. Aaron Kincaid, 25, had been joking with buddies just before their armored Humvee rolled over the bomb. His wife, Rachel, later learned that the blast blew Kincaid, a father of two from outside Atlanta, through the Humvee’s metal roof.

Through the Humvee's metal roof. How can we sit here and let this happen to our people. First of all we need to get them out of there, but we also need to hold the Assholes responsible for neglecting our troop responsible. When the Army investigators did their song and dance they stated, “There was no way short of not going on that route at that time [that] this tragedy could have been diverted.” Is this a fact, then why did an outside source find something different:

A USA Today investigation of the Pentagon’s efforts to protect troops in Iraq suggests otherwise.

Years before the war began, Pentagon officials knew of the effectiveness of another type of vehicle that better shielded troops from bombs like those that have killed Kincaid and the 1,500 other soldiers and Marines.

But military officials repeatedly balked at appeals — from commanders on the battlefield and from the Pentagon’s own staff — to provide the life-saving Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, or MRAP, for patrols and combat missions, USA Today found.

AMAZING! The government that wants us to support our troops will have nothing to do with their protection. This government is so screwed up that the only way to help get our troops safely home is to stand up and tell them that we are tired of losing our men and women in a war that was fabricated in the beginning. First Bush sends young men and women into harms way because Hussein tried to have his Daddy killed. He said the Iraqi leader's "hatred" was largely directed at the United States and added: "After all, this is the guy who tried to kill my dad." He wanted revenge and now Bush has the death of more than 3600 American men and women on his hands and more than 655,000 Iraq civilians.

The only way to support our troops is to get this madman out of office. I know that they said they wouldn't impeach, but lets look at the facts. Clinton lied and all he did was get a action in the Oval Office and made a little stain on a dress. Bush lied and he gets more and more people killed and we still haven't gotten bin Laden - and they know where he is - that again is another post.

To read the article on the MRAP's click below:

Department of Defense Balked at Pleas - Army Times

Hatred...

In my Shaping of the Modern World class this term, I had to defend my thoughts that all religions have extreme fundamentalist (Jewish, Christianity, and Islam - Muslims). My professor asked this question:

You seem to be arguing for the moral equivalence of Islamic, Christian, and Jewish "extremists" in that you say there is "no difference" within the fact that "There are extreme radicals in all parts of all religions." I want to ask you, how would you justify this claim given that most Christian fundamentalists aren’t killing civilians to advance their agenda (except for the tiny number of abortion clinic bombers), and neither are most Jewish fundamentalists (except for the occasional nutjob like Dr. Baruck Goldstein, who in 1994 killed 29 Muslims worshiping at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Israel).

I think I answered this with great intelligence. I say this with out any response from my professor at the time of this post. I had written my response three days ago. The reason I write this post is to yet again explain why we live in Vermont and how the “extreme Christian fundamentalist” are using hatred to advance their agenda. We now turn our attention to the one and only Crazy Man himself, Mr. Fred Phelps. If you do not know of him, then you have had your head in a hole for many years. His website is “God Hates Fags” and he pushed the envelope when it comes to HATE. He is the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) and the venom that he is spewing is amazing. From the WBC website:

“GOD HATES FAGS, FAGS HATE GOD, AIDS CURES FAGS, THANK GOD FOR AIDS, FAGS BURN IN HELL, GOD IS NOT MOCKED, FAGS ARE NATURE FREAKS, GOD GAVE FAGS UP, NO SPECIAL LAWS FOR FAGS, FAGS DOOM NATIONS, THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS, FAG TROOPS, GOD BLEW UP THE TROOPS, GOD HATES AMERICA, AMERICA IS DOOMED, THE WORLD IS DOOMED, etc.”

So now the King of all hatred has come up with a new idea to push his agenda. He has decided to renew his push for a “Mathew Shepherd In Hell” monument that he hopes will be set alongside other monuments "honoring the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, the Mayflower Compact, the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta, the 13th-century law edict that restricted the powers of England's monarchs."

According to the Casper Star Tribune, he's back pushing for the Matthew Shepard monument again: "Phelps said he would be willing to make his monument resemble the six others and would include a picture of Shepard and the engraving: "MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, at age 21, in Defiance of God's Warning: 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.' Leviticus 18:22." Mayor Kate Sarosy said she had not received Phelps' letter Monday evening and said she would speak with the city attorney and the other council members. 'Mr. Phelps' message is full of hate and not in the spirit of the monument plaza,' Sarosy said."

So you may ask, Why am I acknowledging this man? Because he speaks hatred and if hatred is allowed, then who is safe. We need to make it apparent that this type of hatred from people like him is not allowed. We need to stand up and speak out against people like him. Think it's only "fags" that he hates. Here is the opening of a PDF that he has on his website that is titled, "The God Loves Everyone, The Greatest Lie Ever Told":

“God loves everyone” is the theology that is touted by every major so-called “Christian” religion in the United States (U.S). Of the more than 600,000 churches and synagogues in the U.S. most, if not all, prescribe to this view of God. It is the hue and cry of this sinful and corrupt generation and the single idea and value that binds the religious community of the U.S. together. Even people who do not attend church and who are not religious agree on this point, so that it unites “believers” and “unbelievers.” Without a doubt “God loves everyone” is universally believed in the Christian world, to the exclusion of all other ideas.

So remember the poem by Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

New Baby Daughter...

I know this is old, but here goes - It’s a girl!!! Just wanted to let you know that we have adopted a little baby girl. Her name is Mikayla and she was born 4/18/07 at 12:53 am in White Plains NY. She weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and was 19 inches long. She has a full head of hair and is showing us the meaning of sleep deprivation.

Let me back track here a little. In July of last year, Mark had a dream that we were going to be adopting a new born, African-American baby girl sometime in March or April. We also told the adoption organization that we were using. They laughed a little, but have probably heard the story many times before. The only difference was that we told people last July/August.

Jump to April. We had just moved in to our new house, right across the street from our old one (another story for a different day). I am still doing school, working part-time, while Mark is working full-time, doing freelance at night and starting his Masters. Our lives were a little full so of course God said hey lets have some fun. On Wednesday morning (the 18th) the phone rings and the number is listed as Private – so I ignore thinking that it’s our vet. I take the dogs out and listen to the message when I get back in the house. It’s from Lisa at Friends In Adoption asking for one of us to call here. We were in the process of redoing our profile so I thought she had a question about that. The phone rings again and its Mark. Before he says anything I told him that I heard the message and I will call her soon. He cut me off saying that there was a baby born in White Plains, NY and that Lisa had a couple of questions and wanted to know if we wanted our profile sent to the birth-mother. I started shaking.

I called Lisa and talked to her a little and told her that we would love to have our profile sent and that I talked with Mark and we OK with everything. She then recounted that she remembered the dream that Mark told her about last year. The offices of FIA went crazy trying to find our profile. She told me that we may not know anything until later in the evening (it was 10 am), but she will keep us posted. Mark and I talked many times throughout the day – taking deep breaths and trying not to go crazy.

I had made an appointment with the vet to take the dogs in at 3pm. If we were chosen we needed to kennel the dogs and leave to NY right away. I called Lisa and asked if she heard anything. Nothing. I told her I was leaving to the vets and that if anything happened, call Mark. I didn’t have a cell phone. I rounded up the dogs and left for the vets. The drive there is 45 minutes and my mind was going 100 mph. When I walked in the door, Deb (the vet tech) handed me the phone and told me to call Mark it’s very important. Mark got on the phone and said, “She chose us!!” My heart stopped and I started to tear up and I think a little scream went out as well.

I then took the dogs to the kennel and Mark went home to pack. We started out that night in two separate cars since we didn’t know if one of us would have to come back early. Although she picked us, we had to stay in NY for up to three weeks awaiting the interstate transfer paper. We had to wait only five days. I remember turning onto the exit that read “White Plains” and I started to feel light-headed, I started to sweat, and I thought for sure I was going to throw up. This is what a panic attack feels like. Now remember that I was driving in a separate car – not good. I knew this was going to happen and it scared the hell out of me. We got to meet Mikayla on Thursday morning. Mark was the first to hold here. He was so delicate and when he looked at me, his eyes were full of tears. After a while I got to hold her as well and whenever Mark and I looked at each other we would start to cry again. She was heaven sent.

We left the hospital after many hours to go shopping. We had nothing for a little baby and we need to get everything. We also went out to have our last nice meal at a restaurant for many years. We then went back to the hospital and spent more time with the little one. I was out talking with a nurse and when I came back (I don’t think Mark knew I was there) Mark was looking at Mikayla and said, “How could I fall in love with something so fast, but I do love you” and he kissed her on the head. We then left for the hotel without Mikayla and that night was our last night of uninterrupted sleep for many years.

On Friday she was released from the hospital but we could not leave New York until the interstate transfer papers were filed. This could take anywhere from two days to three weeks. We decided to stay in a hotel in Albany, NY (close to Vermont) and await the call from our social worker letting us know that we could take her home. I ran back to Vermont to get the dogs and bring them to us so they wouldn't have to be kenneled for weeks possibly. Then on Tuesday April 23, we got the word that we could bring her home. Mark too the rest of the week off and I am now a stay at home dad. School is kinda hard since I have to do it between sleeping and eating and changing, but it is all worth it.

There was a thirty day period that the birth mother could change her mind. We made it through that. Mikayla is now almost three months old and learning so much. She is a delight to be around. She hardly ever cries, but when she does - WATCH OUT. There have been days where the crying will not stop. These are the days I am thankful for chocolate. Now we have to wait for our next home study and then we go to New York to do the birth certificate. This should happen no later than August. Will follow up later. Once we have the birth certificate and she is legally ours, we will set up a meet and greet (otherwise known as a baby shower).

Harry Potter Fans...

For those of you who love Harry Potter, this is something that our friends daughter found. I have watched it twice. Stupid humor makes me laugh. I think with all the Hell that is going on in the world, we need stupid things toi get us through. Well I hope you enjoy:

Potter Puppet Pals in "The Mysterious Ticking Noise"