So anywho, be sure to join me over at www.SmiteMe.net, wontcha?

But before I go, I signed up for Blog Action Day, so I guess I’d best do some green blogging.
 

And if you want to donate to an enviro charity…I *heart* Farm Sanctuary.

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Tagged: blog blogging blog action day green environment vegan veganism vegetarian vegetarianism farm sanctuary moving smiteme al gore

Don’t miss it! *

* I’m sure I’ll post the vid tomorrow, so I guess you can miss it, after all. But seriously - don’t miss it.

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Tagged: Dennis Kucinich Stephen Colbert The Colbert Report Comedy Central video blogging vlogging animals animal rights animal welfare Department of Peace

Now go take the quiz - How much do you know about the future president?

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Tagged: naral abortion feminism repro rights 2008 elections

That’s right: the Ralphster turns the Big One-O today. My little man, all grown up.

*Sniffles*

I don’t want to get all melancholy on what should be a day of joy, happiness and celebration, so I’ll try to overlook the bittersweetness that is the double-digit canine birthday milestone and instead reflect on the six wonderful years (and hopefully six+ more!) I’ve spent with My Other Boyfriend ™. Ralphie truly is the best wiener dog a girl could ask for.

*Sighs*

K, enough of that. Let’s break out the pictures!

Vintage Ralphie, taken the summer we adopted him:

Even more vintage Ralphie - his DRNA adoption photo:

Some pics of The Ralph that I took during the move. Quite spry in his old middle age, eh? (He gets a lot of action for an old guy, too.)

And last year’s birthday montage, which I lovelovelove and have been meaning to print out and frame for - what? - a year now:

Man, I could do this all day. Every picture of Ralphie is my favorite…

But now I’m off to make my little guy some homemade biscuits, to (soy)butter him up for the photo session (complete with pumpkin and pirate outfits!) that’s sure to follow.

I love you, Ralphie, more than words can say.

{{{Hugs}}}

Mommy.

P.S. Daddy also loves you, so much so he wrote you your very own ode.

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Tagged: dog canine wiener dog dachshund hot dog Ralphie my furbabies happy birthday ten 10 photo blogging photos flickr love dog is love dog is my co-pilot get right with dog

You can make Guantanamo Bay disappear — and help tear down detention camps that have become synonymous with torture, injustice, and an utter betrayal of human rights. Tearitdown.org is a powerful new Amnesty International project dramatically visualizing the commitment of 500,000 people to tear down Guantanamo Bay.

See for yourself. Act right now to tear down a piece of Guantanamo Bay!

Tearitdown.org builds on Amnesty’s long history of showing how one individual can make a difference. You have the power to tear down Guantanamo Bay one pixel at a time. Once 500,000 people have expressed their determination to end this human rights disgrace — our image of Guantanamo-style injustice will disappear.

And, more importantly, we’ll have the power and strength needed to tear down the real Guantanamo Bay.

One person, one pixel is all it takes. Get your pixel and express your power to end this human rights abomination.

From across the political spectrum, across the globe, calls are mounting to shut down Guantanamo Bay and either charge and try those imprisoned or release them.

Join Amnesty International in this powerful display of commitment to human rights. Strike the final blow to the Administration’s failed policies at Guantanamo Bay. Get your pixel today.

Thank you,

Larry Cox
Executive Director

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Tagged: action alerts petition amnesty international Guantánamo Bay terrorism war on terror war on terra george w. bush politics torture

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Attached is a statement on animal rights written by Dennis Kucinich. Please read it closely.

I find Mr. Kucinich’s statement to be a powerful and insightful contribution to the national debate about animals. I have chosen to share it with as many friends and colleagues as possible, and urge you to do the same.

For the animals,
Chris DeRose

Animal Rights

As a necessary component of the living world, we must extend compassion to one another and to every living thing. Our mission as human beings can truly be to elevate this world from a condition of suffering and cruelty to the planet’s creatures, and towards a condition of compassion and inherent respect. Through elevating the cause of every creature, we elevate our own humanity.

We lift up the cause of humanity by reaching out and connecting with all things living. It is our sense of interconnection with all living things that brings us to respect the rights of animals; to understand that animals are not to be “lower than”; that animals should not have less of a claim to existence, less of a claim to the possibility of survival, less of a claim to dignity.

Every one of us knows a story of animal cruelty; every one of us knows how in one way or another official policies have sanctioned cruelty to animals. I am working to put compassion into action in our policies with respect to animals in this country and to have America set a higher standard, not only for this country, but for the world; to make sure that all of God’s creatures, that all animals are given a chance to have dignity in our society and are given a chance to experience the appreciation they should have as living beings.

I would include advocacy of animal rights in the Department of Peace, which I have already proposed to Congress. This cabinet-level department would work with, and offer an alternative to, the Defense Department. There have been numerous studies that have suggested a link between animal cruelty and domestic violence. The Department of Peace would not only seek to resolve international conflicts with nonviolent means, but also seek to instill a peaceful paradigm into the hearts of all the people of the world, so that one day war will be an archaic relic of a time that has passed.

My farm policy favors independent and family-owned farms. I support a national ban on packer ownership of livestock, and numerous new incentives for farmers to convert to sustainable and organic farming and ranching techniques. The vision of the meat that we consume coming from happy and healthy free-range animals can become more of a reality, as opposed to the inhumane conditions that the often mutated chickens and cows and pigs are forced to sustain in our current system.

As a member of Congress, I have cosponsored every piece of major animal protection legislation. In addition, I hold the distinction of being the only vegan in Congress. I made this lifestyle change many years ago, because I consider all life on our Earth to be sacred. As a vegan, I choose not to eat any animals or animal products. I strive to live my life in accordance with my convictions, and any other choice of diet would defy my ideals and, in my judgment, be hypocritical.

- Dennis Kucinich 11/16/2006

Last Chance for Animals | 8033 Sunset Blvd. #835 | Los Angeles | CA | 90046

(Xposted.)

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Tagged: Dennis Kucinich Stephen Colbert The Colbert Report Comedy Central video blogging vlogging animals animal rights animal welfare Department of Peace lca Last Chance for Animals Chris DeRose
 

A grand jury has accused three Johnson County businesses of promoting obscenity, according to indictments handed down late Tuesday.

Even though the grand jury was convened in Johnson County District Court to investigate obscenity, the latest indictments are the first that actually deal with the subject.

Each of the three businesses was indicted on multiple counts, all misdemeanors.

According to court documents:

• Spirit Halloween, 6824 W. 119th St. in Overland Park, displayed adult costumes where minors could view them.

• Hollywood at Home, 9063 Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park, “unlawfully and knowingly or recklessly” possessed and intended to sell obscene DVDs.

• Priscilla’s, 1848 East Santa Fe St. in Olathe, possessed and intended to sell various obscene devices and an obscene DVD.

The indictments are based on findings from Aug. 22 to Sept. 17.

Employees at each business declined to comment on the indictments Tuesday night.

Which apparently makes the Kansas City Star so giddy that they just had to send me an email alert with all the latest:

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: JoCo grand jury hands down obscenity indictments

A grand jury has accused three Johnson County businesses of promoting obscenity, according to indictments handed down late Tuesday.

The Star is covering the story and gathering more information. Click on the headline at top to read the most current and complete coverage from the largest, most-trusted news staff in Kansas City.

Oy.

In other mind-boggling news, atheists are just like Klansmen! Guess I’d better go shave my head, then.

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Tagged: kansas kansas city joco johnson county sex porn Spirit Halloween Hollywood at Home Priscilla’s Kansas City Star kc godbags atheism christians discrimination overland park olathe

Finding small wastebaskets that actually encourage you to use recycled plastic grocery bags as opposed to their overpriced “liners”*: way cool.

Finding out - ahead of time - that your local locksmith is a flaming godbag**: totally teh coolest.

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* Just a fancy word fer garbage bags, really.

** While he offers common key-n-keyhole services such as

# Safe Sales and Service
# Bank Vault & Teller Station Service
# Safe Deposit Box Service and Keys
# Master Keying, Standard & Multi-level
# Mechanical & Electronic Access Control
# Keys by Code - Lock Installations
# Door Closer Installation & Maintenance
# Security Hardware Consulting Service

The Lamb Locksmith, Keyman to teh Gods ™, helpfully cautions, “The Key to Eternal Security is Jesus Christ”.

RAmen.

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Tagged: shopping online the internets godbags recycle wastebaskets garbage locksmiths simplehuman

Photo via Michael Heilemann

And when I finally return from hiatus…I’ll come and move the blog, too. Happy happy joy joy.

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Tagged: moving star wars postcard flickr admin site admin

This dog run is named in honor of PAPD K-9 Sirius #17. He was a four year old yellow Labrador Retriever who served as an explosives detector canine for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. Sirius, along with his partner, Police Officer David Lim, were assigned to the World Trade Center in New York, where their primary duty was to check vehicles entering the Complex, clear unattended bags and sweep areas for VIP safety. Sirius, who began work at the World Trade Center on July 4, 2000, was the only police dog to perish during the Sept. 11 attack on the Twin Towers – he died when Tower Two collapsed. His body was recovered on January 22, 2002. Sirius was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross at the British Embassy in Manhattan.

A memorial statue of Sirius stands in the One Chase Manhattan Plaza lobby.

(Via wallyg)

New York, NY, September 21, 2001 — FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue teams search for survivors amongst the wreckage of the World Trade Center.

(Photo by Andrea Booher/ FEMA News Photo)

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 15, 2001) — A rescue dog is transported out of the debris of the World Trade Center. The twin towers of the center were destroyed in a Sept. 11 terrorist attack. U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres. (RELEASED)

(Via slagheap)

New York, NY, September 21, 2001 — FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue teams search for survivors amongst the wreckage of the World Trade Center.

(Photo by Andrea Booher / FEMA News Photo)

New York, NY, September 23, 2001 — FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue teams search for survivors amongst the wreckage of the World Trade Center.

(Photo by Andrea Booher/ FEMA News Photo)

World Trade Center, New York September, 21, 2001 — FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue teams search for survivors amongst the wreckage of the World Trade Center while a rescue dog takes a needed break.

(Andrea Booher / FEMA News Photo)

Dog that searched for 9/11, Katrina victims dies / Jake, a 12-year-old Labrador, helped sniff out disaster sites, trained others

In this September 2005 photo released by Mary Flood, Jake, a black Labrador retriever search and rescue dog, searches in the debris of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi as a rescue worker watches nearby. Jake, who also helped search the rubble following the Sept. 11 attacks, died Wednesday.

(Via Kinship Circle and the AP.)

Showing the true character and spirit they are known for, children from the St. Vincent’s Hospital Child Life Program created their own tribute to the dogs and handlers that worked nearby at Ground Zero. The brightly colored “St. Vincent’s Loves DOGNY” will be permanently installed at the lower Manhattan hospital.

(Via wallyg)

In one of the green spaces in the city. This dog represents the search and rescue dogs in NYC.

(Via Angelskiss31)

Call me a PETard, but how do you place a monetary value on life? — Especially that of a hero?

(Via)

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You can view more 9/11 Search & Rescue canine memorials at 9-11dogs.org.

Click here to learn more about DOGNY: America’s Tribute to Search and Rescue Dogs.

(Crossposted.)

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Tagged: FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency dog canine pet companion animal working animal working dog SAR search and rescue search and rescue dog 9/11 9-11 911 NY NYC New York Ground Zero animals animal rights animal welfare flickr photos photo blogging anniversary war on terra observances