The five little terrier-mix dogs had been left behind on Galveston Island by their owner. Alone and frightened they watched as the storm surge began to rush into their home. As the water continued its relentless rise, they jumped to the top of a table and that’s where Houston SPCA rescue teams found them trembling and whimpering in fear. The high water mark was over their heads and our rescue teams knew in their hearts that these little dogs spent most of the night swimming for their lives. But they had a strong will to live and thanks to the Houston SPCA, they also have a second chance at life.

Houston SPCA rescue teams are in a race against time to safe innocent storm victims like these who were left behind on the Island to fend for themselves. Thousands of dogs, cats, horses, puppies and kittens, birds and other pets have found a safe haven at the Houston SPCA.

Sigh.

I have five dogs.

Four are what you might call “terrier mixes.”

The looong dog, standing on the leftmost corner of the table, kind of reminds me of Ralphie, our dachshund.

In fact, the whole group kind of resembles my pack. A bit scragglier, a bit scrappier, but…I can see it. Five little runts, just like my guys and girls. Five sweet, innocent, loyal, unconditionally loving little mutts. Five friends for life. Five reasons for living.

I can barely stand leaving them alone for a few hours: while I go to dinner, to the movies, or – dog forbid – out for the day.

Hell, I feel bad when I have to crate Kaylee in the bedroom while I take a shower in the next room.

So, how does one look at those sweet little faces…and leave them, alone, knowing full well that a hurricane is fast approaching? How?

And that’s not even to mention the creature who – presumably – was “living” in the cage next to the table.

I feel like I should clarify here that, yes, sometimes elderly, disabled, and impoverished animal guardians face obstacles in evacuating with their companions. Maybe that was the case here; maybe it wasn’t. After Katrina, the importance of preparing disaster response plans for both human and non-human animals alike became readily apparent. While the evacuation plans didn’t go off without a hitch in the face of Gustav and Ike, there were plans – not to mention plenty of forewarning.

This didn’t need to happen.

Our animal friends lost everything in the storm but hope.

Please check out the Disaster Relief section of this website to see what you can do to help the victims of Hurricane Gustav and Ike. I started accumulating disaster relief alerts and resources in the days after Katrina – and I continue to update and maintain the page(s) as a tribute to the thousands of animals that needlessly perished in Hurricane Katrina, as well as the many natural and man-made disasters since.

(Photo and excerpts from Houston SPCA’s “updates from the [Hurricane Ike] frontline”; post title lifted from this Kinship Circle alert.)

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts hurricane ike hurricane ike natural disaster disaster relief texas galveston pet companion animal dog canine my furbabies galveston island houston spca hspca flickr photos animal rescue

Last week, I shared a recipe for Herbal Tofu with Apples and Pears, a yummy dish for dogs and people. This week, I decided to try out a slightly different version, sans tofu and with loads of caffeine-laden tea. The result? “Candied” Chai Pears. (“Candied” in scare quotes because they’re candy-esque, not really “candied.”)

“Candied” Chai Pears

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As part of this week’s Countering the Right assignment, I had to sit through this “trailer” for the Family Research Council’s 2008 Values Voter Summit. Before I embedden the vid, let me just note that the featured speakers include Stephen Baldwin, Michele Bachmann, “independent” Lou Dobbs, Gary Bauer, Phyllis Schlafly, Sean Hannity, and – well, you get the idea. They bring the loony, is what I’m sayin’:

First of all: Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!? What are they doing, advertising a monster truck show? Ahem. Anywho.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but – isn’t that Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” playing in the background?

(Word to the wise: listen to this video, don’t watch it. It’s absolute dreck.)

Like, WTF FRC / VV08?

I’m not a big Colplay fan, but I do lurve this particular song. (Maybe because it reminds me of Lost, what with the British accents, fallen Catholics and wanna-be island kings. But that’s neither here nor there.)

And it doesn’t take a music critic to detect its anti-establishment undertones. Just check the lyrics:

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Ostensibly, it’s about a corrupt, fallen king whose reign on earth has been so tainted by sin that, upon death, he’s not fit to cross the gates of Heaven. No?

Yes, explains bassist Guy Berryman:

It’s a story about a king who’s lost his kingdom, and all the album’s artwork is based on the idea of revolutionaries and guerrillas. There’s this slightly anti-authoritarian viewpoint that’s crept into some of the lyrics and it’s some of the pay-off between being surrounded by governments on one side, but also we’re human beings with emotions and we’re all going to die and the stupidity of what we have to put up with every day. Hence the album title.

And, while I don’t claim or even care to know much about Coldplay’s politics, singer Chris Martin is married to Gwyneth Paltrow – who, along with her mother Blythe Danner, has campaigned on behalf of Planned Parenthood (in a Mother’s Day fundraising push that threw the anti-choicers into quite the tizzy). So I very much doubt that the guys in Coldplay consider themselves “Values Voters” – or rather, they don’t share the “values” of the evangelical crowd. (Hey, just because I don’t swing right, doesn’t mean I don’t have “values.”)

And yet the Family Research Council, with all their woman-hating, gay-bashing, war-mongering, nation-building, stone-throwing authoritarian spitefulness, chose this song to promote their “Values Votes” Summit. Oh, sweet irony!

I wonder if Coldplay will have the dubious honor of inclusion on the Reich Wing’s next conservative song roundup? (Fortified with unintentional irony, natch!)

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Tagged: frc family research council vv values voter values voter summit 2008 elections coldplay Viva la Vida music video youtube irony conservative right wing uncool evangelical pop culture

Via Media Matters, a new campaign to Change the Debate:

With few exceptions, the media figures who moderated the presidential primary debates focused on campaign gaffes, political tactics, and personal issues and, as a result, critical issues were pushed aside. While the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq raged, the mortgage crisis gathered steam, and nearly 50 million Americans continued to go without health insurance, the debate moderators focused on frivolous and trivial matters, far removed from the issues the public wanted to hear about.

Over the course of 31 debates and 2,300 questions, candidates running to be their party’s nominee for president were asked a total of:

* One question about warrantless wiretapping
* Two questions about declining wages
* Three questions about conservation and renewable energy
* Six questions about the growing crisis in the mortgage industry
* One question about how the candidates would keep the economy going if terrorists attacked our shopping malls

Sign the petition and tell them to Change the Debate

When you sign the petition, Media Matters gives you the opportunity to specify which issues are of particular importance to you.

They include:

* Abortion
* Afghanistan
* Civil Rights/Torture
* Crime
* Economy
* Education
* Energy
* Environment
* Food Safety
* Health Care
* Infrastructure
* Iraq
* Science/Technology
* Social Security
* Terrorism
* Trade

The one issue that ranks top on my list – animal rights – didn’t make the cut. Nor did a watered-down version, such as “animal welfare” or “animal agriculture.” The closest runner-ups are “food safety” and “environment.” Neither of which get to, ahem, the “meat” of the matter.

Nice try, Media Matters, but no dice. You’d think putting Palin on the ticket would bring animal issues – if not to the forefront – at least into the national consciousness. But I guess you’d be wrong, then.

Sigh.

I would say ::RAGE::, but I fear I’m too tired and cynical to get all that angry over this bullshit anymore.

Updated to add: you can find Media Matters’ report – Change the Debate: How Gaffes, Games, & Gotchas Dominated the 2008 Presidential Primary Debates – here.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts 2008 elections media matters msm debates election coverage environment wtf petition

The Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) – the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) political arm – endorsed Obama:

One of the guiding principles of the Humane Society Legislative Fund is that we evaluate candidates based on a single criterion: where they stand on animal protection policies. We don’t make decisions based on party affiliation, or any other social issue, or even how many pets they have. We care about their views and actions on the major policy debates relating to animal welfare. [...]

I’m proud to announce today that the HSLF board of directors — which is comprised of both Democrats and Republicans — has voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President. The Obama-Biden ticket is the better choice on animal protection, and we urge all voters who care about the humane treatment of animals, no matter what their party affiliation, to vote for them.

Obama voted for FISA; the HSUS offered up $2500 worth of donor monies as a bounty to help the FBI catch so-called “eco-terrorists” in California.

A perfect match, they are.

By the by, I wonder if they even bothered to submit their questionnaire to McKinney…not to mention all those other third-party candidates?

(Link via.)

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare 2008 elections barack obama hsus hslf humane society humane society of the united states humane society legislative fund fisa eco-terrorism

So. As the owner of a few Yahoo groups, including one rather large Freecycle list, I’ve been getting Grouply spam for, um, quite some time now. (And yeah, I know Grouply is technically sending it on behalf of one or more of their users who “know” me, so it’s not “really” spam – but given that I “know” over 12,000 people inasmuch as they are all subscribed to groups I own and/or moderate, *cough* SPAM.) Tonight, after receiving my eight gagillionth Grouply invite, I decided to hop on over to their site and see if I can figure out how to make the emails stop.

Thankfully, I quickly discovered that I can opt my Yahoo groups out of the service altogether. Done and done – and owing in no small part to their obnoxious FAQ section.

To wit: Someone is spreading false anti-Grouply rumors in one of my groups. What should I do?

Yes, because legions of suicidal fanboys are in tears over the thought that someone, somewhere, might be talking smack about Grouply. The horra!

Grouply’s response is…well, it ought to earn them Stephen’s Alpha Dog of the Week award, I tell you wut.

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion about what constitutes a useful internet service. Unfortunately, sometimes the line is crossed, and several Grouply users have reported encountering anti-Grouply postings in their groups with false statements being presented as facts, not opinions. Examples include:

* “Grouply automatically spams everyone in the group…”
* “Grouply is a phisher and an identity thief…”
* “Grouply makes private group information public…”
* “Grouply is a scam…”

Spreading false rumors (see I heard that Grouply is a spammer… for more examples) puts the author and the entire group at risk. Yahoo’s Terms of Service (TOS) prohibits “mak[ing] available any Content that is … defamatory … [or] libelous…”. Yahoo has shut down user accounts or entire groups when the TOS is violated.

If you encounter any defamatory statements about Grouply, you might want to remind the group owner about Yahoo’s TOS and point them to blog.grouply.com/protect/ for “the facts” about Grouply.

In other words, Grouply encourages you to dispel negative myths about the service by….wait for it…issuing thinly veiled threats to your fellow list members – and even the group’s owners!

Because nothing says “credible” and “trustworthy” and “zomg, we’re not a scam, we swear!” like threatening to have Yahoo terminate well-meaning-but-confused-and-concerned web users’ accounts.

Well played, guys, well played.

(For a rundown on the pros and cons of Grouply, this post is quite informative. Again, coming from a business that encourages users to threaten others into compliance a la Scientology, “We’ll protect your Yahoo user name and password and all associated sensitive information, just trust us, we swear” isn’t all that reassuring.)

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Tagged: grouply yahoo the internets alpha dog of the week ballsy

Want to have some crazy nightmares tonight? Watch this video:

*shudder*

By the by, how did the phrases “safe sodomy subsidies” & “the Homosexual Gestapo” never catch on? Pure nutbag awesomeness, those are!

Via PFAW, whose YP4 / PAO Countering the Right course I’m currently enrolled in.

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Tagged: youtube video religious right countering the right pfaw people for the american way pf4 pao progressive academy online godbags politics first amendment

Yeah, I know it’s the New York Post…and maybe this is their misguided attempt at “satire” (dog, I hope this is supposed to be satirical!)….but still. FELONIOUS BALL OF FUR DESERVED EVERY BLOW – WTF!?

THE stupid cat had it coming.

Forgive me, all you animal- rights nuts, you freaky lovers of things furry, fierce and woefully incontinent. I’ve got something to say to all assorted people who’ve got nothing better to do with their days than stick their noses in another man’s litter box.

The dead cat at the center of a whacked-out catricide trial now eating up precious court time and tax dollars in downtown Manhattan is no innocent wittle victim.

PHOTOS: Man On Trial For Cat Killing

Norman the Cat, who was pummeled to death last year at the age of 8 by an inarguably hot, allegedly drunk, former Met minor leaguer and bit-part actor named Joseph Petcka, had serious issues.

The first of which may have been his name.

Owner Lisa Altobelli testified yesterday that she named Norman after the zhlubby character Norm from “Cheers” – “my favorite show.” Norman Bates sounds more accurate.

No one likes to see a little frisky drowning in a pool of his own blood. Well, not many.

But Petcka had grown tragically fixated on the idea of getting along with the pet pussy that Altobelli called “my little buddy.” He wrote in his diary that he’d made “progress” getting the pea-brained flea bag to allow Petcka to pet him.

Early on March 27, 2007, Altobelli testified, Petcka had too much to drink. She said he chanted, in a weird, sing-songy voice, “Nor-man. Nor-man!”

So Altobelli did what anyone overly attached to a neurotic hairball would do when danger was afoot: She left Petcka alone in her apartment with her beloved cat.

Hours later, Altobelli returned. She found the puss under a table.

“He was cold,” she said, crying crocodile tears and hanging her head petulantly.

Petcka claims the thing sank his teeth into his hand. So he had to violently knock him away.

Innocent victim? Or kitty provocateur?

Why can’t we just ask Petcka to clean a few hundred litter boxes, and end this fiasco?

Petcka, if you couldn’t discern from the dreck above, is currently on trial for killing his girlfriend’s cat Norman – pummeling him to death with his fists. Petcka’s “defense” is that Norman attacked him, thus justifying the beating. Trouble is, Norman’s declawed. And, erm, even if he weren’t – there are other ways to deal with an angry cat. It’s a fucking cat, ferchrissakes, not a cougar.

Petcka is a liar, a psychopath, an animal- and (future) woman-abuser. He allegedly killed Norman in a jealous rage because Altobelli loved the cat more than him. A woman who cared for an innocent, fluffy, unconditionally loving sentient being more than her cold, unfeeling asswipe of a boyfriend – you don’t fucking say!

If you’d like to fire off a complaint to the New York Post, here’s there online form for submitting letters to the editor. Andrea Peyser – the sub-human who wrote this piece – can be reached at andrea.peyser@nypost.com.

Please keep the misogyny and death threats to a minimum, people; instead of calling her a bitch or cunt or suggesting that you send your own C-list actor over to her place so that she, too, can experience the joy of being beaten to a bloody pulp, why not remind her of the link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence?

Also, here are a few related petitions you can sign, if so inclined:

NY Post Columnist Says Beaten Cat Deserved to Die!

Celeb. Boyfriend Kills Girlfriends Cat in Jealous Rage

(Crossposted to.)

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts petitions the petition site new york post animal abuse animal cruelty cruelty to animals Joseph Petcka Norman cat feline pet companion animal New York NYC Lisa Altobelli interpersonal violence Andrea Peyser

This is part eight in a nine-part series on Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. A full TOC, complete with links for easy navigation, is included at the bottom of each post.

Spoiler alert: Danger ahead, oh the horra! Plot spoilers abound! If you haven’t yet read the book, consider yourself warned. In fact, back away from this blog asap, go borrow The Handmaid’s Tale from your local library, and come back when you’re done. We’ll still be on the internets, promise.

The Handmaid’s Tale, The Film (Volker Schlöndorff, 1990)

If you’ve never read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the 1990 film adaptation by Volker Schlöndorff might seem an interesting enough movie. Set in a future in which Christian fundamentalists have overthrown the government, the film paints a terrifying picture of an American theocracy. Women, homosexuals, religious minorities, people of color, political dissidents – all suffer under the oppressive thumb of The Republic of Gilead.

Those familiar with the 1985 novel will see that much of the basic story remains the same in Schlöndorff’s on-screen adaptation. The former United States is in the midst of a Civil War; The Republic of Gilead holds much of the East Coast, while dissenting religious and secular groups wage war to the South and West. Within the Republic’s borders, a strict social structure is enforced. Men are ranked according to prestige and merit (Commanders, Eyes, Angels, Guardians, and businessmen and professionals), while women are grouped according to social function, which is primarily determined by their reproductive health and racial makeup (Aunts, Wives and Daughters, Econowives, Handmaids, Marthas, and Unwomen). While no Gileadean citizen is truly free, it is the females who bear the brunt of Gilead’s religious tyranny.

It is in this context that we meet Kate (Offred), a Handmaid who has been assigned to Commander Fred (“Of Fred”) and his Wife, Serena Joy. The Handmaid’s Tale is Kate’s tale, told in her very own voice, through a disjointed series of flashbacks and present-day narrations. Through Kate’s eyes, we reflect upon “the days before”; we learn how the Sons of Jacob were able to destabilize and eventually topple the American government and institute their own patriarchal theocracy; and we get a glimpse of what daily life in the Republic is like.

(More below the fold…)

Don’t ever hire this dude for your roofing needs:

Dave Sanders Contracting

www.davesanderscontracting.com

13180 County Road 334
Savannah, MO 64485

1024 Sylvanie
Saint Joseph MO 64501

I’d warn y’all not to use Rick Williams and Almighty Roofing too (see the complaint we filed with the BBB, below), but I think he’s in semi-retirement, so it’s moot.

Honestly, we’ve been trying to get our roof fixed for nine months now; after at least a dozen canceled appointments (and a few outright no-shows)…well, I just don’t understand how “normal” people conduct business like this. Luckily for the husband and I, we both telecommute at least part-time, so scheduling in-home appointments isn’t terribly inconvenient (assuming people actually keep their appointments, ahem). How the hell do regular working couples manage this shit?

In any case, nine months is beyond ridiculous. We didn’t have this kind of issue with the locksmith, or the HVAC people, or even the plumber. (The chimney sweep remains to be seen, I ‘spose.) I mean, WTF!?

A word to the wise: if you’re negotiating to buy a house, and it needs some repairs before closing (particularly repairs that will be warrantied) – don’t let the current homeowner use the contractor of her own choosing. Most likely, you’ll regret it.

On the flip side, if you live in the Kansas City area and need some concrete work done – specifically, decorative concrete – check out Big Red Decorative Concrete. Kevin and his crew patched and stained about 90% of our interior floors last summer (basically, anything that wasn’t tiled over), designed and implemented a faux Spanish tile effect on our back patio, and laid down some industrial grade epoxy in our garage. They rock. No, really – go see for yourself!

Keep reading for the BBB complaint…

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