QUIRKY? ME?

This is one of Zorro's mommas. I have been tagged by Jen, at My Life with Dogs, to list six quirky things about myself. Hmmm. Where to start....
1. (not necessarily in order of quirkiness) Rearranging items into a certain order or into alignment. Each item on my living room coffee table has a designated spot on the table; if they get moved around, I have to rearrange them. When I take out our vitamins and pills in the morning, each bottle has to be facing the front so one can see the label. Doesn't everyone do that?
2. Not plugging or unplugging any electrical item that does not have an on/off switch (and even a few that do - if the item looks old or worn).
3. Locking my car doors when the car is in the driveway or right outside my office. Hey, it only takes a few second for someone to walk up and take something! Of course, many people tell me that if the car is locked, people will walk up and literally break a window to get in, instead of just opening the door to get in. I guess I'd rather the person have to make at least a little effort to take my stuff.
4. One of the people who started this whole quirky tag game said she picks at her toes. Well, I pick at my the cuticles and skin around my fingernails. I do it more when I'm stressed; so one can really tell what mood I'm in, or how my life in general is going, by looking at my fingernails.
5. I guess one could call me somewhat addicted to The Weather Channel. Hey, I could be addicted to worse things! But I don't like storms - particularly ones with lightning, close lightning. One hears too many freaky stories about how horribly unpredictable lightning can be - and how dangerous. So, when the "screen is green" (or worse, yellow or red) in our area, I unplug everything: TV's, computers, etc. We haven't lost anything to a lightning strike yet!
6. I think this quirk will seem like the least quirky thing to you, but it's a huge thing to me. In 2004, after 30 years on NPR (where he was incredibly popular among both listeners and critics), Morning Edition host Bob Edwards was demoted to "senior correspondent" (whatever that BS means). NPR said that it wanted someone to take the morning show in a "different direction" (more BS).
Shortly thereafter, Bob left NPR. Soon, XM Radio offered Bob his own morning show on the satelite radio network; he remains there today, bringing "his reassuring and authoritative voice" to many listeners around the world each day. When Morning Edition won a George Foster Peabody Award in 1999, the Peabody committee lauded Edwards as "a man who embodies the essence of excellence in radio.... His is a rare radio voice: informed but never smug; intimate but never intrusive; opinionated but never dismissive. Mr. Edwards does not merely talk, he listens."
I have not listened or contributed to NPR since.

McCAIN'S INTEGRITY

From Andrew Sullivan, for TheAtlantic.com:

Editor's Note: Historically a John McCain supporter, conservative journalist and blogger Andrew Sullivan takes on the issue of John McCain's integrity as he strives to win the presidency. - vh/TO

"For me, this surreal moment - like the entire surrealism of the past ten days - is not really about Sarah Palin or Barack Obama or pigs or fish or lipstick. It's about John McCain. The one thing I always thought I knew about him is that he is a decent and honest person. When he knows, as every sane person must, that Obama did not in any conceivable sense mean that Sarah Palin is a pig, what did he do? Did he come out and say so and end this charade? Or did he acquiesce in and thereby enable the mindless Rovianism that is now the core feature of his campaign?
"So far, he has let us all down. My guess is he will continue to do so. And that decision, for my part, ends whatever respect I once had for him. On core moral issues, where this man knew what the right thing was, and had to pick between good and evil, he chose evil. When he knew that George W. Bush's war in Iraq was a fiasco and catastrophe, and before Donald Rumsfeld quit, McCain endorsed George W. Bush against his fellow Vietnam vet, John Kerry in 2004. By that decision, McCain lost any credibility that he can ever put country first. He put party first and his own career first ahead of what he knew was best for the country.
"And when the Senate and House voted overwhelmingly to condemn and end the torture regime of Bush and Cheney in 2006, McCain again had a clear choice between good and evil, and chose evil.
"He capitulated and enshrined torture as the policy of the United States, by allowing the CIA to use techniques as bad as and worse than the torture inflicted on him in Vietnam. He gave the war criminals in the White House retroactive immunity against the prosecution they so richly deserve. The enormity of this moral betrayal, this betrayal of his country's honor, has yet to sink in. But for my part, it now makes much more sense. He is not the man I thought he was.
"And when he had the chance to engage in a real and substantive debate against the most talented politician of the next generation in a fall campaign where vital issues are at stake, what did McCain do? He began his general campaign with a series of grotesque, trivial and absurd MTV-style attacks on Obama's virtues and implied disgusting things about his opponent's patriotism.
"And then, because he could see he was going to lose, ten days ago, he threw caution to the wind and with no vetting whatsoever, picked a woman who, by her decision to endure her own eight-month pregnancy of a Down Syndrome child in public, that he was going to reignite the culture war as a last stand against Obama. That's all that is happening right now: a massive bump in the enthusiasm of the Christianist base. This is pure Rove.
"Yes, McCain made a decision that revealed many appalling things about him. In the end, his final concern is not national security. No one who cares about national security would pick as vice-president someone who knows nothing about it as his replacement. No one who cares about this country's safety would gamble the security of the world on a total unknown because she polled well with the Christianist base. No person who truly believed that the surge was integral to this country's national security would pick as his veep candidate a woman who, so far as we can tell anything, opposed it at the time.
"McCain has demonstrated in the last two months that he does not have the character to be president of the United States. And that is why it is more important than ever to ensure that Barack Obama is the next president. The alternative is now unthinkable. And McCain - no one else - has proved it."

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY, JORDAN!

Jordan has been with us since Labor Day weekend, in 1998. The day was very hot, and he was very thirsty. My mommas gave him water, and looked him over. He's a very handsome boy.
He and my brother, Grover, became bestest friends. When I came to live with my Mommas, Jordan was good to me, but he wasn't pals with me like he was with Grover. Jordan is now close to 12 years old; he's as handsome and good and gentle as ever. Jordan is a friend to all animals and people.We love you, Jman, and we're glad you're part of our family.

PALIN: WRONG WOMAN, WRONG MESSAGE

Opinion piece by Gloria Steinam, in the Los Angeles Times:
"Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.
"But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.
"Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."
"This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.
"Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month about the vice presidency, she said, 'I still can't answer that question until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?' When asked about Iraq, she said, 'I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq.'
"She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a $1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on 'God, guns and gays' ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.
"So let's be clear: The culprit is John McCain."
Click here to read the rest of this Los Angeles Times article.

ANDREW SULLIVAN ON PRESIDENTIAL JUDGEMENT

From Andrew Sullivan of TheAtlantic.com:
"We have had two big presidential decisions from both candidates - the first time we can clearly judge their decision-making skills. Obama's (vice presidential decision) was prudent, cautious, thoroughly vetted, and serious about governing. McCain's was impulsive, rash, barely vetted and decided at the last minute by a small coterie that left everyone else gasping.
"We are at war. Another 9/11 is possible. Israel may attack Iran. Pakistan may go up in smoke. Putin may invade another country. Who would you rather have as president?"

OBAMA PICKS JOE BIDEN

From The Huffington Post:

Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice presidential running mate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues.
Obama announced the pick on his Web site with a photo of the two men and an appeal for donations. A text message went out shortly afterward that said, "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee."

HAPPY BARKDAY, GREG!

Today, August 23, is my brother Greg's barkday. He is a good brother to me and the other kids. He's a good son to my mommas. He a good husband to Jen; and he's a great dad to Peanut and Swanny Jr.

We all wish Greg the happiest birthday ever!

LIVI'S GOTCHA DAY

Happy Gotcha Day to my sister, Livi! She's been with us for one year. Unlike most other new pets, Livi seemed to fit in and know she belonged here from the start; and everyone gets along with her. She is a good sister to all!

Tonight, we'll celebrate with Frosty Paws and a new toy (an AKC goose - shhhh, don't tell!).

JUST WONDERING...

From Mockingbird's Medley:

So if John McCain is a war hero for bombing a third world nation that never even attacked us, did the anti-aircraft battery that shot him down at least get a unit citation?

IF I ONLY HAD A BRAIN...

DAZED & CONFUSED

Some interesting clips of smooth operator John McAncient.... (Warning: this video can be quite painful to watch!)

STORM FOLLOW-UP

As promised a week ago, here are some pix of my mommas' yard (the first two) and some others in our area.
Lots of trees were down, lots of power poles and power lines, lots of phone lines. Miraculously, no serious injuries.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

From The Peace Train:
"John McCain practically dared Barack Obama to go to Iraq, and he did, with a vengeance. He has been on a world tour, going to three key areas Iraq and Afghanistan, where US troops are fighting; to Europe, location of America’s principal allies; and the Middle East, where America has a fundamental commitment to Israel and to regional peace. By most accounts, the trip has been a huge success. Obama has seemed presidential, and has been treated as a world leader in world capitals. Media coverage has been very positive and extensive, and he has not made any serious mistakes that could undermine his foreign policy credentials.
"If the McCain camp expected an Obama trip overseas would highlight the Democratic candidate's inexperience in foreign policy, the strategy may have backfired. From Kabul to Baghdad, and now onto Jordan, Israel, Britain, France and Germany, Barack Obama's first international trip since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee is being covered by the media like a world tour for a popularly elected leader. There is no preparation for the position of President of the United States. We have already proven that a man (GW Bush) with absolutely no preparation at all, a man who ducked his National Guard duty in 1972, whose closest encounter with team sports was "cheerleader," who bankrupted four oil companies, cannot speak coherently without a teleprompter or back stage prompter via earphone, can be president.
"Now some worry that Barak Obama, an articulate man with brains and ability, who actually cuts a presidential appearance and can speak of national concerns on the world stage without a staged, hand-picked audience, isn't up to the job."

FREECYCLE IT

By Sally Deneen, from TheDailyGreen:
"Let’s say you have a perfectly good fish tank or swing set or computer you no longer want, but it’s too much of a hassle to drag it to a thrift store – where it may be turned away, anyway.
A fun way to find new homes for stuff is posting your items at Freecycle.org, a grassroots, volunteer-driven Internet movement committed to the notion that one person's trash is another person's treasure. Think of it as an on-line message center that connects people who want to get rid of stuff with those who can use it. Members of the free web site can give and receive items for free.
"It’s a "free cycle" of giving, which keeps good things out of landfills, reduces waste and saves resources. Begun in 2003 when Deron Beal sent out an e-mail announcing the Freecycle Network to about 30 or 40 friends and a handful of nonprofit organizations in Tucson, the Arizona-based nonprofit organization since has spread around the world. So far, there are more than 4,000 local Freecycle Network groups (reachable via Freecycle.org). Among rules: All items must be completely free with no strings attached. No illegal or adult-themed materials are allowed.
"No item is too big or too small to post at Freecycle. Offerings have included comforters, beds, mattresses, a 10-year-old glider rocker that rocks smoothly but its arm joints are broken, a working dryer, clothing of all kinds, a satellite dish, Halloween costumes, jogging strollers, file cabinets, computer stuff, picture frames, vases, kids’ stuff, an avocado green refrigerator that must be picked up the next day, coupons for infant formula… You get the idea. Imagine if all of that ended up at the dump. The network estimates that it’s daily keeping more than 300 tons of stuff out of landfills.
"If you’re in the market for an item, you can browse the listings or tell the community what you’re seeking. You never know what people have tucked in the attic. You sure can’t beat free! "

WE IS BACK!

After five days with no power, and seven days with no internet connection (Grrrrrr!), we is back from the dark ages. Pix of some downed trees to follow.

SPEAK UP!

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up." ~ Martin Niemoeller, German Protestant Clergyman

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF POLITICS 2008

Despite the seriousness of the coming election, JibJab nails the quirkier aspects of the campaign... and life.

LIAR, LIAR

From ThePoliticalCat:

"How many flip-flops has John McCaincient made? Anybody know? Yes, hello? Wanna take a guess? Sixty-one is the current count, folks. Yup, that's right. SIXTY-ONE flip-flops. You can bet his good buddies in the mainstream media haven't covered more than a handful. Alternet details them. No peeking, now! See if you can assemble your own list before you go over there to look. Complete with links and cute Godzilla pitchers. Enjoy!"

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY, MORRY!

We'll be celebrating my brother Morry's Gotcha Day this weekend. We'll have treats (sugar-free for me), and he will get a toy and extra hugs and belly rubs!
All this for a doggy who started out as a stray in Chicago. He was then transferred to the QCAWC, a no-kill shelter in northwestern Illinois. My momma saw his picture on their web site; they called him a Corgi-Chow-mix. (He certainly has the short legs of us Corgis, and the big, orange-red fur of the Chow-Chows.) His bio said that he should not be around any other dogs or cats.
Welp, my momma visited him, and he seemed to be a "sweetheart;" but she could tell that he became very riled up when he saw other dogs. So my momma decided to bring me to meet and visit him; she also brought a pocket full of treats. Within 15 minutes, we were able to be eating our treats side by side. I think he could tell I'm alpha to every doggy I ever meet.
Momma took me out there two or three more times until she decided he was ready to bring home.
It took a while for him to get use to Rya and Jordan; he spent quite a bit of time on a leash, at first, getting corrected when he was getting agressive. But finally, he understood that he would get his food and his treats, and get loved even when the other dogs were nearby.
Now, he's the official watch doggy of the family. His favorite spot is on the living room couch, watching the front yard and the street, making sure that no other dogs, cats, or squirrels walk past without a warning.

WORLD'S DUMBEST PERSON?

From Dispatches from the Culture Wars:
"Found this via Pam's House Blend, which got it from Blogger Interrupted. This clueless woman from Medina, Ohio got on local TV saying that she thinks Obama is an "Arab" - not a Muslim, mind you, an Arab. So this guy from Blogger Interrupted found the woman and talked to her, not once but twice. He showed her information that Obama is, in fact, a Christian and that he has nothing at all to do with the Arab world and you have to watch her babble idiotically to justify it. "Video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxOSO07QDNU
"But the sad fact is that this is not the dumbest person alive; this is about par for the course. She's pretty much an average American - utterly ignorant, entirely incapable of thinking rationally or honestly and blissfully unaware of either of those things. This is the person you run into at the grocery store every day. They may be perfectly nice people, but they are perfect examples of virulent ignorance. "