Motley Moose – Archive

Shauna

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Like most professions, jobs that involve personal contact with clients, it’s inevitable that we have a few favorites, people that we linger with over lunch a few minutes more just because, send an e mail to say nothing more than hi to start a conversation. There are professional boundaries though, I have succesfully adhered to them myself in the many relationships developed in my own businesses, rather easily.

But I’ve never had animals as clients before.

It’s an odd adjustment to make, thinking of beautiful, vibrant and happy animals as clients but we are a business, one that offers a great service but a service nonetheless. I love all my charges but there are a few that over time become family and that’s where it gets hard, really hard when they leave.

One, Bones, a fiesty and playful boxer recently moved away to enjoy a suburban yard, that I could accept. Rus, a third level Shutzhund trained German Shephard was sold after competition judges found the tiniest of defects in her gait, guaranteeing that she would not advance any further. That was just too difficult to understand and more than worthy of a diary to be written to tell her story, the pain lingers.

And then there was Shauna who passed away last week.

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News has just reached me that a long-time Moose, btchakir (Bill Tchakirides) has had a brain tumor removed and is recovering.

I would like to see how many of the herd can leave a note of love and support on his beloved Under the Lobsterscope  blog (also found in the Moose With Blogs list on the right bar under his Moose name). His family is watching it for him at the moment and I am certain that it would give him and them some warmth knowing there are others out there thinking about him.

With classic humor under fire, bill posted this note before going into surgery.

Bill’s wife Ellen has posted some updates on his progress, most recently on January 20:

Hello – I am updating this page for Bill. We are in our second week at Bill’s daughter Penny’s house in Williamsport, MD.

It has been quite a change and adjustment for us. We had to change our doctors and activities from Frederick, MD to Hagerstown, MD. Bill does need someone with him at all times since he is a fall risk. He has completed 20 sessions of radiation and 20 days of chemo. When the Chemo and Radiation are complete, we will have to wait two more weeks. Then they will do an MRI to see how he has responded. He is enjoying Penny’s cooking, and watching cable TV. He misses his dogs and friends and posting to his BLOG. I hope he will be updating this BLOG himself soon!

Ellen

Please, take a moment to love bomb Bill.

Spread the word if you can.

Good morning, Bomber and Meeses and everyone else. These Mondays really come around inexorably, don’t they?

Questions of the day: Of all the liberal causes out there (and they are legion), which is nearest and dearest to your heart? What is your favorite spot in your home to sit and relax? What is your preferred snack food for big televised events (from inaugurations to award shows to sporting events or the new season of whatever show)? Gardens: Wild or formal? Pets: Purebred or mutt?

Twitter Tornado

Most of you implied you did not care who won the Super Bowl last night, but perhaps some watched for the commercials. Or maybe not. Still, it was quite a night, and I have a gazillion tweets that I would love to post, 99% having to do with either the game (some tying it in to politics) or the ads.

There was a Dodge ad with the tag line, “God made a farmer” that was narrated by Paul Harvey. Very rah-rah, isn’t white rural America the best thing ever.” Here are a couple inspired by that ad:

God made a farmer. Then god made thousands of field workers, approx. one of whom dies every day while working & making ~$10k/year. WTF god?

— Susie Cagle (@susie_c) February 4, 2013

God needed someone to buy trucks the day the loan deficiency payment and disaster aid + crop insurance check cleared, so God made a farmer.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) February 4, 2013

There was a power outage at the Super Dome mid game, right after the half time show. San Francisco was losing badly before the outage. They came back strongly after the outage, though not enough to win.

One thing we know Jindal won’t blame for the power outage: insufficient volcano monitoring

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) February 4, 2013

If life were an iPhone commercial, the game would go on with 70,000 flashlight apps and everyone singing Feist together.

— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) February 4, 2013

Karl Rove sent Megyn Kelly down the hall to confirm whether the power at the #SuperBowl is really out. “My people say it’s on.”

— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) February 4, 2013

Power outage reportedly due to a power surge, so 49ers definitely won’t be held responsible

— Chris Lehmann (@lehmannchris) February 4, 2013

“The crowd’s restless! Get Beyonce back out there!” “We can’t! We can’t power her backup dancers!”

— delrayser (@delrayser) February 4, 2013

Because Obama banned incandescent bulbs. #ActuallyHeDidnt

— Brad Friedman (@TheBradBlog) February 4, 2013

The 49ers could totally escape under cover of darkness right now.

— Charles Homans (@chashomans) February 4, 2013

Well, there goes Bobby Jindal’s presidential chances. #superbowlblackout

— Sharoney (@Sharoney) February 4, 2013

Luckily, the bar for “worst power outage at the Superdome” is set really high.

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) February 4, 2013

lol Bobby Jindahl you need to tax the poor some more to pay for a 20th century power grid.

— Karl (@JerryMander) February 4, 2013

Maybe more later in the comments.

Don’t forget to let your peeps know where to find you!

‘Mornin’ herd. Hope you had a lovely weekend. Ours was marvelously non-productive and partly snowy. I am priding myself on not actually knowing who won the Superbowl. Sooner or later I’ll have to look at the news, but it’s too early for that.

There are things that we all avoid.  Things we just can’t stand to be around. Things that just irritate us beyond our ability to play nice.

FOX stupidity is one of mine.

I live with my parents for various reasons right now. FOX is on the big TV in the living room all the time. It sucks.

But more than that, it gives my parents a completely fucked up view of the world.  Not a little fucked up – completely fucked up.

The latest point of stupid that Mum has been throwing around is that there is oil forever. Generations worth – all discovered recently here in America and we just don’t have to worry about it. Ever.

Cross-posted in orange.

THAT’LL SHOW ‘EM

The National Police Agency and the Japan Securities Dealers Association announced new measures intended to keep yakuza groups from… stock trading.

Leading online game operator Gree blamed a software glitch for overcharging the accounts of 733 minors-including 30 kids who were stuck with bills of more than ¥100,000 each.

Education officials in Saitama have developed a system that enables students to report bullying incidents via mobile phone.

It was reported that the Japanese are trying to save electricity this winter by “warmth sharing”-that is, “the communal use of warm and toasty places.”

(This is my Kosability Diary from the DK this evening)

The problem with C.O.P.D. in the form of severe asthma and chronic bronchitis is that it is well chronic. Chronic refers to something that continues or persists over an extended period of time. I have had a respiratory infection that started in August when I was up in Indiana cleaning my parent’s house. I am still running a fever off and on and am constantly congested. Not having any health care until the beginning on March has prevented me from seeing a doctor.

KosAbility is a community diary series posted at 5 PM ET every Sunday and Wednesday by volunteer diarists. This is a gathering place for people who are living with disabilities, who love someone with a disability, or who want to know more about the issues surrounding this topic. There are two parts to each diary. First, a volunteer diarist will offer their specific knowledge and insight about a topic they know intimately. Then, readers are invited to comment on what they’ve read and/or ask general questions about disabilities, share something they’ve learned, tell bad jokes, post photos, or rage about the unfairness of their situation. Our only rule is to be kind; trolls will be spayed or neutered.

One of the biggest problems with a chronic illness such as C.O.P.D. is the fact that it is always present. You never feel completely well. Some days will be better then others but even on good days your energy is at a lower level then when you were well. I have battled C.O.P.D. and the constant respiratory infections since 1997. That is a long time not to feel good.

The hardest part for me is adjusting to the fact that I don’t have the energy I once did. I ask my younger cat Pixie to lend me some of her energy but she won’t do it. I think back to the days when I could go all day. I use to ski and thought nothing of taking the chair lift over and over again all day long to the top of the mountain and skiing down. I use to run. Now I walk slowly.

I try and distract myself in order to forget the illness. I can lose myself in artwork for hours. I can sit down and write. I read voraciously. I watch movies since there is little on television that interests me or that I can get without expensive cable. I cook and develop new recipes. I’m on-line with friends.

I wish I could feel well again but am doing what I can to cope with the constant illness. I try to remind myself that a positive mental attitude is my best friend. In a month I’ll have Medicare and I can see a doctor and hopefully knock this current infection off. I know it will come back but a respite is okay. You learn to appreciate the days when you feel just okay.

i’ve always been a proponent of the use of marijuana for medical purposes.  i live in texas, lots of marijuana comes through here and texas is absolutely behind the drug war.  however, the policy of the USA has harmed and killed innocents in a country we share a border with.  a country where some of my ancestors arrived in texas from.  a country with a myriad of problems, poverty in particular.  a third world nation right in our backyard.

Vicente Guerrero, Afro-Indio 2nd president of Mexico, who abolished slavery in 1829

Once again, the month of February is here, marked as Black History Month on calendars in the United States and Canada (October in Great Britan).  

Schools, community groups and bloggers will focus attention on the historical contributions of blacks to our culture. When I was growing up it was called “Negro History Week.”