Weighing in with some thoughts

 I have written about guns on the blog before, but this time I feel more passionate about the issues surrounding guns. Why? Everyone is talking about gun control. Control, what does it mean to control something?
  I don't really know that much about guns. I don't own one, I have never shot one. I do not go skeet shooting or go to the range. I do remember when I was little my grandparents brought me to a "wild west show" and bought me a silver cap gun. Eh, I could have cared less. I'm not the shooting things kind of person. I do however have some thoughts about guns and gun safety.
  I know a gun owner needs to get a permit / license?  That's what I've heard. Seems reasonable. Once the permit / license for a Firearm ID card is received, one can buy a gun. What happens after the license / permit is allowed and a gun or guns are purchased? Does the town that issued the license/permit come to see if it is being stored in a safe manor? I do not believe so. Does the town make people renew the license/ permit? Umm I do not believe so. Interesting.
 Recently my household needed permits to have various work done on and in our home. After each permit, which are numerous, electrical, plumbing, structural and so on, the town sends someone to sign off on each permit. Why? To make sure our home is safe!! We had to hard wire smoke detectors/ CO detectors in every room, it's required by law. The town will come and make sure we have installed them. Why? To make sure our home is safe and protected. These are smart precautionary measures. Great for us home owners. What about all the gun owners?
 Our town also requires I renew my dog and cats' licenses every year. As a pet owner I have to vaccinate my pets to get those licenses. Why? To make sure my pets are protected against rabies, therefore protecting the town's people from possibly getting rabies from my pets. Safety precautionary measures taken by the town and myself as an owner. If I do not renew the license the town puts a warning on our door, if I still do not renew I, as a pet owner, am fined. Last year I got the warning 2 days after the renewal had expired. I had paid it that day. WOW the town sure is on top of those pet owners!! What about all the gun owners?  Hummmmm
 Gun owners will still fight on my comparisons. But I'm not questioning any one's rights. Do what you will gun owners, you checked out when you got the permit. You got that background check. So therefore that must mean your gun is safely stored away, when not in use by you and you only, where no one else can use it unsafely. The town came to check, right?      
  

Do the right thing

Walmart!  An undercover investigation, which video was taken, demonstrates the barbaric abuse of pigs at Christensen Farms, who describe themselves as the country's third largest pork supplier. I urge Walmart to ask your pork supplier to phase out the use of gestation crates.  In my opinion the very least you should do is stop buying products from these alleged abusers until further investigation. Walmart join other large corps. and stop the inhumanity. NOW!!

 I watched the video and it's pretty clear the pain these poor animals are enduring. On the video, the workers at the farm ( factory ) appear to remove piglets' testicles without painkillers and that is about as far as I'll go with readers. Let's just say it's bad real bad and if seeing the on going abuse in this video, as well as others like it, like me you would stop meat cold Turkey, pun intented.
If you have read this and would like to learn more, read about it in the Huffington Post www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/walmart-christensen-farms-mercy-for-animals-video_n_1683119.html or visit mercyforanimals.org to sign a petition.
You do not have to watch the video, but at the bottem of the web page there is a link to sign the petition. If this was a video of cats and dogs being treated so barbarically there would be complete and utter societal outrage. I always like to point out, yes these pigs are raised for food, but inhuman treatment is unaccepable. Their lives here on this planet should mean more, as with all living beings.  

Knitting, not just a hobby...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46972319

This is my blog......

and if you are reading it you are entitled to my opinion,
otherwise click somewhere else.
That being said, here is awesome commentary from HuffingtonPost.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/womens-reproductive-rights_b_1345214.html

Back to the Start

Bravo Chipotle!!

Backyard Chickens....no debate!!

Becoming a vegetarian has opened my eyes to so many food possibilities, but mostly it has made me more aware of where our food comes from. I will never claim to be the most educated, but the more I learn the more confident I am about my food choices. For the most part, I believe society would rather not think about where eggs and bacon come from or at what cost to the animals' lives, not to mention the environmental costs.
When I get eggs I prefer to get them at the farmer's market or from local farms. I know they are organic and not part of a egg "factory". I do not want to eat an egg from a factory, but prefer it come from a chicken. I will eat an egg from a chicken raised on farm or in someone's backyard, where I know that chicken has been in a healthy and free environment.
Now is the time to focus on where our food comes from.
I would like to see a change and small changes matter. Friend's of mine are part of that change. Please read their story. http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/139201039_Chickens_and_the_law.html

Komen backs off decision on funding cuts

Komen backs off decision on funding cuts

In the future I know where my donations will continue to go and where they will not. I am happy Komen reversed their decision, but I will not forget. Many women are in need of informed care and have few financially viable options. PP will continue to get my donations.

Planned Parenthood recoups pulled funds

http://www.northjersey.com/news/138626784_Women_s_health_group_recoups_pulled_funding.html

Planned Parenthood 'reeling' after losing charity funds

Planned Parenthood 'reeling' after losing charity funds

I have no words.

Abandoned pit bull's best pal is a Chihuahua

Please read this heartfelt story. This is true BFF.

Abandoned pit bull's best pal is a Chihuahua

On being veggie

Ugh! I'm so bored with food right now. Everyone I'm with eats meat. I need a support group. My husband is blaming me for his weight gain. I'm not responsible for his eating habits. I cook the same way as I used to, he is using this as an excuse to stuff himself with sandwiches and BBQ, and etc. He says he would cook dinner for me, but doesn't know what I eat any more. That is such a cop out. He sees me make every kind of veg and all kinds beans and grains. This is crap!

Meditation

Like most people I am always looking for the ultimate stress reliever. Recently I tried to meditate only to get up after five minutes. I would like to do it two times a day for fifteen minutes, but five minutes is a start and apparently my finish. I focus, my mind wonders, I get fidgety, then I'm done. My mind, like most women I know, goes a mile a minute. Things just pop up. Did I pay the car payment? Is my wallet in my purse? What about my cell phone? What's that noise? My inner monologue goes on and on. Stress is brutal, but I'll try again.

DNA test for a dog.

As some of you may know when I get lit about something I can be like a terrier. I've been looking for a pet sitter for a couple of weeks with zero success. I called one and they are vacationing the same week as me. I called another, no one called back. I asked my vet for more recommendations, no one called me back. My mom recommended someone and I called her, no call back after a week and a half. I called again knowing my mom is currently using this pet sitter to watch her dog. So here we are....I'm calling out this pet sitter I spoke to yesterday. I can do that it's my blog! She returned my call and asked who recommended me to her. I told her my mom and I asked how things went with my mom's dog. She says and I quote " well she didn't bite me". My gut said end this conversation, now. I didn't and preceded to tell her what I needed and about my dog. "He's a lab mix and he weighs 65lbs....." She interrupts me. " Lab mixed with what...PIT BULL?" I hesitated because of course we know where this is going. "Yes, along with many other things". While thinking to my self, I have never had him DNA tested. I can only assume about his mix, but it's clear he has some Pit, Sheppard and Beagle. She can only assume also, but she starts rambling on and on about the insurance company she owns and how her home owners will not allow her to watch pit bulls. I say "thank you I will call someone else." She keeps going. I say "thank you" again and try to end the conversation. She keeps going.... I end conversation abruptly. " THANK YOU. I GET THE POINT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!" If you do not know, home owners insurance requires higher payments and payoffs for pet owners who have pit bulls. They are a liability. Let's go back in the story. Remember when the pet sitter said my mom's dog did not bite her...well I know some one that dog did bite. MY MOM, in the face. Ten stitches. That is a liability. I never asked this women for my dog to stay with her. I asked to meet with her. If I said Poodle mix or Collie mix, would she have asked me mixed with pit bull? But I'll never know. This is doggie discrimination.

Remembering the Real Ronald Reagan, from 'Capitalism: A Love Story'

Puppet and Puff! (Cat loves Bearded Dragon)

"Nanny Dogs"

Recently I read a news blog article about Pit Bulls. The article included various photos of children with Pit Bulls with the reference to them as "Nanny Dogs". Apparently people in the past used them to watch over their children. This is no surprise to me. Pit Bulls, if brought up in the proper environment, are fantastic dogs. They are loyal, loving, fun, and playful, but unfortunately people/humans have given them their bad raps. Shelters are filled with unwanted Pits, many of them rescued from "owners" who raised them as fighters or to be aggressive. Why am I writing this... People need to responsible for their choices when they choose a pet. When considering becoming a pet owner one needs to take into account their lifestyle. Will this pet fit? Am I allergic? Can I afford this pet? If I move will my pet be welcome in my new place? Consider some towns will not allow Pit Bulls. I could on and on, my point is pets are not interchangeable or disposable.

Green eggs, hold the ham.

These eggs came from the Farmers Market I go to almost every Sunday from May. -Oct.. Two of eggs are green. I paid more then I should have, but I will sleep better knowing they came from happy and comfy Chickens. Other things I bought at the market...Maple butter, berries, and dill. The garden we have is providing us with plenty of other goodies, therefore I had no need to buy any veggies. I have green beans coming out of my ears right now. But the best part of going to the Market are memories that flood back to me from when I went to Vermont as a kid. I went during some Winters and Summers up until I was about 11 or 12. During the Winter my aunt would put me in a snow suit I hated and we would walk up to the woods. That snow suit was uncomfortable and I spent to much thought on who might see me in my warm get up. Mind you there was not a soul out there. In the woods we would ride on the back of a tractor and help collect sap buckets from the maple trees, part of the process of making Maple syrup. After we picked up all the buckets we would head to the sugar house to boil, skim foam and cook the sap until all was syrupy goodness. Sometimes I would sit out in the snow behind the house and drink a cup of hot sugar water. I love real maple syrup. There is no substitute. During the Summer my aunt and I would visit all the nearby neighbors, and when I say near, not really, but we would walk. We would walk by the cows at one farm, we stopped for little chat with them and on to the next farmhouse. At the next farm is where I found my love of goats, chickens and Mountain Bernese Dogs. I thought that house was the best place to go that Summer. The woman who owned it had puppies, which are always fun and she had Chickens that laid Green Eggs, also fun. I had seen brown ones before, but green seemed crazy at the time. I made my aunt make them the minute we got home to see if they tasted any different, which they didn't. As far as the goats, whenever I see one now I laugh. I think they are so funny. To me they look like little old men, wise old men who know some secret. Not to mention goats are very pushy, which is also great for laughs. Ahhhhh fond memories.

Where does bacon come from?

I recently have been having some conversations with some friends who still don't understand how I could give up bacon. Well after watching a horrible video on mercyforanimals.org. Which my husband said, please don't tell me. I have no questions, at all, about my continued choice not to eat animals. That's right! I did not say my choice not to eat meat. Notice the distinction? Wake up for crying out loud! I am crying right now thinking about what I saw people doing to baby pigs and baby chickens. The mistreatment was appalling. Adult pigs forced to live their lives in cages where they can not move, period!! Forced to live with infections, or live with pus filled prolapsed uteruses, and oh yeah, that is just the beginning of it. People you eat animals that come from these places. Delicious! Let's go to Costco now. I have nothing against Costco, they treat their employees great. But companies purchasing pork from these places are completely unaware of the mistreatment. I will be writing them to inform.

I would not eat my dog or cats why would I eat other animals. It makes no sense to me why others would.

Side note to Bacon: I once loved you, but our relationship is over!

Chocolate Bunny Heads

I would like to take a moment to thank all the Chocolate Bunnies that will sacrifice their heads on Sunday and in the weeks following. All would be lost without Chocolate Bunnies. Biting into an egg filled with Caramel is good, but biting a cute little Chocolate Bunny head is better.
A lot of people will benefit from your sacrifice in the coming weeks especially those with PMS. Thank you, Chocolate Bunnies.

Laughing is the best, and get over yourself already.

It is another day of weather in the beautiful Garden State. Rainy and grey, but better than dangerous snow and ice, so I'll take it the way it comes. On days like this it is difficult for some to stay positive, me included. For me, laughing is the best medicine. I try to laugh every chance I get. I especially love and enjoy laughing loud. I do get looks sometimes, but those people are jealous of my quick witty humor. It is a fact the office I work in has a no laughing policy. Really, I'm not kidding. I found this out recently when I heard the staff chatting about the new employee manual. I'm truly lucky not to work for that part of the office. A no laughing policy is just bad business and employee relations. I would never work for someone who had a policy like that, but I do work with someone who does. Let me tell you it never stops me from laughing, even when I get the look. I just think to myself, HAHAHAHA heee heeee Haaaaaa HEEEEE HAAAAA HA!!!! Works every time. Instantly positive.