An Award-Meme!

Many thanks to Marie at the Attentive Aphorist for this "Honest Weblog" award! I am honored!

As part of the award, there is a meme.

These are the rules:

1.You must brag about the award
2.You must include the name of the blogger who bestowed the award on you and link back to the blogger
3.You must choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.
4.Show their names and links and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog.
5.List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself.
Then pass it on with the instructions!

So here are my 10 honest things about myself!

1. I bowled on my company bowling league for 14 years and had an average as high as 142 at one time.
2. I am known for being perpetually late for everything, particularly work in the morning. Morning is not my best time.
3. Nothing upsets me more than hearing about someone abusing an animal. I admit I literally would want to kill the person who did it. Luckily I don't have that opportunity since I'm usually reading about it in the paper or on a website. But if I ever caught someone, watch out.
4. I am most happy when I'm outdoors in nice weather, and tend to hibernate in the cold, gray winter days. I become less social and less apt to want to leave the house. Then as soon as spring comes I am a new person.
5. I love old houses and am a big supporter of historic preservation. I especially love old houses with stories to them. Ghosts are OK too.
6. I was so nearsighted as a child that I remember thinking to myself, "I don't know why they bother putting signs at the side of the road; nobody can read them." Luckily they figured it out when I was around 10 and I got glasses.
7. I have always been the kind of person who tries to stay in touch with all her friends and even former boyfriends. So I love all the new "social media" such as Facebook. I re-connected on Facebook with my really good friend from my earliest childhood. We hadn't been in touch for over 40 years. I am also still in touch with my best friend from 8th grade, and with my 4 closest high school friends, and several college friends, as well as work friends that have moved on to other endeavors.
8. I am lazy. Yes, I admit it. If it's something I am really into, I'll work my butt off. But if it's something I don't want to do? I'm bad. I procrastinate and hope someone else does it or it will go away. These things include projects I don't want to do at work, or walking the dog in the rain, or many forms of housework. DH complains he is always doing the dishes. Of course I DO do the laundry. I'm not totally useless. But I could do more, and I'm trying to correct my tendencies!
9. I love the smell of dog toes and ears. They smell strangely comforting, kind of like Fritos. I don't think I could sleep without my dog in the bed.
10. One of my favorite memories of my father is that when we lived up near Rochester, New York, he used to take me to classical concerts at the Eastman Theater on Thursday nights. I think sometimes it was just the two of us and other times my mother would come too. I remember we saw Vladimir Horowitz play the piano once.

So, that's my 10 honest things. Now, on to the awards. The following bloggers get this award! Looking forward to their 10 honest statements.

The ever-brilliant Randal
Annette over at Just My Little Piece of the World
DCap at Distributorcap NY
Fran at Ramblings
Robert Rouse over at Left of Centrist
Katie Schwartz
Sue J at Nailing Jello to the Wall.

Congratulations all!

Thank Goodness for Memes!

This has been another one of those weeks. Lots of work, no time or energy to blog afterwards. So I am very happy that Bob tagged me for this meme!

At least I don't have to choose a subject to blog about when there are so many subjects to choose from that other bloggers are already doing a great job on - for instance, the racist, tasteless cartoon in the New York Post - or the latest news such as the continually tanking economy, or President Obama's trip to Canada.

No, instead I can just do this nice, restful meme and not have to think too hard since I have been at work all day and just have no brains left to think with.

So, without further ado, here is the meme:

Grab the nearest book - no matter what it is. Textbook, novel, pop-up book, building code study guide, whatever.

Turn to page 25.
Read the 10th word on that page, or the following if that one is blank.
Type that word into Google Image search.
Post the third image.
Tag 4 people and tell them.
Link back to this post. I'm not sure if that means Bob's post (herein linked) or mine? Perhaps Bob can elucidate.

Since I am sitting in a room with three huge floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with books, I will need to close my eyes and just point to one on the shelf, as there are a lot of books very near me.

I managed to pick out the Images of America - Bloomfield book which was compiled and written by two people in my town, Fred Branch and Jean Kuras, who are very involved in the local historical society, as well as Mark Sceurman, one of the creators of Weird New Jersey (also a Bloomfield resident).

I was hoping I would get a word that had something to do with my town of Bloomfield, but instead I got the word "stroll." So, following the directions above, I searched Google Images and picked the third one - and here it is:

It is called "Early Morning Stroll," by Geoffrey Lauder. It was one of the entries in the 2005 Cambridge Camera Club Competition for the POTTERS BAR & DISTRICT PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. You can find more striking photographs at their website.

I always like black-and-white photographs the best. They are dramatic, they hold up well and stand the test of time.

The same goes for black-and-white movies. We've been watching a series of old movies recently because DH and I were thinking of movie themes to have if we ever ran a movie revival theater. (We have a lot of fantasies like this, which will never happen in real life).

We were thinking it would be interesting to show a whole week of "apocalyptic" movies and we thought of Seven Days in May, The Bedford Incident, Dr. Strangelove, On the Beach, Fail Safe and Testament. Yes, that's only six. There are plenty of other ones out there for the seventh. It's amazing how many movies like this were made in the past several decades, due to the ever-present dread brought on by the Cold War.

So, being the impulsive (should I say compulsive?) shopper that I am, I got onto Amazon and ordered all of them except On the Beach, which we already own, and Testament, which we have on VHS and I found was discontinued in DVD and only available for $50 (or more) at the time I was looking.

So, we started our own little apocalyptic movie showing and have watched Dr. Strangelove, Seven Days in May and Fail Safe, so far. All three were in black and white, and I feel they were stronger and more compelling because of it.

If you haven't seen these movies - or if you have, but haven't watched them in a long time - they are definitely worth seeing again with the perspective we have today. Not as much has changed as we'd like to think. The generals all still want to try out their weapons in real wars, there is always a sensible person who wants to prevent war, but is opposed by those who want the war; there is a lack of trust between nations, and Murphy's law applies as much to wars as it does to anything else: If anything can go wrong, it will; and the corrollary, if you think nothing can go wrong, you're wrong.

As for Testament, I haven't seen it since the mid-1980s when I watched it for the second time. It stars Jane Alexander and was very well done. Around the same time, a made-for-TV movie called The Day After came out, but it had a much more gung-ho, "we're America and will survive no matter what" kind of ending. Not so with Testament. It is the most devastingly realistic and depressing depiction of what would happen after a nuclear war that I have ever seen. I think I was depressed for a week after I saw it the first time, and the second time I realized I probably couldn't take watching it again after that. So be forewarned if you decide to watch it. It does not have a happy ending, to say the least.

I seem to have digressed from the meme. I am now supposed to tag four people. Let's see, how about:

Drivin' 55
Liberality
Mathman and
A Feather Adrift.

An Award with a Meme!

Thanks to Spartacus for this lovely award! I am honored to receive it and will do my best to pass it on. Because not only is it an award, it is also a meme!

It comes at a good time for me as I am really fed up with thinking about the three-ring circus that is our Congress these days, which is unable to pass a stimulus bill without either loading it up with pork (the Democrats) or insisting nothing will do but more tax breaks (the Republicans); and as a result, nothing is getting done and the final version will be a watered-down thing that is "neither fish nor foul nor good red herring" as the old saying goes.

But I digress.

So, the meme:

Those who receive this award are required to talk about five addictions they have, and then of course bequeath the award to five other bloggers.

This is very easy for me because I tend to be a rather addictive personality. In the past I have smoked cigarettes (gave it up in 1981 after about 9 years of smoking a pack and a half a day); drunk a lot of wine (as well as other alcoholic beverages) - gave that up four years ago when I was diagnosed with a very early case of tongue cancer; and I struggle with my weight (unfortunately I can't just give up food completely; quitting an addiction is much easier than cutting down).

Luckily for me, blogging came along just about the same time I quit drinking, so I was able to channel my wish for wine into something else which is a lot more mentally constructive!

So, without further ado, here are my current addictions:

1) Blogging. Like many of you, I'm sure, I find blogging (including posting, reading and commenting) to be very addictive. When I am away from a computer for any length of time I feel bereft and at loose ends until I can get on-line again.

I first discovered the whole world of blogging when, at our annual neighborhood block party, a new neighbor told me she had a blog. I was fascinated. I had heard of this blogging phenomenon but hadn't even read any blogs, let alone thought of writing one.

So I checked out her blog (which is Finslippy) and was highly impressed. It was funny, it was poignant, it was well-written, and she got tons of comments on it. (She has also been written up in the newspapers and been featured on TV).

I had always loved to write - I was a journalism major in college and kept journals for quite a few years - and here was a new medium to write in. So I started this blog, and then in a fit of irrational exuberence, my medical blog Medicana and my travel blog that so far only has one real entry in it.

I discovered the hard way that the easiest thing to do is have a general blog where I can just express opinions and whatever else I want to write about. Writing about subjects that require research and actual work take up a little too much time for me right now! So I've been pretty much sticking to this blog for now, but someday when work doesn't get in the way I will try to go back to the other two as well.

2) Food. Yes, food is necessary for life. But there are two kinds of people in the world: Those who eat to live and those who live to eat. I seem to fall into the latter category.

I wasn't always this way. When I was a kid, I really couldn't care less if I ever ate anything. My family worried that I didn't get enough nourishment and I was required to sit at the table until I finished my dinner. It was a battle of wills with my mother, since I would sit there for two hours dawdling over my meal well after she and my father had left the table. It didn't help that she let me read while I ate dinner. Finally I would get tired of the whole thing, shovel in the stone-cold food and get up from the table.

I was also a very picky eater. I didn't like anything mixed together. The meat, the potato and vegetable had to be separate on the plate, not touching, or I'd be grossed out. I didn't like fish, certain vegetables (like anything but green beans, really) or lima beans, which I consider in a class of their own (still don't like those). I'd eat chicken or beef and baked potatoes. That was about it. I did have certain odd exceptions. My mother used to make beef tongue in her pressure cooker and I liked it. I liked it because I had no idea it was a real tongue; I thought that was just what they called it.

We seldom had any ethnic food, not even Italian. My mother grew up in New England and cooked plain stuff. Her idea of eating Italian food was to get one of those packets of Spatini spaghetti sauce mix (which apparently has been discontinued by its manufacturer, Lawry's, I discovered when Googling it), and follow the directions to make the sauce, mix it with browned ground beef and serve it over spaghetti. It was tasty and was my only exposure to "Italian food" until I was much older. I didn't even eat pizza until I was about 13. We lived in upstate New York at that time and unlike here in Northern New Jersey, Italian food was not as prevalent.

Then when I was in college (in Boston) and in my early 20s I started to really like food, food of all kinds. I always liked a good steak, or lobster with drawn butter; but then I began to eat Italian food, stews and chowders and other things that were mixed together.

I learned to like Indian food on DH's and my first trip to London in 1983 when we discovered a little hole-in-the-wall place called Motijheel, which serves up fragrant, spicy curries and is still there today. It serves until late at night and is a haven for the local London University students, who come in and have a beer while they're waiting for their takeout food. We ate there last time we were in London a few years ago and it is as good as ever.

Sushi didn't come until a bit later, but once I tried that it became another addiction. Thai food came next; there are several excellent restaurants in my immediate area and we go to them regularly.

I could go on, but you get the picture. And of course since DH and I both work full-time, we tend to go out to eat a lot. When we cook at home, we try to make it fish (we love salmon, tuna and swordfish in particular) to make up for all the fattening and less healthy stuff we tend to eat when we go out.

3) Coffee. Yes, this is a definite addiction, complete with withdrawal symptoms. I once tried to give up caffeinated coffee because I was having some heart palpitations and thought it might be from the caffeine. I discovered that going to decaf meant I got a terrible headache for three solid days after my last cup of caffeinated coffee. Nothing would help it. And then when the headache went away, I still felt as if I never completely woke up. This went on for six months, until I finally decided it didn't really make any difference in my heart palpitations (which were harmless ones anyway) and I really hated not drinking real coffee.

So I threw out my decaf and went back to regular coffee. I have at least 3 cups a day and feel great about it, especially since the medical world keeps finding that caffeinated coffee actually is good for you.

I like espresso and cappuccino but there is nothing like a good cup of strong coffee with one spoonful of sugar and half-and-half. Yes, it has to be half-and-half. Milk is tolerable but anything less is not. I'd rather drink it black than with skim milk or even 2%.

4) Ice Cream. This is a fairly recent addiction for me. I used to be sipping my red wine after dinner and feel satisfied. Now when I finish dinner I want a little something sweet. In the summer this means ice cream. My favorite flavor is coffee but I also love mango ice cream (which is not easy to find) and even pistachio now and then. When we go out for sushi I have to have the green tea ice cream afterward but I haven't found one at the supermarket that is as good as the one we have at our favorite sushi restaurant.

I don't need a lot. I'm not one of these people who will get out the container and just eat it from there. I put my little half-cup serving in the bowl and savor it, a little at a time, until it's gone.

In the winter I stop eating the ice cream - it's cold enough without eating that! Instead I'll have one piece of high quality chocolate or a truffle from Whole Foods.

5) Discovery Health. The Discovery Health TV channel. It has such wonderful shows as "Mystery Diagnosis," "Diagnosis X," "Dr. G, Medical Examiner" and a whole bunch of shows about plastic surgery and other fascinating and ghoulish subjects. I bypass the ones about people giving birth to large numbers of babies and following their lives, and have no interest in the lives and times of the Duggars and their 18 kids.

But I love watching the medical ones and trying to figure out the proper diagnosis. Sometimes I find myself yelling at the screen "Will you PLEASE go see a neurologist!" (or an endocrinologist, or gastroenterologist, as the case may be) to some of these people who keep going back to the same general practitioner despite tons of horrible symptoms that refuse to get better. Other times I yell at the program "Check your vitamin B12, you moron!"

I am always gratified when I pick the right diagnosis. Of course sometimes it's some rare genetic anomaly that no one has ever had before so I can be excused for not figuring it out.

My husband gets tired of watching these shows so I usually only inflict them on him occasionally; or I switch to one after he falls asleep. It's my guilty little secret.

So those are five of my addictions. I'm sure I could come up with more if I gave it further thought but I only need five, so I'm done.

Now, who can I pass this award - and this meme - on to next? How about:

FranIam
Sue J at Nailing Jello to the Wall
Katie Schwartz
Randal
Comrade Kevin.

Enjoy!

The Six Random Things Meme

Thanks to Liberality, I have been tagged with the meme that is making the rounds in recent days: The Six Random Things Meme. Here are the rules:

The Rules
1. Link to the person who tagged you. That would be Liberality!
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

OK, so here are six random things about me:

1. When I'm commenting on blogs, I smile. DH looks at me and says "What on earth are you grinning about while you're typing?" And I get indignant and say "I'm not 'grinning.' I'm smiling. Because I'm TALKING to someone, that's why!" (As Lisa would say!)

2. Everybody who knows me personally knows this about me, but some of you out in the blogworld may not know it yet. I am always late for everything. I started as early as age five when I distinctly remember walking into kindergarten late and having one of my little friends call me a "late bird." I probably take after my mother, whom I always remember sitting there drinking her coffee and having a cigarette while my father had his coat and hat on, pacing, waiting for her to be ready to leave for wherever they were going.

I've been a "late bird" all my life and not likely to change now. I have tried, believe me. At work I used to get chastised for being late and I'd try to reform myself and rush to get there on time. It would work for maybe a week or two but then I'd start to slip. I finally decided being on time was impossible to achieve. Sure, I can do it once or twice (for a particular meeting or to catch a plane, for instance). But not on a regular basis.

For one thing, it was dangerous. I'd be rushing to get there and would run red lights or have to slam on my brakes at the last minute. I also always ended up working late hours because that is when my brain kicks in and I get most of my work done. I am not a big believer in working insane hours at work. Let others get promotions and become Directors and whatnot; my holy grail is the mythical "work-life balance" people talk about. I work a full day's work and more when I'm there, but I come in late and leave late, and check e-mails from home. Finally, my current boss understands me and doesn't care when I get there as long as I'm getting my job done. Thank goodness, I can finally be me! (It also helps that I am now old enough to retire so I have nothing to lose!)

3. I am an antique car buff. I've always been interested in history and old things, so it figures I'd like old cars too. I particularly love cars from the 1930's like the Cord and the Auburn (see here for some nice pictures), but I like the 60's "muscle cars" too.

I used to own a 1955 DeSoto (that's a story for another day). It was being kept at my mother's house in the garage there - but when Mom moved to the senior citizens apartment building down the street from us two years ago, we sold it.

4. As you probably realize, I care a lot about animals, wildlife and nature. I would love to have a whole bunch of cats and more than one dog, but it just isn't feasible right now. For one thing I can't imagine having more than one dog in bed with us; Diva takes up most of the bed as it is! Plus it would be tough to walk more than one Pit Bull Terrier at a time, much as we'd like to rescue another of Diva's kind.

When I was a kid our family usually had several cats; the most we had at once was four. But they were indoor-outdoor cats so they managed to stake out their own territories and they all got along OK. I'm not sure Baxter would appreciate having another cat in his domain. Maybe someday we'll adopt a couple of cats together and see how that goes.

5. I am a dedicated Star Trek fan, mostly of the Original Series. I have seen every one of those episodes so many times I could probably recite them verbatim. The reason I like the Original Series, no matter how hokey it sometimes was, is how idealistic the stories were, and how Star Trek's creator, Gene Roddenberry, was trying to influence the present with his vision of the future. Star Trek had officers of all races and backgrounds on the show (including the half-Human Vulcan Mr. Spock), and the stories all had a message. When my mother was moving and I was cleaning out my old bedroom I found a notebook where I had written down what I thought the "moral" of each episode of Star Trek was!

6. DH and I have had only one microwave oven for the past 24 years. It was a General Electric model given to me by the marketing department of my job as a gift for our upcoming wedding. It still had a dial instead of digital controls. It died last night and we had to go buy a new one today. It's another GE, but we had to come into the 21st century and get one with digital controls. Oh well, I'm sure we'll get used to it.

So that's my six random things. It's going to be hard to tag six people who haven't already gotten this meme so I'll just tag a few:

Annette at Just My Little Piece of the World
TheMom at Attentive Aphorist
Deb at Drivin' 55

Have fun everyone!

The Meaningless Meme

I'd like to thank Dr. Monkey for this meme, which I thankfully lifted from his blog. It is called the "Meaningless Meme." And, as he said, here are my meaningless answers to it:

1. Five names you go by:
a) Mauigirl
b) Uhuru (when I'm on NJ.com)
c) Mimsie (by my mother)
d) Mrs. DH
Update***
e) Idiot - by DH - because he pointed out that I had only listed FOUR names when it said "five names you go by." (Naturally he said that with affection.)

Three things you are wearing right now:

a) An old black shirt
b) Jeans
c) Skechers hiking shoes

3. Two things you want very badly at the moment:

a) To retire!
b) My dinner

Not necessarily in that order.

4. Three people who will probably fill this out:

a) DCup
b) Randal
c) Deb

(Consider yourself tagged, y'all!)

5. Two things you did last night:

a) Ate at an Italian restaurant in Whitehall, NY, called Roma Restaurant. It's been there since 1946! We eat there every time we come up. The staff is very friendly and the food is very good (and coming from a resident of Northern New Jersey, which is the Italian food capital of the east, that's a high compliment).

b) Blogged (what else?)

6. Two things you ate today:

a) Raisin Bran
b) McDonald's Quarter Pounder

7. Two people you last talked to on the phone:

a) My mother
b) DH (he calls me from his cellphone when I'm in the house)

8. Two things you are going to do tomorrow:

a) Drive back to New Jersey
b) Blog (of course - it's the last day of NaBloPoMo!)

9. Two longest car rides:

a) Bloomfield, New Jersey to Lancaster, Ohio to one of DH's cousins' wedding
b) Bloomfield, New Jersey to Nova Scotia (not counting the ferry from Maine to Nova Scotia - we had our car on the ferry, so it counts as part of the drive as far as I'm concerned!)

10. Two of your favorite beverages:

a) Red wine (although I no longer drink alcohol now)
b) Skim milk (yes, I really do like it).

Tomorrow we'll be back home and I'll start paying attention to current events again and go back to work on Monday. But in the meantime it's nice to take it easy. I hope you're all enjoying a relaxing long weekend!

A Meme for Thanksgiving Eve

I found this meme over at Beyond the Fairway and thought it would be a good post for the night before Thanksgiving.

To participate, just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold or color (mine are in red) all of the things you have done. Happy discoveries!

I HAVE...

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

While some of these experiences are more positive than others, all of our experiences contribute to our lives in some way. Some experiences are just glorious - others teach us a lesson (for instance, bouncing checks is expensive...or you shouldn't eat warm cole slaw...). But they all make us what we are today.

So, for Thanksgiving, let's give thanks for all of our experiences, as well as for our family and friends. And of course I thank Google Blogger (and the other blogging software programs!) for allowing me to get to know all of you!

Enjoy your turkey (or your vegan or vegetarian meal of choice) tomorrow! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

The Political Meme

As my first post for the month of November, I thought I would finally complete the Political Meme that Spartacus tagged me with way back in September. This meme was originated by Katie Schwartz and it is a good way to sum up my feelings on the upcoming election on Tuesday. Plus it gave me an easy way to complete my first post for the 30-day marathon of posting that is required for the November NaBloPoMo event! With no further ado, here is the meme and my answers:

1) What is your name (nickname, whatever you're comfortable sharing), your age (range), gender, occupation, income bracket (range), how you identify (gay/straight/whatever)? Married/Single/Divorced? Kids (how many)?

My name is Mauigirl, I'm 55, I'm female, work in market research at a Big Corporation, and our household income puts us in the upper middle class bracket. I'm straight (strongly pro gay-rights), married to my husband DH, and we have no kids, just our dog Diva and our cat, Baxter, whose posts you will often read here.

2) What are the most important issues to you in this presidential election and why?

There are so many, it's hard to know where to begin. One huge issue for me is the Supreme Court. The next president will probably be appointing 2 or 3 new justices to the Court and it is crucial that these justices are not people like Antonin Scalia or the other right-wing appointees. It's not just Roe v. Wade that is at stake, although that too is an important issue for me. It is our entire system of government, the checks and balances, the issues of privacy and civil rights, that are at stake here.

Beyond those key issues, there are also more day-to-day concerns, including the economy. I am tired of the gap growing larger between rich and poor, the CEOs getting their golden parachutes, the stock market being turned into a Las Vegas casino. I want to see the middle class maintained so that we don't turn into a third world country with the well-to-do blocked off from the angry poor by electric fences and vicious dogs roaming their grounds. I want to see children grow up with the right to a good education, proper healthcare and a real ability to pursue happiness. Right now, some have it all, and some have none of it.

I'm tired of this country wasting money on a war that didn't have to be fought, and in fact represents the first time this country has actually invaded another sovereign nation without provocation, as far as I know. I am tired of this country being looked down on by the rest of the world for our actions, which do not live up in any way to the founding fathers' ideals.

3) Why do you think voters should vote for Obama/Biden, what differentiates this ticket from McCain/Palin?

Where do I begin? In every way, the two tickets couldn't be more different. John McCain, whom I once respected, has disappointed me deeply by completely going over to the side of the right-wing base in his stances. Suddenly he is right along with them on the racial and class divisiveness that the GOP has been using in the past several elections. I had expected better from him. To have picked Palin is a sign of very poor judgment and I feel she is not only unqualified, but a slap in the face to all women. In addition I am very concerned about her far-right, "Biblical" views about gay rights, abortion, and science.

What I love about Obama is his judgment, his sense of fairness, his philosophy of looking at more than one side of an issue before making his decisions. I think his priorities are right, and he goes about things in a non-divisive way that is a refreshing change. I am not concerned about his "lack of experience." This is a man who reads, who has traveled much in his life, unlike the current president who hadn't been out of North America before being elected president. If there are any pockets of inexperience in Obama's background, he will make it up by choosing good advisers, knowledgeable people who are competent in their fields. Joe Biden is a good example of this type of choice. He is experienced, well-traveled, understands international affairs and never forgot where his roots were. They would be an excellent combination for the next four (and hopefully eight) years.

4) If McCain/Palin wins this election, where do you see our country going in the next four years?

Simply: Down the tubes! I think we would have more economic distress, more wars, more gaps between rich and poor. I don't think I could stand to even live through it. I'd have to go live in the Adirondacks in hiding, holed up in our cabin with enough canned goods and alcohol to get me through the next four years!

5) Economically, where do you think this country is today and how do you think Obama/Biden can make a positive impact?

We are at a crossroads economically. The stock market doesn't work anymore, it has become a roulette wheel. People are losing their life-savings and are afraid to retire. I read that the sale of in-home safes is through the roof - people don't even trust the banks. The government is deeply in debt due to the bailouts and the Iraq war and it won't go away anytime soon. I fear for the future if we don't elect Obama/Biden. They will be able to have the intelligence and knowledge to make the needed reforms that we need. The GOP would just give us more of the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place.

6) In the past 8-years, how do you think this country has changed under the Bush regime? Have you been affected by these changes? If so, in what ways?

We have lost many freedoms in the past eight years - we have been illegally monitored by government agencies, the president and vice president have gained unprecedented powers, we have gone from having a budget surplus to a huge budget deficit. My retirement fund has lost over 40% of its value and that is probably the biggest effect I've experienced personally.

7) I have read that Palin is considered the new voice of feminism, which is offensive in my opinion. Of equal concern are her views on abortion and the removal of books from libraries. I'd like to know what you think about all of that and how you feel about McCain choosing Palin as a running mate. And what kind of message you think that sends to women?

Palin is the antithesis of everything I believe in. She is "pro-life" at the expense of the lives of the existing women who would be affected if Roe v. Wade were repealed. She is anti-science and anti-knowledge (believes in banning books, believes the earth is only 6000 years old, thinks dinosaurs co-existed with mankind, and is in favor of teaching creationism in schools). And her views on gay rights make McCain look liberal.

She is dangerous in her propensity to attack Obama and liberals in general, riling up her audiences to near-violence. McCain showed extremely poor judgment in choosing her and the message it sends to women is that he believed that just picking a woman VP candidate would get women to vote for him, which is the worst kind of sexism there is. I don't know any women who fell for it, either.

So that's it - I'm not going to tag anyone because I know a very large number of you have already responded to this meme. But if anyone out there hasn't yet been tagged with it, please consider this your tag and go for it!

Three more days till election day. The suspense is killing me.

A Cat's Eye View - Baxter's Back!

Baxter here. I am finally Back. My Humans were gone for Over Two Weeks. I was not Pleased. Not only did they go away and leave Me, but they turned off the Computer so I couldn't even Surf the Net or Blog. The nerve!

I tried to hold out and be Aloof when they came home but as usual I couldn't keep up the Pretense and after I heard their Voices downstairs I strolled nonchalantly out to Greet them. And then I Purred. A Lot. And did a lot of Rubbing of the Head on my Humans, to show them they belonged to Me.

Now that I am Catching Up I have discovered that FranIam tagged Me, Baxter, for a Meme back on March 9th! It is the Middle Name Meme.

Here are the rules.

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.

2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person (or blogger of another species) for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.)

Now, I have a certain Problem. Not only didn't my Humans see fit to give me a Middle Name, but I don't have a Maiden Name either, especially because I am a former Tomcat and don't have anything "maiden" about Me, despite my Operation.

However, Fran addressed me as "Baxter The Cat." So perhaps my Middle Name can be considered "The." It is kind of Unusual as Names go, but it will have to Do.

So here are the Three Facts about Me:

T is for Tail. I have a lovely Tail, if I say so Myself. It is long, furry and striped, and it lashes back and forth Magnificently whenever I am Annoyed. It also puffs Spectacularly when I am Surprised. (I do not Admit to being Scared, so I prefer "Surprised.")

H is for Happy. Yes, I am generally a Happy Cat. Although I complain a lot about That Dog, it doesn't take much to make me Happy. For instance, last night my Female Human couldn't sleep because she was used to sleeping in Much Larger Beds while she was Away...and those Beds did not have a Dog in them taking up most of the room in the middle. After tossing and turning for an hour or more, she decided to go sleep in the Spare Room. I was Thrilled because this meant I had one of my Humans all to myself. I jumped up next to her and Snuggled and Purred to my Heart's Content and slept there all night.

E is for Elegant. I have my Quirks, but I am a Cat through and through. And we Cats are ALWAYS Elegant. We are Graceful, and we are Proud. But most of all, Elegant.

So there are the Three Facts about Me based on my Middle Name. Now, who to tag that hasn't already had this Meme?

How about Mary Ellen at The Divine Democrat?

And even though DCup has already done the Middle Name Meme, what about her Cats, the Pussies for Peace? Tag, you're It!

I think a lot of other Folks have had this one already so will stop with two.

I am not going to have a big News Roundup today as it is my First Post after the Long Vacation and I am still catching up with my Internet Surfing.

However, my Female Human came across an Incredible and Disgusting Story while she was Away, that she felt I would have wanted to Share with You if I had been able to Blog about it at the time. So here it is:

Apparently a woman sat on a toilet seat for two whole years and was actually stuck on the Seat when rescuers finally were called by her Boyfriend, who had been unable to convince her to leave the bathroom. They actually had to pry the Seat off the Toilet so they could take her and the Seat to the Hospital.

Yes, the Boyfriend had brought her Food and Beverages, but somehow, wouldn't you think he might have called someone Sooner? It is hard to decide who was Weirder, the Woman or the Boyfriend.

Oh, by the way - it happened in Kansas. Not that that Matters.

That's It from my end for now. Tomorrow my Female Human will be participating in the Blogswarm against the Iraq War. So stock up on your Catnip and be sure to check out all the Posts at the Blogswarm. The link is on the Sidebar of this Blog.

Till next Week, Baxter out!

Friday is Memeday!

I'm trying to catch up here since snow gave me the opportunity to stay home - and I'm done working from home for today.

First of all, I want to try to address a few backed-up memes and award tags that I've been letting pile up.

Kuanyin asked me if I'd like to pick up a "Never Ending Story" meme that had gotten sidetracked last year. This was similar to the Viral Story started by Splotchy awhile back. Kuanyin credited Kilroy of Fear and Loathing with beginning the story, which has not gotten that far yet. I'll tag a few people to see if we can get it moving for them!

Here's what Kilroy sent Kuanyin:

"The telephone rang. I counted, one...two...three..."

Kuanyin:

"...and let it ring til the answering machine picked up. Would that hot-to-trot sex-crazed druggie ever stop calling?"

Mauigirl's contribution:

"I muttered out loud, 'I swear I'm going to have to get an unlisted phone number if this moron doesn't knock it off.' The phone beeped and I picked it up to check the message, only to hear the sound of a click as the caller hung up. This was unusual; the druggie sex addict usually liked to leave a message, starting with a lot of heavy breathing.

I was alone in the house and a sudden shiver went up my spine."

For this meme, I'd like to tag:

Dr. Zaius of Zaius Nation
Nick of This is It
Phydeaux of Phydeaux Speaks
Fran of FranIAm

Hope at least one of you will pick it up and run with it! Have fun!

OK, one down, more to go.

Back in January, PunditMom very kindly awarded me a "Just Posts" award for December of last year over at Jen's blog, One Plus Two, for my post about New Jersey abolishing the death penalty. I had posted the logo and link to the site on my sidebar but am just getting around to thanking PunditMom for the honor! The "Just Posts" are for posts regarding issues of social justice, and I urge you to visit her blog and read some of the other great posts on various subjects.
Kuanyin also awarded me a "Mentoring" award (which seemed ironic, as I feel she has been more of a mentor to me!). Of course, she did qualify the award in general as being for mentors, inspirations, or people who urged her to continue blogging, or those that are, and I quote, "such characters that I've got zero clue as to what drives them. They're forces of nature on the blogosphere." Now, she did not specify which category I fit into, so you can draw your own conclusions!

I am going to go with the basic spirit of the award and try to pick a few people I feel have been mentors to me in my still-nascent blogging "career." Actually, I could pick almost anyone on my blogroll for this one but I'll have to limit myself to a few in particular as I've included nearly the entire blogroll further down anyway!

So here goes:

Larry of Lydia Cornell's blog has always been a great commenter and has given me lots of good advice on how to expand my blog's reach.

Tomcat of Politics Plus has also been a great help to me and a loyal commenter.

Robert Rouse of Left of Centrist and Blog World Report has also been a real mentor, and has posted my blog posts on his Blog World Report, which always increases my traffic quite noticeably!

I could add many more - suffice it to say that I love all of you and appreciate all of your comments and thoughts!

Last but not least, here is the Technorati meme, if you want to call it a meme.

FranIAm recently posted her entire link list as part of this kind of viral meme that is spreading about the Blogosphere, in order to improve Technorati ratings.

I confess I know nothing much about Technorati although I am listed on the site. I sometimes check to see my ranking and find I do not make it into anywhere near the top of the list so the chart they calculate for me is basically at zero.

Since this little exercise gives a lot of Link Love to everyone's blogs, I thought I'd play along, whether or not it has any effect on Technorati rankings for any of us or not. So below is my full list of personal/political links, please have fun perusing them!

Agitprop
American Politics Journal
American Street
Blog Against Theocracy
Blog World Report
Crooks and Liars
Fire Dog Lake
Huffington Post
Jonestown
Lydia Cornell
Suzie-Q
Talking Points Memo
The Blue Republic
The Cosmic Message
The Daily Kos
The Political Voices of Women
The Smirking Chimp
TPM - Election Central

An Average American Patriot
Axis of Evel Knievel
Blognonymous
Blue Gal
Boxer Rebellion
Chapterhouse
Comrade Kevin
Dashiell
Distributor Cap
FranIAm
Freida Bee
From the Left
I Can't Believe It's Not a Democracy
I Was Just Wondering
I, Splotchy
Impeachment and Other Dreams
Informed Voters
It's My Right to be Left of Center
Kelso's Nuts
L'Ennui Melodieux
Last Left Turn Before Hooterville
Left of Centrist
Let's Talk
Liberal Journal
Liberal Values
Little Bang Theory
Little Country Lost
Makanani
Mock, Paper, Scissors
Monkey Muck
Morning Martini
My Saturday Evening Post
Nailing Jello to the Wall
Phydeaux Speaks
Pissed On Politics
Politics After 50
Politics Plus
Politits
Preserve, Protect and Defend
Pundit Mom
Pygalgia
Ragebot
Ramblings
Reconstitution 2.0
Sumo Merriment
Suzi Riot - Rants from the Left
The Devil is in the Details
The Divine Democrat
The Existentialist Cowboy
The Future Was Yesterday
The Gypsy's Caravan
Various Ecstacies
Watergate Summer
Who Hijacked Our Country?
Yikes (BAC)
Zaius Nation

And here are some of the other blogs I enjoy:

Aim for Awesome
Balls and Walnuts
Basket of Puppies
Blog Blond - Blogging Tips
Cats Working
Chirky
Crazy Aunt Purl
Dooce
Figuratively Speaking
finslippy
Flotsam
Fussy
Inside Betty's Head
It's All About the Walls
Jonniker
Jurgen Nation
KGMom Mumblings
Lawyerish
Looky Daddy
m's blog
Marge's Words to the Wise
Martta's World
Mimi Writes
Miss Doxie
O My Word
Ransom Note
Schmutzie's Milkmoney or Not Here I Come
Slouching Past 40
Stop Katie
The Boomer Chronicles
The Constant Whiner
The Needs of the Few
This is it
Who's Yo Mama?
Wonderland

Freefalling Me
In a Dark Time
Laketrees
Me, My Life, My Garden
The Flames of Eden

Bay Area Love Letters
Double Brush - Hawaiian vacation/gifts
Must be that girl!

Addicted to Medblogs
Denver Doc Online
Doc of Ages
Dr. Anonymous

If you want to participate and do the same thing, it is very easy - you highlight your blogroll on the side of the page, copy and then paste it into your post in the "compose" mode. The system will then include the links as well as the description.

That's it! I may have more memes that I've forgotten about and if I remember one, I'll post it. In the meantime, enjoy browsing among all of our blogrolls.

Memeday!

Mimi of Mimi Writes has tagged me for The Band Meme. I've seen this one making the rounds and knew it was only a matter of time that I would end up doing it!

"Here's how it goes. You are about to have your own band's CD cover. Follow these directions to the letter. It's fun and requires no thought at all. Go to......

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/

The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Use your graphics program of choice to throw them together, and post the result as a comment in this post. Also, pass it along in your own journal because it’s more amusing that way."

So, here is my band! I am not very good at editing pictures with text on them so this is as good as it will get:

I'm not tagging, as I think quite a few of us have had this one! If you haven't done it and want to come up with your own band, go to it!

So, that's one meme down and one to go.

On a more serious subject:

FranIAm had a post a few days ago about Separation of Church and State. She didn't tag me specifically, but this is an issue close to my heart, and I support First Freedom First, which sponsored this list of questions that we should be asking our candidates. I'll answer each question below (my answers in blue).

1. Leaders on the religious right often say that America is a “Christian Nation.” Do you agree with this statement? No, absolutely not. I believe that the founders of this nation believed that people of any faith, or of no faith, had every right to worship (or not) as they see fit, and that there should be no religious test for holding office.

2. Do you think Houses of Worship should be allowed to endorse political candidates and retain their tax exempt status? No, absolutely not. Houses of worship should confine their communications to religious and charitable matters. And if they do not, they should lose their tax exempt status.

3. Do you think public schools should sponsor school prayer or, as a parent, should this choice be left to me? No, absolutely not. There should be no formalized prayers in school. Children should understand that if they feel a need to pray, they can certainly do so to themselves without it being spoken aloud. Parents should have the right to expect that their children will not be exposed to prayer when they are at school. Prayer is something to be taught at home or in church.

4. Would you support a law that mandates teaching creationism in my child’s public school science classes? No, absolutely not. This is not science and I object to anyone forcing this idea onto impressionable minds. The story of the Creation can be taught in church or at home. It does not belong in schools.

5. Do you think my pharmacist should be allowed to deny me doctor-prescribed medications based on his or her religious beliefs? No, absolutely not. It is not the place of the pharmacist to decide what drugs I may take. If he or she has a problem dispensing certain drugs, then he or she should not be a pharmacist. While some may say that those who own their own pharmacies should have a right not to dispense drugs of which they disapprove, I feel pharmacies provide a service to the public and should not be allowed to decide what the public should or shouldn't be taking. Sometimes there is no other pharmacy for many miles and it would be equivalent to denying someone medication that they had been prescribed if the pharmacist refused to dispense it.

6. Will you respect the rights of those in our diverse communities of faith who deem same-gender marriage to be consistent with their religious creed? Yes, absolutely. Marriage should be available to any couple regardless of gender or orientation.

7. Should “faith-based” charities that receive public funds be allowed to discriminate against employees or applicants based on religious beliefs? No, absolutely not. If they want to discriminate, then they need to forego public funding.

8. Do you think one’s right to disbelieve in God is protected by the same laws that protect someone else’s right to believe? Yes, definitely.

9. Do you think everyone’s religious freedom needs to be protected by what Thomas Jefferson called “a wall of separation” between church and state? Yes, definitely.

10. What should guide our policies on public health and medical research: science or religion? Science should be the guiding principle behind public health and research.

Then Tengrain added these:

* Do you think Abstinence-only sex education is working in our public schools? No: I believe that unwanted pregnancies have actually risen in states that have abstinence-only sex education. Abstinence-only education is unrealistic; and teens who plan to abstain and then don't are more apt to have sex without protection than those who plan ahead for it.

* Do you think public schools should include religious study, or as a parent, should that be my choice? Absolutely not. Religion should be taught in the home or church, not in school. A study of comparative religion is OK if it just compares the belief systems across major religions for educational purposes.

* Do you think libraries should censor information? No, absolutely not!

Now, please answer these questions either here in the comments or on you own blog. It is important to ALL of us.

Then please head over to First Freedom First and sign the petition for religious freedom while you are at it too!

Thanks, Fran, for pointing this petition out to us!

The Environmental Meme

FranIam tagged me for this one. It's not really a "meme" in the usual sense, but more of a challenge. A challenge to the participant to come up with one way to lessen his or her environmental impact in the coming year. Here it is word-for-word from Fran's blog:

Try to think of one way you and your family can lessen your environmental impact in 2008. You could consider doing something relatively easy--like giving up paper plates and napkins (yup, more dishes and laundry, but oh so worth it at trash-time)--or more difficult--like trying to carpool more (which can be a pain, but saves a ton in gas money, not to mention in saved emissions). It doesn't have to be hard--it could be something as simple as trying one of those new fluorescent bulbs in your desk lamp. How about it?

This isn't as easy as you might think. DH and I already do recycle our newspapers, bottles (both plastic and glass) and cardboard.

Luckily our town picks it up in front of our house or we'd probably be too lazy to take it to the recycling center.

I remember when I was younger my parents took their newspapers and bottles to the recycling center way "before it was cool" - before there was even curb pick-up of recycling. I have to admit I'd never have been so dedicated. It's easy to talk the talk about the environment, but not so easy to walk the walk. (I hate that cliche' but it's true).

We have been replacing our lightbulbs with the fluorescent ones throughout the house, so we can check that off.

DH used to take the train to work - which was environmentally good - but now drives due to a change in job location. And he doesn't carpool. Neither do I. And given how late I usually come to work and how late I stay, it isn't likely to happen in the near future.

However, we do have cars with relatively good gas mileage and do not own an SUV so we have to take some credit for that.

OK, so what can we do to lessen our environmental impact? Yes, it's the paper plate and napkin thing. I admit it. We use paper plates for dinner every night because we're so bad about getting around to emptying the dishwasher so that it's ready to receive new dirty dishes.

The funny thing is, when we're on vacation on Cape Cod and don't have a dishwasher, we actually use real dishes and just hand wash them. You don't need to empty the dishwasher first, you see. Another example of how modern conveniences actually make things more complicated.

The question I have, however, is this: What is the balance between the amount of trash generated, and the amount of waste of perfectly good trees, embodied in the use of paper plates, versus the energy and water used to run the dishwasher, or in the case of the cloth napkins, the washing machine and dryer? I would need to know which is worse before I commit to this!

Anyone have some statistics they could cite?

In the meantime I will make a partial commitment. Every other night I'll use real plates and cloth napkins. How's that? It can't hurt!

Now, who to tag?

Pygalgia
Randal
Enigma4Ever (Watergate Summer)

Have fun with it!

The 7 Untrue Facts Meme: By Diva!

DCup's pussies over at Politits have tagged Diva for the 7 Untrue Facts Meme! So without any further ado, I'm turning this post over to Diva!

Hi everyone! In case anyone sees this who doesn't already know me, I'm Mauigirl's American Pit Bull Terrier, Diva! I'll start off by telling you a little about myself.

I don't remember much about my puppyhood but I remember being kept in a cage somewhere and eventually having puppies of my own. Sometime after that I ended up on the streets in the middle of New York City with nowhere to go. I was picked up and brought to New York City Animal Care & Control.

And then my life changed around. Some nice people from the Animal Farm Foundation came to visit and picked me out of a whole bunch of other pit bull terriers to be rescued. It must've been because of the way I wag my tail at everyone when I meet them!

Lots of stuff happened after I went there. They gave me a new name, Lady Godiva (because of my chocolate brown coat!) but they called me Diva, which really fit my personality so much better.

I met lots of other pit bulls and we all had fun running and playing in the big fenced-in areas at the Animal Farm. And then I hurt my knee and they had both of my knees fixed so I'd be able to still run and play. After that I got to live with the manager of the Animal Farm and her dogs and cats for awhile, which was a lot of fun too!

Then, Mauigirl and her husband, who became my Mommy and Daddy, came and took me home with them and I've lived with them ever since. It's great being the only dog in the house! I pretty much tell them what to do and they do it, which is as it should be for a diva. But I know when I should behave myself too.

They have a cat named Baxter who's a lot of fun to chase. I know I'm not supposed to chase him but he always runs - and how can I resist? But at night I have this sneaking suspicion he sleeps on the bed with the rest of us while I'm too sound asleep to notice.

Anyway, DCup's pussies have tagged me for this meme (Mommy says a meme is something where everybody answers the same questions so I think I understand what to do).

This is a kind of different meme because I'm supposed to tell you "7 untrue facts" about myself. That should be really easy for a pit bull, because there are a lot of untrue facts about my breed out there. In fact, you could call them "myths." So I'm going to use this opportunity to dispel some of those myths for you!

7 "Untrue Facts" About Me and My Breed

(1) I make a great watchdog or guard dog! Um, actually, not so much. I am way too friendly to be a watchdog or guard dog. In fact, if someone comes into the house I am most apt to greet them with a frantically wagging tail and show them where the silver is. I'm not even so good at alerting Mommy and Daddy to someone trying to get in. It depends on if I'm sleeping or not. If I'm sleeping I don't wake up for anything, not even the mailman. If I'm awake and someone rings the bell, I will bark. But if I'm asleep, forget it.

Of course, if people know I live here it may discourage them from trying to break in since my breed has this reputation of being a guard dog. And that's OK with Mommy and Daddy.

(2) I have locking jaws and once I latch on to something I will never let it go. This is really silly since there is no such thing as a dog with "locking jaws." As for the holding-on thing, yes, I love to play tug-of-war and I do hold on as long as I can. But the nice people at the Animal Farm trained me to let go immediately if someone says "Out!" And I'm very proud of how good I am at it! All pit bulls are very trainable because we are so eager to please our owners.

(3) I can't be trusted and will "turn on" people with no provocation. This is one of the worst myths about my breed. In actuality, we pit bulls are very predictable in our interactions with people and aim to please them. My ancestors were bred to fight other dogs, not people. In fact, our masters had to be able to handle us in the ring when we were in the middle of fighting.

There is this thing called a Temperament Test that dog trainers give dogs to see if they react appropriately in various situations. American Pit Bull Terriers actually pass this test at a rate similar to most other well-loved breeds, including Golden Retrievers or Springer Spaniels, and better than Collies. Over 84% of us pass the test. (I, of course, aced it!)

I've even passed a more stringent test, called the Canine Good Citizen Test. That's because the Animal Farm wants to be sure all the pit bulls they adopt out to people are "ambassadors for the breed" and help dispel some of the bad reputation our breed has. I think I fit the bill perfectly, if I say so myself!

(4) We're always aggressive to other dogs. Not so. The American Pit Bull Terrier has historically been used in dog fighting, and as a result, some members of my breed are aggressive to other dogs by nature. However, many of us get along great with other dogs.

Personally, I never start a fight. I know I could win so I'm pretty confident of myself when I'm walking along with Mommy or Daddy; I don't need to lower myself to start things with other dogs.

I get along great with the dogs in the yards next to mine; we sniff through the fence and play. One time I got into my friend Nikko's yard and we had a great time playing. Nikko is a little Cockapoo and he is kind of in love with me so this was a great thrill for him, I guess! And yesterday I had a great time playing with our neighbor's Rottweiler, whom we ran into in the park. I think he's a little in love with me too. Of course, as a Diva, all the boys love me. (But I'm just a tease - I've been spayed.)

I have another friend who lives in the house on the corner. She is a girl but she is very friendly and we get along really well too. So it's not just the boys I like!

Mommy and Daddy do have to keep me on my leash at all times when we're walking, as all dog owners should. If we dogs aren't on our leashes, we could get hit by cars, or run away. And our Mommies and Daddies can't control us if we're not on a leash. What if another dog picks a fight?

And I admit, if another dog does say something nasty to me first, I can get mad. I'm not a pushover, after all. I'm very sensitive to people saying things about my mother. So even with dogs I know, it's best if Mommy or Daddy supervises our play if we're playing in our own fenced-in yard.

Also, it is not a good idea to let me run loose in dog parks with strange dogs. Even if the other dog starts something, it is always the pit bull that will be blamed for it. We have enough problems with the media! Our owners shouldn't put us in situations where we might get into trouble.

But remember: Dog aggression has nothing to do with people aggression. Even my pit bull friends who don't get along with other dogs can be great with people of all ages, even babies and children, and many, like me, even get along with cats or other small animals.

(5) We don't feel pain. This is really silly, isn't it? Of course we feel pain! But some people claim that because we pit bulls are so tough from being used in dogfighting that we have an abnormally high ability to withstand pain. This is totally untrue and anyone would know it if they saw how I react when there's something wrong with my toes!

For instance, I was walking on the beach one day and I got some salty sand in a little crack in my paw pad. Boy, did that hurt. I kept having to sit down and chew on my toes and lick them. Mommy and Daddy got all worried but were relieved to see it was just sand. They washed my foot and it was all better after that.

(6) We attack more people than any other breed. This is not true. The statistics on dog bites are poorly kept and not scientifically accurate. My Mommy is what she calls a "market researcher" and she says that just recording the number of bites by breed is not the right way to measure something like this. It needs to be measured based on how many of our breed are out there! Of course if we pit bulls are one of the most popular breeds at any one time, we'll account for a larger number of bites. But for the number of us there are, this may be a very low number.

Another way you could look at it is, instead of "what percent of dog bites were by pit bulls," ask, "what percent of pit bulls bite?" These are two very different things, and the latter number would be a very low percentage, and probably similar to any other breed of dog.

Another problem is, she says it's not a "representative sample" that they are basing the statistics on. This means you need to be sure that the statistics are representative of the total picture, not just based on police reports or newspaper articles.

Back in the 70's Mommy remembers it was German Shepherds that had the bad reputation - and my other friends, the Dobermans. And that was because there were a lot of them around!

Unfortunately a lot of the so-called statistics compiled on this subject are done based on reports by the media. Mommy says you fellow bloggers know that the MSM is responsible for a lot of disinformation and this is no exception.

If a little kid gets attacked by the family Golden Retriever or Labrador, that's not a news story. But make it a "pit bull" and boy does that story have legs! So the media are much more apt to report on incidents involving MY breed than other breeds. And mixed breed dogs that even somewhat look like me, even if they are NO relation of mine, end up being called "pit bulls" as well. So beware of the statistics you may see.

Unfortunately, some places in this country and in other countries use these false statistics to say that my breed is inherently dangerous and should be banned or highly restricted. This is called "breed specific legislation" or BSL, and it is just a form of dog racism, as far as I'm concerned!

Here's what the ASPCA has to say about breed-specific legislation and the statistics behind it:

"...the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) did not support the breed-specific approach. They cited, among other problems, the inaccuracy of dog bite data and the difficulty in identifying dog breeds (especially true of mixed breeds). They also noted the likelihood that as certain breeds are regulated, those who exploit dogs by making them aggressive will merely turn to other, unregulated breeds.

Significantly, the CDC also noted how many other factors beyond breed may affect a dog’s tendency toward aggression—things such as heredity, sex, early experience, reproductive status and socialization and training.

These last two concerns seem well-founded given that more than 70 percent of all dog bite cases involve unneutered male dogs, and that an unneutered male dog is 2.6 times more likely to bite than is a neutered dog. In addition, a chained or tethered dog is 2.8 times more likely to bite than a dog who is not chained or tethered. Further, 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal dog attacks in 2006 were not spayed/neutered; 78 percent were maintained not as pets but rather for guarding, image enhancement, fighting or breeding; and 84 percent were maintained by reckless owners—abused or neglected, not humanely controlled or contained, or allowed to interact with children unsupervised.

Perhaps the most unintended yet harmful consequence of breed-specific laws is their tendency to compromise rather than enhance public safety. When limited animal control resources are used to regulate or ban a certain breed of dog, without regard to behavior, the focus is shifted away from routine, effective enforcement of laws that have the best chance of making our communities safer: dog license laws, leash laws, animal fighting laws, anti-tethering laws, laws facilitating spaying and neutering and laws that require all dog owners to control their dogs, regardless of breed."

The main thing to remember is, just don't leave any dog unsupervised, especially with little kids, and be a responsible pet owner! And you'll have no problems.

Let's see, one more "untrue fact" to debunk. What shall I pick? How about:

(7) Red or blue nose dogs are: a special type of Pit Bull/rare/worth more than black nose dogs. Being a red-nose myself, I like to think this is true. But apparently the experts say it isn't. We're just like any other example of our breed. Pit bulls come in all colors, from pure white to black and white, brindle, or shades of grey or red, like me.

I have to say, when we run into people in the park, lots of them ask if I'm a "Red Nose," and whether I could be bred with their dog. Mommy always answers that I'm not that kind of girl, as I've been spayed. Sometimes she also tells them they shouldn't be breeding their dog because there are already too many of us pit bulls around for the homes available.

I hope you enjoyed my "7 Untrue Facts" about me and my breed, and that you found it educational! I'm turning the blog back over to Mommy now. Have a good day!