Year: 2006

A Constitutional Amendment to Discriminate – Gay Marraige

President Bush and Senate Majority Leader Frist are once again using their diversion tactics. Lets’s not talk about their tax cuts for the “super-rich”; ending the war in Iraq and returning Americans soldiers from harm’s way and immigration problems. No with the “gay marriage amendment” they can divide and conquer. Pick and emphsize issues that divide and inflame the American Public.

Bush: “When judges insist on imposing their arbitrary will on the people, the only alternative left to the people is an amendment to the Constitution: the only law a court cannot overturn,” Wow since when did the president become interested in the Constitution as law? This no-gay-marriage amendment proposal’s timing seemed pretty suspect given the president’s current approval ratings.

This would be the first amendment written in our constitution that actively discriminates against a certain group of people.

“How many people in America truly feel threatened by gay people in committed relationships asking for equality when it comes to inheritance rights; taxes; being able to have access and make healthcare decisions if their partners are hospitalized; social security benefits; adoption rights: etc? If they were trying to do the same thing to blacks or latinos or taking us back in time 50 years and barring inter-racial marriages again — would America be standing passively by? I doubt it — This will simply be another part George Bush’s legacy as a failed leader who wants to constitutionalize discrimination and hatred and say that God told him too — what a shameful disgrace for all people who believe in God — which includes many gay people.”

Gay people are not out to get special rights they want equal rights.

A Tale of Annie’s Tail

Saturday Catfish and Annie dogs participated in our third annual WOOF walk at the Elk Grove Park. It was an easy walk with more than 200 other registered participants. My labrador retriever Annie is 1 1/2 years old. Catfish is three. Annie still gets very excited when around lots of other canines. She has a very active tail.

When we got home everybody was tired. The dogs went to their beds and zonked out. Later on in the evening I noticed that Annie was acting strange. Not as active as usual and she whinned a little bit once and a while as she does when she wants a toy that is beyond her reach or stuck under something. I searched for any stuck toys and found none. I assumed she was just tired as this was our first long walk of the year and she went back to sleep.

Later on, after non emergency hours are over at our veteranary, she woke up and acted as if she was in pain. I worried that perhaps her hips of legs were sore. Finding nothing I just kept an eye on her. Then came the big augh hah! Oh my, her tail is hanging down kind of limp like a stuffed toys. About 3 inches down it had a strange looking bend in it and then it just hung down.

We all start trying to think of how she could have hurt herself, was her tail broken? Was something else causing this? She had not had any scruffles, bumps, or any other incidents. I checked her tail and yep she let me know that hurt and leave my tail alone please.

This is now where all humans in the household panic thinking she has broken her tail, load her up into the car and drive to the vet. Convinced that somehow she had broken her tail and feeling guilty that this could happen without us having a clue. Finally we get to the vet, sign in, tell our tale of the tail and wait.

One hundred and twenty six dollars (after hour emergency fees and medicine) later we now know that a dog can sprain it’s tail. Similar to someone waving on a float all day and awakening with a sore arm. Yep, a sprained tail! There are a few names for this: Cold water tail and limber tail are the most commonly used. It is supposably a common occurance in sporting dogs but I had never heard of it before.
So, now you know, I took my dog to the emergency vet clinic for a sprained tail and Annie is on anti-inflammatory drugs for a few days.
Info on cold water/limber tail syndrome can be found here at the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. site.

Nine Months and Another Hurricane Season Begins

Yes, it has been nine months since Katrina. Here it is June 1st. The dreaded day – the start of another hurricane season.

I think of all the people affected by last years hurricanes – every nite. After visiting the area in March I am still stunned. Dumb founded. Pissed. How can this country, my country, allow, tolerate, or perhaps ignore, what is NOT going on there?

I thought about posting the video footage I have from my trip but decided not to right now. Instead I ask that you go read Tim’s blog. Tim is a 44 year old civil engineer from New Orleans. I have read his blog for awhile now. Yesterday his post was very simple – yet right to the point. He put up the links to b.rox a site that has used video to document the reality of New Orleans. Please check out Tim’s Nameless Blog – Post K Life in New Orleans and b.box to watch their latest video.

I have not forgotten.

Union Brigantine Constructo Wooden Ship Model

I purchased this easier kit to occupy me when I get annoyed with the Britannia. It is an entry level kit of the Union Brigantine. The never was a real brigantine with the name Union but it is representative of the type. Brigantines were small ships that had sails and oars. It got it’s name as a favorite of pirates as Brigantine from the Italian brigantino – Brigan’s ship. Brigantines are two-masted sailing ships, square-rigged on the foremast and having a fore-and-aft mainsail with square main topsails.
Union Brigantine Kit

I hope to practice my airbrush skills and get some experience with rigging by building it. Here is what I completed on it yesterday.

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The decking is simulated by drawing lines with a lead pencil 3mm apart and then divided into 50mm planks. The hull was not properly cut out at the box for the bulwarks so I did have to chisle a bit. I wonder if there is a wooden ship model kit out there that has all the pieces cut properly?

At least the instructions are translated into proper english. Very little verbage but lots of pictures and a diagram of the rigging.