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Snippets from a Political Discussion Re Election 2000

by bill - 2001-07-26 ( education / civics / politics / legal ) [html version]

Don

Subject: Your Supreme Court statement

This analysis, written by a California attorney, is a challenging read, but worth wading through...

Q: I'm not a lawyer and I don't understand the recent Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore. Can you explain it to me?

A: Sure. I'm a lawyer. I read it. It says Bush wins, even if Gore got the most votes.

Q: But wait a second. The US Supreme Court has to give a reason, right?

A: Right.

Q: So Bush wins because hand-counts are illegal?

A: Oh no. Six of the justices (two-thirds majority) believed the hand-counts were legal and should be done.

Q: Oh. So the justices did not believe that the hand-counts would find any legal ballots?

A: Nope. The five conservative justices clearly held (and all nine justices agreed) "that punch card balloting machines can produce an unfortunate number of ballots which are not punched in a clean, complete way by the voter." So there are legal votes that should be counted but can't be.

Q: Oh. Does this have something to do with states' rights? Don't conservatives love that?

A: Generally yes. These five justices have held that the federal government has no business telling a sovereign state university it can't steal trade secrets just because such stealing is prohibited by law. Nor does the federal government have any business telling a state that it should bar guns in schools. Nor can the federal government use the equal protection clause to force states to take measures to stop violence against women.

Q: Is there an exception in this case?

A: Yes, the Gore exception. States have no rights to have their own state elections when it can result in Gore being elected President. This decision is limited to only this situation.

Q: C'mon. The Supremes didn't really say that. You're exaggerating.

A: Nope. They held "Our consideration is limited to the present circumstances, or the problem of equal protection in election processes generally presents many complexities."

Q: What complexities?

A: They don't say.

Q: I'll bet I know the reason. I heard Jim Baker say this. The votes can't be counted because the Florida Supreme Court "changed the rules of the election after it was held." Right?

A: Dead wrong. The US Supreme Court made clear that the Florida Supreme Court did not change the rules of the election. But the US Supreme Court found the failure of the Florida Court to change the rules was wrong.

Q: Huh?

A: The Legislature declared that the only legal standard for counting vote is "clear intent of the voter." The Florida Court was condemned for not adopting a clearer standard.

Q: I thought the Florida Court was not allowed to change the Legislature's law after the election.

A: Right.

Q: So what's the problem?

A: They should have. The US Supreme Court said the Florida Supreme Court should have "adopt[ed] adequate statewide standards for determining what is a legal vote"

Q: I thought only the Legislature could "adopt" new law.

A: Right.

Q: So if the Court had adopted new standards, I thought it would have been overturned.

A: Right. You're catching on.

Q: If the Court had adopted new standards, it would have been overturned for changing the rules. And if it didn't, it's overturned for not changing the rules. That means that no matter what the Florida Supreme Court did, legal votes could never be counted.

A: Right. Next question.

Q: Wait, wait. I thought the problem was "equal protection," that some counties counted votes differently from others. Isn't that a problem?

A: It sure is. Across the nation, we vote in a hodgepodge of systems. Some, like the optical-scanners in largely Republican-leaning counties record 99.7% of the votes. Some, like the punchcard systems in largely Democratic-leaning counties record only 97% of the votes. So approximately 3% of "Democratic" votes are thrown in the trash can.

Q: Aha! That's a severe equal-protection problem!!!

A: No it's not. The Supreme Court wasn't worried about the 3% of "Democratic" ballots thrown in the trashcan in Florida. That "complexity" was not a problem.

Q: Was it the butterfly ballots that violated Florida law and tricked more than 20,000 Democrats to vote for Buchanan or Gore and Buchanan.

A: Nope. The Supreme Court has no problem believing that Buchanan got his highest, best support in a precinct consisting of a Jewish old age home with Holocaust survivors, who apparently have changed their mind about Hitler.

Q: Yikes. So what was the serious equal protection problem?

A: The problem was neither the butterfly ballot nor the 3% of Democrats (largely African-American) disenfranchised. The problem is that somewhat less than .005% of the ballots may have been determined under slightly different standards because judges sworn to uphold the law and doing their best to accomplish the legislative mandate of "clear intent of the voter" may have a slightly opinion about the voter's intent.

Q: Hmmm. OK, so if those votes are thrown out, you can still count the votes where everyone agrees the voter's intent is clear?

A: Nope.

Q: Why not?

A: No time.

Q: No time to count legal votes where everyone, even Republicans, agree the intent is clear? Why not?

A: Because December 12 was yesterday.

Q: Is December 12 a deadline for counting votes?

A: No. January 6 is the deadline. In 1960, Hawaii's votes weren't counted until January 4.

Q: So why is December 12 important?

A: December 12 is a deadline by which Congress can't challenge the results.

Q: What does the Congressional role have to do with the Supreme Court?

A: Nothing.

Q: But I thought ---

A: The Florida Supreme Court had earlier held it would like to complete its work by December 12 to make things easier for Congress. The United States Supreme Court is trying to help the Florida Supreme Court out by forcing the Florida court to abide by a deadline that everyone agrees is not binding.

Q: But I thought the Florida Court was going to just barely have the votes counted by December 12.

A: They would have made it, but the five conservative justices stopped the recount last Saturday.

Q: Why?

A: Justice Scalia said some of the counts may not be legal.

Q: So why not separate the votes into piles, indentations for Gore, hanging chads for Bush, votes that everyone agrees went to one candidate or the other so that we know exactly how Florida voted before determining who won. Then, if some ballots (say, indentations) have to be thrown out, the American people will know right away who won Florida.

A: Great idea! The US Supreme Court rejected it. They held that such counts would likely to produce election results showing Gore won and Gore's winning would cause "public acceptance" and that would "cast[] a cloud" over Bush's "legitimacy" that would harm "democratic stability."

Q: In other words, if America knows the truth that Gore won, they won't accept the US Supreme Court overturning Gore's victory?

A: Yes.

Q: Is that a legal reason to stop recounts? or a political one?

A: Let's just say in all of American history and all of American law, this reason has no basis in law. But that doesn't stop the five conservatives from creating new law out of thin air.

Q: Aren't these conservative justices against judicial activism?

A: Yes, when liberal judges are perceived to have done it.

Q: Well, if the December 12 deadline is not binding, why not count the votes?

A: The US Supreme Court, after admitting the December 12 deadline is not binding, set December 12 as a binding deadline at 10 p.m. on December 12.

Q: Didn't the US Supreme Court condemn the Florida Supreme Court for arbitrarily setting a deadline?

A: Yes.

Q: But, but --

A: Not to worry. The US Supreme Court does not have to follow laws it sets for other courts.

Q: So who caused Florida to miss the December 12 deadline?

A: The Bush lawyers who first went to court to stop the recount, the rent-a-mob in Miami that got paid Florida vacations for intimidating officials, and the US Supreme Court for stopping the recount

Q: So who is punished for this behavior?

A: Gore, of course.

Q: Tell me this, Florida's laws are unconstitutional?

A: Yes

Q: And the laws of 50 states that allow votes to be cast or counted differently are unconstitutional?

A: Yes. And 33 states have the "clear intent of the voter" standard that the US Supreme Court found was illegal in Florida

Q: Then why aren't the results of 33 states thrown out?

A: Um. Because ... um ... the Supreme Court doesn't say.

Q: But if Florida's certification includes counts expressly declared by the US Supreme Court to be unconstitutional, we don't know who really won the election there, right?

A: Right. Though a careful analysis by the Miami Herald shows Gore won Florida by about 20,000 votes (excluding the butterfly ballot errors)

Q: So, what do we do, have a re-vote? throw out the entire state? count under a single uniform standard?

A: No. We just don't count the votes that favor Gore.

Q: That's completely bizarre! That sounds like rank political favoritism! Did the justices have any financial interest in the case?

A: Scalia's two sons are both lawyers working for Bush. Thomas's wife is collecting applications for people who want to work in the Bush administration.

Q: Why didn't they recuse themselves?

A: If either had recused himself, the vote would be 4-4, and the Florida Supreme Court decision allowing recounts would have been affirmed.

Q: I can't believe the justices acted in such a blatantly political way.

A: Read the opinions for yourself: December 12 2000 opinion

Q: So what are the consequences of this?

A: The guy who got the most votes in the US and in Florida and under our Constitution (Al Gore) will lose to America's second choice who won the all important 5-4 Supreme Court vote.

Q: I thought in a democracy, the guy with the most votes wins.

A: True, in a democracy. But America is not a democracy. In America in 2000, the guy with the most US Supreme Court votes wins.

Q: So what will happen to the Supreme Court when Bush becomes President.

A: He will appoint more justices in the mode of Thomas and Scalia to ensure that the will of the people is less and less respected. Soon lawless justices may constitute 6-3 or even 7-2 on the court.

Q: Is there any way to stop this?

A: YES. No federal judge can be confirmed without a vote in the Senate. It takes 60 votes to break a filibuster. If only 41 of the 50 "Democratic" Senators stand up to Bush and his Supremes and say that they will not approve a single judge appointed by him until a President can be democratically elected in 2004, the judicial reign of terror can end...and one day we can hope to return to the rule of law.

Q: What do I do now?

A: Email this to everyone you know, and write or call your senator, reminding him that Gore beat Bush by several hundred thousand votes (three times Kennedy's margin over Nixon) and that you believe that VOTERS rather than JUDGES should determine who wins an election by counting every vote. And to protect our judiciary from overturning the will of the people, you want them to confirm NO NEW JUDGES until 2004 when a president is finally chosen by most of the American people.

Mark H. Levine, Attorney at Law


Steve

It's the last baseball game of the season. The Democrats are a half game ahead of the Republicans in wins. The game is being held in Florida. It's the bottom of the ninth inning and the Democrats are up to bat. The Republicans are ahead by 1 run. The Democrats have one man on base. The count is 3 balls and two strikes. The Democrat batter hit a high ball, down the left field line, higher than the foul line pole. The Republicans start to march, declaring that the Democrats are "sore losers" and that the Republicans won because the ball was out of bounds. The Democrats call the ball in and a home run. The Republicans protest the game, calling a time out. One judge calls the ball fair. Another judge calls the ball foul. It starts to rain. The owner of the ball park, who is a Republican fan turns out the lights because it looks like rain. The judges meet and say the season is over and that the Republicans won because they had the most points when the lights were turned off.

Mark

Try this scenario instead: The Democrats and Republicans are playing the baseball game in Florida. The Republicans win, albeit barely. Since so many runs were scored, and the game was so close, the umpires review videotapes of the game to determine whether or not each run should count. As in prior baseball games, some players neglected to touch all the bases, so their runs didn't count. After their review, the umpires determine that the Republicans were indeed the winners among the valid runs.

The Democrats then contest the game, asking that runs be counted because the players "intended" to touch the bases, even though they didn't. Of course, they only want to review the runs in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th innings, and only during their own at-bats. Even after selectively determining that certain non-counted runs should count, by looking at dimpled bags, they realize that they are still behind in the score. The Republicans appeal to the commissioner of baseball to stop the run recount. The Democrats complain that the owner of the stadium is the brother of the Republican manager. The Republicans complain that the umpires are Democrats. For six weeks, the country has no idea who won or lost the game. Many fans don't care which team won. Finally, the commissioner of MLB steps in and says that there was no uniform standard followed for recounting the runs. So, as has always been the case, the only runs that count are those runs where the players touched all the bases. Game over. Next season, the Democrats should sign up more intelligent players.


Doug at 11:18 AM 12/9/2000 , Mark someone wrote:

Since I knew the election would be close, I was ready to accept a President Gore if he had won the vote. He didn't. He lost the machine vote. He lost the first recount. He lost the second recount.

The only one he lost was the machine vote. The other recounts were never completed. Now, if he is elected President after all this legal maneuvering, I will never accept his administration as legitimate. Neither will a vast majority of Americans.

"vast majority"?? -- when he had 50+% of the popular vote? other countries, his actions are grounds for a violent revolution. Perhaps that won't happen here, but be prepared for some serious civil disobedience.

Quite the opposite of what you thought. Here is the quote from my friend Luis KW of Lisboa:

People around here (Europe) is amazed with the lack of independence of your Judges and Courts (Supreme, and Florida's). How can a Judge say (without laughing) that there's no use on recounting 10,000 or 11,000 doubtful votes, arguing it wouldn't change anything to the final result, when the difference among the candidates is under 400 votes???? I have seen the amazing printed ballots of Palm Beach. No wonder 19,000 voters made the same mistakes and double voted... it is too obvious that the ballot was mis-printed or so many people would not have made such a silly mistake. And what about the hundreds of Negroes that were unable to vote thanks to the State Militia? I think that if ALL the votes are not recounted, people all over the world will think that the new president was elected in cheated election. And the US will look like any other American banana's republic.

Steve

Great, Doug. Republicans keep claim about the "rules being changed". The rules at the start were that every registered voter has the opportunity to vote and their vote is to be counted. No, I don't think that it is right that "pregnant chads" be counted as votes. If somebody is so incompetent to not be able to push the tab at least half way (not 1/4 way) out then they should be voting through the mail, ahead of time.

Republicans, led by Rush Limbaugh, talk all about those pregnant chads but ignore all the votes that were rejected by the machines that had two or three chads removed. According to the law in most states, including Florida and Texas, hand counts are to be used in the case of close votes. In testimony before the courts, a Bush expert even admitted that machine counts aren't best. Then Republicans call Democrats as not being democratic because of their using the courts to fight for the following the rules, as laid out before the vote started, counting all votes.

Now the Republicans try to run out the clock so not all votes are counted. They call that democratic? They also protest the US Supreme Court, unless it's in their favor. If they don't like true democracy (or as close as we can get) and they aren't supportive of our system of checks and balances, they should find another country.

Mark

And that's where I think you are wrong, Steve. The rules at the start were that every registered voter has the opportunity to vote. But where is it a rule that every vote is to be counted? You yourself said that pregnant chads shouldn't be counted. So, are you already violating your rule? Undervotes and overvotes were counted--they were counted as no vote for president.

Speaking of running out the clock, you know that if Florida misses the Dec. 12th deadline for certifying electoral college electors, Gore will win (since he has a majority of the remaining electors). So who has the motive to delay things through litigation? Not Bush. No one argues that people should not be allowed to vote. What we disagree upon is what should count as a vote. If the President vote is blank, but all other officers are chosen from a single party, does that mean the voter "meant" to vote for the presidential candidate of that same party? If there is a dimpled chad for president, but not on any other choices, does that count? If the chad is hanging by one, two, or three corners, should that count? (I think so). Herein lies the problem. What standards are we using to discern the intent of the unknown voter? We don't have any!

Finally, why are we not concerned with any other state? There were thousands of ballots thrown out nationwide for exactly the same reasons. If you truly want every vote to count, let us hand count every vote in every state. We may get an accurate count in a year or so. Meanwhile, let's leave the presidency vacant. After all, I didn't notice any difference when the federal government shut down a few years ago, did you? :)

P.S. Doug, how can you say that Gore has only lost once? The machine count had Bush the winner. Because the vote was so close, Florida law demanded a hand recount. Fine. But the parties argued over the deadline, the standards, and the locations of the hand recount. When the legal deadline for the recount passed, Bush was still in the lead. The Florida Supreme Court then extended the deadline. Some counties couldn't make it in time, but when the extended deadline passed, the election was certified. Bush had won again. That's three.


Jeannie

Dad, You seem to think Gore is some smart guy. What is his IQ? I seem to remember he didn't get high grades in college. Just because he got a degree doesn't mean he is smart. I know a lot of people who didn't do well in school but are very smart. Most of them are artists who march to a different beat. I see Gore as that kind of guy.

Lionel

Jeannie: Smart compared with Bush. Actually, grades don't equate with smarts. Some students are just lazy. "Knowledgeable" and "experienced" would be better adjectives than "smart," actually. He was an excellent member of Congress before he became vice-president. Have you seen Bush's resume? Dad

Bill

To me, "smart" means "a good comprehension of one's environment/surroundings." Add to that, "the ability to communicate that comprehension." Using those criteria, I see Gore way ahead of Bush. But then you add qualities such as honesty and integrity into the equation, and both candidates fail miserably, as do most politicians (and almost anyone in any kind of position of power). In other words, I don't think either one will be a president whom I, or most anyone else, can rally behind. It's too bad we can't require some sort of "intelligence, honesty and integrity" test of all prospective political candidates. But then, of course, we'd have a country without politicians! Wouldn't that be great!?

But seriously, the only way to settle this vote tally problem to everyone's satisfaction is to do a manual recount of every disputed ballot. I can't believe that the Florida Supreme Court had the common sense to order exactly that (as I understand their ruling). Equally unbelievably, we then have the fairly obviously prejudiced U.S. Supreme Court coming in and contradicting Florida's decision, voting mostly along party lines, and throwing the whole thing back into confusion.

I think Doug's Portuguese friend is right: the rest of the world probably won't respect our next president, whoever he is.


Lionel

Steve is absolutely right. Gore won the popular vote nationwide, and doubtless would have won the Florida popular vote if the Republicans hadn't schemed to prevent so many Blacks from voting. (He also would have won, of course, if Nader hadn't siphoned off 30,000 votes.) Excluding Florida, Gore is also ahead in the electoral votes, and would surely capture the Florida electoral vote if all the votes were counted. It's obvious to any objective observer that the Bush team has sought to delay that count until the deadline is past, thereby assuring Bush's victory. Mark has suggested that there will be demonstrations in the street if Gore wins. There should be demonstrations if Bush wins, for obviously he and his team have sought to steal the election (or, more properly, "robbed," since it was done openly.) Oh well, if Bush eventually is declared the winner, as I suspect he will be (albeit illegally), his presidency will provide rich fodder for the late-night comedians. Why do you suppose Bush has been kept hidden on his ranch out of view of the reporters, other than the fear that, like Reagan, being unable to say "good morning" without a cue card, he'd make an ass of himself every time he opened his mouth to speak without a teleprompter. If I sound bitter, I am. I don't want America to be the laughingstock of the world.

Mark

Come on, Lionel! Do you really think that America will be the laughingstock of the world because it elected a guy who might not be playing with a full deck? Looking at the past presidents, a lot of them strike me as average intellects. The smarter ones seem to be the ones who get us into more trouble (Wilson and the League of Nations, for example). And, in any case, aren't we already the laughingstock of the world for Clinton getting oral sex in the Oval Office from Monica Lewinsky, telling us he didn't inhale, eating Big Macs, or discussing his choice of underwear on MTV? Bush may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I don't think he'll demean the office like Clinton did. Cheer up! At least the Bee will go back to its role as government watchdog with a Republican in the White House--a role it seems to have abandoned during the past 8 years while China was stealing our secrets.

Lionel

Laughing stock already? Not at all. Most countries don't care about the private lives of their leaders; they're more concerned that they have the ability to lead, and Clinton certainly has that. I don't recall Republicans being concerned when Republican Eisenhower was having an affair with his chauffeur, nor should they have been. Lionel

George Bush Sr. was known to be having an affair the whole time he was in the White House, but the woman would not come forward, so there was no story. Reagan AND Nancy were having affairs. Clinton AND Hillary, ditto (Hillary's more female-oriented anyway). People who are having affairs are sleaze bags, that is well accepted as fact. The question is: can we afford to have a leader who's NOT a sleaze bag in a world full of sleaze bags? I think we should elect the sleaziest person possible. We have done that every time, except for Carter, and look what a mistake he was! Clinton is the sleaziest person ever to sit in the oval office, and look how we've prospered! Bush Jr. was brought up in a family of sleaze bags. Even though he is too dumb to be really innovative in that regard, I think we will be pleasantly surprised by a Bush presidency! Sure, he may not get into massive cocaine smuggling the way Reagan did, or rent out the US military to a small dictatorship in the middle east the way his dad did, but he is sure to come up with SOMETHING that will keep our economy perking along. Don't worry, be happy! Just hold your nose and smile! It's easy!


Mark

I don't know you [Luis], but I appreciate hearing your point of view. Let me respond to a few things, however. First of all, I don't think African Americans would appreciate being called Negroes. It isn't politically correct. And what evidence are you referring to? Just because Jesse Jackson gets on television to complain doesn't mean that there was "abuse of the Negroes' votes." You said that you were sure that most of the counters were Republicans. Wrong! In fact, most of the canvassing boards that began the recounts were Democrats. Only lately have there been representatives from both parties. And, in case you don't understand, if Florida fails to certify its electors, Gore wins the election with the majority of the rest of the electoral college. So who has the most to gain by recounting as slowly as possible? You also mentioned the prejudice of having Bush's brother as the governor of Florida. But you fail to mention the prejudice of having "Democratic" canvassing boards, and a "Democratic" Florida Supreme Court. Or do you not see that as equally prejudicial? If Republicans aren't to be trusted and are biased in favor of Bush, then why are Democrats similarly not to be trusted since they are biased for Gore? Finally, I don't have a problem with a foreigner talking about American elections. It is always good to get another perspective. But I also keep in mind the bias that foreigners may have. If Bush or Buchanan became President and decided to stop subsidizing European and other foreign countries, providing them with aid and military defense, I can see why some foreigners would prefer that Gore wins. So I take the comments of foreigners with a grain of salt.

Luis

You write with a great deal of good arguments. You should be on politics! :-) Sorry for my bad use of the English-American language. Here in Europe we don't have that usage of speaking P.C. We call the things by their names. And the Portuguese word "Negro" sounds nicer than the other one ("preto") meaning "black". That's why I used that word. What I was referring to was what people described while in line: black persons (is this more p.c.?) being pulled out of line and state militia demanding an impossible number of proofs of identification from the blacks. Those that tried to produce cards of ID were still told to "GO HOME" and get more proof of their identify (this was about 4 p.m). Then, about 5 p.m., these Florida militia police began stopping all cars on the highway that contained black persons on their way to the polls. These cars were held so long that the polls had closed before they could vote. In addition, several blacks were told they were "not registered" and their votes simply thrown in the garbage. I don't known if it is true or not, but it isn't a nice story to tell, is it? And the terrible thing is that it sounds pretty true... I didn't understand why counters stopped the recount long before the legal delay, when GWB was winning, arguing they would never have the time of recounting all the votes... unless they were willing GWB to win. Some hours later, GWB was declared winner in the State of Florida. I can't believe that the Florida Supreme Court is that "Democratic". Last Dec. 5 the Supreme Court in Florida has ruled against Gore, remember? And the clever last decision (recounting Every vote) was taken by the shortest majority of one vote (4 -- 3). The terrible thing is that your Justice is completely biased by politics. At least our Judges seem to be independent from Political Parties.

Now, about foreign politics. That's exactly what we (the foreigners) are afraid of: the narrow-minded isolationists who think that World economy could develop closing the American borders. Subsidizing poor countries always had a counterpart, Mark. It could be a permission to introduce Coca-Cola and McDonalds in China, or making IBM's in Malaysia... America paid Portugal for the use of the Air base in Azores. The other side of the medal is that we suffered much more with the oil embargo (from Arab countries) than any other eastern country, because the Base was used to help the Israeli Army during the war (in the 60's). When it comes to American interests in the outside world, you acted like a falcon... why do you think we are all willing to have your Marines and submarines around? What we really want is to keep the borders open to trade and the minds open to world development. And please, don't think that every body is pro-Gore. It is just a question of fairness. He already got more than 50% of the ballots, and it seems that he should have won in Florida. I hope that your next President -- who ever he is -- wins the election fairly (counting the votes)... and not just in Court.


All About Don

by admin - 2005-06-13 ( family / holmes / pets ) [html version]

Music by a brother

Conan

Our cat Conan died of a kidney infection today (we had to have him put down). We had him 18-1/2 years. He seems to have known it was his last year because, unlike in the past, since Spring he had made a point of being outside on every beautiful day and enjoying it (and trying to get us to come out and enjoy it with him). His last day outside, yesterday, was one such day, balmy, storm-a'comin' weather, the kind he liked the most. Today, the temperature plummeted drastically, so he really did get the best out of his last year, as we had a mild autumn up till now. He is deeply missed.

Ironically, his coming and going was foretold in this old Irish jig I found searching in some Irish ruins. :-) The melody is in the attached midi file that should play automatically if you click on it.

The Legend of Conan
(Irish Traditional)

Once there was a kitten
Conan was his name
He grew to nearly 20 pounds
But a kitten he remained
He grew to be ferocious
Feared throughout the land
Hush, my child and you shall hear
The legend of Conan

A harder working kitten
The world has never seen
He'd guard the yard from front to back
And everywhere between
In the dead of nighttime
Or in the early morn
He'd be out on sentry
With his people safe and warm

Oh God, now You've callen him home
The bravest cat ever known
Thanks a lot for the loan

The neighbor cats would scramble
When he was on patrol
He'd sniff and scratch and sometimes fight
To keep things in control
But now the yard is quiet
Old Conan's laid to rest
He fought the fight that no one wins
But gave his very best

Oh God, well we had him so long
Can't believe that he's gone
Can you help us be strong

Once there was a kitten
Conan was his name
He grew to nearly 20 pounds
But a kitten he remained
He grew to be ferocious
Feared throughout the land
Hush, my child for you have heard
The legend of Conan


Don's Mexican Adventure

I just wanted to let everyone know that my $1600 laser surgery at the Mendez Clinic in Tijuana came out well. I tested 20/20, but they say the vision will vary for awhile. I was a little trepidatious about going, because I had found the clinic on the web. I did a search for "Lasik" (the name of the technique) and "Mexico" and came up with just a few hits. Then further research came up with a few more. I called up the different clinics and the one I got the best feeling about was the Mendez Clinic. Later I found out from my friend James he'd seen on TV that lots of Americans, especially senior citizens, were going to Mendez (Noble is the mother's maiden name, Mendez the father's last name) for eye surgery. After I had my surgery, I ran into an American from Las Vegas, who said that Dr. Mendez Noble had a very good reputation among people in Las Vegas, and he knows 5 people who got their vision corrected by Dr. Mendez Noble, all with rave results. Mendez Noble's father, Dr. Mendez, operates a clinic out of Mexicali. A friend went there recently and said Stevie Nicks had been there.

I flew into the San Diego airport on the last of the low spring fares ($218/round trip because I bought it on the internet- would have been double or more on the phone). The clinic sent a college student to pick me up, who charged me $35 to drive me to my hotel (Camino Real, a 3-star hotel about 8 blocks from the clinic); it's about a 30 mile trip.

I had some pretty good Mexican food while there, but nothing really spectacular. The hotel was quite nice, and had a decent restaurant. Food is pretty cheap there, but most things in the stores are about what you'd pay in the US. Although everything is priced in pesos, I always paid in dollars and got dollars in change. Tijuana, being on the border, is a much more expensive city than other Mexican cities -- they're basically on a dollar economy. I was surprised that so many cab drivers and store attendants spoke no English (although most everyone in the hotel and at the clinic spoke English). I was also surprised at all the southern Californians (the most intelligent, on-the-ball people in the US, in my opinion) who spoke fluent Spanish.

Thursday I had my exam, about 45 minutes. They make a computer-image "map" of your eye so they know where to change the lens for the correction they want. Friday is surgery day, which takes about 2 hours but actual surgery is about 2 minutes per eye. I was scared that I would move my eye, since it is very important to keep looking at the light (if you move your eye they have to wait 3 months for the cut that they made to heal and then start again). As I understand it, they make a semi-circle incision in the lens and then do some kind of scattered laser effect to flatten it out (if you're nearsighted they flatten it -- they do something else if you're farsighted).

I never experienced any pain and they didn't give me any pain pills, although when Diane had it e in Nashville (for $5000), they gave her pain pills for the first day of healing (that leads me to think that Mendez is better at doing it than Diane's Vanderbilt University surgeon, Wang). As you may know, the Mexicans and Canadians are ahead of the Americans when it comes to eye surgery, since they've been doing it longer. American doctors often go to Mexico (especially Guadalajara) or Canada to apprentice with the foreign doctors.

The third day was just a check-up in the morning, some drops for the eyes and then I was sent on my way. The only glitch in my trip was the Mexican student, who was supposed to pick me up at 13:00 (1 p.m.) at my hotel, but had not shown up by 13:15. My plane was leaving at 15:00 from San Diego, so I got nervous and got a cab to the border. I told the cabbie, in broken Spanish, that I had to get to the San Diego airport. He drove me to a place where these Mexican-Americans with California plates park on the Mexican side of the border waiting for a fare to San Diego somewhere. They're not cab drivers, they just use their personal cars. They can only do 2 cross-border trips a day, because the computer keeps track. Upon entering the US, the guards, who know these guys, just ask the passenger if he's a citizen. I said "yes," and I was in the US. I suppose if I looked Mexican he may have asked for a driver's license. That trip cost me $50.

The only other remarkable part of the trip was that Newt Gingrich was on the plane going from San Diego to Atlanta. He seemed pretty well adapted to his new life, very relaxed and not trying to be noticed or not noticed. Only a few people remarked on it.

In total, I spent about $2300 for the trip out and surgery, but only really needed to spend $2200. Today Diane and I will ceremoniously throw out all our contact lenses and solutions. The only downside is that now, instead of taking OFF my glasses to read small stuff, I have to put reading glasses ON to read. There's no cure for old age yet, but when they come up with one, I'll see if I can get it cheaper in Mexico!


Our First (And Best-Ever) Dog, Daisy

by bill - 2006-11-02 ( family / holmes / pets ) [html version]

Daisy graduates! Pic One,

Picture from earlier that day!

Previous pictures: One and Two

Daisy wrestling with Sunny


Pets Page

by bill - 2008-01-09 ( family / pets ) [html version]

Cool toys here!


Pet-related posts

Cottonwood Creek Pet Spa (Facebook page)

Animal Rescue Site

"The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures, but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot." -Mark Twain

PETA not so good at protecting animals?

Help Animals in Need



Other sites, articles and pages regarding Harmony Haven

  • Facebook
  • TikTok (1)
  • TikTok (2)
  • Local Gyms and Fitness
  • Yelp
  • MadBarn
  • Chamber of Commerce


    Walking the Dogs

    by bill - 2008-11-15 ( family / holmes / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    It's something I do every night. I actually stopped for several months starting in May, I guess, when my back problems flared up. Then came my knee surgery, which kept me from walking much. Then I got to where I enjoyed not having to walk the dogs every freakin' night of my life. :) But then they started doing their business in the house way too often, and Tara asked me to start walking them again. Actually, her words were, "We need to start walking them again," meaning, of course, that I had to do it. Whenever she says "we" she means me. I think that's standard for women.

    Anyway, it all starts after dinner with the dogs ... well, Joey, following me everywhere I go. When I open the closet door where we keep the leashes, Joey's right there and Daisy hurries over. Joey spins around once or twice, and I have to catch him right then, otherwise he runs away and makes me chase him down. Daisy's usually easy to corral. Chandler never moves. I almost always have to drag him off the couch where he's been sleeping in between naps.

    Once outside, Daisy is the leader, pulling on her leash the hardest. Joey's right next to her, but Daisy usually stays just a little bit in front. Joey will fairly often take the lead, but Daisy only allows that for a few seconds before retaking the lead. Chandler brings up the rear, and that's fine with him. He has no need to be leader of the pack. He does, however, feel the need to stay on my left. Chandler is always behind and to my left. Joey -- usually on my left, too, but not obsessive about it -- likes to stop, sniff things, maybe pee, then circle back around behind me, coming out on my right. He can really tangle you up in his leash if you're not careful, but I've gotten pretty nimble with the leashes over the years.

    Chandler makes a point of peeing on whatever Joey has just peed on. It's a guy thing. Joey is bigger and more "aggressive" than Chandler -- if any pug can be called aggressive -- but he came into our family last, so that puts him at the bottom of the totem pole. That's just how it usually works in the dog world. Daisy is the least obsessive of the pugs, at least on their walks. She's also the most aggressive. She's the one I have to hang onto the tightest when another dog comes along, because she will try to attack ... until it gets right up to her, at which point she will either hide behind me or roll onto her back and be submissive, probably saying in dog-speak, "Please don't kill me!" Still, she's got a pretty fierce growl and bark from a distance.

    She's also the best at reading my mind. When we have a choice of directions at an intersection, all I have to do is decide which way to go, and she's right there with me. Ahead of me, but instinctively knowing which way I intended to go ... usually. Not Joey. He will always try to go whichever way we went last time. Daisy can also sense my emotions about cars going too fast or coming too close. I used to get angry at people driving these quiet neighborhood streets at almost twice the speed limit. Sensing this, Daisy would then start lunging at oncoming cars. It wasn't until I controlled my own anger that Daisy also stopped lunging. Of course, I also got to where I could sense one of her impending lunges, so I would tell her "no," and she'd be cool. You probably think I'm crazy, but I know what I know. Apparently, so does Daisy. :)

    They're all good dogs, especially Chandler, my "biggest" and best puppy. Then again, Daisy is my "best little girl pug." That used to be "best little girl," period, until Elizabeth came along and I had to add "pug" to the end of it. And then there's Joey, my lap dog. Actually the biggest, even though I tell Chandler that he is, Joey loves being on my lap, asleep, while I'm at the computer. But then my butt will fall asleep from all that weight and I have to get up and walk around. And that seems a good place to end this story.

    See also dogs category


    Cool Site to Help Pets

    by admin - 2009-12-04 ( life / help / pets / internet ) [html version]

    "The No Paws Left Behind web site is here to help you through some tough times."


    Read, listen or watch the rest here: NoPawsLeftBehind.org


    Eleven Rottweiler Puppies

    by bill - 2010-01-01 ( family / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    Help her come up with names starting with the letter "B" by leaving comments below! [comments closed]


    A Warning to Pet Owners with Kids

    by bill - 2010-04-25 ( family / holmes / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    I had to take our dog Chandler (my "best puppy", the "big man", or "Chanva" as our daughter Elizabeth used to call him) to the vet Thursday. I had discovered while giving him a bath what looked like a bloody gash on his throat. I was horrified. I literally gasped in shock (I'm such a girl sometimes, I know) :) as drops of blood dripped into the bathwater. It looked like someone had cut his throat. How was that possible when he never leaves the house or yard except when I walk him every night? He wasn't bleeding profusely and the folds in his skin on his neck seemed to keep the wound from being exposed (which is why I never saw it before).

    I pulled him out of the bath, dried him off (mostly), and called the vet. This was around 1:30, and she had a 3:00 slot available. I gathered up Chandler and Elizabeth and drove from Antioch to Franklin. We really need to get a closer vet. :) Anyway, when we got there, the vet assistant says, "Let's take a look at his neck." She starts feeling around and comes up with a large rubber band. "How'd this get here?" she asked.

    The rubber band, just like an embedded chain or collar you see on animal abuse documentaries, had not only rubbed his neck raw, but had cut into it. They took Chandler to a back room and told us to come back in a couple hours while they cleaned and dressed the wound. Elizabeth swore up and down she didn't do it, but I didn't believe her. That's her first impulse now: blame someone else, even when you see her doing it. It then occurred to me one of her little friends might have put that rubber band around Chandler's neck. I could tell she was upset thinking she might have hurt Chandler, so I dropped it.

    To make her feel better, I then told her she probably actually helped save his life because she was the one who kept insisting we give the pugs a bath. If it wasn't for that, there's no telling how bad it would have gotten. When we picked Chandler up, the wound was raw and scary-looking, just like someone had slit his throat. They told us to go out and buy Telfa pads (we bought something comparable by Curad), put regular old honey on them, and wrapped his neck with a bandanna. And that's what we've been treating him with, successfully, for the past four or five days. He's finally bandanna-free, and it looks like he's going to be fine. I just need to give him another bath to get all that dried honey off his chest.

    See also Honey, I Killed the Superbug or dogs category


    Rottweiler Tricks

    by admin - 2010-06-11 ( family / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    Here are some videos by my sister's friend who bought a puppy from her:


    Missing Cat Returns

    by jinx - 2010-10-12 ( family / pets / cats ) [html version]

    Good news from best friends Julie and Bert in Las Vegas. One of their cats, Tobie, went missing this past January. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and one day just disappeared. Needless to say, they were heartbroken and spent many hours/days posting fliers, contacting neighbors and shelters, etc. Nothing. But no one gave up hope.

    Last night, Tobie came home!!!!! Isn't that amazing!?! He just appeared in the back yard and let Julie pick him up and bring him into the house. He settled right in like he had never been gone!!! WOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

    We wish he could tell us the story of what has happened in the past 9 months, but I guess we're left to speculate.

    In these days of doom and gloom, I thought everyone might like this heartwarming story.


    Sunny Came Home

    by bill - 2010-11-15 ( family / holmes / pets / cats ) [html version]

    I spent all day today wondering how I was going to tell our 5-year-old that our cat, Sunny, was no longer with us.

    Literally.

    After being awakened last night at 2:30 a.m. by the sound of a VERY close coyote, and then not finding Sunny asleep somewhere in the house later that morning -- and she's ALWAYS sleeping it off by that time -- I was just sure she had been caught and killed by coyotes.

    Well, guess what? Sunny just came home!


    Detection Dogs

    by admin - 2010-11-18 ( family / animals / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    "These are no hounds. These are highly trained detection dogs used by biologists to canvass for animals, scat, rare plants and invasive weeds that are easily missed by humans."


    Read, listen or watch the rest here: A nose for wild things


    Chandler's a Good Dog

    by bill - 2012-01-15 ( family / holmes / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    Chandler's a good dog. He's been through a lot in this life (before we adopted him) and will probably never fully recover. Never fully trust anyone again. I know the feeling. Maybe that's what we have in common. Whatever it is, I just love the heck out of that dog.

    And now he's getting old, like me. Blind in one eye. Mostly blind, anyway. Losing his hearing. You can't scold him. Well, go ahead, but he won't hear you, and if you're on his left side, he won't see you. His favorite thing to do is sleep. When he's awake, his favorite thing is peeing on things. That's about the only bad habit he has.

    He's better than me that way.

    And here he is hanging out, Elizabeth and "Chanva" as she used to call him; on the couch; and, getting his nails done

    See also dogs category


    Can Your Cat Drive You to Suicide?

    by bill - 2012-08-23 ( life / health / pets ) [html version]

    Diane
    The answer is "yes", but not through parasite worms. Mostly through bringing live animals into the house and letting them loose so you can encounter them whilst sitting on the commode.

    Bill
    That, or they wake you up every two hours during the night wanting in and out, every single night of your life. You would ignore them if you could, but it's impossible. You would leave the pet door open for them, but they'd just bring in live animals and let them loose so you can encounter them whilst sitting on the commode.


    Read, listen or watch the rest here: Cat parasite


    Franklin Has Been Adopted

    by bill - 2012-12-17 ( family / adoption / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    Franklin has been adopted!

    Our daughter was sad to see him go, but he's now in a good home. And they're close to us, so she might get to visit sometimes.


    Contentment Is

    by bill - 2013-01-10 ( family / holmes / pets ) [html version]

    ...lying in bed, social networking on my laptop, listening to my wife and daughter "fight"/tease each other in the other room, while I've got the cat cuddled up on my left and two out of three pugs cuddled up on my right.


    Avocados Poisonous to Most Pets

    by admin - 2013-01-23 ( life / health / pets ) [html version]

    Did you know that avocados are poisonous to most pets? Check out these links:

    That first link says:

    "Level of toxicity: In dogs and cats: mild. In other species (e.g., birds, ruminants, etc.), moderate to severe.



    Cleanliness Counts

    by joker - 2013-04-01 ( culture / humor / pets ) [html version]

    [Updated: 2021-05-21 18:05:35]

    Click on this link to clean the inside of your screen: screenclean.webp


    Feral Cats Find a New Use

    by admin - 2013-09-05 ( family / animals / pets / cats ) [html version]

    In case you're in the market for a "barn cat," this is for you: petguide.com.Maybe other cities near you have a similar program.


    Tara the Hero Cat Attempt to Throw a Ceremonial First Pitch

    by admin - 2014-05-25 ( family / pets / cats / dogs ) [html version]

    Watch Tara the Hero Cat attempt to throw a ceremonial first pitch. The "first pitch" video is now missing from the Times, so there's now a link to the original news report, although YouTube has marked it "offensive to some viewers." Who are these viewers? Ridiculous.

    Here's another link.


    UPDATE: Nope, now YouTube has completely removed it for "violent" content. What violence? It's a cat chasing a dog.


    One Too Many Cats

    by bill - 2014-10-04 ( family / holmes / pets / cats ) [html version]

    [Updated: 2022-09-01 03:49:51]

    I was up a little earlier than usual this morning, which apparently surprised one of the cats in our house. The thing is, we only have one cat. Any more than that is too many.

    This one -- either a stray or just one of the neighbor's cats, I don't know; either way, it's apparently our cat's buddy -- was just coming out of the guest bathroom where we keep the cat food, and I was just coming out of my bedroom. It saw me and casually strolled back into the bathroom. It probably then thought better of that move, fearing I was headed toward the bathroom myself -- you know, to get some of that tasty cat food for myself -- so it came back out and took off running past me toward the back pet door. The only problem is that dogs and cats just can't get any traction on our hardwood floors, so it was slipping and flopping as it tried to run as fast as it could.

    It made it past me and out the pet door without a problem, probably because I just stood there, half asleep and half amused at what I was seeing. I couldn't see much this whole time because the house was almost completely dark except for the light from the master bathroom nightlight behind me and the nightlight in the "cat food" bathroom ahead of me. So, I wasn't entirely sure that wasn't just our cat, Sunny .

    It was only after I went into the kitchen to make coffee and turned on the overhead light that I saw Sunny sitting there looking at me, then at the pet door as if to say, "Did you see that?! There was another cat in the house!"

    As if she didn't already know! :)

    I'm just chalking it up to life's way of preparing me for when my little girl starts bringing home unwanted boyfriends who will probably also want to eat my food.


    Cats Disrespecting Pugs

    by bill - 2017-11-02 ( culture / humor / animals / pets ) [html version]

    So, I'm lying on the bed with the pug Joey between my legs. No, that's not a figure of speech. I'm referring to an actual dog between my calves.

    Anyway, the cat (Sunny) comes up, thinks about jumping across my legs to the other side, then decides to just step on me, then step on Joey, to the other side of the bed. #CatsDisrespectingPugs


    UPDATE: Of course, it goes both ways.


    When Coyotes (Try To) Attack

    by bill - 2019-02-18 ( family / animals / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    Well, I had an exciting morning. Who needs coffee to wake up? It was around 5:30 when I let our pug Joey out in the backyard. I'm standing there keeping an eye out for critters (there is no fence) when, sure enough, a couple of coyotes start trotting toward us, all casual-like as if out for a stroll, not down in a hunting crouch like the cat does when she's stalking prey.

    I turned and yelled at them to get lost, which they did. I'm so scary. :)

    It did get my blood pumping, though, "fighting off" wild animals! :) Joey was oblivious to it all.


    Veterinary Medicine Said to Cure Cancer

    by don - 2019-05-29 ( life / health / pets / treatment ) [html version]

    Dog de-worming medicine allegedly cures cancer. See Cancer cure has gotten out of control and nih.gov

    "Within just 3 months his cancer vanished. His insurance company spent $1.2 million before Tippens switched to a $5 a week medicine that saved his life. Daily vitamins and CBD oil were also an essential part of his curative regimen.

    Researchers reported that fenbendazole alone or vitamins alone did not alter the size or growth of implanted tumors in laboratory mice. But their combination produced a striking increase in activity of one type of white blood cell, neutrophils, resulting in a no-growth effect. There also was strong inhibition of a protein (hypoxia-inducing factor) that induces hypoxia (absence of oxygen) which forces cancer cells to utilize sugar for energy rather than oxygen."


    Missing Pup Found Living Like a King Among Doting Inmates

    by admin - 2020-01-22 ( family / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    "Although this pup's owners were frantic with worry over his disappearance, he was found only days later living like a king amongst the local prisoners...


    Read, listen or watch the rest here: alabama-man-finds-dog-living-life-large-in-prison/


    USDOT to Ban Dog Breed Discrimination on Airlines

    by admin - 2020-01-30 ( life / travel / airlines / pets ) [html version]

    "The regulation is set to put an end to airlines discriminating against service dogs based on their appearance or breed, particularly pit bulls."


    Read, listen or watch the rest here: goodnewsnetwork


    A New Idea on Fostering Pets

    by admin - 2020-03-01 ( life / help / animals / pets ) [html version]

    This is so great!

    "A Mississippi hotel lets guests foster dogs during their stay and now more than 60 have found forever homes."


    Read, listen or watch the rest here: Yahoo News


    Get Rid of Dog Urine Smell

    by admin - 2020-03-22 ( family / pets / dogs / advice ) [html version]

    "Does your whole house smell like dog urine? If so, you've come to the right place! If a dog hasn't been trained correctly or is suffering from a health problem, it's likely that it won't be able to control itself in the house. If your dog is peeing in the house, make sure not to scold it, but rather opt for positive reinforcement. If your dog is suddenly peeing in the house, make sure to consult a veterinarian to make sure the cause is not health related.

    Read, listen or watch the rest here: how to get rid of dog urine smell for details, but it's basically hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, baking soda, sodium bicarbonate and lemon.


    Veterinarian Wanders California Coast Treating Homeless People's Pets, Free of Charge

    by admin - 2020-03-29 ( life / help / pets ) [html version]

    "Dr. Kwane Stewart has been a veterinarian in California for over 20 years. But for the past few years, he's been passionately motivated to impact the lives of homeless pets and their owners.


    Read, listen or watch the rest here: This Veterinarian Wanders the California Coast Treating Homeless People's Pets For Free


    Two Friends Making Homemade Dog Treats to Raise Money for Food Pantry

    by admin - 2020-07-13 ( life / health / food / pets ) [html version]

    "Two 10-year-old boys in Milton, Massachusetts, are baking homemade dog treats multiple times a week to raise money for a local food pantry.


    Read, listen or watch the rest here: Homemade-Dog-Treats


    Tell Your Pet You Love Them

    by admin - 2020-10-09 ( family / pets ) [html version]

    "If you ever wondered how strong your furry friends' love is for you, here's your answer. Hearing 'I love you' from their owner makes pups' heart rate skyrocket by 46 percent, study shows..."

    Read, listen or watch the rest here.


    Counterfeit Seresto Collars Linked to Pet Deaths and Injuries

    by admin - 2021-03-08 ( family / animals / pets / safety ) [html version]

    "If we can't depend on the EPA to warn the public about something so thoroughly documented, should we depend on the agency..."

    Read the Read, listen or watch the rest here


    Keep Your Dog Safe from Dognapping

    by becky simmonds - 2021-09-07 ( family / pets / dogs / advice ) [html version]

    "If you're anything like us here at Breed Advisor, we simply can't imagine life without our four-legged family members. That's why we were horrified to learn that approximately 2 million canines are dognapped each year.


    Sadly, dog abductions have become increasingly common over the past decade. In fact, American Kennel Club president Tom Sharp reports that the number of stolen dogs has increased by a whopping 70% since 2010..."

    Read, listen or watch the rest here. And, read her other articles here.


    How to have healthy pets

    by doug - 2023-10-31 ( education / research ) [html version]

    Interesting cast of rogue characters which includes Trump. It becomes more and more clear that Trump is controlled opposition. ________________________________


    Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2023 8:33 PM -- -- while researching, I found this WEF water group: WEFTEC -- WEF Announces Graduates of 2023 Water Leadership Institute WEFTEC -- WEF Announces Graduates of 2023 Water Leadership Institute Here's a list of some:

    https://humanevents.com/2022/11/10/world-economic-forum-young-global-leaders ncluding Henry Kissinger, Clinton and Anthony Fauci =96 are named as members. And beyond that, WEF denotes others =96 often those who speak at Davos and have an influence on WEF policies =96 as "Agenda Contributors." Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, George Soros, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, transhumanist author Yuval Noah Harari, State Street CEO Ron O'Hanley and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Laurence D. Fink -- Agenda Contributor 1974, BA in Political Science, and 1976, MBA in Real Estate, University of California, Loseles. Former Membe...

    On Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 08:09:59 PM PDT:

    Pet owners will value this information:

    https://www.bitchute.com/video/F0r8KVvHDLT1/


    Pugs Driving Cars

    by bill - 2023-11-23 ( culture / humor / pets / dogs ) [html version]

    I stumbled upon these old photos and couldn't resist writing this. They were such GREAT dogs.


    First, it was Joey. Then Chandler said, "Me too, Dad!"

    Daisy, though, always the sensible one, said, "Those boys are crazy!" and she stayed home.


    Bonus pictures, below, for your viewing pleasure.


    Destruction of America Under Zionist Puppets

    by bill - 2024-01-09 ( education / research ) [html version]

    That "Steve doesn't care" thing is what I wrote in my Baby/Life Book in high school, which I guess I dusted off and included in my biography for the adoption agency.  But, just so you know, I consider myself the rightful heir of wherever I go, so you might not want to invite me to your house. :)  [wife]'s joke about that scuffle made me laugh out loud but, you're right, only those who know too much and/or have too much influence are bumped off.

    On 1/8/2024 1:09 AM:
    quite a few years back, when Bill wanted to adopt Elizabeth, he said he had to tell about his family and of me he said, "Steve doesn't care what others think". Yeah, that was true then and now. I don't care what others think much but it's saddening when so many think the wrong thing, such as about the Synagogue of Satan (from Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 about the Ashkenazi/Khazarian fake Semites) being "God's chosen people" and the "rightful heirs of Palestine" and other "conspiracy" things and even fake science things like Evolution is real and CO2 is bad.
    Another thing about me is that I've always loved to solve puzzles and what's going on in the world is a massive puzzle. Another thing that I took up is trying to educate people. It's saddening how many don't mind being ignorant and, worse, think ignorance is bliss! [wife] jokes that some day there will be a knock on the door, she'll hear a scuffle, and I'll be gone. I don't worry about educating people and getting "disappeared" because I KNOW NOTHING, which is true. It's those who actually know something who have to be eliminated [according to the "elites"].

    On Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 10:34:01 PM PST:


    Shiva mentioned in this video that he and his volunteers were collecting signatures in Utah to get on the ballot.
    This is fantastic interview which I don't think I shared:

    Watch on Bitchute

    Sent: Sunday, January 7, 2024 10:28 PM
    I get Shiva's emails but it looks as if he's only campaigning on the east coast

    On Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 10:23:29 PM PST, someone wrote:
    You were way ahead on this Zionist problem. I seem to remember you saying stuff at least before the scamdemic even started.
    With the fake excuses by Israel to kill all the people in Gaza, the world has really woken up to these evil scumbags.
    It finally reveals one of the most basic root problems the entire world has, and EVERY presidential candidate is a Zionist (Israel first) puppet except for Dr Shiva.
    I'm going to get his Shiva for president bumper stickers. He stands no chance of being selected (because the Zionists control all voting) but it'll help raise the awareness of more people.

    Sent: Sunday, January 7, 2024 9:50 PM
    I posted it on FB and it wasn't automatically censored

    On Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 09:25:16 PM PST:


    Really great conversation with Dave Janda who has a connection from the 1980s White House. A couple great stories from back then.
    True American patriots will appreciate this one.
    The solution is always local. See what he says you can do when at the grocery store or gas station.


    Regarding America's Most Popular Dog Names

    by rob mitchell - 2024-01-29 ( family / pets / dogs / names ) [html version]

    Hi,

    I was doing some research and found the information you have on your article about dog names by breed to be helpful: Should I Capitalize That Dog Breed Name

    I wanted to introduce you to our all-new interactive guide. Using our proprietary database of over 1.3 million pets, we have compiled the data to report on the most popular dog names in the U.S. by gender, breed, and color: Popular Dog Names

    Please consider including our guide and graphic on your page referenced or in an upcoming piece. We believe it will be a helpful addition to your site for your site readers. You can see more information here on FidoAlert's mission to bring lost pets back home to their families.

    Thank you for your consideration and enjoy the rest of your day. Thanks, Rob

    Rob Mitchell, FidoAlert.com


    Dog Grooming

    by bill - 2024-02-03 ( family / pets / grooming / humor ) [html version]

    Someone asked, "Do you guys do the grooming at your place only, or do you come to the dog's home?"

    We don't do dog grooming or any other real world service. It's just a family/friends website. Thanks for visiting!

    Bill


    Outnumbered by puppets: Depopulated village in Japan crafts dolls for sense of life

    by admin - 2024-10-27 ( education / news / rss ) [html version]

    "With most of the population gone, residents of one village in Japan have come up with a novel plan to make it less lonely replacing people with puppets...."

    Read, listen or watch the rest here



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