You really want to piss me off?

TARPON SPRINGS - The kitten police say was tossed from a moving car onto the Yacht Club Bridge is now dubbed "Bungee" and was in strong physical condition Monday, according to personnel at AA Animal Emergency Clinic in Palm Harbor.

Tarpon Springs police said they recovered Bungee when officers responded to a report of animal cruelty in the 300 block of Spring Boulevard N just before 8 p.m. Friday.

Witnesses said they saw a passenger in an eastbound car reach into the back seat, grab the kitten's leg and throw it out the window, police said.

The man, whom witnesses identified as Eddie Ray Fisher, 40, of 606 Lime St. E was charged with one count of animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, and was booked into the Pinellas County Jail, where he was being held Monday in lieu of $2,500 bail.

The kitten was handed over to the Humane Society of Pinellas, which took him immediately to AA Animal Emergency Clinic.

"He didn't have any injuries," said Amber M. Presnell, a veterinary assistant at the clinic. "But he was pretty debilitated and in shock."

When Bungee came in, he was cold, lethargic and underweight, she said, weighing in at a mere 10 ounces.

But continuing heat treatments have helped stimulate his appetite.

"He's eating well and he's got a really good personality so he is going to stay with us for a while," Presnell said.

Bungee is expected to put on an ounce or two of bulk and get a clean bill of health within a week or two.

MEMORIAL DAY

As a young man living in western Massachusetts, Memorial Day was not a day for picnics, boating and barbecues. It was a time when we honored those who fought in, and were killed fighting for this country. We honored our veterans.

Parades were military focused.... I remember the Gold Star Mothers... the wives and mothers who had lost husbands/sons in the war.

I remember the veterans marching; those too fragile, driven in open convertibles. It was a time to visit the local cemetery.... a reminder of the devastation of war. At the same time, we visited the graves of our loved ones; to make certain the monuments were clean, intact and maybe lay a wreath on the headstone as a sign of respect to a life that once was.

I find it amazing that thousands will line up at his grave on the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, weeping and laying flowers.... as thousands do for Princess Diana; yet many neglect the resting places of their own.

Please don't ever let me become like everybody else.......

Today, I miss the good ole days!

Good god, Pat, lighten up or shut up!

Pat, does God ever tell you anything that's happy?

Does he ever tell you something that would make people feel good about themselves and the world after you're relayed his message to them?

It seems as if everytime Robertson shares with the world the words that God only shared with him, the words are always dispirting and frightening.

Gospel means "good news", so where is the good news from God when he's talking to a spokesman?

He pronounced the 9-11 attacks as "God's power and he sent this thing to warn us."

Upset with judges, Robertson has prayed, "take control, Lord! we ask for additional vacancies on the court", which in essence is praying for the deaths of judges who have lifetime appointments.

Robertson has a special affinity for storms, and his recent report of God's upcoming lashing of the United States burnishes his reputation as God's weatherman.

He has claimed that the power of his prayers has turned storms away.

Because Disney World angered him, Robertson warned Orlando that it had earned God's wrath in the forms of hurricanes.

Worse, because the city of Dover, Pa. didn't vote in a school board election the way he wanted them to, he scolded them: "Don't turn to God, you just rejected him from your city. And don't wonder why he hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin."

There's nothing as comforting and faith affirming as a preacher of the gospel ("good news", remember?) telling people not to pray because God won't help them.

Just once, it would be refreshing for Robertson to tell us that God has told him something like for one week he won't allow any of his children to commit acts of violence against any of his other children or that, for a month, he will remove all hate and intolerance from hearts and minds so the human race can experience how he truly wants us to live.

But no, Robertson, perhaps not the best and most accurate spokesman for God, wants to depict God as his personal hit man.

It's interesting that God never tells Robertson something he doesn't want to hear such as renounce all his wealth and spend the rest of his life in meditation and silence.

Cary Clank
San Antonio Express - Times

HOPE

"The bottom line is we ended up with the mayor who represents the demography of the city,"

The Oil Slut!

The Bush administration's ties to oil and gas are as deep as an offshore well.

President George W. Bush's family has been running oil companies since 1950. Vice President Dick Cheney spent the late '90s as CEO of Halliburton, the world's largest oil services company. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice sat on the board of Chevron, which graced a tanker with her name. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans was the CEO of Tom Brown Inc. -- a natural gas company with fields in Texas, Colorado and Wyoming -- for more than a decade.

The links don't end with personnel. The bin Laden family and other members of Saudi Arabia's oil-wealthy elite have contributed mightily to several Bush family ventures, even as the American energy industry helped put Bush in office. Of the top 10 lifetime contributors to George W.'s war chests, six either come from the oil business or have ties to it, according the Center for Public Integrity.

"There's no denying that this is an oil administration," says Peter Eisner, managing director of the nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog group that conducted the study of Bush's campaign finances. "You can't talk about the career of any George Bush -- father or son -- without talking about oil."

Another nightmare!

The supernova-sized chutzpah of the Bush family was on display Thursday when it floated a Jeb Bush candidacy in '08. Mind-boggling that this hot-bed of treason and corruption - which has already spawned the two worst Presidents in history - would propose saddling us with a third. But hey, it's happened twice - why not again? The Huffington Post

On the same day that President Bush received his lowest approval rating of 29%, (matching that of his father the former President) and while visiting Florida Wednesday, President George W. Bush said that his younger brother Jeb would make a "great president" setting off speculation that a third member of the political dynasty could try for the White House.

Jeb Bush, who is the governor of Florida, said however that while he appreciated the flattering comments, he has no intention now of running for the top job.

President Bush told Florida journalists in an interview that his brother was an "excellent leader".

"I think Jeb would be a great president. But it's up to Jeb to make a decision to run," Bush said in comments published in several state newspapers.

Hopping on the train!

On May 5th, I wrote about how I hate leaving the dogs when I go on vacation. I've not had much luck with boarding kennels, sitters, etc.....

This is one of the comments I received on that post.

"well, in the past two weeks, and including this weekend, I will have pet-sat for 3 different people, two of which have a very old dog and cat, the other has a several month old puppy. You want to hop on the train? lol..."

"But seriously, maybe I should turn this into a business...hehe"

I have decided to "hop on the train" and call the writers bluff! You got the job!

Actually, it happens that the person who made the comment is the daughter of a very close friend I've known for the last 17 years..... The friend who accompanied me to upstate Florida when I purchased Daisy ten years ago..... Daisy and Muggs love the mother, they will love the daughter. I will be secure in the knowledge that they are being attended to by someone I trust.

....and leave the driving to us!

I stopped by my neighborhood gas station/coffee shop to purchase my daily newspaper and coffee when the customer in front of me pre-paid the cashier $40.00 to put gas in his SUV. "Damn, how long is that gonna last you", I asked. "Less than a week", he replied!

The day before I had purchased a monthly bus pass, cost $40.00. This pass allowed me unlimited bus transportation seven days a week for one month. I was suddenly very pleased. I could sit back, read the newspaper and drink my coffee on the way to work without worry..... a private limo ride, but not quite!

Choosing to go to work by bus has a few disadvantages; the first being that I would have to take not one, not two but three buses to get to work.

The first bus leaves downtown at 6:10 AM, and since this bus eventually goes by a veterans hospital and without offense to military veterans, this group consists of former solders who are still fighting the vietnam war and take much pride in letting anyone who will listen know that they receive "crazy checks", [their term].

Many of the other passengers are homeless and/or alcoholics on their way to St. Petersburg for the "free breakfast" in the park distributed by a local church. They are not at all happy with the food at the Clearwater soup kitchen preferring the ride to St. Pete.

I notice that there are probably only 5 or 6 passengers actually going to work.

I'm on this bus for 20 minutes before disembarking and waiting another 15 minutes for my second bus which takes me to St. Petersburg.

Unlike the first bus, this one is filled with people on their way to work and has an interesting mix of men and women in business attire and casual attire along with construction men in tee shirts and jeans. Most reading the newspaper or a book, some with IPods, many in conversation with fellow travellers and a few on cell phones.

This bus has to move fast in order for me to make my connection to the third and final bus, because it's slated to arrive at my transfer station at 7:40 AM which is the time my third bus leaves. The bus arrives 10 minutes ahead of schedule which gives me time to run into a coffee shop for my second cup of coffee.

My third bus arrives at my place of employment at 7:50 AM; I begin work at 8:00AM.

Mission accomplished!

Damn, it's hard getting back on track after several days of self-imposed exile from Blogland! I'm in desperate need of a vacation and although that will happen when I go to New Orleans in June and Las Vegas in July, it can't happen soon enough.

The dogs...... I hate leaving the dogs. I boarded them with my vet until after four days away, I telephoned to see how they were doing. I was informed that Daisy had not eaten since I left and would remain in the back of her cage the entire day. Needless to say, this ruined the other 3 days of my vacation.

I then hired a live-in sitter on two occasions until my neighbors informed me that the dogs were only walked once a day. She apparently spent the week sleeping on my couch and watching television.

Last year, I finally found a kennel that I loved. They even cooked them breakfast. When I returned, the dogs were happy, healthy and well groomed. I had finally found someone I could trust to watch the pugs.

Last week, I telephoned to book their stay and was informed that they were closing effective June 1st.

Back to square ONE. I have shortened the length of my stay at both destinations from one week each to three days. I've interviewed one kennel which has possibilities and intend to visit another next week. In New Orleans, I've booked at a guest house that accepts pets. If I like the place, this will be the last time I travel without the dogs. As for Las Vegas, if it weren't for my nephews wedding, I would cancel that trip. I'm beginning to feel much better already.

Work continues to be six day a week but HR informed me that there is an ad for another case manager which means the possibility of "relief" is on the horizon, finally!

Now, to blogging!