Not Funny

Letter to Christine Romans, hostess, CNN Your Money

I turned to your program this morning, hoping for some enlightenment about our financial problems. But what I found was a group of economists sitting around flipping the many pages of a congressional bill on the subject and laughing hysterically. By the way, I have seen many congressional bills that thick in the past, so it was not unusual.

Perhaps I am missing something, but I did not think this was a laughing matter, and I cannot think of a shred of information I got from the program.

Since I am fairly financially comfortable, I hope that I will get through this tough time without too much trouble. For that reason, your program was a complete waste of my time. On the other hand, if I had been a person with serious problems on my mind, I would have been deeply offended and more worried than ever.

8/22/09

A Very Sad Time at My House

The time has finally come for me to sit down and write about my dearest cat, Mooch. (All of my cats are my dearests, by the way, but, as you can see from the pictures, he was my dearest dearest.)

Mooch was riddled with several diseases, the last and most lethal of which was cancer, and the time finally came to end them for him.

So many people believe that animals, even dogs and cats, are incapable of knowing and showing love the way human beings do. The pictures above certainly show how wrong they are. And in fact, the inability to know and show love is fast disappearing from the human species.

Mooch and I slept nose-to-nose every night, and I will miss him terribly for every remaining night of my life.

The rest of my cats have continued to search for him, especially Sylvie. I have a fairly roomy U-shaped house with a large screened-in porch which they can enter from either side at will in order to birdwatch, so they are gradually returning to their favorite pastime of birdwatching. But FOUR is a very hard number for me to cope with. When I check on them before going to bed each night, I continue to find myself searching for the FIFTH.

As for cats’ ability to feel and express love, it is often hard to catch the most revealing shots by camera. Last year, I was lying on my bed doing exercises with my feet on the bed and my knees raised. My therapist took successive shots of Mooch coming to the rescue, but she was unable to catch the best—when he laid his arm across my ribs and DARED her with his eyes to continue with the exercise of bending my knees from side to side, which was, in the eyes of my cat, abnormal, and possibly harmful, to me.

Animals, especially those who are loved, and those who are rescued and loved, is ever-lasting from both sides. A mother loves her child from birth, but pets are loved until their deaths if they are lucky. The birth of a child is generally happy, but the death of a loved pet is always heart-wrenching. So far, I have fourteen little caskets waiting to be buried with me. I am just sorry that I did not bring those from 30 years of living in the Bay Area down here with me. And, as painful as it will be to me, I hope I will outlast those remaining, because I would not want them to undergo the grief which I have felt for those who are gone.

Single-Payer Health Care

Opposed only by the Very Rich and the Very Moronic Working for Them

Full Faith & Credit

Thoughts and Ruminations

Why is it that government costs on almost every level are cut by cutting from the bottom, where the need is highest and the over-all effect upon the nation as a whole is the greatest?! Two of the most important needs are severely affected—health and education, especially the latter. What makes human beings human is the awareness of the various worlds around them, and the ability to reason. And both of these abilities can only come through education and the quality of the education received.

Is Sen. John McCain running for President again? Republicans tend to think of war as the first tactic to consider, and I see he has been on the news quite often lately, berating Pres. Obama and his ability to lead. And that reminds me, Vice Pres. Dick Cheney evidently doesn’t realize that he is no longer President, either.

So far as I know, the religious right doesn’t disapprove of keeping animal populations down by exercising birth control (or shooting for sport.) What, exactly, is their position on the smothering blanket of human beings drawing ever tighter around the globe?

And speaking of religion and the growing population, it is becoming more and more apparent to me that peoples with differing religious and/or political beliefs simply cannot live together as a single nation. There is no way that religious and political views can merge into a government that satisfies and serves more than one point of view at a time. Religion, especially, cannot and will not compromise.

There is only one solution to the overpopulation problem, and that is the unrest and annihilation of most (if not all) of the human race by the final choice we have made—constant war and subjugation. Religious groups, in particular, are eager to spread “Democracy” around the world. But, whether they realize it or not, Democracy as they know it can only spread as it has in this country, by proseletization by the religious right of non-believers, either in person, or by inserting it into the government which will control us all.

ARW
6/23/09

Lessons, Learning, and Relationships

For over two years, now, I have needed caretakers to help me around the house. The morning helper is here for two hours, during which she helps me bathe, feeds my cats, fixes my breakfast, and makes my bed.



When making my bed, whether or not there is a cat on my bed, most of them have simply sort of pulled my blankets up to the top and smoothed them down. A few days ago, I decided to give them lessons in bedmaking, as anyone who has been in the service can recall. So far, I have given bedmaking lessons to three of my helpers, with excellent results, and as I was relaxing on the couch just now, it occurred to me that the lessons were not just in bedmaking.



First of all, without realizing it, I was teaching and they were learning geometry, possibly without ever having taken it in school. The bed and the bedding were squares, and they were learning that you cannot make them relate to each other by just pushing the wrinkles of the sheets farther across the matress. They have to figure out where the middle of the head of the bed is, and the middles of the sheet and blanket are, and then to relate them to each other in squares. The sheet must be longer at the head of the bed, and the blanket a few inches shorter so that the sheet can fold over the blanket to protect your face from the rough surface of the blanket. The bottom edge of the blanket thus can be tucked in farther at the foot of the bed.



This is followed by learning to pull up the resulting extra bedding hanging out of each side of the foot of the bed. The helper learns to pull up that extra bedding into a sort of triangle that folds down neatly at the side. All of my students were absolutely amazed at what they had done!



As I relaxed on the couch, I realized that I had actually taught them a little geometry without mentioning the word. But what was even more important was that they were delighted with what they had done. And most important, each of them and I were drawn even closer to each other by their pride in themselves and my pride in them.



ARW

6/21/09

Are Christians being oppressed in America?

Read And when I feel my finger on your trigger.

George Tiller, M.D. - Rest In Peace

Abortion Doctor Shot At Church
WICHITA, Kansas (AP) - Media reports say that abortion provider Dr. George Tiller has been shot and killed at his Wichita church.

Tiller has been among the few U.S. physicians performing late-term abortion. His clinic has repeatedly been the site of protests for about two decades.

Story

Later, Tiller's attorneys released a statement from Tiller's wife, Jeanne, his four children and 10 grandchildren.

Today we mourn the loss of our husband, father and grandfather. Today's event is an unspeakable tragedy for all of us and for George's friends and patients. This is particularly heart wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace. Our loss is also a loss for the city of Wichita and women across America. George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality healthcare despite frequent threats and violence. We ask that he be remembered as a good husband, father and grandfather and a dedicated servant on behalf of the rights of women everywhere.

But Warren Hern, a Colorado physician and close friend of Tiller's who said he is now "the only doctor in the world" who performs very late-term abortions, said Tiller's death was predictable.

I think it's the inevitable consequence of more than 35 years of constant anti-abortion terrorism, harassment and violence. George is the fifth American doctor to be assassinated. I get messages from these people saying, 'Don't bother wearing a bulletproof vest, we're going for a head shot.'

Abortion foes have lost ground. . . . They want the doctors dead, and they invite people to assassinate us. No wonder that this happens. . . . I am next on the list.

Kelli Conlin, president of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, echoed that sentiment in a statement about Tiller's death:

It is cold-blooded, vicious actions like today's assassination that make it hard for those of us in the pro-choice community to find common ground with those on the other side. It is lawless, violent behavior like this that makes us fear for our lives and our families. When they sit down across from us, they have no reason to believe that we come to the table with violent intentions. Today is a brutal reminder that we are not privileged to have the same sense of security.

Tjhe Big Ban

Ban on Gay Marriage Upheld in California

There is one poll that we have not heard from. How many gays have voted to uphold the ban?

ARW
5/26/09

Somehow, I didn’t get this posted. Sorry.

ARW
5/29/09

Moral Certainty

Moral Certainty

I am a devout Christian, and those of my views agree that God put us on this earth to bring new lives upon this Earth—the more the better. We also believe that this country is most beloved of God and that we should spread His word around the world.

My children attend school at a very large school, where they are taught the Word of God, which must be spread across the Earth. But there are some children from other neighborhoods who have not been brought up properly at home. One of those children started a fight with one of my children not long ago, and my child was severely wounded in the fight.

Now, although we Chritians are true believers, we cannot accept such a thing being done to one of our children, so we gathered a whole bunch of other Christians to join our family and give the offending child a lesson he will be sure to remember. And we sent them over to the other neighborhood to let him and his family know that, no matter what it takes, we will defend our own.

Unfortunately, coping with that child and his family required a pretty severe response, his injury being so great. Much as we regretted having to be so stern, things got out of hand between the two parties, and we ended up having a great battle, with hurt feelings on all sides. A few blows even went astray and hurt some of the people on our side, but things like that are bound to happen.

What makes matters worse now is that there are people in various places (and even a few in this great Christian country) who think that our children got too rough. After all, not all of their children started the original fight, but that really is no excuse when they either did not support us, or withdrew their support before the fight was settled in our favor. You really can’t stay good friends with people who are not blessed with Christianity and the moral superiority that those of us who are converts have worked so hard and with such certainty to bless the rest of our neighbors.

What we must do for our own safety and the moral will of God, therefore, is keep a very close watch on the other neighborhoods and use whatever means we have to elicit from them any secrets they may have about their plans to hurt our children in the future. May God bless us and the moral and ethical paths we may feel obliged to choose!

The Socialist Atheist
5/21/09

The Birds Need Us

Please Feed the Birds

Since our terrible forest fire here in the mountains above, and including parts of Santa Barbara, many of the birds who had just moved to the mountains for the summer have come back looking for food. As a result, I have at least twice as many birds as I ordinarily do. I have eleven feeders and two bird baths, and I have t work hard to keep them filled.

I am sure other bird feeders have experienced the same thing, and I urge those of you who have not fed them before to welcome them to your homes, especially if you can keep them relatively safe from cats.

I have a hummingbird feeder and an oriole feeder close to each other, and the birds eat the same food and move back and forth from one to the other. The hummingbirds are tiny, but ferocious when battling with each other to get to the food.

You do not need to buy oriole or hummingbird food. I will include below a recipe which is very easy to follow, and the birds do not need coloring.

Note: The feeders are emptying much faster than in the recipe indicates. Upon occasion, I have had to fill them twice a day.

ARW
5/28/09


HUMMINGBIRD FOOD WITH ALMOST NO MEASURING

Rule Number One: Do not buy ready- made mix. Homemade is safer and better.

Rule Number Two: Do not add red coloring. The color of the feeder itself attracts the birds, and the dye can be harmful.

Rule Number Three: Hang the feeder where it gets as much shade as possible, and is not reachable by cats.

Tools needed:
A tea kettle for boiling water
A one-quart sauce pan with cover
A one-cup measuring cup
A spoon for mixing
A quart-sized plastic bottle with pourable lid for storage in the refrigerator
And very important, a funnel to pour from one container to another. The containers have small openings, and it is easy to spill.

Mixing method:

Fill the teakettle with fresh water and bring to a boil, then set aside.
Fill the measuring cup with sugar and pour it into the saucepan, then pour in at least 2 cups (estimated) of boiled water, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, and set aside to cool.
Refill the teakettle with fresh water, bring it to a boil again (to be sure it is purified), then set it aside to cool.
When the water has cooled, pour the sugar-water into the plastic container, then fill to the quart mark with the cooled water from the teakettle.
This means that the only measuring you had to do was measuring the sugar into the cup, and filling the remaining space in the refrigerator container to the quart mark.
Just be sure you shake the container a little each time you put new food into the clean hummingbird feeder to be sure it’s well mixed.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PUT FRESH FOOD IN THE FEEDER EVERY SEVEN DAYS. WHEN YOU CLEAN IT, BE SURE TO FILL THE CENTER CUP WITH CLEAN WATER. THIS IS TO KEEP INSECTS FROM GETTING INSIDE TO THE FOOD. ALSO, CLEAN THE ENTIRE FEEDER WITH FRESH RUNNING WATER AND YOUR FINGERS, THEN CLEAN THE EATING HOLES WITH A CLEAN Q-TIP, BOTH FROM THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM.


ARW
6/24/08

What a Lucky Choice!

What a Great Choice!

I just watched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appear to answer questions of the press with regard to the Middle East. She was an enormous improvement over her predecessor. She spoke intelligently and calmly, with a welcoming smile in her eyes as well as on her mouth. Her demeanor respected her guest, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, and her questioners as well, rather than arrogantly speaking down to them.

Her position in life fits her like a suit, and she deserves no place to go but up when President Obama has finished his time in office.

ARW
5/27/09

My Crusade

So you think I am carrying on too much about religion?! Well take some time to think about the crusades the Catholics and the evangelicals are on. Both groups are hell-bent, so to speak, to ram their religious views down the intellectual and spiritual throats of the rest of us. They are doing their damndest, again so to speak, to get their religious views enshrined in the Constitution of the United States, MY Constitution, and I and other people like me are determined not to let that happen.

In looking back over my other blogs on the subject, I find that they continue to indicate the importance of this subject to me. The reason I am writing about it again is that Pres. Obama is now faced with the necessity of choosing another member for the Supreme Court, as well as the opportunity to bring it into more balance with the beliefs of the citizens of this country, who came here from many different countries with multiple races and many disparate beliefs among us. The choice of members of the Supreme Court seldom comes, and George W. Bush added to its imbalance, which in turn has added to the growing schisms which threaten to tear this democracy apart.

There are many atheists like me out here, as well as many people with religious views which are unlike ours and those of Christians, as well as differences within the Christian religion itself. And there are Indian tribes, those from whom this country was stolen by Christians many years ago, many of whom still hold their original beliefs. (For those who do not know, the Indians were named Indians by the people who stole their land because they were heading for India and thought they had reached it.)

Back to THE REALLY BIG SUBJECT AT HAND! The Catholics and the evangelicals, many with little education, want to take away the right to die, a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion (or not), the right of gays to marry in a church willing to marry them, the rights of atheists to run for high office (I think some of the latter already do not exist.)

Addendum 1. The subjects above are unique to the people involved and their families. How they respond is up to them, not to outsiders.

Addendum 2. A woman whose teen-age son is dying of cancer has been in the news lately because she believes in a cure by God, and the state is attempting to force her to let him have medical help which may very well save his life. I find myself on her side in this case. Her religious views are as sacred to her as mine are to me, and her son evidently shares her views. The outcome is up to her and her family to decide. Let them be.

Addendum 3. Has it ever occurred to those who want to exercise their control of any of these subjects, that the world is in terrible shape, due mainly to us?! There are more people on its surface who are destitute than there are those who are rich. The animals, who were created by the same force which created humans are being decimated by humans, with nothing good to replace them. And the only way the earth can even begin to recover is for there to be fewer of us and what we have wrought. God must surely be crying.

5/24/09
The Socialist Atheist

Santa Barbara in Danger

The Jesusita Fire

This is just to let you know that I am being evacuated with my cats by my daughter and my helper because of another threatening fire.

Unlike last year, when the voluntary evacuation line was at Ontare, the next street over from me, this time Ontare is the mandatory evacuation line, and La Cumbre, a couple of streets beyond me in the other direction is now the voluntary evacuation line.

It all means a great deal of work for Autumn, even though one of my helpers has been kind enough to stay beyond her time to help.

So far, no homes or structures have been burned yet, but there are hundreds in imminent danger, and the winds will be very high for several days, and are expected to be extremely erratic.

Just wanted to let you all know what’s going on. Autumn would rather take me and my cats to a friend’s home, but I would much rather go back to her house as I did last time because I am familiar with it. It means more work for her, unfortunately, if I stay at her house.

I hope to God that the thousands of homes that are in danger will make it through safely. I can’t even bear to think of all the animals, both pets and wild, that probably won’t make it.

I’ll get back to you in a few days, I hope.

Anne
5/5/09

The Use of Torture

If Torture Works, God Must Approve

It is utterly fascinating to watch this country mature in its leadership role in relation to the rest of the world. No wonder so many countries hate everything about us; they are just so jealous of our moral and religious values that they do not appreciate the methods we are sometimes forced to use in order to maintain peace among and between nations.

The latest thing that has been questioned is our government’s use of torture in order to converse with citizens from other countries with other beliefs. I heard today that it was our revered ex-Vice President himself who came forth to defend this nation in its time of trial when it is accused of using torture in order to protect us from our many jealous enemies. How can we possibly think of charging him or our beloved ex-President with having condoned a perfectly reasonable means of self-protection?

I wrote recently about the right to bear arms, stating courageously that it is my opinion that anyone of any age be aloud to arm himself. As a result of the ex-Vice President’s defense of a policy in use by the previous administration, I want to add it to my concept of how all Americans can and should put that policy into effect for the present and the future.

Starting with the youngest among us, those who have just come into this world, it is a must that the rest of us begin our training early with regard to our attitudes toward others of our own kind, gradually branching out into our views of the rest of the world. Some of these traits are already beginning to become a regular part of all human beings, as is apparent in young children at school who seem to enjoy tormenting other children just for fun. I was somewhat overweight when I was in the 7th grade, and I remember vividly being called “tub-o-guts” by a group of boys. It was really good practice for them, and I’ll just bet that they all grew up to be devoted gun owners.

But now we live in a very dangerous world, and I can just imagine how hard it would be for someone who hates us to hold back any plans for doing us harm if we just torture him enough. Some of these evil men are really tough, but if you think about how you would react to such treatment, they simply will not be able to hold out, so long as we can hold out on increasing the type and length of the torture. The knowledge by the rest of the world that we engage in torture will certainly get out, which may lead to a slight increase in the use of torture by our enemies, but our cause will prevail, because, as the whole world knows, we are a Christian Nation.

ARW
4/22/09

Same Sex Marriage

The Problem Is Mass Marriage in Public

Marriage is a sacred ceremony to most people, attended by close family and friends. It is a private procedure, made less sacred only when it is an Event publicized for the information and edification of the uninvolved public.

Because same-sex marriage is unusual to most of the public, photographers find it an interesting subject to catch as a large group of newly-married same-sex strangers emerge from a public office and immediately engage in elated kissing on the steps of the building.

If you think about it, however, the same procedure by a large group of heterosexual newlyweds involves the unconnected audience with the same feelings of discomfort. The
occasion becomes a sort of carnival freak show with sexual overtones. The marriage of either couple, whether in a church, a home, or a public office, is and should remain a ceremony attended only by family and friends.

Come off it, those of you who are interested in such displays, and also those of you who cheapen yourselves by participating in such an event.

And especially those of you who feel you have the right to continue to try to determine how the lives of homosexuals should be contained and ruled. And most of you who do this do it in the name of Christ and God. You make me sick!

ARW
4/20/09

Pets in the White House

The New Member? Of the Family

The most amazing demonstration of human incompetence and failure of understanding between human beings and animals that I have ever seen took place today at the White House. Beau, the Portuguese water dog was introduced to the family, and to about 50 obnoxious media photographers, as well as to the world during the poor dog’s first hysterical trip around the spacious outdoor world surrounding his new home.

Evidently neither of the two adult Obamas had ever had a pet, so the dog was as new to them as he was to their children. Either none of the photographers had ever had a dog, either, because they were far more interested in the photos they could get than in what effect their phalanx may have had on the puppy.

Wolf Blitzer, on CNN, asked a “dog whisperer” guest questions that only a person who had never even heard of such an animal would ask. And a woman dog training and performance expert was interviewed in the studio. She had a dog of similar breed and age with her at the time, and the dog wrapped himself around her legs until he had to be removed. Both of these people were involved in training dogs for wealthy families. The man must have been a dog psychiatrist, while the woman emphasized training and obedience.

Beau was introduced to his new environment moments after reaching his new home, and he was too interested in his new and boundless grounds to be bothered by all the ridiculous humans around him. If he had been a timid dog, I cannot think of a more frightening experience for a new dog to go through.

It was obvious that this was an entirely new experience for the Obama family, so I don’t blame the President for making a mistake in judgment. I revere him as a man and a man fit to be my president, so I forgive him for his lack of training in this instance. I hope he will find it an entirely happy period of training for himself, his family, and for Beau.

But it’s not too late! Here is the thing he should have done in the first place, and what he can still do now:

For moral reasons, and especially because it was what he first said he would do, he should have adopted a homeless dog.

He can still do that, both for the sake of the homeless dog, and for Beau’s sake as well! No dog should be the only pet in a home that can afford it. A dog needs a dog companion, just as people need people. NOW is the time to get Beau a companion, before he becomes a spoiled celebrity dog. And there is nothing more devoted than an animal that has been rescued. Pets should be beloved members of a family, not celebrity accoutrements.

And for heaven’s sake, do not have your dog(s) go through a regime of “training and obedience!” Try to train them not to pee on the furniture, but let them be REAL dogs, and love them for their mistakes and their quirks.

As a dog and cat rescuer all my life, most of which I have found abandoned on freeways, I can tell you how desparate is their need and how grateful is their response. I would be very surprised if there is anyone who drives on freeways anywhere who has not seen a lost or abandoned dog walking hopelessly along the road. It breaks my heart to even say that, for it brings back memories of so many that I have rescued, and the few that I was unable to help. One of my most memorable rescues was of a dog trapped between two of the three tunnels between Oakland and Contra Costa County during the morning traffic hours. I got out and opened the back door for him, and he jumped in and put his head lovingly on my shoulder, as the angry driver behind me held his hand furiously on his car horn.

I wish all people would respond the way I and other rescuers do. For those who feel as I do, it is a truly lifelong spiritual experience.

Good luck with your dog(s), Mr. President, and I wish him (them) a long life as beloved pet(s) rather than as another sightseeing experience at the White House.

ARW
4/18/09

Appalling Republican Questioning

Appalling Republican Questioning

I tuned my TV in to the rebroadcast of the hearing on Immigration Activity: Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act today. (Best I could do, but I guess you can find it if you need to.)

It was chaired by Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren, with Republican Rep. Steve King as the ranking member. I could not believe my ears when I realized the direction in which he was going. Thank God that Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Democrat, Illinois 4th Dist., chose to be sure that the hearing and the public could understand what was really going on.

There were three witnesses on the first panel, two Hispanics. One, an older man, has been a citizen for many years. The other, a young man in his twenties, who was born here. The third witness was an American whose daughter and another girl were killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk. The two hispanic men have been arrested or otherwise hassled by law enforecement officers numerous times, chosen because they looked hispanic rather than that they were doing anything wrong. (As an aside, can you imagine how nervous you would be if you were testifying before a government panel, even if it had nothing to do with you?! Talk about courage!)

The other witnesses and the entire panel expressed their sorrow for the father’s loss. But Rep. King chose to dwell on the fact that his daughter had been killed by an illegal immigrant, rather than that she had been killed by a drunk driver.

There are a couple of things that should be pointed out here. First of all, there was a lot of testimony about the fact that most of the people in prison down south are Mexican. They are the only country that borders on ours, except for Canada, a largely white country with a totally different relationship with ours. As the world population (my “favorite” subject) swells, and its resources and education decline, it is desparation that drives peoples all over the world, especially in this case, to seek a different life. It should be obvious that the jails would contain mainly desparate Mexicans. Sure, there are a lot of vicious criminals down there, but the U.S. has its own supply to worry about as well.

Rep. King’s whole point was that if the drunken driver had not gotten here illegally, the dead girls would still be alive. For God’s sake, have you any idea how many people are killed in this country by other natural-born citizens of this country every year?! This hearing was supposed to be about illegal immigration, not drunken driving. That should take place in another court!

ARW
4/4/09

Murder, Mass and Otherwise

GUNS

Well! From the recent news on all the media, there has been a great deal of shooting lately, with increasing mass murders.

I thought the right to bear arms referred to “a well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State.” What that has to do with random shooting and mass murder is not completely clear to me.

If the current use of the right to bear arms is really in accordance with Amendment II, it seems only fair to me that anybody of any sex, any age, and any motivation should feel free to load up!

ARW
4/3/09

Who's the Boss Around Here?

Who’s the Boss Around Here?

There are a multiple of levels of government. Starting from the bottom, they are:

The individual, the family, the town, the state, the nation, and the world.

These are followed by the warring partnes of possibility and probability, closely administered by time.

And then come the two big guys, population and environment. These control what happens in the levels below them. They can be sympathetic and helpful, but when they are aroused, they can become brutal bullies. Already, signs of their growing disgust with the rest of us is apparent in the suffering and hopelessness that is beginning to settle over us like a smothering blanket. They are our neighborhood hoods who like to think that they are entitled to sport with the rest of us, but are ready to wipe us off the face of the earth like broken toys if they get tired of our whining and lack of the guts and know-how that it takes to persevere.

ARW
3/29/09