WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA?

Boooo. Thought I'd start Halloween early. But first I believe I'll ask a generic question. I notice many of my blog friends do not have ads on their pages. Others do. Of those that have them, does anyone ever click on these ads? (I'm thinking about taking them off so my "deathless prose" fits better.) There has been a well published incident where a sweet little old lady (also a tough old broad) had an issue with Comcast Cable and took action into her own hands. Her name is Mona Shaw and she had had enough of the inconsiderate crassness of Comcast Cable Company. She and her husband had been sucked in by Comcast advertising promising her a telephone connection, high speed internet and cable TV (at a ridiculously high price, but then that's the power of advertising). The cable company men did not show up for their appointment on the scheduled day. (Why they should need a day for this relatively simple hook up baffles me.) They did show up two full days later and then did half the job and left. To add insult to injury Comcast cut off all her services two more days later. Comcast is the company that a respected trade publication (Advertising Age) had already written an editorial about pointing out that Comcast should spend less on advertising and more on customer service. Interestingly, a web site had sprung up some time before this incident, called ComcastMustDie.com and it's loaded with complaints from angry consumers. So, Mona and hubby asked to speak to the manager at the Comcast office and are told to have a seat. They wait. And wait. TWO hours later, a receptionist pokes her head out and says the manager has gone home. They should come back another day. I'm sure they were furious. So the two of them stewed over this exceptionally rude treatment for the weekend. (My guess is that the manager had a hot date and didn't want to have to deal with a couple of "Old Farts"). The following Monday, Mona gathered up her husband and a claw hammer and they descended on Comcast headquarters. Hammer time: Shaw storms into the company's office. BAM! She whacks the keyboard of the customer service rep. BAM! Down goes the monitor. BAM! She totals the telephone. People scatter, scream, cops show up and what does she do? POW! A parting shot to the phone! The cops handcuffed this 75 year old woman. Apparently, the brave police officers were afraid of this older, small woman. She started hyperventilating and they called the EMTs for help. They put her on a gurney and got her to the lockup safely. She got a three month suspended sentence for disorderly conduct and was ordered to repay $345 in damages to Comcast. Oh yeah, she has a year long restraining order barring her from the Comcast office. Oh, and yes, Mona and Don have their telephone now. With Verizon. The link to whole story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/17/AR2007101702359.html So what does this have to do with the header? I see it as a symptom, not an isolated incident, of a debilitating change in the very spirit of America. A further widening of the gap between the different classes (and, yes, America has classes) A typical big business attitude has been both fostered and promulgated by various political stratagems and the greedy attitudes of a minority of Americans. The majority of Yanks do not like this country the way it is now. It is not the country they were taught to believe in. There are erudite articles pointing out that money equals power and that gathering power is all that will satisfy this minority. (The header will take you to such a well written article.) We've had a bout of being lied to by our powerful politicians and presidents. Memory recalls Richard Nixon lying about his knowledge of Watergate. Bill Clinton lying about whether he had sex with a female, other than his wife, in the White House. Dubya lying about WMDs. Senators and Congress men lying about where their funds come from. I am willing to vote for anyone, who is NOT an incumbent. They can't be anymore incometent and dishonest than what we have now. I'm trying to figure out how to get the rest of America to try this.

SCHOTZY RIDES AGAIN

This is just to prove some dogs can operate computers, too. Naturally, they're not as good at it as cats, but we cut them slack. Catmoves went to bed early tonight, so I'm filling for him. Actually, he and Mum went to a casino last night and they didn't get home 'til way late. But we got snacks when they did finally get back. Mum gave them to us. C only looked morose. Mum smiled like crazy. Now don't forget to click on the header. Something new to me that I don't think I'd like at all. But you big two legged cats might. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Here's a link you might enjoy. Just one thing: click on the nose after it loads. http://people.ambrosiasw.com/~andrew/funny/piggy.swf * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write - and they won't let me talk!" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * C tells this story on himself: I was on vacation, playing the slot machines. It was my first time in a casino, and I wasn't sure how the machines operated. "Excuse me." I said to a casino employee. "How does this work?" The worker showed me how to insert a bill, hit the spin button, and operate the release handle. "And where does the money come out?" I asked. He smiled and motioned to a far wall before saying, "Usually at the ATM." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Wild Thing called C as she was driving to an appointment. She arrived, and I could tell from her voice that she was getting frustrated. Finally, she said, "I know I had my cell phone with me. And now I can't find it!" C replied, "Aren't you talking on it?" There was a solid period of stunned silence as the reality of the situation sank in - followed by, "You are NOT going to tell anybody about this!" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Ten Cat-mandments: 1. I am the Lord of thy house. 2. Thou shall have no other pets before me. 3. Thou shalt not ever ignore me. 4. I shall ignore thou when I feel like it. 5. Thou shalt be grateful that I even give thou the time of day. 6. Remember my food dish and keep it full. 7. Thou shalt spend most of thy money on toys and gifts for me. 8. Thou shalt always have thy lap ready for me to curl up in. 9. Thou shalt shower me with love and attention upon demand. 10. Above all, thou shalt do anything and everything it takes to keep me happy.

---

That's all for now. I'm going to curl up in the big bed and make one or both of them groan. And move for me.

ARE YOU READY FOR A QUIZ?

Hi, this is Schotzy again. Catmoves is snoring in the other room so I'm filling in for him. And there'd better be a kipper or ground beef in it for me. . That's a picture of a friend waiting for the game to start. --------> . The clickable header doesn't mean much to me. It isn't in 3-D. But there's lots there. . MORNING SEX She was in the kitchen preparing to boil eggs for breakfast. He walked in, she turned and said,"You've got to make love to me this very moment." His eyes lit up and he thought "This is my lucky day!" Not wanting to lose the moment, he embraced her and then gave it his all, right there on the kitchen table. Afterwards she said, "Thanks" and returned to the stove. More than a little puzzled, he asked, "What was that all about?" She explained "The egg timer is broken." . Can't beat this new bumpersticker sentiment; "I WISH HILLARY HAD MARRIED O.J." . The Maid asks for a raise. The Madam was very upset about this and asked: "Now Maria, why do you want an increase?Maria: "Well Madam, there are three reasons why I want an increase. The first is that I iron better than you." Madam: "Who said you iron better than me?" Maria: "The Master said so." Madam: "Oh." Maria: "The second reason is that I am a better cook than you." Madam: "Nonsense, who said you were a better cook than I?" Maria: "The Master did." Madam: "Oh." Maria: "My third reason is that I am a better lover than you." Madam (very upset now): "Did the Master say so as well?" Maria: "No Madam, the gardener did." SHE GOT THE PAY RAISE . A little girl had just finished her first week of school."I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother."I can't read, I can't write -and they won't let me talk!" . "The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." - Eric Hoffer, American Author . THE CAT COMMANDMENTS

I am the Lord of thy house.

1. Thou shall have no other pets before me.
2. Thou shalt not ever ignore me.
3. I shall ignore thee whenever I feel like it.
4. Thou shalt be grateful that I even give thou the time of day.
5. Remember my food dish and keep it full.
6. Thou shalt spend most of thy money on toys and gifts for me.
7. Thou shalt always have thy lap ready for me to curl up in.
8. Thou shalt shower me with love and attention upon my demand.
9. Above all, thou shalt do anything and everything it takes to keep me happy.

BILL RICHARDSON, BEST OF THE CARPETBAGGERS?

Pictures enlarge when clicked on. Header takes you somewhere when clicked on. (It might make you spend some time on it, but I thought it was pretty good.) The blogger likes being clicked on. The New Mexico governator, Bill Richardson, wants you to waste your vote on him. It must seem like a good idea to his sycophants, but I'd much rather use my vote on a man who might do some good for this country. I promise to let you know when I find him. Yes, I said man. Honest. I do have some knowledge of Bill's capabilities, having lived in New Mexico longer than he has. Lots longer. (No, I'm not going to tell you how long. Suffice it to say that I am familiar with Indian smoke signals.) New Mexico is one of the most sparsely settled states. There are about two million people living here, so the census tells us. As for size, we're the sixth largest state in the union. And we're a mix of so many folks from all over the world that it's difficult to tell where some of us originated. But we know, now, where the governator originated. He was born in California. His mother was a Mexican national, his father an American national. (Mom went back to Mexico to live.) Governor Richardson refers to himself as "the child of an American father and a Mexican mother". This is often distorted by journalists and others who refer to the Governor as "half-American, half-Mexican", when in fact, the Governor's American-national father was born in Nicaragua, son of an American-born father and a Mexican mother, thus making Bill Richardson one-quarter American (specifically Massachusetts and Maine Yankee) and three-quarters Mexican. There. That's out of the way. Unless the facts change. Sometimes they do. As you'll see here. Good ole Billy (who seems to have put on 20+ pounds and developed an even more slack jawed appearance) is busy, busy, busy on the campaign trail. Well, at least he's been busy raising funds for his campaign. (The fund trail?) He pointed out that "...it's impossible to raise money in July and August. We'll go down a little bit. July and August is the summer months." Shades of Dubya English. Some facts sure to lose him votes and contributions from New Mexico: The presidential candidate Bill, wants to slash (not just reduce) the nuclear weapons budget by 53%. The governator Bill not only wants to prevent cuts but raise the spending 4% in that same program. The first thing that comes to my mind? Bipolar reasoning. He's against something while wearing one hat, for it, wearing another. Ye gods. He wants to cut our defense budget by 57 billion dollars. All the while we're fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (and lord knows where else) costing billions of dollars a day. I keep remembering my history books pointing out that America was not prepared for either World War I nor World War II. Many lives were lost because of that fact. If presidential Bill is successful, it's estimated that more than 3,000 high paying jobs would be lost here in New Mexico alone. And that's likely a low estimate. Think about the people working to support those working in research. Lots and lots of jobs will be lost. But, it might help give Bill a boost since his pose is virtually a carbon copy of an Iowa Priorities Caucus Project paper. The governator Bill, the guy who proposed and implemented the farcical Rail Runner Express commuter train, recently vetoed a tax increase plan to keep the train running. You might recall that Bill really pushed for that choo choo. And he got it. (And it's killed several people who tried to beat the train to a crossing and lost.) Anyway, Bill enabled tax legislation allowing for an increase for the railroad, but at the beginning of October, he stunned a fellow Democrat by saying no to any such tax forever. Tim Jennings (D-Roswell) was surprised. He said, "Maybe the Governor's just distracted. I think he wants to be known as the tax-cutting governor, not the tax-raising governor." Hahahaha. Even funnier, Gilbert Gallegos ( a Richardson spokesman) said "that it was not contradictory for the governor to shoot down the tax proposition despite having signed legislation allowing such a tax." Not contradictory? Does that mean it is a situation in which inherent factors, actions, or propositions are not inconsistent? More hahahas. The Rail Runner is expected to lose more than $20 million a year when it is extended to go to Santa Fe. We were told, when the train was first brought up, that it would lose about 1 million a year. My, my. Don't things change? To be fair, about $8 million of the present operating cost of $9.5 million is paid by the federal government, but that funding disappears in 2009. Our presidential candidate doesn't talk about New Mexico's future much. We're running into a funding gap for our highway system estimated somewhere around a half billion. Critics fear that Rail Runner costs will eat into these needed funds. But Bill isn't scared. Oh, yeah, that guy Gallegos said Richardson didn't have any other other options in mind for the train problem. And this is the man they want to put in charge of our countrys' economy? It seems to me that this carpetbagger needs to find another state to screw up. New Mexico is looking into the jaws of bankruptcy and he's spending millions on a campaign that must, and will, fail. I don't wish him on others, just wish him away from here. I wonder if he could run for president of Mexico? This was Chapter One.