18 Wednesday Nov 2015
Posted in An Island in the Storm, Essays, fundamentalism, GOP lunacy, Immigration, Immigration, Islamophobia, Jesus, Muslim, Politics, right wing, Satire, Syria, teabaggers, terrorism, Uncategorized
14 Saturday Mar 2015
Posted in Essays, Inspirational, Iran
If you know me you know that I value education more than just about anything. For most of us, education is available at the tip of a finger. It can be formal or not as the seeker chooses. It is largely free. There is no excuse for being ignorant.
Such is not the case everywhere. The people who don’t value education are ideologues. They are content in their beliefs, and education tends to upset that. They assault education by various guises by trying to label it as “liberal” or fantasy of one sort or another in some attempt to make it go away. So fearful are they that they ridicule it. Equality issues suffer from this onslaught and so do things like climate change.
A Facebook friend of mine alerted me to an instance of education suppression that is both appalling and telling. Telling because it so mimics what is going on in America today in certain conservative pockets in the country. That is, the attempt to rewrite history in some fashion that is deemed acceptable to a particular ideological mindset. In Texas and Kansas and Oklahoma, efforts go on to adjust American history to better suit the vision of the right-wing. This includes artificially creating a “Christian” framework to the foundation of this country, to downplaying America’s very real aggressions and misdeeds over the years.
Similarly Iran has tried to eliminate voices of education of “not the right sort” in its country.
One such voice is Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE). The Bahá’í faith values education and achieved a 100% literacy rate among women in Iran by 1973.
In 1979, the new regime in Iran expelled all Bahá’í professors and students from their universities. There are only four religions accepted in Iran today, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. In 1987, BIHE was formed, teaching mostly through correspondence. It continues today online, albeit with a lot of care being taken avoid detection.
People who are members of the faith or involved in educational matters are subject to arrest as “spies” and purveyors of propaganda. The public, both professional and lay, has spoken out in dismay at this suppression of the right to be educated.
Today, graduates gain acceptance in graduate programs throughout the world, and in at least 30 universities within the US. This is testimony enough of the seriousness of the educational work being done “underground” in Iran.
This feels eerily like some of the rhetoric coming out of areas of the US today, where it now seems that one must be a Christian to be eligible to run for any government position, and one’s version of Christianity is now picked over and defined as good enough or not by some elements. The proof is in the right-wing belief in this country that our President is not “really a Christian” or not a good enough one to suit their evangelical proclivities.
The young people of Iran are in, as we all know, a repressive religion based regime, similar to the theocratic state that some want to erect in this country. In fact there have been articles in just the past day of the similarities in philosophy of the writers of a certain “open” letter to the Iranian regime, and the philosophy of that regime itself. Such is always the case when religion turns to its most extreme and “purifying” forms.
Those caught in the middle of course are all the sincere believers wherever they may be who are judged as blasphemers or apostates because they don’t align with the created principles of the dominant interpretation. Such are the Bahá’í faith adherents in general, and students who merely want an education, in particular.
If you want to help Bahá’í students, I urge you most sincerely to go to Education is not a crime. There you can find easy and effect ways to register your dismay and urge increasing pressure on the Iranian government to stop this absurd and ugly repression of education.
Join the Facebook Page.
Buy a t-shirt.
My deepest thanks to Darcy Lewis for bringing this to my attention. I had previously read a small bit about the faith and found it elegant, peaceful, and intellectually challenging. This is a good cause folks, and I hope you will take a few moments to offer assistance to the people of Iran in their struggle for what for you and I consider easy–to simply learn the truth.
12 Thursday Sep 2013
Posted in Archaeology, Astronomy, Crap I Learned, Essays, Evolution, Human Biology, Psychology, science, Syria
Tags
cosmology, evolution, foreign affairs, genius, Good stuff to know, mind, pseudo-scientists, science, Syria, Writers
A lot of disparate thoughts travel through this brain case I can safely inform you. You know me well enough to recognize the dangers of entering into my sandbox of synaptic pleasures. I’m either hopelessly unfocused or a cobbled together unrecognized genius. Some days it’s more one, other days, well.
I’ve come to see it as a blessing of sorts. At least I try to see it that way. I should have been a college professor, but of course that but begs the question–on what subject?
Any the hoo, I have a lot of thoughts about Syria but not a lot of coalesced conclusions, so I’ll beg off at the moment. Is it too trite and cowardly to just say, I’m conflicted?
I had a bizarre discussion with fellow high-school mates about the issue of spanking as discipline which proved to me once again how easy it is to stay with ideas that are both comfortable and supported by simplistic memes that denote little if any critical thinking. More and more I conclude that indeed advances in the human condition are the result of a very few minds indeed, and put into place by mostly brain-dead human hordes who are spoon fed some “reason” for implementing them.
If all that sounds rather cloudy and vague, well, it’s a cloudy and vague day here in Las Cruces. It’s been raining off and on for several days, which is highly unusual, at least for us recent arrivals–we saw so little rain last year that it made one appreciate water as a life-giving commodity surely. This year, we were told, as of Monday at least we had not yet received four inches of the wet stuff, and we might get at least that during this week. Since the desert is nothing but sand covering a rock hard-pan, the danger in these parts is floods in low-lying areas. Water races to its lowest place and rushes along, making gullies and rivulets through the desert. These become ditches or arroyos as we call them here, and eventually the Grand Canyon if you can stick around that long.
So anyway, here are some things I’ve read this week that you might find interesting.
Vlad, who appears to be in the driver’s seat at the moment internationally that is, has some things to say and said them in the NYTimes.
It’s an interesting “open letter to the American people“. Part propaganda, part history lesson, part chutzpah, it is worth a couple of minutes to read.
Having a power mad ex-president of the Communist party and ex-KGB officer, Putin deigns to give America a lesson in democracy. One can but admire the rich irony of that alone!
What he has to say about the subject of exceptionalism is worth reading. There is truth in those words.
As I said, my thoughts on the subject of Syria are unclear. That Putin wants to be a “player” is clear. What it will cost is not so clear.
A man so determined to show off his “masculinity” bespeaks something surely. What that is, I am not at all sure of.
¤
I did mention the possibility that I am a hidden genius didn’t I?
That is almost surely a good reason for concluding that I am not.
Like “hero” we bandy about the word genius rather loosely these days.
If you would like to read an interesting take on what genius is and is not, then read I Dream of Genius over at Commentary. I found it a good read.
At least you can see if those you think of as geniuses are what the author does.
¤
If you would like to look at the mind in a different way, a more evolutionary way perhaps then you might want to pick up a new book out there by E. O Wilson, emeritus professor of biology at Harvard.
If you are unsure of whether you want to invest in The Social Conquest of Earth, then you can read through a review of the book from The Spectator.
HINT: once more we are compared to insects. All it all, it looks worthy of some good reading and some very good thinking ahead if you opt in. The review is not favorable on Wilson’s book. See if you agree. In either case, it seems a worthwhile read.
¤
Cosmic archaeology, need I say more?
Some say that aliens have looked and found us. But there is a thriving scientific community that spends its time looking for them. This is way more than looking for Goldilocks planets my friends, much more.
This is the type of scientific speculation that leads young boys and girls to dream of going into space, and leads them to enrolling in our best science and technology universities.
Come and dream for a few minutes. What can it hurt?
Go and read Distant Ruins.
¤
What happens when we both hear and see something? Do these two senses work together to enhance our fact gathering?
Is there a hierarchy of the senses? Do some matter more? Does one?
Oh I’m sure in the late recesses of a bleak and cold winter’s night, you too have asked this question.
So go and get the answer: Who did you hear, Me, or your lying eyes?
HINT: You might just have been McGurked!
¤
Another thing I imagine you’ve given a lot of thought to is why we are so fascinated by the lives of the writers we read and admire. I mean how much has been written about the life of Hemingway for instance? Are we not enthralled with the secret world of Proust, or Dickinson? How about Emerson or Fitzgerald? Balzac? Oh come now, you know you are curious.
A biography writer, shares some thoughts on what we can and cannot learn about those whose words cause us to depart this reality and enter another, one that sometimes we would rather inhabit.
Good reading here.
¤
Finally, if you have ever had the occasion to be “linked” to a “scientist” or other “expert” on something like global warming or evolution, or biblical literalness, American exceptionalism, the Judeo-Christian roots of American government, or similar things, you know what you are up against.
If you had the resources and or time to do the research, you would almost surely find that most of these experts are anything but. Some our out-and-out failures who can be bought for a price, others are traveling into areas for which they have no formal expertise at all, and others are simply grifters, ready always to make a buck upholding any cockamamie “theory” that comes down the pike.
There is a great little site called Encyclopedia of American Loons. You can look up the biography of a startlingly large group of imposters and get the real low down on what they know and don’t know. An invaluable site. Since they seem to be novice bloggers I asked to them add the widget for a search engine and they have. Now you can enter a name and find out if they have bio’ed him or her. Or if you just want some fun reading, just go read a few.
So, now that I have solved all your reading needs for the weekend, I’ll leave you to it, with promises of more to come.
18 Saturday May 2013
Posted in Brain Vacuuming, Congress, Crap I Learned, Foreign Affairs, GOP, Humor, Libya, Satire, teabaggers, US Government
I’ve long wondered at the seeming inability of the GOP to remember that we actually keep records of “that stuff”. They continue to forget that. I give a pass to the typical TeaPotter who is so ill-informed that they are left with nothing but misspelled phrases that they either paint on cardboard signs or attempt to regurgitate from memory. They can’t be expected to actually, you know, KNOW history.
As you know doubt know, the GOP has been looking for a way for five long years now to bury this president. All of their schemes have come to naught for quite obvious reasons, but even when we thought things might, just might, return to some semblance of normalcy after their debacle of 2012, well, sadly they learned nothing.
Some of their own kind (Pat Toomey) even admit, that their membership so hates this man that they will vote NO on legislation as publicly supported as universal background checks. So of course we expected that rottweiler of a thug, Darrell Issa to continue his determination to find SOMETHING that can bring down this administration.
Benghazi was their choice, aided and abetted by one John S. McCain, who had a personal vendetta and was more than willing to rattle the sabre of “coverup” at least as it pertained to Susan Rice, a woman we can now categorically say was unfairly maligned and mistreated by Johnny and his misogynist guy pal, Ms. Lindsey.
Let me just say this simply. The Benghazi “scandal” is nothing more than a witch hunt. And history explains it all to us.
Darrell “my brother did it” Issa is chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. That is, innocent as it sounds, a very powerful committee, and one Issa has used since 2010 when he assumed chairmanship, to conduct endless hearings into the Obama administration, hoping to find ANYTHING that can be used to harass and drive from office the Negro in the White House.
It is also the only committee that is allowed to issue subpoenas under the chairman’s signature only. However, this has seldom been the practice. Normally, given that grave power, the Chairman has sought the agreement of a full committee vote before so proceeding. This has been the case except for only two occasions in modern times. Hint: this is where the history gets important.
The most notable occasion when the Chairman took sole control over subpoenas was under the chairmanship of Dan Burton, (R-IN). Mr. Burton had a serious case of the ass against one William J. Clinton. Like Darrell, Dan fairly lit up the committee with his constant and outlandish claims of wrongdoing.
This resulted in a scandal of course–Mr. Burton spend years, over 1,000 subpoenas, and 7 million bucks of taxpayer money, trying to prove that there was scandal to be found in the fund-raising practices of the Democratic Campaign organization. Copies of audio tapes from a “witness” were released. Later it was determined that the tapes had been severely “edited” to appear quite different from their original content. Burton fired committee staff man David Bossie, the supposed “editor”.
However, the scandal went further, and finally, there were calls for Burton to step down himself. He never did of course.
Well, here we go again.
Mr. Issa decided that Burton’s sole possessor of the subpoena was a good thing, and re-instituted the practice again. This brought a rather lengthy and well-reasoned letter from Elijah Cummings, ranking minority leader on the committee, and a man with a memory. He pointed out that unilateral usage of the power of subpoena had gotten the GOP into serious trouble once before, and it was better to return to the normal and regular practice of bipartisan issuance of these orders.
Of course, Mr. Issa declined rational behavior and has as we all know run a one-man-show of Obama attack. And the expected result has occurred.
For weeks the GOP has harped that the Obama White House was engaged in a cover-up regarding Benghazi. That cover-up has never been spelled out well, but it seems to have revolved around the White House changing the talking points (which implicated Rice somehow), to protect the State Department (and Hillary Clinton) from being accused of malfeasance.
This claim was bolstered by information from e-mails circulated between the parties involved. We were told this by the GOP. Jonathan Karl broke the story for ABC, claiming as the GOP had alleged, that State Department officials had participated in changing the talking points, along with the White House. Karl implied that he had seen the emails himself and “quoted” from them.
When the true emails were brought forth, they told a different story–one that indicated that neither the White House nor the State Department had played a part in the versions discussed and finally issued by the CIA for distribution (i.e. to Susan Rice). Now of course Karl claims he never actually saw any e-mails but his “source” shared “notes” with him of what he/she read.
The fair meaning of what Karl claimed and the actual truth leave little doubt that there was a deliberate attempt to portray the White House and State Department in a bad light and to provide proof that they had acted politically with the intent to deceive. Since the e-mails were the subject of subpoenas, the likely “source” is undoubtedly someone on Issa’s committee.
It is ironic in the end that all this Benghazi “scandal” has been in part to dirty the White House, but also to begin the long process of discrediting Mrs. Clinton. While nobody is all that surprised by the GOP’s doing that, it must be remembered that when all efforts were directed toward destroying the President, the GOP actually held Mrs. Clinton up as the “ray of sunshine” in the otherwise dismal Obama landscape.
Now that the President seems invincible to their machinations, Clinton, the new threat, became the new target.
It’s all so predictable.
And that is what needs be investigated it seems–why are my tax monies being used to manufacture scandals for Republican political gain?
Riddle me that Batman.
09 Thursday May 2013
Posted in An Island in the Storm, Congress, Foreign Affairs, GOP, Humor, Libya, Satire, teabaggers, terrorism, US Government
Tags
Here we go again. Everybody hold tight because this merry-go-round is speeding around the curve and headed for–well just about anything that the GOP imagination can dream up.
In a valiant attempt to turn a mole hill into a mountain, Republican Tea Snorters are busy twisting and feigning shock and awe at the shameful and deliberate attempt by the Obama Administration to get “brave Americans” murdered by, well, you know, their true friends.
If one reads the headlines of the extreme-stream media, here is what you will find:
“Benghazi Witness: First Time in my Career that a Diplomat Has more balls than somebody in the Military.”
“Benghazi revelations today could obliterate Obama’s Credibility and Sink Hillary’s 2016 ambitions.”
“Issa seeks more whistle blowers after dramatic Benghazi hearing.”
“Two key witnesses refuse to testify at Benghazi hearing.”
“Benghazi Makes Watergate look like kindergarten: The End of Obama”
“Hillary perjured herself on Benghazi?”
“Benghazi Whistleblower: You Should have Seen what Clinton Tried to do to us that night.”
And on and on it goes.
Here’s what I think we know at this point.
The bottom line to me here is simply. The Benghazi outpost was under-secured. Certainly the GOP bears SOME responsibility for that fact as do congressional Democrats who agreed that they didn’t need additional funds. There was apparently not good plans in place for an emergency like this. There should have been.
Beyond that, it was a sad tragedy. But let us remember. Americans are dying around the world every day. They are dying in service to the country, and as employees of corporations doing business in dangerous places. These four were doing their jobs. They perhaps did not receive the full support they should have, but such is life in dangerous occupations. I don’t mean to minimize it, but it should not be overstated either.
The GOP tried to make this into some scandal during the fall of 2012 to hurt the chances of the President to be re-elected, and enhance their candidates chances. That didn’t happen. Now they see polling that suggests that Hillary Clinton, if the nominee will beat any Republican so far put forth, easily and soundly.
Is it hard to see why this is happening now? Of course not. This is just an attempt to dirty up Clinton and force her to not run.
That’s my take on it.
And what is yours?
Republicans are united in their insanity that this will lead to impeachment.
Do you?
23 Saturday Mar 2013
Posted in An Island in the Storm, Budget, Diego, Gay Rights, GOP, Humor, Immigration, Individual Rights, Life in the Foothills, Media, Middle East, Satire, teabaggers
Tags
2016 election, activist judges, immigration, Israel, life in the foothills, obesity in America, rebranding the GOP, Ryan budget
Now that is something a decent retired person should not have to say, yet I find myself doing it. It’s been a busy week and today is the first day that I have not had some errand, or several to run. I’m fairly ecstatic.
The Contrarian is off to buy potting stuff, I bought a bunch of flowers and plants yesterday. I also got most of my herbs. Hopefully I can get them in later today. I’m waiting for the lemon curd to get cold and stiffen up before I finish the lemon cake. I’m not busy as you can see.
Diego continues to astound. He takes his job as paper boy very seriously, now waking us at 5:00 am should he hear a car go by. He is still having trouble differentiating the delivery man from the casual driver out for a spin before dawn.
He races eagerly out to the drive, looks around, finds nothing, then heads for the neighbors to see if there is a paper there. Finding none, he returns home, only to insist upon going through this scenario about every fifteen minutes.
Today, a new breakthrough occurred. After his first two trips were unsuccessful, it being Saturday and all, he had the fortuitous luck to meet the delivery guy on his third trip. As the guy pulled up to stop and extended his arm to through the paper, Diego bounded forth and took it from his hand. The guy thought this enormously fun, and waved and chuckled as he drove off.
Diego, of course will now want to sit out from about 4 am waiting his delivery. It is still unclear whether the Contrarian shares his eagerness to await the grand arrival.
There is nothing “new” about the New Ryan Budget. Just more of the same.
Seriously repeal Obamacare?
Seriously?
Yet Boehner the Orange will claim that it’s another “passed” budget out of the House.
We can pass one that says unicorns are now free to buy property too, and that stands as likely a chance of getting passed in the Senate.
They keep running the mantra that the “American people” wouldn’t have elected a majority of Republicans to the House if they didn’t believe in Republican fiscal principles.
No, franking the word gerrymandering comes to mind when I look for an explanation of why the GOP retained the House.
Bloomberg’s attempt to reduce the size of sugary drinks in NYC, didn’t fare too well before the courts.
Sarah of course appeared at CPAC carrying and sucking on her Big Gulp, all to show victory over stupid liberals and their attempts to control what we stuff in our mouths.
It wasn’t that many decades ago when getting fit was a national event, and nobody suggested that the government shouldn’t play a part.
Now it’s some conspiracy.
The Right thrive on conspiracies. I’m sure some bright Republican entrepreneur will soon open a shop for selling conspiracies. “We will design the conspiracy that’s right for you!” “Everything you don’t like can be explained by a conspiracy. Get your’s now!”
Meanwhile (god I love that segue), Republicans are busy rebranding themselves.
Trouble is, they are still caught up in the shall we drink tea or return to good scotch?
CPAC was a perfect example of speaker after speaker coming forth and starting with “Forget what he/she said, what we really need to do is. . . .”
I think it’s best if the scotch drinkers just lock the doors and refuse admittance to the tea boat folks. After all, they are none too smart, and surely cold turkey is best doncha think? (NO not wild turkey!)
Republicans have yet to learn the lesson that judges appointed for life, tend to have a mind of their own.
Your concerns are theirs about as long as it takes to confirm them. Then, well they have other concerns.
Sometimes those concerns don’t involve your petty social bigotries.
It’s funny to hear the Right lament their “conservative” judicial appointments as now activitists.
Some are so angry and so utterly devoid of constitutional knowledge that they suggest that the SCOTUS, after all is just an “opinion”, and one they need not follow.
Yeah, like evolution is just a “theory”.
The GOP can’t seem to find its way on immigration either. The Tea People want them all deported.
The GOP wants to win an election someday that is larger than a state.
Never the twain shall meet.
The compromise is permanent residence status, or as South Africa calls it, “the good old days.”
On a side note, I hear tell, (have no confirmed, but heck it’s too good not to be true) that Michelle Malkin is an anchor baby herself, born in this country to ” immigrants” who were then allowed to apply for citizenship because their daughter was a natural citizen.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Right-Wing pundits. Malkin is known for her rabid hatred of immigrants who have children and then apply for citizenship through the child. She opposed citizenship for anyone simply by being born in this country. Doncha just love it?
Oh please, even the GOP can do better than this.
Santorum ain’t done yet. And perhaps we can get Sarah to make a run.
Please this can’t be all they can come up with.
They are just salivating for Hillary.
Funny thing, is so are we.
She beats every one of them in head to head polling.
Maybe an Allen West will stick his black heart in (and I do no black not Black). Oh please God, do have a sense of humor once more.
The far right thought the Obama trip to Israel would go badly. If you don’t believe me, fast backward to the crazy sites in anticipation of the trip and read the comments.
It’s a bit like Bill Clinton. The right was chewing towels when Clinton escaped the “trap” laid by the GOP and his popularity soared.
The reactionary Right continues to predict disaster in Obama’s relationship with Israel, except that by all accounts he wowed them as usual.
It must make them mad. I bet they spend the evening loading rounds in the basement and checking once again if they have enough spam to withstand the “insurrection” that is coming any day now.
09 Saturday Mar 2013
Tags
corporations, drones, economy, Individual Rights, North Korea, Scalia, SCOTUS, wealthy
The Stock Market hit a new high.
Corporate profits are probably at all-time highs as well.
The people who do the work? Not so much.
Between 1979 and 2007 59.9% of gains in income went to the top 1%, 36.7% alone going to the top 0.1%. During that period, gains by the 90%? A mere 8.6%.
Productivity has increased since 1950 by 254%. During that same period, wages went up 113%, and most of that increase occurred by 1975. Productivity, on the other hand, has risen steadily and continues to rise.
The response of the corporate board room to the recession has been to find more efficient ways to accomplish their target goals. They devote their R and D to the purpose of creating a cheaper way to make their product. Cheaper never involves hiring workers. They would make their products devoid of human workers if that were possible. Machines don’t require health care benefits and pensions. They don’t need money devoted to safe working conditions and lunch breaks.
Don’t tell me, please that corporations are job creators. They are profit creators, and hiring is now the last resort to accomplishing that goal. That’s why Wall Street is doing so well, and yet the unemployment figures are still so high. It’s got zero to do with regulations or very little. It’s got very little to do with “uncertainty” about what the buffoons in Congress are going to do. It’s got to do with profit. There is no morality here. It’s not part of the capitalistic model.
Meanwhile, there was this farcical drama in North Korea.
The pity is that the media thought any of this worthy to report upon. Dennis Rodman is a delightful entertainer. As an intellectual, well, he leaves a great deal to be desired.
His “opinion” is about as useful as that of a three-year-old. And I like the dude. He’s had a tough life as a kid, and he’s managed to make a good life for himself. I give him credit.
Kim? Oh good lord, he never got spanked as a child, that is certain. And I’m not much for corporal punishment either.
But he definitely needed spanking. In fact he needs spanking now. He’s always in the middle of a tantrum.
And dude, find a new barber. That haircut is silly. Seriously.
It’s hard to judge this Supreme Court. I’m not sure if we haven’t had this kind of horror before, when the Court was filled with really nutty people who make a mockery of the Constitution.
The Dred Scot Court comes to mind. That must have been an awful one.
But it would be hard to argue that this one is close to the top of the list of really awful benches.
Scalia is an intellectual joke, playing word games about original intent of the Framers, when all it comes down to is his personal disgusting beliefs.
Calling the right to vote a “racial entitlement”. And then suggesting that instead of testing a law against the Constitution, he has a new job–doing the dirty work for Congress, meaning that Congress is too beholden to special interests and can’t do the “right” thing because it might cost them an election.
So Scalia to the rescue. Doing the “right” thing. What a douche.
Let me get this straight.
Some Republicans are all upset at the use of drones against US citizens.
Got that.
No Republicans ever raised this issue when Bush starting using them.
Don’t get that.
In American courts, EVERYone, citizen or not, is gets the same rights.
Got that.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith is arrested in Turkey. He is moved from Turkey to Jordan (Turkey prohibits the extradition of prisoners to those few countries that still practice the use of the death penalty and we are one of THOSE countries) and then transported from Jordan to the US for trial.
Got that.
Republicans are incensed because he can’t be interrogated properly except at Guantanamo (he was interrogated by an elite force of experts in Turkey and talked to the tune of some 20 pages), and because he is a bad dude and has no right to the rights granted him in our civilian courts.
Don’t get that.
Morality sure winds a crooked course in the Republican mind. And incidentally, in a good many Democratic ones as well.
Just a word about something I care about.
I am now the Sunday morning cat adoption “cleaner” for Pet Smart. I do this through a local adoption group in my area called A.W.A.R.E. What I learned is that Pet Smart joins with local animal groups across the country to adopt out animals. That’s a good thing.
My job is to clean the cages, feed and water where these cats live, and to play with them as much as I wish while I’m there. This is done twice a day, seven days a week, all serviced by volunteers.
My only point here, is that if you are interested in adopting a kitten, think of them as a source. You are not getting a “kitten” mill animal, but one that has been rescued and needs a good home. Prices are typically $50, and all animals are already spayed or neutered and have all their shots. In some cases the animals may come from the local shelter. You will probably get a bit better animal, since these kittens get more socialization than those typically housed in shelters.
I have no agreements of any kind with Pet Smart or A.W.A.R.E. in return for these statements. It’s only because I care about the animals. Perhaps other pet stores do the same. I haven’t inquired.
Existential Ennui 