PetSugar

50 Emergency Uses for Your Camera Phone

tdsollog — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:05:29 -0700

50 Emergency Uses for Your Camera Phone by Paul Purcell In an emergency you'll not only need to provide and receive help, but after the event is over, you'll face the prospect of return, repair, and rebuilding. Central to all these activities is communication and documentation. Everything in our society carries a heaping helping of red tape, and disasters are no different. Below are 50 of the many ways one simple tool, in this case the camera phone, can be used in an emergency to help you document, record, and relay some of your more important pieces of information.
Granted, any camera could be used for some of the things listed below, but the phonecam carries a distinct advantage with it. It can immediately transmit the pictures it takes. If you don't have a phonecam, that's okay. Go with what you have, or with what you can afford. Disposable film cameras and digital cameras are acceptable, and microcassette recorders that will let you record information verbally are useful as well. However, the phonecam rules, so let's look at ways yours can be used in an emergency. The following are excerpts from our book "Disaster Prep 101" found at www.disasterprep101 .com.
1. Last minute child ID. Whenever the family might be separated, take a series of last-minute pictures of all family members, especially the kids, and also the pets. You might need this to reunite the family later.
2. Draw a map, shoot it, send it. Trying to send or receive directions to or from a certain location and voice directions just aren't cutting it? Draw a map on paper, take a picture, and send.
3. Injury photos to the doctor. Suppose you're in a situation where you can't get to help and they can't get to you, and someone's sick or injured. If there are visible signs or symptoms, your phonecam can relay these to medical personnel who can walk you through whatever treatment is possible where you are.
4. Damage documentation for insurance. In mass catastrophes, it'll be days or longer before even the first insurance adjusters get there to file claims on your behalf. Photo all the damage you can in case some of it gets repaired or cleaned up before your agent arrives.
5. Report suspicious activity. Are you part of a neighborhood watch group? If you see suspicious activity, you can upload pictures of suspects and the situation to the Police immediately.
6. "Here's the landmark I'm near." In an emergency, gathering with the family at a "rendezvous point" is one of the most critical steps you'll take. If you don't have a fixed meeting place, you can send pictures of where and what you're near so the others can find you. This also works well if you're lost and/or injured in the wilderness and you need to relay pictures of landmarks so Search and Rescue teams can find you.
7. "Meet us at this landmark." If you have a fixed rendezvous point and you want to relay the info to others, send a pic you already have on file, so others will know where to meet. Take these file photos while compiling your family emergency plan.
8. Photo shopping list. If you're about to stock your pantry in anticipation of an emergency, such as if you're planning on sheltering-in- place during a hurricane, take a picture of your pantry as a quick way to list things you need from the store.
9. Driving directions. If you're trying to tell others where a certain location is, such as an emergency shelter, you can send them a picture by picture set of driving directions. This is another good thing to create while putting your family reaction plan together.
10. "Meet this person." Let's say your family had to evacuate, and they know the address they're supposed to head to, but not everyone has met the family emergency contact person. Send them a picture of the person they're supposed to meet, or you can send your contact person some pictures of the people heading their way.
11. Last minute property inventory. Just as you'd photo the family in anticipation of an emergency, you should do the same with your property. If you're about to evacuate, snap some quick shots of your property to include any new purchases not included in your last full home inventory, and to show the current condition of your property in general.
12. "Adventure" journal. Who says every potential disaster situation has to be a total disaster? One way to look at it is as an adventure. Take some pictures to record what you do, the places you go during evacuation, people you meet along the way, etc.
13. Situational severity. In a large-scale emergency, first responders will be spread thin and overworked. They might not have anyone to send to get you out of a partly-flooded neighborhood, or to help put out a tiny grass fire. However, the situation might actually be worse than they understand, and you might need some serious help. Sending a picture of just how bad the situation is might help.
14. Quick text messaging. Time is critical in an emergency and so are communications. You might not have enough time to punch in a text message, and the lines might not be open long enough for a conversation. If that's the case, write a note on paper, take a picture, and send that.
15. Minor traffic mishap documentation. If you have a minor fender-bender while evacuating, and there are no injuries and no one's car needs to be towed, most jurisdictions will tell you to "swap info and move along." If that's the case (always call 911 to ask and make sure), take photos of the vehicular damage, people involved, witnesses at the scene (and their car tag numbers), and if your phone has video, take video of others involved in the accident to show their injuries (or lack thereof).
16. Wallet backup. Just as you'd photograph family members and property, take pictures of your wallet's contents (or important documents) in order to record numbers, and show that cards actually are or were in your possession. Be very careful when storing or transmitting these pictures as the info is very sensitive and can be used for identity theft!
17. Inclement weather reporting. If you're the first one to see the funnel cloud, heavy hail, or a river starting to overflow, sending a picture in to the weather service or proper authorities is undeniable and rapid proof that severe weather or other emergency is occurring.
18. First Responder intel. The more first responders know about the true nature of a collapsed house, an auto accident, a fire in progress, or any other emergency, the more rapid and appropriate a reaction they can make.
19. Missing persons report. Send picture of picture. Let's say a family member goes missing. In addition to the last minute photos you took, you could also send a picture of a photograph you might have in your purse or wallet. This will save a lot of time for you and the authorities.
20. Relay property damage to or from neighbors. Suppose your neighborhood was heavily damaged in a disaster. Whoever goes home first, either you or your neighbors, could photograph neighborhood and home damage and relay the info to the other.
21. Help insurance adjusters find your property. After a devastating incident, street signs will be gone, house numbers won't be visible, etc. Take current pictures of landmarks or any kind of unique damage near or at your property. This will make it easier for your insurance adjuster to find you.
22. Copy the bulletin boards. If you're in an emergency shelter, and there's an info bulletin board, you might need a lot of the info posted, but not have time to write or anything to write with or on. Take a picture!
23. Bus, subway, or city map info. If you're anywhere you're not familiar with and you have any sort of posted map, take a picture of it to refer to later if you get lost.
24. Document your route. When traveling to a new area, and either others will be following later, or you want to be sure you can find your way back, be sure to take pictures along the way of landmarks at turns you make, forks in the road, etc.
25. Record medicines or food brand needs. If you have to relay information about your medications to a doctor, or if you have special dietary needs and need to send information regarding certain product or food brands to an outside person or service, then a picture really is worth a thousand words.
26. Remember parking spot locations. Don't trust your memory, trust a picture. Take a quick pic of where you left your vehicle either in a lot or in a parking deck.
27. Pic of engine problems for mechanic. Should you break down on the road and your vehicle shows outward signs of engine problems such as steam shooting from a certain hose, or liquids dripping from a place on the engine, send a pic to a mechanic who may be able to talk you through a quick fix to get you back on the road.
28. Business or service function and/or hours. Just as you'd photograph a map, you might want to copy posted business hours or listed service functions (and pricing) for later review and recall. This is also a good way to report price gouging on the road.
29. Allowable child custodian. If you can't get to your kids who are at school or some other function, relay a picture of the person who is coming in your stead to pick them up. Send this picture to both the school or function, and to your child (if they have their own phonecam).
30. Relay info on injured or hospitalized people. You might be in a position to send pictures to people looking for loved ones or vice-versa.
31. Remember your hotel room. Whenever you get a hotel room, take a picture so you can find your way back. Photo not only the room number on the door, but the name of the motel and adjacent buildings for reference.
32. ID your evac gear. As with all your belongings, take a picture to prove ownership. One situation where this might come in handy is with petty theft in emergency shelters. It's actually a rare occurrence, but it's best to be ready to prove things are yours.
33. Photo scavenger hunt. If you've settled down a bit, say at your emergency shelter or temporary stopover, you'll need something to entertain the kids. Give them a short list of things they should take a picture of. First one to take all the listed pictures wins!
34. Identify the close-up. Another entertainment idea is to take a really close up picture of something while the kids aren't looking, and have them figure out what it is.
35. Document your whereabouts during civil unrest. Another remote possibility, but since these things do happen, it's best to be ready. Let's say you're in a location where looting is occurring, or rioting about to happen. You can either help the Police by secretively taking pictures of the perpetrators (not really recommended for safety reasons), or you can take pictures as you're leaving the area to document the fact that you weren't part of the trouble.
36. ID the rescue team. If a rescuer is picking up your child or pet, you want to photo the rescuer (and the child or pet) and the vehicle they used. Get their name tag in the picture as well as registration numbers on helicopters, vehicle tags numbers, or names of boats.
37. Document your cleanup efforts. It may be a while before your insurance adjuster can arrive. Take pictures of the damage as you found it, and steps you took during cleanup. Regarding insurance or recovery grants, NOTHING beats documentation!
38. Document your repair or cleanup expenditures. If you buy goods or supplies, rent equipment, or hire a service, in addition to keeping your receipts, be sure to photograph the goods acquired, the equipment being used, or the service being performed (also photo the people involved where possible).
39. Transmit property item pics to retrieval companies. Some scenarios will see you unable to return home. Some companies are trained and equipped to go into these areas to help people gather certain belongings. Having property photos stored on your phone will allow you to send pictures of specific property items you'd like retrieved.
40. Document location / status of fellow evacuees. Authorities will not only want to know who is injured, dead, or missing, but they'll want to know who is okay and where they are. Taking pictures of those you meet along with way whether it's during an evacuation, or of people at your emergency shelter, will help ID the living and well.
41. Bridge the language barrier. A picture is worth a thousand words. Ever try to find the restroom in a foreign country and you didn't know the proper phrase? Imagine how guests in our country would feel in emergency situations where they needed much more than a restroom and didn't know how to ask. Pictures would make that process a hundred times easier, whether you're trying to understand their needs, or relay yours to them.
42. Transmit road conditions. Let's say after a hurricane, you're one of the first families returning to a damaged area, and you're taking back roads. Authorities (or others following you later) might not have had a chance to check every avenue of return. If there's damage that needs to be reported, or no damage at all (which should also be reported), sending a picture can relay tons of information, especially if a roadway has received damage and road crews need to know what kind of damage and its extent.
43. Relay traffic conditions. If family or group members are separated, or heading in different directions, you might need to pass along traffic conditions or the info from traffic warning signs.
44. Crime scene evidence. Many times, people have returned from an evacuation to a home that was undamaged during the event, but later looted. Since the Police might not be able to show up right away, go ahead and take "crime scene" photos (for both Police and insurance) just as you'd photograph your property if it was damaged in the event.
45. Too much info on the screen to copy? Shoot it. Should the TV flash some pertinent information on the screen and you don't have time to write it down, or should you have a lot of text on a computer screen and you can't print it out, take a picture for later review.
46. Positive ID to or from your doctor and/or pharmacy. Medical needs are a very real probability during an emergency. Since you can't get to your doctor in person, and they might be phoning in a prescription to a pharmacy that doesn't know either of you, use your phone to verify your identity to your doctor, and your doctor can relay the picture to the pharmacy so they'll know who's coming to get the meds.
47. Emergency supply information. Suppose a developing emergency has caught you low on goods or gear and you send different people to different locations to help stock up. If supplies are low, these family members may need to send a picture of the types or brands of items available so you can make educated purchase decisions.
48. Picture file of "Last Minute List" items and shutdown. Though everyone should keep a "bugout kit" packed and ready to go, there will be items which cannot duplicated and/or packed in advance. In addition to creating a written "Last Minute List," create a photo file showing all the items you want to take with you (and their location) and things you should do to shut down and secure the house before leaving.
49. Evac atlas. Create your own "evac travel atlas" of emergency assets available along your probable evacuation routes. This might include lodging, ATM locations, hospital emergency rooms, etc. Travel the routes and take photos, or draw your own maps and shoot that.
50. Photo reaction plan for the reading disabled. If a family member suffers from any reading disability, such as Dyslexia, using photos is a must. Create a photo file that will relay your entire emergency plan without using text.
51. Since InfoQuest always does more than expected, here's a bonus idea. Your camera phone can relay pictures of structural damage to a structural engineer who can tell you how to shore up certain walls, where safe spots might be, where hidden dangers might be, etc., as your Search and Rescue team looks through a collapsed building for survivors. These are just some of the many ways a camera phone can be used to help in an emergency. Take a look around at your family and your current threats, needs, and assets and look at ways you can put your phonecam to use. Better yet, look at the things you can do so that your phonecam isn't needed at all! Copyright 2005 - 2007, Paul Purcell. About the author: Paul Purcell is an Atlanta-based security analyst and preparedness consultant with over twenty years risk management and preparedness experience. He's also the author of Disaster Prep 101 found at www.disasterprep101 .com, and he's a partner / advisor to 1-800-PREPARE found at www.1800PREPARE.com.

Rasmussen: What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls

Grandpa — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:54:56 -0700

These days, political turmoil isn’t a one-way street.

President Obama’s mediocre approval ratings and the Democrats’ internal battling over the details of the health care reform plan are the obvious headline-grabbers, but the opposition party has troubles of its own.

Just 15% of Republicans who plan to vote in 2012 state primaries say the party’s representatives in Congress have done a good job of representing GOP values. Seventy-three percent (73%) say Republicans in Congress have lost touch with their voters throughout the nation.

In New Jersey, Republicans once seemed headed toward an unlikely statewide win, thanks largely to the unpopularity of incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine. Now it appears the governor’s race is a toss-up and may come down to turnout and how much support an independent candidate can hold onto.

The good news for Republicans is that for the first time in recent years, voters trust them more than Democrats on all 10 key electoral issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports.

The Republican advantage over Democrats increased to five points this week in the Generic Congressional Ballot. Forty-two percent (42%) would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 37% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent.

There’s been a shake-up, too, in the early rankings of Republican presidential hopefuls. Nationally, 29% of Republican voters now say former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is their pick to represent the GOP in the 2012 presidential campaign, while 24% prefer former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and 18% like former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. These numbers reflect an improvement for Huckabee since July when the three candidates were virtually even. Huckabee’s gain appears to be Palin’s loss as Romney’s support has barely changed.

If the choice for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 comes down to a choice between Huckabee and Romney, Huckabee has a slight edge among likely GOP voters. In the eyes of the political Left, Palin is perhaps America’s most visible national Republican, but she loses handily in face-to-face march-ups with Huckabee and Romney.

Despite content concerns nationwide about the health care reform plan proposed by the president and congressional Democrats, Republicans are losing on the public relations front. A plurality (42%) of voters say Republicans are opposed to the plan for partisan reasons only. Thirty-five percent (35%) disagree and say GOP opposition is due to the contents of the plan.

The Senate Finance Committee’s just-completed version of the health care reform plan brought more details to the fore, but only 42% of voters nationwide now support the effort. Fifty-four percent (54%) are opposed. Rasmussen Reports is tracking support for the health care proposal on a weekly basis and will have updated results on Monday morning.

Forty-nine percent (49%) believe that passing no health care reform bill this year would be better than passing the plan currently working its way through Congress. That’s down five points from August. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say the current effort is better than doing nothing.

The Senate Finance Committee version of the plan alone weighs in at 1,500 pages, and legislators are already busy arguing over what it says and revising it. In spite of this continuing, confusing legislative process, voters still believe strongly that they understand the overall health care reform proposal better than Congress. Fifty-three percent (53%) of voters rate their own understanding of the plan as good or excellent, but just 31% say the same of Congress.

One of the details voters like is making health insurance companies subject to anti-trust regulations. Sixty-five percent (65%) say that’s a good idea. Virtually the same number (66%) say free market competition between insurance companies will do more than government regulation to reduce health care costs.

Speaking of regulation, the Obama administration and the Federal Reserve Board this week both moved a step closer to overseeing compensation at major banks and bailed-out financial firms, but most Americans have reservations about how far the government should go.

Still, 57% of Americans say the federal government should place limits on how much banks charge when customers overdraw their bank accounts. However, most Americans say banks should be allowed to charge a higher amount to customers who frequently overdraw their account.

One-out-of-two Americans (50%) continue to lack confidence in the U.S. banking system. Despite Federal Reserve promises to keep inflation under control and interest rates down, Americans remain highly concerned about inflation and lack confidence in the Fed. Fifty-three percent (53%) also expect interest rates to be higher a year from now.

Time Magazine refers to it as the administration's "stealth stimulus," pumping more government money into the economy without packaging it as a politically unpopular second economic stimulus plan. Fifty percent (50%) of voters like the president’s idea of a one-time $250 payment to seniors who for the first time in years won't be getting a cost of living increase in their Social Security checks because inflation's down. When voters learn that the plan is expected to cost taxpayers $13 billion, support drops.

Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. announced this past week that the federal government will no longer prosecute those who use marijuana for medical purposes or those who sell the drug to them. Sixty-three percent (63%) of Americans believe patients should be allowed to smoke marijuana if it is prescribed by a doctor, but they have mixed feelings about whether the government should pursue criminal action against those who use pot in violation of federal law.

For the first time this year, a plurality (48%) of U.S. voters think it’s unlikely that the Guantanamo prison camp for suspected terrorists will be closed by January as the president has repeatedly vowed.

Obama whose approval ratings have largely been stable for weeks in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll had a bit rougher ride over the past few days. It’ll be interesting to see if these slightly more negative ratings are a new trend or just a bump in the road.

It’s been another week of mixed signals on the economic front. In September, Americans expressed their highest level of financial security in nearly a year, according to the latest edition of the Country Financial Security Index. Both the Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Indexes were down this week but still have made double-digit gains from the first of the year.

In other polls last week:

-- Thirty-eight percent (38%) of voters say cutting the federal budget deficit in half in the next four years should be the Obama administration's top priority, while 23% say health care reform is most important. Rasmussen Reports has been tracking the public’s response to the priorities listed by the president in a speech to Congress shortly after he took office. Deficit reduction has been the top priority all year.

-- Voters are expressing a little more unhappiness with the president’s handling of ethics issues. Ethics and government corruption have now moved past the economy to be voters’ number one concern.

-- Just 25% of voters nationwide favor a proposal that would allow pet owners to deduct up to $3,500 for "qualified pet-care expenses" for household pets.

-- Thirty-nine percent (39%) of Republican voters have a favorable opinion of the party’s national chairman, Michael Steele, while 27% regard him very unfavorably. However, 35% don’t know what they think of Steele.

-- The contest for the 2010 Republican Senate nomination in Florida is a little closer this month, but Governor Charlie Crist still holds a 14-point lead over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. The fact that Crist has fallen below 50% in a primary against a lesser-known opponent suggests potential vulnerability.

-- Both Crist and Rubio lead their likely 2010 Democratic opponent, Representative Kendrick Meek, by double digits.

-- Republican hopeful Bill McCollum now has a double-digit lead over his likeliest Democratic competitor, Alex Sink, in Florida’s 2010 race for governor. The race between the two is little changed from June.

-- The 2010 U.S. Senate race in Illinois is now a dead heat between Republican hopeful Mark Kirk and Democratic State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.

-- In a generic ballot match-up for the 2010 governor election in Illinois, a Democratic candidate holds a 43% to 37% edge over a Republican. Another 20% of voters there are not sure which party’s candidate they would choose.

-- John Oxendine, Georgia’s fire and insurance commissioner, still has a 15-point lead over his nearest competitor in next year’s battle to be the state Republican nominee for governor. The 2010 Democratic Primary race for governor in Georgia remains Roy Barnes’ to lose, but State Attorney General Thurbert Baker has moved 10 points closer over the last two months.

-- For the second straight week, 34% of voters say the United States is heading in the right direction. The finding is seven points higher than the week Obama took office and up 13 points from the week he was elected president in early November.

-- Most Americans favor allowing casino gambling in their own state, even as they believe that the overall impact of such gambling on society is negative.

-- Who buys a lottery ticket?

-- Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Americans say one or both parents of six-year-old Falcon Heene should be criminally prosecuted if the "Balloon Boy" incident is proven to be a hoax, but most don't think they should lose custody of their children.

-- Eighty percent (80%) say Americans pay too much attention to sensational stories like the “Balloon Boy” rather than focusing on news that really impacts the way they live.
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls

-- For some folks, this may be the biggest news of the week. Polling conducted over the first weekend of the Major League Baseball Championship Series found that 41% of baseball fans expect the New York Yankees to win their 27th World Series this year. Seventeen percent (17%) think the Philadelphia Phillies will repeat as champs. Sixteen percent (16%) picked the Dodgers, and just seven percent (7%) thought the Los Angeles Angels would emerge victorious.

Check for the latest, regularly updated numbers on our home page and keep up with our daily Presidential Tracking Poll. Premium Members get access to more data, a morning briefing from Scott Rasmussen and an advance look at key findings.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/weekly_updates/w...

Key senators may rebuff Obama on health care

StolzeMama — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:02:04 -0700

WASHINGTON – The Democrats' control of a hefty majority in the Senate - plus the House - would suggest that President Barack Obama is within reach of overhauling the nation's health care system this fall.

But the numbers mask a more complicated reality: Obama and Democratic leaders have modest leverage over several pivotal Senate Democrats who are more concerned about their next election or feel they have little to lose by opposing their party's hierarchy.

One is still smarting from being forced to abandon next year's election. Another had to leave the Democratic Party to stay in office. And some are from states that Obama lost badly last year.

These factors will limit the president's ability to play his strongest card - an appeal for party loyalty and Democratic achievement - in trying to muster the 60 votes his allies will need this fall to overcome a Republican filibuster in the 100-member Senate.

When lawmakers face a tough vote, their uppermost thought is "survival," said Alan Simpson, a Wyoming Republican who spent three terms in the Senate.

On a very few occasions, Simpson said, then-President George H.W. Bush asked him to cast a vote likely to cause him political problems back home. That was perhaps three times in 18 years, said Simpson, who held a GOP leadership post. "I swallowed hard and went over the cliff," he said.

But it's a sacrifice that presidents and party leaders should not count on, he said.

The Democratic leaders' limited leverage will complicate the push for allowing the government to sell insurance in competition with private companies. Some Senate Democrats who oppose the idea are from states that voted heavily against Obama last fall.

Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln faces a potentially tough re-election race next year in Arkansas, where Obama lost to Republican John McCain by 20 percentage points. She says she will base her health care votes on what is best for Arkansans.

Choice and competition among insurers are good, Lincoln said, but "I've ruled out a government-funded and a government-operated plan."

Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, where Obama lost by a similar margin, said she might be willing to let some states try "fallback or trigger" mechanisms that would create a public option if residents don't have enough insurance choices.

But she told reporters, "I'm not for a government-run, national, taxpayer-subsidized plan, and never will be."

Another Democratic senator, who also may prove wary of Obama's overtures, takes the opposite stand.

"I would not support a bill that does not have a public option," said Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill. "That position will not change."

Burris' willingness to bend could prove crucial this fall if Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., need every possible vote in crafting a compromise, such as a national public option that is triggered if certain insurance availability targets aren't met.

But Burris may be in no mood to play ball. Obama and other top Democrats sharply criticized his appointment to the Senate in December by an ethically tainted governor, Illinois' Rod Blagojevich, and they forced Burris to abandon hopes of winning election in 2010 by making it clear they would not back him.

In short, Burris, 72, has virtually nothing to lose by defying his party's leaders and voting as he pleases.

Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut is another potentially crucial senator with tenuous ties to the Democratic Party's hierarchy. Rejected by Connecticut's Democratic voters in the 2006 primary, he kept his Senate seat by running as an independent. He now calls himself an Independent Democrat.

Lieberman has criticized the health care bill that emerged from the Senate Finance Committee, but it and other health bills are undergoing changes.

Another centrist Democrat whose vote is uncertain is Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, a political battleground state.

"I want to know what works for families and small businesses," said Bayh, adding that he might back public insurance options run by states, not the federal government.

It's possible that Obama and party leaders eventually will ask Democrats such as Bayh, in the name of party loyalty, to vote to block a GOP filibuster of a health bill even if they plan to vote against the bill on final passage. The strategy might enable Democrats to muster the 60 votes needed on a crucial procedural question and then pass the bill with a simple majority.

Bayh said that if a party leader "is asking some of us to enable the passage of legislation that we think would be harmful to the people of our state, I don't think that's a fair thing to ask."

It's possible that centrist Democrats are holding out for favors from Obama and party leaders, such as pet projects for their states or help in their next campaign. Obama already has lavished special attention on some of them.

He invited Bayh to the White House last week for a chat about health care and the deficit. In an interview that led to good publicity back home, Bayh told Indiana reporters that the president "was asking for my leadership on both of those issues."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091022/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_obama_s_c...

Who Killed California?

Eleuthera — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:50:10 -0700

by Troy Senik
http://nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/who-killed-california
My apologies for having nothing originally in this post. The text was here but didn't show up.
Apparently this article is too long to be printed here, at about 11 pages. It is nevertheless worth reading, unless, as someone has already done, you have made your mind up what to believe before reading.

The phrases President Obama can't do without

starangel82 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:28:06 -0700

WASHINGTON - For all his flourish, President Barack Obama sure falls back on a few familiar phrases.

Make no mistake. Change isn't easy. It won't happen overnight. There will be setbacks and false starts.

Those who routinely listen to the president have come to expect some of those expressions to pop up in almost every speech. (That includes you, cynics and naysayers, the ones Obama mentions all the time without identifying who is saying nay.)

Yet in the portfolio of presidential phrases, none is more pervasive than Obama's four-word favorite: Let me be clear.

It is his emphatic windup for, well, everything.

"Let me be clear," he said in describing his surprise at winning the Nobel Peace Prize. "I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations."

"Let me be clear," he said in one of his dozens of pitches for a health insurance overhaul. "If you like your doctor or health care provider, you can keep them."

Rhetorical patterns
Presidents talk so much in public that is not surprising to find rhetorical patterns. Although Obama is known for a flair with the written and spoken word, his hardest mission is often to make complicated matters relevant to the masses.

So clarity, it seems, is of the highest order.

Terrorists? "Now let me be clear: We are indeed at war with al-Qaida and its affiliates."

Student testing? "Let me be clear: Success should be judged by results, and data is a powerful tool to determine results."

Iran? "Let me be clear: Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and our allies."

Auto bailouts? "Let me be clear: The United States government has no interest in running GM."

The president takes the phrase everywhere.

In Moscow: "Let me be clear: America wants a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Russia."

In Ghana: "Let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at perpetual war."

In Italy, bemoaning poor U.S. leadership on climate change: "Let me be clear: Those days are over."

In Trinidad, announcing new aid: "Let me be clear: This is not charity."

‘Let me be clear’
Obama has used the same phrase, or a variation of it, to make his point about the strategy in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, U.S.-China relations, bipartisanship, pet legislative projects and Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

He has relied on it to look ahead ("Let me be clear: We pay for this plan," Obama says of his college initiative) and to look back ("Let me be clear: Those ideas have been tested, and they have failed" he says of economic models he dislikes.)

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama's style, which he referred to as presidential throat "clearing," is purposeful.

"While some in Washington seek political advantage by hiding behind ambiguity," Earnest said, "the president regularly seeks to make it clear where he stands and what he intends to do."

Perhaps the nation should have seen this coming. Candidate Obama set the tone.

"Let me be clear: It's outrageous that we find ourselves in a position where taxpayers must bear the burden for the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street and Washington," Obama said in September 2008.

Something catchy?
There must be something catchy to all this. The people around Obama are just as insistent.

Here's Vice President Joe Biden, assuring members of Georgia's Parliament that U.S. efforts to reset relations with Russia wouldn't come at their expense: "Let me be clear: They have not, they will not, and they cannot."

And senior adviser David Axelrod, on missed legislative deadlines on health care: "Let me be clear. We're less interested in hard deadlines than in moving the process forward."

Lest anyone get too serious about this, Obama has lightened the mood with the phrase, too. He made state lawmakers laugh when he said the massive taxpayer-financed stimulus plan wouldn't be spent on frivolous projects such as dog parks.

"Now, let me be clear," Obama said in March, before Bo the dog arrived. "I don't have anything against dog parks."

Clearly.

Source: MSNBC/AP

How much is the kitty in the window? $22,000

1smartlass — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:30:51 -0700

Forget about Labradoodles, Puggles and Schnoodles. Costly crossbreed felines are the latest designer hybrid to hit the catwalk

NEW YORK - Goodbye Goldendoodle. Designer dogs are so last season. Now animal lovers are clamoring for cat crossbreeds - and they are sparing no expense on the latest "it" pet.

Hybrid house pets were originally developed to create well-behaved companions that don't shed. But with unmatched cuteness and likeability, crossbreeds like Puggles, Labradoodles, Yorkipoos, and Schnoodles drove demand among the dog-loving set.

Now mixed-breed cats, with their beauty and stature, are causing a craze for those with a fondness for felines.

And for some, no price is too high for a designer kitten.

"For our customers, money is no object," said breeder Simon Brodie.

Brodie used a "secret recipe" to mix an African serval and Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat, to create the world's most expensive feline hybrid.

The Ashera, an exclusive product of Brodie's firm, Lifestyle Pets, resembles a little leopard and can weigh up to 30 pounds. But it's more suited for lounging than stalking prey.

"They are very friendly, very affectionate," Brodie said.

Although an Ashera costs $22,000 (plus $6,000 for the premium placement option, which will expedite kitten delivery by about six months) Lifestyle Pets has already sold several cats to customers around the world since the pricey pet was unveiled last May.

Once an order is placed, the Ashera is hand delivered (the cost of delivery is approximately $1,500 within the United States) by a representative who remains on hand for a few days to answer questions and facilitate the transition. Asheras come fully vaccinated with a microchip identifier, a supply of kitty food and cat toys, access to an animal behaviorist, and a year of veterinary insurance included.

There's even a certificate of authenticity that includes an image of each kitten's DNA "fingerprint." But what else would one expect for a cat that costs as much as a car?

Brodie says that his company will keep the supply small, developing less than 50 cats each year to uphold its unique appeal - and high price.

Although the Ashera may be the most expensive mixed-breed offering to hit the market recently, it's certainly not the only one.

Other popular hybrids include the Bengal (part Asian leopard mixed with a house cat), Savannah (part African serval, part house cat) and Chausie (part jungle cat, part house cat).

Holly Hummel, who has been breeding hybrids for 20 years, says demand for exotic blends is growing, and the pricier the pet, the more sought after it seems.

"The more expensive ones move faster than the less expensive ones," Hummel said.

Even though her top-of-the-line Habari-breed cats range in price from $10,000 to $12,000, "most of our kittens are spoken for by about two weeks of age," she said.

But does coughing up that kind of dough guarantee a perfect pet?

With any designer hybrid, "there are things to watch out for, as far as genetic defaults go," cautioned a spokeswoman from the International Cat Association.

But, generally, emerging exotic breeds are well monitored, she said. "We're very careful that there is no genetic downside."

That means pet owners can rest assured that their investment in a designer cat will not disappoint - that is until the next hot mix hits the horizon.

from Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer

The Idiot’s Guide to Destroying the Economy: a 12-Step Program

Grandpa — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:58:03 -0700

Think destroying the mighty economy of the United States is too big a job for you? Relax. Anyone can do it. A friend sent me a handy-dandy no-fuss 12-step program for wreaking financial havoc among even the world’s most advanced economies. I adapt it below for your edification. Your congressmen probably already have a copy. The White House certainly does. But you might want to print it out in case some opportunity for spreading unhappiness comes your way:

1. Since investors and the market in general hate uncertainty, have a vast array of conflicting ad hoc policy decisions so as to create uncertainty everywhere.

2. Transfer money from those who create sustainable jobs to those who create unsustainable jobs, e.g., the government

3. Promise to invest money in things that will enhance the country’s infrastructure, such as roads and Internet access, but then practice bait and switch on a breathtaking scale, so the effort is swamped with pork for pet projects dear to Democrats

4. A sufficiently generous larding of pork can help ensure the destruction of bi-partisanship, so squandering the initial good will is definitely a very good move. After all, it’s hard to get things done when you’ve alienated people whose help you need.

5. Undermine the ability of those who create jobs by increasing their taxes so there’s less money available for investment.

6. While you’re at it, offer to spread the income around by raising taxes, in the process, making it clear to those who work hard, invest in their educations, take risks, save, and delay gratification that they will see their money go to those who do not do these things.

7. Encourage class warfare. Divide the populace and destroy cooperation, thus encouraging backlash and creating paralyzing polarization.

8. Talk up protectionism, since the beggar-thy-neighbor approach has such a long and vigorous history of encouraging depression.

9. Scare people with talk of economic catastrophe. You can backpedal later, but the initial good work of helping people lose confidence should have a lasting impact.

10. Print money on a scale that will insure inflation in the future. Print it on a scale that will make people not want to hold U.S. debt without staggering interest on that debt, if they’re willing to hold U.S. government debt at all.

11. Instead of allowing hopeless institutions to go bankrupt, pour vast amounts of money into them, prolonging the pain and running up the cost while only delaying the inevitable.

12. Burden future generations with unprecedented amounts of debt so that the economy you ruined today stays ruined tomorrow.

My friend stresses that this list is not exhaustive. Ask your elected representatives for further tips. Or write to the White House: they have loads of ideas for making things worse. But be patient. Ruining the greatest economy the world has ever seen is not something you can do overnight. But it’s amazing, isn’t it, how much progress the President has made in less than two months? Five days before the election, he told his followers that they were that many days away “from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” Poor things. They thought he intended to make America stronger. Fat chance.

The Right Stimulus (The best I have seen IMHO)

Grandpa — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:25:13 -0800

The Right Stimulus
Republicans need to provide one since Congressional Democrats haven't.
by Matthew Continetti
The economy is in recession. There's no end in sight. The number of unemployed continues to rise. Equities markets are in the dumps. The real estate sector hasn't hit bottom. The banks are drowning in a sludge of toxic assets. Excuse us while we break out the Prozac.

Washington's response? Pathetic. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi let her appropriators out of their cages and had them draft the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This is the economic stimulus package that everyone has been waiting for. And it's a clunker. The more you learn about the economic stimulus plan, the less you like it. Charles Krauthammer called it the "worst bill in galactic history." This is only a slight exaggeration.

What the Democrats have done is write down every single item on their liberal wish list, append dollar amounts next to the items seemingly at random, and call it "stimulus." The president wanted the bill to be free of pet projects and include business tax cuts. But no one told Pelosi's appopriators. They are using the current troubles to push through a decades-old domestic policy agenda. The spending--$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, $400 million for global warming studies--demonstrates that the bill has no overarching logic.

Which makes it a major disappointment. Almost everybody agrees that the economy is a mess and that fiscal policy might help tidy things up. But $6.2 billion for "home weatherization"?

The problem with the House plan is that it is ineffective even on Keynesian grounds. Keynes
said that, once monetary policy has reached its limit, fiscal policy must take priority. In other words, when interest rates have effectively reached zero, governments must lower taxes and increase spending to rebalance the economy. But the House bill is half-baked Keynes. And it will fail.

It will fail because it is imperfectly designed. A well-designed stimulus meets three criteria. It's large. It's fast. You like what you get out of it. But the Democratic plan is none of these. When you look closely at the House bill, you realize that it's not so big after all. Nor will the money be spent quickly. And the things we get out of it? Small fry.

The Congressional Budget Office projects that the House bill will cost $816 billion. Of that, $248 billion is in aid to states for Medicare and Medicaid, unemployment insurance, and so on. Another $212 billion is in tax cuts. This leaves $356 billion in discretionary spending.

It's hard to argue that the $248 billion in transfers to the states will stimulate the economy. The money is being taken from one pot and put in another so that the states can balance their books and ensure the proper treatment of beneficiaries. It doesn't prime the pump. It just keeps the pump from falling apart.

Then there are the tax cuts. The bulk of them go to the "Making Work Pay" refundable payroll tax credit of $500 per worker. It's unclear whether the credit will be reflected immediately in your paycheck. The government may send out checks as it did in 2001 and 2008. But a change in withholding would be preferable. It wouldn't take long to implement. The taxpayers would have the money quickly. Voilà! An instant raise.

Except that the raise will be peanuts. You'll hardly notice it. If you do, experience suggests that you probably won't spend it. Washington has cut taxes in this manner twice in the last decade. Both times, taxpayers saved the money or used it to pay down personal debt. There was hardly any stimulating effect. The refund doesn't seem to have worked then. Why would another work now?

That leaves the roughly $356 billion in discretionary spending. But not all of it will be spent quickly. The CBO estimates that only $29 billion will be spent by the end of fiscal year 2009. About $116 billion will be spent in fiscal year 2010. This gives us a total of $145 billion in infrastructure and other spending over the next fiscal year and a half. Too little, too late. And therefore unlikely to have much of an impact.

Republicans, then, had every reason to vote against the stimulus bill. And so they did. Unanimously. But that doesn't mean their alternative is much better. The House GOP plan calls for a cut in marginal tax rates, making permanent the Bush capital gains tax cuts, and lowering the corporate tax rate. But marginal tax rates are already low. Cutting them further isn't likely to have a major impact.

Still, the moment is ripe for the right stimulus. There's a market for a thoughtful alternative to the Pelosi-Obama bill. The Democrats want Americans to use deficit spending to reshape society along liberal lines. A Republican stimulus should promote conservative goals.

The plan might start with a payroll tax holiday. Lawrence Lindsey and John H. Makin have done a ton of work outlining why a payroll tax cut or temporary suspension would be good for the economy. Makin writes that a 12- to 18-month suspension in the payroll tax would immediately increase personal disposable income by 3.5 percent. Workers would have an instant raise that would be larger, and last longer, than the "Making Work Pay" tax credit in the Democratic plan.

Just as important, the payroll tax holiday would lower the cost of labor. Freed of the tax, employers would have an easier time hiring workers and paying them well. Yes, cutting or suspending the payroll tax would increase the deficit. So would the Democratic plan. But, if we are going to run deficits, we might as well do so in a way that increases the chances the economy will improve. The payroll tax holiday passes that test.

President Obama should find it hard to resist such a proposal. The payroll tax hits 60 percent of Americans, so a holiday would benefit a large majority of the president's constituents. Furthermore, since the payroll tax is regressive, cutting or suspending it would help the poor the most. Obama could be bipartisan, pro-labor, and pro-business all at once. Catnip to a politician who likes to avoid division.

Republicans also have to overcome some of their aversion to government spending. The flaw in the House stimulus bill is not that it spends money. It's that it spends money too slowly, and what money the bill does spend hardly goes to durable public goods. Thus the GOP's job: Shift the direct spending from useless liberal appropriations to constructive and long-lasting conservative projects.

First, Republicans could propose a more generous unemployment benefit than the one the Democrats are offering. The Republicans want to be the pro-family party. That should include families whose breadwinners are out of work. The money could come from eliminating the endless tax loopholes and subsidies for alternative energy in the current plan. Put the Democrats on the spot. Who do they care about more? Greens or the unemployed?

House minority leader John Boehner scored a victory when he attacked the millions of dollars in subsidies for contraceptives in the original House plan. Boehner put Obama on the defensive. The subsidies were stricken from the bill. Good start. Now up the ante. Why not ask that the contraceptive money go to suburban commuters instead? Send it to state and local governments to help them implement innovative programs like congestion pricing and private-public toll roads.

More than 55 million people live in the Northeast Corridor. They spend most of their lives stuck in traffic. They will be grateful to the political party that stops spending on refurbishing government office buildings and instead uses that money to construct bridges, roads, tunnels, and overpasses. Why? Because they recognize that more pavement shortens commutes, improves productivity, and lets them have dinner with the kids.

Ideally, a conservative stimulus would split direct spending between infrastructure and defense. The American Enterprise Institute's Tom Donnelly has crunched the numbers and made the case for defense stimulus at length (you can find his report on AEI's website). A plan like Donnelly's would build on President Obama's promise to expand the size of the Army and Marine Corps. It would give soldiers a raise and better health care, replenish U.S. weapons inventories, and create American jobs through defense contracting. It would spur investment and job creation in spin-off industries such as aerospace and the IT sector. It would promote the most important public good: security. And economic recovery is more likely in a secure world than in one where American interests are at risk.

The Democrats' stimulus proposals are weak. Those plans barely meet the Democrats' own Keynesian standards for successful fiscal policy. But times are tough. Republicans needn't simply play defense. They can help the unemployed. Cut the payroll tax. Lay pavement. Rebuild our defenses. Watch the economy recover. And reap the political rewards.

--Matthew Continetti

Funniest E-bay Ad Ever!

Shiloh Jolie Pitt — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:32:23 -0700

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675

Description

"I'm selling a bunch of Pokemon cards. Why? Because my kids sneaked them into my shopping cart while at the grocery store and I ended up buying them because I didn't notice they were there until we got home. How could I have possibly not noticed they were in my cart, you ask? Let me explain.

You haven’t lived until you’ve gone grocery shopping with six kids in tow. I would rather swim, covered in bait, through the English Channel, be a contestant on Fear Factor when they’re having pig brains for lunch, or do fourth grade math than to take my six kids to the grocery store. Because I absolutely detest grocery shopping, I tend to put it off as long as possible. There comes a time, however, when you’re peering into your fridge and thinking, ‘Hmmm, what can I make with ketchup, Italian dressing, and half an onion,’ that you decide you cannot avoid going to the grocery store any longer. Before beginning this most treacherous mission, I gather all the kids together and give them “The Lecture“.

“The Lecture“ goes like this…

MOM: “We have to go to the grocery store.”

KIDS: “Whine whine whine whine whine.“

MOM: “Hey, I don’t want to go either, but it’s either that or we’re eating cream of onion-ketchup soup and drinking Italian dressing for dinner tonight.”

KIDS: “Whine whine whine whine whine.“

MOM: “Now here are the rules: do not ask me for anything, do not poke the packages of meat in the butcher section, do not test the laws of physics and try to take out the bottom can in the pyramid shaped display, do not play baseball with oranges in the produce section, and most importantly, do not try to leave your brother at the store. Again.”

OK, the kids have been briefed. Time to go.

Once at the store, we grab not one, but two shopping carts. I wear the baby in a sling and the two little children sit in the carts while I push one cart and my oldest son pushes the other one. My oldest daughter is not allowed to push a cart. Ever. Why? Because the last time I let her push the cart, she smashed into my ankles so many times, my feet had to be amputated by the end of our shopping trip. This is not a good thing. You try running after a toddler with no feet sometime.

At this point, a woman looks at our two carts and asks me, “Are they all yours?” I answer good naturedly, “Yep!

“Oh my, you have your hands full.”

“Yes, I do, but it‘s fun!” I say smiling. I’ve heard all this before. In fact, I hear it every time I go anywhere with my brood.

We begin in the produce section where all these wonderfully, artistically arranged pyramids of fruit stand. There is something so irresistibly appealing about the apple on the bottom of the pile, that a child cannot help but try to touch it. Much like a bug to a zapper, the child is drawn to this piece of fruit. I turn around to the sounds of apples cascading down the display and onto the floor. Like Indiana Jones, there stands my son holding the all-consuming treasure that he just HAD to get and gazing at me with this dumbfounded look as if to say, “Did you see that??? Wow! I never thought that would happen!”

I give the offending child an exasperated sigh and say, “Didn’t I tell you, before we left, that I didn’t want you taking stuff from the bottom of the pile???”

“No. You said that you didn’t want us to take a can from the bottom of the pile. You didn’t say anything about apples.”

With superhuman effort, I resist the urge to send my child to the moon and instead focus on the positive - my child actually listened to me and remembered what I said!!! I make a mental note to be a little more specific the next time I give the kids The Grocery Store Lecture.

A little old man looks at all of us and says, “Are all of those your kids?”

Thinking about the apple incident, I reply, “Nope. They just started following me. I’ve never seen them before in my life.”

OK, now onto the bakery section where everything smells so good, I’m tempted to fill my cart with cookies and call it a day. Being on a perpetual diet, I try to hurry past the assortment of pies, cakes, breads, and pastries that have my children drooling. At this point the chorus of “Can we gets” begins.

“Can we get donuts?”

“No.”

“Can we get cupcakes?”

“No.”

“Can we get muffins?”

“No.”

“Can we get pie?”

“No.”

You’d think they’d catch on by this point, but no, they’re just getting started.

In the bakery, they’re giving away free samples of coffee cake and of course, my kids all take one. The toddler decides he doesn’t like it and proceeds to spit it out in my hand. (That’s what moms do. We put our hands in front of our children’s mouths so they can spit stuff into them. We’d rather carry around a handful of chewed up coffee cake, than to have the child spit it out onto the floor. I’m not sure why this is, but ask any mom and she’ll tell you the same.) Of course, there’s no garbage can around, so I continue shopping one-handed while searching for someplace to dispose of the regurgitated mess in my hand.

In the meat department, a mother with one small baby asks me, “Wow! Are all six yours?”

I answer her, “Yes, but I’m thinking of selling a couple of them.”

(Still searching for a garbage can at this point.)

Ok, after the meat department, my kids’ attention spans are spent. They’re done shopping at this point, but we aren’t even halfway through the store. This is about the time they like to start having shopping cart races. And who may I thank for teaching them this fun pastime? My seventh “child”, also known as my husband. While I’m picking out loaves of bread, the kids are running down the aisle behind the carts in an effort to get us kicked out of the store. I put to stop to that just as my son is about to crash head on into a giant cardboard cut-out of a Keebler elf stacked with packages of cookies.

Ah! Yes! I find a small trash can by the coffee machine in the cereal aisle and finally dump out the squishy contents of my hand. After standing in the cereal aisle for an hour and a half while the kids perused the various cereals, comparing the marshmallow and cheap, plastic toy content of each box, I broke down and let them each pick out a box. At any given time, we have twenty open boxes of cereal in my house.

As this is going on, my toddler is playing Houdini and maneuvering his little body out of the seat belt in an attempt to stand up in the cart. I’m amazed the kid made it to his second birthday without suffering a brain damaging head injury. In between trying to flip himself out of the cart, he sucks on the metal bars of the shopping cart. Mmmm, can you say “influenza”?

The shopping trip continues much like this. I break up fights between the kids now and then and stoop down to pick up items that the toddler has flung out of the cart. I desperately try to get everything on my list without adding too many other goodies to the carts.

Somehow I manage to complete my shopping in under four hours and head for the check-outs where my kids start in on a chorus of, “Can we have candy?” What evil minded person decided it would be a good idea to put a display of candy in the check-out lanes, right at a child’s eye level? Obviously someone who has never been shopping with children.

As I unload the carts, I notice many extra items that my kids have sneaked in the carts unbeknownst to me. I remove a box of Twinkies, a package of cupcakes, a bag of candy, and a can of cat food (we don’t even have a cat!). I somehow missed the box of Pokemon cards however and ended up purchasing them unbeknownst to me. As I pay for my purchases, the clerk looks at me, indicates my kids, and asks, “Are they all yours?”

Frustrated, exhausted from my trip, sick to my stomach from writing out a check for $289.53, dreading unloading all the groceries and putting them away and tired of hearing that question, I look at the clerk and answer her in my most sarcastic voice, “No. They’re not mine. I just go around the neighborhood gathering up kids to take to the grocery store because it’s so much more fun that way.”

So, up for auction is an opened (they ripped open the box on the way home from the store) package of Pokemon cards. There are 44 cards total. They're in perfect condition, as I took them away from the kiddos as soon as we got home from the store. Many of them say "Energy". I tried carrying them around with me, but they didn't work. I definitely didn't have any more energy than usual. One of them is shiny. There are a few creature-like things on many of them. One is called Pupitar. Hee hee hee Pupitar! (Oh no! My kids' sense of humor is rubbing off on me!) Anyway, I don't there's anything special about any of these cards, but I'm very much not an authority on Pokemon cards. I just know that I'm not letting my kids keep these as a reward for their sneakiness.

Shipping is FREE on this item. Insurance is optional, but once I drop the package at the post office, it is no longer my responsibility. For example, if my son decides to pour a bottle of glue into the envelope, or my daughter spills a glass of juice on the package, that’s my responsibility and I will fully refund your money. If, however, I take the envelope to the post office and a disgruntled mail carrier sets fire to it, a pack of wild dogs rip into it, or a mail sorting machine shreds it, it’s out of my hands, so you may want to add insurance. I will leave feedback for you as soon as I’ve received your payment. I will be happy to combine shipping on multiple items won within three days. This comes from a smoke-free, pet-free, child-filled home. Please ask me any questions before placing your bid. Happy bidding! :)"

RSPCA Dog of the Year

gruaig_rua — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 11:15:27 -0800

A blind dog that was dumped when he was just five-months-old has been voted the UK’s RSPCA Dog of the Year.

Bullmastiff Oliver fought off stiff competition from five other short-listed rescue dogs, taking 23% of people’s votes.

Oliver was thrown out onto the street by a dog breeder when he was a puppy because he had an eye infection. A dog warden caught him just before Christmas 2005. The animal was thin, distressed and in severe pain from his eye.

Despite veterinary treatment, the infection spread and Oliver ended up losing his sight, and one of his eyes was removed.

But his luck changed when, after reading his story in a local paper, Julie Harkess and her family decided to offer him a home in Houghton-Le-Spring, Durham.

Now two years old, a much-happier Oliver even has a special artificial implant in his one remaining eye to give him a normal appearance.

Julie, 38, said: ‘Oliver has been through so much but he’s made such good progress that we forget he’s blind.

’No matter how down we might feel, Oliver always lifts our spirits.’

Oliver will receive a host of prizes including a year’s supply of dog food, pet insurance and will get to star on the front cover of magazine Dogs Today.

Sky News
18 Nov 07