By now most of you will have read about the victory of Big Brown, with the filly Eight Belles coming in second, only to break both front ankles and have to be euthanized.
I love horses, but I hate thoroughbred racing the way it is done today. I was in college during the era of the great Secretariat. I had a poster of him (and was very disappointed when he died at what I thought was an early age), but I admired the horse, not the sport. Also in college I watched the "battle of the sexes" where the filly Ruffian broke down and was euthanized.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffian_%28horse%29
(Read the description of her injuries. Imagine how much "fun" that was for us to watch on TV. Not so much.)
Years would go by and I'd never watch any of the races, and often not even realize they are being run on certain days. I remember once in the late 1980's when one Saturday afternoon I was at the frame shop and wealthy women were gabbing about the "Derby party" that afternoon. I didn't even realize the Kentucky Derby was being run.
It's not a sport, and it's certainly not love of animals. It's a business, and like many businesses, what started out as a reasonable thing to do (race fast horses and bet on them) has become a freak show.
Thoroughbred horses are inbred freaks. They are pushed to race when they are between 2-3 years old, which is too young. They are routinely medicated in ways that endanger their health and their ability to stop racing when they are overly strained. The track surfaces are not as safe as they could be. And winners, rather than the most fit, are bred and sold for huge quantities of money. Let me repeat that point. Horses are not bred to be sturdy and fast. They are bred to be fast and to have "winning parents."
I think people need to start a groundswell to revise this entire "sport." First, let's start with agreeing that this is not the place to argue about being vegetarian or a tree hugger. There is nothing wrong with fast and sturdy horses racing and people who like that kind of thing enjoying watching and being in the business. The problem is, though, that thoroughbred racing has become a baby horse eugenics freak show. Too young horses produced in the bizarre world of stud books and superstition and being raced at a too young age and in too dangerous conditions. Horse racing through the ages used to be, "Wow, I have me here a fast horse. Let me race it against your fast horse." Fast sturdy healthy adult horses were brought together to race. There was not a rich man and woman's eugenics freak show where laboratory baby horses are produced from "winning parents" who all share 47% of the same genes. (All thoroughbred horses are descendants of only 3 horses, and thus they share almost half their genes).
I suggest that huge pressure be put on the Jockey Club, the racing sponsors, the track owners, and the breeders, owners and trainers of horses to either change their sport to be healthier and safer for the horses, or stand aside while a new organization comes together to race mature fast horses of all breeds (not just the thoroughbred freak show) in more natural and safe conditions. I'd like to see more breeds at more mature ages race in more safety managed conditions.
I mean, who the F really cares about the record book anyway? Thoroughbred racing is like baseball's steroid era in many ways. No one but the shaking money makers cares about who won in what year. If the sport is so much "fun," then should people not be going for the racing and the betting, and not so that Snot Nose III born of Goober Nose IV won the Freak Cup and is thus going to yield $1 million per hump in stud fees? I mean really, who is kidding who. How enjoyable is watching these races, holding one's breath against a tragedy like Barbaro, and now the filly Eight Belles? Read the comments on any blog site today on this subject. Virtually everyone who is not a fat cat owner is watching a race reluctantly and with a pit in one's stomach dreading a tragic break down. That's why I never watched throughout the years. When I wanted a dose of loving a horse, I went to the stable and groomed some. Like I said, racing is fine, but it must be completely re visioned out of this horrible freak show. I'd be afraid to let a child watch a race, wondering what toothpick legs will snap today and what nightmares the child will have from that. And from the reader post comments I read on blogs, many adults watched reluctantly and will now have to erase Eight Belles from the memory bank, just as we all had to Barbaro not so long ago.
Owners, breeders and trainers. You say you love your horses. Well, stop being millionaire freaks and take some responsibility and man and woman up to revise your entire "sport." Unless you prefer your money with horse blood on it.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Blue Jay found sunflower seeds
I have a simple and plain concrete slab patio, which is unusable for me because gnats kill me every time I walk outside. But I sit where I can look out the screened window and have a bird bath there. The store didn't have any wild bird seed so yesterday I bought sunflower kernels and threw a handful out to see who would find it. So far a blue jay has it all to him or her self. He comes and grabs about 7 of them, then flies off. He's very moderate and not greedy. He's only been there three times today.
I love blue jays because they are so vivid and full of life. I grew up in a village that bordered woodland and we had lots of them. They used to be extremely common, so much that people take them for granted. But when I was stuck back in my home town two years ago, the whole year went by and I didn't see any of them at all. The loss of wildlife that people take for granted is insidious. Like my mother, who is no fan of blue jays, did not notice they weren't around at all until I pointed it out. Once she noticed that then puzzled and worried her too. Even the common place wildlife is under pressure and disappearing. People need to protect their habitat and wake up to the problem. It's not just the rare bird, fish or lizard that is under pressure, nor the favorites of the "climate change" crowd, the polar bears. It's everything. Just like the honeybees disappeared before anyone but the bee keepers themselves noticed. Even the common "take it for granted" wildlife is disappearing. I've been gravely concerned for decades now, and my worry just increases. It's a bad sign when I'm incredibly grateful to just see one family of blue jays in an area that should be stuffed with them.
I love blue jays because they are so vivid and full of life. I grew up in a village that bordered woodland and we had lots of them. They used to be extremely common, so much that people take them for granted. But when I was stuck back in my home town two years ago, the whole year went by and I didn't see any of them at all. The loss of wildlife that people take for granted is insidious. Like my mother, who is no fan of blue jays, did not notice they weren't around at all until I pointed it out. Once she noticed that then puzzled and worried her too. Even the common place wildlife is under pressure and disappearing. People need to protect their habitat and wake up to the problem. It's not just the rare bird, fish or lizard that is under pressure, nor the favorites of the "climate change" crowd, the polar bears. It's everything. Just like the honeybees disappeared before anyone but the bee keepers themselves noticed. Even the common "take it for granted" wildlife is disappearing. I've been gravely concerned for decades now, and my worry just increases. It's a bad sign when I'm incredibly grateful to just see one family of blue jays in an area that should be stuffed with them.
Awesome pilot stunt on German mountain
Look at these sweet pictures of an awesome piloting stunt. Pilot Tom Huber landed his plane on the plateau of Germany's highest mountain, a feat that has not been performed since 1958! I think this was a great accomplishment and congratulate him. The pictures are amazing.
http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article1961852/Mutiger_Pilot_landet_Flugzeug_auf_der_Zugspitze.html?nr=0&pbpnr=0
http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article1961852/Mutiger_Pilot_landet_Flugzeug_auf_der_Zugspitze.html?nr=0&pbpnr=0
Woe to Philadelphia
When will people care? That city has been a dangerous pit ever since I was a child and it has only got worse and worse, a hell hole on earth. And today it has sunk to a depths that astonishes even me. Maybe the "city of brotherly love" better get its GD act together. Read what an outrage is this latest robbery of the innocent (using an AK-47 assault rifle at a Shop Rite) and murder of a family man cop. Maybe Tom Hanks ought to be starring in a film about bringing human rights, safety and decency to this city instead of well, you know, the Hollywood delusion of reality.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6120000
snip
PORT RICHMOND - May 3, 2008 (WPVI) -- A gunman shot and killed a police officer during a bank robbery this morning.
According to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, at least two armed men robbed the Bank of America branch inside the Shop Rite located at 3547 Aramingo Avenue around 11:26 a.m. Ramsey says there may have been a third suspect involved in the hold up.
The suspects fled in a vehicle described as a black or blue Jeep.
One suspect was shot in the 500 block of E. Louden Street and later died at Einstein Medical Center.
The second suspect, and a possible third, are still at large. Police are conducting an extensive search for the suspects and interviewing possible witnesses.
Police say they are looking for three suspects. They are described as follows:
Suspect 1-A tall black male with a medium build. -During the robbery he wore sunglasses, female Muslim garb from head to toe, and carried a shoulder-type bag.
Suspect 2 -Possibly a female, standing 5'6"-5'7" and was wearing light brown Muslim garb. -Her race has not been determined.
Suspect 3-Male with a stock build, standing 6'2"-6'3", with a medium brown complexion. -Shoulder-length dreadlocks, which may or may not be a wig. -He was wearing a white hospital or construction-type mask. -He was wearing blue jeans a light-colored shirt, possibly flannel.
Sergeant Liczbinski, a 12-year veteran of the department, was recently promoted to the rank of sergeant. He would have celebrated his 40th birthday this coming Tuesday, May 6th. Liczbinski is survived by his wife Michele, sons Matt and Stephen, and daughter Amber.
***
Read the comments by the people also. It's just so out of control; the people have been living in fear for decades and it's a disgraceful blot upon this country how it only worsens and does not improve. Read the description of the suspects. If true they dressed as WOMEN while carrying an AK-47 to terrorize innocent people they were robbing and to kill an officer. Or at the very least trying to present a Muslim image. It's just a DISGRACE in every way that God or mankind can measure this situation.
Prayers for the slain officer and his family. It really makes me wonder how they can work at all in such thankless positions.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6120000
snip
PORT RICHMOND - May 3, 2008 (WPVI) -- A gunman shot and killed a police officer during a bank robbery this morning.
According to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, at least two armed men robbed the Bank of America branch inside the Shop Rite located at 3547 Aramingo Avenue around 11:26 a.m. Ramsey says there may have been a third suspect involved in the hold up.
The suspects fled in a vehicle described as a black or blue Jeep.
One suspect was shot in the 500 block of E. Louden Street and later died at Einstein Medical Center.
The second suspect, and a possible third, are still at large. Police are conducting an extensive search for the suspects and interviewing possible witnesses.
Police say they are looking for three suspects. They are described as follows:
Suspect 1-A tall black male with a medium build. -During the robbery he wore sunglasses, female Muslim garb from head to toe, and carried a shoulder-type bag.
Suspect 2 -Possibly a female, standing 5'6"-5'7" and was wearing light brown Muslim garb. -Her race has not been determined.
Suspect 3-Male with a stock build, standing 6'2"-6'3", with a medium brown complexion. -Shoulder-length dreadlocks, which may or may not be a wig. -He was wearing a white hospital or construction-type mask. -He was wearing blue jeans a light-colored shirt, possibly flannel.
Sergeant Liczbinski, a 12-year veteran of the department, was recently promoted to the rank of sergeant. He would have celebrated his 40th birthday this coming Tuesday, May 6th. Liczbinski is survived by his wife Michele, sons Matt and Stephen, and daughter Amber.
***
Read the comments by the people also. It's just so out of control; the people have been living in fear for decades and it's a disgraceful blot upon this country how it only worsens and does not improve. Read the description of the suspects. If true they dressed as WOMEN while carrying an AK-47 to terrorize innocent people they were robbing and to kill an officer. Or at the very least trying to present a Muslim image. It's just a DISGRACE in every way that God or mankind can measure this situation.
Prayers for the slain officer and his family. It really makes me wonder how they can work at all in such thankless positions.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Men in car chase dog walker, killing her pet
An Australian woman walking her three dogs was pursued by 3 men in a red hatchback car, who taunted her as they ran over her pets, killing one (though it sounds like two in this article). They yelled "run, bitch!" as they ran over her one year old puppy.
Aussies, man up and find these bastards.
Yanks, join me in fantasizing how we wish she was packing heat and pulled out her Glock.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/05/02/1209235113393.html?s_rid=smh:top5
Aussies, man up and find these bastards.
Yanks, join me in fantasizing how we wish she was packing heat and pulled out her Glock.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/05/02/1209235113393.html?s_rid=smh:top5
History events when I had my 4666 phone number
In regard to the story I related in the previous blog posting about having the phone number 4666 "assigned" to me, I'm just chuckling thinking of two "world history events" I observed from that particular office's window.
One was that I saw Mikhail Gorbachev being driven by in his motorcade when he toured Wall Street. It remains a fond memory, as I had been pulling for him, of course, to lead the USSR out of Communism.
The other thing I saw was the carrying by employees of their boxes and leaving their offices in the neighboring building when the junk bond company DBL collapsed. A car would pull up, an employee would walk out with his or her box, and off they would go.
Interesting times, the late 1980's. Much goodness (the fall of Communism) squandered by many more poor choices by humans (greed, the occult, decline of morals and civility, destruction of the family).
One was that I saw Mikhail Gorbachev being driven by in his motorcade when he toured Wall Street. It remains a fond memory, as I had been pulling for him, of course, to lead the USSR out of Communism.
The other thing I saw was the carrying by employees of their boxes and leaving their offices in the neighboring building when the junk bond company DBL collapsed. A car would pull up, an employee would walk out with his or her box, and off they would go.
Interesting times, the late 1980's. Much goodness (the fall of Communism) squandered by many more poor choices by humans (greed, the occult, decline of morals and civility, destruction of the family).
Some closing thoughts about reincarnation
I hope that readers of my blog found what I posted yesterday explaining why reincarnation beliefs persist, and the difference between "modern New Age" believers and traditional mainstream believers useful.
I hope that you can tell from the tone of what I posted that I have never had an issue with the pious of traditional faiths that have a component of their faith and morality based on belief in reincarnation. My attitude has always been to have good will to people of good will. It is the manipulating of others based on your own fallacious beliefs that I oppose and condemn.
And it was to me the fight was brought. Oppression, stalking, violence and hate in the name of so called "reincarnation" and "past lives" was brought to MY door, has harmed ME and MY HOUSE. I never sought a quarrel and in fact was open to cultural and social bridges that we could share. But I discovered that supposed "past lives" beliefs were the rallying cry to bring depravity, pain, combat and suffering in a one way battle directed toward me and mine.
Here is an example. It became clear in hindsight that things I thought were odd coincidences or silly jokes were signals of this disgraceful covert war against me. In the mid to late 1980's when I worked for a Wall Street bank, we all got a giggle that my phone extension after a move was assigned to be 4666. As I've explained before, I was alert to unconscious hostile gestures made in my direction (remember, I'd already had nearly twenty years of being physically stalked under my belt by then), so I thought it was another of those "meaningful coincidences" where not nice people inadvertently detected some of my still not public mission and thus a sign occurs. At the time I had not realized that I was being consciously stalked and harassed by not nice people regarding spiritual "belief." It was later that I realized that the 4666 was assignment of their "belief" in my "past life identities" to me via their daft numerology.
So, here is how it stands. I never had a quarrel with those with traditional pious beliefs. If you wonder how I feel, comments by Pope Benedict XVI are a handy guideline (though asking me would be even better, to find out my beliefs). But bad people assigned disgraceful "past lives" to me, and brought war and oppression to me, not I to them. Far from it; I have done nothing but reach out a desire for friendship and enlightenment, though within the context always of my God given mission to attest the truth of the already well documented Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. But I also validate everyone's piety and search for the one true God.
And so, while I have not raised a hand against another human, and certainly not in oppression of beliefs, you must realize that when you raise a hand against me and mine, you have raised your hand against God. Over the years God has taken a toll, and has judged fairly and harshly at their deaths, on those who have persecuted me. My response in this "spiritual combat" has been to withdraw my prayers and intercessions on behalf of those who are using "reincarnation" beliefs. You are attacking me without a net, and thus you do your "combat" and "fair game" type of activities on a tightrope over a burning pit without a safety net. My prayers have been safety nets for many people, more than you will ever realize. As I confess in front of God how I've been hurt, he has not held back his arm in response. Beware. God knows all that is said, planned and done. He always has and he always will. And despite what you believe, there is only one door out of life and that door leads to judgment by him. God has never forgotten the sufferings of his faithful servants, which I always was and will forever remain.
I hope that you can tell from the tone of what I posted that I have never had an issue with the pious of traditional faiths that have a component of their faith and morality based on belief in reincarnation. My attitude has always been to have good will to people of good will. It is the manipulating of others based on your own fallacious beliefs that I oppose and condemn.
And it was to me the fight was brought. Oppression, stalking, violence and hate in the name of so called "reincarnation" and "past lives" was brought to MY door, has harmed ME and MY HOUSE. I never sought a quarrel and in fact was open to cultural and social bridges that we could share. But I discovered that supposed "past lives" beliefs were the rallying cry to bring depravity, pain, combat and suffering in a one way battle directed toward me and mine.
Here is an example. It became clear in hindsight that things I thought were odd coincidences or silly jokes were signals of this disgraceful covert war against me. In the mid to late 1980's when I worked for a Wall Street bank, we all got a giggle that my phone extension after a move was assigned to be 4666. As I've explained before, I was alert to unconscious hostile gestures made in my direction (remember, I'd already had nearly twenty years of being physically stalked under my belt by then), so I thought it was another of those "meaningful coincidences" where not nice people inadvertently detected some of my still not public mission and thus a sign occurs. At the time I had not realized that I was being consciously stalked and harassed by not nice people regarding spiritual "belief." It was later that I realized that the 4666 was assignment of their "belief" in my "past life identities" to me via their daft numerology.
So, here is how it stands. I never had a quarrel with those with traditional pious beliefs. If you wonder how I feel, comments by Pope Benedict XVI are a handy guideline (though asking me would be even better, to find out my beliefs). But bad people assigned disgraceful "past lives" to me, and brought war and oppression to me, not I to them. Far from it; I have done nothing but reach out a desire for friendship and enlightenment, though within the context always of my God given mission to attest the truth of the already well documented Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. But I also validate everyone's piety and search for the one true God.
And so, while I have not raised a hand against another human, and certainly not in oppression of beliefs, you must realize that when you raise a hand against me and mine, you have raised your hand against God. Over the years God has taken a toll, and has judged fairly and harshly at their deaths, on those who have persecuted me. My response in this "spiritual combat" has been to withdraw my prayers and intercessions on behalf of those who are using "reincarnation" beliefs. You are attacking me without a net, and thus you do your "combat" and "fair game" type of activities on a tightrope over a burning pit without a safety net. My prayers have been safety nets for many people, more than you will ever realize. As I confess in front of God how I've been hurt, he has not held back his arm in response. Beware. God knows all that is said, planned and done. He always has and he always will. And despite what you believe, there is only one door out of life and that door leads to judgment by him. God has never forgotten the sufferings of his faithful servants, which I always was and will forever remain.
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