Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Michelle Needs - - - - - -

I did the Google thing and thought I would share it with you:

Your Help - No lie.

Seeking Serenity - Aren't we all

Colorado to vote - Ok, this one is for Tonjia

And Lastly, This is how you say "Michelle Needs to Go Poop" in various languages

ミシェルのニーズにうんち = Japanese

michelle doit aller merde = French

Michelle muss gehen poop = German

Michelle moet gaan kak = Dutch

Michelle tiene que ir caca = Spanish

Мишель должна идти полуют = Russian

Have you done your Google Search Yet? What are you waiting for? You might find out what you really need.

I also wanted to comment about how loved I feel today. After not blogging for forever I posted yesterday and you all still love me. And some of you even missed me.

We are going to Destin, FL for a week in June for a family vacation. There will be 19 of us there. So I have contacted Lisa at my new thing to do and asked her if she would fly out for a couple of days to take family pictures. This group will probably never get together like this again. It will be me and Hubby, Shay and hubbies father and son. Wes's Aunt Janet and Uncle Gerald, there three kids and spouses and all of their kids. 19 people total. WOW. We will be singing karaoke, playing Wii (Rock Band 2), Dance Revolution, Beer Pong (for Shay)and poker of course. I am sure we will have other games as well and lots of time at the beach. But don't you think it would be great to create a hard bound memory book for everyone? Wes's mom used to say "We're making a memory" and I think this would be a perfect title for our family vacation book.

I have told everyone to bring a white shirt and blue jeans for the family portrait. This is going to be fun!!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Booo

Scared ya didn't I? Sorry I have not been posting much these days. I could say that I have not been doing much but that would be a lie. I just haven't been doing anything blog worthy. I am so not worthy.

Lets see, I work, go to the gym 3 times a week, go to Karate class 2 times per week and the rest of the time is spent cleaning house and taking care of the dogs. Nothing really exciting.

Shay is doing good. She continues to do well and be recognized for her efforts. She was able to go "home" to Seattle this past weekend. Just in time for my brother to go to Chicago. Oh Well, such is life. She had a good time with some friends and spent part of Sunday with my BFF.

Hubby will be heading to Japan, Korea and China soon. He will be gone for 2 weeks (I think). He is still attending the Air Force War College at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL. He graduates in May and it will be so nice to have him home. I hate doing the laundry!

With what little free time I do have I try to keep up with emails and contacts via Facebook. If you want to be my friend, look me up. MRenLew@aol.com is my email address.

Well, gotta get back to work. Hopefully something exciting will happen soo for me to blog about. Until then, catch me on facebook.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested And Written By Brat

Sgt. Patrick Tanish
Sgt. Patrick Tainsh
33 years old from Oceanside, California
Troop E, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
February 11, 2004
U.S. Army

Five years ago today, Sgt. Patrick Tainsh sacrificed all as the mounted unit he
was part of was hit by an IED in Baghdad. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze and Sliver Stars saving the lives of his commanding officer and other soldiers before succumbing to his own wounds. Also killed in the attack was Pfc. William C. Ramirez from Portland, Oregon.

On Veteran’s Day, 2007, Deborah Tainsh, Sgt. Tainsh's mother, attended a school in Columbia, Georgia, and shared a story she had written called "A Boy Named Patrick."

Here is part of the story :

…a little boy named Patrick who loved football, beaches, surfing, and
skateboarding, and especially reading. Patrick watched his dad be a Marine for
over twenty years. During this time Patrick kept reading not only surfing and
skateboarding magazines, but history books, too. One day when Patrick was a man, he told his dad and best friend, “I want to do something that will make a
difference in the world, I’m going to be a soldier.” And so he did. And in 1999
he went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for boot camp and then went to Fort Polk,
Louisiana where he worked and trained hard to become a United States Army
Cavalry Scout. Then in 2003 Patrick had to say good bye to his mom and dad
because he had to go fight a war in Iraq to protect his country, friends, and
family from terrorists and to help fight for the freedoms of the boys and girls
in that country where they and their families were treated very badly by their
country’s leader. Patrick once wrote a letter to his mom and dad telling them
that he cried for the children because they were hungry and he didn’t have food
to give them. He said he couldn’t understand how a country’s leader could treat
the people so badly and make them live in such dirty conditions with trash and
wild dogs everywhere. And so Patrick's mom and dad keep a photo in their living
room of Patrick surrounded by Iraqi children.

You can read the story in it's entirety here.

Sgt Tainsh came to the military later than some, but rose through the ranks fast. In his last letter to his parents, Sgt Tainsh shared his thoughts about his mission. And in 2006, Sgt. Tainsh's mother wrote a book called Heart Of A Hawk about her son's life and her and her husband's struggles since their son was killed.



These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Oklahoma dog Owners - Urgent Alert!!

House Hearing Tuesday On Devastating Breeding Bill


by JOHN YATES
American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org
asda@conline.net

This article is archived at:

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Pro-animal rights veterinarians and their allies are
back again with a vengeance in Oklahoma, and are ramrodding legislation to target
everyone who raises dogs under the guise of regulating “puppy mills.” If
passed into law, this legislation would destroy hobby breeding of high quality
purebred dogs in Oklahoma.

The House Economic Development and Financial Services Committee has set a
hearing for Tuesday (February 10, 2009) on House Bill 1332, sponsored by Rep.
Lee Denney and also known as the “Oklahoma Pet Quality Assurance and Protection
Act.” The 4:30 p.m. hearing is open to the public, and the American Sporting
Dog Alliance urges dog owners to attend.

It must be emphasized that this legislation is being fast-tracked for rapid
passage, and it is urgent for Oklahoma dog owners to take clear and decisive
action now. Failure to act greatly increases the chances that you will lose the
right to raise dogs. Suggestions about how to take an active role in
defeating this legislation are included later in this report.

Rep. Denney introduced an almost identical bill last year, but it was
soundly defeated in the House Agriculture Committee following intense opposition by
dog owners, the American Sporting Dog Alliance, and farmers and ranchers.

This year, however, Rep. Denny has cut a deal to circumvent the Agriculture
Committee.

HB 1332 is before the House Economic Development and Financial Services
Committee. Convincing leadership to put a bill in an inappropriate committee falls
under the category of a political dirty trick. The committee is inappropriate
because the state Department of Agriculture would administer and enforce the
law.

This legislation:

• Prohibits an out of state breeder from transporting dogs into or
through Oklahoma, which would effectively destroy dog shows, field trials and
other canine events in the state. If a hobby breeder were to bring dogs to an
Oklahoma event, the dogs could be confiscated and the owner would face heavy
fines and penalties.


• Gives any animal control officer, peace officer or animal cruelty
investigator unrestricted access to a kennel owner’s home, facilities, anim
als, records and property. The bill denies kennel owners constitutional right of
protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, as no warrants are
required. In addition, the simple act of owning a licensed kennel would allow any
kind of peace officer to search a person’s property for any reason, and this
power is not limited to animal laws. This provision alone is a completely
unethical assault on the Bill of Rights.


• Effectively prohibits any Oklahoma resident from buying a puppy
or dog from another state, as the breeder would have to be licensed in
Oklahoma.


• Requires every breeder, rescue organization, animal shelter and
pet store to be state licensed – not just dealers or commercial kennels – if
they sell, give away or adopt out 25 or more animals a year. This would destroy
many rescue programs.


• Says that a license will not be issued to anyone who has or has
ever had a federal kennel license through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This provision will destroy many well-run kennel businesses that meet or exceed
all legal requirements for the care of animals, and result in the owners of
those businesses losing many thousands of dollars that they have invested in
land and facilities, also losing their livelihood. However, all kennels will be
required to follow federal regulations for housing, care and other management
issues.


• Gives the state the authority to implement complete regulations
for the management of all kennels and the care of the dogs, with no provision
for legislative approval or input from dog owners.


• Requires extensive record keeping, and kennel management and
medical practices to be approved by a veterinarian. The legislation changes the
legal status of dog owners to that of guardians, and removes all decision-making
power from the hands of kennel owners. Dogs effectively become wards of the
state under this legislation.


• Denies a license to anyone who is on probation or parole for any
offense, even if they have nothing to do with animals. Licenses also are
denied for anyone who has been found guilty of violating any statute pertaining to
animals, including relatively minor offenses such as leash laws, local
licensing laws and noise ordinances. In addition, purely technical or minor
violations of state kennel regulations would cause mandatory denial.


• Provides fines of up to $2,500 for each violation, while granting
the kennel owner only the right to an administrative appeal. Placing liens
against a kennel owner’s property is authorized to collect fines, penalties and
costs for seizing dogs. Several provisions allow the state to seize,
confiscate and euthanize animals.


Here is a link to the text of HB 1332:
http://www.okvma.org/associations/2557/files/2PQA2009HB1332.pdf. (Please note that this is on the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association site, as the official state legislature site requires a complex search. The veterinarians’ group is pushing this legislation. The sponsor, Rep. Denney, is a veterinarian. The OVMA and its allies have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into promoting this legislation, and have hired a full-time professional political lobbyist.)

We also see many unintended consequences to the legislation. For example,
America’s troubled economy means that many people are forced to abandon their
pets when they lose their homes or jobs. The destruction of rescue and fostering
networks will lead to the needless death of thousands of beloved animals in
Oklahoma, if this legislation is approved.

The legislation also is based on faulty premises, such as unsubstantiated
claims that there are many illegal kennels in Oklahoma. No evidence has been
given to support this outrageous claim. Moreover, if an illegal kennel exists,
existing laws could fully address the situation. It is a waste of tax dollars to
duplicate government services.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance urges every Oklahoma dog owner to contact
each member of the House Economic Development and Financial Services
Committee to express clear opposition to this legislation. Because the hearing is this
coming Tuesday, please make these contacts as quickly as possible.

Our suggestion is to send an immediate email to each legislator, and follow
it up with a fax or phone call. Even a brief note clearly stating your
opposition will be important. Keeping your tone polite and respectful goes along way
in public life.

Here is email contact information for the members of the House Economic
Development and Financial Services Committee:

• Daniel Sullivan, Chair- danielsullivan@okhouse.gov;


• Randy McDaniel, Vice Chair- randy.mcdaniel@okhouse.gov;


• John Affuet- johnauffet@okhouse.gov,


• John Carey (D) johncarey@okhouse.gov,


• George Faught (R) georgefaught@okhouse.gov,


• Charles Key (R) charles.key@okhouse.gov,


• Guy Liebmann (R) guyliebmann@okhouse.gov,


• Skye McNiel (R) skye.mcniel@okhouse.gov,


• Lewis Moore (R) lewis.moore@okhouse.gov,


• Danny Morgan (D) dannymorgan@okhouse.gov,


• Pat Ownbey (R) pat.ownbey@okhouse.gov,


• Ron Peters (R) ronpeters@okhouse.gov


• Mike Shelton (D) mikeshelton@okhouse.gov,


• Jabar Shumate (D) jabarshumate@okhouse.gov.


This link also will give information about each legislator’s phone, surface
mail and email contact information:
http://www.okhouse.gov/Members/MemberListing.aspx.

Please help Oklahoma dog owners.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance represents owners, breeders and
professionals who work with breeds of dogs that are used for hunting. We also welcome
people who work with other breeds, as legislative issues affect all of us. We
are a grassroots movement working to protect the rights of dog owners, and to
assure that the traditional relationships between dogs and humans maintains its
rightful place in American society and life.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance also needs your help so that we can
continue to work to protect the rights of dog owners. Your membership,
participation and support are truly essential to the success of our mission. We are funded
solely by your donations in order to maintain strict independence.

Please visit us on the web at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org .
Our email is asda@csonline.net .

PLEASE CROSS-POST AND FORWARD THIS REPORT TO YOUR FRIENDS