Until someone comes up with something, this is all I have. So far, I have made the most progress with all orange kitty, a little boy, and the black and white kitty, a little girl. Now they are out after dark playing around. I try to make them go back in their little house to protect them from Mr. mean looking possum who lurks after dark but they ignore me.
185 comments:
Had a rain last night and waiting for some more cold weather to visit. Not looking forward to that. All the rain will probably slow down progress at Owl Camp. Rats.
Last night I watched some of the Lions/Packers games just to watch the snow fall. I don't understand how those guys can look so comfortable with the low temps, the wind and no sleeves. Is their underwear heated? I was shivering just watching.
Just read in an article where Newt said that if Hillary ran in 2016, the Republicans would be incapable of competing. IMO, they would be incapable of competing if Big Bird ran.
Coreen, when your Christmas pics are ready, put them up.
Carol, enjoy seeing the fur babies
pics all the time...
Not much cold weather here yet...its been chilly, rainy, foggy...looks like the rest of the week will be snow free, a big plus
as far as I'm concerned...today though it is rainy, it may reach 60w/o any sun...
Looks like mother kitty is definitely getting used to you too...
My hope is that somehow they all could get coaxed into making your house their home...w/o the fear of any predators bothering all of them..
Has Maggie gotten comfortable with them yet...
by the way is fiddler still there...
Coreen, mama kitty only cares about the food I bring her. She will sit close to me but I made the mistake of reaching out to her and she swiped at me with her claws. Caught me. No more reaching out.
I do not take Maggie anywhere close to them yet. Mama kitty would probably rip her up. Mama doesn't like Fiddler either. She's always chasing her. Fiddler gives her a wide berth. I have to make sure she gets in and out of the porch.
She even chased Fiddler up on the roof again and Fiddler is much bigger than mama kitty.
"...chased Fiddler upon the roof." Sounds like a good name for a song or movie. LOL
Carol, the kitties look so comfy in their little home.
We took Ryley to have her teeth cleaned. I have been brushing them but vet said they needed prof attention - to the tune of $200. + bucks. Her gums are in terrible condition because of the stuff on her teeth. She will get anesthesia. Will pick her up when they call.
Plan to watch The Voice tonight as DWTS is over.
Jan, that's a play room but they don't sleep in it. They usually sleep on one of the chairs on a blanket. I just washed the blankets so they would be clean for the cold weather coming.
Remember when I had Maggie's teeth cleaned. It was very traumatic for me. She has something wrong with her trachea and she coughed for a while after. She needs it again but I'm not sure I can handle it. Don't care about the cost but I don't want to lose her.
What did dogs do before doggie dental care? I have been giving Maggie Sci diet dental large nuggets as cookies after her cooked food. Didn't seem to help much but she likes them.
Only 4 left on the Voice. They are good ones but they have whittled out some of the ones who I found interesting.
They are all so cute. Something about the little grey one with it's dark little nose that I find especially appealing.
Which one is most timid?
Jan, Maybe her teeth/gum problems were why Ryley was sick the other day. Teeth problems spread toxins throughout the blood stream.
Hope she feels better.
I've been watching cooking shows this afternoon. I saw Paula Deen's show. If she just licked her fingers making the dishes she demonstrated, she went well over her calorie, fat and carbs for the day.
How's Ryley Jan?
But if Paula Deen cooked healthy, it wouldn't be Paula Deen.
While watching, I made a mess of stuffed bell peppers for lunch/supper. I found 5 large bell peppers on the plant that I started in the late summer. My spring plant bit the dust so I had to plant another one. It's doing well but I'll have to make sure it doesn't freeze this winter.
Chloe, that black and white kitty is the most timid. The black one is like mama kitty, mean.
Carol, Is the black and what one the one in the last picture that I liked? He/she looks grey and white to me. I always love the most timid one the best, because I for so protective of that one. And that last one is the one that grabbed my heart the fastest,
The mom looks grey to. Are the lighter in the picture?
BTW Carol, I don't think they're mean.... but instead, they are afraid. The one's that hiss the loudest are the ones who are most afraid.
Mama cats are always in fight mode when anyone comes near their kitties. That's natures way of making sure she has the extra strength to protect them. She'll calm down later (depending on how feral she is).
It seems to take forever with some cats, but they eventually come around.
It's rough out there in the cold, cruel world. You know the old expression 'Dog eat dog'. They have to be tough and leery, or they don't make it.
The ones that are too trusting are the ones end up in trouble.
Jan, I'm waiting to hear about Ryley too.
If I cooked like you do, Carol.... hubby would be in heaven.
I don't watch cooking shows, because they make me too hungry. Plus, I've developed this dislike of cooking in my old age (as I've mentioned often here).
I don't know what to make of it, because I sure do love to eat. He cooks more than I do. I am a grazer, and feel like I could live on what other people would consider junk food (and probably would if it weren't for him). We eat out a lot (breakfast or lunch mostly). We eat light at night, and never go to dinner anymore. A habit we formed many years ago.
I do make sure Emma's gets a healthy dinner though. It's easy, because she likes so many of the things most kids don't like: fruits and vegetables. But her favorite food is Mac an cheese.
I'll check back in tomorrow A.M.
Carol and Chloe, thanks for asking about Ryley. She is fine. She had anesthesia and IV fluids. We took her in at 7:30 this morning and they called at 3 pm that she was ready to come home. She was a little disoriented when we got her home - she had trouble keeping her balance when she walked and she cried some. We fed her some chick and rice about 5 pm and she wolfed it down. She has been out to pee several times and pooped once - so she is doing all the things she is supposed to do. She is up here on the couch between John and me now. I have tooth supplies to now brush her teeth. The vet said she did very well. John was very worried. He had a little dog years ago in his 1st marriage - a little poodle- that died during a spaying. He said it was the worst death he had ever experienced. Her name was Collette - she never came out of anesthesia. I felt confident about these vets. We used them with Lobie and they seem very competent.
John and I both like the girl singer the best (on The Voice).
I think the grey and black kitty has the cutest face.
It would be better for me if I had others to cook for. There are so many things that I would like to cook but it would be a waste to cook those things just for me. I also like to create new dishes. I like it when big sis is here, she loves to eat but she's not crazy about cooking. She is good at cleaning up after and I'm not.
I enjoy watching the cooking shows but I always feel like I would do it just a little different.
I don't watch the cooking shows that often. Too dangerous. I do record a few and ff through them to see what's on the menu, get some new ideas. Cooking is a lot more exciting when it's cold outside.
I have never been much of a cook. It is a chore for me to do. I try to fix foods for us to eat at home. We both do better if we don't eat out too much.
My sister is a great cook. Everything she cooks or bakes is delicious. There was a movie on TV once titled "One cooks and the other one doesn't." My dad thought that was so funny so he used to say that about my sister and me. I was never offended by that as it was so true.
The funny thing is I have so many cookbooks and am always cutting out recipes.
Jan, that's why I'm afraid of Maggie going through that procedure again. Dogs do die during surgical procedures and Maggie has that trachea problem. And it's not like they have an anesthetist and EKGs going.
And if something bad happened it wouldn't necessarily be because the
Vet was bad.
The kitty y'all like is one of the smallest. So is the little black one. I know she's mean because she or he is afraid. I just can't get close to that one. Maybe later.
One of the reasons that I think you and I got along so well Carol is that you have an older sister and I have a younger sister. The experts on family birth order say that we get along best with people who complement our birth order. I think one reason John and I get along well (most of time) is because he has an older sis and I had a younger brother. I am an oldest and he is a middle. In other words - he lets me be BOSS!
I am sure you are right Carol about the vets and dogs dying during anesthesia.
The first guy who did Wind Beneath my Wings is usually much better. He didn't do well with that song tonight and I was surprised. He's usually great. I even think his pitch was off. The last guy, Terry, has a good voice but I just don't like something about him. Of the ones left, I like Cassadee Pope the best. Some of my favs were voted off. I really think that it wasn't a good show tonight. I'm sorry it was the only one you got to see.
I went out on the back porch earlier tonight and Fiddler who had been out there was gone and Ms Kitty was out there with the door shut and locked in. She must have figured out how to get in but couldn't get out. I was worried that she had run Fiddler off. I opened the door and ran her out but then I couldn't find Fiddler for a good while. I kept calling her. Ms Kitty has a warm place to stay, with her younguns but Fiddler needs the back porch where I have her a warm bed.
Well, I finally called and she came finally came running. She's scared of Ms Kitty. Fiddler is now out in her warm bed. I pulled the door closed tight so she'll probably be stuck in there but hopefully Ms Kitty won't be able to get in and run her off.
Phew, the feline drama around here. Since it's started getting dark early, and I have unlimited time off, I usually head to bed earlier.
I too thought the 1st guy was pretty pitchy.
That is the bad thing about this time of year - it gets dark so early that it feels like we should go to bed about 7 pm. I went swimming about 5:30 to break up the evening some.
Jan, I'm glad you heard Trevon's pitchiness also. I can't sing but my ears have this pitch detector that is very sensitive. It did come in handy playing in the band.
Trevon is usually one of the best but I don't know what happened to him last night. I also noticed that I could barely hear his voice above the music at times. Maybe he had a cold?? Usually the judges will say something when someone is pitchy, not like those judges on other talent shows though. They do it gently. Trevon is young and a very vulnerable guy and I think they were afraid to say something.
Many of these, and so many of the others, who have already left, have far superior voices to the judges. These judges have also admitted that.
I can see many of the contestants who participated this year having music careers if they play their cards right.
Even though I head to bed early, about 9:30, I usually don't end up going to sleep. I think one reason I do it is to keep from foraging for food. I've been doing too much foraging.
There's been a lot on the news about that prank that went horribly wrong. I don't blame the DJs as much as I blame the station's legal advisers who felt it was appropriate to put it on the air. The DJs weren't even trying that hard to make the call sound ligit. When speaking like the Queen, they said they were checking on the condition of her grand daughter. That should have been a give away to whoever answered the call but whoever did answer was probably feeling a little intimidated and didn't listen that closely.
If anyone does lose a job or have to take responsibility, it should be those in charge of the station who decided it was OK to air that prank. The DJs could then have used this opportunity to teach about how what seems harmless can have devastating consequences. I didn't find the prank to be the least bit funny when it first aired.
Guess what I'm having for breakfast? Yep, stuffed bell peppers. That's what a single person has to do when they cook a family sized meal and don't want to waste any of it. It does make a pretty good breakfast.
stuffed peppers sound good.
Had my usual oatmeal with apples, dried cranberries and chopped pecans. I try to have oatmeal (not instant) several days/week. I think it keeps my blood sugar down.
It's cold here, at least IMO. I have grown to be very cold intolerant. Couldn't get warm yesterday. Didn't even want to leave the house even though I did find a few more groceries that I needed, actually didn't need but wanted. I had a hankering for some Toll House choc chip cookies with half the amount of choc chips and twice as many pecans. I love pecans.
Last night I had kitty chaos. I put Fiddler on the back porch for the night. That usually doesn't last, she will get out and roam. I worry about all of them being warm but I'm just torturing myself.
I went out to the porch a short time later and Fiddler was gone and Ms Kitty and the kit kats were all there. Don't know how they got in. They have all kind of places I set up for them to stay warm but they decided to take over the one place I fixed for Fiddler. I had to catch and round them up to get them out. That was no picnic. Phew.
I was half way expecting to find them in the house this morning and me out in my truck.
I am having doggie problems. No matter what I do, Ryley pees on the floor. I am about to give up and buy puppy pads at Walmart.
Any suggestions?
Sorry to hear of your kitty issues Carol. That is funny that the kitties and mama kitty wanted to be in Fiddler's place. Sounds like sibling rivalry.
I have also pissed John off this morning and he has left the house. Just not my day.
"I have also pissed John off this morning and he has left the house. Just not my day."
It's the season, Jan.
A lot of people seem to be stressed out. Does John have a cell phone on him?
Sounds like mama cat has decided Fiddler's spot is the safest place for her kittens. One thing about cats, you never can really control them.
It's all about survival and apparently mama saw some danger in the other places she scouted out.
Fiddlers pretty tough, isn't she Carol? Cats are very good at finding a warm place to curl up in the cold weather. They love even card board boxes to curl up in.
Jan, how young is Ryley.
She has been through some trauma lately (I think going to the vet is very traumatizing for them).
I don't know how long you've had her exactly (or what she went through before you got her), but she may be adjusting to a lot of things. Got a feeling she'll start going outside soon. (Just make sure that you have one of those animal neutralizer sprays to spray the areas where she wets)
Had to smile at your 'herding kits' adventure Carol...
Cats can be pretty territorial...hope that Fiddler doesn't get chased away from you after all this time...but I am confident you will figure out how to resolve the dilemma...
Around here each of the 3 have their own
spots & do not share well...they are all girl cats & are jealous, something that I never saw
when I had male cats...
Wish I could offer some advice about Ryley Jan, but no experience with dogs...
I thought that when you brought her home from your relatives, she was adjusting & going outside within a short time...not sure how you break a dog of wetting in the house problem...if she was not trained properly before you
got her...
Just how cold is it getting Carol...
So far we are doing ok for December...it's cold but not icy cold & as long as there isn't any
wind, its ok...
From now through March, I count each week w/o snow as a big plus, so far so good...& it does get dark by 4:30, at least for the rest of the month...
It's been one of those days Jan. I made myself get out to go check on the camp and to the grocery store. When I got to the camp, the guys had left for lunch but left this can of glue on one of my space heaters. Probably needed to warm it up. It didn't work that well to heat up a room but it worked nicely to heat up the counter top glue. Only problem was that they left the can with the top down and all the glue ran out onto the heater and there was a huge puddle of glue on the floor. I found this sign that I tried to use to scoop up the puddle of glue. I unplugged the heater. When my fingers were all glued together I gave up and left. I called them to tell them that they had a little mess to clean up. I make enough of my own messes to clean up. He said his son turned it over to heat up the glue in the top. Evidently the top wasn't on good.
I came home to try to get the glue off my hands. Soap and water and acetone didn't work. I went to the store with my hands somewhat glued together. I bought some mineral spirits at the store. That did help.
I bought the stuff to make my Toll House cookies and a calazone for supper. I came home, got the glue off my hands and made a half a recipe of the cookies. I had my first tray in the oven when my older sister called about the tax bill on the property we recently sold. They collected our portion of the year's taxes when we sold it so I'm not worried about it. Not our problem. She insisted on worrying about it. It's big sis not twin. Twin wouldn't worry about it either. Talking to her, I ended up cooking my cookies a little too long. After that, I spilled two different things that I had to clean up.
Now my calazone is in the oven. Using the oven for most of the afternoon has finally warmed me up. I mixed spinach, garlic, feta and 5 Italian cheeses and rolled it in pizza dough to make a calazone. I top that with some hot pizza sauce when I eat it. Haven't fixed that in a good while.
Ms. Kitty would like to run Fiddler off. I won't let her. Fiddler was here first. Fiddler doesn't mess with her or the kitties.
I don't have an answer for Ryley's peeing on the carpet either. Wasn't she trained to use potty pads?
That probably wasn't a good thing. All I can think of is getting her outside early and again late. If you can catch her wetting the carpet, fuss at her and put her outside.
Coreen, it wouldn't be cold by your standards but it takes me a while to adjust. As soon as I do, it gets warm again. I have a very narrow temperature tolerance.
I was going to get one of the electric throws I have at the camp but my run in with the glue distracted me. I still have most of my warm stuff at the camp.
I can get it warm here by turning the heat up higher but I don't want to run up my electric bill. It's certainly warmer here than it would be if I were at the camp.
Where are your Christmas pics Coreen?
Jan, the young guy who hit the flat note the other day got the boot last night. It was the one and only flat note he hit on that show. I really think that he wasn't familiar with that song. He is quite talented, probably more than any of the others. He is very young and even Christine, who wasn't his coach, said in one of the earlier shows that she would like to take him under her wing. He will go places. I have no doubt about that.
They have that big Sandy Concert on tonight. Lot of the greats from our days.
Geriatric rock and roll. Pretty cool!
The 1/3 of the day was good. John and I have those moments - no harm done. When one of us has some off moments the best things is to get a little space.
Carol, having some comfort foods is what we did later in the day too. Your glue incident would have put me under. Glad you found something to get it off.
Thanks for your thoughts and kind words about Ryley and her lack of house brokenness. We take her out often and she pees and/or poops every time. She has been through a traumatic experience with her teeth cleaning - so that could have been it. So we will keep trying.
This is where cats might be superior to dogs. All you need is a litter box and you are set.
Ryley is 8 years old and we have had her since sept. She was my sister's and brother in law's dog. He died over a year ago and my sis has moved in with her daughter and could not keep the dog. So sis gave her to us. They used puppy pads mainly for her and occasionally took her outside to go to the BR. They lived in a condo and did not have fenced in yard and both have/had serious health problems. So that is the story on Ryley. She has been through the trauma of losing each of her original human companions, moved across the country, and had the teeth cleaning. I also changed her diet from a wet food to a dry food. So it is a lot of changes for her.
Chloe, would love to see some pics of little Emma.
Coreen, I too would like to see some Christmas pictures and some with your pretty kitties.
Enjoyed watching BaBa WaWa tonight-10 most fascinating people of 2012. David Patreaus was MOST fascinating. Hilary was on, Gaby (the gold medal gymnast), Honey Boo Boo was named but not on the show.
Oh yes, also of the 10...people were Gov. Christie and Prince Harry.
Jan, after knowing that Ryley was expected to relieve herself inside, it's a miracle she does anything right. Was it that way from the start or did she later have to learn to do that? That poor puppy has been traumatized in multiple ways. I'm certainly glad you have her now.
Dogs are a lot of work and responsibility. They will tie you down worse than a kid. You can take your kids on trips and in other places when you travel. Yes, I know people are traveling with their animals but that's got to be traumatic for the dogs if it involves airports.
Some people don't realize the work and sacrifice involved when they decide to get a dog or things may change after they get them.
And yes, cats are so much easier but you still need someone who will provide for them if you leave home..even outside.
I saw some of the 10 most... I recorded and just watched the more interesting stories. I also watched some of the hurricane relief concert.
I, along with many others in the hurricane threatened south, probably feel a little slighted by the amount of attention that New York and New Jersey have gotten with Sandy. Just a little. Rita really got the least attention because she hit us when all the attention was still on Katrina. And yes, we didn't suffer the death toll that either storm had. Anyone who could, ran for their lives. Also, I doubt that most had to wait over three weeks for the power to return when they still had a structure left.
A significant problem with those areas up north is that there are so many living in vulnerable places, at the mercy of the seas. Around here, you can't rebuild in those areas unless you build very high or if you do rebuild, if they let you, you won't get insurance, flood or regular. With the weather patterns these days, you can't depend on the fact that it will be just a once in a lifetime experience.
Barbara asked Christie whether he thought that his being overweight would be a negative in running for president and he said no. What do you think? He is seriously overweight and I think it would be a problem. I guess he has 4 years to ponder on it.
Hi Jan,
I've lost all my contact addresses. Would you please send me your email at Chloe@doubt.com and I'll upload some pics later and link you to my photo bucket.
Thanks for asking.
Sky alert. Meteor shower tonight. Tonight with the new moon and dark skies, the annual Geminids may be special tonight and early in the morning. Added to it maybe a new shower called the Piscids. It's just a maybe. It will start earlier and the meteors will be moving from west to east while the Geminids will move from east to west. If the Piscids do show up, it will increase the chance of seeing a shooting star.
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/ten-tips-for-watching-the-geminid-meteor-shower
Just walked out to look up at the stars and they are really bright and beautiful tonight in the crisp, too cold air. I wasn't even out there a minute and I've already seen one meteor fly by. It's really early for them. It just might turn out to be a good shower tonight. I don't think I'll be game to go out at the best time, between midnight and 2am.
Anyone hear the story about the KTBS-TV of Shreveport meteorologist that was fired for a very nice, professional response to what someone wrote about her hair on Facebook? I'm so embarrassed that the tv station is in my state. Not really surprised though. Did think that Shreveport was a little classier city.
It's been all over the news but if you haven't heard the story...
http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/meteorologist-rhonda-lee-she-fired-defending-her-hair-200400289.html
Facebook seems to cause a lot of trouble for people, some deserve it, many others don't.
Will do Chloe.
Just got a message from my niece that my only sister is in the ER with a possible intestinal blockage. I am worried. Not much sleep tonight for me.
Niece texted me at midnight that sis is better and going home. Relief!
Chloe, I e-mailed you and the message was your e-mail is full.
Jan, I'm sooo happy for your sister that she doesn't have an intestinal obstruction. Phew!
Jan, I just saw your alert about your sister, and am so glad she is alright.
You have such a big family to worry about.
Oh, and Jan,
I got your email just fine. I don't know why it leaves that message sometimes. That address is part of mail.com (I only had to pick the doubt, because every other category would only let me use just my first name - no one else wanted it :).
"This is where cats might be superior to dogs. All you need is a litter box and you are set."
Jan, in a way.... that's not always true. In a multi-cat household, very often a male cat innate need to spray places to mark their territory. That's why we only have female cats inside right now.
I have a black male I would love to bring in with me, but when he walks in the first thing he does is spray. That's worse than wetting on the floor, because you can't see it (if you're not there).
Also, some female cats are so overly exuberant when covering their mess in the litter box, that that end up spreading some of the litter on the floor (if the box isn't covered).
This isn't always true, but still.... I think most animals are a little work (or some a lot) -- but well worth it.
We love sleeping with my favorite cats -- especially this time of the year, because when it's cold out they're so much more cuddly.
I just realized that I need to leave in 15 minutes, so need to wake Emma up. Time flies on the computer.
Have a good day!
Just heard that the nurse who committed suicide left three notes and one was critical of how she was treated by the hospital staff. That doesn't surprise me. I did question it when I read that they were supportive of the nurse. That certainly wouldn't be the norm at least not here in our country.
Good morning Chloe. Didn't see you slip in.
You probably have seen the TV news of the tragic murders in Newtown CT
this morning
of so many small children, their teachers, staff at a grammar school...
the town is just 15 miles away to the north & it was the talk of just about everyone in town today...
And yes as the tv is saying, Newtown is a small town, much like mine, rural/suburban in nature where one would not think of such a horrendous act happening...but it did...
The pain of all those families affected is unthinkable...no reasonable or acceptable answer as to why some disgusting cretin would do what this guy did...& Carol you already know what I think...good that he apparently killed himself, since he would not deserve breathing for another 50 years in jail...
Coreen, the murders of these children and adults in Newton is such a tragedy. So close to where you live. It can happen anywhere. So sorry for all the families and community. Hard to believe that anyone could do something like this.
We never think of anything like this happening in a small community.
And from what is being said, the teachers were heros at the school,
gathering the children into their
rooms & protecting them from the carnage that was happening around them, until the police arrived to get them all out....
Yes I did hear and have been crying about it much of the day. I couldn't even think of words to write about it. It makes no sense. I went out and told my kitties about those other young kiddies who were killed. They listened. They did provide me with a little comfort. I was able to get in a few pets but still no loving.
How can anyone feel comfortable letting their children leave their sides? How can we prevent these kinds of horrors from happening? Someone has a bad day, maybe has a fight with a family member or loved one and within easy reach is a weapon of mass destruction that can take away the lives and joys from so many.
There will be no watching the joys and wonders in their little eyes during this holiday season. No running to the Christmas tree to see what Santa brought them. No leaving cookies for Santa.
I not only cried for those families up in your neighborhood Coreen but for the families in other countries who's children are killed by gunfire from soldiers and drones. The pain is all the same. And it takes so little time, so little thought and so little effort to destroy it all. And what can we do to stop it?
Jan, that could be any town, anywhere...just a matter of time. And yes, it is good that the shooter is dead but there's more where he came from. Too many more.
And I do feel hate and disgust and it's for the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Fox News and all the other who advocate for nooo gun control and unlimited fire power and unlimited rounds of ammo.
Every morning I run outside to check on my kitties. This morning all I saw was mama kitty and the small black one. I looked all over the little room and couldn't find them. I went again a little later and the little black and white one showed up but neither of my red heads. I was really afraid of what may have happened to them. It was quite a while before those two showed up. Don't know where they were hiding. Just the anxiety of worrying about my little fur family can do me in. I can't even imagine how it must have felt for those parents to go to that school not knowing if it was one of their precious children who was killed today.
Something else that has always worried me is all these violent video games that some kids and adults play all the time. How do they affect the brain? Have they ever investigated whether these young people who went mad and killed people spent time playing those games?
I told y'all about this middle aged doctor who worked in an ER here in town. He loved playing those violent video, shoot um up games. He probably played them as much as many kids do. He was caught out at break from the ER with his pistol, shooting out street lights and at signs. He didn't even start playing those games as a child. He did have a little break from reality at the time but he's back to practicing medicine now. Thank God people weren't involved in his shooting.
What can that kind of fantasy do to someone's mind? Maybe the person is feeling some frustration with life and uses those games to act it out. Then a real life situation comes up and reality and fantasy gets confused.
When we were young we just went outside and worked out our anger, excess energy and frustration running and jumping. We didn't have video games where we could go to our rooms and shoot up people.
I didn't hear about the massacre until later in the afternoon. I wasn't near a computer, or TV or radio, and only heard from a phone call from my daughter. When I heard it was in Connecticut, Coreen, I immediately thought about you. The closer things are to home, the harder they can be to endure.
I don't know what I can possibly say, after reading Carol's (5:32:00 PM) sad, but beautifully articulated post about the pain that so many are suffering right now. The first thing I always think when one of these nuts does something like this, is why they couldn't have just shot themself in the head first. I don't buy the 'insanity' excuse. These things don't happen on the spur of the moment. There has to be a huge history that leads up to them.
Carol, what you did by going out to spend time with the new life that you have taken responsibility for is the best thing you could have done. When something this painful happens, we have to focus on some kind of hope for the future, because there's no way to make any sense of something so horrible.
I really don't think there's any way to find any reasoning or logic in this sort of thing, Carol. I just saw a headline "22 children slashed by knife-wielding adult at elementary school in China..." and I can't even click on it to read, because of what's happen here today.
I've wondered about the violent video games too and the fantasy world that this latest generation has been subjected to. I, too, think that there are many that are slowly (and maybe even methodically) losing contact with reality.
I don't blame the talk shows or the video games any more than I blame these senseless, unending wars that we are constantly battling right now. What kind of message does that send to our society as a whole. Killing has become a way of life partly because of our countries continuous focus on the insanity going on in the middle east. They monopolize our news every minute of every day, and it's been for years now. What does that do to our 'collective conciousness' here on our homefront. Our view of the world is constantly being affected by the constant coverage of the constant insanity in another part of the world. Then our governments answer is to go over there to take more lives (under the guise of I don't know what) and to sacrifice the lives of those young, naive people in our armed forces.
Do you remember how our generation reacted to war. Protest. Now, you're considered unpatriotic if you protest.
3,000 US troops secretly return to Iraq via Kuwait 10 Dec 12
.... so much for transparency.
What's the point of all these wars and having guns so easily available...big big money to some. And sad to say most of them don't even have to suffer the consequences. It's always someone else and their children who pay.
It sounds like that elementary school did much more than most schools for security. The school was locked. It was reported that the shooter shot his way in. Even if they had an armed guard, he could have been shot first. The gun advocates will probably recommend armed security guards surrounding schools. Of course they'll need to be willing to willing to work for minimum wage.
Not sure where your conversation is leading, towards banning guns, or only certain guns, or who is allowed to have a gun, what is the answer?...& who gets to decide?
Seems each time there is a mass murder the politics of guns heats up yet in the end, there is no real answer...
And as far as this case, tonite there is reporting that the mother was the legal owner of the guns (if the report is accurate, since all day there have been a lot of conflicting reports)...
Have not heard any report locally that he shot his way into the school...
As far as locked schools, I am told by friends that this is not
unusal around here...some school districts do just that...
And I don't feel any anger or hostility toward the young man who did the shooting. He was a very emotionally ill young man. I can't even imagine what was going on in his head but it must have been hellacious. I guess I'm glad he is dead because we certainly couldn't do much for him if he lived.
My anger is more toward our society that facilitates the conditions that lead to his illness and provides no help to treat it.
Don't know if the report is accurate, many aren't this early. It was reported that he shot his way into the school. They said that the principal had just instituted a new security system at the school.
And that is a difference between us, Carol...I am not angry at or blame society for the actions of this individual...
I care not what was going on in his head, nor whether he had some mental disorder...his actions were planned & deliberate...he alone was responsible for the mayhem today...
He killed his mother at her home, then went to the school she worked at, in her car with at least 3 weapons & inflicted hell on innocents...for me there is no room
for sympathy in any shape or form for him...
Coreen, I said I don't know what the answers are. Yes, I do believe that there is a problem with these guns that are semi automatic and hold a large quantities of ammo. Exactly what is the purpose of that except for killing large numbers of people in a short amount of time. Now...when is that really necessary?
And it does make you wonder why mama bought those three guns. Very strange. Mama did pay for that along with many innocent people.
There was another recent sad gun story that some of you might have missed. Kinda hard to keep up with them all these days. Some guy went to sell some of his gun or pawn them. I guess he was turned down. He was bringing them back to his vehicle. He put a rifle or shotgun in his trunk and the pistol he was putting inside his vehicle when it went off and killed his 6 year old son. He didn't know there was a bullet in the chamber.
Yep Coreen, we are very different there.
Would you blame some old person with dementia if their actions killed someone, maybe they refused to quit driving and killed an entire family? Would you consider that old person with dementia evil? People aren't any more responsible for their mental illnesses than they are for their physical ones. And believe me, there is very little out there to help people with mental illnesses, even if you have money.
Yes, Carol, if a person with dementia drives a car & kills a family, that individual is responsible...whether the person
with dementia should have been driving a car is a totally separate issue...
there are numerous instances of elders driving cars, hitting the gas & causing injuries/death to
pedestrians & yes they are held responsible legally...
I've even pondered that maybe mama bought those guns to protect herself from her mentally ill son who she was afraid of. It's very likely that she couldn't get the help for him since he was an adult. I know for a fact that that is a frequent occurrence. I saw it every day at work. Maybe they had a confrontation and he won. Then he went and took out his rage on other children that he thought that she cared more for than she cared for him. What else makes sense of the fact that he killed all those young children. How can anyone feel hate for little kids?
I'm not a big gun person...I do know a few gun owners who are adamant about their right to have any weapon they want...some hunt, some just own weapons...(you do know I have no use for hunters)...
Not sure if CT has a ban on the assault type weapon found, or the
rapid fire magazines that may have been used as reported...
Oh Coreen, I don't think it really matters what the laws are in your state. If we have those weapons available, anyone who wants one, will get one.
And I ponder about who are the real evil ones? Might it be those who imagine and create these weapons that can terminate so many lives in such a short period of time without a whole lot of time for thought. Yeah, that would be my suggestion.
Like I wrote earlier....what exactly would be the purpose of owning these high kill rate products? A hobby? A cool toy? I certainly don't buy that it's for protection.
We have created the perfect storm. Many youngsters cut their teeth on violent shoot um up video games. Cable news on 24/7 scaring us to death about just about every aspect of life and WMD available just about anywhere and to anyone. Who knows..this young guy may have thought the world would be ending in a week or so.
And I guess most people have figured out, if they didn't already know, that capital punishment isn't a deterrent. These last shooters took themselves out before anyone could have the pleasure of sentencing them to death.
All we can hope and pray for is that our loved ones aren't at the wrong place, at the wrong time and that could be church, the mall, the movie theater or an elementary school.
To be sure Carol...the possibility of such violence is anywhere & more & more in one's mind...after the mall shooting the other day, we went to the mall & I said to my friend as we got of the car,if either of us suddenly
say something like leave now, run or some like comment, just act fast, don't wonder why...because you just never know anymore...
I guess just be as vigilant as possible at all times...
And enough of this for me...there is frost on the ground this a.m. & have to go out & get the papers & feed the birds...
Possibility for a messy weekend & a good part of the coming week, hoping for just rain but we shall see...
"What else makes sense of the fact that he killed all those young children"
There you go again, Carol. Trying to makes sense of the nthinkable. Trying to find logic in a completely insane persons mind, when there is no logic involved.
Evil is evil, no matter what caused it or why it happened. If you were the parent of one of those kids, and saw something written about the killer not being responsible because he had issues, how do you think that would make you feel.
There's not always an explainable explanation for every tragedy, and to try to find the reason in the (poor guy couldn't get the help he need) perpetrators mind is an insult to the victim.
This is not a political issue, and it's disgusting to try to turn it into one.
The fact is that there are nuts out there, and we're never going to be able to help them all. They slip through the cracks.
After a respectable amount of time, then we can start thinking about solutions. But to defend the perpetrator in 'any way' right now is unconscionable.
As far as I'm concerned, EVERY person who commits horrible, murderous crimes is insane. That doesn't mean that they should be able to use their insanity (for whatever reason) for taking others lives.
That lady that drowned her 6 kids, did so and then had enough sanity in her to walk over and dial 911. But not until after she chased her last son around the house while he screamed in terror and drowned him too (I think the oldest was around 8 yrs. old -- I could look up the facts, but am not going to).
It would be really nice if we could find 'logic' in every situation, and therefore trace back a possible solution to it and be able to implement that solution into preventing it from happening in the future.
But finding 'logic' in everything that happens in the world is not possible.
There's not a lot of logic in mental illness. I'm not trying to make that logical.
I feel certain that multiple issues are involved and I've pondered what some of them MIGHT have been.
There's also not any easy answer to this horrible situation. There is no single thing we can point to as the cause and fixing just one won't make a difference.
If it makes you feel better to see the shooter as just an evil being, go for it. I choose to see it as the result of multiple issues that we must all find a way to deal with.
And since there are as many opinions as there are people, nothing will get done to fix this problem(s). Cable news will just have something to rant about for a couple of weeks and then wait for the next disaster.
And Chloe, you're accusing me of being logical. Really? Hey, I'm the one who often thinks that the Universe is trying to send us a message even though I can't often understand it. Do you consider that logical? I'm just pondering here and I'm not usually sure where it will take me.
Can't think of a more powerful way to get our attention than the killing of 20 beautiful, innocent children in picture perfect, small town USA. Damn.
Interesting to hear the report that the shooter's mama was a gun enthusiast/collector, if that is accurate.
I'll come up with my full analysis after all the facts are in and I trust that you will all realize that it's JMHO. My ponderings use a combination of science, spirituality, and intuition. OK, I'll throw in just a touch of logic.
I do agree that most of the people who commit these mass murders are crazy, not that that should get them off the hook. Someone who kills a person for personal gain, is evil.
I certainly miss my river ponder time. This house is just not good for pondering.
Things are moving along but just not fast enough for me and the Magster. I'm gonna be really pissed if the end of times gets here before the end of camp reconstruction. Really pissed!
Fair enough, Carol.
I was just ranting. But yes, I do think you are logical, and I don't consider that an accusation, but a compliment.
I'm always looking for signs too. I believe in intuition, and like you, I keep my eyes open at all times.
I certainly didn't mean to insinuate you weren't entitled to your opinion... and I know we all throw ideas out there to see where they lead.
I had seen other sites and stories that were using this tragedy to make a political point, and it just hit me as inappropriate.
.... so I let off steam here. But like you, I meant what I said, and maybe I should have said IMHO.
You are right, though. I do see that killer as pure evil, regardless of what made him that way.
I have trouble seeing someone who is just evil killing himself. Evil doesn't want to die. Suicide is a sign of a tortured soul.
You know, Carol.
I thought about how he got in that school so heavily armed too, being that the school was supposedly locked down.
I wonder if they didn't know him there, and voluntarily let him enter. Maybe he had been there with his mom and knew the layout of the place.
I can't help but believe he had planned this for a long time. He was so prepared, and adept at using the guns.
I also don't think we should overlook the teachers that saved the lives of so many of those small children, like Coreen mentioned.
I read that one teacher took all 15 of her students into a bathroom and locked the door. None of them were hurt, but the sounds they heard and the fear they experience must have been horrendous.
A later report by the State Trooper corrected some reports that were given earlier. Mom had no real connection to the school, at least not recently. She didn't teach there or sub there. The young shooter did bring in all three guns and used the assault rifle. There was no altercation that the shooter had at the school earlier this week.
There is supposed to be another press conference in the morning with more information. They did indicate that they did find some evidence at the home that might explain why. We may never really know why.
The shooter was at an age that is consistent with the onset of schizophrenia. There was one report that maybe his mother left her job to spend more time with him. No one so far has described him as evil.
One of the fathers was on CNN talking about his little angel who he lost, Emilie. She was beautiful. He needed to share her with the world. I don't know how they will all get through this.
I'm still trying to find meaning in this. (I realize that some of you don't think there is any) That's OK. Somehow I think hearing from this father, listening to him talk about his child and hearing the love and forgiveness in his heart may be some of that meaning.
That father and his beautiful daughter are our teachers.
He talked about how his daughter was always trying to comfort others and if she were here that's what she would be doing. She carried her crayons with her and was always prepared to draw up a card for someone who needed it.
We need a kinder gentler world. Maybe that is the lesson. And we, Americans, haven't been that concerned about all the children we've hurt and killed around the globe in the name of these dumb senseless wars.
And even the shooter was one of our children. Where did we fail him? Just labeling him as evil lets us off the hook.
I don't think that 2012 is the end of times but I do believe we are facing some tough schooling and we better figure out just what we need to learn from it all.
All the adults that were killed were women and teachers. Most died trying to protect those children. We just don't appreciate teachers like we should.
Evil
Carol, I've come to the conclusion that you and I have a very different connotation of the word 'evil'. I realize now that I must use it much more loosely than you do, and that for you it has much deeper implications than it does for me. That's the problem with communication, and I don't think we're as far apart from what we believe about this tragedy as you think.
I picked out the part of the definition that most described what I believe evil to mean:
a : morally reprehensible : sinful, wicked
b : causing discomfort or repulsion : offensive
a : causing harm : pernicious
Evil
To me, those descriptions above don't actually come anywhere near what it would take to walk into a school of innocent young children and shoot them, most of them multiple times. I can't perceive the 'act' as any less than evil, regardless of the state of mind of the shooter.
I'm sure you're thinking of it in an entirely different way than I am. You're saying he was not known to be an 'evil person', even though I have to believe you think that what he did had to be an 'evil act'.?
If it bothers you that much, I won't use the word anymore. I'll stick to mentally ill. But I still think that your comparing it to an Alzheimer's patient have an accidental car crash is more than a bit of a stretch.
The difference is intent.
I see his 'intent' when he walked into that school as 'evil intent' -- and I'll leave it at that. You obviously feel very strongly about the pain that mental illness can cause a person, and I respect that.
I just found that the one line I quoted you saying, that maybe he was mad at his mom, and went to kill those kids because he thought she cared about them as a feeble attempt to put some logic into his act.
I disagreed with trying to find any logic in such a heinous act. There is 'nothing' I can think of that could legitimize what he did -- including mental illness.
And I also don't need to find a deeper meaning to why it happened.
To me, that is like saying to those shattered families: 'well maybe it was God's will' -- that somehow that it will teach us something that we need to learn in the future.
That kind of statement to me is nothing less than 'mean' and misguided. We can search and search, but we'll never be able to find a positive inkling of anything that will make that massacre make any sense.
But I do believe that the availability of all these rapid kill weapons are the most serious problem. When that shooter's switch snapped, and that can happen pretty quick in some situations, he had an arsenal at his disposal.
I can see that our perceptions are totally different. Most people's are.
We can't relate to the mind of a seriously mentally ill person. At least I hope I will never be able to. I watched my SF do things that seemed pretty evil at times. I know he was not an evil person but his behavior could seem that way. It was the dementia.
Ever been around someone with severe dementia? It can turn a sweet loving person into someone you won't recognize. Same with mental illness. Yes the acts are evil but the people aren't. At least I don't think they are. You guys are confusing my comparison.
We don't know what was going on in that shooter's mind. Could it be that he imagined something evil in those children or did he think he was saving them from some future horror? We just don't know.
I do think that we can't just write it off.
And in my 40 year nursing career, I've had frequent opportunities to work with and study people who were mentally ill. Some I didn't know prior to their illness but did get the opportunity to hear from some of their families. Some I actually did know before. They were very nice, intelligent people and I didn't even recognize them after the onset of their illness. I'm not talking about sociopaths or psychopaths who seem to be born that way. I'm talking about people with schizophrenia and Bi-polar disorder. Those are devastating mental disorders. I don't think we can blame them anymore than we can blame people who develop dementia. That's the point I was trying to make.
And no, I don't think these things are God's will. But I do think there are life lessons in things that happen to us and others. And I do believe in synchronicity.
And even though little angel Emilie was one of the victims of this horrible injustice, her life and most of the others, did have meaning. Emilie's father's sharing a little of her with the rest of us gave her life meaning. She touched the world.
I tend to try to develop a philosophy that gives me some peace. Your..crap happens..philosophy wouldn't do it for me.
And I've spent a significant amount of my life being angry. That didn't do it for me either.
Have been out of the loop today. We are in Yukon OK tonight. Going to AR to see some family. John's sister was going to have surgery (hip replacement) on Monday. We just heard yesterday that she rescheduled until January but we had already made plans to see other family so stayed with our plan. I am just now looking at e-mail and the swamp. I have been busy taking care of Ryley. I gave her a bath tonight too. She is nice and clean now.
Ryley is a good traveler. I am tempted to let her sleep on the bed with me. We have 2 beds in the room. I don't want to start something though. I have never liked an animal in bed with me. LOL. I guess that is a lie - I should say anything other than a human animal.
Jan,
Glad to hear that you all arrived safely. It's good to hear from you.
... also glad to hear that Ryley is a good traveler, and that you didn't have to leave her at a kennel. I think that would have confused her even more.
Love to you all.
And Carol,
After all I've said about things that are very difficult to articulate, I have to say that I'm more than a little disappointed that you've so rudely reduced it all down to what you call: 'my shit happens' philosophy.
That was a low blow, and I've been trying very hard to see things from your point of view, although I can find no rime nor reason to why you feel the need to rewrite things to fit into your 'everything happens for a reason' philosophy.
I've suffered enough in my life that I don't deserve to have someone tell me that I think 'shit happens' and then move on. Twenty beautiful, innocent children were gunned down and you talk about synchronicity?
You don't have a clue as to what I think or how I feel. But at least I'm able to place blame where it belongs, and then to mourn that tragedy for those who suffered most.
Maybe you ought to go back and read your posts Chloe. I've just been writing how I feel and you have gone after me for it. I don't care if you agree with me but I have a right to express my ponders without being inaccurately analysed by you.
It's ok with me if you don't agree with me Chloe, I'm used to people not agreeing with me, but I don't appreciate your attacking me. Note that you've called me "feeble", "mean and misguided". These are a few of your statements that I found a little attacking Chloe.
"There you go again, Carol. Trying to makes sense of the nthinkable. Trying to find logic in a completely insane persons mind, when there is no logic involved."
No, I don't try to find logic in an insane mind but I do recognize it as a mental illness. My heart does go out to all who are suffering. I don't pick and choose who I think is evil and who deserves compassion and who doesn't.
"... as a feeble attempt to put some logic into his act."
"To me, that is like saying to those shattered families: 'well maybe it was God's will' -- that somehow that it will teach us something that we need to learn in the future."
Yes, I do believe that even in the most horrible situations, there are things we can learn.
"That kind of statement to me is nothing less than 'mean' and misguided."
If I want to look through all the shit in life and try to find a pony, that is my right Chloe, damn it. You can look at life through your glasses and I will look at it through mine.
And no Chloe, I didn't think that the death of those children was synchronicity. I said that I do believe in synchronicity. Please don't take my words out of context and place them where you want so you can use it to criticize me.
Here's a perspective from one of our local CT Post columnists, Michael J. Daly, a guy from the Bpt neighborhood who has been writing for the Post well for just about as long as I have been reading this paper...
For me, there is no way to ever resolve, understand, explain the tragic events in Newtown...Not sure that is necessary to try, in the end the only concern is for the innocents & their families...
A horror impossible to conceive
Haven't read it yet Coreen. I think we are all experiencing some collective grief here. Anger is one of the early stages. I won't pretend that I know how bad it is for the people in that community or the parents and loved ones of those who were killed but if it's much worse than what I've been feeling, I don't think I could survive it.
I'm trying to be careful who I place my wrath on. Make sure it is someone who really bares some responsibility.
Craig posted a speech or an article by Rep Carolyn McCarthy on TM. It's really good.
I do refuse to place my wrath on the mentally ill. As an NP I was given many opportunities to work with people with mental illnesses, both in corrections, where many are housed and in a long term care facility that specialized in caring for the mentally ill. That was some synchronicity.
I've spent a good bit of time pondering mental illness. What causes it, can it happen to any of us, will there be a time when my switch may snap?
Again Carol, that is likely where you part company with most people
regarding this tragedy...
Don't really know what the mental
state of this guy was, likely no one will ever know for sure, but regardless it does not in any way
lessen that it was his responsibility alone for his actions & mental illness or not...
As far as the Daily News article by
Carolyn McCarthy saw it before TM
posted it...
Around these parts we all remember the events on the LIRR
long ago that resulted in her running for office...another horrific senseless murder spree by a cretin who sits in jail to this day...too bad he is still breathing...
As far as her article, it would have been just as appropriate after any of the many
mass slaughters, and just as before, don't really believe that there will be any remedy that would curtail more such killings after this one, just like it didn't happen after each & every one that occurred before....
I have a feeling that none of us will ever know what was in the head of the shooter. I don't think he was making a political statement. He left that for the rest of us to do.
I don't mind being different Coreen. I have to go with what my life experiences have taught me. And if you haven't figured it out by now, I do ponder pretty much everything that I'm exposed to.
One thing that I feel, that is probably shared by many, is that weapons of mass destruction should not be available to any of us.
And I'm not above hating. I have quite a list of people who I think deserve that.
What is the LIRR?
Yes, Carol, I know that you tend to dwell on any given topic for a long time, you call it pondering, which is absolutely your right....
Don't think this was a political statement in any way shape or form, just the actions of a demented individual, but in the aftermath there are plenty of political statments being hurled by many people, maybe in an effort to explain, understand the horrific
nature of this crime...
Honestly the exploitation by opposite perspectives is over the top & likely not particularly useful in the end...
LIRR is the Long Island Railroad, Mccarthy's husband & son, were commuters on the train when that demented slug started shooting passengers randomly....pretty
sure he used a pistol, not an assault type rifle, but the bullets were the type at the time that police were fearful of, as they caused significant damage...that was maybe 20 years ago...
And I do find it ironic that this horror occurred in one of the most picturesque and loving communities in small town USA and to some of those that we hold most dear to us all, our beautiful innocent children. And another irony is that this school went way above what most do in the way of providing safety for their students even though they were not in a high risk area.
We have ignored similar tragedies in other towns, with more of a variety of victims even though they was just as horrific. After the dust settled, we moved on even though similar incidents were reoccurring at a pretty rapid rate.
This time will we stop and take significant action? If not, is there any hope for humanity?
That's why I think this is worth seriously pondering. Trying to find meaning in. That's the only way we might be able to try to prevent the next tragedy.
I have been the most moved by Emilie Parker's dad and his story about his precious daughter.
Jan, hope your trip goes well. I wonder how Maggie would do on a long road trip. She does love the short ones.
Well, Rendell wants to identify every crazy person in this country and make sure they're on a list and can't get a gun. That ought to fix the problem. Maybe if you ever took an antidepressant, you'll be on the list.
I would like to see more help available for mental illness but that's a joke. I have been pondering the mental illness aspect of this and don't see any easy solutions there.
I don't know the answer to mental illness. I'm not sure there is an answer. When Jan and I were students, people with severe mental illnesses were housed in institutions. That changed several years after. Now people with severe mental illnesses are housed in jails/prisons. Probably not much different. I would say the number of mentally ill in jail is way over half but they don't get there until something bad happens, then it's too late.
It will have to come down to the weapons. I kinda think that anyone who feels they need an arsenal in their home, would qualify as having a mental problem.
I definitely think that anyone who feels they need to own an assault weapon should be on the list. There must be some serious paranoia in those folks. And everyone, and their family, who owns more than one non-hunting related gun. That would be a better list of who we need to watch out for.
And another idea...why don't they put a GPS chips in all guns so we can all track there movement. Some claim that a person can steal a gun so you can't just blame the owner. This would take care of that problem.
Very moving speech by our President at Newtown.
From the Swamp to the community of Newtown, they were our children too and we feel your pain and meeting you all has been an inspiration to me!
I have been moved by the lack of anger and hostility and by the love that that community has shown for one another.
Yes, even during the darkest of times, we can all learn something.
The aftermath of the Newtown killings...Area schools locked down for several hours because of a report of a man with a rifle near a local school...it turned out to be a guy in black, with an umbrella....Parents are sent notice of such occurences by email...one of my friend's has a grandson in our town's school...
man carrying umbrella that looked like sword
From today's CT Post...
Not sure what the author intends to happen...should these individuals be institutionalized, removed from society, medicated, restrained?...what measures, if any, can remedy these type of problems?
Mom of mentally ill son says I am adam
lanza's mother
Mom of mentally ill son says I am adam
lanza's mother
Coreen, I heard one of the neighbors say that the shooter was a vegan. He didn't want animals to be sacrificed for his pleasure. We don't know what caused that kid to snap. There are probably many young people who would be described with the same behavior that the shooter had. Can't cage them all, just in case.
Neighbors and friends said mother was protective of him because she thought he was vulnerable, not that he would do harm to others.
No one, so far, has described the shooter as violent.
I've been having some severe back pain for the last couple of days. It's in the area of where I have those compression fractures but I've been able to keep it fairly well in check. Nothing is working now.
This morning I saw some of the kitties but then they were all gone. None, nada. I kept checking and nothing. I was really pissed at mama kitty because I thought that maybe she ran them off.
I would see mama coming from the back of the yard but I walked around and didn't see anything. Didn't hear anything. It was back by my fence and there's a lot of brush back there.
Finally, on one of my walks back there, I looked up and I saw at least a couple of the kitties up in the very top of a tree. They weren't making any noise. The tree is about 20 feet talk and 6 inches in diameter. It had a lot of vines in it. Of course I freaked out. I got a portable recipicating saw and tried to cut it down but my saw ran out of juice. My back was hurting so bad that I could barely stand up.
I finally called my river rat neighbor. Luckily he was home. I asked him to come over with a chain saw. I had him cut the tree down where it would fall gently. The vines helped.
Not even sure how many kitties were up there, at least the two red heads. They jumped when the tree got close to the ground. I did see the little solid black kitty back in that area before I cut the tree down. That one wasn't up in the tree but in the area. I haven't seen that one or the little black and white one since. If they got back into the neighbor yard, who lives behind the fence where the tree was, no telling what would happen to them.
Unfortunately, I've had experience with parents and children like the one described in the article you linked. That was mainly when I worked in the ER. It's a devastating situation. I didn't see kids her son's age at jail until they were much older. They were in juvenile facilities.
Most of the people I saw with children like that were single mothers. The children were hospitalized for short periods but they couldn't be kept there. Those kids terrorized their mothers. Some of those kids were big enough to be very dangerous. And the mothers couldn't even physically discipline those kids or they would get in trouble with social services. They eventually had to be placed in a detention center but that's not forever either.
Sorry about your back pain flareup...
also sad about the fur family displacement, hope they come home, that is why I only have indoor cats...no good ever comes of animals outdoors....
as far as the mental illness issues, as I asked what can be done with these individuals, since whatever actions are taken are short term at best...the woman who wrote the article seems to be pleading for help, but just what would that help be, since whatever has been done apparently does not work...
Coreen, that poor woman is facing hell! Hopefully she has a good support system but probably not.
Coreen, I've been worrying about possums and other varmints but I think the problem is a dang black tom cat.
They had a very moving tribute to the Newtown victims on the Voice. I'm not someone who cries often but I've been balling like a baby for days now.
You can sign a petition to encourage the Obama administration to come up with new gun control legislation.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/immediately-address-issue-gun-control-through-introduction-legislation-congress/2tgcXzQC
Please explain this to me.
Bushmaster Rifle Ad Reminds Us To Ask More About Masculinity And Gun Violence
While the Newtown community mourns and buries their lost love ones, the rest of the world must focus on what we can do to prevent anything like this from ever happening again. It is mandatory! We must do more than weep and offer our sympathy.
I feel that there is only a slight possibility that we will see any meaningful action by our lawmakers unless there is significant pressure from those of us who vote. If we see anything come from this tragedy, it might be a ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines. I’m certain that that will not remove those threats from the homes that already harbor them and those are increasing significantly by the minute.
If there will not be anything done to remove those threats from our communities, then I think we all should be made aware of where they live and who they live with. Anyone owning any of those threats should be identified on a website. We can then all decide if we want to live near those individuals, allow our children to be near them and we can monitor those residents for any unusual activity.
We will never cure mental illness and most people who are mentally ill do not harm others. And speaking of mentally ill, I think anyone who feels the need to own one of those dangerous weapons would qualify. I can’t come up with one rational reason for a person to want to own one.
When I first got my subscription to C2C, I spent some of my mowing time listening to some of the shows. At about that time is when they were talking a lot about the Mayan calender and whether our time was running out in 2012. I think I mentioned it at the time. They had several programs interviewing some people from institutions that were associated with prophecy. One was the Edgar Casey Institute. Don't remember the others.
I was relieved to hear that none felt like the world would end but they did think that we would be in for some significant challenges. Challenges that would really test our resolve and force us to all pull together as a community.
I'm starting to feel like maybe they were on to something. Certainly we have been challenged. This particular community, Newtown, has been a role model in demonstrating pulling together as a community. Are the rest of us going to join them and try to make this world a better place. I can't remember now but I do think there were going to be consequences if we didn't.
I was thinking today how we have had some pretty significant mass shooting in the recent past and I can't remember, after crying about it for a while, that anything changed. We seem to hang on until the climax of the crisis passes and then just move on like nothing ever happened.
We should all be screaming about doing something about our gun laws but instead, people are out buying up assault weapons and large capacity magazines at record rates. That's worrisome.
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