Restore the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act

From 1971 until 2004, wild horses and burros were protected from slaughter. In 2004, they lost that protection and we want their protection restored.
On December 15, 1971, Congress enacted 16 USC Ch. 30, popularly known as the "Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act" (WHBA) and declared "that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands. 

. . .

Thousands of our wild horses have been sold and slaughtered as a result of this amendment. Any wild horse or burro more than 10 years old OR not adopted after being offered three (3) times can be sold without limitation, INCLUDING weanlings, pregnant mares and elderly band stallions that have lived their entire life on the the range. THIS IS WRONG!!

Please click this link to sign the Petition to Congress.

Ruby from Colorado wrote:

PAY ATTENTION TO OUR WILD HORSES AND BURROS! THEY DO NOT HARM THE LAND LIKE DAMN CATTLE! 
DO NOT ALLOW SLAUGHTER, PLEASE! tHESE ANIMALS MEAN SO MUCH TO US OUT HERE IN THE WEST.


Catherine from Chicago writes:

How was an amendment approved that directly contradicts and violates the WHBA? What is wrong with our government that this I allowed to happen. As a taxpayer who has no say in how my hard-earned dollars are wasted, I DEMAND that Congress REPEAL 803(a) of Public Law 104333, as well as 142(a)(1) and 142(a)(2) of Public Law 108447. This is MY money funding these abhorrent bills and I want these bill repealed! Work for your citizens, not against them!

Please go to this website to read more comments, and to sign the petition.

St. Paul University Catholic Center: Who We Are

This video on You Tube is about a Roman Catholic parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Here is the link to the website for this parish.

I'll Smoke Tomorrow -- with apologies to Susan Hayward (as Lillian Roth) and Vivien Leigh (as Scarlett O'Hara)

Smoke Screen

I started smoking in 1958, when I was ten. It was an experiment. I wanted to pretend to be beautiful and glamorous, like my mom.

(I don't know. Maybe she was also pretending?)

Also, like those guests on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

I used to buy cigarettes for her at the grocery store, back when they cost a dime. That was 1953. I was five. I had to reach up above my head to place the dime on the counter.

Sometimes the shopkeeper couldn't see me until I put the dime there, because my head didn't clear the counter top.

By the time I was twelve, smoking was a full-fledged addiction for me --- a pack or two each day.

I never smoked in front of my stepdad, but he knew I smoked and never said anything about it. That restraint probably helped my health a little.

It was by the grace of God --- and some diligent pestering by my kids, especially led by the oldest (I'll call him Freddie) ---- that I had my last cigarette in the summer of 1982.

Never had a craving.

Never had another cigarette.

Never really felt better, or worse, or any different at all.

Just glad to be rid of the expense and annoyance. Glad to be alive and breathing.

How that Did Happen?

I will save the details for another post. 

Or perhaps an entire book? It's a long story.

Or, perhaps not? The essence of it all is this:

I had an entire full pack of Pall Malls --- my mom's, and my, favorite --- sitting there on a bookshelf.

There were nineteen cigarettes left in the pack because I had taken one drag off one cigarette the day before. At the time, I just thought maybe I'll finish this later, or tomorrow.

So, I saved the very long butt, just in case.

The next day that long butt was still sitting there on that shelf, beside that nearly-full pack.

I lighted it. I took a drag. I was looking forward to finishing that cigarette, as I had not had a smoke for 24 hours.

But, then, another part of me thought, "Wow, that is so disgusting."

I had an epiphany. I got in touch with my "inner non-smoker." I guess that is the only way I can describe it.

Back, then, a pack of cigarettes had not yet broken the "$1-a-pack barrier," which lots of smokers and non-smokers were talking about.

''We're about to break the $1-a-pack barrier,'' said Roy D. Burry, vice president and analyst at Kidder Peabody. That milestone will probably come in mid-1983 . . ."

Seems quaintly old-fashioned now, right?

Rest in Peace, Dear Mummy

Today is July 4, 2015.

My dear mom would be looking forward to celebrating her eighty-eighth birthday this November. She was born in 1927.

She died of lung cancer in March of 2012.

She was not even 85 yet. 

Links

Here are some links answering to the call, "Smoking Cessation:"

I especially like this one. It's very short, helpful and authoritative.

Wikipedia page entitled, "Smoking Cessation," is worth a look-see. You never know when you might get a new idea you had never thought of before.

This page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is mostly filled with information you already know. But, a reminder can't hurt. And, just might hit you right between the eyes for a reason you don't even understand.

(Smoking is primal and subliminal. For some Native American folks, tobacco has always been a sacred crop. Even now, we cannot help but realize its power.)

This page is an advertisement from Glaxo-Smith-Kline, the makers of Nicorette and NicoDerm CQ, so take it with a grain of salt. But, take what you can out of it. I don't think anything is wrong with trying their products, really. But, there are many other ways to go and things to try.

Don't be intimidated.

Just sayin' :-)

FDA Capulet & Big Pharma Montague Continue Torrid Love Affair, Despite Disapproval from Family, Neighbors, Friends -- and Nurse

This picture is not a link
because there seems to be uncertainty
regarding which DVD by which
company is better or best?


Here is an article about the 
making of Pride of the Yankees.

Today I received an email request on an online petition site, regarding a potentially life-saving medication for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

The FDA is delaying approval for a potentially life-saving treatment. Some activists are quite familiar with this story. Many of us feel that the FDA is simply lined up with Big Pharma. We are not surprised.

Others might ask how or why Big Pharma would benefit from FDA's delay.

ALS is terminal, painful and causes the person with ALS ("PALS") to suffer greatly. The only end to that suffering is a horrible death by asphyxiation.

The FDA would, could and might be able to approve  ---- eventually? --- a drug called Genervon GM604, which might turn out to be effective in reversing or slowing ALS.

Two years ago, the FDA held a public hearing regarding ALS. The following excerpt from the petition itself will explain more about this meeting, and why everyone must and should sign the petition asking or insisting on much faster action from the FDA on drug trials, especially for those who are in pain and have a terminal illness.

On 23 February 2013, The FDA held its first public hearing to address the urgency and disparities faced by the ALS Community. The meeting was standing room only and was also attended by the ALS Association (ALSA) and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Following the meeting, these two advocacy organizations sent a joint statement detailing action items that were expected to change the design of future clinical trials and make treatments more readily available to people with ALS (PALS). http://mda.org/alsn/mda-and-alsa-urge-fda-take-action-groundbreaking-als-hearing.

It has been over two years since that joint statement was offered to the FDA and still the ALS Community finds there has been absolutely no change with regards to preclinical development or clinical trial design. Neither has the consideration of benefit-risk assessment been implemented in getting new treatments to patients suffering a horrible death.

Additionally, it is hard to ignore that the 2012 Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) is quite clear in its intent and that FDA is strongly encouraged by Congress to grant Accelerated Approval (AA) to treatments that benefit all serious and life threatening diseases. We see that the FDA has done very little to [move] itself further in this regard. As Congress is crafting the 21st Century Cures Act, you now have an opportunity to show them that you are on board. GM604 is a perfect fit for the AA Program.

Please approve Genervon’s GM604 so all PALS can have access to this promising new treatment and hope for a future.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a little bit about the Works of Mercy on one of my other blogs.

I think that anyone who knows about the suffering of an ALS patient (PALS) is obligated to do whatever possible to alleviate that suffering, no matter what ideology or religion we are.

We are all human beings, and we have an innate desire to alleviate suffering of our fellow humans whenever possible. Please note the words "whenever possible." Sometimes it is not possible, so this is a rare opportunity.

That might be why the story of The Good Samaritan is so popular?

Links to Petitions about ALS and Genervon GM604

Here is a link to the petition.

Here is a petition regarding the same FDA trial, on the White House petition site, We the People.

Here is the Facebook page for Rally in DC, May 11, 2015.

Link to More Information

This article is a blog post for one PALS who has been able to gain "Compassionate Use" status for Genervon GM.

(The article contains other links also. Just keep following links. You  will get lots more information.)

NYC carriage horses working in brutal storm.

Click here to read Elizabeth Forel's excellent article in The Dodo.

I love the picture of Monty, Rocco and Teddy romping in the snow, with their adorable blankets. They are so cute, happy and handsome! Scroll down a little to see some pictures of them.

Sorry for Whining to My Readers --- if, indeed, there are any?

A most unfortunate incident occurred today at an establishment at which I have been a paid member for two years.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Dear WUD;

I have been a member of the __________ Establishment for two years. Two of my adult kids are UW alumni, and my youngest is a full-time student.

I am a disabled senior citizen.  I am 67 years old, and have psych and physical disabilities. Therefore, I  belong to at least two protected classes.

Today a person identifying himself as , "Operations manager here," (i.e., at ______ Building) claiming to be named, "Cam, " took my chair away from me as I was getting ready to use it on the first floor. He claimed that I could not use the first floor computers for "permanent" use because the first-floor computers are for "temporary" use. I have to go upstairs for "permanent" use.​

I spend a lot of money at the vendors of _____ Building -- in addition to being a member here.

This was a violation of my civil right to be free of harassment while at the establishment of which I am a paid member. There is no sign anywhere distinguishing between "permanent" and "temporary" computers.

But, I believe there ARE signs stating that WUD does not discriminate.

I am entitled to a written apology for this violation.

I have been crying and trembling for the past half hour, ever since this unfortunate incident of establishment-sponsored harassment by "Cam." I have hypertension, and had to double up on my medication, because of this scary incident.

"Cam" actually had the audacity to ask ME if I were a "member." I think he may have a substance abuse problem.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later I sent this:

I won't be back unless  the WUD can guarantee my safety.

Charles Dickens and the Main in Seat 61

Everybody knows that Dickens hated trains. They were new when he was a little boy. He remembered the countryside from before the invention of the train, and he preferred it without them.

My mom's family owned 206 F Street, N.W., (demolished in 1963 for a highway) since the 19th century. It was a short walk from 206 to the Union Station.

My grandpa, his dad, and one of his sisters (Alice) worked for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. I don't know about the other sister, Grace? She may have also worked for the B&O.

My mom (also Alice, after her aunt) and I  traveled by train between Pittsburgh and D.C., to visit her family. When I got a little older, I traveled by myself, mostly in the summer. There was the Presidential Limited and the Congressional Limited.

There was also the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, though. They had coach service between Pittsburgh and the District. I'll never forget Chessie snuggled for the night with his little pillow.

My mom never really did get over her love of train travel though even when train travel became old-fashioned, expensive and mostly out of-style. (I guess that was the '70's and '80'? Hard to say, though.) She liked to travel by train from Chicago to Pittsburgh and back again. 

Long before her death, she had told me about the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago's Union Station. I was afraid to travel to Chicago en route to Pittsburgh and so never did travel to Pittsburgh by train, once I moved to the midwest.

Many seem to feel that Pittsburgh IS the Midwest anyway. It was not even a part of Pennsylvania originally, as readers know.

One of the reasons I never traveled to Pittsburgh by rail is this:   --- There's no way to get to Pittsburgh without starting in Chicago. My mom wanted to help me get over my fear of Chicago by telling me about this Metropolitan Lounge. I did not know what it was like, and I never went to it.

Back to Seat 61.

Well, the man in Seat 61 has a photograph on his blog of that Metropolitan Lounge.

Sad to say, the man is in England, which makes sense. That's where the railway originated, much to the chagrin of Mr. Dickens.

However, there is a U.S. version, also, of Seat 61, but not nearly as good.

The main point of the U.S. version is traveling coast - to- coast by train.

But, I'm already in the Midwest, and have no use for any coast. So, where to travel to?

How about north to south? I'm already near Chicago, so why not just get one of those routes to the south, along the Mississippi River?

Of course the railroads are better in the U.K., and always have been.

Charles Dickens himself verifies this --- despite the fact that he didn't like trains at all. He still dislikes the U.S. trains even more.

Please Sign the Petition to Get Carriage Horses off the Cruel, Crowded Streets of New York City

 This link is a quote from the post:

I am calling on NYC to ban the cruel, inhumane and unsafe carriage horse industry. It is time to retire the horses to sanctuaries. Horses do not belong in a congested, urban setting where they constantly breathe exhaust while dodging dangerous traffic. The horses live their lives confined to the shafts of their carriage and the shafts of their stable stalls, with no access to green pastures.

Another quote from the post ---- An eloquent plea for compassion. (I don't want to create the mistaken impression that I wrote this myself. I do agree with it, though.): 

Nine hours a day, seven days a week, they're pushed into Midtown traffic, forced to pull a carriage full of tourists just inches from noxious car tailpipe fumes, honking taxis and ambulance sirens. They only narrowly avoid collisions with cars, trucks, bikers and people every day, often working until 3 AM under the brash lights and drunken crowds of Times Square. And at the end of their shift, there's no green acres for them to roll and run -- it's right back to the stables and back onto the streets again. That's a plight we wouldn't wish on any person or animal.

From reading elsewhere on this website (blog?), I have also learned that there ARE homes for every one of the carriage horses in NYC right now.

AND --- no horses will be slaughtered for meat.

Apparently those are two arguments that carriage horse proponents try to use as excuses for opposing the ban on carriage horses.

I can hardly wait for that ban to start up.

Good News!!!

I talked to a counselor yesterday, who has been helping me with the scary issue of panic attacks. She isn't really my regular counselor, but she is helping me to find a regular counselor. I need to find someone to speak with regarding my exceedingly traumatic childhood.

Sometimes I relive these experiences, without even knowing what they are, because the perpetrators drug and hypnotize the kids. I feel the emotions of it. It's like I'm somewhere else, and cannot participate in real life. I don't really hallucinate, but reality drops away, as if it were a movie, and the spotlight goes out, but I am left in a dark place, with no light at all.

Only sounds, fear and feelings.

Panic attacks raise my blood pressure, but I have high blood pressure anyway.

So, the combination of these two things together can make me end up in the emergency room. A young relative is the only person who helps me, and it's difficult and stressful for him, also.

However, I have never found any but one Rx that I can take without horrible side effects. Medical folks keep telling me this particular Rx is not effective by itself. I should take a second Rx with it, they claim.

I have tried this over the years, and could not live with the result.

Recently, I tried two more new Rx's. That was about a month ago. I'm still sick and depressed from those. I told the medical folks I won't be trying anything new.

All I can do is stick with the one medication (not for long, I hope), exercise and use natural remedies.

Here is an article about one of the natural remedies, and it's a less expensive one. Otherwise, I might not be able to use it. This guys is very informative. He also has a channel on You Tube.

I am also glad that the psychologist had some good things to say about this little gizmo. I like it, and there are many people who also seem to like it, based on their reviews.

But, it's not just that they like it. They also say it works for them.

It has lowered their blood pressure.

I'm very heartened by this news. This is the first time any medical professional has ever been supportive or positive of my enthusiasm for the little gizmo.

There is science to back it up, but they don't even care about science.  They only care about their love affair with Big Pharma.

Brainwashed by the Media when it comes to NYC carriage horses?

An article by Elizabeth Forel, regarding the media's railroading of the carriage horse ban.

"This is about power and influence – not about horses, drivers, animal activists or real estate tycoons." 

I just finished reading this excellent article, about the media's bias. It seems that the NYC papers are not telling the truth about carriage horses and drivers. 

I'm not surprised by this. It's the same thing the media does when the subject of unpasteurized ("raw"?) milk comes up.

The local media in NYC is trying to portray the drivers and the carriages as a picturesque, heartwarming "return to the days of yesteryear."

No wonder, since that is the exact stereotype people are thinking of when they ride on a horse-driven carriage through Central Park.

The media bias regarding horse-drawn carriages, though, exploits this alleged "return to the past" as romantic and desirable. 

But, when it comes to the subject of unpasteurized milk, the media bias portray the alleged "return to the past" as dirty, diseased, unhygienic, pre-Enlightenment primitivism --- somehow related to the Black Death, or Bubonic Plague.

(The irony, of course, is that the two "pasts" are the exact same time: ---  Nineteenth to early Twentieth Centuries.)

Please look at the photos in this article ---- if your heart can take it --- and see for yourself how heartwarming and picturesque the carriage trade is in New York City.

There is a link to this article, also, in the Forel article. This author, Vickery Eckhoff, has a blog. She has been studying horse slaughter in the U.S., and is against it. Thanks Heavens!

Biofeedback for High Blood Pressure?

Here is an article from the New York Times claiming the biofeedback machine, Resperate, does little long-term good

Does Big Pharma do any long-term good? Especially when the side effects are ghoulish, nightmarish and unbearable?

Here is another article, this one from the Mayo Clinic. It's not quite so cynical as the NYT.

Well, I have great hopes for this, or anything that does not involve Big Pharma's intervention.

I have to check out some local yoga classes, although I don't know if I can afford it?

Also, Tai Chi Che is supposed to be healthy for older folks. I know there are classes in that around here

Casablanca La Marseillaise

Je Suis Charlie

Je Suis Charlie

http://thefederalist.com/2015/01/08/men-without-chests-how-c-s-lewis-predicted-charlie-hebdo-censorship/