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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Rabies shot day

One of the reasons I use a vet for my cat who makes house calls is my disability. The other is because I've had cats like this one who freaked out at the vets.



Okay, now that's scary.

Luckily, my cat Buddy's first priority in life is to make friends with anyone he meets and the vet is no exception. As the groomer and vet worked on him (minor matting , rabies shot), he snuggled, asked to be petted, etc. until he got the shot. His eyes went wide and he made a short speech about that.

But after seeing that video, I'm not complaining....

New to the Blogroll: Exceptional Catholic MN Inc

A new site formed by parents of children with disabilities, with helpful links to information about Catholic churches and schools.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Mortgage forgiven for 90 year old woman who shot herself as evicted

Fannie Mae has decided to forgive a mortgage on a house owned by a 90 year old woman who shot herself twice in the upper body on Wednesday as sheriffs tried to evict her from her home. Her story was discussed in Congress this week. She is in the hospital.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, mentioned Polk on the House floor Friday during debate over the latest economic rescue proposal.

"This bill does nothing for the Addie Polks of the world," Kucinich said after telling her story. "This bill fails to address the fact that millions of homeowners are facing foreclosure, are facing the loss of their home. This bill will take care of Wall Street, and the market may go up for a few days, but democracy is going downhill." via cnn.com


It is in light of events like this that perhaps Congress should review their choices and consider holding emergency sessions to address the foreclosures facing so many Americans that will continue if they don't return until January 2009.

SIde by side comparison of Presidential candidates on disability issues

This comparison chart from the Ohio Legal Rights Service was obtained from a post over at F.R.I.D.A. I thank them very much for providing it and want to pass it along, and give them credit at the same time.

Quebec newspaper publishes picture of Fey, not Palin

says the Marquee blog, in a post noting that perhaps Tina Fey does Sarah Palin too well:

According to Isabelle Carreau of the blog TV Squad, the newspaper Le Soleil accompanied a story about Palin with a photo from Fey’s most recent “SNL” turn as the candidate. The photo also included Amy Poehler, who played CBS anchor Katie Couric in the sketch.

In the caption for the Associated Press photograph, the newspaper wrote that Palin was clumsy and hesitant in her interview. (The newspaper published a correction Thursday with a photograph of the actual Sarah Palin.)

Take Two

The House is debating the bail out bill right now. I only listened for a few moments because I'm plowing through work here, but heard arguments both for it and against it. Representatives are explaining that it's an investment for us as taxpayers to do this and necessary to do it.

This is still a hard sell to people who have been experiencing financial difficulties for years now. I remember learning in college when I took marketing courses : Know your audience. Part of the difficulty here is that the constituents are a diverse audience. The resistance to the bill from people varies depending on their circumstances. But one thing to keep in mind is that many Americans are experiencing their own financial economic crisis. Phrasing this as an investment to them is like giving a savings bond to a starving man.

For example, the argument of restarting credit does not seem personal to many Americans because they have lost their credit long ago. And, until many of them see it become personal, right or wrong, they will oppose the rescue. People face foreclosure and staggering medical bills. Many have lost jobs or will. They seek relief from those situations, which are also at crisis proportions.

Because of the myriad of situations that this legislation does not cover, there is a predictable resistance to it from those who are already frightened and scared. And what adds to this is that Congress decided to act - quickly - showing it can be done, while not dealing directly with the other problems facing Americans, such as the cost of health care and foreclosure. This deepens the rift between some constituents and Congress.

Our ailing economy is not just about what's contained in this bail out bill. Yet we have one option. Where are the other fixes?

No matter how all of this is explained to people, it's still a tough sell.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Lights on Broadway will dim for Paul Newman tomorrow

Tomorrow night at 8 p.m., the lights on Broadway will be dimmed for Paul Newman, who starred in five Broadway shows.

Newman appeared in five Broadway productions, starting in 1953 in William Inge's "Picnic." He then appeared in Joseph Hayes' thriller "The Desperate Hours," in 1955, followed by Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" in 1959.

Newman co-starred with his wife Joanne Woodward in James Costigan's comedy "Baby Want a Kiss" in 1964. His last Broadway appearance was as the stage manager in a 2002 revival of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," for which he received a Tony nomination. via foxnews.com