Isabell Chang

I thought I'd seen everything on the net until I made the mistake on commenting on a thread on Facebook. This woman made the most VILE comment about me...absolutely the most cruel and profane I'd ever heard anyone say to another person. This is complicated by the fact, that, although in the personal message I wrote to her, I defended my daughter, Shauna. My daughter is now not speaking to me. She has so many emotional and other problems, I continue to attempt to communicate with her. Thus far...no replies...thanks to Isabel Chang.

Care2 is a profit-making scam

I have been delving into the inner workings of Care2.com. What I found was disturbing, at the very least. It seems to be run by right-wingers. They publish petitions for charitable causes. However, they ask for no info about you when you vote on these petitions. They receive app. $59,000,000 per annum. The say 5% is give to charitable causes. 5%. They have 56 employees. I wonder who receives 95% of these profits (which come from Advertising. Great little deal the CEO and Board of Directors have going there. If you post an opinion on a poll that right-wingers, or religious fanatics don't live, these whacko members flags you. They are also connected to Facebook. My advice? Stay away from C2.

International Bloggers Day

Today is international Blogger's Day! I'd like to speak out to people with regards to Global warming. There is a LOT we can all do. We can't all afford wind turbines and solar panels. We can, however, phone and e-mail our our Congressman and Senators, and urge them to support efforts to change the status quo. We can re-cycle, and why the hell are you still using plastic bottles and plastic bags...re-cycle your appliances and old computers....the list is endless! Start with little things.

My father

My father died today. It is a very sad and confusing time for me now. Enough said.

Went out to the barn today to pack up the rest of my tack. Bittersweet. Sunny will be moving to one of the best barns in the midwest...certainly in Michigan, but I will certainly miss the old barn, whose owners are the sweetest people on the planet.

Flickr: Upload photos and videos

Flickr: Upload photos and videos

Soon

Preliminary photos with new camera are stunning! I haven't even scratched the surface yet, either. I still have a lot to learn about this new camera! I cannot wait!

Percheron People

I am exhausted today. Yesterday, I went out to ride Sunny, as usual. I had planned on working on some training level tests with her. Before I could mount up, a man and his wife, who I will now refer to as Percheron people arrived. They own a Percheron rescue named Oliver. He is a very pretty horse with conformation problems, but with a sweet attitude. Technically, Percheron wife is the horse's owner. However, Percheron man wants to use Oliver as a "charger" in jousting matches. Neither of these people are experienced riders. EVERY time they attempt to ride beyond a walk, Oliver dumps them. Mr. Percheron NEVER wears a helmet.(moron). At least his wife wears a helmet. Three days ago, Oliver dumped Percheron wife. Her response was not to get back on the horse....which would be the CORRECT thing to do..but she drove the snot out of Oliver in the arena with a longe whip. The following day, Mr. Percheron attempted to mount Oliver in a full set of armor before de-sensitizing the horse to the equipment. Oliver went ballistic. (I don't blame him.) This horse has spent much of his life as a stud. For the last 1 1/2 years this poor animal was confined to a filthy stall...so he's out of shape, and not used to being ridden. He was only gelded last year, so he still thinks he's a stallion. So back to yesterday. I had been riding Sunny in the arena for at least an hour-and-a-half..and Mr. Percheron had still not caught Oliver. His approach was so stupid. You are NEVER going to catch a horse by chasing after him. Oliver was so traumatized by his past experiences with these people he simply did not want to come in for more of the same. (smart horse.) Meanwhile, Sunny was having trouble concentrating due to the havoc in the nearby pasture. Percheron man was so pissed off at the horse, he was driving him around the whole pasture with a whip...causing the other two horses in the pasture to panic...The three horses in the adjacent pasture were also going ballistic. I rode Sunny up to the pasture gate because Oliver REALLY likes my mare. Oliver did come up to the gate, but took off as soon as Percheron man attempted to jump in and grab him. During all of this mayhem, Percheron.wife and their 7 year old daughter were all in the pasture. I offered to help. I asked that everyone leave the pasture except me, since Oliver had no negative associations with me. I slowly walked out in the field and sat down in the middle of the pasture. I edged forward inch-by-inch with a bucket of grain. By then Oliver had calmed down quite a bit. After about an hour or so, he allowed me to approach and pet him. As soon as I did that, Percheron man ducks under the fence and charges up to Oliver with the lead. Again, Oliver panicked. I just shook my head and suggested that they back off and not even attempt to capture him. My suggestion was that Percheron wife come out every day and just sit in the field with the horses and ignore Oliver...until she could regain his trust. Then Percheron man yells at me and says that when he DOES catch Oliver he is going to take him in to the arena and teach the horse some respect. (asshole) Oliver won't even come in to be fed now. I think they should be thrown off the farm. It is so sad to see a horse who has known nothing but abuse suffer in this way. His feet haven't been trimmed in months. They're a mess. He needs to see a farrier SOON...but if he can't be caught...that isn't going to happen...okay. Rant is over.

I am puzzled as to why President Obama is not releasing the torture photos. Perhaps because he feels they are too inflammatory? I am pushing hard to urge Congree to pass a single-payer health care plan. I believe it is the right thing to do.

EBAY!!!

Oh, I'm on a roll tonight! I just outbid 21 bidders on a Sony Professional series DSLR camera! It's used...but in excellent condition. The seller has a 100% satisfaction rating. I thought I was going to end up paying more than $600.00 for a basic Canon Rebel DSLR...not what I wanted. I was ready to go to 350..but ended up paying 306...This is a camera that is worth approximately 1400 bucks..Thank you, President Obama for the stimulus money!

My life

Another Mother's Day..bittersweet for me. I spent the day alone. Deciding not to feel sorry for myself, I spent the late afternoon riding my mare, Sunny. She is such a healer.

But, DAMN it! What is so hard about picking up the phone to call your Mother. Okay. Sorry. A moment of self-pity.

Health Care Reform

So the Senate Finance Committee finds the idea of single-payer health care to be "laughable". There's a crisis in Health Care today, as we all know. Serious reform is paramount. The Health Care crisis has affected me, and all members of my family...as well as millions of other hard-working American Citizens. The Repubs are calling it Socialism...(Which is what Medicare was called when it first started.)By calling serious reform "Socialism"...the neo-cons are using a very old tactic of theirs...attempting to create fear.

Life and Death

My father is dying...

Got turned down for a job today...I ALWAYS get the job...and this was just a joe job leading trail rides...I guess it was because I don't do stalls...too old for that.

lost in space

No one can seem to find my blog, even when they type in the correct url...and, of course...google's forums don't answer this problem. I guess I'll just have to keep searching...Went out today to put betadine on Sunny's incision, and Mr. Gerry comes out to tell me that Sunny may be a "little" lame. She seems fine to me...but why the hell they couldn't PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL...I don't know...Seems to me that I pay board to have Sunny monitored, and the least they can do is keep me in the LOOP!

Sunny had minor surgery today. she was tranqed with a half dose, and could barely stand...poor baby.

IKEA

I swear if I ever see another IKEA hex wrench, I'm gonna have a serious meltdown!

WHEW

I just finished moving my computer, printer, peripherals, and computer furniture to the other side of my office! I know it doesn't sound like a big deal...but I'm going to feel it tomorrow in my back! I needed guest room space and a more logical room set-up, so everyone who comes to visit me doesn't have to sleep on an air mattress. My old bed is coming in to my office/guest room. I'm getting a brand new bed for my bedroom. Why is all of this significant? Well. It probably isn't. I'm just glad it's over.

Repubs fizzling into oblivion

I'm really enjoying this little tea party deal the repubs are throwing together...the angry and disenfranchised band together to complain about taxes?...The repubs talking heads insert themself into the tea party, whose origins actually began with the bush administration...Last time I checked, as part of the middle class...MY taxes aren't going up...only those of the wealthy...so the angry people gathering are supposedly middle and lower class individuals....who are blindly following limbaugh, hannity, gingrich etc. to protest taxes. Yep. I'm pretty sure, THOSE neo-con talking heads are going to have their taxes raised. People can be such idiots.

Death threat

I received a death threat on a Care2 blog from some whacked out Australian dude...Am I scared? NOOOOO. I tracked his IP address...got his e-mail address, his wife's e-mail address, his HOME address. His name: Christian Burgess....all turned over to local and federal law enforcement. Having said that...be CAREFUL online. If I can track you...others can as well...Care 2 is NOT a secure site. In fact, if you are a Care2 member...contact Admin. and stay AWAY...Too bad. It's such a wonderful site. I don't recommend returning until Care2's engineers fix the site so that members' backsides are not exposed to the ENTIRE world!

Gamestop

Internet scam alert. I am urging everyone to boycott Gamespot.com. They are guilty of so many shady business practices, I just can't keep track. Google "complaints about gamestop" for more infor. Also, beware, that Gamestop and a whole HOST of internet companies have partnered with a company called Reservation Rewards. If you order a product from Gamestop or any other company partner with Reservation Rewards (google "complaints about Reservation Rewards" for a long list of participating companies.) your complete information....INCLUDING your credit or debit number will be automatically be transferred to this company. Weeks or months later, you will notice a small charge (app. $12.00) on your credit card statement or bank statement. First, call the local Police or Sheriff dept. and report this action. Get a complaint number (VERY important.) Report the fraudulent charge to your credit card company or your bank. Get your card number changed, and also give them your P.D. complaint number. If you do not report a complaint number, this company can and has charged people's NEW numbers. Next, phone Reservation Rewards and DEMAND your money back, and also demand that they cancel the "membership"...you know...the "membership" you never even made! I am also asking for a boycott of Gamestop and any other participating companies. (Gamestop deserves a boycott simply because they are rip-off artists.)
We all have to be careful out there!

Sigh

I find people so difficult to understand at times. There is so much anger out there...so many people advocating violence...There are even groups who wish a violent revolt in this country. Yeah...I'm pissed off, too, at the irresponsible greedy, Corporate mentality that is still out there. But President Obama...who has only been in office for a few months and has been saddled with a QUAGMIRE of problems created by the Bush Administration...is not receiving the support he needs to get the job done...The Repubs refuse to compromise on ANY point...and there are some squishy Dems out there who are not doing enough to back their President. I'm going to go meditate.

Tsk tsk

What's cool about my blog is that no one ever reads it, except me..which is my fault, because I rarely post. Maybe it's not so cool that no one ever reads my blog, though, because I have a lot to say, actually. I post primarily on Care2....which is a lot of fun, because conservative flamers post there, and I LOVE to take 'em on. I find myself defending President Obama a lot, which is disturbing. It's disturbing because there are some people out there (typically, you hear about these people because they have big mouths, but say nothing.) who have begun blaming our current President for the mess created by the FORMER Administration. I have confidence in Obama. I believe he can pull it off, and we'll all be better off for it. I have learned something from those people, though. Racism is still alive. Disgustingly, blatantly, and sadly alive.