Prince Charles and the Pestiferous Squirrel

Great Britain is campaigning to eradicate the American Eastern Gray Squirrel.  It seems that the American squirrels carry a disease called "squirrel-pox" that is killing off the red squirrels native to Britain.









Hmmm.  Native American creatures killing off European creatures with exotic diseases? Even 500 years later, the irony is unmistakable. Situational irony to be specific, but unmistakable.

Not quite ironic, but still weird as all hell - the British have really taken to eating squirrels - the American squirrel, that is.

You can order squirrel in British restaurants.  Hunters carry aluminum foil with them so they can cook up a little snack right there in the woods.

Amazingly, squirrels are popular on menus all over Britain.  This is reported matter-of-factly in various media outlets without even one note of banjo music and absolutely no mention of hillbillies.

Prince Charles has thrown his influence behind what I've decided to call "Operation Squirrel Slaughter" and made an impassioned speech on the subject at the launch of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. I will assume that His Royal Highness is really fired up over the squirrels but it's impossible to tell.  Prince Charles is, after all, a man who, when his car was attacked in the street, did not bat an eyelash.

Prince Charles giving the "squirrel speech"

Prince Charles as his car is attacked

The car window was shattered, buckets of paint were thrown, people screamed "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" and the man sat like a statue.  Oh, and did I forget to mention?  During this

meleé his wife was POKED WITH A STICK!  And still Prince Charles sat there, looking all pressed and dressed in his immaculate dinner jacket.

I readily admit that I'm not a huge fan of rigid gender roles.  But if my husband, The Long Suffering Rick, were to sit primly by while a screaming poor person (or a screaming rich person) poked me with a stick....let's just say we would have words.  Those words would be loud, multisyllabic, and quite possibly audible to Prince Charles all the way across the Atlantic.

Crickey!  That barmy American bitch is screaming again!

 

World shame coast in COSTA RICA?

I got an email today from a friend, complete with pictures of Costa Ricans raiding sea turtle nests in broad daylight.  There seems to be some controversy about whether or not these pictures are part of a hoax.  I googled "sea turtles costa rica egg stealing" and the very first result was that of a hoax debunking site that stated the egg gathering was part of a conservation program. I checked Snopes.com, and found information about the disputed conservation program.

 

The bottom line seems to be that while controversial, this "harvest" of sea turtle eggs is perfectly legal.  The claim is that  the first sets of eggs laid on the beach are destroyed by subsequent mother turtles laying their own eggs.  So the reasoning is that since the first eggs are basically not viable, why not let the locals digs them up for profit?

 

It seems to me that since these turtle are a vulnerable population, it would make more sense to gather these "hopeless" eggs and then attempt to hatch them. But governments are not known for having common sense. Go figure.

Upcoming Tarot Workshop

Beginning Tarot Workshop Saturday October 16 at noon Eastern Time


We will be covering the history and symbolism of the Major Arcana.  The workshop will be web based and places are limited.  I would like to have no more than 5 students for this date.  Plan for the workshop to run approximately 3 hours.


To register, please call me at 706-533-6522 or send an email to dorothybaaez@yahoo.com and I'll get you set up and ready to go.

Found on the 'Net - 15 things you didn't know

http://www.popjolly.com/death-1383

Site Re-Launch!

I am still working on redesigning DorothyBaez.com.  The backbone of the site is going to be the blog, along with supporting pages and other links.

I decided on organizing the new site this way so that it will better reflect my interests, plus I will have more flexibility to promote my ventures.  I do so many different things, and I don't want to limit myself creatively.  I am also still working on Family Advocacy issues - at this point writing a training manual for Family Advocates.  I have been at work on this manual for the past 4 years and hope to release it by Spring 2011.

Please feel free to take a look at two of my other ventures while you're waiting:

La Mano Poderosa Botanica

Weird Legal News - re-opening soon!

Douchebag of the Week - Tom Conroy

I first heard of Mireya Mayor when she was in an awesome series called "Expedition Africa,"  Being a history buff, I couldn't wait for this show to air.  It was amazing!  I highly suggest watching this series on video if you can!  Not too long after that, I came across Mireya on Twitter and decided she would be fun to follow.  She is entertaining, a fountain of knowledge, and a good person besides.

I was really looking forward to watching "Wild Nights," which is Mireya's new series for National Geographic's new Wild cable station.  In the meantime (I wasn't able to watch until the midnight showing.) I saw Jes Alexander's OP ED on Herald de Paris, which she wrote after Tom Conroy completely freaking skewered  Mireya in an article that can only be described as a sexist rant written by a man who shrinks into a corner when confronted by a beautiful woman - even one he only sees on T.V.  (Conroy seems to pursue his writing career by making what he thinks is snarky fun of whoever he is writing about.  Note to Tom - this only ever works if you are actually funny.  You are not.)

Poor Tom even makes fun of Mireya for dressing appropriately - "But throughout the show she wears a wool cap and drab clothes that just beg us to take her seriously"  Um, no dumbass, she dresses for the job she's doing - and she looks great.  And by the way, I've seen more wildlife in urban areas than in the woods.  Sorry you're too scared of the boogey man to go outside at night.

So without further ado, for your consistently  ridiculous prose, your mean streak, your bad attitude, etc.  You sir, are a douchebag.

Immigration and Amnesty and Racism, Oh, My!

I have just finished re-reading "Infidel," written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali born Dutch politician who now lives in the United States and works for the American Enterprise Institute. 

Whew, what a mouthful.   I used to be one of those people who scoffed at "hyphenated Americans, Canadians - or Somali-Dutch or whatever" but seriously, we are going to keep referring to people's backgrounds and other attributes in conversations.  For the most part (the only exception are the Native Americans) we all hail from somewhere else.  It is just human nature to want to place people and objects in categories.  Doing so is not necessarily discrimination.  Making assumptions is also human nature - sometimes seriously bad manners, but human nature nonetheless. It's also human nature to want to express ourselves.  Part of that self expression can include how we self identify.

Assumptions can be maddening - like when my New York born Puerto Rican husband was constantly stopped and harassed by police in Athens, Georgia - police who demanded his "Green Card" (they aren't actually green, but I digress) and sometimes threatened him with arrest when he tried to explain that Puerto Rico is part of the United States.

Assumptions can be amusing - like when I once upon a time went to pick up my African-American/Puerto Rican niece from school.  The teacher said, "Aryanna, your aunt's here for you!"  Another little girl piped up, "That can't be your aunt!  She's the wrong color!"  Aryanna's response?  "She can't help it that she's pink and not brown!"

We have some major ethnic diversity in our family, so we have lots of jokes and stories to laugh at.  We also have stories after stories about awkward or just plain bizarre happenings.  Some are funny ...and some are creepy. 

Arizona has gotten a lot of attention lately.  Okay, that's an understatement.  Arizona's recent law dealing with immigration issues has been extremely controversial.  There are so many different aspects of immigration issues, and there are as many ways to look at it.  Below is the full text of Arizona's law.  Read it for yourself.  Decide what you think of it.  I'll post my own analysis very soon.

SB_1070_Signed

Studies in Contrast

Well, things on the lawsuit front have been quiet lately, but that
isn't stopping "The Chicken Woman" (TCW) from continuing her tirade
while hiding behind an imaginary "friend" while swearing that this
"friend" is 1) real, not imaginary and 2) actually likes her.
She does this in a .pdf file on her - oops her "friend's - website.

Drawing on her superior social skills, TCW calls me a "bleached blond
bimbo."  Well, I am a bleached blond. I am also pretty hot for
a grandmother.  Well, okay, I'm pretty hot compared to
anybody.  Wikipedia defines a "bimbo" as "a woman who is
physically attractive but has a low intelligence or poor education" or
"a woman who acts in a sexually promiscuous manner."
Hmmmm.  How do you spell D-E-F-A-M-A-T-I-O-N?

TCW (or her imaginary "friend") runs on at the mouth for FOUR PAGES
about me. She has nothing really bad to say about me....just playground
insults and innuendo.   And playground insults are
always a sign jealousy, instead of true contempt.  TCW makes
much of the fact that I am fortunate enough to be able to help
others.  I don't announce it when I am able to make someone's
life a little easier, but TCW seems to have made a hobby out of doing
so.

I have an amazing life that TCW can't even begin to wrap her head
around.  Everything I am is everything she's not, and it is
obviously eating at her.  I have a loving, devoted husband who
absolutely adores me.  I have two children who love me and who
are very protective of me. I see my beautiful granddaughter every
day.  I am attractive.  I am well traveled.  I live in a beautiful
house.  I am respected and liked by people involved with
Family Rights.

In other words, it's not pretense if you really have it.  So without further ado.........

This is TCW's house.


Photo via El Paso County, Colorado Tax Assessor


And this is my house:


Photo courtesy William Wiseman

You might be a (@PETA friendly) redneck.....

* You list tick removal as a skill on your resume.

* You have ever spit tobacco juice on an vivisector.

* You go mud-boggin' and set the dawg in the cab of the truck and make the people sit in back.

* Your dawgs PREFER to lie under the porch.

* Your nicest towels say, "Property of Motel 6".

* The photo on your driver's license includes your dawg.

* You've ever used a BB gun to protect your chickens from a predator.

* You've had to remove a toothpick for wedding pictures.

* You ever used a weed eater indoors.

* You have a rag for a gas cap (on a car that does run).

* You have to go outside to get something out of the 'fridge.

* Your idea of a 7 course meal is a can of beans and a six pack.

* You have lost at least one tooth opening a beer bottle.

* Jack Daniels ties with @IngridNewkirk on your list of "most admired people".

* You consider a three piece suit to be: a pair of overalls, a plaid flannel shirt and thermal underwear.

* The fifth grade is referred to as "your senior year."

* You have 5 cars that are immobile and a house that is!

* Your dawg is worth more to you than the truck you drive her around in.

* Your belt buckle weighs more than three pounds.

* You think that safe sex is a padded headboard on the waterbed.

* You think that John Deere Green, Ford Blue, and Primer Gray are the three primary colors.

* You think the last words to The Star Spangled Banner are "Gentlemen, start your engines."

* You think God looks a lot like Hank Williams, Jr., and heaven looks a lot like Daytona Beach, Florida.

* You believe dual air bags refer to your wife and mother-in-law.

* Your father executes the "pull my finger" trick during Christmas dinner.

* You've got more than one brother named 'Darryl'.

* The people on the Jerry Springer show remind you of your neighbors.

* You've been married three times and still have the same in-laws.

* You think subdivision is part of a math problem.

* You can get dawg hair from out of your belly button.

* You can't get married to yer sweetheart 'cause there is a law aggin' it.

* You can change the oil in your truck without ducking your head.

* You think loading the dishwasher means getting your wife drunk.

* You take a load to the dump and bring back more than you took.

* You believe Moon Pies are a major food group.

* You think a woman who is "out of your league" bowls on a different night.

* The Halloween pumpkin on your front porch has more teeth than your wife.

* You think taking a bubble bath starts with eating beans for dinner.


Tags: Dorothy Kernaghan-Baez, AFRA, family rights, twitter, cyber-dissident, tarot cards, psychic, DFACS, Georgia, politics, redneck, peta, Ingrid Newkirk, pick up truck, white trash, junk car, humor

Sightseeing In Augusta, Georgia.....or how to spend a "golf-free" day during Masters' Week

It's Spring. The Japanese Magnolias and the Dogwoods are in full bloom. School is out for the week. There's only one problem: It's Masters' Week - the week where golf aficionados and zany fans alike descend on Augusta from all over the world. Washington Road is virtually impassable, sane people have decamped for the duration, and crazy people have all the local golf courses booked solid. So how should those who have stayed in town and those who aren't crazy for golf entertain themselves? And, God help us all, entertain the children?

Here's the family tested, mother approved, relatively inexpensive list:

*Artists' Row: Broad Street (mainly 700-1200 blocks) An eclectic collection of local art galleries, special boutiques and unique cafes.

*Augusta Cotton Exchange: 32 Eight Street Constructed in 1886 to house the business activities of cotton farmers, brokers, and buyers, the Cotton Exchange was once the second largest cotton market in the world. The bank lobby displays cotton-era artifacts such as the trading board that listed cotton prices, as well as an 1880s-era walnut bank teller line and period furnishings.

*Augusta Common: 836 Reynolds Street A park space that links Broad Street to Riverwalk.

*Riverwalk: 836 Reynolds Street Riverwalk has so much to offer, but most important to families is the playground right on the water. "Nuff said.

*Augusta History Museum: 560 Reynolds Street Don't miss Augusta's Story - a 12,000-year journey through local history. Interactive - great for kids.

If you're coming to Augusta, I hope you find time to visit these attractions....


Tags: Dorothy Kernaghan-Baez, Georgia

Roomba Cats!

OMG! Funny as hell!

And another one!







And of course, the Roomba Surfing Kitten of Doom!

Get Rid of the "R" Word

Disclaimer: I have some really amazing neighbors. Writing about the bad behavior of one and alluding to the bad behavior of a few in no way means that they are all idiotic jerks.


Today, the management of the Special Olympics announced a campaign to end use of the "R" word.



This campaign has set March 3, 2010 as the second annual day of awareness to Spread the Word to End the Word by encouraging people to rally and pledge their support at www.r-word.org with the goal of reaching 100,000 pledges.

I grew up volunteering at a school for the intellectually and physically disabled. My mother retired from that same school. I remember going to school and being dismayed at people being described as "retards" and silly things described as "retarded." In college, I worked at various schools for the intellectually disabled. Back then, using the term "retarded" in a clinical sense was considered acceptable, but some people were starting to use the term "developmentally disabled."

As a Family Advocate, I deal with a wide range of people with diverse experiences and abilities. I am also hearing impaired, so I've dealt with my share of idiots with bad attitudes. I also live in a neighborhood where tolerance, as I have found, is only practiced by a few. This is a lesson I re-learned the hard way just this past Halloween.

About 6 months ago, my friend Billy came to live with us. Billy is mildly intellectually disabled, but functions amazingly well. I got to know Billy after he and I were both named as defendants in a crazy lawsuit. Stalking and harassment relating to the lawsuit got so bad for him, we decided it would be best if he came to Georgia to live with us. So he did, and was settling in relatively well with us and becoming part of the family. (Bear with me, I do have a point.)

The morning of Halloween, the police were called to my house twice. It seems a neighbor of mine decided Billy and/or his car (the neighbor changed his story several times so go figure) didn't belong in the neighborhood. (Can anybody say deja vu?) After attempting to question Billy, this neighbor decided Billy needed an attitude adjustment and called the police. Since Billy lived here (at 811 Aumond Place East, Augusta, Georgia 30909 in case you're curious) and had the driver's license to prove it, the police wished him a Happy Haloween and went on their way.

But, no - the fun wasn't over yet. This same neighbor came back to our property and started taking pictures of Billy. Creepy, right? So Billy wrote down his tag number. Then this neighbor called the police AGAIN, this time claiming that Billy was "menacing" him. The neighbor neglected to let the police dispatcher know that the "menacing" was being done with a pencil and a piece of paper. So here come the police again. This time the neighbor insists that the officers ring our doorbell. (Isn't it great to live in a neighborhood where people think they can treat the police as their personal servants? Believe me, I have some funny stories.)

The police officers were wonderful. The neighbor acted like an ass. At one point, my husband (the long-suffering Rick) tried to explain to all and sundry assembled on our doorstep that Billy was "challenged." Rick's words - give him a break, he had just woken up. The crazy neighbor responded with (and this is where I make my point, thanks for waiting) "I don't care how much of a RETARD he is!"

Well, okay then, asshole. That one word, notwithstanding the unacceptable behavior that went with it, undid 25 years of neighborly good-will. Gone. Poof.

Why would anybody but an asshole use language meant to hurt unless they meant to be hurtful? Maybe there's a kind of logical reason, but I don't care. I may not be able to fix the world, but I can sign The Pledge and I can commit to zero tolerance for the "R" word on my property and in my presence.

In other words, come on my property again and call a member of my family the "R" word.....and I. will. kick. your. ass. ....And then publish your name next time.

Why is Brandon Neely a Moron or a War Criminal?

When I came across this story, I thought it provided an interesting look into circumstances most of us can't even begin to wrap our heads around. I started googling for more information. I should not have been surprised by what I read.

Brandon Neely served our country as a Military Policeman in the Army. In 2002, Neely spent 6 months as a guard at Guantanamo Bay's Camp X-Ray. He was 22 years old. He arrived in Cuba ready to take his government at its word; ready to believe that he would be guarding the absolute worst examples of hate-filled terrorists - those directly responsible for the 9/11 massacre. What he found, though, was not quite what he expected. And I don't think Neely found himself to be what he expected either.

Neely related one disturbing experience caused primarily by language barriers and no doubt exacerbated by brutal treatment the prisoners had been dealt prior to their arrival: Neely was attempting to get an elderly prisoner to kneel so he (the prisoner) could be unshackled. The terrified old man thought he was being forced to kneel in order to be shot. He struggled. Neely believed he was in danger from the fighting prisoner. He slammed the old man's head into the ground in an effort to subdue him. Neely freely admits to his actions and shows remorse, even though he could not have been expected to know any diffferent at the time. For this, Neely is being called a War Criminal and a moron by a gang of keyboard-warrior douche-bags hiding behind their computer generated anonymity.

Neely saw some ugly things at Camp X-Ray. It took him some time to clear the cobwebs from his head and really see what was in front of his eyes. Remember he expected his charges to be horrendously evil and maybe not quite human. He didn't speak up as soon as he should have. I'll concede that. But he's speaking up NOW. That counts for at least something.

Moving on, let's look at the 2 former captives Neely has recently met with, Shafiq Rasul and Rufal Ahmed. Were these dangerous jihadis who hated freedom and wanted to destroy America? Were they fanatical terrorists? Hardly. They were no different from thousands of other fun-seeking boys around the world. Like a real life version of Harold and Kumar, these 2 knuckleheads were willing to travel across the world to smoke pot without parental interference. Both Rasul and Ahmed have more likely than not mortified their families, and will be forever remembered as the 2 geniuses who went out into the world to get high and ended up imprisoned at Camp X-Ray.

But I still think the reunion is a damn good story.

Moi!

Here I am in yet another doctor's office....

Mobile post sent by dorothybaez using Utterli. Replies.

My Comment on the TSA Blog

There is currently a lively discussion going on the Travel Safety and Security forum at Flyer Talk about Mikey, the 8 year old Cub Scout who seems to be on a government terror watchlist. Blogger Bob, who writes for the TSA blog, seems to find Mikey's situation amusing.

In fact, here's a quote from Blogger Bob: "It’s inevitable that every several months or so, some cute kid gets their mug posted on a major news publication with a headline reading something like: “Does this look like a terrorist to you?” Anything involving kids or cats gets tons of mileage and everybody starts tweeting and retweeting that there’s an 8 year old on the no fly list."

There has been no shortage of comments on the TSA's blog. Here's a good one: "In the meantime, we still get to touch your children... all in the name of safety." - abelard

And we all know I can't help but have something to say. Here it is:




This is what I find most disturbing about the mistakes being made as to the "special" screenings of children.


As parents, we take pains to remind our children that they have the right to bodily integrity and control. "You don't have to let anyone touch you in 'places.'" (That's what we called it when my children were, well, children.)


Small children have a need to see their parents as "all powerful." They need this to feel safe in a world much bigger than they are. This is crucial to a child's psycho-social development. A young child needs to feel that her parents can outfight any "bad guy" who tries to bother or hurt her.


I cannot imagine standing for either of my boys being frisked by a stranger while crying with terror. Those who know me probably can't imagine it either. I tend to be aggressive when it comes to my children. Seriously aggressive.


I have to say I'm surprised that no child has fought back, or that no parents have stepped in to physically defend their children. It's only a matter of time.

Y'all need to shape up before somebody gets hurt.

Tags: Dorothy Kernaghan-Baez, AFRA, family rights, twitter, cyber-dissident, politics, TSA, terrorism, cyber-dissident, Family, Law Enforcement,

An Open Letter to Paul Watson

I have long admired Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd. Watson wrote an article this past Friday as a response to a news item posted on ChristianNewsWire I was disturbed to read that Watson has such a low opinion towards people of faith. So I have written an open letter to him. I've tried my best to use a gentle tone and to not be my usual bitchy, snarky self. So here goes. Ahem....

Dear Captain Watson:

I am in complete agreement with Sea Shepherd's goals of protecting the oceans and those who live there. My commitment to everyone who inhabits the earth is, for me, an extension of my Christian faith. Granted my beliefs may be considered eclectic, but I do believe. So I have some things to say to you about your negative attitude towards religious people. Here goes:

You are a public figure. There's no escaping that fact. People listen when you speak. Calling the Bible "a silly over-rated book written by a gang of chauvinistic sheep herding thugs in the desert a few thousand years ago" is insulting to the very people of faith who have such potential for providing support for your cause.

Social movements are often begun and supported by people of faith. So it may be in yours and Sea Shepherd's best interests to at least not go out of your way to insult the very people who could be dedicated supporters. Please consider this.

You are right when you say that all of God's creatures are interdependent. And, yes I'm calling all of us "God's creatures." That's my worldview and what guides my actions. I'm not insulting you or what you believe. Please consider treating people of faith with the same respect.

I'm sorry that you think we are all just "animals." I believe that all God's creatures, including people, have souls and a divine spark inside. Even if there was no extinction crisis afoot, I would still be in favor of saving individuals. To my way of thinking, seeing individuals instead of only species, is a Christ-like view of the world. And my goal as a human being is to do my best to be Christ-like. That goal is a valid one, and people like me are not deserving of ridicule. Moving on....

You call religious and spiritual beliefs "biblical fantasies of a monkey God figure in the sky." Then you basically call God a dumb-ass: "he certainly has not demonstrated much expertise in stewardship considering the mass extinction of species we are presently responsible for." The stewardship issue is due to the sinful nature of human beings. It's not God's fault we're irresponsible and destructive.

I'm not asking you to suddenly find Jesus. All I'm asking is that you refrain from purposefully insulting those of us who have. You say you don't worship whales. Neither do I. But we both want to help them. Please don't make enemies out of Christians just for the sake of feeling superior to us.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Kernaghan-Baez




Tags: Dorothy Kernaghan-Baez, AFRA, family rights, twitter, cyber-dissident, tarot cards, psychic, DFACS, Georgia, politics, Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd

Prosperity Altar

I finally set up a Prosperity Altar, after procrastinating for almost 6 months. A Prosperity Altar is surprisingly simple to make, and I'm looking forward to more money during 2010.

Here's what I did:

I took a silver tray and covered it with a green cloth. Any type of tray would do, but try to get a green cloth is you can. On top of the cloth, I scattered dollar bills across the cloth and then sprinkled gold and silver glitter.

Then I dressed a green candle with gold & silver, steady work, and magnet oils.. The candle went into a glass container from a work candle, and that went into a glass bowl.

I'm going to continue to add things like corn, silver dimes, photos of things that represent "the good life" to me....

2010???

Well, we're into 2010 and I had decided last fall that this year was going to be "The Year of Dorothy." As in I plan to simplify my life, really take stock of what is important to me....yada yada yada. I've put others first for so long that I'm looking forward to indulging myself a little.

So, I found myself looking at various predictions for this year, and according to my source, Yemaya will be in charge this year, and guess what? I am a child of Yemaya!

So, it seems like everything is on track for the "Year of Dorothy." My granddaughter is due in April - I look forward to having a "Minnie Me" to play with. My children are healthy. Spiritually, I'm in a good place. I'm finally organized and the house runs smoothly. (Damn, can you imagine?) I'm planning a web based sort of half reality series half mockumentary series, along with some other projects that I'm keeping to myself for the time being.

I don't make New Year's resolutions - instead I set goals and plan projects. So, ahem: I want to improve my Spanish and learn a little Chinese. I want to ride a mechanical bull. I want to finally finish my second book. I want to do some renovations on my greenhouse. I want to build an aviary for my pigeon. I want to (maybe) get my nose pierced. I want to expend the same effort making myself happy that I spend making others happy.

Off to the races!