rpannier

rpannier's Journal

June 29, 2016

Simon Cowell walks off stage with scared puppy on 'Britain's Got More Talent'

In London, talent judge Simon Cowell walked off the stage during a recent episode of "Britain's Got More Talent" with a trembling Dalmatian puppy which had been part of a quiz game offering the four judges a puppy every time they answered a question correctly, reports the Mirror.

snip

Then the puppies began to appear on stage; their owners looking on from the sidelines, but Cowell didn't find the game amusing nor did he wish to further participate. When handled the adorable little cuddly ball of cuteness, the puppy was shivering in fear.

“She’s frightened, this one. They shouldn’t be doing this," Cowell told the crew and the owners watching. "Are they your puppies? Are they being looked after? They’re trembling. You should take them home.”

link:
http://www.examiner.com/article/simon-cowell-walks-off-stage-with-scared-puppy-on-britain-s-got-more-talent

Not a fan of Simon, but good on him for looking after the dog

June 19, 2016

The Fall of the “Welfare Queen” in California

After years of debate, California Governor Jerry Brown has finally given in to liberal legislators and advocates of the poor by eliminating a California welfare rule that many believe inordinately targets poor mothers of color. The rule goes by many names–the “Welfare Queen” rule, the family cap, and formally in California as the Maximum Family Grant Policy–and prevents families from receiving more benefits if they have additional children while receiving benefits.

California’s revocation of the policy is projected to cost the state a projected $220 million each year, and will eventually be funded by an account for inflationary increases to welfare benefits. With Brown’s decision, California joins a list of seven other states to repeal the rule, which once existed in some form or another in nearly half of U.S. states.

snip

Reagan ran a campaign largely based on the anecdotal evidence of a few criminals who defrauded the U.S. welfare system, with the conclusion that welfare fraud was a pervasive plague in the U.S. that could only be eliminated by cracking down on the “welfare stat

snip

“Welfare queen” rules emerged in the early 1990’s as a solution, with the belief that if women were to not receive additional benefits for additional children, that they would stop having additional children. Not only have studies found that the rules have no distinguishable impact on birth rates among mothers who receive benefits and are subject to a family cap, but the rules have been criticized as degrading and dehumanizing to poor mothers.

link:
http://lawstreetmedia.com/news/fall-welfare-queen-california/

One more Reagan-era piece of crap that is falling by the way side

June 14, 2016

Roo The ‘Kangaroo Kitten’ Doesn’t Let Physical Challenges Slow Her Down

Roo got her name because she looks a bit like the kitten version of a kangaroo. “Her legs are the right size,” says Marnie Russ, co-founder of the National Kitten Coalition who helped rescue her, “they just don’t have balls in the elbow joints.” Because of Roo’s birth defect, she is unable to walk like other kittens and instead spends more time sitting on her haunches.

Roo was delivered to the National Kitten Coalition by Animal Control along with two siblings. Judging from the size of her siblings, who have reached the two-pound mark and have been adopted, Roo is estimated to be about two months old even though she’s only about half that size, herself. Marnie believes Roo’s physical disabilities gave her a slow start since she would have had a harder time accessing the resources that helped her siblings grow at a healthy pace.

snip

For now, the first priority is helping her gain weight, then watching how she distributes the new weight on her legs. Once her weight is stable, they’ll begin developing a plan for physical therapy. They’re also looking at splints in case she needs some extra support. “If we can straighten it out, she may be able to walk better on it,” says Marnie

link: (complete with a couple of short, cute vids)
http://iheartcats.com/roo-the-kangaroo-kitten-doesnt-let-physical-challenges-slow-her-down/

and from youtube

June 10, 2016

4 people who make this world a little better

I decided to look for something the large majority of us would probably feel good about
Here are three, really four, one is a couple, the famous, one famous to some and one not-so-famous who make the world better

The Famous are Jon and Tracey Stewart. Though this is from 2015, some may have missed it. And it doesn't devalue what Jon and Tracey are doing. Jon and Tracey Stewart have purchased a farm in New Jersey that will be turned into an animal sanctuary for rescued animals

The second is also from 2015, it's almost exactly one year old. Jeremy Wagner guitarist, founding member of metal band Broken Hope and horror writer donated his entire rural Illinois farm to an animal rescue and rehabilitation group. The group got the land, the buildings, the equipment and everything else that was on the farm free.
Wagner wrote in his announcement:
My generosity and goodwill for the benefit of animals will never stop. Giving my farm away for free was a super-huge sacrifice, but it was an awesome one, and it won't be the last time I do it. In this life, money doesn't mean shit if you don't do good with it. So I do as much good as I can before I leave this rock. Cheers!

The last is my favorite. It is about Dorothy 'Dot' lee and Trouper the raccoon. Dorothy saved Trouper after a golfer clubbed the raccon several times leaving Trouper blind and brain damaged. A licensed wildlife rehabilitator, she carried him home, where he didn't move or respond. North Carolina laws prohibit veterinarians from treating wildlife, so she was on her own. North Carolina requires that after six months she return him to the wild or euthanize him. The problem for Dorothy, and more importantly for Trouper was being blind, unable to walm or climb, he'd have never survived.
Dorothy opted to move back to Florida and register him as an ambassador animal..Dorothy taught Trouper to walk and swim again. She feeds him, trims his nails and bathes him. She takes Trouper around to various schools and community centers to teach people to respect wildlife.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/humankind/2016/05/31/blind-raccoon-gets-second-shot-life-thanks-caregiver/84977110/

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