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[SoNotHer]

Rescue group in crisis mode after cat euthanized
AP – 19 hrs ago



PHOENIX (AP) — Animal lovers threatened to pull donations to an animal rescue group and the public flooded the agency with scathing comments and calls after a man's cat was euthanized when he couldn't afford its medical care, prompting the Arizona Humane Society to go into damage-control mode Wednesday.

The group has hired a publicist, removed dozens of comments on its Facebook page and directed a team of five volunteers to respond to the overwhelming calls and emails it has received since The Arizona Republic published a weekend story about Daniel Dockery and his 9-month-old cat, Scruffy.

Dockery, a 49-year-old recovering heroin addict, told the Phoenix newspaper that he took Scruffy to a Humane Society center on Dec. 8 because she had a cut from a barbed-wire fence, an injury that he described as non-life-threatening. The agency said it would cost $400 to treat Scruffy, money he didn't have.

The Humane Society cited policy when it declined to accept a credit card over the phone from Dockery's mother in Michigan or to wait for her to wire the money. The staff said if he signed papers surrendering the cat, Scruffy would be treated and put in foster care, he said.

Instead, Scruffy was euthanized several hours later.

Dockery told the Republic that he was devastated.

"Now I've got to think about how I failed that beautiful animal," Dockery said. "I failed her. ... That's so wrong. There was no reason for her not to be treated."

He described the cat as helping him stay off drugs for more than a year, the longest he had ever been clean. He hand-fed the feline before she opened her eyes at 4 days old, giving her fresh tuna and letting her sleep on his pillow.

Stacy Pearson, who was hired by the agency specifically to deal with media questions about the cat, said Dockery's case has led to two changes. The Arizona Humane Society has set up an account, funded through donations, that would cover the costs of emergency treatment of animals whose owners need a day or two to come up with money for payments. And the group is now accepting credit card payments by phone, Pearson said.

Dozens of scathing comments have since inundated the group's Facebook page, with animal lovers demanding to know why the cat was put down. Pearson said angry comments were removed because of their content: One called for the staff to be euthanized, while another said what happened to Scruffy was murder.

Pearson said Scruffy was put down over a number of reasons, including Dockery's lack of immediate funds, a lack of veterinarians to treat her and what Pearson described as a very serious cut on Scruffy from her abdomen to her knee that went to the muscle.

She said the Arizona Humane Society at the time didn't accept credit card payments over the phone because of possible fraud and can't treat pets with only a promise from owners that they can pay the next day. She said staff had every intention of getting Scruffy the help she needed but the number of animals requiring help at the group's second-chance clinic was too much for the resources available.

If Dockery had been able to pay, Scruffy would have been treated at the facility where he brought her, Pearson said.

"There was no malicious intent to take Scruffy away from her father," Pearson said. "Pulling funding is only going to make a problem like this worse."

On Facebook, where only the agency's executive director is allowed to post comments now, Guy Collison wrote that "Scruffy's story is heartbreaking, and underscores the worst-case-scenario of need eclipsing resources available." He said that his agency has always done what's best for animals.

In less than an hour after his statement was posted, more than 100 people responded, with most slamming the agency and some defending it as doing the best it can with available resources.

Pearson said the group told Dockery on Tuesday that when he's ready for another pet, he could come in and pick one out, but he declined, telling them: "No thanks."

[UofMfan]

Kelly Clarkson Endorses Ron Paul, Gets Twitter Hate Over Racism, Homophobia ~ HuffPo

[SoNotHer]

Great list, and I'm delighted to see Frank Kameny made it -

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...e-ll-miss.html

[DapperButch]

http://sanmateo.patch.com/articles/l...6pLid%3D123761

I'm in!

[*Anya*]

updated 12/29/2011 11:23:17
Romney wants ads during 'Sesame Street'

By Paul Bond
Hollywood Reporter

It's safe to say that none of the Republican candidates for president are quite as enamored with public funding for the arts as the Democrats are, but Mitt Romney was making it an issue Wednesday, claiming he'll even cut off PBS.

To be sure, Big Bird and the rest of the "Sesame Street" Muppets probably aren't endangered. They'll just have to go commercial, if Romney gets his way.

In order to balance the budget, Romney told supporters in Iowa Wednesday, he'll "stop certain programs."

"Close them. Turn 'em off. Even some you like," he said. "You might say, 'I like the National Endowment for the Arts.' I do," Romney said. "I like PBS. We subsidize PBS. Look, I'm going to stop that. I'm going to say that PBS is going to have to have advertisments."

"We're not going to kill Big Bird," Romney said. "But Big Bird is going to have advertisments. All right?"
"I happen to think it's immoral for us to keep spending money we don't have, and passing on to our kids our obligations," Romney told supporters at Homer's Deli in Clinton, Iowa. "My test is, is a program so critical that it's worth borrowing money from China to pay for it."
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which delivers a portion of the funding for PBS and other public-broadcasting entities, spent $422 million in 2010 while the NEA has given more than $4 billion in grants since it was created in 1965.

[*Anya*]

12/29/11 BBC NEWS:

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has vowed to press ahead with her campaign, a day after a high-profile defection.
Her Iowa chairman, Kent Sorenson, endorsed Texas Congressman Ron Paul on Wednesday night, hours after appearing alongside Mrs Bachmann.

She says Mr Sorenson was offered "a lot of money" by the Paul campaign, an allegation denied by both.

The candidates are making their final pitch to voters ahead of Iowa's caucus.

The Hawkeye state's 3 January gathering marks the start of the six-month period during which each US state will hold primary elections or caucuses to pick a Republican candidate, who will be officially nominated at the party convention in August.

In the wake of Mr Sorenson's departure, Mrs Bachmann's Iowa political director, Wes Enos, said on Thursday he would also be leaving the Bachmann campaign.

This development follows comments Mr Enos made asserting that Mr Sorenson's defection had nothing to do with money. "I am no longer serving in an official capacity with the campaign," Mr Enos told the Associated Press news agency, adding he does not plan on working with another candidate.

In other developments in Iowa on Thursday:

The second poll in as many days showed former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum vaulting into third place in Iowa on 16% behind Mitt Romney on 23% and Mr Paul on 22%

A super-political action committee backing Mr Romney kept up its pressure on Newt Gingrich, releasing a new attack ad lambasting the former House Speaker's "mistakes"

Five Occupy the Caucus protesters were arrested in front of Ron Paul's campaign headquarters while demonstrating over his proposal to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency

Separately, 12 Occupy protesters were arrested outside the Democratic Party headquarters in Des Moines, including a 14-year-old girl, who was released at the scene and handed over to her father.

Mrs Bachmann, meanwhile, insisted her campaign was "strong", and that it had received many calls of support following Mr Sorenson's exit.

The Minnesota congresswoman alleges he told her during a telephone call this week about a financial inducement from her rival's organisation.

The Ron Paul campaign and Mr Sorenson, an Iowa state senator, again denied that claim.

Mr Sorenson told CNN he wanted to back a candidate who could stop former Massachusetts Governor Romney from winning Iowa.

"It's unfortunate they're resorting to these type of tactics," he said of the Bachmann campaign. "But the fact of the matter is she wasn't going to win Iowa."

The eventual Republican candidate will challenge Barack Obama for the White House in November 2012.
Many voters are concerned by the pace of economic recovery from the recession that started during the end of the presidency of George W Bush and ended in 2009.

[Kobi]

"My test is, is a program so critical that it's worth borrowing money from China to pay for it."


I dont know about commercials on PBS, but it would be nice if Romney and every politician used the "is it worth borrowing money for this" as something to guide them in decision making.

[LeftWriteFemme]

Both lesbian moms have parental rights, Daytona court rules in custody dispute


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,5618859.story

[LeftWriteFemme]

Can you fucking believe this????


Bishops Say Rules on Gay Parents Limit Freedom of Religion

Roman Catholic bishops in Illinois have shuttered most of the Catholic Charities affiliates in the state rather than comply with a new requirement that says they must consider same-sex couples as potential foster-care and adoptive parents if they want to receive state money

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/us...vail.html?_r=2

[LeftWriteFemme]

Ron Paul’s Links to Anti-Gay Religious Extremists




http://www.frontiersla.com/News/Cont...spx?ID=1632755

[LeftWriteFemme]

Judge denies bid to block start of civil unions Sunday


U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright denied this afternoon a request by two churches for a restraining order to block a law that goes into effect Sunday permitting same-sex couples to enter civil unions.

Joshua Wisch, spokesman for the attorney general's office, said as a result of the ruling, the civil unions law will "go into effect as planned on Jan. 1, 2012."

The Emmanuel Temple and the Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God asked for the order.

They argued that although they will be exempt from performing same-sex civil unions, they would face civil penalties and fines if they refused to rent their property for same-sex civil unions.

In a 17-page opinion, Seabright ruled that the churches have not shown they are entitled to the restraining order.

He said "it is clear that the present dispute is not ripe for the granting of a TRO."

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by LeftWriteFemme

Judge denies bid to block start of civil unions Sunday


U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright denied this afternoon a request by two churches for a restraining order to block a law that goes into effect Sunday permitting same-sex couples to enter civil unions.

Joshua Wisch, spokesman for the attorney general's office, said as a result of the ruling, the civil unions law will "go into effect as planned on Jan. 1, 2012."

The Emmanuel Temple and the Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God asked for the order.

They argued that although they will be exempt from performing same-sex civil unions, they would face civil penalties and fines if they refused to rent their property for same-sex civil unions.

In a 17-page opinion, Seabright ruled that the churches have not shown they are entitled to the restraining order.

He said "it is clear that the present dispute is not ripe for the granting of a TRO."

Not sure what article you are quoting, but wanted to throw one up for this topic. http://lezgetreal.com/2011/12/judge-...vil-union-law/

Civil Unions begin in Delaware as of January 1, 2012, as well.

[Kobi]

Is anyone but me concerned about the implications of this?

-----------------------

PARIS (Reuters) - The euro could become the world's leading currency in the next decade if leaders of the single-currency bloc succeed in tightening fiscal integration, European Central Bank policymaker Christian Noyer said in an article to be published in the Journal du Dimanche.

European leaders struck a historic deal at an emergency summit in Brussels on December 9 to draft a new treaty for deeper economic union, in an attempt to stem the debt crisis that is threatening to cause the collapse of the single currency.

The news temporarily calmed markets. But concerns quickly resurfaced as the final details of the agreement have yet to be determined and a new treaty could take up to three months to negotiate.

Ratings agency Fitch has said it doubts a comprehensive solution to the crisis can be found and urged more decisive action from the ECB.

"If we implement all the decisions taken at the Brussels summit we will emerge stronger," Noyer said in the article, due to be published to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the euro on January 1.

"In 10 years, maybe the euro will be the world's number one currency."

Noyer, who is also governor of the Bank of France, waxed lyrical about the merits of the euro, saying it had protected purchasing power, improved trade and competitiveness and made workers increasingly mobile.

In the past decade, the euro had become the world's second reserve currency after the dollar, and the only eurosceptics were outside the monetary union, he said.

Contrasting with Noyer's nostalgia, an opinion poll also due to be published in Sunday's Journal du Dimanche showed 50 percent of French people thought the single currency had been a bad idea, compared with 35 percent who approved.

A separate article in Saturday's Le Parisien showed the price of an average shopping basket had risen 22 percent since the euro first came into circulation, with certain basic goods such as the baguette rising up to 30 percent.

http://news.yahoo.com/euro-could-bec...191853289.html

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by LeftWriteFemme

Ron Paul’s Links to Anti-Gay Religious Extremists




http://www.frontiersla.com/News/Cont...spx?ID=1632755

I am having a big problem with how many young "Occupy" people back Ron Paul. WTF!!???Then, again, I do believe government has a role in a free society. But there has been so damn much corruption in our system, they are just fed up.

[Tommi]

[Slowpurr]

Yes. I am as concerned as I am about the possible collapse of US currency from any means including the adaptation of the euro as the global reserve currency. I am fresh out of gold. However, I hope that it remains in no one's best interest to have this happen quickly and in an unstable manner. It isn't like Europe isn't in a world of shit of their own.



[QUOTE=Kobi;496097]

Is anyone but me concerned about the implications of this?

[Glenn]

Since the meeting was in Brussels, which houses the "Beast" - a computer designed with the capacity to hold id's for everyone born on Earth, I now can conclude that everyone will soon be tagged (chipped) in some way. This has been in the works for years as a back up emergency system in the event of a catastrophy.Of course,you will still be charged interest for 'The Beast's' services, which means, if you can't pay what the Beast asks, you grow your own food or die.

[Slowpurr]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Of course,you will still be charged interest for 'The Beast's' services, which means, if you can't pay what the Beast asks, you grow your own food or die.

Why of course I will pay it. Afterall it is for the good of the people...right?

[betenoire]

Glenn are you doing a comedy bit right now? A wee bit of satire?

[sanee66]

One of the best women I know sent this to me in Facebook. Wouldn't a lot of lives be different if we had parents like this.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/201...xaL/story.html