I’m not sure how it happened but I have several friends that are either in the Marine Corps or were in the Marine Corps. Well on this Memorial Day weekend, I just wanted to let all of the know just how much I appreciate all that they have done to give us and help us to keep the freedoms their brothers before them fought so hard to give us. So from me to all of you guys, Simper Fi and Thank you for everything. There is not a more handsome Marine than a Marine in his dress blues!!!
Words of wisdom
Though Dr. Rogers said it in 1984, his words are so relevant to what we are facing in America today. In fact, it was even read and posted in the Congressional Record by Congressman Steve King from the state of Iowa on January 14, 2009.
Dr. Rogers is quoted:
“Friend, you cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. And what one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government can’t give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody. And when half of the people get the idea they don’t have to work because the other half’s going to take care of them, and when the other half get the idea it does no good to work because somebody’s going to get what I work for. That, dear friend, is about the end of any nation.”
Catching wild pigs
Some of you might have gotten this by email just like I did but I thought it was worth putting in my blog for those of you that haven’t ever seen or read it. It really fits in this day in time I believe.? But if you feel I’m looking at the situation totally wrong, I honestly want to hear your opinion.
A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in ?the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed ?one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and ?stretching as if his back hurt. ??The professor asked the ?young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet ?lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his ?native country who were trying to overthrow his country’s government ?and install a new communist government.
In the midst of ?his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He ?asked, ‘Do you know how to catch wild pigs?’ ??The ?professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young ?man said this was no joke. ‘You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable ?place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and ?begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to ?coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they ?are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat ?the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used ?to that and start to eat again. You ?continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in ?the last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come ?through the gate to eat; you slam the gate on them and catch the whole ?herd. ??Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. ?They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon ?they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they ?have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they ?accept their captivity.
The young man then told the ?professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The ?government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the ?free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax ?credit for unearned income, ?tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), ?welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms ?– just a little at a time. ??One should always remember: ?There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never ?provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.
“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have” Thomas Jefferson.
I’m proud to be American
Our country is in a financial mess, that’s for sure and our standings in the world have been a bit tainted with the mess in Iraq but I’m still proud to be American. I was born here but of course my ancestors came from other countries. They came here looking for the American dream and found it. Living in New Orleans through the mess of hurricane Katrina still hasn’t shaken my love of America. It might have taken some time to bring New Orleans back but it’s back and proud as ever.
I proudly display my American flag outside of my establishment every day. I also have one displayed inside too. Americans have been known for their ‘grit’ if you will ever since the first settlers landed many years ago. We fought to have a life and we’re still fighting to have that. The one thing that sets us apart is the fact that we do welcome anyone to this country to try and find their American dream. It’s still alive but not as easy to find now but just give us a little more time and we’ll be back stronger than ever. Just wait and see. New Orleans did it and the rest of the country will too.
Well they’ll be moving in this weekend
Well the apartments are all but finished and they’ll be moving in this weekend. There’s still a bit to do on the three bedroom apartment but the others are finished. Everyone is so excited about making the move. I am too because I know that everyone will now have a good place to live and their kids will be looked after too.
I look at most of my employees as my family like I have told you before so it’s only natural that I would want them to have a good place to live then. Now they have just that. I know they appreciate it too because the smiles on thier faces show just how much it is appreciated. Besides, if it doesn’t work out for one of them, I do have it to rent to others but I’m sure they’ll all be happy right here. I hope so anyway.
Best Mardi Gras in a long time
Well this year has been about the best Mardi Gras we have had in a long time. It was wonderful seeing all of the people coming back to New Orleans. I guess people are finally ready to start coming back like they used to. I can’t say as I blame them for staying away like they did. Heck we lost a lot of locals with the mess we went through but the celebration is back.
Just look at all of the wonderful people with their smiling faces enjoying Mardi Gras like they used to. I must say it has brought a smile to my heart to see them come back again.
Octuplet Mom speaks
Well she finally speaks which I knew she would. They must have finally met her price. She said that growing up as an only child made her want a ‘huge family’. Well that’s what she has for sure now.
The Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets last week told TODAY’s Ann Curry in an exclusive interview that growing up as an only child, she had always dreamed of having “a huge family.” She also denied charges that she was irresponsible to have so many babies – especially with six other children already at home.
“People feel, you know, this woman is being completely irresponsible and selfish to bring these children in the world without a clear source of income and enough help to raise them,” Curry told Nadya Suleman in a segment that aired Friday on TODAY. “The world outside is saying, ‘What are you doing?’ ”
“I know I’ll be able to afford them when I’m done with my schooling,” the 33-year-old single mom replied. Calm, poised and articulate in the glare of the media spotlight, Suleman added: “If I was just sitting down watching TV and not being as determined as I am to succeed and provide a better future for my children, I believe that would be considered, to a certain degree, selfish.”
I still say the doctors should have to claim some responsibility in this case. They should have to help support these 8 babies for sure so the rest of us don’t have to. Was she selfish? Who am I to say who couldn’t have children of her own? There are so many children out there without families, why didn’t she adopt? Then no one could have called her selfish for sure.
More words of wisdom
I’ve learned….That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I’ve learned….That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
I’ve learned….That money doesn’t buy class.
I’ve learned….That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I’ve learned…That under every one’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I’ve learned…That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I’ve learned…That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I’ve learned…That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I’ve learned…That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I’ve learned…That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
Important information if you own a dog!!
If you have a dog … PLEASE read this. If you don’t have a dog, please tell your friends who do. As you can see at the end of this, it was written by a real Veterinarian. Please tell everyone you know even if they don’t have a dog.
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was
a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn’t call my emergency service until 7 AM.I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn’t seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me – had heard something about it, but…
Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 & 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours. The dog’s BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids.
At that point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn’t control his vomiting.
Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220 … He continued to vomit and the owners elected to Euthanize.
This is a very sad case – great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler’s. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern. Onions, chocolate, cocoa and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.
Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville, OH
Pictures from Christmas Angels
Well I got the disposable cameras back from all of the families my Christmas Angel Tree gave gifts to yesterday and took them to a one hour photo place. The pictures were wonderful, most of them anyway. I decided to put them on my computer and try and crop some of them and see if I could clear some of them up but my computer started giving me all sorts of photoshop errors. Now when it comes to things like that, I’m lost. I don’t know a darn thing about fixing errors like that or any kind of error message as far as that is concerned.
Luckily I found a blog that told me what to do to resolve the problem. It said that one reason why the Photoshop might fail to respond or give you an error message is if it is in conflict with any other program in the computer. I tried re-installing Photoshop since it said that can help to work out the problem the program could be having that makes it give the Photoshop not responding message. That fixed the problem but if you try it and that doesn’t work for you, check out the blog because it has several ways to fix it. I hope that helps you if you are having the same problem.