Fred (1988-2005)

Above photo of Fred taken Thanksgiving, 2005.

This morning, my longtime companion and buddy Fred passed away. He was 17 years old (roughly 85 in "people years"). He had terminal cancer and renal failure, but fortunately, the end came fairly quick and he did not suffer too terribly long.

Yesterday, as he was just hours from the end, I found a suitable box to be his "casket" and dug the grave in our "tree island" in the middle of the backyard.

Just after 7 AM this morning, when Mary and I found him dead, we placed him in his "casket", took him to his final resting place, and gave him a decent burial next to the graves of our previous cats (Callie, who died 2 years ago at age 18, and Gabby, who left us much too soon just before Memorial Day at age 7).

Fred is survived not only by his loving "parents", but also by his fellow "kitty compartriots" Mini (a.k.a. "The Diva") and Mischief (a.k.a "Purr Boy"). Here are their photos:

Mini (Top Photo) and Mischief (Bottom Photo), also taken Thanksgiving, 2005.

For several years, Fred was the one faithful companion I had. I remember how he'd greet me at the door after a long day at the office, how he'd love to sit on my lap or otherwise on the armrest of my easy chair when I'd be sitting there, and especially how he loved his "kitty treats" during the last 2-3 years of his life.

When Mary entered my life, Fred was there and he welcomed her with open arms. Mary, the woman I am honored to have as my loving wife, is a "cat person", too, and she brought her 3 cats, Callie (1986-2003), Mini, and Mischief into my life. Gabby was a stray we "adopted" around this time 2 years ago and had nursed back to health. Sadly, in late May of this year, she crashed and died. :(

Fred, thank you for sharing your life with me and for being my faithful companion and buddy. May you enjoy your well-earned eternal place in "Kitty Heaven" with Callie and Gabby.

I love you... always have and always will, buddy! :)

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and may you and yours have a happy and safe New Year.

What Do You Mean I Can't Say "Merry Christmas"?!!!

Has the "political correctness" (PC) in this nation gotten out of control or what?

For example, it is alleged that employees of Target and the State of Illinois are forbidden to say "Merry Christmas" while on the job. WHAT A HEAPING LOAD OF RUBBISH THAT IS!!!

I do realize that not everyone in the world celebrates Christmas and I respect the rights of others to celebrate holidays that are relevant to their respective cultures and religions (Kwanzaa, Hannukah, Ramadan, etc.), but that does not give them the right to tell me that it is wrong for me to celebrate my chosen holiday (Christmas).

Those self-appointed "PC police" want everyone to be "tolerant", which, on the surface, sounds great, given that we are all equal in the eyes of God. However, their definition of "tolerance" is that we must be tolerant of them, but they don't have to be tolerant of us. WHAT HYPOCRITES!!!

Another disgusting example of "out-of-control PC" is local governments that will not erect "Christmas trees", but instead, they will erect "holiday trees". Last I checked, the decorated tree concept is a Christmas symbol used to celebrate the Christmas season. Furthermore, if a government wants to erect a nativity scene to depict the birth of Jesus Christ (the first and foremost reason for Christmas, BTW), that's cool. If they want to throw in a Hannukah menorrah and relevant symbols for other holidays that occur in December, then hey, that's cool, too. Just don't tell me I cannot celebrate Christmas or wish others a "Merry Christmas"!!!

OOPS... I just realized that I said "God". I can hear the sirens now as the "PC police" are pursuing me. Seriously, what are they going to do if they arrest me... throw me in a Communist-style "re-education camp"? STICK IT IN YOUR EAR, "PC POLICE"!!!

What can you do to "sock it to the PC police"? Simple... although it is someone else's right to worship and express their views as they see fit, insist that they respect your God-given right as an American to worship and express your views as you see fit. After all, our own Constitution guarantees that right to everyone here in this great nation.

Now that I've finished "spewing", I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

God (Yes, I said "God" and I'm darn proud of it) bless you and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

Imagine...

On this date in 1980, former Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York City apartment by a crazed and disillusioned fan, Mark David Chapman. Lennon was only 40 years old.

Chapman is still serving time at New York State's infamous Attica prison and I seriously doubt he'll ever get paroled (mainly due to the efforts of Lennon's widow Yoko Ono).

Here's a small tidbit of info you may or may not know about Chapman... as a teenager, he and his mother lived in DeKalb County and he was a graduate of Columbia High School.

First of all, why is it that if someone kills someone famous (John Lennon, Robert F. Kennedy, etc.), they will keep them in jail, but if they kill someone not-so-famous, they have a much better chance of getting paroled (assuming the sentence received was not "life without parole")? Somehow, that don't seem fair to the families of those not-so-famous victims who grieve over their loss just as families of the famous victims do.

As for Lennon himself...

While it was a tragedy that Lennon's life was cut short by a murderer and he was a talented musician in his own right, I do not believe that he was a saint. Instead, he was a hypocrite.

Why do I think he was a hypocrite? Here's the case...

Just before the Beatles' breakup, Lennon dumped his wife and son Julian (who would become briefly famous in his own right) for his lover Yoko Ono (whom many Beatles fans blame for the band's breakup, but I won't go there).

Lennon was a self-proclaimed "peace and love" activist whose songs such as "All You Need Is Love" (with the Beatles) and "Imagine" (his most well-known solo work) preached this gospel of his to the world.

The problem I see is the disparity between Lennon's words and his actions... especially regarding his relationship (or lack thereof) with his son Julian.

Julian, to this day, laments over the lack of love and compassion his self-proclaimed "peace and love" activist father showed him. Here is Julian's official statement from his own website:

"I have always had very mixed feelings about Dad. He was the father I loved who let me down in so many ways ... it's painful to think that his early death robbed me of the chance for us to know each other better."

This is something I am glad that I never, ever have to say about my father. If that doesn't show the hypocrisy of John Lennon, then what does?

While I disdain Lennon's hypocrisy, I do feel, however, that his killer, Chapman, should remain in prison for his crime and that the only way he should ever leave the confines of prison is in a pine box on the way to the graveyard. Then again, I feel that anyone who unjustly takes the life of another human being should receive the same treatment.

Finally, imagine... a world where personal morals, family values, and God reign. We will achieve that perfect peace when, and only when, that becomes a reality. I hope and pray for that to happen and I encourage you to do the same.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please do so often.

Remembering Pearl Harbor and 9/11

"... December 7, 1941... a date which will live in infamy." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945)

"Are you guys ready? Let's roll!" - Todd Beamer, in defiance of his Al-Qaeda captors on Flight 93, September 11, 2001

On this day in 1941 at 7:45 AM, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, our great nation was "sucker punched" by the fanatical Japanese under the leadership of Tojo.

As a result, we were plunged into an epic war with the Axis powers of Japan, Germany, and Italy, and through our resolve and strength, we, the American people, defeated these enemies of freedom and democracy.

On September 11, 2001, we were yet again "sucker punched", this time by fanatical Al-Qaeda terrorists who slammed jetliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The jetliner that crashed in a Pennsylvania field that day would have taken out even more innocent lives if it weren't for the resolve of Todd Beamer and his fellow passengers on Flight 93 who "rolled" against their captors.

Today, and every day, take some time out of your day to remember those Americans who gave everything, up to and including their lives, so that we may remain a free nation.

Finally, remember those who currently serve our nation in our armed forces. With all the turmoil both on the battlefield, and even on the homefront as the Iraq situation is being hotly debated, they'd really appreciate it.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please do so often.