Is Patriotism a Cause ???

Meme is a little upset again You all know this happens to her a lot because she gets so passionate. All I can say is thank goodness she has me to bounce stuff off because I think I calm her down a little. But sometimes, she just finds herself shaking her head about some things that happen.

Yesterday she got an email ... one of those chain emails? The ones that either warn you about impending doom or tell you if you don't forward the stupid thing in 5 minutes something awful will happen to you? She says what makes people think that there's a little guy in the computer that knows not only when you open the email, but also knows exactly how many minutes later you forward it.

Anyway, I'm getting off track again which you've all learned I do a lot. The reason is my brain is about the size of a softball and I just do the best I can with it.

So she got this email and the subject is "ABC Bans Flag Lapel Pins". Now, knowing my Meme, can you even imagine her reaction???!!! Yikes! She opens the email and it says this:

"Yesterday, the brass at ABC News issued orders forbidding reporters to wear lapel pin American flags or other patriotic insignia. Their reasoning was that ABC should remain neutral about "causes". Since when is support for preventing our death & destruction some sort of a cause? Since when is patriotism to be discouraged. I urge you to boycott ABC and its sponsors and affiliates.


Please forward this to as many as you can."

Then it gives a link to Snopes which is an internet site that checks out these things to find out if they're for real. So she clicked on it and sure enough ... it's real!!!!

And what really got her ripped is that this didn't happen yesterday ... this evidently goes back to right after 9/11/2001!!! And seven years later is the first she's hearing about it? Did no one know this? Did you?

And even more ..... WHY???? Well, I'll tell you why. It seems that after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., some news outlets asked their on-air personnel not to wear any patriotic symbols in order to "maintain an image of impartial neutrality". Hello!!!! They added that it was also to protect overseas reporters from being harmed if someone thought they were an arm of the American government. Huh?

Evidently ABC was prominent among these news outlets. They actually said they didn't want to signal how they feel, that it might appear by wearing these "symbols" they were spokespeople for the U.S. government. They wanted to appear neutral and remain "objective".

Well guess what. Meme says that WE'RE NOT OBJECTIVE!!! And by the way ... ABC stands for American Broadcasting Company (maybe they forgot that). Also, while it would be really nice if all news organizations were objective in every way, they're just not. Their "feelings" show through all the time. We don't think there are many people in this country who would get their back up because a reporter is wearing an American flag on the air (or anywhere else for that matter).

And for anyone who does???? Tough noogies.

'Til next time.
Molly










Copyright HBS 2008

Remembering and Honoring this Memorial Day

Meme told me this morning that this is Memorial Day weekend. It's a very important time. Most people think of this weekend as the beginning of summer, an extra day off work, a time for hot dogs and beans, burgers and fries, apple pie and ice cream. And she says it is all that, but it is much, much more.


This is a holiday of remembrance. This is a time we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country and defending our citizens so that this weekend we can all come together with our friends and families and have the freedom to say and do pretty much whatever we want because we live in this beautiful, free country.


Of course, I understand none of this because I'm just a dog. And unless I'm in my house, I'm usually on a leash so not sure what's so darned free about that!!! But I do know that I have a darned good life and I can do just about whatever I like (as long as I'm on that stupid leash and someone picks up after me). I don't know what dogs do in other countries. I hear there are a lot of other great countries out there, but I also hear there are some where things are not so great and Meme tells me that an awful lot of people here in America just don't seem to know how lucky they are. It's not their fault, we all sometimes forget to look at the bright side. We all, from time to time, tend to complain and criticize things we see happening that we don't completely understand. Sometimes we need just a little nudge to remind us.


So this Memorial Day, I hope everyone celebrates this nice long weekend. I hope you have parties and cookouts and good times with your friends and families. I hope you see all the sales at the stores and go out and spend money, bolster our economy.


There's also plenty of time in the weekend to stop a moment, take a breath and remember all the men and women who have paid a painful price to bring us to this moment. And let's not just say we support our troops, let's honor our troops. Let's recognize that these men and women believe in what they're doing and the reasons they're doing it .... to preserve life as we know it in this country, to fight against those who wish to do us harm. These are strong, brave men and women ... some of the most honorable we have ever known.


We're not always perfect, but there are an awful lot of individuals who are as close to perfect as we can imagine. While we're all having a good time enjoying our freedom this weekend, let's remember them. Let's honor them.


'Til next time....


Molly

Another Week Bites The Dust

And I'm singing "Oh What A Beautiful Morning"

Meme says she can't believe where the times goes sometimes. I say, what's "time"? Makes no sense to me. I get up, I eat, I get hugs and kisses, wait for some action around the house, go for walks, eat some more, get more hugs and kisses, lie down for some sleep, get woken for "one last pee", get my favorite treat of the day and then we all lie on the bed with our eyes closed and it's very dark, then it gets light and it starts all over again. It's good!

So this "time" thing makes no sense to me. The other day Meme read that dreams only last 2 or 3 seconds. And that got her to thinking (I KNOW!!! ... dangerous). So first thing in the morning, the minute Poppy opened his eyes, she started babbling. That's not my word, that's his. He says sometimes she babbles a mile a minute and he can't keep up. He says "Hey!!! Slow down a second ... I can't keep up!" Then she says "I can't help it if my brain works faster than yours!" and everybody laughs.

Anyway ... she started thinking and talking about "time". And I need to tell you that when she gets on a roll about something, there is just no stopping her. She told Poppy about this dream thing and how they're only 2 or 3 seconds long. Poppy said no way!!! His dreams are sometimes very long!

She said "no", they're not. It's a perception. So now she's decided time is all a perception and there's no such thing. Somewhere along the way someone decided to call time seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, but if time were real, then why does it suddenly "speed up" the older we get??? .... Or slow down when we're doing something we hate like waiting in a doctor's office. Meme said if all time went as slow as sitting in a waiting room, it would be like living forever (but pretty boring I would think ... they have very old, boring magazines, like GOLF magazine. Who ever heard of that except in the doctor's waiting room?). Woofs!!! Sorry! I'm getting away from myself!!!

I haven't noticed this phenomenon myself that much, but I'm only 7. As you know, I'm a dog and life is just life and I live it. Besides, Meme told me that dogs have no conception of time which may explain why I don't know what she's talking about.

So just when you would think time would slow down, when you stop going to work and being so busy all the time, suddenly the hours and days fly by so fast that a week is gone and you almost feel you missed it.

Meme says it's not fair. She's finally at a time in her life where she is perfectly content. She wants to savor every second, hold onto every moment and yet time is moving along at breakneck speed and she knows in her heart that there's less time left than has gone before.
So another week bites the dust. Another week she'll never see again. As each day comes she opens her eyes in the morning and says "Hello, Day! It's good to see you. Hello, Sun! You've come around again as you always do".

Every day is so special. Every single day holds so much hope. The opportunities of every day are limitless. It's like a flower opening and the more it opens, the more wonder appears inside. For me it's like sniffing ... the more I burrow my nose in the grass, the better the smell gets. We wake up and we think of all we can do and even when we don't do it all, at least we know we can.
Days are good. If we live every day, one at a time, maybe we can enjoy this "time" thing more. Never rush a day, never hurry to the next, enjoy each one and be glad for it. It will not come again; we won't get a chance to live it again.

So live it well. Have a good week. 'Til next time .....

Molly

Happy "Meme's" Day!!!

It's Mother's Day, but you knew that. Every year around this time Meme starts thinking about mothers and motherhood. She's not one, you know. Well she is ... kinda, sorta. She's got stepchildren, but they have a mother. She has grandchildren who always remember her on Mother's Day and send nice presents.

And she's got me for heaven's sake! She's my Meme and that means Mother to me!!! I call her Meme because she would always call me saying "Molly! Come to Me!" So I thought that was her name. I could have called her Mom if I'd only known how badly she wanted to be one.

Anyway, then she has nephews and nieces who she loves so much. But still ... what she always says is she's not a "real" mother and that's what she wanted so badly ... so much sometimes it hurts. But as she says all the time, you can't go through this life getting everything you want and she has so much to be grateful for on this day and every day.

Still, she's no fan of Mother's Day. But she has lots of really good friends who she says are the greatest mothers in all the world. And on this day to honor our mothers, she honors all those friends. She hopes that on this day while we honor our mother, those of us fortunate enough to be mothers remember what a blessing it is to bring new life into this world.

As you know I'm adopted and I honor my Meme and Poppy every single day. I want to wish all the Mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day. Rejoice in your children and be glad for them ... even when they mess up a little.

'Til next time!

Molly