SUENOSDEUOMI'S RUMINATIONS AND PERSPECTIVE
3 Years with Sumo
Sumo a Yorkie/Poodle/Maltese when he still sported a professionally groomed look, 3 years ago today, on his first visit with us and one week before he joined our pack for good. He felt uncertain as it was time to go to sleep in a new place, but on his bed - not mine!
Schnuegge (cute guy) on his first afternoon hanging out in our yard with bones he tackled with vigor, perseverance and single-minded focus. He was then still our neighbor's dog and Schnuegge was my term of endearment before I settled on his most appropriate name, Sumo. A name, I recently discovered to my great surprise, shared with former french president Chirac's 'vicious' Maltese. (After biting the president 3 times that Sumo was abandoned to a farm.) My Sumo is not vicious, but vigorous, be it in tackling bones or wrestling with Isabella almost 3 times his size.
Sumo at the dog park, rebuffed, unable to comprehend why I would not want his muddy paws on me.
Sumo not so long ago at the dog park after an extensive trim by me that brings out his contours nicely in the light of the setting sun.
Lunar Ebb and Flow
I remember how excited I was when I noticed this one branch set on fire by the setting sun.
And I remember how disappointed I was when I discovered the splotches from a dirty lens.
For 11 months I did not look at this image again - until yesterday when I reminded myself that the road to hell is plastered with good intentions.
Imperfection may just have to be good enough. So here I post this lovely image tarnished by a few splotches despite, or because of it all.
Much-Macho Lover-Boy
While a little bit of tail has never hurt anyone,
our Lover-Boy can be a tormentor and bit mucho much in his insistence on attention, love and affection.
My Mucho-Macho Lover-Boy
Pretty Kitty stays slim and trim by scaling our 7 feet fence to escape and to exercise his freedom to torment our new neighbor's cat.
2 Year Anniversary
2 years ago exactly our Pretty Kitty, Mucho-Macho-Lover-Boy, Saemi, formerly San, joined our pack, I thought temporarily, but we were able to keep this charmer, luck bringer and mice-dispeller.
His responsiveness impressed and endeared me to him right away. One shush, and he would stop nibbling on a plant, or get off where he wasn't welcome.
Here I am in search of catness, this mysterious quality of cat, that is so different from dogs. This kitty is street smart and seemingly unafraid. He will approach any dog when he deems the time right.
Our Lover-Boy has now finagled for 2 years, trying to get up close to cuddle with Sumo. His desire is so intense and his approach so devious, as he inches his way closer.
These are my pups on their first encounter with a cat in our home. Isabella's quizzical look is priceless and so very familiar. She never been close to a cat before while Sumo had lived with one prior. His tendency is to start licking and cleaning himself just like a cat.
Thankfully we never had a fight. In the beginning I was concerned about the sudden swipes coming from the Pretty Kitty, just as they were getting more comfortable with him. Now I understand this was his way of demanding respect and attention which he gets now from both. My Isabella-girl I think is really impressed with his ability to scale the fence. This must have contributed in great parts to his current good looks and loss of weight.
I never imagined sharing my tiny home, with three furry ones, much less sleeping with them on a narrow single bed, which now I really enjoy! I can feel the benefits of snuggling up to other mammals. I bet my heart opens, my blood pressure lowers and I can attest to the improvement of my mood in general. I even fidget less.
We are very lucky to count our black cat as part of our pack!
Happy Valentine's Day!
May advances from or to you be more welcome
then between my cat and dog.
May you weather the inevitable storms.
And may you continue to play together,
as those may more likely stay together.
I made a point to grab a chance and meet this colorful character and his service dog when I spotted them hanging out on the plaza. Only days earlier our dogs had barked ferociously at each other, and I deem it important to teach my pups good manners. It helps to go towards what we fear, I think in general. I practice this more with my pups then myself I must admit. So this is how I started to learn that about Ray Masterson, a Vietnam vet and his certified assistance dog Yukon.
Yukon came to him after his prior service dog had died, so he had to train this fourth service dog from scratch, not easy. But Yukon learned to help him negotiate their blind corners from the back of their bike, they were such a sight together, here at the Fiesta 08 Parade, bicycling for peace. When I met them they had been together already 10 years.
Today I learned that Yukon, now 14 years old, lives retired at Melon Ranch with three other female dogs, but not before he trained the next service dog. Ray found him like all the ones prior at a shelter and only 2 years old, the puppy in him still visible. Ray looks very pleased with his new companion, somehow I was not in the frame of mind to take their image even though my Olympus was in my pocket and they looked handsome together, for once on foot.
His yellow bike got replaced with a new Schwinn that has given him nothing but problems, so he said today. But then walking is not the worst when the roads still are littered with icy patches. I am glad our streets are filled with colorful characters like Ray and his service dogs.
Today I learned that Yukon, now 14 years old, lives retired at Melon Ranch with three other female dogs, but not before he trained the next service dog. Ray found him like all the ones prior at a shelter and only 2 years old, the puppy in him still visible. Ray looks very pleased with his new companion, somehow I was not in the frame of mind to take their image even though my Olympus was in my pocket and they looked handsome together, for once on foot.
His yellow bike got replaced with a new Schwinn that has given him nothing but problems, so he said today. But then walking is not the worst when the roads still are littered with icy patches. I am glad our streets are filled with colorful characters like Ray and his service dogs.
Man in Nature
I was out hunting for fall images and rather annoyed at people obstructing my view, until this man passed me by, I am a slow walker, especially up hill. I noticed how he blended in to the environment and realized a person might actually enhance my image.
But what happened to the singing? We always sang when out in the woods. My mom sang riding her bike, she never realized how far her voice actually carried, but when I hum to myself I get weird looks from strangers. I miss singing, casually, for the sheer fun of it. So looking at this image I find myself humming a song about a father, a wanderer and blood ties.
"Mein Vater war ein Wandersman und mir steckts auch im Blut, drum wandr ich froh, so lang ich kann und schwenke meinen Hut. Falleri, fallera, falleri, fallera - ha -ha -ha -ha -ha, falleri ..."
But what happened to the singing? We always sang when out in the woods. My mom sang riding her bike, she never realized how far her voice actually carried, but when I hum to myself I get weird looks from strangers. I miss singing, casually, for the sheer fun of it. So looking at this image I find myself humming a song about a father, a wanderer and blood ties.
"Mein Vater war ein Wandersman und mir steckts auch im Blut, drum wandr ich froh, so lang ich kann und schwenke meinen Hut. Falleri, fallera, falleri, fallera - ha -ha -ha -ha -ha, falleri ..."
between a rock and a hard place
President Obama's State of the Union Address, eloquent as ever, and so darn self-confident, strikes me as covering a lot of ground, yet offering little of the change so many of us desire. Tightening the belt will not mean abandoning armament in Iraq, leading in alternative green energy will not exclude the quest for more unsustainable nuclear power and/or non-existent "clean coal," tax refunds will not make that big a difference to many that seek further education, and health care reform without a public option seems almost, if not entirely meaningless.
Some interesting fact checks can be found here:www.salon.com/news/state_of_the_union/index.html?story=/n...
Interesting though how any one image, any one thing can look so very different from another point of view. Seems to me that the Republicans and Democrats need to put themselves in to one another's shoes, so they can switch their point of view, have a deeper understanding of what is needed and really start working together. We like to vilify the other, but in truth they complement each other and make a larger whole. The search for this larger vision is a noble one, but sure goes against most of our desires to get things done - our way. I applaud President Obama for chastising both parties and encouraging both to work towards common goals and the good for all. Contrary to those that urge President Obama to force policies through and act more tough and angry, I admire, in theory, his principled approach and desire to bring along both parties.
I am afraid though we will not see the changes we so hoped for and were so excited about only 1 year ago. I am afraid Adriana Huffington might be right and we will not see great achievements, but little disappointing bits and pieces that will not add up to a whole lot, certainly not enough for the progressives.
I am afraid though we will not see the changes we so hoped for and were so excited about only 1 year ago. I am afraid Adriana Huffington might be right and we will not see great achievements, but little disappointing bits and pieces that will not add up to a whole lot, certainly not enough for the progressives.
Haiti Horror
January 12, 2010, just before 5 PM one devastating earth quake (7) struck Haiti and 1 week later, January 20. early AM one aftershock (6.1) shook their earth again. Imagine the terror this must cause. There seems to be concern of imminent violence sometimes overriding the giving of urgently needed care such as when Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN) was left alone in a medical tent for one whole night. Can the US be accused of militarizing the relief efforts? I wonder if race and class differences make up, if only a tiny part of the problems of the US relief efforts? 5 planes that carried crucial supplies like an inflatable hospital, for Doctors Without Borders were refused landing. Why aren't they given priority?
Crushed limbs, head trauma and no pain medication! The devastation, pain and terror must seem apocalyptic. Meanwhile for me, and I am sure many, that awful sense of impotent paralysis, wanting to help, but ...
Crushed limbs, head trauma and no pain medication! The devastation, pain and terror must seem apocalyptic. Meanwhile for me, and I am sure many, that awful sense of impotent paralysis, wanting to help, but ...
Failed State?
First I heard of Iran as "a failed state" now, after a failed attempt at blowing up an airplane over US soil, it is Yemen that is considered "a failed state." What is a failed state? A state in turmoil? A state that failed to embrace and or implement capitalist principles? A state that is not run under the tight-fisted control of a tyrant? A state that does not serve it's people? A state on the seeming verge of disintegration? A state with questionable morals? A state that failed to deliver on it's promises?
It is not Somalia, not Zimbabwe, not North Korea, and certainly not the United States?
We need only one terrorist attack on US soil and the power will be back in the not so capable hands of the Republicans. Meanwhile we have a handsome Dutch hero, but get to see nothing much of him, instead endless speculations from little information, yet. I want to celebrate the guy that was thinking not just on, but also off his feet. Wow, what chutzpah to tackle that Nigerian wanna be terrorist. And I seem to be wrong as regards my earlier posts. Education makes one not less likely to engage in extremist terrorist activities. So what makes these guys with brains turn to terrorist measures? The jury sure is still out on that one.
It is not Somalia, not Zimbabwe, not North Korea, and certainly not the United States?
We need only one terrorist attack on US soil and the power will be back in the not so capable hands of the Republicans. Meanwhile we have a handsome Dutch hero, but get to see nothing much of him, instead endless speculations from little information, yet. I want to celebrate the guy that was thinking not just on, but also off his feet. Wow, what chutzpah to tackle that Nigerian wanna be terrorist. And I seem to be wrong as regards my earlier posts. Education makes one not less likely to engage in extremist terrorist activities. So what makes these guys with brains turn to terrorist measures? The jury sure is still out on that one.
More in space then on-line
A change of neighbors brought a dire lack of connectivity. Just a quick few points.
Oprah announced her giving up her show after her 25th season, that is by 9.9.11. I will miss Oprah, 'The Queen of Empathy' and occasional truly insightful interviews. I will never forget the one from prison with Betty, the woman that killed her x-husband and his new girlfriend when she intruded in to their bedroom and then claimed her gun got off by itself. I was in awe of Oprah's sensitive inquiries that really gave us a window in to this woman's soul. I became an instant fan and have been so ever since then, the late eighties. To my mind Oprah's interview would stand in stark contrast to Heraldo Rivera's understandable, but unproductive assault on the KKK, a total missed opportunity that offered us no new insights of any kind. Oprah's reporting style enriched my life and my understanding of the world that too often looks weird beyond belief. Oprah is an icon of our times, a woman of my age, a power to be reckoned with that I expect to be relevant still for a long time to come. Really, if her recent interview with Sarah Palin gave her the highest ratings in 2 years, I do not blame her at all for wanting out! The freeing up of her time will allow this outstanding woman to do a lot more good in many new and different ways and I will be eager to learn about such and wish her only the best. She deserves our admiration and best wishes along with the freedom to do as she pleases.
Appalling Palin has been dominating the news. One thing that really bothers me is that the dominant culture does not distinguish between a woman's rights and an infant's need for a mother. Infants need mothers not formula! This has nothing to do with woman's rights. Women have breasts and men do not. Women have held the infant in gestation for 9 months in their bellies, men did not. In an ideal world, mothers breast feed their babies. Sure there are less then ideal circumstances, often they involve money. New mothers may need to provide for their babies, their families. Sure, we adapt, but this does not change the fact that infants need their mothers and suffer given substitutes.
Sarah Palin and daughter both were pregnant and she had no calms to take on a high level job! Obviously this woman is not concerned about the well being of the infants, hers a special-needs child to boot. This bothers me big time. Of course we do not expect the same from fathers, from men. Women's rights should not be about erasing the differences between men and women. Sacrificing all to the altar of achievements and climbing the social ladder is not admirable. What happened to all that we learned, the hard way, in the sixties and seventies in humanistic psychology? All forgotten or discarded? Wake up America!
Sarah Palin moaned about the flak her daughter got during last year's campaign. The criticism of course was never about her teenage pregnant daughter, but about the hypocrisy of a stance for no sex education and the real life hard facts of a pregnant teen. Sarah's phony glossing over such and creating this rosy picture that entailed her teen aged daughter about to marry her teenage, bad-boy infatuation, with this way ward son-in-law to take on a job at the White House, was hard to swallow for any seasoned human being.
Sarah will challenge us to the max in regards to the unification of this great, but deeply divided country, the United States. President Obama was calling on that which unites us, Palin will clarify that which divides us.
Appalling Palin has been dominating the news. One thing that really bothers me is that the dominant culture does not distinguish between a woman's rights and an infant's need for a mother. Infants need mothers not formula! This has nothing to do with woman's rights. Women have breasts and men do not. Women have held the infant in gestation for 9 months in their bellies, men did not. In an ideal world, mothers breast feed their babies. Sure there are less then ideal circumstances, often they involve money. New mothers may need to provide for their babies, their families. Sure, we adapt, but this does not change the fact that infants need their mothers and suffer given substitutes.
Sarah Palin and daughter both were pregnant and she had no calms to take on a high level job! Obviously this woman is not concerned about the well being of the infants, hers a special-needs child to boot. This bothers me big time. Of course we do not expect the same from fathers, from men. Women's rights should not be about erasing the differences between men and women. Sacrificing all to the altar of achievements and climbing the social ladder is not admirable. What happened to all that we learned, the hard way, in the sixties and seventies in humanistic psychology? All forgotten or discarded? Wake up America!
Sarah Palin moaned about the flak her daughter got during last year's campaign. The criticism of course was never about her teenage pregnant daughter, but about the hypocrisy of a stance for no sex education and the real life hard facts of a pregnant teen. Sarah's phony glossing over such and creating this rosy picture that entailed her teen aged daughter about to marry her teenage, bad-boy infatuation, with this way ward son-in-law to take on a job at the White House, was hard to swallow for any seasoned human being.
Sarah will challenge us to the max in regards to the unification of this great, but deeply divided country, the United States. President Obama was calling on that which unites us, Palin will clarify that which divides us.
Sumo's 4. Birthday, today October 4. 2009
In honor of Sumo's birthday I ditched my shoulds and headed up north not forgetting to pack a freshly boiled chicken breast. What we happened to come upon was this gorgeous fishing lake adjacent to the Benedictine Monastery in Pecos.
What a lovely place even after the peak of fall colors. I could not have pleased my pups, that really are no longer pups, but mature dogs, any more. We meandered around the whole lake not once, but trice, both dogs off lead and in canine heaven. Soon I learned that my Isabella-girl knows how to swim. She showed no hesitation in jumping in to the lake in pursuit of a pair of ducks. For a moment I worried I had to follow her in to the cold wet to rescue her back to shore, but with a quizzical look on her face and determined, or was it desperate paddling, she made it back to solid grounds, only to douse us with her wetness. I managed to call Sumo off from a rare following suit. he is a lot more in to leading and charging ahead then following, usually. I am really not sure about his swimming abilities. In fact we have never been near a lake as accessible and clean looking where off lead dogs were welcome and nobody even charged a fee.
Sumo was in canine heaven and for once lost his focus on me and stayed wholly involved with his own nose, sights and sounds and sensory input. That guy sure gets the hunting and exploring instincts and is hard to hold back. What a blessing for us to have found this lovely spot.
After one round I was to head back to the van to find them treats but Sumo refused to get anywhere in sight of that darn vehicle as to him it must mean the end of all fun! Little did he know or care that chicken breast was waiting there for him. 3 rounds and each time same story. My guy does know how to make his feelings and wishes clear, but then so do I!
My two must be holding a conference here as to my wishes to return to our 'mobile home'. Isabella already tasted the treats and must be assuring Sumo, but he would not be convinced and would keep his distance and avoidance tactic.
As it so happened, the other day the news reported of President Jacque Chirac's little dog, oddly enough also called Sumo and also a Poodle/Maltese, in pure white though without the Yorkie parts in mine, but looking like I imagined my dog to look, back then. Well this Sumo had bitten the former French President 3 times in what they called a depression over adjusting to a smaller environment then the presidential palace! The dog had to go, to some farm. Easier to get rid of a problem then dealing with the underlying cause for bad behavior! I doubt that dog got enough exercise and discipline.
My Sumo barks too often when meeting other dogs on lead in town. I am really not sure why, at times it seems simple excitement, other times it seems more aggressive and incites a stand off. He is fine at our dog park, but will tell any dog off, no matter the size, when he had enough of being sniffed. Alas, he seems very attractive to many sniffers. I judge my Sumo to be an essential alpha male and therefor more interested following his nose and instincts then in others, dogs or humans.
Sumo was in canine heaven and for once lost his focus on me and stayed wholly involved with his own nose, sights and sounds and sensory input. That guy sure gets the hunting and exploring instincts and is hard to hold back. What a blessing for us to have found this lovely spot.After one round I was to head back to the van to find them treats but Sumo refused to get anywhere in sight of that darn vehicle as to him it must mean the end of all fun! Little did he know or care that chicken breast was waiting there for him. 3 rounds and each time same story. My guy does know how to make his feelings and wishes clear, but then so do I!
My two must be holding a conference here as to my wishes to return to our 'mobile home'. Isabella already tasted the treats and must be assuring Sumo, but he would not be convinced and would keep his distance and avoidance tactic.As it so happened, the other day the news reported of President Jacque Chirac's little dog, oddly enough also called Sumo and also a Poodle/Maltese, in pure white though without the Yorkie parts in mine, but looking like I imagined my dog to look, back then. Well this Sumo had bitten the former French President 3 times in what they called a depression over adjusting to a smaller environment then the presidential palace! The dog had to go, to some farm. Easier to get rid of a problem then dealing with the underlying cause for bad behavior! I doubt that dog got enough exercise and discipline.
My Sumo barks too often when meeting other dogs on lead in town. I am really not sure why, at times it seems simple excitement, other times it seems more aggressive and incites a stand off. He is fine at our dog park, but will tell any dog off, no matter the size, when he had enough of being sniffed. Alas, he seems very attractive to many sniffers. I judge my Sumo to be an essential alpha male and therefor more interested following his nose and instincts then in others, dogs or humans.Polanski
Polanski's arrest in Zurich got me stirred up and I am not even a fan of his movies. I swear the boards are the modern lion dens or witch hunts and sinister hangings of times I had believed long gone. Screams of bloody murder with the throwing of the rapist, if not in the fires of hell, at least in to prison to rot for the remainder of his life. Rape and child are the buzz words, although like any word the meaning can take on all kinds of colors.
According to the victim her experience does not qualify as rape as it lacked the violence she would associate with such. While rape is rape as concerns the lack of consent and the proceeding even while being told no, there are shades here. The child had sex before and supposedly was only weeks away from the age of 14 and the ability to offer consent legally.
A child being drugged in order to be taken advantage of, sounds so sinister, yet Qualudes were so common and so easily accessible, even to school kids that wanted them. I know, I grew up in Switzerland, it was a cinch to ask my friend's boyfriend to get me some illegal pharmaceuticals (once LSD for my mom's friend. Bless my mom's heart, I believe she never learned of this.) Offering Quaalude and Champagn seem to be equated with today's dating drug abuse scandals, while in the sixties and seventies were the social norm in certain circles.
Offering alcohol to a 13 year old in Europe is common and would never warrant the American outrage. I must say I hate the infantilization of American kids that are old enough to be sent to war, but not old enough to have a celebratory sip of alcohol. I hate that a 19 year old having an affair with a few year younger kid can be prosecuted for child abuse and even incarcerated if sex is involved. Yet I remember plenty of school mates actively in pursuit of sex at a tender age of barely noticeable sexual characteristics. I remember how at 12 years of age some men judged me to be 20 years of age, and that without any provocation, certainly not of a sexual nature on my part.
No, I do not favor middle aged men having sex with very young girls and no, rape is inexcusable. Neither do I favor the laissez fair or letting go of crimes because of times that did pass. Obviously Polanski is a fighter. He survived the Holocaust in Krakau, got over a Dad that told him to fuck off and had to deal with the brutal slaying of his wife and had to endure the suspicions of the authorities and fellow Americans. Somehow looking at the larger picture, his escape when the judge's ambition became obvious seems befitting, if ill chosen. What possibly in his past could have made him place his trust in the American legal and political system?
Apprehended now, I hope he will have a chance to finish this sordid and long overdue business, pay his debt to society without going to prison, I hope. Compensating the American tax payer with a fine that would cover the expense of keeping his case open for 30 years seems just. And I would add a punishment of having to produce films of an educational nature that have sexual abuse and boundaries at the core, suitable to be shown to kids, in various age appropriate versions. This seems to me a good and fitting punishment without wasting good talent and filling already overflowing prisons with another individual that really poses no longer a threat to society (considering no new allegations of child abuse come to the fore.)
Back to my beginning what irks me are the cries for revenge clothed in terms of Justice. Polanski admitted to guilt only as regards to unlawful sexual intercourse, not rape! The fact that he is white, rich and well connected seems to get some folks ire, as rage mounts at the thought of another aborted attempt at legal justice.
No, I do not favor middle aged men having sex with very young girls and no, rape is inexcusable. Neither do I favor the laissez fair or letting go of crimes because of times that did pass. Obviously Polanski is a fighter. He survived the Holocaust in Krakau, got over a Dad that told him to fuck off and had to deal with the brutal slaying of his wife and had to endure the suspicions of the authorities and fellow Americans. Somehow looking at the larger picture, his escape when the judge's ambition became obvious seems befitting, if ill chosen. What possibly in his past could have made him place his trust in the American legal and political system?
Apprehended now, I hope he will have a chance to finish this sordid and long overdue business, pay his debt to society without going to prison, I hope. Compensating the American tax payer with a fine that would cover the expense of keeping his case open for 30 years seems just. And I would add a punishment of having to produce films of an educational nature that have sexual abuse and boundaries at the core, suitable to be shown to kids, in various age appropriate versions. This seems to me a good and fitting punishment without wasting good talent and filling already overflowing prisons with another individual that really poses no longer a threat to society (considering no new allegations of child abuse come to the fore.)
Back to my beginning what irks me are the cries for revenge clothed in terms of Justice. Polanski admitted to guilt only as regards to unlawful sexual intercourse, not rape! The fact that he is white, rich and well connected seems to get some folks ire, as rage mounts at the thought of another aborted attempt at legal justice.
His victim forgave Polanski in 1997 and considered his 30 years in exile as sufficient punishment. No, victims are not to dictate legal procedures, but should their word not count for something? Or do we once again infantalize the victims by acting 'for their own good' while ignoring their testimony?
No, money, power and status ought to not determine the justice system. What I would like to see is a justice not based on needs for revenge, not meted out by the book, but considered with true wisdom that looks at the crime in a differentiated fashion rather then black and white and can address the real needs of society, victim and perpetrator.
Meanwhile let's keep on enjoying Swiss Chocolates!
No, money, power and status ought to not determine the justice system. What I would like to see is a justice not based on needs for revenge, not meted out by the book, but considered with true wisdom that looks at the crime in a differentiated fashion rather then black and white and can address the real needs of society, victim and perpetrator.
Meanwhile let's keep on enjoying Swiss Chocolates!
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