Sheila sent me this in an email and I thought I would post it… It’s amazing how kids think. I still want a dog though.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old
Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and
their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were
hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.
I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to
perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made
arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good
for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though
Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's
Family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the
last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a
few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to
accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud
about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane,
who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next
stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good
life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The
four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that,
so they don't have to stay as long."
Monday, January 30
Saturday, January 28
Wednesday, January 25
The bike I'm looking at next…
Sheila and I ride together most of the time so I had to look for a bike that would be comfortable for the passenger… tough to do when you’re looking for something that will perform and look good; this bike definitely has both covered nicely.
If anyone’s interested, Here is the link to a good review;
'05 Triumph Sprint ST 1050
Wednesday, January 18
Wow, ya think? I'm shocked... not
The Catholic Church in Lithuania condemned beer-making company Kalnapilio-Tauro Grupe for using a picture of Jesus Christ wearing earphones to advertise its products.
"Many believers are hurt and outraged that the Saviour's image... was used for advertising beer," said Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius in a statement.
"The use of Catholic symbols for commercial purposes and especially for advertising alcoholic beverages is absolutely unjustifiable," added Tamkevicius, who is chairman of the Lithuanian bishops' conference.
The beer company's televised advertisements show an image of Jesus wearing earphones. Customers are urged to buy beer and win a compact disk with musical hits.
Tue Jan 17, 1:50 PM ET
Yahoo News
"Many believers are hurt and outraged that the Saviour's image... was used for advertising beer," said Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius in a statement.
"The use of Catholic symbols for commercial purposes and especially for advertising alcoholic beverages is absolutely unjustifiable," added Tamkevicius, who is chairman of the Lithuanian bishops' conference.
The beer company's televised advertisements show an image of Jesus wearing earphones. Customers are urged to buy beer and win a compact disk with musical hits.
Tue Jan 17, 1:50 PM ET
Yahoo News
Tuesday, January 17
Sunday, January 15
Thought this was intresting...
ADOLPH HITLER'S BLOOD RELATIVES ARE ALIVE AND WELL IN
NEW YORK STATE
Adolph Hitler never had kids, so we tend to take for granted the idea that no one alive is closely related to him. But historians have long known that he had a nephew who was born in Britain and moved to the United States. Alois Hitler, Jr., was Adolph's older half-brother (their common parent was Alois Sr). Alois Jr. — a waiter in Dublin — married an Irish woman, and, after moving to Liverpool, they had a son, William Patrick Hitler.
Pat, as he was called, moved to Germany as a young adult to take advantage of his uncle's rising political stature, but Adolph just gave him minor jobs and kept him out of the limelight. After being subtly threatened by Rudolph Hess to become a German citizen, and having gotten tired of being dissed by Adolph, Pat came to America in 1939 and went on a lecture tour around the US,denouncing his uncle. (For his part, Adolph referred to his nephew as "loathsome.") WhileWorld War II was raging, Pat joined the US Navy, so he could fight against Uncle Adolph.Afterwards, he changed his last name, and this is where the trail goes cold.
That is, until US-based British reporter David Gardner was assigned to track down and interview William Patrick. Originally given two weeks to file the story, Gardner realized that finding Hitler's long-lost nephew was tougher than it first appeared. He worked on the story during his spare time for several years, unearthing old news clippings, filing requests for government documents, interviewing possible relatives, and chasing a lot of dead ends.
He finally discovered that William Patrick had ended up in a small town in Long Island, New York. Pat had died in 1987, but Gardner showed up unannounced on the doorstep of his widow, Phyllis, who confirmed that her late husband was Adolph Hitler's nephew. She also mentioned that she and Pat had sons, but she quickly clammed up and asked Gardner to leave. The two never spoke again.
After more legwork, Gardner found that Pat and Phyllis produced four children, all sons. The eldest, born in 1949, is named Alexander Adolph. (Just why Pat would name his firstborn after his detested uncle is one of many mysteries still surrounding the Hitler kin.) Then came Louis in 1951, Howard (1957), and Brian (1965). Howard — a fraud investigator for the IRS — died in a car crash w 1989, and Louis and Brian continue to run a landscaping business in the small New York community. Alex lives in a larger Long Island city. He twice spoke to Gardner but didn't reveal very much, saying that the family's ancestry is "a pain in the ass." Alex said that his brothers made a pact never to have children, in order to spare their progeny the burden of being related to a monster. He denied having made such a vow himself, despite the fact that he is still childless.
Gardner sums it up: "Although there are some distant relations living equally quiet lives in Austria, the three American sons are the only descendants of the paternal line of the family. They are, truly, the last of the Hitlers."
NEW YORK STATE
Adolph Hitler never had kids, so we tend to take for granted the idea that no one alive is closely related to him. But historians have long known that he had a nephew who was born in Britain and moved to the United States. Alois Hitler, Jr., was Adolph's older half-brother (their common parent was Alois Sr). Alois Jr. — a waiter in Dublin — married an Irish woman, and, after moving to Liverpool, they had a son, William Patrick Hitler.
Pat, as he was called, moved to Germany as a young adult to take advantage of his uncle's rising political stature, but Adolph just gave him minor jobs and kept him out of the limelight. After being subtly threatened by Rudolph Hess to become a German citizen, and having gotten tired of being dissed by Adolph, Pat came to America in 1939 and went on a lecture tour around the US,denouncing his uncle. (For his part, Adolph referred to his nephew as "loathsome.") WhileWorld War II was raging, Pat joined the US Navy, so he could fight against Uncle Adolph.Afterwards, he changed his last name, and this is where the trail goes cold.
That is, until US-based British reporter David Gardner was assigned to track down and interview William Patrick. Originally given two weeks to file the story, Gardner realized that finding Hitler's long-lost nephew was tougher than it first appeared. He worked on the story during his spare time for several years, unearthing old news clippings, filing requests for government documents, interviewing possible relatives, and chasing a lot of dead ends.
He finally discovered that William Patrick had ended up in a small town in Long Island, New York. Pat had died in 1987, but Gardner showed up unannounced on the doorstep of his widow, Phyllis, who confirmed that her late husband was Adolph Hitler's nephew. She also mentioned that she and Pat had sons, but she quickly clammed up and asked Gardner to leave. The two never spoke again.
After more legwork, Gardner found that Pat and Phyllis produced four children, all sons. The eldest, born in 1949, is named Alexander Adolph. (Just why Pat would name his firstborn after his detested uncle is one of many mysteries still surrounding the Hitler kin.) Then came Louis in 1951, Howard (1957), and Brian (1965). Howard — a fraud investigator for the IRS — died in a car crash w 1989, and Louis and Brian continue to run a landscaping business in the small New York community. Alex lives in a larger Long Island city. He twice spoke to Gardner but didn't reveal very much, saying that the family's ancestry is "a pain in the ass." Alex said that his brothers made a pact never to have children, in order to spare their progeny the burden of being related to a monster. He denied having made such a vow himself, despite the fact that he is still childless.
Gardner sums it up: "Although there are some distant relations living equally quiet lives in Austria, the three American sons are the only descendants of the paternal line of the family. They are, truly, the last of the Hitlers."
"biker mom"
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