nationalgeographic.com
Good Morning. A wonderful event out in the Western USA occurred overnight, a beautiful heavy snowfall blanketed many states and the pictures coming out of the west today are gorgeous. Unfortunately in Minnesota over 500 traffic accidents were reported and at least 75 included injuries, particularly because icing was involved. During this Holiday Season--it's here folks--PLEASE SLOW DOWN, ESPECIALLY YOUR DRIVING SPEED. Nothing is more important than not compromising your safety or the safety of everyone else on the highways by speeding. Your urgency does not necessarily exceed the importance on the road of the mission of others on the road who may be carrying children, mothers, expectant mothers and what-not. To assume that getting there fast is justified is simply selfishness, of which I continue to be guilty at times.
The traffic laws are LAWS and there for reasons. If we don't like laws we advocate their change we shouldn't necessarily violate them when we may be compromising the safety of others. Speeding down the highway most definitely is not "CIVIL" DISOBEDIENCE. In my book, it's SELFISH DISOBEDIENCE, of which I have been guilty at times in my own life. "Uncivil" selfishness to say the least. I saw an awesome video this weekend on The Weather Channel narrated by meteorologist Kelly Cass. An accident avoidance drivers' trainer was interviewed. He made one simple point to me. All accidents can be avoided by stopping in time. Speeding decreases braking time and lengthens the distance between hitting the brake pedal and stopping. So maintain your brakes above all else, was that basic point. What an awesome dude(and Kelly Cass is quite a young woman as well). He teaches mostly teenage new drivers, but also older veterans of the highway wars as well. :)
On frozen surfaces braking time is magnified exponentially according to road surface temps, the nature of the frozen precipitation, whether it's an elevated bridge, wind, temperature and many more variables. Driving down the highway or road, there is no easy way to judge conditions because they change constantly. The traffic laws are in place for precisely that reason. Driving IS a privilege, not a right. The roads are owned by governments primarily, and we are licensed to utilize them because we've been trained and found competent to do so. Similar to bus drivers, and airline pilots in that regard. Please take this responsibility seriously when driving. No texting. No drinking and driving. No speeding. No poor vehicle maintenance. Replace wiper blades. Ensure safe braking and brakes. BE INSURED. No cell phone calls without hands-free devices. No smoking pot and driving. No getting high and driving. If taking prescriptions, only drive with doctors' approval.
Otherwise you may be criminally liable and before you know it, in court defending yourself for negligent vehicular homicide or defending your family's property in a wrongful death lawsuit. Your family may not have you to love or put food and a roof over their heads for years to come. You may be dead. You could lose your kids house for 'em, good guardians. Take my word for it. Please trust me on this one. I KNOW. From personal experience. A pre-schooler and a grade schooler lost a parent for years, a beautiful Mom her husband for years. The house was lost, the business ended. They divorced. He languished in a prison yard, having never before sat in one. In one split second when he killed a 21 year old woman on a state road.
I've been writing a lot this year. It is cathartic. It's helped me get better in many ways. I've raised some money for causes, but my favorite this Thanksgiving is la-spca.org. Elsewhere on this website are photo essays and essays about the fact that more cats and dogs have died than wild animals due to Tony "Wayward" Hayward's greedy BP oil spill this year. BTW, Eric Holder, let the prosecutions begin Sir, I'm behind you. This Attorney General deserves great praise for the work he's done on this one in particular and for his sacrifices in general, to say the least. Already, maybe our best Attorney General since Robert F. Kennedy--who obviously sacrificed everything in the end--in my book.
I have made the final decision early this morning to pursue and adopt a vegan lifestyle next year. I'm looking for support from friends and family in the effort. My niece went vegetarian at the age of 12 because she loves animals. I've tried vegetarianism over the years with notable lack of success. I'm consulting, MD's, nutrition experts, Overeaters' Anonymous members, vegetarian and vegan friends and family, my own family members who remain omnivores, pastors, and many others. But the decision is made. There are pictures elsewhere here of my hero, role model and pet 14 year old former pound puppy Augie the Doggie who was heroically rescued from death row at a municipal shelter by my loving wife Sally long before I met her. He and she have saved my life. I love them both, but her more than anyone on earth, including my own self. Only my love for God is supreme to her.
You'll also find pics of Bluebelle, Meow and Momcat here. I've been eating and wearing vegetarian animals for years. Eating eggs and milk, and wearing leather and suede. Chickens and cows bred to produce and living lives of confinement, boredom, loneliness, pain and horrible deaths quite often. I will wear cotton. As a human, my own nutritive sustenance does not require meat of any sort nor any animal product or byproduct of which I've become aware. I'll attempt to get my protein from soy, beans of other types, legumes, etcetera. Other than protein primarily, there are no major obstacles to healthy living that requires meat. If there are obstacles I will view them as challenges to resolve, not impossibilities.
Inconveniences, yes. Because of our culture, primarily as I see it. Impossibilities? MOST DEFINITELY NOT!!! So thank you Tony Hayward and you greedy boardroom execs this year, especially at BP. For waking me up and helping me smell coffee--and I'll abridge my caffeine addiction soon, as well, thanks. BOYCOTT BP, PLEASE. DONATE TODAY TO la-spca.org, pleeeze. And I promise to post regularly about the progress of my efforts. I'll be writing about my own complex medical situation at present and I'll be giving a bit of a nutrition and medical background on myself. I'll write about my consultations with professionals, friends and families.
I will soon be starting a new book. I hope to have it published by late spring or early summer. I guarantee it to be a good read. I have many friends who are successful writers and authors. I've sought their advice and support. I have acquired publishing, and journalistic supporters and advisers. I have good friends who are meteorologists, chiropractors, other medical professionals, volunteers, animal rights supporters, political people and more. I ask your support in my decision to stop killing animals for my convenience. Augie is, by nature, a carnivore, I am not. He will continue his lifestyle, modified by his changing and aging needs, medically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually.
Though I am not a fan of their current editorial policies, Time magazine for August 16th 2010 has a fascinating cover story with a beautiful black pug, head tilted and thinking, gracing the cover. The cover story is entitled: "What Animals Think." It is sensitively written by Jeffrey Kluger. No more than a 20 minute read. Please do so, you will NOT regret it. Pugs are awesome, and I love a one-eyed one in particular named Pugsy who was heroically rescued from an abusive pet store. So please read this article and support my efforts this coming year.
And remember: "For all your military affairs, sociological, anthropological, meteorological, political, global warming, economic, and comedic needs; it's one stop shopping at Unabashed Left available for your convenience at unabashedleft.blogspot.com! Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell your dogs and cats! Tell your neighbors! Wake up your opponents and tell them! Tell all your friends that you haven't met yet! Tell your fellow church goers! Tell your pastor and doctor! Tell everyone to come here to unabashedleft.blogspot.com immediately!" :D LOLOLOLOL!
And once again, tell them all to carefully consider a huge donation this Winter solstice season to la-spca.org Amen.
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