heartbroken

My beloved little Braco Lee died this morning. She was 11 years old. She had been with me through good and bad times, and was always a loving companion. As a puppy she was the cutiest little thing in the world, with her big eyes and wonderful disposition. I think she weighed maybe three and a half pounds when I got her. And she was always a delight.

She began having health problems at age six, and they just continued getting worse over the years, but she was quite a trooper about it all. A little more than two years ago we discovered she was blind, but it was very hard to tell given that she was so good at getting around the house.

Last December she was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease, which basically destroyed her immune system. From then on every time she would get sick she would really be sick. Her little body simply could not fight anything off. But she remained in much better spirits than I would have been, had the tables been reversed.

She woke me up every morning at 7:00 am, wanting her breakfast. And you could have set your watch by her accuracy when it was “cookie” time — 10 pm. If I didn’t make a move toward the kitchen, she would let me know in no uncertain terms that it “was time.”

She was such a joy and will be deeply missed.

yikes! this is exciting

Yikes will host the next installment of Carnival of The Liberals! How exciting!

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The Carnival of the Liberals is the only blog carnival devoted to highlighting the best of liberal blogging from all around the web. CotL is a biweekly blog carnival updated every other Wednesday. Submissions can be made using their web form or via e-mail to cotl-submissions@carnivaloftheliberals.com.

In honor of the 60th Anniversary of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the next Carnival will focus on church-state separation. A quick search of the AU web site will provide ideas and resources for what you might want to write about.

For the past six years the wall of separation between church and state has never been more at risk. Which means we all must remain vigilant in order to protect it.

Church-state separation is not anti-religion … it’s actually pro-religious liberty and religious freedom! You see, what’s so great about it is that YOU get to decide.

If you have never participated in a blog carnival, fear not — because either have I!! So let’s just jump in and do it together! I can’t wait to see what you write about this very important issue.

let’s talk about sex

 

… or how abstinence makes the heart grow fonder!

It’s funny — as in odd, not ha ha — how religious right conservatives would have you believe that the answer to preventing teen sex is to simply teach kids about abstinence. Well guess what? It still doesn’t work!

The Associated Press reports:

Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of millions of dollars in federal grants, according to a study released by a nonpartisan group that seeks to reduce teen pregnancies.

“At present there does not exist any strong evidence that any abstinence program delays the initiation of sex, hastens the return to abstinence or reduces the number of sexual partners” among teenagers, the study concluded.