For the first time in forever, the birds and dogs had to take a back seat to little people in my house. The look of shocked amazement on their faces that anyone or anything could be more important than their little selves was truly funny to see. I figure four days of coming in second place to two of the three cutest little boys in the whole world was probably not a bad thing for them to experience. They’ll really appreciate me now.
I’m always amazed
I’m always amazed at what some people think after reading my column. For instance, the idiot who thought that if he spelled fucking with a ph instead of an f he wouldn’t look like such an ignoramus. He thought that if a law was passed to ensure that gay people were treated without prejudice and hate, that would be giving them special rights. He wanted to know where the special rights were for blond hair, blue eyed men. I suggest he check in with Hitler on that.
Ah children
I am spending this weekend with a houseful of company, all of whom are pretty darn wonderful, including the two that are in the rug rat category. But watching mom and dad with these boys does remind me why parenting is not for the aged or faint hearted.
The longest journey
I always said that my grandparents traveled a long distance to reach America. But the the really longest trip my family ever took was when my Catholic Italian mother traveled from South Jersey to Central Jersey to attend the bris for the two boys her nephew and his gay partner adopted from a South American slum. She brought both the gift of love and hot Italian bread. She understood that Christianity would ask her to turn away from a nephew so well loved and wonderful… or from those he loved.
An error due to old age forgetting what the young brain learned in bible studies ages ago
I received a wonderful e-mail from a rabbi here in Anchorage who pointed out a slight error in my statements about what Jewish people were or were not allowed to eat in the Old Testament as I stated in yesterday’s column. I want to print it here to keep the record straight and because it’s the right thing to do.
‘Many Jews today (liberal through traditional) do follow the kosher food laws to varying degrees. At the same time, those same Jews recognize that many laws in the Torah are antiquated, illogical and invalid…and are not observed. But, and it’s
Gays deserve all the protections of the law, Jerry Prevo notwithstanding
Thanks to the Taliban and other religious extremist groups, I’m probably not the only person around who is starting to have their fill of prejudice and hate disguised as some god’s love. Because of my upbringing, I find this especially heinous when coming out of the mouths of Christians.
A recent ordinance introduced in the Anchorage Assembly would prohibit discrimination against homosexuals. In my world, that should just be a given. None of us should be discriminating against another based on whether they look like us, love like us or have purple toes and green fingernails. Gay people are hardworking,
Dogs and souls
There was an article in the paper recently that said dogs can tell right from wrong, have a sense of morality and probably have souls. I can only say to that… DUH! Anyone who has ever seen my Blue sneaking around the counter to get to Blondie’s food without being noticed knows that she knows what she’s doing is wrong and could result in punishment. That look is all over her face, her body position and the way she jumps into the air when I catch her at it and yell, “Bad dog!”. Blondie can be in the same room
Rebranding
If the Republican Party is really rebranding itself, I’d like to wield the branding iron on members of the last administration. Dick Cheney…. pants down and bend over. This isn’t torture. It’s rebranding.
How a dog’s brain works
I open the door upstairs to let the dogs out. Blondie goes out eagerly despite the clearly pouring rain. Blue takes one look and goes back to bed. Blondie stands on the porch for a moment stunned by the fact that she is getting wet. She immediately scratches to come back in. I let her back in. She races downstairs and scratches at the back door downstairs. Obviously she thinks there is at least some chance that, while it’s pouring outside the upstairs back door, it might not be raining out the downstairs back door. I oblige her fantasy and
Ah, Blue!
The weather has been so sunny and nice that I’ve let my dogs stay out in their yard a lot. Well, let me amend that. I’ve tried to let them stay out. Blondie, who gives blonds a new level of dumb sweetness, digs herself a little trench of cool dirt, lies in it and is happy. Blue, on the other hand, sits on the little wooden stoop right in front of the door and barks. Not at anything in particular. In fact, she doesn’t even move from her sitting position. No, she just sits there and barks randomly at whatever