This is the first anniversary of Shadow's death. He lived for a bit more than six months, and was, at the time of his passing, the darling of the neighborhood. We will always miss him.

We now have four new cats -- "Panda", "Tabitha", "Speck", and "Adrian Monk". We got them in September, when their mother was killed by a car by Torrance library, and we fostered them from two week old kittens into the 30-plus pounds of cats they are now.

What we've discovered over the years is that pets prepare you for the best and worst in life. Their needs are simple, but their lives are short when measured by the yardstick of a human life.

That means that if you own a cat (or, rather, a cat owns you), be prepared for loss, but, if you can accept that possibility, be prepared for the affection of a peer.

Shadow's requem

Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything. Amen.

The word "slut" is subjective -- it implies that the person against whom it was uttered has, in the eyes of the speaker, more sexual partners than is morally acceptable.

We have from the public record that Ms. Sandra Fluke is unmarried.

Further, we have from her own testimony that she is quite concerned about the cost of her birth control.

Given that she is concerned about the cost of her birth control, a reasonable conclusion is that she is having recreational sex with at least one male. The sex must be recreational because the purpose of birth control is to prevent a natural side effect of heterosexual relations -- pregnancy.

Hence, we may reasonably and factually conclude that Ms. Fluke is an unmarried woman having recreational sex.

In the moral universe of us Catholics, having unmarried sex with anyone is a sin. The Church is quite emphatic in this teaching -- that sex should only occur in the context of marriage, and every sexual act should be open to "fecudity" -- the possibility of pregnancy.

Hence we have that Ms. Fluke is, ipso facto, a slut -- she is engaging in sex with more sexual partners than is morally acceptable.

And what makes this even worse is that Ms. Fluke wants the Church, against the dictates of its group conscience, to pay for her sex accessories. When Ms. Fluke demands payment from others for her private sexual escapades, she becomes a prostitute.

Rush has it right. That he has apologized to her does not diminish that fact.

Freedom of religion include the freedom from religion -- the 1st Amendment couldn't put it better: "Congress shall make no law regarding an establishment of religion, or preventing the free exercise thereof."

That says that you cannot force your freedom from religion onto a religious person -- that each of you cannot bring the power of Government to bear upon the other.

In the moment that you force another person to act against the dictates of their consciences, you have forced your religion upon them.

And, in the moment that you use the Government to perform this deed, you have violated the 1st Amendment.

Now, I don't know what your religion is named, Mr. Obama, but it has been established by the Government, and needs to become disestablished ASAP.

I'd rather have one little flower from the garden of a friend
Than to have the very choicest blossoms when my stay on earth must end.
I'd rather have a few kind words that may now be said to me,
Than tears around my casket when my life had ceased to be.
I'd rather have one loving smile from the friends I know are true,
Than the flowers sent in mourning when I bid this earth adieu.
So give me all your flowers today, whether they're pink or white or red.
I'd rather have one blossom now
Than a truckload when I'm dead.

From The Detroit News

Geepers, what to do if abortion comes up in the conversation on Thanksgiving Day? Here's Planned Parenthood with some helpful tips on how to deal with your conservative relatives and friends around the turkey should that occur. This is tip number 6:

Oftentimes it’s easier to dismiss abortion or other health care procedures as “bad” when it’s framed as a political issue. But when you’re talking about an individual woman making a personal decision, it’s harder to just write off. Also keep in mind that everyone doesn’t have to feel the same way about an issue to find something to agree on. For example:

• A woman may have an abortion for any number of reasons. Some of these reasons may not seem right to us, but even if we disagree, it is better that each person be able to make her own decision.


• I can accept someone’s decision to end a pregnancy, even if I wouldn’t make the same decision myself.


• There’s just something about pregnancy—everybody has feelings about it. Each circumstance is different, so we should respect and support women and families who must make life-altering decisions about whether or not to have a child.


• We can try to imagine the heartbreak of a family when they get the news that a test has shown there is something wrong with their baby.


• Ultimately, we all want healthy, thriving families and that is why we need policies that respect our ability to make thoughtful decisions and support us in our roles as caregivers and breadwinners.

Buried in all that fluffery is a basic truth that Planned Parenthood accidentally admits.