Because I said so

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Sunday November 01, 2015 · 9:32 PM PST

2015/11/01 · 21:32

The pie fights and revelry on the GOS are getting out of hand, so I, casual user, feel the need to intervene and tell you many truths.

Jump on down below the twisty thing, so I can school you all.

Piren

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Thursday August 20, 2015 · 10:22 PM PDT

2015/08/20 · 22:22

You have a secret plan to defeat ISIS, but you won't reveal it unless you're elected. You want to make the Mexican government pay for a wall to keep Mexicans and other people of color from crossing the border. Never mind that many immigrants come from other South American countries. You're the great negotionhater (misspelling intended).

You know what, Mr. Trump? There's a difference between paying people to be at your beck and call, whatever you pay them to do and agree (and they likely need the money}, so they will jump when you say "Jump!" and crap where you say they should crap. Politics and world issues don't work that way.

I don't believe you negotiate anything. I'm sure your attorneys do that.

Jump below the orange toupee for more.

Piren

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Monday June 15, 2015 · 12:07 PM PDT

2015/06/15 · 12:07

I've been in manufacturing management most of my career. In 2003 the company I worked for explored the feasibility of moving operations to China. While labor costs were much lower, the cost of shipping, cost of inventory on the water for 30 days and other factors made the overall cost close to the same as keeping the manufacturing here in the good ole' USA. The deal breaker was tax savings. Yep, 500 of my closest friends and I lost our jobs because from a business standpoint, it made more sense financially.

As a result of our jobs being "offshored," we qualified for TAA. It was great for the unskilled and semiskilled employees as along with job training there were ESL classes and placement assistance. I am so grateful for that. For the management, job training wasn't appropriate, so we were able to get extended unemployment benefits. It helped.

So now we have TPP with a side order of TAA, which will be paid for with funds siphoned from "entitlement" programs. Follow me under the orange thingy - crap, I don't have a creative name for it at the moment - to tell you how this sucks.

Piren

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Thursday June 11, 2015 · 8:36 AM PDT

2015/06/11 · 08:36

I set my kitchen on fire Monday night. Well, not the whole thing, but I did have a tiny inferno on the stovetop. I call it my "Tragic Jiffy Pop Incident of 2015."

There I was, happily shaking my popper (sounds pornographic) in preparation for binging on The West Wing third season episodes featuring Mark Harmon (is pornographic, sigh), when the seam that joins the foil to the pan split. At first it was comical - popcorn was shooting everywhere and the cats were thrilled - but some fell on the burner and communicated flames to the pan.

Jump on down below the orange flame, but don't burn yourself!

Piren

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Saturday May 23, 2015 · 4:48 PM PDT

2015/05/23 · 16:48

Color me strange. I just don't get it. From the US Open Website;

All volunteers for the 2015 U.S. Open Championship will volunteer for a minimum of four (4) shifts with each lasting approximately five (5) to six (6) hours and will be responsible for arriving at their assigned positions on time without the use of cart transportation. Volunteers will be required to purchase the volunteer package for $165. As part of the volunteer package, volunteers will receive apparel specifically designed for the 2015 U.S. Open Championship, a credential valid for all seven (7) days of the championship and a meal voucher for each assigned shift. The volunteer apparel will consist of two (2) golf shirts, a wind jacket and a piece of headwear, provided by Ralph Lauren. Volunteers will not be paid wages or compensated in any other manner in exchange for their volunteer activities. Please DO NOT submit payment for the volunteer package with your application. A separate invoice will be sent to you after you are accepted as a volunteer.

So, I will pay $165.00 to get a hat, a couple of golf shirts, a wind jacket and a piece of headware. But! Wait! There's more! After the twisted golf tee. Read More

Eye opening and sad - homeless

Piren

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Monday May 18, 2015 · 10:06 PM PDT

2015/05/18 · 22:06

I'm not looking for kudos here. I want to tell a sad story about homeless on a micro level.

There's a man who lives at the entrance to the parking lot where I shop. He has the usual signs - "Please help, God bless." I don't give money to people begging (I hate that word, begging) on freeway offramps. I kind of soured on it when a woman with small children was near the front of the market. I bought her supplies - bread, peanut butter, baby food and diapers. She said "F*ck you, give me money.

But this guy touched me. I don't know why, but he did. So I bought him a sandwich and a banana. I approached him and told him I brought him something to eat. He was so grateful. He should have not been so grateful for a meal.

We talked. He was obviously in distress. He told me that he isn't a bad person, that he had fallen on bad times. It was worse than bad times. I told him that I believe bad things happen to good persons. I touched his shoulder when I said that, (I'm a touchy person), and he told me that he couldn't remember the last time another person touched him, but he said he is a a good person. I believe him.

He was too proud to eat the banana in front of me. When I pulled out of the parking lot, he was devouring the banana.

Our mental health system sucks. We all know that. This is another example of a failed mental health system.

Patty

Kitties at Midnight

Piren

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Sunday May 17, 2015 · 4:41 AM PDT

2015/05/17 · 04:41

I woke up at Midnight - not uncommon for my poor bladder.

I have three formerly feral cats. Mert, a Halloween long legged black cat was running up and down the hall, humming his tunes. Booger, a tuxedo, was splayed between my knees. Phyllis was purring on my stomach.

At that moment, I was completely happy.

Be happy in a little moment, if you can.

Patty

End of Life - Now here's a thing

Piren

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Sunday April 19, 2015 · 3:51 AM PDT

2015/04/19 · 03:51

I met a women named May on my daily walks. She looks so frail, maybe weighs about 90 pounds, but she is spry and talky. I love talky people. So, my walks were so much better when we walked together, talked together. Up the hills, down the hills, she is tireless. I have small woods behind my house, and we would walk through them to cool off. May always loves the woods.

I find it interesting that most monthly names tend to be spring names. April. May. June.

May told me that she is in a hospice program - in fact the same hospice I volunteer at. She is a forthright person, very honest, and I hope I listened well.

Last week May took a turn for the worst. The very worst. Family loved ones are here. I can only offer them parking places and some sandwiches. I can't imagine how you can say goodbye to a sentient loved one whose who's body has failed.

Patty

Oh, Barkley, I miss you.

Piren

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Wednesday March 18, 2015 · 10:04 AM PDT

2015/03/18 · 10:04

It's been a year this month. You were my pooch, my best friend. It's been a year since I spent your last night on the floor with you. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaKr98ktoxU. I still feel guilty but you were 17 and suffering; it was the right thing to do.

Still, I miss having you at the door to greet me. I still save a little of my scrambled eggs by habit, but you're not here to eat them.

Damn, I miss you.

Please tell me how to contact admins

Piren

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Saturday September 13, 2014 · 11:34 PM PDT

2014/09/13 · 23:34

I'm serious. I have never, ever had a reason to report a bad actor, but this time I must.
Thanks.

Torturing animals in the name of science with our tax dollars, diary 2

Piren

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Saturday September 13, 2014 · 8:47 PM PDT

2014/09/13 · 20:47

I've been stewing in my own juices since my last diary on this subject about the University of Wisconsin primate research program. http://www.dailykos.com/... and the more I learn, the more pissed off I get. Please see the links in my previous diary (Thanks, Little) if you can stomach them.

For background,

experiments, led by Dr. Ned Kalin, will take newborn rhesus macaque monkeys away from their mothers (who have been restrained or drugged against their will while their baby is removed). The defenseless baby monkeys are then sent to solitary confinement—where they are terrorized and exposed to anxiety-inducing stressors including live snakes, painful skin-punch biopsies, and stressful brain scans. After this relentless torture, they are killed before the age of two.

From the Primate Freedom Project:

I imagine you would have no need to know what a shuttlebox is, so I will explain. A shuttlebox is a cage with two compartments with a door between them. The floor of each side of the shuttlebox can be electrified. First one side is electrified and an animal receives a shock to his or her feet and jumps through the door. The floor in that side is then electrified and the animal jumps back through the door. The animal shuttles back and forth to avoid being shocked. Often both sides are electrified simultaneously so that the animal cannot avoid being shocked

More behind the orange rope to tie the hands of these sick, depraved "scientists". Read More

Horrific Torture of Baby Monkeys -Updated

Piren

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Friday September 12, 2014 · 2:17 PM PDT

2014/09/12 · 14:17

You will be furious, sickened and disgusted. University of Wisconsin is planning to use our tax dollars to torture baby monkeys in the name of "science."

The experiments, led by Dr. Ned Kalin, will take newborn rhesus macaque monkeys away from their mothers (who have been restrained or drugged against their will while their baby is removed). The defenseless baby monkeys are then sent to solitary confinement—where they are terrorized and exposed to anxiety-inducing stressors including live snakes, painful skin-punch biopsies, and stressful brain scans. After this relentless torture, they are killed before the age of two.

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Because I said so

Oh, Donald. Oh, Mr. Trump

TAA - It's Personal

Tiny Kitchen Inferno

Volunteer opportunities at the US Open

Eye opening and sad - homeless

Kitties at Midnight

End of Life - Now here's a thing

Oh, Barkley, I miss you.

Please tell me how to contact admins

Torturing animals in the name of science with our tax dollars, diary 2

Horrific Torture of Baby Monkeys -Updated