MY STATUS: please consider adopting a shelter animal during this festive season which humans celebrate, when carolers carol, when candy and cookies overflow, when gifts are purchased in frenzied shopping fests, when parties happen right and left...stop for just one second and catch your breath and include, include, include those who are left out.among those -- humans or animals -- who simply sit alone at home or on sidewalks or in prisons of one type or another, or wander about in desperation, many hearts are broken and fearful and isolated. reach out to help and to pull those souls closer to happiness and security and acceptance. please? so easy to do and rewarding beyond measure. thanks for reading...and for doing! =^..^=animals are just as special as humans...i am totally convinced that intelligent humans know that...we are the same -- mammals...exactly the same...that is why this ignorant disregard of animals pains us. i am ashamed to be part of the human race. i believe that reproducing ourselves is the most selfish and ridiculous action humans engage in...if people truly loved children, this rampant over-reproduction would stop...and the conscious and greedy and callous over-reproduction of farm animals is criminal and the reason that third world countries brim with starving children...we import the feed for our INDUSTRY OF SLAUGHTER FOR MEAT right from the mouths of children whose bellies are distended. most days, i am totally sick of living in this uncaring world...totally weary...totally disgusted.the operative word is "think"...thinking people care....thinking people are trying to "right" this second by second tragedy of death directed at animals. i am proud of us...and i prefer kind, thinking, intelligent people to apathetic self-concerned zombies and cruel thugs......i truly hope that folks realize that holidays are supposedly bad times to adopt BUT that holidays ARE those periods when animals are weeded out and destroyed...so choose the correct path. i believe that NOW is a perfect time to save lives...in honor of this season of love and inclusion and looking after those who are less fortunate. ADOPT NOW...oh, please.... and thanks to those who do!the holidays are also the killing seasons...so a choice must be made as to what might be truly important and meaningful..i have experienced holidays when homeless animals AND humans with nobody in their lives took precedence over the mania of holiday times...and the holiday became ever more meaningful. those are times one never forgets...when charity trumped festiveness. nothing better. INCLUSION MATTERS TO ALL OF US...truly does.___________________shopping mall shooting and now this at the elementary school in connecticut...now, the profiteers such as ... retailers and NRA ... are gonna let these two shootings drop really quickly...have you noticed that lately? this world is going straight to hell...and all we can do is watch...personally two shootings in a week and a half at christmas is very worthy of comment and some serious problem-solving...but corporate america is all that matters. i am not in with the in crowd...don't wanna be...but it is interesting to watch folks play up to whomever they think has the dough."law-abiding, gun-owning americans?" huh? using "weapons" in a "responsible" manner? huh? "guns do not kill...people kill?" people with guns kill...that is why we refer to guns as weapons. WEAPONS... ah, the spinning is already in place ... business as usual. unreal. who is getting paid to deny this terror in our country...terrorism for which we are responsible."only two things we use guns for...killing...and practicing killing..." now that is a great quote...cutting through the spin. wish i caught the name of the gentleman who just said that. i marvel that females are on board with waffling about murderous weapons...a pregnant newscaster girl with a four year old at home? amazing stuff...is there a barbie doll with hiking boots and rifles available yet? what have i missed...how did the natural gentleness of women get prostituted like this? well, that is truly a shame. i am afraid we are going backward.if people are educated to respect all life, this horror could turn around. we must foster gentleness evidently...fear and bullying are also taught...evidently caring and respecting life need to be taught instead.people are probably not the highest species on the evolutionary chain...pretty convinced of that by now. we have far less sense than other species...and the rampant insecurity coupled with burgeoning bullying behavior means we are doomed. an experiment gone wrong we must be...hopefully we stop destroying the natural world and all of its wonders before we exit forever. animals might survive in spite of our trying to kill all of them off as well as all of us shooting at each other. they may survivehey, time to stop the violence...the psychological discussions already flooding the airwaves...let us talk about NO MORE GUNS! NOW! discuss that....NOW!Drex Morton: “Amen, I agree wholeheartedly, Susie, and thanks for inspiring me to post similarly...[Drex's reaction to status statement that opens this blog entry].”Paul Clifford Schrade: “Oh yes, yes, Susie! Let this clarion call extend through the entire year and fill all the cavities in our hearts!”Barbara Jane Sowak: “Well, I try. Some people ask me why I do this, they can't comprehend why I try to save animals and not human children or people who are starving in Africa, etc. Well, that sickens me too. Of course there are lots of orgs such as the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, etc. etc. , UNICEF and so on who ostensibly assist. (and I know that many of those orgs are rampant with corruption and the kids don't see the food or clothes or toys.) But I love animals, especially doggies, and perhaps as a single woman with no kids, I get special bonds with them and well know how much love and companionship they can give, how they don't judge and how they can help people, whether by being service dogs or kitties, police dogs, herders, rescuers, helping the blind and otherwise challenged , what have you. And animals cannot speak as humans can, and we of course have to be their voice.”Evelyn Fisher: "I LOVE YOU TOO, SISTER ! so VERY much ! you are one of the kindest souls i've ever met ! God Bless you and your family; have a wonderful Christmas and New Year !!! ... You are so special to me, Susie ! you have found the softest place in my heart for your thoughts to land. I hold our friendship dear to me ! and you will always be one of my dearest friends ! I'm praying God heaps all kinds of blessings on you and your family. I'll shoo some of my Angels away so i know you will always be loved and protected ! I have an idea God keeps you safe in the palm of his hand already ! ... Again, you are such a blessing to me ! I would think that someone as wonderful as you would be surrounded by friends and family that tell you every single day how wonderful you are ! you are a treasure ! and I know that God has wonderful things planned for you ! you know, i have to tell you now, when we first began to began to speak, i clearly heard in my mind this complete sentence, 'I'll see you on the other side'. I was going to ask you if that had meaning to you, but i kept it to myself. I think I have an idea what it means to me now ! I WILL see you on the other side !"Rory Tipping: "Very inspiring words, thanks. Hope you all have a great holiday season."Debby Hanoka: "I take it one step further. I adopted my cats -- all three of them -- right off the street. THEY need me more than shelters and rescues."Gobbler Goose: "So perfectly expressed!"Kat Kelly-Heinzelman: “Hello Susie, everyday I come on to Goodreads to see if you have wrote something new...if you haven't I feel disappointed but I know you are busy doing the thousands of things you do every day like saving lives, being a wife, mother, friend, writer, and an all-around fix it gal...I'm so happy to have you in my corner as a friend and animal lover. Hope your holiday season is a great one and know that you and your family are in my thoughts throughout this holiday season. God bless you, Susie, and thanks for everything...”Colin Lively: "I would walk through fire for you, Susie. If Don EVER says a harsh word to you... it won't be pretty for Don Sexton!"Kerry West: "We can all do something to help homeless pets !"Nerida V Monk: "A www....thank you so much, Susie! So nice to hear your words of kindness! Lord knows, I have my quota of haters! I appreciate this!"____________________Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available (click the title to order from publisher Open Books' website). Also available in both formats at Amazon.com , or download from iTunes Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't