Category: Animals

Animals, Society

Wealthy “Faux Farmers” Get Huge Agricultural Tax Breaks on Their Properties

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger  

According to T. S. Elliott in his poem The Waste Land: “April is the cruellest month.” I think many of us would agree because April is the month in which we Americans are required to file our annual income taxes. And thinking about who is actually paying taxes these days, has really gotten my dander up.

Today, while many working class and middle class people are trying hard to survive from paycheck to paycheck and when millions of Americans are out of work and unable to find new jobs that pay them a living wage, it’s hard to accept the fact that huge corporations like GE may not be paying any taxes at all while receiving tax rebates. It’s also maddening to see millionaires and billionaires who blew a hole in our economy and nearly caused a financial meltdown getting bailed out with OUR tax dollars.

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Animals, Bizarre, Religion

Ayatollah Not To Walk Your Dog: Iranian Leaders Move To Ban Dogs

That’s it, my planned vacation with my dog Molly to Tehran is off. Iranian legislators have moved to ban dogs from both public places and private apartments. Muslim are taught that dogs are unclean and the Iranian legislators insist that dogs are not just an affront to Islam but ” a blind imitation of vulgar Western culture.”

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Animals, Criminal law, International, Society

French Vegan Parents Charged With Death of Their Malnourished 11-Month Baby

A vegan couple in France has been charged with criminal neglect after the death of their 11-month-old daughter. Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou were charged after their daughter died from vitamin deficiency due to the fact that they only fed her mother’s milk. In a prior column, I wrote about the disparate treatment given parents who kill their children for religious reasons as opposed to non-religious neglect.
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Animals, Uncategorized

A Sunday Jack & Rudy Post…Including a Guilty Dog Video

 Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

Rudy: Hey, Jack, did you hear about that naughty dog named Denver who ate a whole bag of cat treats while his owner was out of the house? Well, his owner figured out who the culprit was and gave him a timeout in the kennel. Maybe Mom and Dad should do the same thing to you when you empty my food dish!

Jack: Aw…you don’t mean that, do you, buddy? We Labs are active dogs. We need continual sustenance so we can maintain our high energy level.

Rudy: Energy smenergy! I’d like you to stay the heck away from my cat food!

Jack: Rudy, little bro, I may feed from your food dish—but I’d NEVER eat a whole bag of your kitty treats! Trust me.

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Animals, Uncategorized

A Jack & Rudy Post: Dog Gone Wild on Saint Patty’s Day!

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

Here’s a picture of my older brother Jack Murphy. It was taken on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Jack is a real party animal. He especially likes to party hearty on the day in March when we commemorate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. My older sibling likes to dress in green, don his shamrock shades, and go wild! And I mean—WILD!  

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Animals, International, Media

Rush Limbaugh and Some Other Heartless Americans Make Light of the Plight of Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

In recent days, Rush Limbaugh was heard making fun of Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims living in a refugee camp on his radio program. Rush seemed to think it was funny that the refugees had already organized a recycling effort at the camp.

RUSH: Did I really hear this? Did I really hear — Diane Sawyer is in a refugee camp in Japan. Play this again. This is almost like a kindergarten teacher talking to the 4 year olds. That is how old you are in kindergarten, right? Five? Five? Four? All right. This is — some of these people here for days, and look, look, it’s recycling — organized for recycling.

You can read more excerpts from Rush’s disturbing conversation with a caller at the Media Matters post Limbaugh Laughs in the Face of Human Suffering.

Limbaugh wasn’t the only American who made inappropriate comments about the Japanese in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated the island nation of Japan.

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Animals, Criminal law, Environment, Politics, Society

Iowa Legislators Seek To Criminalize Those Who Disclose Abuses At Factory Operations

Iowa lawmakers have introduced two bills (SF 341 and HF 431) that would make it a crime for activists to procure evidence of animal abuse by factory operations. Many of the past disclosures of abuse by circuses and industry have been the result of activists gaining access to factory operations through employment (as here). This law would specifically target such investigations to protect these companies.

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Animals, Justice, Politics, Things That Tick Me Off

Puppies vs Corporations

Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger

In just the latest example of corporations taking over the reins of government, the Missouri State Senate has decided that the voters of Missouri are stupid. Last fall, the voters approved a referendum that placed restrictions on the countless puppy mills in the state to ensure humane and healthy conditions were enforced by state regulators. Of course, the tea party lobbied against the passage of the referendum and since the Republicans gained a majority in the State Senate, a new bill was passed in the Missouri Senate to over ride the will of the people in the fall referendum and remove the safeguards that were approved directly by the voters! Continue reading “Puppies vs Corporations” →

Animals, Bizarre, Criminal law, Environment

Sweetie’s Revenge: New York Teen Arrested After Manhunt in the Death of Hamster

New York police have finally captured Monique Smith, 19, after a nine-month search in the murder of Sweetie. The victim was a hamster. Smith’s alleged crime began with the untimely death of another hamster, Princess Stephanie.
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Animals, Bizarre, International, Society

Do The Rooms Come With Fire Hydrants: Paris Has Luxury Pet Hotel

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Jet-setting canines have a new stop on the luxury hotel circuit. Hoteliers in Paris have opened a new dogs-only luxury hotel. To cater to their four-legged guests, Devi and Stan Burun, have included a heated pool, masseuse, televisions equipped with DVDs, and a doggie workout room with treadmills and a decor adorned with framed doggie prints.

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