Batten Down the Hatches! It's Frankenstorm!

Take Cover People! Hurricane Sandy has his/her sights set on Upstate New York. All of the national weather pundits are talking about New York or Boston but, if you follow the eye of that storm, it's pointed right at Syracuse. Yikes! That's where I'm being held captive. It is a rain storm, not a snow storm, but it's a BIG ONE! They're calling it the "perfect storm". I'm guessing that they think that's clever because of the movie. I prefer FrankenStorm, which actually is clever. Sandy cut through Cuba with 110 mph winds this morning and is gaining strength. There are a couple of factors that could make Sandy a real bear. First, it could hit during a full moon when tides are at their highest, increasing storm surge and flooding. Cuba got smacked with 29 foot waves! Second, many trees still have leaves, increasing the chances of fallen branches taking down power lines. Sandy isn't supposed to hit this area until early next week and, what force it will bring depends on where it hits land. Right now, if you draw a straight line from the eye's current position it cuts right through downtown Syracuse. I'm crossing my paws that this will change. However, the time to act is NOW people! Do you have enough supplies? You should have at least a week's worth of bottled water, captive food, kitty litter, catnip and whatever you people need to survive. Make sure you have fresh batteries. It's my understanding that you people can't see in the dark. Do you have a car charger for your cell phone? You should. Don't be a goober, like my captor, who thinks emergency supplies consist of peanut butter, crackers and wine. Although, that works. Anyway people, I'm not saying to hit the panic button. I'm just saying it never hurts to plan ahead, just in case. And, remember the most important thing, in an emergency, save the Kitties first! Good luck to you.
Sway

A Few Things on My Mind

Hello my dear friends. I have, thus far, resisted the urge to blog about how deeply and profoundly the Buffalo Bills suck this year. Let me just say that the captor is already in Stage 4 of the 5 Stages of Bills Football (disappointment). I'm quite certain that Stage 5 (anger) is a few short weeks away. Enough said about that mess. One of the things that caught my attention recently is a lawsuit, filed by the parents of a 14 year old Maryland girl, against the makers of Monster Energy Drink. The girl died of cardiac arrhythmia caused by caffeine toxicity. It's a technical term that basically means she overdosed on caffeine. Her parents say she drank two 24oz Monster Drinks in a 24 hour period and it killed her. Tragic. There's a couple problems with the lawsuit. First, the girl suffered from an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels. Second, Monster Energy Drinks clearly state on the can that they are "Not recommended for children or people sensitive to caffeine". There are 5 such claims that have been filed against the makers of Monster dating back to 2004. Monster, the #1 energy drink in the country, has 240 milligrams of caffeine in a 24oz can or 7-times the amount of caffeine in a 12oz can of cola. My problem with this whole thing is obvious. Why are you letting your 14 year old drink 48ozs of anything, other than water, on any given day, let alone a highly charged energy drink? The courts will decided the latest case of parental responsibility vs deep pockets.  Next on my radar is a move to designate cheerleading as a official sport so they can regulate it. Reported cheerleading injuries among young girls are growing, although they remain far behind gymnastics and soccer. I'm all for designating cheerleading as an official sport. Not so it can be regulated but because cheerleaders are usually the best athletes on the field. Don't agree? Take a football, throw it into the air and catch it. Not too hard, right? Now, take the person next to you, throw them into the air and catch them. A little trickier, right? 3.6 million kids, over the age of 6, participated in cheerleading activities last year. Cheerleading should be designated an official sport so cheerleaders can get funding like all other official sports. If the sport can be made safer, it should be, but lets make the changes for the right reasons.
Finally, I heard on the news yesterday that in the Presidential Election, democrats were leading in the early voting. Some 350,000 people have already cast their vote for President. My question is; How do they know who is leading? Aren't they supposed to be secret ballots that are opened after the polls close on election night? Maybe the rules have changed. Interesting though, don't you think?
Po

Political Content-you've been warned!

Hello my dear friends. It's been awhile. As you know, I try to stay out of the political fray as much as possible but you people keep dragging me back in! Let me save some of you some time. If you are still an "undecided" voter or someone who doesn't plan to vote, stop reading now and go away. I don't like you. Next, if you are an unwavering supporter of the current administration, stop reading now. You're not going to like this anyway. Okay, for the rest of you, what the hell is wrong with people? That "debate" last night was a  travesty. The "issue" emerging from that epic waste of time was Romney's comment about a "binder full of women". There are now memes across the world, a Farcebook page with 250 thousand "likes" and the Pres can't repeated it enough. Why? Because their "Big Bird" distraction has run it's course. When you are nothing but a narcissistic empty suit with a disastrous track record, you must distract the minions with subterfuge. Candy Crowley is a disgrace to the profession of journalism. Not just because she let her liberal colors bleed through, jumping to her feet to defend the Prez, because today she tried to back peddle to save face. If you're going to be a douche bag, at least have the ovaries to stand behind your actions. Since the "undecided" audience applauded her display, it's safe to assume they weren't all that undecided, were they? Did anyone else find it odd that everyone who asked an Obama friendly question ("How are you different from George Bush"; "I voted for you last time, what have you done to earn my vote again" etc.) appeared to have never before read the question they were reading? Because every one of them stumbled miserably over what they were reading? It sure seemed odd to me. How about this revelation: Prez "Sure gas prices were low back then, the economy was on the verge of collapse. Prices are higher now because the the economy is improving and we are going to continue to grow this economy".  So your plan is to continue to let gas prices rise? Lied about Libya.The Prez now says he declared the murders in Libya a "terrorist attack" the day after it happened. If that's true (and I don't believe it is) why did he, the Ambassador to the UN and the Secretary of State make 20 different TV appearances claiming it was a "spontaneous outburst over a YouTube video? Lying then or lying now, doesn't really matter, still lying.  Lied about reducing Federal drilling permits. It's public record. There are 62% fewer Federal drilling permits today than there were in 2008. On and On and On. Blah Blah Blah.
Okay. If you're still reading I'll assume we are of the same mind, so I will let you in on my new people meter.
Do you know a CLOOTAIDAL? (pronounced CLUE-tay-dal) Crazed Liberal Out Of Touch And In Denial About Life?
If you believe everything that is wrong in this Country today is still George Bush's fault, you're a CLOOTAIDAL.
If you believe we're safer today then we were 4 years ago, you're a CLOOTAIDAL.
If you believe spending trillions of dollars on "green energy initiatives" will lower gas prices, you're a CLOOTAIDAL.
If you believe you're poor because other people are rich, well, you're a loser and an asshole as well as a CLOOTAIDAL.
If you believe 4 more years down this path will improve your life you're delusional and you're a CLOOTAIDAL.
If you believe the Government should provide you with the general comforts of success, you're probably a Canadian and you're a CLOOTAIDAL.
Finally, If you believe I, Princess PoKitty, Ruler of all Kittydome, would make a better President than anyone in the running, you are an intelligent, well informed, well adjusted human being.
I shall leave you with this. When you find yourself trapped in a conversation with a CLOOTAIDAL, tell them that all of your black friends are voting for Romney. When they ask you to prove it, call them a racist and walk away. You'll still be able to hear their head explode in the distance.
Po

Crime Could Pay-In New York

Hello People. Do you know what your Governor is up to? Let me first say that I have, in general, been a fan of Governor Cuomo. However, his latest proposal has my fur standing on end! The Gubner (yes, he has been demoted from Governor to Gubner) want to set up a program that allows convicts to sign up for Medicaid while incarcerated and have them receive it upon their release. The Gubner and his people say this will help "curb the spread of diseases contracted in prison". Apparently, according to the Department of Health, "The spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases tend to be higher in the prison population". Really? I'm shocked! Are you saying that criminals, as a whole, are more likely to be unhealthy than the general law abiding population? Hmmm. I wonder if it has anything to do with their overall lifestyle choices. Probably not. It's probably the whole incarcerated thing. It stands to reason then that we should provide them with free (taxpayer funded) health insurance. After all, we wouldn't want New York's ex-cons infecting their super model girlfriends with something they picked up at Rikers Island or the County Pen. We want to be sure that those newly released pedophiles, pimps and gang bangers are up to date on all of their shots. A Health Felon is a Happy Felon! And, we wouldn't want that possible happiness to be predicated on finding an actual JOB that would include or allow you to purchase health care benefits. That's the (new) American Way! Why stop at health care? Let's hook all of New York's ex-con population with the full State Welfare Package. It is, after all. the finest in the land! Start with Medicaid (free medical, dental, eye, prescription, etc.), throw in the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) to get your rent paid, add SNAP (that's what they call food stamps now so there's no "shame" in free food). They'll also need Temporary Assistance (that would be your spending money). "Temporary" in New York, by the way, means 60 months (Yes, 5 whole years). Let's see...Free rent, food, health care, spending money, that should make the transition from criminal to productive, law abiding citizen a little easier. By God Gubner, I think you're on to something! "Welcome to New York! Commit a Crime, Do Your Time and We'll Take Care of the Rest"! Why, this is brilliant. Our jails/prisons will be empty in no time! Once we take all of that pressure off, there will be no reason for criminals to repeat offend. I sure the only reason they committed a crime in the first place was because they had no health insurance. This is awesome. Gubner, I stand corrected. You are the man! Now, all we have to do is spread the word to the 2.2 million working New Yorkers, who don't have health care, to knock over their neighborhood liquor store.....
Sway