Bloody Brilliant!

my plea for Christmas charity

Just look at this face - you have to have a heart of stone not to think this guy is cute.  He was rescued from a puppy mill. 

I am a huge animal rights freak, and have the hardest time reconciling that with the fact that I love a big, juicy steak.  Is it wrong that while I don't outwardly believe that violence is a way to be heard, I secretly cheer every time PETA does something outrageous? 

Everyone has their own specific cause - for some it's Africa, for others it's abused children, and for me, it's abused and neglected animals.  This year I am giving gifts that support the following charities, and think you should too:

Humane Society International - one of the options is a $50 donation that funds a workshop on Teaching Humane Care to members of Costa Rica's livestock industry, from farmers to truck drivers to auction house workers.  I'm doing this to assuage my guilt at the juicy steak I am going to enjoy when I land in America for Christmas!

Born Free - One of my very favorite wedding gifts was an 'adoption' of a tiger named Rogue [above].  His picture sits framed in our living room - no joke.  Yes, I am that pathetic.  Anyway, for £24 a year you can adopt elephants, gorillas, leopards, etc., and the Foundation is one that I believe really operates with integrity and believes in its mission. 

Bideawee in the US and Wood Green Animal Shelter in the UK - both places where I've adopted my pet kitties, and to whom I am so grateful for the work they do. 

Finally, I read an article on shelter in Wales run by a woman named Sylvia VanAtta.  It's a small place and is totally driven by this woman's tireless devotion to dogs.  It's people like that who blow me away - a truly sympathetic soul who devotes her life to making theirs better.

eh Madge, you're one of them for sure

Thought of the day:

When Madonna first moved to England she said she wanted to feel more English.

She is now an unmarried, single mother with three kids from different fathers, one of them black.

 

Job done.

 

Many thanks to Harriet for making me laugh with this one!

US or bust

The British government has completely lost the plot, and no one is angrier than Peter.  I offered him the Bloody Brilliant! forum to get it off his chest, so here goes:

 

Break Out the Visa!

The UK is going into economic free-fall and I hereby give notice that I am applying for my Green Card.  The US economy may not be much better, but at least you have Obama.

The last panic ridden actions of the Labour Government to increase taxation, stimulate retail spending and borrow to levels that are in excess of what we needed in World War 2, has pushed me to the edge.

I am so furious that I called the BBC 5 Radio show.  Here's what I said: -

I am fine with increasing taxation, but disposable income drives our economy. So increased income tax does not drive confidence and stops people spending.  People have been hammered by poor performing pensions but we have no stimulus to save. Waive capital gains tax on second homes; make second homes a part of pension schemes (which are tax free), and allow the housing market to part of our savings plans. Use this opportunity to drive security and long-term savings and allow people the wealth to spend across the whole economy.

The simple facts are that we allowed our mortgage system and borrowing to become a de-regulated and poorly underwritten free-for-all. People expected to own their own home as a right when home ownership is a commitment. Add to that the backing off of the taxation systems through strange and unruly financial instruments; we were headed for a road crash. And even worse, the UK has raided the pension systems to the extent that retirement age is now well above 65, as the funds people have built up in State schemes are too low to live on.

When I borrow money on my credit card, I have to pay it back. But my Government is leading the British people into debt of such scale and depth that I just cannot see how we can ever recover - certainly when we have invested cash into baling out banks who then do nothing more than shore up their balance sheets - with public money - our taxes!

God bless America - at least you now have elected some sound leadership and also have the mind-set to not repeat the problems of the past.

Don't you?