H.R. 3501, the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act.

This Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual to deduct up to $3,500 for "qualified pet care expenses" for a legally owned, domesticated, live animal.

As Americans trim budgets to make ends meet, innocent animals should not go without adequate care. Even a small tax deduction for responsible pet owners will go a long way to meet the needs of companion animals, ease the tax burden of those who own a pet (63 percent of all households) and may even encourage more people to provide loving homes to the countless animals that fill America's shelters.

Please take a moment to sign the petition and urge your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 3501.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/995438286

Pass it along.

Here is a copy of the actual HAPPY bill:

Posted by Lori in Dogs , News , Pug Rescue at 10:00 PM permalink Comments (2)

Visitors at the Field Museum in Chicago can't help but notice the uncanny resemblance between this 3,000-year-old Egyptian bust and Michael Jackson.

The bust is actually of a woman and it's about 3,000 years old. Reportedly it didn't go on public display until 1988. A very odd coincidence perhaps.....but nobody can deny that the eyes, lips, and even broken nose are eerily similar.

Posted by Lori in News at 8:13 PM permalink Comments (2)

After being released from federal prison for his horrific crimes against animals, Michael Vick emerges to sign a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

I didn't watch his 60 Minutes interview tonight and I don't really care about football. But I do think the NFL lost a big opportunity to take a stand against animal cruelty and to hold to some higher role model standards for boys in the USA.

What do you think?

Posted by Lori in News at 8:51 PM permalink Comments (6)

Dallas Cowboy's quarterback Tony Romo has reportedly dumped Jessica Simpson the day before her 29th birthday.

Harsh.

According to her Twitter page, poor Jessica is devastated and heartbroken as she was planning a Ken and Barbie themed birthday bash.

Hmmm..... I just can't imagine what went wrong..

Posted by Lori in News , entertainment at 12:39 PM permalink Comments (10)

The media is now reporting that Diprivan, aka Propofol was found at Michael Jackson's house and could possibly be the drug that killed him. WTF?

Having just been given Propofol last week during my surgery (and for several other procedures in recent years) I can't even fathom what kind of mental stress and issues this poor guy had going on that he needed a surgical anesthetic to help him sleep - or what Dr. would administer it in his home.

I can tell you the last thing I remember prior to my surgery was walking into the OR and looking at the gurney. That's it. Just looking at it. I don't even remember climbing onto the table or the anesthesiologist asking me to count back from 10. Nothing. The second they turned on the drip I was out. It's not like popping an ativan or zanax to help you sleep, it is some seriously strong stuff.

Propofol is also a drug that induces amnesia and exits your body really fast...which makes me wonder if it will even show up in his toxicology.

Really crazy stuff. And such a tragedy for his life to end this way...

I know others will disagree - but for the record I don't believe any of that BS about Michael Jackson being a child molester. He was acquitted of all charges because there wasn't enough evidence to convict him or prove it. And the first child who accused him admitted to lying, saying MJ never touched him inappropriately. I believe it was all an attempt to extort money.

In my heart I truly believe he was just so messed up in the head from the years of child abuse he suffered at the hands of his father - who used to beat all of the Jackson Five kids with a belt every time one of them got a dance step wrong - and basically robbed him of his own childhood so he could be the family meal ticket - I believe that inside of his crippled mind and heart he still was that scared little child.

If you look at it, all the evidence of MJ being screwed up points to his father. His father used to tell him he was ugly and his nose was too big. This is why MJ developed BDD (Body Dimorphic Disorder) and went to the extremes to change his appearance. This is why he was so gentle, soft spoken, shy, and painfully embarrassed in interviews.

This is why he was such advocate for children and donated so much of his money to children's charities - I believe the bond he had with children, though probably inappropriate and wrong for a normal adult (you have to remember Michael Jackson wasn't a normal adult) - for him was very innocent and probably was his way of trying to heal the wounds of his own childhood. Giving to other children the things he only wished he had growing up - in other words, love and kindness from a male role model.

Then the vultures came swooping in trying to claim child abuse to extort money from him and my theory is when he went through that humiliating trial, accusing him of the very thing he held so sacred I think it was the thing that finally broke him. And I don't believe he ever fully recovered. This is probably when his drug use escalated.

And when he finally felt strong enough to attempt a comeback, I just think it all came bubbling to head, it was too much pressure and stress and he probably couldn't sleep at night because all of these things still haunted him.

VH1 has been replaying the Jacksons, An American Dream movie and all I can think is the title should have been the Jacksons, An American Tragedy.

I am so glad Michael didn't leave a cent to his father or even make mention of him in his will. I believe it was the final f"ck you he always wanted to say but never could.

What I find truly amazing is that all of these obstacles never diminished his raw talent.

I feel strongly that it is a huge tragedy that Michael Jackson is dead -- and an even bigger tragedy that he was totally misunderstood while he was alive.

Posted by Lori in News , entertainment at 1:24 PM permalink Comments (5)

I have to give Farrah due respect after her long battle with cancer and the grace, dignity and optimism with which she displayed in her final days. I was a big fan of Charlie's Angels and thought she did amazing work in the Burning Bed and Extremities.

I remember my brother's had this poster hanging on their bedroom walls for some time in the 70's - what teenage boy didn't?
The hair. The swimsuit. The teeth. The nipples..
And I remember wishing and hoping that someday I would grow up to look exactly like her. Well that didn't happen.....but I did have the wing back hair thing going on there for a while. I may have at some point had a Farrah barbie too.

Rest in Peace Farrah, there will never be another red swimsuit quite as memorable.

Posted by Lori in News , Television , entertainment at 4:18 PM permalink Comments (1)

When I came out of anesthesia and woke up on the gurney, the first thing I heard was one of the nurses say Michael Jackson was dead.
I wondered if I was really awake....those drugs bring on some pretty weird thoughts and dreams. I wanted to ask the recovery nurses among their chatter if it was true.... but the only words I could utter were, "ice chips".

I spent the next 24 hours in a Percocet haze of Fox news coverage and retrospective. And now the whole media frenzy is just getting carried away. I guess you can say a lot of things about MJ.....but you can never take away his talent or contributions to the music industry. From his early Motown days to Thriller, there was nobody better. So sad.... but part of me feels like he was such a tormented soul that its good he is finally at peace.

One thing is for sure, as a kid growing up in the 70's and 80's with the new MTV generation I have a lot of awesome memories to his songs. I prefer to remember him during those simpler times.
RIP MJ

Posted by Lori in Daily , Music , News , entertainment at 10:18 AM permalink Comments (5)