Obamacare for Whom?

 

 

 

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.  Don't say I didn't tell you so way back when:

 

Tommy's Blog: Affordable Care Act?  Affordable for Whom?

 

Now there's this new study out that proves Obamacare is making things worse for us dogs, at the worst possible time, when vet care is already so expensive:

 

Obamacare May Bite You at the Vet's Office

 

That's right, Obamacare is making it good for you people but bad for us dogs.  It's like a huge Robin-Hood-in-reverse, stealing from poor (dogs) and giving to the rich (people).



Why I'm Boycotting the NCAAs

I can't support any tournament that would permit teams that use such offensive depictions of canines, depicting us as brutal, savage beasts.  Until Gonzaga changes its mascot or is barred from competition, I will not watch nor follow anything having to do with NCAA basketball.  I hope you will join me in my protest.  Let's hit them where it hurts.



Guns Don’t Kill People . . .

 

 

 

. . . Dogs kill people.  Well, not for lack of trying at least.  There’s a big story all over the internet: 

 

Dog shoots Florida man with 9mm handgun

 

“35-year-old Gregory Dale Lanier was driving with his pet pooch on Saturday when the dog kicked a .380 pistol that was on the truck's floor. . . The gun had discharged, firing a single round into Lanier's leg. . . No attempted murder charges are expected for Fido; police have ruled the shooting accidental.”

I was quite intrigued by this story and with a little follow-up learned a little that the hapless police don’t know.  The dog in question is Paladin (no not ‘Fido’ as the reporter mistakenly identified him, and like all dogs, he resents being referred to as a ‘pooch’).  Paladin had been repeatedly abused by Mr. Lanier.  Finally, Paladin had enough and saw his opportunity.  He was clever and the police never suspected a cute doggie of a malicious attack.  So now I ask you, if guns are outlawed, as some of our leaders propose, what could Paladin have done?

 

Oh Canada!

 

I was pawing through the newspapers today when I stumbled across this fascinating article:

 

BaseballPlayer Won't Move Without Dog

 

You see, this baseball guy plays up there in Canada (I looked at the map, and it’s way up there, even up higher than Mt. Airy where I was born).  But because Canada doesn’t allow certain breeds of dog, he won’t move his family there, he only stays for a while, when he plays baseball.  Frequent readers of my blog probably think you know where this is going, that I’m feeling all sorry for this baseball player and think Canada’s a bad place because he can’t bring his beloved doggie, Slater. 

 

But no.  Read the article closely.  You see, this guy has a ferocious pit bull, which has been outlawed in parts of Canada.  You see, Canada is like a safe haven for cockapoos like me.  I wouldn’t have to be as worried about being beaten up at the dog park.  I’m all for this.  In fact, I would even extend it to other breeds of mean assult dogs.  Like take the German Shepard, for instance.  I was at the vet a few days ago, sniffing around, saying ‘hi’ to all the people and dogs, when a German Shepard growled and snapped at me.  Good thing he was on the leash or else I would have even needed the vet even more.  So I’d go ahead and ban these dogs from Canada too, and throw in the rotweiller and the basenji too (you know, like ‘Thing 1’ and ‘Thing 2’).

 

What's Wrong with This Picture?

It's a recent photo of the president with his most senior trusted advisors.  Notice anything missing?  Well, you don't exactly need three guesses to see . . . NOT A SINGLE DOG PRESENT!  If the president needs help finding suitable canines for key positions, all he has to do is ask me and I will send him binders full of dogs.  No wonder Canine-Americans are so routinely oppressed, denied our most basic rights.  We need a Cabinet that looks like America.

Waiting for the Call

 

 

Well, it's been more than two weeks now, since Obama's big victory.  The president himself acknowleged my role in getting out the Canine-American vote.  No doubt, his team is far along forming his second term administration.  I had high hopes that my support would earn me the post that I've longed for, my burning, life-long ambition:  Under-secretary for Canine Affairs.  While my mommy and daddy have been away at work, I've sat idly by the phone waiting for the call.  But alas, it's been silent.  I'm starting to wonder what's taking them so long.  Could it be that my criminal record has rendered me politically untouchable?  But my offence was so long ago and my debt to society has been paid.  Surely that couldn't hold me back, could it?

 

  --> Link:  2008 Brush with the Law

Obama's 'Tommy Bounce'

 

Have you seen the latest polls?  Sure enough, Obama has received a significant bounce since my endorsement.  Things are looking up for election day.

October Surprise: I'm Endorsing Obama

 

I've held my tongue up to now, preferring to study the candidates carefully before woofing my support.  But after thorough consideration, I am throwing my weight behind the Obama/Biden ticket.  Mr. Obama is a dog owner and maybe even likes Bo by now.  Even though he remains silent about issues of importance to us dogs, I think we got a better shot with him than that other guy to get things like universal pet health care, bologna stamps, and subsidized doggie day care.  I know, and even posted, that Obama used to eat dogs.  But by all accounts, he didn't like it and probably doesn't do it anymore, at least not knowingly.  As for his running mate, Joe Biden, I think most of you know that he is a personal friend of mine and a known dog lover.

As for his opponent Romney, he too has remained silent about issues that concern us.  The only thing we know for sure is that he has so little regard for our kind, that he put his own dog on the roof of his car while driving his family on vacation.

By most accounts, the election will be very close, especially in my home state of Virginia.  The dog vote COULD make the difference, IF we turn out at the polls.  I implore you all to vote as if your kibbles depend on it, because they very well could!

Occupy DC, One Year Later

Very sad, almost no one out there with me in Freedom Park this past weekend. There are a lot of needy dogs and even some people too. So where were they?  Why aren't they out here with me, taking a stand for equality?  I'm practically out there by myself. You can see there is another dog who came out, at least one other dog in the city interested in social justice. Not many people though. We'll never get equal kibble distribution at this rate.

Democratic Convention - Keynote Address

 

 

I hope you stayed up late enough last night to see Rusty’s historic keynote address to the Democratic National Convention.  This is the first time a major party has given a dog the national stage and the Democrats are to be commended.  They understand that the Republicans are waging a War on Dogs and the Democrats are eager to show unity with us.  Rusty is one of our most eloquent spokesdogs and was enthusiastically received.  In case you missed it, I’ve posted his complete speech here.

"Some of you may remember that earlier this year, Republicans shut me out of a hearing on canine issues. In fact, on that panel, they didn't hear from a single dog, even though they were debating an issue that affects nearly every one of us. Because it happened in Congress, people noticed. But it happens all the time. Many dogs are shut out and silenced. So while I'm honored to be standing at this podium, it easily could have been any one of you. I'm here because I spoke out, and this November, each of us must do the same.

"During this campaign, we've heard about the two profoundly different futures that could await dogs—and how one of those futures looks like an offensive, obsolete relic of our past. Warnings of that future are not distractions. They're not imagined. That future could be real.

"In that America, your new president could be a man who stands by when a public figure tries to silence a private Canine-American with hateful slurs. Who won't stand up to the slurs, or to any of the extreme, bigoted voices in his own party. It would be an America in which you have a new vice president who co-sponsored a bill that would allow dogs to die preventable deaths in our animal hospitals. An America in which states humiliate dogs by forcing us to endure invasive rectal exams we don't want and our vets say we don't need. An America in which access to canine health care is controlled by people who will never set foot in an animal hospital; in which politicians redefine dog fighting so survivors are victimized all over again; in which someone decides which canine violence victims deserve help, and which don't. We know what this America would look like. In a few short months, it's the America we could be. But it's not the America we should be. It's not who we are.

"We've also seen another future we could choose. First of all, we'd have the right to choose our owners. It's an America in which no one can charge us more than humans for the exact same health insurance; in which no one can deny us affordable access to the rabies screenings that could save our lives. An America in which our president, when he hears a young dog has been verbally attacked, thinks of his own dog Bo—not his delegates or donors—and stands with all dogs. And strangers come together, reach out and lift him up. And then, instead of trying to silence him, you invite me here—and give me a microphone—to amplify our bark. That's the difference.

"Over the last six months, I've seen what these two futures look like. And six months from now, we'll all be living in one, or the other. But only one. A country where our president either has our back or turns his back; a country that honors our foredogs by moving us forward, or one that forces our generation to re-fight the battles they already won; a country where we mean it when we talk about personal freedom, or one where that freedom doesn't apply to our bodies and our ruffs.

"We talk often about choice. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to choose. "

Canine Mascots -- This Must End

I’d like to discuss a very important topic today, one that’s been on the minds of a lot of dogs for a long time. My daddy likes to watch sports on TV and that’s OK, it gives me time to catch a few extra zzzzz. Sometimes I even watch a little bit, and that’s when my fur can somteimes get ruffled. Sports has a thing for canine names and mascots. More than 900 high school, college or pro teams use Canine-American-related images to pump up players, fire up crowds and sell T-shirts. Teams say the images convey courage and spirit, and their use honors the dogs they represent.

But dogs like me say such images are prejudiced and insulting. Furthermore, activists say use of dogs as team mascots is an anti-canine slur that violates a federal law against offensive trademarks. Since 1969, pressure from canine activists and athletic associations has persuaded 600 teams to shed the connection.

The most egregious offender is the University of Georgia and their offensive Uga the Bulldog mascot. What dog actually looks like this? The depiction of Uga as a clownish, viscious, spiked-collar animal is offensive to many dogs and demeaning to the entire canine community. The NCAA recently ruled that the “Bulldogs” could keep its name, but that the dog had to be depicted with dignity and class. The college appealed, lost, and and is in the process of designing a new mascot.



Then there are the professional teams – with millions of dollars tied up in marketing and merchandise – who have been harder to budge. We have here the case of the Cleveland Browns and their offensive ‘Dog Pound.’  Fans actually come to the games dressed in dogface. Who can look at this picture and not think something is seriously wrong with our society?

I will continue to work tirelessly to see that this custom ends and that depictions of dogs are not exploited in this way.  Please consider helping and donating money to the cause if you can.

Trick and Treat: Not Funny

I’ve got a beef to make, and I’m speaking here for a lot of dogs just like me.  We love treats, no doubt about it.  But you humans are inhuman the way you make us beg and do tricks.  Some of the things we have to do are make us look downright foolish.  Let me tell you what I’m forced to suffer through.  Sometimes my daddy makes me do some tricks, which I endure.  But that’s not enough.  Then he puts the treat down on the floor and makes me SIT and STAY for a long time.  It’s really painful for me to wait and sit like that and he just stares at me, grinning.  Why not just give me the treat?  Does he know it really hurts me, like I’m ready to burst?



OK, that’s my story but all things considered, it’s still worth getting the kong stuffed with hamburger.  I’m wondering if other dogs can share their horror stories.

Canine Voting Rights - Two steps forward, one step back

The state of Washington has grudgingly permitted Canine-Americans to register to vote.  That’s one down, 49 states to go, before we will have the full equality accorded even the most loathsome, dog-abusing humans.  What the state of Washington is doing is to be commended as a step in the right direction, for sure, but it is by no means perfect.  You see, only dogs who have these IDs get to vote – a ‘voter ID’ law.  I don’t know if this is a deliberate attempt to continue to disenfranchise dogs or a misguided effort to protect against unfounded accusations of canine voting fraud.  If the latter, then I don’t think these state officials know what a burden it is for some of my kind to get an ID.  First, places to get IDs are often miles away and it is hard for us to get there.  Dogs can’t drive standard automobiles because our hind-paws can’t reach the pedals.  Only the richest 1% dogs are able to afford specially equipped canine-friendly cars.  Second, sometimes they make you pay for the IDs with money.  Again, only those 1% dogs, like those with trust funds, have ready cash.  Most of us dogs are paid for our good deeds in kind, with things like bologna and toys, which would not be accepted as legal tender.  So I’m glad that Duncan is able to vote.  He looks like a good dog who will make wise decisions.  But what about the rest of Washington’s dogs?  Are their barks not to be heard?

Canine-American Voting Rights

Hats off to my big brother for finding this outrageous article:

WP:  In Va., dogs and the dead are invited to vote

• "A group that tries to get "historically underrepresented groups" to the polls has targeted some particularly unlikely voters:  dogs and dead Virginians."

Here’s this group, the “Voter Participation Center” out there trying to secure the voting rights of under-represented minorities like Canine-Americans.  And then some newspaper person makes it out to be a big joke, like dogs voting is as funny as dead people voting.  Well the joke's lost on me . . . dogs will continue to be oppressed until all of us have secured our rights as citizens.

Obama vs. Romney: Advantage Obama

I’d like to thank the two candidates running for president for coming on this blog and sharing their ideas on canine rights and helping dogs.  The president began to lay out his plan to tax the rich and use some of the proceeds to help us pets to get the affordable care we need.  While the president was a little vague and condescending, he and I agree in principle on the basic goal.  Mr. Romney, who aspires to this important position, came on my blog and made some abstract arguments about ‘kibble procurers,’ which I didn’t really understand and I don’t think will convince any dogs to vote for him.  He wants us to rely on our human owners, with no help from the government giving us free things.  I appreciate Mr. Romney’s reference to the great Cocker Henry who said ‘give me chicken or give me death,’ but it was clearly a gratuitous reference that didn’t seem to support his point.

 I’m glad to see the two candidates discard the politics of personal destruction long enough to discuss the important matters.  As things stand now, despite the fact that he is not a dog lover (except when the dog is on his plate), I’m starting to lean towards President Obama.

I'd like to invite the candidates to continue to use this blog to reach out to the canine community.  And if I've misrepresented their positions in any way, they can clarify

Tax the Rich!

I think it is terrific that President Obama and my big brother, two of the smartest people I know, are using the comment section of my humble blog as a forum for debating the BIG issues of the day.  President Obama has argued that if we tax the rich, there will be sufficient money to include dogs in the Affordable Care Act.  In this, the president and I agree, and not only as a vehicle to assure even basic health care for all canines.  But we should tax the rich just on basic fairness.  The president and I only disagree on the definition of ‘rich’.  The president considers you rich if you make more than $200,000 per year, but that is way too conservative a benchmark.  Almost every person I see is fabulously wealthy compared to even the most privileged of us dogs.  All the people are eating like kings at large tables, while we dogs are eating scraps and kibbles off the floor.  All the people sleep on comfy beds while we dogs struggle to find even a little room on the bed and sometimes end up on the floor.  All the people have TVs, computers, and cars while we dogs are lucky to have a few meager toys like an old sock, a chewed up tennis ball, or a stuffed monkey.  All the people roam free while we dogs are dragged around on leashes like animals.  All the people are afforded basic civil rights, due process, and fair trials, while we dogs are hauled off for ‘euthanasia’ for the smallest infractions or just because they got tired of us.  Yes I say, go ahead and tax the rich, and by all means direct the proceeds to the oppressed canine community.  But let’s call it like it is – all you people are filthy rich and should be taxed a lot.

Now mind you, I am not complaining for myself.  I have a good life with my nice human family.  But I’ve heard too many tails of woe from my furry friends.

Affordable Care Act - II

I am quite unpersuaded by the comment President Obama wrote in response to my last blog post.  He's trying to pander to us dogs with his double talk:

The Affordable Care Act allows you to keep your current insurance and current care provider at absolutely no change in your current cost. . .

But the fact remains that his 'Affordable Care Act' did nothing for us.  My big brother was oh so right when he stated:

. . . the current quantity of health care supplied to you is effectively zero.

It is quite evident that current health care provided to Canine-Americans is woefully inadequate and the facts clearly speak for themselves.  The average life expectancy of a human in the US is over 78 years, whereas a dog born today can expect to live less than 13 years!  And it is much lower than that for bigger varieties like bull dog and doberman, who through no fault of their own may need even more health care because of their size.  [some of my best friends back on the farm were dobermans and now that 6 years have lapsed, no telling how many of them are even left.]  We are losing many of our precious canine resources far too soon when they still have so much to offer.  It is more than a national tragedy.  It speaks to who we are as a nation; it is a moral issue.

So what are you doing about that, Mr. President?

Affordable Care Act? Affordable for Whom?

WOW, are the dog days ever upon us.  It's hot, I'm furry, and I don't feel like doing any physical activity.  So I've been spending the past couple of days inside, researching the human president's Affordable Care Act.  It's long, no doubt (you can read the whole thing here: 
Obama's Affordable Care Act) . . .  and by all accounts contained far too much for all those congresspeople and senators to read before passing it.  So it was with great anticipation that I sat down to read about all the benefits that will now accrue to the canine community.

So after reading the whole thing, I've transcribed here the passages that pertain to us dogs:

" . . ."

That's right, nothing, not a single word! 

Mr. President, you'r a dog owner and by some accounts some of the members of you family even love Bo.  But what if Bo becomes sick and needs vet care?  Do you realize how much the vets charge?  I know you're a successful, well-paid politician and can afford it, come what may.  But what about the rest of us dogs out here, the 99% dogs?  What's to become of us?

Talkin' Baseball II

Yep, that Bryce Harper is the real deal, alright. Not only does he look like a cockapoo and run like a cockapoo, but he is real dog lover. His parents know that and so they got him a little puppy, Swag, for Christmas. That's a picture of Swag, a chocolate lab, that Bryce sent me to post on my blog, so the whole canine community would get to see him and know that no matter how big and famous he gets he will always be a friend to us dogs.

Swag is still a little puppy and still learning life skills. But when gets a little older and learns to read and write, I hope he will be a frequent contributor to this forum. And maybe I'll see Swag out there at the park when my daddy takes me to the ballgame.

Talkin' Baseball

 

Those who have followed my blog know I am a big baseball fan and that my favorite player was Manny.  But he hasn't played a lot recently and then I heard he quit, so I lost interest and napped instead of flipping on the game.

Daddy has been watching a lot of games this year.  He thinks I'm sleeping, but I have been playing careful attention and I decided I like this guy Bryce Harper.  What's there not to like.  His fur looks like a cockapoos, except the groomer did a bad job.  And he runs as fast as a cockapoo, too.  It would be like a dream come true if daddy takes me to an actual game to see him.  But I don't know if that can happen because of baseball's strict segregation rules.  But he's a good daddy and maybe he can work something out.