I appreciate all the kind and thoughful links and emails you folks have sent. I have been off my computer these past several days (Doctors' Orders!) and I don't know what the hell is going on out there. I will rest up this weekend and be back Monday with my "Weekly Report" and until then...

I was going to put up some links emailed to me by nice people but instead, I'll just say that folks who take in dogs and cats and show them love and care for them are just about the nicest -- closest to God -- people in the world. I truly 'effed-up with Kimo. Everything was my fault. By the way, after I fed him tonight, I took a picture of him. This is a crappy photo, he looks much nicer and cooler and wonderful in person:

...But he's a sweatheart. Please don't judge him by this pic. I'll try to take another, better one this weekend.

In the meantime, give your dear pets a bunch of hugs. And remember the poor dogs and cats without homes running around outdoors. I'm Jewish and I always remember that at events such as Passover, we leave something out for "Elija."

Most of you are wonderful, loving people. Please consider heading over to the local shelter and bringing a stray dog or cat into your lives. Yes, it's work and trying and difficult but I promise you that God will smile on you forever and even better yet, you will have a new family member and friend who will return your love and patience ten-fold.

Do you have kids? Sometimes you have to discipline them. But (you and your spouse not-withstanding) they need someone who will, after the shouting, curl up to them and let them know they are alright and wonderful and loved. A dog or cat will do that every minute of the day. You will reap such affection from them! Both your kids and the dogs and cats. It's just something special that pets do. Open up your hearts folks.

Hug your dogs and cats tonight. When's the last time you actually showed them your love and caring? Do it now. Shut off the damn computer. We'll wait; they can't. And unfortunately, they probably HAVE been waiting for you to pay attention to them for quite some time. They're so patient and expectant and loving. They ask for so little. Just a bit of your attention span.

Okay, end of this dumb post. I'm feeling better, my hands are working better. I will be back on Monday with my "Weekly Report." There are so many nice bloggers and others who have posted nice messages. There is a huge bunch of readers who have sent "get well" emails to me. Others have sent links and I thought I was going to post them but I'm already "beat" and so I'm ending this week now. Some really nice people have hit the donation thing. My special thanks to all of you! I'm not going away, I've just had a "bad hair week" with things but Alphecca will keep going on. See you soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

If you have one bite or scratch, the body can easily focus on it. When you have a dozen scattered about, the body has to work extra-hard to keep up. I went to the clinic today for a follow-up. The Doc doubled my anti-biotic dosage and told me things weren't "looking worse." Not terribly encouraging but I KNOW I feel better. No rabies shots.

Thanks to all of you who emailed nice thoughts and stuff. I don't print emails about personal stuff like this but I really do appreciate it. Many kind contributions too: Over $80 dollars worth. And many of my dear blogger friends mentioned this all as well. Thank you everybody. God bless you all.

Thanks to several people and bloggers for their kind words and also to a couple who offered donations. I still hurt and one of the wounds hasn't closen yet. This afternoon I get the first of the three (I think) rabies shots. Blogging will resume in a day or two hopefully.

Yup, that time of the week to look at how the print media is handling stories involving firearms and gun control. As usual, I use the Yahoo Gun Debate Page links as the bellweather of how things are going. The injuries to my hands and arms are still quite painful so this will be a shorter report than usual. Sorry about that.

That's the Ruger limited edition Bird's Head Vaquero, a single action 45 Colt with a 4 5/8" barrel, in case anyone was wondering what was on my wish list at the moment.

Quite a few new stories (links) this week. The biggest was a "report" by Americans For Gun Safety Foundation, a gun control group founded and bankrolled by Monster.com billionaire Andrew McKelvey that used BATF data to chastise a group of gun dealers. But let me digress for a moment...

In a terrible tragedy, someone used a hammer to bash in the head of someone else. A crime indeed. Turns out the hammer was sold by Home Depot. Well! It turns out that Home Depot has sold a LOT of hammers and many of them have been used in crimes. Obviously, Home Depot should be watched. Right?

Or maybe... Just maybe the real story is that Home Depot isn't doing anything wrong at all, just that they sell a lot more hammers than most other hardware stores and because of that, more hammers used for crime happen to have originated from them.

Okay, back to business. From the AP:

Of the 373,006 guns traced from crimes during the five-year period, 54,694 came from the 120 stores, according to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives. The data, which surfaced in a lawsuit by the NAACP against gun manufacturers, [which was dismissed, by the way --js] was made public by the Washington-based Americans for Gun Safety Foundation.

Now, is it possible that some of these gun stores are doing something wrong? Sure. And if so, they should be prosecuted and put out of business. But most of them are just very high volume dealers. Someone comes in, passes the instant check, and buys a gun.

If I go to the local gas station/mini-mart and show proper i.d., I can buy beer or wine. If I later give that beer to a minor that isn't the fault of the gas station. Okay fine, so no one has asked me for i.d. in a very long time...

The point is that this is a "non-story" report. Large gun stores sell more guns that wind-up in the hands of criminals than small gun stores. Americans for Gun Safety Foundation want the BATF to form a "watch list" of these stores. I'm not sure what the government is supposed to "watch" for other than violations of federal law but as the NRA spokesman said:

"This is only a gun control group trying to make themselves relevant in a debate in which they have nothing to say," said Cox. "The focus of the investigation should not be taken away from the person who committed the crime."

While the AP story seemed rather biased, the Miami Herald

The report notes that some stores do such a high volume of business that it is inevitable that some guns will be used in crimes. Just because a retailer qualified for the high-crime list doesn't automatically mean it engaged in illegal behavior.

''If you're in a high-volume store or in a high-violence neighborhood, you're automatically going to have more traces done,'' said ATF Miami spokesman James S. Higgins.

Remember a couple weeks ago when the Oregonian had a silly editorial claiming that the Bush administration wasn't enforcing current gun laws?

For all of its law-and-order bluster, this administration has done a poor job of enforcing laws prohibiting gun trafficking, selling guns to minors and lying on criminal background check forms to buy guns. It has also encouraged the National Rifle Association to push bills in Congress to weaken the Brady law, grant the gun industry immunity from lawsuits and block efforts to reauthorize the ban on assault weapons.

The reality is that prosecutions are way up. Also from the Miami Herald:

ATF spokesman Higgins said the report accurately portrays bureau activity during the five-year period, but doesn't draw a complete, current picture.

Total gun prosecutions are up 23 percent between 2000 and 2003, and the number of licensees and dealers charged with violating federal or state laws has more than doubled during the same period, he said.

The Washington Post echos that:

Tom Hill, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, called the report's criticism of a lack of federal prosecutions "dated." He said that since 2000 -- the last year covered in the report -- the number of license holders charged with violating state or federal laws has more than doubled.

USA Today had an op-ed by Department of Justice spokesman Mark Corallo that really brought the point home:

Under President Bush leadership of Project Safe Neighborhoods, gun-crime prosecutions have reached record levels. At the same time, the violent crime rate has plunged 21%. That's what makes some recent criticism surprising. Consider: Federal gun-crime prosecutions increased 68% in the past three years. Last year, the Justice Department (news - web sites) set a new record by charging 23% more individuals for violating gun laws.

We're also shutting down and prosecuting corrupt gun dealers in higher numbers. Since 2000, the number of dealers charged with violating gun laws has risen 150% and cases brought against dealers have nearly tripled. More than 100 dealers have had their licenses revoked in recent years, and many more surrendered their licenses or closed their doors after our inspections.
Rather unusual for this paper to post such a piece but good for them. Anyway, this all seems like much ado over nothing but it certainly fed the appetites of anti-gun newspapers.

The big news to me was the asinine ruling by a judge that Washington DC residents aren't entitled to the same Bill of Rights that other Americans are. From the AP:

A federal judge on Wednesday upheld the District of Columbia's gun control law that prohibits ownership of handguns, rejecting a legal challenge by a group of citizens backed by the National Rifle Association.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton dismissed the lawsuit in which the plaintiffs argued that the 28-year-old law violated their Second Amendment right to own guns. The D.C. law prohibits ownership or possession of handguns and requires that others, such as shotguns, be kept unloaded, disassembled or equipped with trigger locks.

Walton ruled that the Second Amendment is not a broad-based right of gun ownership.

"The Second Amendment does not confer an individual a right to possess firearms. Rather, the Amendment's objective is to ensure the vitality of state militias," Walton wrote.

He went on to say that the amendment was designed to protect the citizens against a potentially oppressive federal government.

He also ruled that the Second Amendment does not apply to the district because it was intended to protect state citizens, and the district is not a state.

I guess if you live in DC you are immune from paying federal income tax? (16th Amendment.) Look, Walton's argument is completely specious. First of all, DC might not be a state but certainly it's citizens ARE entitled to the same rights as any others whether they live in Texas or Michigan.

Secondly, he wants to have it both ways when he says that the Second Amendment is not a "broad-based right" or individual right but is limited to state militias. And in the next breath he says the amendment is "designed to protect the citizens against a potentially oppressive federal government."

Thirdly, almost all legitimate constitutional scholars (even Lawrence Tribe) recognize that all of the amendments detail individual rights. The Washington Post was almost gleeful in their reporting, with all sorts of "victorious" quotes:

The decision was hailed by gun-control advocates, including the Violence Policy Center, which filed a brief in the case.

"This is a rejection of the National Rifle Association's effort to overturn D.C. gun laws, which have stuck in their craw for years," said Matt Nosanchuk, the center's litigation director. "It is a victory for public safety of city residents who don't need any more guns on city streets."

Tony Bullock, spokesman for Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), applauded Walton's decision as an endorsement of the city's effort to curb its gun violence and homicide rate.

"What the mayor is interested in is the right to control the flow of guns in our city, as all states and many cities do," Bullock said. "Gun laws help us much more than guns in the hands of citizens in reducing violent deaths."

Earth to Bullock: DC is second in the nation in violent crime and murder. I'd say that your mayor's stratagy isn't working.

The Montgomery Advertiser had an editorial rightly lamenting the fact that a mentally ill man was able to purchase a gun later used to murder two police officers:

Alabama does not report involuntary mental commitments to the central database maintained by the FBI and used by gun dealers here and in 25 other states to conduct background checks on persons seeking to buy guns. An involuntary commitment is one of several reasons allowed under federal law for prohibiting a person from buying a gun.

Alabama is not alone in this. Only three states report every involuntary mental commitment to the FBI database. Many do not report them at all, and a few states follow a provision meant to avoid putting a stigma on the mentally ill. These states report that an individual should not be allowed to purchase a gun, but do not cite the reason.

So far so good. Involuntary committments should be reported to NICS by all states. And if, at some point the person "gets better" than the records should be updated to reflect that. We're not talking simple depression here folks. But then the editorial goes on:

Any talk of additional firearms regulation raises suspicions with many Alabamians and invariably brings out the extremist gun advocates who contend the Second Amendment allows any American to have any sort of weapons he or she might want...

Since I've been called an extremist on this issue I assume they're referring to folks like me. Talk about painting with a broad brush! NO, I don't think ANYONE should be able to buy a gun. I certainly don't think convicted felons should. I don't think the mentally ill should. I don't think children should. And I dare say that most of my readers (and organizations such as the NRA) agree with me.

If the NICS instant background check system needs improvement, I say go for it and I understand that that is in fact happening. What a gratuitous insult to supporters of the Second Amendment. What bias!

I'm going to end this week's report here because it's just too painful to type anymore. I'll try to report on more stuff later in the week including what my friends in the blogosphere are chatting about. Thanks for stopping by!

Ya know... I knew I would rue yesterday's post about the inmates going cat-crazy while Acidman is away. Warning, this is a cat story about 12 hours old.

It's no secret that I like cats. Go ahead and hate me. I have three.

For about six weeks there has been a lonely, cold male cat living under my porch in an old groundhog den. And yes, easy-touch Jeff fed and watered this cat (I call him Kimo) every morning and evening.

This is a very friendly cat (obviously an abandoned cat since he likes people and doesn't run away or get weird if I pet him) and I couldn't stand to see him living outdoors in the freezing cold weather we've been having.

I couldn't leave him out there. My cats have always been friendly but they don't go out. My oldest cat Rainbow (who will be 20 in April) doesn't really like any cats, just me. But she just gives a toothless and quick hiss and as long as you (meaning any cat) leaves her alone, she doesn't give a rat's patootie who lives in the house.

Critter (about ten) gives half-hearted hisses but as soon as he realizes that any new cat likes to play, he's all over them and signing them to a long-term contract.

Sambo is about five-years-old. She is big and nice and gentle. She was (when I brought her in) on the receiving end of Critter's 12 hour anger but then he adopted her and they've been thick-as-thieves ever since. She's surprisingly gently and playful. I figured she'd be the pushover for the new cat Kimo. MAN was I wrong.

See, Kimo wanted to come in. He was very friendly, liked to be petted, and so a few nights ago I let her slink in on a night where the temp was dipping to minus 20. I just couldn't leave him outside, even if he had a "warm" nest under the porch.

When you live outside during a Vermont Winter, there is no available water. He drank three bowls of a 1/2 milk, 1/2 water mix. Obviously no Rabies there. Yes, he probably had fleas and worms but what the fuck, my cats are protected. And Kimo seemed so gentle and grateful.

This was last Wednesday night. Rainbow gave a disdisinterested glance. Critter hissed a bit but then ran off to his back room to sulk. He's not actually confrontational. But Sambo! She started growling and howling and got right into Kimo's face. Kimo, to his credit, tried to tip-toe around her. He wasn't looking for a fight; just a home. Finally, Sambo made it impossible and I (two hours after taking him in) had to usher Kimo back outside to the porch. But I figured I could bring him in each night for an hour or two until Sambo "got over it."

So for the next two nights he would spend some time inside until Sambo got too crazy and then he would gladly go back outdoors.

Last night, he didn't even want his food, just to come inside. He is a gentle (at least to humans) cat. He rushed in. Sprawled out on the carpet. I tried to show my cats how friendly he is. He loves to play. He chased the red laser-pointer all around and lay on his back trying to grab the end of the string I was dangling above him. I also put a plate of food out for all the cats and gave all of them cat-nip-filled bags. My idea was for them all to associate the new cat with good experiences like food and cat-nip.

Rainbow was neutral, not caring. She just wants to be left alone in her cranky-old-age. Kimo did that so she didn't care about him. Critter watched Kimo play and although he occasionally gave a very half-hearted hiss, you could see he was watching Kimo play and was ready to jump in and make a quick friend the way he did with Sambo.

But Sambo... The gentle giant (20 pounds) was having none of it. She hissed and growled and made all sorts of horrible noises. And once again, she kept creeping closer to Kimo. Kimo is a genuinely nice cat. He side-stepped her. "Tip-toed" past her, curving his body in that "Okay, you win" thing that cats do to "dominant cats." He did everything he could to NOT have a scene. All he wanted was to live here and play and be happy. He then slinked into the kitchen and ate a whole can of food and lapped up a LOT of water. He did it all right.

Unfortunately, Sambo showed a mean, territorial side of herself. I don't blame her. I didn't admonish her. I was just surprised. A new facet of her. She really is the dominant cat of the household. She would not let up, she kept after Kimo, pushing him further back. It was apparent that he didn't want this. But finally, she cornered him. And he started howling back in self-defense. And she readied herself for attack.

And I forgot everything I had ever learned as a volunteer for an animal refuge 20 years ago. Kimo was trapped, I came up behind him (Idiot Me!) and "rescued him" by trying to pick him up. A scared cat in unfamiliar surroundings being attacked by a large angry black cat. I grabbed him from behind (so he didn't see it coming) and of course, he went crazy and bit me three times and ripped me with his claws. A lot.

There was (my) blood everywhere. One of his bites hit a small artery in my right hand and it sprayed like a fountain. On one white door my blood splats look like someone threw a can of red paint (now it's brown) on it. I did get Kimo outside. I called 911 because of all the wounds and the blood loss. Kimo sat on the porch still trying to come back inside.

At Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center they cleaned me up. The intern (you never get a real doctor) said I needed about 8 stitches. The cat claws had opened three gashes. Incidentally, when I looked at them (each about an inch long opening) I said to him, "hey, what's that yellowish-white bubbly stuff?" He said that the claws had gone right through my skin and exposed the "fat layer" underneath. *Yuch* I've lost 5 pounds in the last four weeks and thought I didn't have any of that kind of stuff...

As I said, the intern wanted to stitch me up but then his supervisor said, "no" because wounds like these need to bleed and drain out the poisons. (That is, bacteria.) So they put these strips on them to sorta' hold them together and then wrapped them all up. The blood still flows. One (as she put it) "full-four-fang" bite on my left-hand went all the way through to the bone and it hurts like hell. Most of my fingers aren't working. I'm typing this with two fingers and the blood is still seeping out of the bandages.

And of course, I'm supposed to catch Kimo and take him to the vet for "observation" for Rabies. I know he doesn't have it. He's been too nice, friendly, loves petting, loves fluids like water and water/milk mixes. But now I have to torture him and give him to the local Vet. I'll do it tomorrow when my vet is open. Kimo is a sweet, nice, playful cat. Yes, she has worms but I know she doesn't have Rabies. But unless I prove that in the next couple days, I have a series of shots coming up.

I got home from the hospital ($36 for the cab ride home) filled with antibiotics (Augmentin 875, they gave me four of them at once last night and a perscription for a week's worth.)

Let me make this clear: Kimo was blameless. He was just a scared cat in strange surroundings being attacked by Sambo and I made the incredibly stupid mistake of coming up behind him and trying to pick him up during his "horror show" shit. I also don't blame my cat Sambo. She is what she is and she tried to protect her territory from an interloper.

I blame myself. I was stupid. And now I have to deliver Kimo to the local VET for observation or I have a series of shots to go through. I still would love to take Kimo in. It won't happen of course because Sambo won't let it. I have been trying for two weeks to find a home for Kimo and I will continue to do so. He really is a "sweety-pie."

I was at fault. And I paid dearly for it. Not the least of which, financially. That's my problem, not yours. But if you know anyone in Vermont or Western NH who is looking for a friend, I have a cat for them. I'm sorry Kimo, that it didn't work out. I'm sorry that I couldn't bring you into my home for all eternity. I will keep trying to find you a nice home; please be patient. And please forgive my stupid actions last night. You deserve so much better than me.

Folks, I will try to do my "Weekly Report" tomorrow but it might not be until tomorrow evening. My blood is seeping through my bandages and I hurt everywhere. Come back Monday night and by then I'll have something up.

And by the way, this post is NOT meant to discourage you all from helping a lonely animal. Be a nice person and take them in anyway. Dogs and Cats are THE BEST. I screwed up with Kimo but I really do want to find him a good loving home. He is a nice cat.

I wish I was a lottery winner who had a huge house and could take-in all the lost, lonely souls of cats and dogs who just want some love and a friendly home to live in.

End Of Post... I'll be back tomorrow, probably in the evening, with my "Weekly Check on the Gun-Story Bias"...

Thanks for stopping by and if you're so inclined, please include Kimo in your prayers. This young cat is really nice, but one of mine just won't let him live here. He's had a crappy life so far and he's still smilely and friendly. He deserves better and I will try to give him that. Please help me. I have no money (I shudder to think what the hospital and ambulance bills will come to.) But, it's for a good cause as far as I'm concerned. I want Kimo to have a better life than he has now. I truly wish it was with me but Sambo just won't let it happen. I love her dearly and I'll respect her wishes. But, I'll seek someone decent who will give Kimo a wonderful home. I think God made him extra-special. He's so nice and pleasant and friendly. Surely there's someone out there who could use a good friend.

I'm sorry folks, and especially, I'm sorry KIMO; You're a nice cat. But I have three right now and the youngest just won't share. Please God, watch over and protect Kimo.

Folks, this is a sweet cutie-pie cat in need of some love and a good home.

Alas, he's not around today. I need to find him or else on Tuesday I start the Rabies shots. Oh well. My life sucks and so this doesn't impact it all that much. Damn. I lied... I hope he's around tonight. Just so I can see that he's doing alright and also so I don't need a bunch of shots. How did my life get so weird? All I did was try to open my heart to a cat...