Life is Worth Losing by George Carlin

His take on such subjects as extreme human behavior and America's culture is simply outrageous.

Click here to watch his performance

The AAA PetBook

A travel guide for pet owners has more than 13,000 listings of North American hotels and other accommodations that allow pets.

Read this article

When will we join the club? In the next millenium!?!? Haha

So far, I only know of one 5-star hotel here that is pet-friendly. They don't advertise it but according to their inside sources they allow in-house guests to keep miniature dogs & cats in the room.

Gandhian Ideals Motivating Gen X

Gandhian - a new religion of the Indian youths

Youth culture and Gandhi. Vegetarianism, sexual abstention, khadi, village reconstruction and Harijan welfare - can these Gandhian ideals really move a new globalised generation?
He wears khadi and chapppals and when he speaks, those around him stop to listen.

And that's perhaps the only resemblance there is between Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Vimlendu Jha. However, the bond goes deeper.

Vimlendu is Yamuna's favourite child - a brahmin determined to clean the dirt from a river polluted with religious ritual.

This former student of Delhi's St Stephen's College lives by a simple Gandhian philosophy.

"What I have learnt from Gandhi is his policy of non-aggressiveness. I don't go and shout from the rooftop about the Yamuna because I am passionate about the river and committed to clean it. So I come and clean it myself and inspire people to follow suit," says Jha.

So you thought Gandhi was an emblem from a long forgotten era and to be Gandhian was to be old and grey. Well not quite so, because this man continues to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.

And that's exactly the road Neethu Vincent is walking. The editor of an international Gandhian newspaper, Yamuna, Neethu and her young reporters are living the words of the Mahatma - "Journalism is for service" - by writing on change and taking the message of Gandhi across the borders.

A Class XI student, Neethu proudly calls herself a Gandhian.

When asked why she calls herself so, she says, "I think Gandhi is the greatest rock star of our era."

Well not too many people have called the Mahatma a rock star, but for several young people, he is the coolest role model to have.

"Whenever I think about Gandhi, there's a kind of vibrancy, a need to make a change," says Neethu.

Two Yamunas and two young Gandhians - the river of Gandhian thought, which we feared had dried up, is flowing again. In the heart of 21st century India, Gandhi still lives.

1 October is World Vegetarian Day

Established since 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society, vegetarians from all over world come together to observe a common cause - to promote joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism.

Fact Sheet:
Farmed animals have virtually no legal protection and they suffer horrific abuse that would be illegal on dogs and cats.

Each year, billions of livestock are being killed for human consumption. To maximise space and profits, factory farms crammed cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and other animals in restrictive, filthy warehouses, pens and stalls. They are routinely subjected to mutilations without painkillers before their lives ended in painful slaughter.

So, how about for just one day, give these animals a break. Swap that piece of juicy steak for a pot of delicious vegetable curry instead?

Source: www.peta.org

Police Help Cat Charity Raid Home

Taking animal protection to a new level is not necessarily a good thing.

By Christine Sexton
This is Essex, 23 September 2006

A cat charity swooped on a young man's home with police because he had missed his kitten's flea treatment by a few days.

Two police officers accompanied members of Cats Protection when they turned up to demand Robert Emberson hand back the kitten he had adopted from them.

After some serious persuasion, Mr Emberson has been allowed to keep the cat, but he will now be monitored every three weeks.

The charity's heavy-handed approach followed an earlier visit to check on the welfare of 16-week-old tomcat, Plume.

The women from the charity claimed to have seen a flea on the white cat and Mr Emberson, 18, admitted he hadn't been able to afford the latest flea treatment for his pet because he was waiting for his next pay cheque to come.

Mr Emberson is a horticultural student at Writtle College, Chelmsford, who works one day a week at a garden centre.

He said: "I understand they do these routine welfare visits, but they were so rude, barging in without any warning.

"They said they would report back to headquarters and made it seem like I couldn't afford to look after the cat. I can, but I am a student and the treatment costs me a day's wages.

"I had paid for him to be vaccinated and everything, but I had just missed one treatment. But they still said they might have to take him away."

Mr Emberson, from West Crescent, Canvey, said he was astonished when the charity returned with police reinforcements.

He said: "The police turned up with people from headquarters. They said the police were for their protection, but I am a student with a passion for orchids and animals and Plume is just a little kitten, not a wild animal.

"We have had no end of problems with teenagers around here but you never see a policeman tackle them.

"They calmed down when I told them about the vaccinations, but they still insist on checking up on me every three weeks.

"I thought I was doing the best thing by getting a rescue kitten. Now I am not so sure."

Castle Point Chief Insp Tracy Hawkings confirmed two officers had accompanied Cats Protection to Mr Emberson's home.

She said: "These ladies contacted us and asked for our attendance because their stance was if they went there and there was substance to their concerns, it could cause a breach of the peace."

The charity, which recently came in for criticism after refusing to let a man with an artificial leg adopt a cat, refused to comment.

News on the Home Front

Apologies apologies for the long silence. Right, what's up with the Chaos ...

Carma is getting along fine now with Alex & Junior. Her relationship with Wawa still has a way to go, but they have all the time in the world.

Beauty is grumpy as ever although she's a lot slimmer these days. Strict diet - dry food only, no more snacks & junk food & lots of exercise. She gets out every morning & run the corridor. She's down to her ideal weight of 6 kilos. Hurrah!

Junior, on the other hand, my goodness, he grows SO fast. He is a heavy boy but very active. Gets along fabulously with everyone. Starting to show that he is also the 'man' of the house. There are a few times where he tries to get fresh with Beauty only to learn that he is not so 'man' after all.

Wawa has grown too. She is growing into one gorgeous coat. A very quiet & shy girl who likes boys - both humans & felines ones.

Our very own stalker

My serene little Carma is quietly piling on the kilos

It's a bird! It's a plane! No .. it's the MOTHER OF ALL ROACHES!!!!

Cuddles - a private moment

Go away stalker

Mommy's black beauty :)

New Kids On The Block

No, no, no. No more additions to the House of Chaos. My Chaos is more than I can handle right now. The new kids I refer to are the new kittens I found on Monday on the street where I work.

4 to exact - 2 blacks, 1 tux & 1 tortoiseshell. They look to be about 2 months old siblings & in good health. Victims of dumping?

Anyway, 2 of them are very friendly & another 2 are shy. Good news is, we managed to get the 2 friendly catsters adopted on the same day they were found. My fellow ad cohort - a very very nice lady decided to take 1 black & the tux back.

Just to make sure she's happy with her wise decision, she went home with 2 kittens, free kitten revolution & 1 sponsored vet visit - courtesy of yours truly.

As for the other 2, they seem to be happy where they are. Playing and running the length of our street (its a conservation area so no vehicles allowed).

Lucky for them, the offices here are animal friendly. They are so totally loved by everyone here. The kittens have become our babies.

Our babies Brownie (left) & Sesame (right)

Brownie taking refuge under the shade of a tree

Precocious Sesame

We also have a resident black cat whom I call Asha which means hope in Hindi. But Asha is a cat of many names. She's also known to us as Blackie, Seow Hei, Hor Eh which all refers to her being black. She responds to all names as long as she's fed & pet.

Asha & her breakfast

Asha's terrified of Brownie & Sesame. Then again, Asha's terrified of any cats. She is perfectly comfortable with humans & dogs but bolts at the sight of another cat. She is a strange one.

Anyway, everyone on our street has made it our mission to be on a look out for potential adopters for kittens. They will be going to someone who will take both of them on board.

Wish us luck!