Plague Monkey Husband

Ok, the Adorable Husband was sick over the weekend, stayed home from work on Monday, and has been sick and headachy and generally icky since last Sunday.

He has a horrible headache, everything aches, feverish with chills...and now, SPOTS. He's definitely got West Nile Fever.

So, from the CDC:

It is estimated that about 20% of people who become infected with WNV will develop West Nile fever. Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash (on the trunk of the body) and swollen lymph glands. While the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have reported being sick for several weeks.

The symptoms of severe disease (also called neuroinvasive disease, such as West Nile encephalitis or meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 150 persons infected with the West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of disease. Serious illness can occur in people of any age, however people over age 50 and some immunocompromised persons (for example, transplant patients) are at the highest risk for getting severely ill when infected with WNV.

He had blood drawn to test for West Nile last week. They won't get results for another few days, but he definitely looks like he's managed to get it. I'm the one who gets eaten alive by mosquitos -- quite literally, dozen of bites -- and he gets bitten three times and gets sick. It's self-limiting, in most cases, and most people recover in a few days, despite all the hype and scare-words in the CDC page. We're not sure how I managed to avoid this, unless I really did have a very mild case last year that has given me some immunity. Colorado is expecting a very bad year for West Nile this year.

So far, he's not staying home from work -- he's not listening to me! I think he should be home, in bed (or at the very least in the chair) until he feels better! Send him emails and tell him to stay home!

Fangy Toothed Weasels

They don't fit under the ottoman anymore -- so now they just run around and around and around.



No, she's not trying to eat Berit, but the little beastie is being seriously annoying today. Uulaq doesn't take much guff.

Free! Cheap!

Does anyone want a puppy?

Take two, they come as a matched set!

They're driving me absolutely NUTS today. While they haven't quite mastered the whole housetraining thing, they have definitely learned that by whining in a specifically urgent way, that we will ask if they want to "go outside?" and they get to go romp in the backyard.

I am SO being played by the little weasels.

Beet Pulp Safety Warning

A rather amusing story for aninal lovers -- Beet Pulp Safety Waring

Operatic Range

So, an experiment in single-puppyhood last evening. The Adorable Husband is sick (they actually think he has West Nile -- and he has the spots to prove it) so I took ONE puppy to the puppy kindergarten class.

Packed up Rowan, put his cute little harness on and went to class. Left Berit at home in the puppy pen, with a gate across my office door, just in case.

The shrieking started immediately. And continued, unabated, for two solid hours. The husband got up, picked her up and carried her around, tried to calm her down...no go. Operatic screeching punctuated by pathetic little whimpers for the entire time we were gone. He said that nothing calmed her down.

We've had them separated before -- in fact, we're very careful to do it just so this sort of thing doesn't happen. We take them for separate walks, but apparently that's not enough. So far, it's only been for 15-20 minutes or so.

When we got home, she snorfled him all over, then laid down on top of him to sleep, still whimpering occasionally in her sleep.

I sincerely hope we haven't just cemented serious Separation Anxiety in her teeny little puppy brain! I think we'll be trying very short separations and work up to class all alone in a few weeks. Oy!

Executive Privilege

Even if you don't pay much attention to the news, you've probably heard the words "executive privilege" bandied around fairly often in the last few weeks. Citing executive privilege, Bush has forbidden his aides and other associates from responding to Congressional subpoenas, refused to provide information for ongoing investigations, issued an executive order to prevent the Justice department from prosecuting contempt charges, hidden all information about the friendly-fire death of a US soldier; pretty much anything that he doesn't want to talk about is suddenly covered by "executive privilege". Even Cheney, who a few weeks ago was claiming that he wasn't part of the executive branch, is happy to make claims of executive privilege when he doesn't want to come clean with the American public.

There are certainly things in the executive office that are covered by the rather nebulous concept of executive privilege -- but it is not meant as a get-out-of-jail-free card to avoid any and all transparency of the action of the executive branch. I'm all for making sure that national security is maintained, but this is beyond the pale.

Bush has invoked and expanded this idea to be a shield against everything. Generally, the idea of executive privilege means that the president's involvement in things can be shielded from public view, so that he can continue to do his job without constant interference and investigation. People aren't compelled to discuss conversations that had with the president. It isn't meant to cover any one who is even remotely associated with the executive branch -- waht Bush seems to mean when he claims "executive privilege" is that anyone who talks to him about anything is immune from Congressional subpoenas, even about matters which they did not discuss with him.

If Bush wasn't involved in the attorney firings (which have prompted a number of subpoenas and now contempt charges because Bush has told people in his administration to not respond to them) then Executive Privilege doesn't apply. If this was entirely within the Justice Department, and no wrongdoing was perpetrated...then Bush has absolutely no reason to invoke any kind of privilege for himself, adn certainly doesn't have the authority to claim it for others just because the outcome of the questioning might be embarssing for the administration. By claiming executive privilege, Bush is implicitly admitting involvement, which means that he was lying before when he said he wasn't involved. Either way, an unacceptable position.

The president does not have this power -- not by the constitution, not by generally accepted legal precedent -- not by assertion. It's astonishing, beyond astonishingto actually offensive, that the president thinks that he can simply disregard congress, disregard the American people, and disregard the law. He really does seem to believe that he's above the law and he can do anything that he wants, without fear of retribution, because he can simply bypass the laws by fiat whenever he wants to. I supposed the next step is just to get rid of the justice department and get rid of congress so the King can do whatever he wants.

Congress is not accepting this argument, as well they shouldn't. We -- the people -- deserve better than this.

Ironic?

With the exception of food stuffs, I don't really pay much attention to to whether things are imported from China. I probably should, with the recent spate of information about chemical contamination in many chinese products -- toys, food, pills, etc. The whole fiasco regarding gluten products used in dog food was bad enough, but when you think about the foodstuffs that we import from China, it gets a bit scary.

But sometimes the juxtaposition of chinese goods and western sensibilities is a bit amusing. There is a clothing line called "Free People". They make kind of bohemian clothes, rather funky. You can find them at Nordstrems.

They're imported. Usually from China.

I'm really not going to pay $70 for a shirt made in a sweatshop in china. Especially not one with the label "Free People".

More Clicking

Well, apparently Rowan felt left out. Now he's started clicking, too! Aargh!

It definitely seems like a "growing pains" sort of thing. I'm pretty sure they're growing visibly each day. Every morning we come down and they're taller.

Issue of Suffering

CRAIGVILLE, MA hosted 80 religious leaders from at least five denomination sin a week-long theological conference (called the Craigville Coliloquy) to discuss issues facing the faith community. This year, the topic was the issue of suffering. Many people of faith want to know why a benevolent god allows innocents to suffer, and they aren't happy with the answers from their churches.

"The explanation for suffering has become a thorn in the side of many 21st-century congregations, and pastors acknowledge the challenge. "We chose this topic because this [struggle to explain suffering] is a reason why people are leaving our churches," says the Rev. Llewellyn Smith, one of the colloquy organizers."

There is no real answer to the question that still fits in with the christian view of god, and people are trying to come to grips with an answer.

"When discussing human suffering and God's relation to it, stakes are high for church leaders and laity alike. They must decide whether to say a tragic event is a) God's doing, b) something God could have stopped but didn't, c) beyond God's realm of power, or d) unknown to God.

It's a serious question, and one that I am sure bothers a lot of believers. Non-believers don't waste a lot of time worrying about it, except to note that the presence of innocent suffering in the world generates a logical contradiction with the concept of the christian god. All good, all knowing, benevolent, and caring don't mesh well with people dying of common diseases, floods that kill thousands, plane crashes, school shootings. But if you do accept that there is a god, there seems to be disconnect here. I can understand how it would disillusion churchgoers to be told that they simply don't understand that they are supposed to suffer as part of the plan, and that despite these actions, that god is still good and cares about them.

If you believe, could you stay in a church that said it was god's will that thousands of people died in a flood? Or that students died in the regent Virginia school shooting? Many people can't. It's become a difficult issue for religious leaders when faced with this sort of question from their congregations. I'm not particularly impressed with some of the proposed answers:

For some, it was occasion to be daring. Asked why someone should believe in an almighty and loving God amid evidence of suffering, Magill backed off traditional doctrine. "I give up the 'almighty' part," she answered. "God is as powerful as those who believe in Him or Her and who let God guide them.... But we don't always do that, so God becomes less powerful.

This is a perfect tautology, by the way. "God is only as powerful as you believe him to be, and if you don't believe enough that god is powerful, then he isn't." I don't quite think that's going to be the official position of many christian churches, although it's certainly a concept familiar with atheists: god exists because people want him/her/it to exist, because god serves an important personal and social need.

Interesting article, and an interesting conundrum in the realm of the faithful.

Forensic Identification

I was a bit skeptical when newspapers announced that they had positively identified the mummy of Queen Hapshetsut (the Egyptian pharaoh from 1473-58 BCE). We visited her temple in Deir el Bahri when we were in Egypt, and her story is one of the more interesting pieces of Egyptian history.

She was the daughter of Thutmosis I, and married her half-brother Tuthmosis II. When he died, she became regent for Tuthmosis III, but after a few years, she assumed the throne as Pharaoh. She wore the traditional male articles of clothing, the false beard of the pharaoh, and reigned Egypt during a particularly prosperous period.

However, after her death, she was effectively "erased" from Egyptian history. Her statues were smashed, her name and image were defaced whevered they appeared, and she never appeared on the 'king-lists' that show the lineage of the pharaohs for over three millennia.

Like many of the pharaohs, her mummy had never been identified. So when Zahi Hawas and the Egyptian Antiquities group decided to re-open the search, I was expecting a much less positive result. Using a combination of CT scans, MRI images and even DNA testing, they assessed four possible mummies that might be Hatshepsut. The 3D image generated by the scans allowed them to compare known data and relics with the possible mummies -- and indeed, the final identifying bit was a broken tooth!

From a sealed box that has been accepted as belonging to Hatshepsut -- it's provenance is well known and everyone agrees that the contents of the canopic box are hers -- contained a fragment of a tooth, a molar with one of the roots broken off. The scans show that is matches exactly to the remaining broken root in the mummy that they had believed to be the queen.

Discovery channel did a special on the investigation which was fascinating (and reminded me that Mr. Hawas has never met a camera he didn't like!).

Miss Clicky Butt

Well, the vet doesn't seem too worried about Berit's clicking -- he thinks that it is a tendon issue, probably in her left knee. Everything feels fine, nothing seems to be painful, everything seems to work.

Since she's growing so fast, it's most likely a transient problem. If it continues, he says, we may want to xray next week at our 11 week appointment. But, it hasn't slowed her down at all, so I'm going to try not to worry!

And the growing like weeds? Berit is 20.2 pounds this week, Rowan is 22.4. They're not quite 10 weeks old.

Oy.

Deathly Hallows

No spoilers, I promise.

The Adorable Husband is avoiding me -- for fear that I will spoil the ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for him. I finished yesterday afternoon, he's still about half-way through the book. We actually bought two copies because we couldn't figure out how to share nicely!

I really enjoyed it -- I think it's the best book yet, and I was very surprised by the plot twists. I haven't been keeping up with all the 'predictions' sites, so I really had no idea what the rest of the world seemed to expect. It was quite different than I thought it would be.

If you don't want to inadvertently get spoilers for the ending (or anything else in the book) then you had better sit down and read it quickly, and don't websurf or watch the news! Details seem to be everywhere.

Clicking!

Berit has started clicking. I can't tell if it's her knee, hip, elbow, or what. About half the time she's romping around, she sounds like someone cracking their knuckles, or those bad-knee clicks that the Adorable Husband has all the time.

We thought at first it was her collar, but after taking it off and letting her romp in the backyard, it's definitely her making the clicking noise. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, and it certainly hasn't slowed her down much.

I'm hoping it's just a fast-growing side-effect (they are about six inches taller than they were two weeks ago!) and it is nothing serious, but we have a vet appointment today, just in case. With such big beasties, we always worry about hip dysplasia or other bone problems, but just two weeks ago, our vet thought she felt fine. But, like I said, they are growing like the proverbial weeds, so who knows. Gah.

Fur it, or agin it?

This same bill that Bush threatened to veto back in May he is now using to slam his critics. Now it's the democrats who are against pay raises? After he strongly opposed the more-generous pay raise that the democrats sent him in May? Well, of course no one is going to remember that, and I'll give a buck to anyone who hears about it on the news now. Fat chance.

President Bush, (Friday morning):

I’m joined by veterans and military families here to express support to our troops and their mission in Iraq. I want to thank you all for being here today. We’ve just finished a really good meeting. In our discussions, these folks had a message that all of us in Washington need to hear. It is time to rise above partisanship, stand behind our troops in the field, and give them everything they need to succeed. In February I submitted to Congress a Defense Department spending bill for the upcoming fiscal year that will provide funds to upgrade our equipment for our troops in Iraq and provides a pay raise for our military - a comprehensive spending request - that Congress has failed to act on.

President Bush, May 16, 2007:

Military Pay: The Administration strongly opposes sections 601 and 606. The additional 0.5 percent increase above the President’s proposed 3.0 percent across-the-board pay increase is unnecessary

Where is this granted?

Can someone explain to me where the constitution enumerates these dictatorial powers to the executive? Huh? It doesn't? Maybe someone ought to tell this administration.

WASHINGTON — In the growing battle between the White House and Congress, the administration will block the Justice Department from prosecuting any contempt charges that Congress may bring as a result of the administration's claim of executive privilege, according to a news report.

Administration officials have discussed the plan for several weeks, a move that could derail ongoing attempts in Congress to uncover new documents or testimony in the investigation of last year's firings of several U.S. attorneys, The Washington Post reported.

"A U.S. attorney would not be permitted to bring contempt charges or convene a grand jury in an executive privilege case," an unnamed administration official told The Washington Post, adding, "A U.S. attorney wouldn't be permitted to argue against the reasoned legal opinion that the Justice Department provided. No one should expect that to happen."

Here's the full report.

Me? Bad? Naaaahhhh

Of course they're little angels. They'd never do anything bad.....

Escapees

I was woken up this morning by...two extremely happy little puppy faces at the side of my bed. On the second floor. Past both the puppy prison playpen and door gate meant to keep them in my office.

It took me a few moments to realize that something was wrong with this picture and quite a bit longer to chase down the little weasels and get them back downstairs (since they apparently can go UP the stairs, but not down.)As far as I can tell, they had broken out of puppy jail by pushing the whole playpen thing about six feet, until the free end was finally past the edge of the bookcase and then slipped out to run amok in the house. I have no idea how long they were out before they ventured upstairs -- but there was suprisingly little damage, all told. Shredded toilet paper, all the kitchen towels in the living room in little spit-soaked heaps, my shoes all over, tipped-over bag of dog food.

Uulaq was hiding in the other bedroom. She must have thought it was her fault they were loose and she didn't want to be anywhere near the fallout when I discovered that she'd let them run around the house!

No pee spots (at least that I can find). They must have had a great time!

Math Problems

I can't resist copying this snippet from Pharyngula:

• Fundamentalists: believe 2+2 =5 because It Is Written. Somewhere. They have a lot of trouble on their tax returns.
• "Moderate" believers: live their lives on the basis that 2+2=4. but go regularly to church to be told that 2+2 once made 5, or will one day make 5, or in a very real and spiritual sense should make 5.
• "Moderate" atheists: know that 2+2 =4 but think it impolite to say so too loudly as people who think 2+2=5 might be offended.
• "Militant" atheists: "Oh for pity's sake. HERE. Two pebbles. Two more pebbles. FOUR pebbles. What is WRONG with you people?"

Cellphone Danger

This is actually a pretty awful story -- a car accident in Lexington, KY, where a woman and her six-year-old child were serioudly injured after their truck flipped over in the oncoming lane.

Jacqueline Dotson and her six-year-old daughter had to be cut out of their vehicle after the accident in which Dotson veered into the median and over-corrected, rolling her truck over the guardrail and landing upside down after flipping several times.

A good samaritan stopped, and put a tourniquet on Dotson's severed arm. She and her daughter should be fine.

But I clearly recognize that I am a bad person because the following sentences in the story actually made me sort of laugh.

Several people stopped to help, and it turns out, the good samaritans may very well have saved Dotson's life. Sheila Vice, a nurse's aide, and an off-duty EMT from another county stopped to help, and put a tourniquet on Dotson's arm to stop the bleeding. Her arm was found near the accident still clutching a cell phone.

Let me just repeat: Her arm was found near the accident, still clutching a cell phone.

Think that was the cause of the accident? I see dozens of drivers every single day that swerve all over, stop or move abruptly...all because they've got that phone plastered to their ear. I was nearly hit in a parking lot when a women sort of spasmed and slammed on the brakes as she ducked below the dash to fetch her ringing cellphone. She was so absolutely conditioned to answer it Right. This. Second that she forgot everything else that she was doing.

The damn things should be banned while driving. Even hands-free phones, when the driver simply HAS to answer them the microsecond they ring, can cause drivers to be erratic and unpredictable.

Spare Dog

Uulaq is molting. She does this twice a year, of course (more often if she's stressed) and hair is coming off of her in hunks. Her other name is "Sheds like Buffalo". The amount of hair is amazing.

This enormous pile is from one side of the dog. And not even that completely brushed out.

We also got the Weasels little harnesses -- so while we teach them to walk on a leash we aren't yanking them around by the neck. They look like teeny-weeny sled dogs.


More pictures on Flickr, of course!