We Rescued 'Speedy'

Hi, I know it's been a while since I've written my own thoughts, and that disturbs me. I wish I didn't get so many emails, but I would be sad if I didn't. Go figure.

Our neighbor moved and asked us to be responsible for his cat, Speedy. Like the softy I am, I opened up my big and said okay. Then we thought about it. We already have other rescued kitties, so we asked him if he could take Speedy to a relative or a friend.

After he left the apartment for good, we went to check because no one told us anything. We couldn't find Speedy, so we thought he had taken him to his sister's house. Nope. He just left him here. For 2 whole weeks this poor guy did not have any food or water. I hate that.

When the exterminator came to clean the place, we finally got a glimpse of him! (We searched that whole empty apartment, and there was no place to hide that I did not check...except for one place, in a tine hole behind the refrigerator!).

Well, I told the exterminator at that point that he was not allowed to bomb that apartment because there was a live animal in there. This guy was a true jerk. After we found him and brought him home, this jerk refused to come back which was in his contract!

Anyway. I took him to the veterinarian today, and he has worms (just like I told the people who had him before us), gingivitis on his back gums, and they did some blood work. It came to over $300!!! My God, have I been missing something? It used to cost me no more than $100 dollars. And so the stimulus keeps ripping us off...but I didn't care. I paid it.

He is doing well now. I just fed him (again!), and he seems back to normal. He has to go back for one more worm pill and so the doctor can how he is progressing. He is about 3-4 years old, grey and black with big, thick lines. Not the kind you see on a tabby, these are so beautiful.

I am fortunate in a way. I have been visiting him since he was a baby. I would knock on my neighbor's door and ask if Speedy was home. I also asked if he could play. This helped in the transition, because there were so many people coming in and out of that place. He had to hide most of the time. Except when I came over. He would always come to me.

So why didn't he come to me when we were searching for him? I believe he was afraid out of his wits. I found him by moving the refrigerator (NOT an easy task) and found him stuck between the kitchen sink and cabinets. He was so thin. He hadn't eaten or drank anything for 2 whole weeks at least.

I immediately scooped him up in my arms and sat with him. I wanted him to feel safe. I wanted him to remember me. I sang softly to him. He remembered. He looked up at me and then into my eyes. I 'meowed' to me that everything was going to be alright now, and we brought him home.

He now lives here, and no one is going to change that. He is my cat now. After you abandon an animal, it's mine. So for all of you creeps out there, do NOT leave your animal alone for over 4 days. If I find it, I will also find a good home for it. I'm sick of these people claiming to care and they believe it's alright to murder a child without due process and just leave an animal anywhere, anytime they are inconvenienced. DO YOU THINK I AM NOT?

I gave up new clothes 23 years ago when we got Gracie, our first cat. She is in Heaven now, but she brought us much joy. I held her in my arms as she took her last breath, and we were alone...sort of. God was with us. He saw. He knew. That's the only Glory worth having.

OMG, Speedy wants my attention, so I'm afraid I have to end this. He is doing very well! Thank you to all who understand, go away to those who don't. We only so much time on earth, and I don't want to waste it on you.

Have a great weekend everyone, and God bless!

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

This You Have To See

This morning I was listening to Doug Stephan, and he has a collection of videos that people send to him. This one is my favorite, because I am an animal and bird lover. It's only 2:42 minutes long. Enjoy.

If the video doesn't work, here is the link.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Veterinarian Aids Iraqi Farmers

by Staff Sgt. Jody Metzger
MND-B PAO

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq (Jan. 6, 2008) – The prosperous rebuilding of Baghdad has reached far throughout the countryside, taking account of the health and welfare of the citizens. As security systems have been established, the focus of U.S. efforts in the area has shifted to aiding and building capacity in other needed areas, like agricultural and veterinary needs.

For nearly two decades, the agriculture infrastructure deteriorated due to Saddam Hussein’s rule. Oil became the county’s livelihood and Iraq depended on the value of its oil to be able to import the necessities such as food and clothing. The negligent response to their country’s needs further weakened the growth of agriculture and farming.

Recognizing this strain on the Iraqi economy and populace, the 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, has taken special consideration of Iraq’s lack of resources by appointing Capt. Suzanne Todd, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., who serves with 425th Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to 4th Inf. Div., MND-B, as the division’s agriculture and veterinary advisor.

Well-suited for the position, Todd has degrees in international relations as well as agriculture and veterinary medicine. She acquired a bachelor’s degree in international relations from William and Mary University in Virginia. While completing her degree, Todd joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1992 at the age of 21. She became a second lieutenant as a signal corps officer in the reserves after graduating.

After spending time in the reserves, Todd decided that she wanted to go to veterinarian school with the funding help of the military. Following graduation from Michigan State with a veterinary medicine degree, Todd joined the ranks of the Army as a veterinary officer.

Although Todd has achieved a stellar education, which could provide her with a good civilian career, she always felt the need to be in the Army. “I have always wanted to be in the military. It’s kind of what I always wanted to do when I graduated, but at the time they were downsizing the active duty military, so I joined the reserves,” said Todd.

The influence to join the Army came from Todd’s mother and father who also served their country in the Army. Though they didn’t actively push for their daughter to join, they were very supportive of her decision. “My mother was an Army nurse and father was in the medical field. They had both had good experiences.”

Todd’s interests in agriculture and animals and her tenacity to follow her heart have paid off. As an adviser for MND-B, she now looks at her career field as a way to helping educate local Iraqi farmers on more advanced techniques. Her co-workers revere her hard work ethic and her expertise.

“She is a great interest to our Team,” said Lt. Col. Arnold Csan, chief of the Civil Affairs Planning Team, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B. “Since she has been here, she has gone out on missions to the vocational college and the vaccine center, both of which serve countrywide. Her focus as an agriculture expert for MND-B has been behind the largest employment of young men in Iraq.”

MND-B has marshaled a contingent of solutions and support for Iraq’s progress toward normalcy. Todd has consulted with Iraqi farmers and veterinary hospital clinics and instituted a plan to redevelop the farming infrastructure.

“One of the things they have problems with is the salinity in the soil because their traditional method of irrigation is flood irrigation. They open up the flood gates of their irrigation canals and they flood their fields with water. If there is a high salinity or salt content in the soil, which there is, that ends up in the water.”

There is a way to reclaim the land, she explained, but it takes a while to leach that salinity out of the soil. The water comes in the same way, but they have to treat it before they use it on their fields.

Since arriving in Baghdad, Todd has advised and introduced new methods of irrigation to the struggling farmers of the area such as drip and spray irrigation, along with pioneering the idea of employing a new variety of high-yield seeds.

Along with her work with the farmers and their irrigation and crop-growing needs, Todd has also done extensive work relating to the farm animals, which are equally important to the welfare and sustenance of the Iraqi people.

“If you consider agriculture, it also goes along with animal agriculture. The animals that we raise to be our food – that’s where veterinarian medicine plays a role. We as veterinarians are concerned not only about the health of livestock we grow for food but how their health impacts our health. The diseases that the animals get can impact what diseases we get – [that’s] the public health aspect.”

The mission Todd performs so effectively and passionately is yet another piece in the overall mission of the Ironhorse Division and MND-B and her work in building capacity among Iraqi farmers and farm animal producers ultimately affects the overall health of the people in and around Baghdad and their quality of life.

Capt. Suzanne Todd (left), pauses for a photo with Col. Lyle Jackson, a veterinary officer who serves with Multi-National Corps-Iraq, and an unidentified man at a poultry farm in Arbil in northern Iraq in October. Todd’s primary mission is to track veterinary and agriculture issues of the Iraqi people.

Source: CENTCOM.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Open Trackpost Saturday 8 Nov 08

Hi. I really feel more like reading than I do writing at this time. No matter what I do, my inbox keeps get fuller and fuller. I guess I shouldn't complain, but it's stuff that I have to delete. I cannot do it all.

My kittie, Raider, had her operation, and she is doing well. They removed 3 kidney stones, and they looked awful. They looked like sharp, jagged pieces of rocks, but they were flat. Or so it appears. I'm glad that's almost done with (she still has to go back to have her stitches removed).

Well, that's about it. Please leave a link to one of your fabulous posts, then trackback to this permalink so we may read it also. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Thanks, and have a great weekend. Have a nice weekend.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

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Marines Lend Hand To Iraqi Farmers

by Cpl. Chris Mann
RCT-1 PAO

RAMADI, Iraq (October 21, 2008) – Marines with Civil Affairs Team 3, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, assessed a new irrigation system being built in an open expanse of farmland in the Sophia area of Ramadi, Iraq, Oct. 8, 2008. The new system is one of six being built to improve the quality of life for many local farmers and civilians living in Ramadi. Each system will enhance farmers’ ability to raise crops and animals, helping to boost the local economy.

“The biggest benefit of irrigation is farmers have water available to grow crops and feed their animals and family,” said Staff Sgt. Ben J. Lund, a 34-year-old assistant team leader from North Lake, Wis., with Team 3. The systems also assist farmers in raising a surplus of crops and animals to sell on the local market, said Lund. Much of the soil in Iraq is not completely ideal for farming. Arid atmospheres, hot temperatures, little rainfall and sandy topsoil put a serious hamper on many simple farming operations.

Irrigation is a method of farming that has been used since the Mesopotamian era and helps produce fertile soil in what would be an otherwise barren landscape. Irrigation projects like this one help keep farmers in Ramadi in business. “This project is one of the smaller ones that we are working on, but the big overall picture will benefit many people living near the irrigation stations and substations,” said 1st Lt. David B. Gilliland, a 24-year-old civil affairs team leader from Florence, Ky., with Team 3.

The team met with an Iraqi contractor in charge of designing the irrigation canal and discussed details of the systems design. A pipe will be placed to carry water from the Euphrates River to the farmland. An electric pump pushes the water into separate canals dug in the farmland, distributing water to crops and their root systems planted in columns next to the canal. The pump will run off of a fuel-powered generator designed to provide electricity in an area where power gridlines aren’t available to the local populous. Sheiks and tribal leaders from the area will maintain the generator and provide the fuel used to run it.

“Once a scope of work has been established and a contract is signed, we monitor the project to completion,” said Lund. “Our job is to verify the work is being done per the contract and no shortcuts are being taken.” The irrigation project and several others were planned by provincial ministries that maintain water resources for the government of Iraq. Coalition forces simply help coordinate purchases and contracts and check on progress and the security of the neighboring areas.

The project is being paid for using Iraqi Commander’s Emergency Response Program funds rather than (U.S.) CERP funds. ICERP allows U.S. military commanders the ability to spend government of Iraq funds to provide urgent humanitarian relief and reconstruction requirements within their areas of operation.

“The really great thing about this project is that it is being paid for with Iraqi funds,” said Gilliland. Civil affairs Marines frequently work with provincial government organizations of Iraq, planning and executing future projects designed to restore balance to a once unstable region. Many Iraqi citizens who live in predominantly rural areas earn their living raising crops and animals. Farming often times provides them with some of their only means to earn money. What may only seem to be a simple water pump and an irrigation canal to many, will offer several citizens of Ramadi a better future. The project is scheduled for completion within the next several weeks.

1st Lt. David B. Gilliland, a 24-year-old Civil Affairs team leader with Team 3, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, works with an interpreter to speak with an Iraqi contractor about an irrigation canal being built in Sophia area of Ramadi, Iraq, Oct. 8. Gilliland, originally from Florence, Ky., and the team of Civil Affairs Marines are working with the Government of Iraq to ensure the local farming community has access to several irrigation canals being built.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Belated Update: Kitty Raider

I was so exausted when my brother got home, I forgot to write about how everything is going. She is great! They pumped her stomach, gave her the CORRECT medication by shot, and now she is fine. Now all we have to do is watch out for those three little kidney stones. She goes back to the Veternarian Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008 at 4:30 pm. We'll see what happens from there.

Thank you to everyone who prayed with me. God heard your prayers, and answered them positively. The previous link about my kitty is right here. Good night all!

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Dear God, Please Save My Kitty

Dear God,

I accidentally gave Raider my medication instead of the medication I have to give her for another 3 weeks for her kidney stones. I have epilepsy, and she is on her way to the emergency hospital right now. Please God, watch over her. Save her. Help them know what to do when she gets there. I wrote down all the information they need. It was 10 pm when it happened, I gave my brother my meds and hers so the doctor will know what to do. Please God, I do not want to lose my Raider.

I am so sorry this happened. It was my fault, not hers. Please protect her, Lord. She should be at the Vets by now. They are going to call me. I don't know why, maybe for money, but that's okay. She is worth it. Every penny. I just pray she will forgive me. It will probably be easier for her to do, since she is a cat and does not know any better, than it will be for me to forgive myself. I need your help, God. Thank You for always being there.

At least this time when I write You, it isn't because I cannot get over one of my babies deaths. (Kitties) Thank You again, and I love You so very much. I hope today is a good one for You. I pray for Your flock, that we should all remember You and Your Mercy, Justice, Love, Comfort, and Almighty Power and Goodness.

Just one question. How can You continue to love a screw-up like me?

Before I finished that sentence right before this one, I want anyone who reads this to know, the doctor just called. She is going to be alright. Thank You, God, for continuing to love screw-ups like me. You are AWESOME!

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Until we meet again, dear Furball

My dearest Furball,

I'm so sorry I am not at the hospital with you. I forgot John was taking you there today. I had no idea you were so ill. Your liver is shot, you have tubes all the place, and you need a feeding tube. The medicines are many, and you are suffering. Should we force you to stay alive? This is difficult for me, because I love you. I also do not believe it is my right to decide whether or not to make this kind of decision. However, you may not know this, but we are financially poor.

My first response was, "I don't care how much it costs, keep her alive!" Then it was explained to me that they had specialists coming in from all over the place, and even they said there was no guarantee of your survival. I hate money!

No, it's not money I hate, it's the fact that we do not have enough to keep you with us. I didn't even get the chance to say, 'Until we meet again.' I miss you already, and you are not even on your way to Heaven! Do not worry. We have plenty pictures of you, and we will place them right next to Gracie's pictures. Every time we feel blue, we will look at those pictures and remember you.

Do you remember the time when I was living across the hall and you attack Flea? That is because you had just receive Pun'kin as your adopted daughter. You were a very good protector. I don't know what she is going to do without you, but she will find a way to carry on. She is good hands, Furball.

Damn it, I feel responsible. I noticed you were getting skinny, and everyone kept telling me it was natural. You were even taken to a doctor who said you were fine. I think I shall have that veterinarian's license pulled! How could not have known? Heck, I KNEW there was something wrong. If I had known this would be the result, I would not have pushed and pushed him to take you to the vet. Please forgive me, dear Furball.

In Heaven, there is no more pain, there is tall grass for you to romp in, there is perfect tempature, there is your favorite food, there are no more worries, and we shall be there someday to join you. Don't you worry about us. We'll be alright, except this excruxiating pain I feel in my heart. It does go away. It took years for it to go away after we lost Gracie, but I always smile fondly when I look at it now. I remember all the good times we shared, and I thank God for giving me permission to watch over His adorable creature. I thank Him also for you. Until we meet again...

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way to Heaven.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Medics vaccinate Afghan villagers in Parwan

by Pvt. Tamara Gabbard
382nd Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (June 30, 2008) – An Airman and Sailor from Combined Joint Task Force-101, teamed up with Afghan doctors and other Coalition medics, June 26, and hosted a village medical outreach in the Nilay Village of the Kohe Safi District, Parawan province, Afghanistan. The VMO was held to help foster relationships between Coalition forces, local governments and local doctors – and aimed at improving the health of Afghans living in the province.

When VMOs are held, the command tries to include female providers, interpreters and veterinarians. With this mission, they were able to bring two female providers with two interpreters and one veterinarian, said Air force Capt. Marshall Fiscus, Parwan province’s chief medical officer. “When you bring in this type of assistance, it really shows that you respect their culture,” said Navy Cmdr. Betsy Myhre, the officer in charge of the cooperative medical assistance team. “Not only is it better for the trust to allow females to see female doctors, but [bringing in the vets] shows that we care about their livelihood, also.”

Animals are very important to Afghan people and their livelihood, she explained. The Vets set up outside and inspected animals the villagers brought to them. They de-wormed and vaccinated them and gave advice to the herd owners. “We want to come in with a village concept,” said Fiscus. “We really don’t want to segregate, and that is why we bring in all the different providers.” Myhre agreed. “The key thing on these missions is that the people involved truly understand the culture,” she said. “We bring in people, such as the interpreters from this country, to help [the villagers] understand that we mean no harm.”

Navy Cmdr. Beth Myhre checks a girl's burn scars during a medical outreach in Nilay Village in the Kohe Sofe District, Parwan province, Afghanistan, June 26.

Source: CENTCOM.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Whales worth more than Sailors

That is the only reason I can understand the ruling of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Apparently, they believe they are more apt to run a war than the Admirals themselves, and this decision proves them so vastly wrong.

Even Justice Kennedy couldn't swallow this one:

Under the guidance of Anthony Kennedy, the Supremes have lately taken to arrogating war powers to themselves. (See here.) But even Justice Kennedy may blanch at National Resources Defense Council v. Winter. In that case, the Ninth Circuit ruled that preparing the Navy to fight in a time of war was not an "emergency," and that our sailors must stop training lest their sonar harm . . . whales.

Just tipping you off as to what to watch for in the next round of SCOTUS decisions. There is a possibility this will never be decided, but the Supremes have decided to at least hear it. That is a step in the right direction.

This should also give us pause to consider who we vote for when we vote. I am not endorsing anyone here, I am just suggesting that we try to find out as much as we can about their policies - especially in matters such as judges - so that we may make an informed decision.

I have just one question really. If we are in a war and need to practice and train, and this is not considered an emergency; what, pray tell, is?

Source: WSJ's Opinion Journal.

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Cross-posted @ The Talon. Digg!

Pygmy hippos caught on camera

This secretive little fella was captured on film outside of the Liberian zoo by a group of conservationists. He is known as a pygmy hippo (hexaprotodon liberiensis), and they were thought to live mostly in the Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Now for a little history of this creature and why they are on the endangered species list. These is thought to be only 3,000 of these pygmy hippos alive today, and they are on the endangered species list due to all the wars, degradation of their habitat, and poaching. People rarely seem, and they usually live in isolated pockets in rivers and swamps in the forests of Africa. But don't let that fool you. They spend more time on land than their larger, more well known, relatives. These 'little' guys feed on leaves and other swamp vegetation, and they can grow up to six feet in length and weigh as much as 300 pounds!

The people who took the time and effort to find out if there were anymore pygmy hippos still alive come in a few groups. Some of them are:

Experts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) set up special hidden cameras in Liberia's only national park -- and the first images of the wild pygmy hippos were recorded within the first three days.

Working alongside Flora and Fauna International and Liberia's Forestry Development Agency, the ZSL team, led by Ben Collen, set up the extensive monitoring of Sapo National Park to try to discover how much the hippo had suffered from Liberia's brutal civil wars.

The team of British conservationists were astonished to discover the wild pygmy hippo had not been wiped out by the fighting as previously thought.
~snip~
The camera traps will remain in place as part of an ongoing monitoring program for the species. The information from the monitoring programmer will be collated, together with information on threats to the species, to produce an accurate population estimate and conservation plan. [Source: CNN-Europe, continue reading.]

This is where we part company, for the time being. Could someone please explain to me how it is possible, since this is a secretive mammal, how we will ever know how many really are that still exist? How do we know, for a fact, that none exist in the Amazon rain forests? Do any live in China? India? The Middle East? The forests of the United States?!?

Just because we have not seen them, does not mean they do not exist. We haven't seen bin Ladin in years. Does this mean he no longer exists? Hmm...

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Four-legged war fighters dwell in new abode

10 Aug 07
By Cpl. Ryan R. Jackson
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD).

AL ASAD, Iraq - Throughout the theatre, service members are continually asking for and receiving operational gear they need to accomplish their mission.

The latest troops on Al Asad to get new mission essential equipment were the four-legged war fighters, more commonly known as military working dogs, of Task Force Military Police, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, who received new kennels during a ribbon cutting ceremony, July 18. The new kennels were approximately a year and a half in the making and cost approximately $400,000. The kennels are a huge step in the right direction to properly house and care for the dogs, according to 1st Lt. William Turner, military working dog officer in charge.

The facility features include running water and drainage, a rinse tub for washing the dogs, and larger training grounds and break areas. The new training area contains a large obedience course, which is a set of obstacles designed to strengthen a dog and handlers teamwork. The biggest addition to the new facility is the capacity to house 12 dogs. For normal operational purposes each forward operating base normally maintains only a few dogs.

With the increased housing capacity, Al Asad will eventually become the main hub for military working dogs as other FOBs close down and troops draw back, according to the Multi National Forces-West regional kennel master, Tech. Sgt. Nancy Hinostroza.

The biggest difference between the old kennels and the new facility is the billeting situation. In the former kennels the dogs slept in cages beneath the handlers beds and there was almost no separation between the two throughout the day. Now each dog has their own large kennel and each handler has their own room.

“They are the first professional kennels in MNF-W,” said Turner. “The restrictions being in a combat zone has always forced the handlers and dogs to live together, but here we are able to separate them out in a more professional manner.”

Separating the teams is more hygienic and keeps each end of the team healthier.

“The new kennels are more sanitary, in our old kennels we didn’t have anywhere to bathe the dogs,” said Hinostroza. “Now, we have an actual break yard where the dogs can stretch out and it’s great for training.”

The new facility is geared towards expanding on the dogs needs. The training grounds and hygiene equipment lead to better physical health of the furry war fighters, while separating them from their handlers improves their mental health.

“Now we get some separation, we’re not with our dogs all day,” said Hinostroza. “Sometimes you just need a break from your dog. Now, when we get them they are like ‘Come on, take me out!’ instead of like ‘Good morning, what’s going on?’ they are much happier to see us.”

Photo - Sgt. Aaron DeSalvo, a military working dog handler, walks his dog Kelsey through the obedience course at the new kennel facility, July 18. The facility has an improved break yard and larger obedience course, which is used to improve the dog and handlers teamwork skills.

Source: Chaotic Synaptic Activity.

Radio Free Asia News 8.1.2007

North Korea Cracks Down on 'Korean Wave' of Illicit TV.
SEOUL — Authorities in North Korea are intensifying a crackdown on smuggled imports of South Korean popular culture, especially television dramas, but the South’s “Korean Wave” may already have taken hold in the isolated Stalinist state. South Korean music, soap operas, and movies have already taken the rest of East Asia by storm, and, according to North Koreans now living in the South, North Korea is no exception. “North Koreans enjoy South Korean TV drama because it is interesting and realistic,” one North Korean defector told RFA's Korean service. “North Koreans love the fact that South Korean TV drama is not about politics, but about love and life, the fundamentals of human existence anywhere in this world.”

Chinese Authorities Close Tibetan Literary Web Site.
HONG KONG — Authorities in the northern Chinese city of Xian have closed a literary Web site run by a Tibetan, apparently for posting “political” content, the editor said. The site, known as “The Lamp,” claimed some 800 registered forum users. It was closed July 4 by Internet police in the city, the editor told RFA’s Tibetan service. “When we called the [service provider], they thought perhaps it was due to the detection of political content by the Chinese Internet police,” the editor said, adding that the Chinese service provider was unsure of the reasons for closure.

Education, Employment Top Concerns for Tibetan Youth.
WASHINGTON — Tibetan youths seeking jobs inside Tibet are increasingly frustrated by a system that depends on making the right connections and learning Mandarin Chinese, young Tibetans and outside experts say. “Since we do not have any connections, we are unable to do anything,” one Tibetan college student in China tells RFA’s Tibetan service.

Bhutanese Lama Saves Animals from Slaughter.
A Buddhist teacher in Bhutan has set up an unusual network of sanctuaries in the hills and jungles of the tiny Himalayan kingdom and in its giant neighbor India to care for hundreds of animals saved from slaughter. “I would like to save as many animals as I can, but it won’t be possible to save them all,” the lama, Kunzang Dorjee, said in an interview. “No one can do that. But we have to do whatever we can.” Lama Kunzang began to rescue animals seven years ago, he said, when five bulls escaped from a slaughterhouse and made their way directly to his monastery in Kalimpong, India, passing other houses on the way. The bulls refused to leave the temple grounds, and it seemed to him that they were seeking help, Lama Kunzang said.

China Confiscates Muslims' Passports.
HONG KONG — Authorities in northwestern China have begun confiscating the passports of Muslims, mostly ethnic Uyghurs, in an apparent bid to prevent them from making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca , local residents and officials say. An officer who answered the phone at the Tengritagh district public security bureau [police department] of the Xinjiang regional capital, Urumqi , said local residents were required to "register" their passports with local neighborhood committees, the basic building blocks of social control in China . “The authorities of local residential offices are collecting the passports,” he told RFA’s Uyghur service. “Local residential offices are collecting the passports in order to register them...The authorities will keep the passports for the public. If they want to go to other countries, they can come to fetch their passports. The authorities will give the passports back to them accordingly.”

Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation that broadcasts news and information in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. The purpose of RFA is to provide a forum for a variety of opinions and voices from within these Asian countries. Our Web site adds a global dimension to this objective. RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to Join RFA News.

Someone Please teach me how to Digg!

Okay, I admit. I do not know everything. I have been spending most of the day trying to Digg one of my posts to no avail. Of course, this does not include the time I spent on the phone with Poison Control, because my cat swallowed some Boracks (sp?) today! She was rushed to the hospital (I woke my brother up and had him take her). She is fine now, in case case anyone cares.

I do not understand (totally) what the words "TITLE" and the such mean. Which goes where? Where can I find this information on Digg? They don't seem to have any searches for things like this (to my knowledge). I must be doing it wrong, because it sure isn't working. :(

Thank you so kindly. Have a wonderful day.