Sheepville

One of the things I've noticed about the west coast is their prevention of natural selection which has dumbed down the population considerably. One of the earlier things I noticed was when Tracy and I took a trip to the deforested and strip mined section of Washington called Mount Saint Helens is they had signs warning people it was illegal to leave the paved road without a permit. I asked Tracy why. She said it was to make sure people knew how not to get lost. I said then we didn't stop anyone in the south that was dumb enough to get lost in the woods, it's called thinning the herd. I've found out since I've been living here they send search and rescue parties after these people all the time. We didn't have search and rescue in the south, as to why, refer to thinning the herd. What's really amazing is several families in the last year have actually gotten lost while in their vehicles and had to be rescued because they took a wrong turn off the interstate and got lost deep in the mountains in a snowstorm. I once got hit by a white-out and it scared the living daylights out of me. I'm creeping along at two miles an hour only staying in the road by feeling which side of my tires left the pavement and hit the shoulder. I had no chance of winding up on some logging road half way up a mountain lost.

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=strandedbridge24m&date=20070324&query=bridge+idaho

This is why they need to start allowing natural selection out here. Washington has ordered a bridge section (actually three, this was the first to be on its way) and after making it all the way from Minnesota it was stopped at the border between Washington and Idaho. It boils down to one state employee bought something that another state employee is saying he can't bring into the state. So we have a bunch of other state employees sitting around getting paid waiting to install this bridge section and I guess they have to wait until a bunch of other state employees change state law so they can bring their bridge section they bought into the state.

My tax dollars at waste.

Last December I called the City of Seattle and when the lady answered the phone I said, "Thank you for reminding me about my dead pet during the holidays." There was a long "Ummmm" at the other end of the line so I told her the information she needed to know and that I no longer had the animal. After I came back from a wonderful Vegas vacation I found a post card notice from the city with all this red lettering for fines, penalties, collection notices - and my first reaction was "Oh crap, what didn't I pay?" Then I read all the black and see statutes and laws and realize its about pet licensing. Threats for hundreds of dollars in fines, they're going to send a cop after me, and letting me know if they get a hold of my pet it won't be returned. Gee, you've been so nice so far what kept you from telling me you're going to send her to the gas chamber? Off in a corner they say if you no longer own the animal call them immediately. They even admit they are "aggressive"

http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=6998&dept=40

City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2/6/2007 1:15:00 PM
Seattle Animal Shelter continues aggressive pet licensing campaign Mass mailers, emphasis patrols enforce “zero tolerance” policy

That's how the link starts off. It's not that I mind they sent a post card inquiring about the pet license, its that they could have done it nicely instead of the completely uncivilized and heavy handed manner they did it. It was completely insensitive. I do miss Maggie. I discovered the above link because on occassion I still go to the Seattle Animal Shelter page and look for another Maggie. Of course I know I won't find another Maggie, so never follow through with any of them, although last time I saw one that was pretty darn close. Over time I've one by one tossed everything that was here that was hers. Maggie really became my cat, she was like me; smart, fluffy, calm. Mittens was like Tracy; high strung, guilable. When I knew I was going to lose Maggie I snapped at Tracy once that she left me with the defective cat out of misdirected anger about it. I'm apologizing publicly Tracy. :) When I had to take her for the final trip to the vet they asked me if I wanted to be with her when they did that and I couldn't. I understand why people do and commend them for doing it, but I just couldn't. I even had to ask the vet to pay her in the examination room instead of going out front to do it.

So City of Seattle (who will never read this anyway) you should consider being a little more thoughtful about your "aggressive campaign" to collect your licensing fees. A lot of people simply lost a pet they cared for is the reason you didn't get your $15.