Charitable Giving

I found this article recently in the Washington Post ?How to Be Routinely Charitable. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/18/AR2007101802046.html

On the surface, it sounds like some good advice, but as always, buyer beware.

Working Assets (http://www.workingassets.com) does not allow you to determine what they support. The organizations they are supporting are listed at http://www.workingassets.com/Recipients.aspx and while there are some you and I may support, there are many you may not want to support with your dollars.

The GivingExpress Program (http://www.americanexpress.com/give) allows American Express cardholders to make donations to a charity of their choice through automatic donations, redeeming Rewards, etc. And just in case you were worried too much of your donation would go to the cause you want, 2.25% is deducted for processing costs, although the full amount is tax deductible.

That's the bad, here's the better...

For online shopping, iGive (http://www.igive.com) will donate a portion of the sales to the charity of your choice. It seems pretty flexible, lots of choices.

And try out GoodSearch (http://www.goodsearch.com), which gives a portion of proceeds to your charity and has discounts at many retailers.

And perhaps the best and least used:

Frequent flier miles can be donated to Make a Wish or the Red Cross.

Those Doggone Conservationists

Interesting views on environmental conservation: http://www.slate.com/id/2225607/entry/2225663/

From Endangered in South Africa
In the United States, where 15 percent of land is protected, conservation dollars are tied up on costly activities like lobbying, legal battles, and buying up some of the most expensive real estate there is. As the Nature Conservancy's lead scientist, M.A. Sanjayan, has observed, "Conservation has always cost less to do abroad than in the United States." Yet one study estimates that more than half of the $1.5 billion spent by international conservation organizations in 2002 went to habitat protection in the United States.

Teka is spayed

Wild dogs maul elderly couple

In Georgia, a pack of wild dogs mauled an elderly woman, and later her husband. For the story: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/08/19/20090819DogAttack0819.html

First of all, the guy that was feeding them probably thought he was doing something good but that is ignorant. That's like those people that feed coyotes and then can't figure out why the coyotes are eating their pets.

Secondly, why does it take something like this for someone to round up a PACK of dogs?

Lastly, if Ingrid (Peta) had her way, all animals would be free, so this would be a common occurrence. Of course, the herds of cats roaming the plains might distract the dogs from eating people.

Go Green--pee in the shower!

According to Ode Magazine: The Brazilian environmental group SOS Mata Atlantica wants to save the Atlantic rain forest, and it's found an unusual way to get folks to help. The group recently released television ads urging citizens to pee in the shower - arguing that one less flush a day could save "up to 4,380 liters (1,157 gallons) of water annually." Click here for more, as well as the not-as-gross-as-it-sounds advertisement itself! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/04/brazil-wants-its-reidents_n_251116.html?utm_source=Ode+Newsletters&utm_campaign=2fa968e167-good-news-weekly-rss&utm_medium=email
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ_DNc1zbxI&feature=player_embedded

Cassi's fatty tumors

Cassi has had a skin tag under her armpit that was hanging down, unlike most fatty tumors that are just under the skin. (Fatty tumors are very common in Weimaraners.) She has developed some of those under the skin also, but the one that is hanging, I have had the vet look at a couple of times in the past year. It wasn't bothering her, so we decided to monitor.

Last week, when I was scheduling Teka's visit, I decided to have Cassi go in too so they could look at it. I thought it looked worse. Originally, it looked like her fur, just hanging down. By last week, it was almost smooth, with very little fur left on it, just tufts sticking out. After making the appointment, it got worse. Friday, it was red for the first time. Saturday (while we were up north) it started to bother her. She was licking it. We figured out that it was leaking, something like pus and blood, and it was round and hard. So Monday, I called the vet's office first thing and they said to bring her in. They took her and cut off 7 fatty tumors. That hanging part was sent to make sure it is benign.

I picked Cassi up at lunchtime and took her home. She is pitiful; she looks like she was attacked. She had a really hard time with the anesthesia I think--she could barely walk last night. She is better today, starting to eat, drink, potty.

Dr. Ferrara also looked at her ears to see if there was anything that would cause Horner's but didn't find anything. We will not pursue further tests unless she has more symptoms. He cleaned her teeth and said they were very good, just a little tartar in the back.

Parks AZ Hunt Test

We spent the weekend up north for the hunt test. It was very windy on Saturday so I am all dried out. I have a little paperwork left to do, but then I'm done with my secretary duties.