They have to live somewhere

This may be a wildly unpopular opinion, but I think sex offenders are people too. Once they've served their debt they should have a fighting chance at having a home and a way to make a living. Tonight the city of Lewisville city council voted to increase the distance a registered sex offender can live from places where children congregate from 500 feet to 1500 feet. This new ordinance effectively makes Lewisville a no mans land for sex offenders, with 90% of residential Lewisville now off limits.

Its true, to make the "list" of sex offenders, you must have been convicted of some pretty heinous crimes, but to be living in the community, you must have already spent your hard time in prison. Punishment dealt, punishment completed. Being on "the list" already means you have restrictions on where you can live and work. No one will rent to you or hire you as it is. Now, lets put ridiculous limits on the distance your home has to be from schools and daycares and you've effectively banished all sex offenders from the city limits. As more and more municipalities pass these ordinances, soon there will be no place left for a man to start over.

Now really, what is this extra 1000 feet going to do? Absolutely nothing. To the hardend child molester that was going to re-offend, he will re-offend, regardless of how many feet he is living from a school. All this ordinance does is further punish the ones that have already changed their ways. Society needs to make up their minds about sex offenders. If we truly believe that they are a continued threat to our children even after release, then we need to lock them up forever. At least in prison they will be afforded food, a job and a place to sleep; something that the current laws do not allow them. I, for one, think child molestation and rape should be a capitol offense, punishable by death. But currently, neither of these are the case. Under the current laws, once released, sex offenders should be returned to active contributing members of society. This is becomeing increasingly impossible. What are we trying to do exactly? Force all our sex offenders to move to Mexico? Herd them all together in communes, like the Indian reservations? If we are going to imprison them in society, we should just cut to the chase and keep them in prison.

The route we as a country are going down now in regards to sex offenders is simply inhumane.

Lonely Kobster

I heard back from the animal communicator, and she says Kobie is lonely. She says he doesn't have the right companion. I guess it could be true. We have the two other cats, but he did lose his friend when Mocha died six months ago. Come to think of it, the odd behavior really began then. Well, too bad Kobie, I'm not getting you another kitty. Sorry.

Actually Kobie has bigger worries today. He has an upset tummy. He's on a 24 hour fast which is he not impressed with. Hopefully he will be feeling better tomorrow.

Meanwhile, In an espresso induced high, I came up with a five year plan. Five years from now, I plan to have achieved the following:

1) Earn my Masters degree in Social Work
2) Achieve fluency in Spanish
3) Achieve a healthy weight and lifestyle
4) Grow Spiritually
5) Work through and overcome my abuse issues

Its nice to have a plan of action. Now I'm off to work on my Spanish.

On hate

First, please pardon the non-pet nature of this post. I just need to get this out and make it public knowledge.

Ever since I forgave my dad back about a year ago, I seem to have lost the ability, or desire, to hate. I recently found out that a man who raped me several years ago is in the hospital, fighting for his life, and I have nothing but well wishes and compassion to offer him. I searched my soul upon hearing this for any signs of hatred, or joy in his suffering, and try as I might, I found none. I originally found this to be odd, but now I think it is a blessing. God has blessed me by taking hate out of my life. All thats left now is love, and love is never wrong.

"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us" I feel like I am finally practicing what I've been praying all these years.

My inability to hate really couldn't have come at a better time for some people. I've recently found out the heinous truth behind the years of lies lavished on me by the one person I was closer to than God. (That being the first mistake I made) I am disappointed, and saddened, and much much wiser today for having heard the truth, but I don't hate him. I don't wish him harm. Instead I feel intense pity for his poor tortured soul. Old and alone, with nothing but his paranoia to keep him company at night. Someday all the lies and all the pain he's caused will come crashing down upon him like waves and he will become awash in a sea of misery of his own design. Its not a fate I wish on anyone, even him. So if you are out there, and you are reading this, and you have lied to me, used me, and sold me out, then have no fear of reprisal from me. I forgive you. You need only make your peace with God.

-Rachael

Beautiful Moxie

We went to training class tonight and had a ball. She just loves to work. She did great and we spent a lot of time off lead. I need to work her off lead more often, I need to trust her. She's better than I think she is. Sometime I'll get someone to take some more video of us. There's an AKC trial in April in Denton, but Moxie doesn't have an ILP, and I don't think I could get one to be honest. Oh well. Keep your eyes peeled for me a local obedience trial. ASCA, or UKC, would work.

Animal Communicator

I believe that some people have been given a gift, and are connected at a deeper level to animals than most. I am not one of these people, but I do know someone who is. She's a good friend of mine and she runs a rabbit rescue and wildlife rehabilitation center. I took my cat Kobie to her out of desperation several years ago when he was desperately sick and none of the vets knew why or how to fix him. This person also practices alternative healing methods including Reike. I don't know much about Reike, but I do know that within 48 hours, Kobie was completely well again. While I had Kobie there, she talked to him. She knew nothing about this cat, but knew that he had been hit by a car and had to have hip surgery, she even knew which hip it was. She also told me that Kobie liked to watch the birds. Ever since then, I've left the blinds raised about a foot and a half so he could see out.

So today, there is a woman on Ruffdogs who is claiming to be an animal communicator, and says she can talk to any animal, all she needs is a name, a gender, and a picture. The picture is to make she she isn't talking to a different animal with the same name. Now, I may be a tad skeptical since I got taken by the whole breed test scam, but I don't quite believe this. She offered a free reading so I sent her a picture of Kobie and a question to ask him. I'll let you all know what she says.

Noise phobias

I don't know what to make of Moxie lately. Her noise phobias are just spiraling out of control. Today at work, she absolutley FREAKED out when the someone used the electric stapler, she ran to the reception area and hid under a chair for half an hour (I didn't try to coax her out because I didn't want to reinforce the fear, that and I was busy at the time) She did go back in the office when I made her, but she hid under the desk and shook. When I pulled her out from under the desk she would just circle and look for a corner to sit in and shiver.

She is increasingly anxious when I bring her to work, to the point that I don't want to bring her anymore because I think she's miserable. She won't settle down and go to sleep. She's jumpy, on edge, she whines, she's clingly. She's not a happy puppy. All of this is recent, though. I've been bringing her to work for 8 years and she's never been phased by anything at work.

Tonight at the therapy visit, some of the kids started playing with basketballs and again, Moxie got all weirded out. She used to be bombproof about stuff like that. I don't know whats going on with her lately. I'm completely at a loss. Any advice would be much appreciated. I don't know where my confident happy dog went? She had a full checkup today, with physical exam and bloodwork and there isn't a thing one wrong with her physically. Should I call in a puppy psychologist?

New Camera

Here are a a few of the first shots with my new camera. I hope to get some good ones in the next few days as I figure out how to use it.

Kobie. I love this picture


Having a scratch


Thurston wasn't up to being a model tonight. He said he'd have his agent call me.


Sully was all about posing.


He's gotten big hasn't he?


Sexy Sully


Cuddled up with my foot. He's so sweet!