(no subject)

I sprung the kitties from the shelter on Friday afternoon. They had been 'worked up', which appears to mean that they have been treated for fleas, worms, etc., vaccinated, and tested for feline leukemia and feline AIDS. I paid my $40 ($20 per) and was taken back to the building where they were. If you buy into places having vibes, the shelter had one of... hopelessness. It was really depressing. Like many of the animals are just waiting to die. I'm sure many of the workers are animal lovers but they have to be somewhat calloused to work there, since they have to kill animals every day. They wouldn't be able to stay there long if they let it bother them, I wouldn't think. I couldn't do it. I saw one cat in a cage that looked a lot like Bowie, and felt a pang of sadness. I hope someone adopts him before he is killed.

So the young man took me back, found the cage they were in (they were both in the same cage) and quickly stuffed them into the carriers I had bought with me. They had been sleeping wrapped around each other, and they both looked very similar- cream-colored bodies with red ears and tails, and the beginnings of red stripes on their faces and the barest hint of red on the feet. Blue eyes. This flavor of Siamese is called 'flame point' and they were lovely. Both about 5 months old- past cute fuzzy kittenhood and into energetic adolescent kittenhood. I think everyone has been assuming that they're brothers, but they had a couple of differences- one had a rougher coat and flea-bite scabs all over him, while the other had a coat as smooth as chinchilla fur, with no bites. I'm reluctant to think they came from the same place.

They didn't like the ride home much (yowling) and both seemed to have bad diarrhea. I'm glad I decided to get a temporary litter box for them. There was even some blood; I'm really hoping it was stress rather than something contagious. I kept them isolated in one room and they both hid at first. Green Collar was pretty curious, though, and after he settled down he would demand to be pet, and purred loudly. He got into it a lot, and would run his cheek against my toe (I was sitting cross-legged) and bite it. Blue Collar was very shy, but finally got jealous at all the fun Green Collar seemed to be having, and let me sneak in a few caresses, purring in spite of himself. I was a little sad to have to take them to another rescue worker the next morning, but I'm not ready to have five cats in the house (with 3 kittens, no less).

Caitlin is very slowly getting more brave. She tears around the house and loves to annoy Bowie, who pretends to get frustrated with her but I think he's secretly overjoyed to finally have someone who will play with him, rather than Bolt, who is really a curmudgeon. Anyway, Caitlin will still not tolerate people approaching her but at least will be out in the open in the same room as people, and will allow herself to be tempted with stings and similar toys. We keep trying to pet the other cats in front of her so she'll see that humans can be pretty nice friends. But it's slow going.

By the way, the website for this organization is here.

Yule and Gothathon

I went to the community Yule at River's, which went OK. I spent some time with a prospective new student, and am quite impressed with him- he's pretty sharp. I hope I get the chance to work with him. The ritual itself was alright; I don't think it flowed very well, and I felt rather achy and tired throughout most of it. I'm not sure if it was the energy or just the rain making me creaky.

I had a bit of time afterward to relax- Eric was a sweetie and dragged me into the hot tub, which refreshed me quite a bit. Then I changed into all black to go to Sheena's goth charity event for AIDS Services. I had told her I'd wanted to go, but was too broke to afford the $25 admission fee. She said I could help with admission for an hour, which I did. I was helping a fellow put wristbands on people.

I can't remember his name, but he was a very good-looking blond guy who turned out to be a gay actor from New York. I hate to say that I was somewhat intimidated, expecting him to be very gossipy and catty. And while he did make a few remarks about some of the other antendee's appearances, they were most often positive, and all funny. We had a great time chatting about this and that. He told he a little bit of his life story, and was just humorous to listen to. I never knew Hungarians were so obsessed with doilies, for instance (he has a Hungarian stepmom who apparently sends him doilies all the time).

After my hour was up, I wandered around a bit. Gordon found a nook to camp in and read. I looked at the interesting artwork and the even more interesting people. I don't think I could make it in the goth scene though, they all seem to love hideously uncomfortable-looking shoes. And lots of make-up.

I also checked into the silent auction, and bid ridiculously low bids on a couple of fun things. I don't know if I won anything, but it was fun looking at all the Gorey artwork, coffin purses, and the like.

Sheena's band Numeralia was playing, and I listened to them too. She has an amazing voice, and plays keyboards too. I knew she was talented, but seeing her live- sheeeit, I was impressed. It's not really my style of music but I still admire her greatly. I stayed for her set, then left right after so I could get a decent night's sleep before work today. Boo.

(no subject)

This is the coolest planetarium software ever. I had a copy Starry Night a million years ago when it was still a DOS program, I think, and I've always liked it. It lets you put in where you live, and it shows you what the sky looks like. It labels planets, stars, constellations, equinox points, satellites, and a zillion other things that you can turn off and on. You can have a sky filled with labels and grids and even light pollution, or a perfectly clear sky with only little colored dots.

It even will outline the constellations in the manner of H. A. Rey (yeah, the guy who wrote Curious George)! I cut my teeth on his constellation finder book, and still see a lot of the constellations the way he drew them. He's one of the people I credit with nourishing my interest in astronomy as a wee sprog.

It will also let you zoom in on different planets and even visit them. It tries to replicate what days and nights are like (with the planet's moons whizzing around), or you can even go to other stars and see what the sky looks like from different points in the galaxy! You travel and see the stars move past. If you've left the constellation lines on, they'll slowly start to warp until the constellations are unrecognizable. It looks like you can also move backward and forward in time, but I haven't played with that feature yet. Any star or other feature you mouse over gives you the option to center on it, magnify it, visit it, and get information like when it will rise, color, distance, and so on. Whee!

So, the website lets you download Starry Night for a trial run. I asked Eric to crack it for me, which he did, but when I get some money I may send it to them anyway because I like the program so much.

I wish I was home playing with it now!

I hate people right now.

After posting about the kittens, someone asked me about the shelter I got them from. It's Town Lake Animal Center, also called TLAC. I tried to answer the questions. So I go into the break room at lunchtime, and there's a monthly newspaper on the table, with the pages opened to an article about TLAC.

In the 9 months prior to when the article was written in August, of the 17 thousand animals that left TLAC about half left in body bags. Over 3500 of the animals they had brought in were owner surrenders. The SR mailing list has given me a glimpse into these fuckers that surrender their pets.

"The new place we're moving to doesn't allow pets."

"My new boyfriend is allergic to cats."

Bastards.

TLAC has killed about 150,000 pets since they opened in 1992. The average number has dropped thanks to rescue organizations, and currently is around 45 animals killed per weekday.

There was a series of photos in the article, of a dog being euthanized. "We play with them one last time before we send them to God," said one of the techs. The blurb to the photos says "One veterinary technician cradles the animal and holds down its forepaw, [a friendly lab mix is shown looking curiously into the camera as green-clad arms hold him around the neck] while the other technician locates the cephalic vein and injects sodium pentobarbital. [the techs stretch out his right front paw] Death is nearly instantaneous. [his head lolls over the tech's arm] A 'heart stick' plunged into the chest throbs until the heart stops beating. [a close-up of the dog's face, lax and with pupils fully dilated] When respiration stops the dog is wrapped in a plastic bag and put in a freezer to await its journey to the landfill. [the dog, with the heart stick still in his chest, is lying on the silver table, half inside what looks like a black trash bag]

*weeps*

I've seen many horrible things, but this is by far the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. And it happens every day. About 45 times a day during the work week. About once every 10 minutes.

I'm sure I will grow used to this information, but right now, I feel like going to everyone who won't spay or neuter, who gives up their pet because of their boyfriend, who runs a puppy mill, and kicking their ass.

People suck.