Dixie's Recap of Her Day

This morning it took all five of the alarm clocks to wake up our Human, we call her Mom.  Sheesh, that lady is NOT a morning person AT ALL.  When she finally left for work, we got ourselves ready for our jobs. Word on the street is there’s a calico cat roaming the neighborhood; we need to stay on guard today. Mom says that cats are not allowed in our yard.  She also wants us to be sure to bark at all of the birds and squirrels that try to enter.  My name is Dixie, this here is my partner, and little brother, Ludo. We run security during the day here at ‘The Backyard’.  It’s not an easy job, but somedoggy has to do it.

I had an uneasy feeling about today; the smell of trouble was floating in the air.  Before I could finish my Beggin’ Strip, the fowl creature swooped down onto the back porch. Right away, my partner and I came up behind the bird.  We had both our tails and ears perked up on high alert.  Ludo called for back-up while I gave the bird a verbal warning.  “Put your wings where I can see them. State your business here!” Meanwhile, Ludo barked out, “Back Up Requested, we have Fowl, I repeat, we have Fowl!” Only, the answer we received from the neighborhood dogs was, “Negatory, we are all tied up over here, we can’t help you”.  Looks like it’s up to us, Ludo. After a few hours, we managed to tire the little birdy out.  He finally passed out from exhaustion.  That’s when we pawed him. “What should we do with it?” Ludo asked.  I answered, “Leave him here, Mom needs to see that we are doing our job keeping this house safe.  For now, let’s take a break.”

We spent a little time running around in the grass. It felt good to have the wind flap my ears up and down.  The other dogs signaled us, inquiring about the bird situation.  “We took care of it. He won’t be getting high around here anymore.” The other dogs enjoyed my joke, Ludo did too, he was rolling in the grass laughing his tail off. It was just about that time Mom pulled into the driveway.  “We got to go”, I told the other dogs “we got a kibble date with the Mom tonight.” The other dogs howled, they are such puppies, still so immature.

Mom came onto the back porch and reacted loudly when she saw that we had handled the bird situation successfully.  I took that as a good sign.  Our work day was done, we went inside the house with her to relax after our hard day.

This is the time of day when we all like to unwind and let our tails wag a little.  Mom scratches our heads and gives us our performance reviews along with our treats. Then she sings us random songs about … well, about us.  Her songs are a little silly, off-key, and they often don’t rhyme, but she means to make us happy, and that she does.

That woman can do some crazy things.  Usually, she sits at this desk and looks at this bright square.  She eats delicious smelling foods with one funky looking paw, and pokes this black rectangle thing with the other funky looking paw.  I haven’t quite figured out what she is doing, but it must be important to her.  She calls it her college homework, but honestly I think there is more to it than that.  I think she is just telling stories and she is somehow using this contraption to do it, but I can’t prove it … hell, I can’t read.

I like to be close to her though, because she makes me happy.  So I just lie down on the floor near her seat.  Ludo lies down with me, he likes to be close to her, too. When she is finally done staring at that bright square, she goes into this room that I call ‘the water room’.  I don’t like that room.  Every time I enter that room, she traps me in there. I’m a sucker for chicken and she knows it.  That is how she lures me in there.  Then she somehow sticks me into this box where I am squirted down and my beautiful scent gets ruined!  It’s the only time I ever growl at Mom.  Apparently, it doesn’t intimidate her when I growl at her; I guess she knows how I really feel about her.

When she comes out of that room, she goes into another room, with a big bed in it.  This is our Bow-Wow time together.  Where we talk about our days and she rubs our bellies and scratches our ears.  When it is finally time to go to sleep, she covers her head and pretends that she isn’t there anymore.  We might not be able to see her under those covers, but we know that she is there.  She is always there.  This Mom has never left us, and never let us down.  It’s nice to have that kind of steadiness in our crazy line of work. On this big bed, we all have room to spread our legs and tails out, and rest up for another long day at work. 

At 5:30 A.M. the first alarm goes off.  Geez, do all humans need five alarms before they wake up!? 

This story ends with a Bang

Writing Contest: 

This sentence starts the story: “The Silence, filled with hope, was shattered by”

"The silence, filled with hope, was shattered by" the sound of me slamming into the door frame.  The baby awoke with a jolt at the noise and began to cry...again.  I groaned to myself.  Please go to sleep.  I need sleep.  Sweet, sweet sleep.   The cries only escalated.  This baby is going to wake the whole neighborhood soon, everyone except my husband.  How is he sleeping through this!?  I haven't slept in three straight nights.  I pick up my baby and sit in the rocking chair.  I hold him close to my chest and begin to rock.  Soon he is asleep again.  Thank you Jesus!

Placing him softly in his crib, I carefully back away, making certain to steer clear of the door frame this time as I tip toe back to my bedroom.  I see my bed; the sweet comfort of a cloud enveloping my body and carrying me off to a sweet oblivion.  I had just laid my weary body down and pulled the fluffy covers up over my body.  The silence of the night, once again filled with hope of an uninterrupted rest, was shattered by the biggest snore I have ever heard.  The walls shook.  When did we move our room to the airport runway?  Did a train just run through our yard?  My goodness! I glare at him as I consider how much sleep I would be able to get in my jail cell after I'm convicted for his murder when I realize *gasp* the baby didn't wake up!  Yes!!

Harley Davidson over here is getting louder; the baby will surely wake up with the next blast of the nasal engine.  I nudge him, "turn over".  Nothing.  Nudge nudge. Nothing.  I need to get him to stop before he wakes the baby.  As I lay there, I position myself in what certainly resembles a skilled ninja in the crane pose, but lying down of course.  With my foot on my husband's side, I kick into him, hoping he'll turn. Instead, I slide backwards.  I knew he weighed more than me, but sheesh! I hear the rumble of the semi-truck-snore approaching; I throw off the covers and make for the bedroom door in the stealthiest run that I can muster.  I swing the door to close it quickly but halt just short of slamming it and gently latch it, just in time for T-Rex to let out his roar. I sigh and rest my head against the door.  "Resistance is futile" I whisper to myself, as I realize that I should just accept my fate of another night without sleep. Sigh.

No. No, I must try.  One more shot at victory.  I turn to face the bed once again and quickly formulate a plan for freedom.  I keep my eyes on my husband as I cross the room and dash into the bathroom.  I grab a washcloth, flip on the faucet, and hold it under the cold running water.  Next, I carry the dripping washcloth into the bedroom, then to my husband's side of the bed.  I hold the rag high over his head, letting the cold drops land on his forehead before dropping the rag.  I hurry away from him and turn back to see him wipe the rag from his face, and turn over.  He never even fluttered an eyelid. I hang my head in defeat. 

Only, I'm not defeated, he turned over!  Oh, joyous day!  The snoring will stop and I can return to dreamland. Oh, beautiful dreams.  Martin Luther King Jr. could do it, why can't I? I return to my blissful state of lying on my mattress, under my cozy covers.  I close my eyes, and take a deep breath. I feel my body relaxing, one by one my muscles sink into the giant cotton-ball that is my mattress. My mind drifts off to a flowered meadow. I am lying in the grass, enjoying the breeze that carries with it the fragrance of mulberry bushes.  I hear the leaves dancing in the wind, birds are singing, and a fire truck is driving by...wait, what?  Why is there a fire truck in the meadow?  It's getting louder.  It's coming closer.  It's my husband's alarm clock.  Ugh.  Thankfully, he hits snooze and I turn back to see the birds returning to their branches.  I smile at the sky as I recline against an oak tree.

A few moments of pure utopia pass before I hear that damn fire truck coming across the meadow again.  It pulls me slowly from my slumber.  When suddenly a BANG! I jump to my feet and whip around to see my husband staring at his alarm clock; smashed to pieces because he knocked it off the dresser while trying to hit the snooze button.  The baby cries out. I have a revelation and smile at my husband.  "Your turn," I say, as I climb back under the covers, "good night!"

Curitol the newest in Rx Innovation

In my economics class, the teacher posed this question in the Discussion Forum:

"When a disease has no cure, people with the disease have no options.

Suppose a prescription drug is invented but is so expensive that some patients cannot afford them.

Think about this...How/Why are prescription drugs invented in the first place? Keep in mind the meaning of the word "incentive." Incentives motivate people to work harder, innovate and aquire greater skills. Greater effort brings forth greater productivity and leads to higher incomes and better standards of living in the economy. Think about this, what would be the purpose of investing your time and energy into any activity if you cannot hope to reap a reward from doing so? You are doing so by attending college in the hopes of securing a good career in your future. Making more money in the future, by investing your time now. Do you have friends who have decided not to attend college and are working now and not making the sacrifice of foregone income - as you are??

So, when entrepreneurs assume risks they are rewarded with profits (if successful). Successful innovations generate economic rewards. Inventing a prescription drug takes time and effort (a lot of investment), so there should be a profit associated with that investment.

Are we better off with a drug being available, but only to those who can afford it?
What are the social consequences of this? Are there other avenues for those without the means to pay for this expensive drug?"
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My answer:

Wow, this is a good question post. Prescription drugs exist because disease exists.

The history of medicine and "cures" is truly intriguing, if you have time to learn about it. Oh, You have a fever, let me cover you in leeches! Are you vomiting incessantly? Stay away from water! Your tooth hurts? Let me cut your wrist and let you bleed out.

Throughout history, people knew that there had to be ways of "curing" the ailments, they just had to try. Then Madame Marie Curie discovered penicillin! Yay, Curie you found a Cure-y! (sorry couldn't resist that).

But that was just the beginning of "prescription" drugs. And once she found this, there were some (still are) who only see dollar signs. And then there are some who truly just want to make the world a better place, free of sickness.

Are we better off with a drug that only a few can afford? Sounds harsh, but yes. I think that the existence of that drug will prompt others to recreate it, and to hopefully make it better. I also think that the patent/license will run out and then the generics can and will be made. So, if the original expensive drug never existed... the others wouldn't either, and no one would get better!

The social consequences is that people who need it now, but can't afford it, will suffer and hurt, or perhaps pass away. And some of those who are hurting, will look for other means of comfort- turning to illegal drugs and/or alcohol.... which then become addictions, which becomes a need. When it becomes an addictive need, they will do what they deem necessary to get more of it, whether or not their actions are legal or beneficial to others. This behavior negatively affects society as a whole, and the local crime rates directly.

The O-Zone and the Po'-Zone

In my economics class, the teacher posed these two questions in the Discussion Forum:

1. Do you think our (the human race's) advancing economic progress and growth could be contributing to a massive "externality" known as global warming? How do you balance that with your values/ faith?

2. Explain why some critics claimed that the old welfare system created a “ culture of poverty.” Using economic reasoning, explain the negative incentive to work that results from cash assistance.
____________________________________________________
My reply:

The O-Zone:

As far as global warming goes, I am undecided. I believe that our advancing technology and buildings, machines, chemicals, toxins, population, and pollution have to somehow both positively AND negatively affect our environment. And I believe that in the just last two hundred years alone, we have advanced so much, that there wasn't really time to stop and say, "hey, what do you think will happen to these if we keep doing this over and over right here next to it?" ... The demand exceeded the concern. However, I also know that throughout history, we have had "ages" and stages of freezing, drought, torrential rains, etc etc and that our earth has survived and thrived.... and I believe that God does continue to bless his creation, and he "cleans up" the living room, so to speak, by causing these different stages needed. That sounds a little bit childish, but my faith tells me that God has control over the outcome. And while I should be concerned, and show compassion, and empathy; I should not fear.

The Po'-Zone:

I grew up in Tampa, FL, now I live in Johnson City, TN....

Here's some comparison facts for ya:

In 2013: Tampa city limit's population was at 352,957 people - and inside the County (Hillsborough County) 1,291,578 people.

In 2013: Johnson City's (city limit) population 65,123 people - and inside Washington County 125,546 people. The entirety of Washington County, is only around half of what is inside Tampa's city limits. That's something crazy huh!?

Growing up in a city that big, with that many people in close proximity, makes it hard not to see poverty. And quite unfortunately, my experience with the culture of poverty is that they have made careers out of depending on the government. My father used to work in the postal service, and had to sometimes go into the poorest areas, he has told me of how every first of the month, they would all be outside waiting for their "checks" and they were rude, and demanding. And it angered him. I remember driving past the welfare office and seeing the line of people, LITERALLY, around the building and even out on the sidewalk and in the street. They would block the traffic of people trying to get to their jobs. All in all it left a very bitter taste in my mouth, and I fully support the concept of requiring drug tests and birth control as a requirement for government assistance. I believe that those who truly NEED the help, would be willing to take drug tests. And those who only WANT the help so they don't have to help themselves, will be angry that it is required.

These programs were created in good faith, as a good samaritan act, so that no one would be left behind. And that everyone could have some quality of life. And I even agree with Thomas More, in the book Utopia, when he said “For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them.” What these programs have turned into is very sad, the negative connotation of getting "help" from the government is discouraging.

I feel as though, the best thing we could do is put more emphasis on education AND after school programs. Public Schools are also suffering and could use more assistance. These "welfare babies" that are in school could and Should recieve more one on one and more encouragement in their lives. And if they could go to after school sports / extra curricular activities for free to low-costs, it would keep them active and learning.

Also, I think Norway has the right idea in having their college as part of their public school program. Gee, what a novel idea. If we want people to be educated, why don't we offer the school as part of a public program, instead of charging them crazy amounts of money, that the government ends up putting out up front anyway. Ugh. I could go on and on, I just think it's insane that we have such a lack of enthusiasm in education.