Still cold and dark

[altivo]

The sheepie got at least a temporary reprieve. Vet says it's probably one of three things, old age, injury, or Paralaphostrongylus tenius. He could find no evidence of injury, and the third choice is a parasite infection commonly called "brain worms" (ewww) that comes from deer. A typical parasitic worm, it has a two host life cycle that involves deer droppings, and slugs (ewww again.) Since none of our sheep have been on open pasture where deer pass through for over five years, I rule that one out. So old age and arthritis it is, and Shaun gets a series of three cortisone shots to see if it will get him back on his feet. He's also dehydrated a bit, so we're mixing molasses into his water to get him to drink more. He doesn't seem to be in pain much, and the vet agrees, so we didn't have him put down right now. We'll give him a week or so and see if he responds to treatment. If he has to be sent off to sheep heaven, what to do with the remains when the ground is frozen like iron becomes a major issue.

I did not watch the inauguration, though I did hear the oaths administered (complete with fluffs by both parties in Obama's case.) In spite of the raves from many quarters, I was disappointed in his speech, which ran far too long without saying nearly enough. The only good point, I thought, was when he said that Americans as a whole have been avoiding making hard choices that must be made. We can't have our cake and eat it too, in other words. This has been blatantly obvious to me for many years, but politicians and voters from both sides of the aisle continue to think they can do that.

Our library's 100th anniversary display of books is out in the case now, and I still find it interesting. We have the top ten best selling adult novels from 1909, reacquired from used booksellers in 1909 editions or as close as we could get. These were surprisingly inexpensive, in fact. All ten, including shipping, added up to about $50. We also have a set of nine modern reprints of children's books that were popular in 1909, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Wind in the Willows, The Call of the Wild, and Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz.

Comments

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

I think I had brain worms in the '70s. Or was that acid?

I never thought of needing to inter anyone in the Winter. I've seen them thaw the ground with a pile of burning coal up North.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Once they get into your brain, there's no hope. Drugs used to get rid of the parasites don't cross the blood brain barrier.

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

i vote roast mutton. or stew. or both! and all good books, imho. but seriously, have a bonfire, and when it goes out, the ground should be thawed enough under it to at least get a bit of depth. if it's not enough, have another bonfire!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Bonfires are a waste of wood we could be using to heat the house, though.

Eating the sheep was one of the options mentioned by the vet. Even if he hadn't been a pet for years, though, that's out of the question. I don't like lamb or mutton at all. In fact, I find it quite vile. Besides, with possible causes for his illness including scrapie (the sheep version of mad cow disease) and brain worms, you'd have to be crazy to even think of eating him. Eee-yuck.

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

in that case, all i can suggest is to go to town on the ground with a pick-axe.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The preferred option, according to the vet and the agricultural extension folks, is actually above ground composting. It's faster, creates fertilizer, and doesn't contaminate ground water. Unfortunately, it really requires a special composting bin that is very cost effective for large farms with lots of animals and not suitable for us with our one dead sheep every four to five years level.

Another option he mentioned but didn't recommend is putting the corpse out for the coyotes to eat. XD I'm sure the neighbors would just LOVE that approach. I wouldn't mind seeing more foxes and coyotes myself, but setting up a "feeding station" would probably have other undesirable consequences.

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

are there any large farms with one of these bins around you? if so, they'd probably be willing to put him in, and they get the fertilizer, if you wanted to go that route. your vet might even know if there were any. if not, hey, you're the librarian, put up a sign at work! :p

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The folks we know with large sheep flocks don't compost. They generally avoid the problem by sending sheep to slaughter while they are still young. All I have to say about that is "Ick."

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I think we'd talk to a neighbor who has heavy equipment first. ;p

[saythename.livejournal.com]

I usually don't follow inaugerations. Its the new guy saying something,
and then people clapping.

The only one that I remember, really, is Carter walking instead
of in the limo.

I heard the last part of Obama's speech while I was testing my new
bar of Carbolic soap in the shower (I've had this Clean vibe suddenly).

Not bad really, but, c'mon, you had to drag out Lincolns bible for that?

I'm all for him, he's the Prez now, though I think he's gonna choke
when Russia or China pushes him.

Hope not, but, keep hope alive.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's time to stop thinking like a cold war victim. Those days are gone. World power is economic, not bombs and guns.

You often come across like an armadillo or a horseshoe crab. Both are dead end species trapped in heavy armor and unable to deal with the modern world or grow forward. XD

It's time for the "kinder, gentler" nation that Bush promised, instead of the cold-hearted, niggardly, feed-the-rich-and-screw-the-poor environment he created. Yes, it's going to cost money, but the money has been there all along, being sucked into the pockets of financial bankers and fat cats.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

I was listening to the speech over my personal radio while at the station, waiting for a train to arrive. I was a bit more impressed by the speech than you seem to be, but I must admit it DID go on too long. He did seem to be saying a lot of things that he felt America and the world needed to hear. I just hope everyone was listening when he explained what a hard road everyone has yet to travel.

The texts of "He's gone."; which I both received and sent at 5pm GMT are unforgivably cynical, and typical of European attitudes to this event. It goes to underline how utterly despised Obama's predecessor was over here that Obama's inauguration should be secondary in importance to Bush's departure. I only hope he can deliver the goods for America and the wider world. He seems to be starting off his term as America’s Blair. I really hope he does not finish his term in the way Blair finished his. A catalogue of disappointment, betrayal, and missed opportunity. Good luck, Tivo, and good luck America.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The media have gone nuts with comparing Obama to Lincoln and I just don't see it. The appropriate comparisons would be to Franklin Roosevelt (1933,) John Kennedy (1961,) and Bill Clinton (1992.) All three were liberals who came into office in times of recession and economic decline, promising economic reform and social responsibility. Roosevelt managed to deliver, but did so by staying in office for 12 years. Kennedy was cut short by assassination but his successor delivered many of his intended reforms. Clinton was a failure in my opinion, largely because his administration was blocked at every turn by a right-wing majority in Congress.

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

Well, Obama is the one who first got the idea to compare Obama with Lincoln. :-P
I mean he flew from Washington to Philadelphia, just so that he could take the train from Philadelphia to Washington, and retrace the route that Lincoln took. Nothing good can come from such blatant superficiality.

I remember how we thought about Bush getting re-elected and re-inaugurated 4 years ago, and how we turned our sights yet again to four years in the future for when brighter days might finally come. But now that that future we looked forward to is supposedly here, the victory rings shallow and hollow. It is a great disappointment. Possibly even a greater disappointment than 4 years ago, because now we really DON'T have anything better to look forward to than what we have now (with the possible exception of getting things back to how they were 4 years ago) which, to put it mildly, kind of sucks. :-/

Having said that, I am sure that things can only improve from this point, but as to whether Obama is going to be the cause of that, or whether the US or the world is going to get back to its full potential because of Obama specifically, I say no freakin' way possible.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Whether the idea came from Obama or from god himself, I don't care. I find it inexcusable that the media are so short sighted that they can no longer analyze anything and point out the holes in it.

The only "hope" I ever had for Obama was the hope that we wouldn't have another Republican administration. The best I can say for him is that he is nothing like Bush, where McCain was nearly a clone of Bush, just a bit more warlike.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

There's a hope, if you can call it that now terribly overused word that has become devoid of real meaning, that Obama will only be another Clinton and not another Carter as he seemed to be during the campaign.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm hoping for a Roosevelt administration. That will depend not just on Obama himself, but a lot of supporting cast members. Carter was set up to fail from the start. Both the economic mess and the hostage crisis were created by prior conditions and actions. Another Republican administration at this point would have simply continued all the bad policies forward.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

Somehow I doubt we'll get another Theodore this time around.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Right. Not Theodore. Wait, wasn't he a chipmunk? Or was it a moose?

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

My thoughts are still with Shaun as well. I really hope he pulls through this.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I think the odds are pretty slim. At most he'll get a few more months out of it. Fortunately, the sheep vet is reasonably priced. At the rates I pay for horses or dogs, we couldn't afford this.

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

Ear scratches, or whatever he likes, to the poor sheepie.

Things that I liked about Obama's speech: direct reference to clean energy, knock against sacrificing rights for security, mention of atheists, and especially "restore science to its rightful place". Man, that was some yummy goodness right there. Things I didn't like: knock at cynics (I must offer my token protest on that, being named after one)... and other than that, dunno, I was at work and not concentrating fully. Thank goodness for subtitles.

At work, incidentally, almost everyone in my large room stopped to watch the speech. The world is excited. My mother thinks Obama's the second coming or something. She was so ecstatic. I admit I was mainly relieved that the oil-mad wolf-murderess didn't get in, but all the same... knee-jerk reaction, I feel there may be hope for the US now, whereas for the last 7 or 8 years I would probably have said there was none.

Besides. A guy who, first day in office, stops the Guantanamo military 'trials' and cancels everything Bush tried to squeeze in before leaving. Can't be all bad.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's telling that Bush is so despised by the rest of the world that his successor is being hailed as the Messiah. I'm afraid you'll all be sorely disappointed in Obama, though, as he can't possibly accomplish so much even given eight years (and he may well have less time than that.) Obama is a charismatic speaker, but I think he won this election mostly because even America grew tired of Dubya and his narrow sightedness.

As far as I can tell, he only "suspended" the military trials pending a re-evaluation. This amounts to adding as much as another 120 days to the already overly long captivity of those on trial, and very possibly to no practical gain. No wonder many of the defendants asked not to have their trials further delayed, even in the face of military trial which is a farce in most cases and not a trial at all. It's rather like being held by the Spanish Inquisition. After a while, even being burned at the stake probably sounds good compared to more waterboarding and other tortures. At least it puts an end to the misery.

Nor, alas, did he "cancel" all the last minute regulatory actions of the Bushies. I wish he had, but all he did was freeze them pending a "review." Hopefully that review will be thorough enough to stop some of the abuses typical of lame duck presidents. That would include things like awarding grants and lucrative contracts to cronies and pals, or in this case, executive orders letting the oil companies rape public lands freely and mining companies avoid the need to protect wilderness or prevent water and soil pollution.