This'n'That; January Seventeenth #1;Commonalities/Compromises

Comparisons Easy To Make; Verify
    More than just occasionally, I start on one project and get easily sidetracked.  We are planning to move from the God-forsaken State of New York; from the God-forsaken, crime-ridden; miscreant-infested City of Rochester.  To that end, it's my self-determined responsibility to begin packing the non-essentials even though the move--if it actually comes to pass--won't happen until late spring, early summer.
    The current project is to pack my 'conservative' publications, be they hard-bound books or magazines.  I managed to get about one-half a kitty litter tub packed (I've found the 35++ pound 'Tidy Cats' litter containers work really well for this) when I ran across a book on "Ronaldus-Magnus;" my political; legislative; 'public figure' hero!!  Before I realized it, I had consumed 128 of 271 pages of RONALD REAGAN IN PRIVATE; 'A Memoir of My Years in the White House' by Jim Kuhn!!
    As is the norm with most A-D-Ders, I began to side-track into 'blog-mode;' "there has to be a blog entry in here, somewhere!!"  And in my fuzzy little mind, I think I've found that entry.  Check this out:
The aforementioned book starts with Mr Kuhn's work on various political campaigns, on into Mr Reagan's first presidential campagn of 1976.  There are many facts; much information of that 'early' era of national politics; comparisons of Mr Reagan to the democRAT 'flavor of the day;' like Jimmuh Cahtah, Robert Byrd (W.Va), Michael Dukakis (Ma), Geraldine Ferraro (NY), John Glenn (Oh), et al.
    As with many--if not most--DINOs, I've become so disenchanted with "Clown Prince ZERO-bama, the Narcissist," as to do my utmost to aid him.... in his political destruction!! To that end, I'll undertake the easily constructed comparisons of our current ruler to the aforementioned Cahtah as well as contrasts with "Ronaldus-Magnus."  In the coming comparisons and contrasts, I'll try to remember to give you page and paragraph of any quotes and facts.
"Clown Prince ZERO-bama, the Narcissist"--in agreement with the 'national decline' narrative--on September 30, 2011, said:
*"The way I think about it is, you know, this is a great, great country that had gotten a little soft and, you know, we didn't have that same competitive edge that we needed over the last couple of decades.  We need to get back on track." 
Mr Reagan (speaking at the New York City launch of his 1980 presidential nomination campaign):
**"I don't agree that our nation must resign itself to inevitable decline, yielding its proud position to other hands,  I am totally unwilling to see this country fail in its obligation to itself and to the other free people of the world."
    Then-President Cahtah--during his failed re-election campaign--said:
***....Reagan was a divisive, trigger-happy cowboy who would lead America into numerous, unnecessary armed conflicts.  During a speech in Chicago, Cahtah said:
"Americans will be separated, black from white, Jew from Christian, North from South, rural from urban."
As hindsight tells us, none of this ever happened; Mr Cahtah  was only spouting the democRATic (future owe-bamacRATic) divisive, derisive lines from their 'Keeping the White House' playbook.
    To create the illusion of improving unemployment numbers, "Clown Prince ZERO-bama, the Narcissist" resorted to 'creative accounting' to reduce the U-3 rate from 10.1% at his immaculation to the fabricated 8.5% current rate. 
****In August 2011, "Clown Prince ZERO-bama, the Narcissist" proposed seven new regulations that would cost American businesses one-billion-dollars, EACH.  This is added to the $38 Billion in annual regulatory expenses and the $100 Billion in annual compliance costs!!
Mister Reagan--while speaking to union steelworkers during the 1980 campaign--responded to the question-'could he restore the lost jobs':
*****"You bet.  I think we've got a policy in our government for the last few years that is hostile.  It considers business--instead of part of the community--as an adversary.  It's time we got government off the back of industry."
******During the second presidential debate (Cleveland Convention Center Music Hall, October 28, 1980) Jimmuh Cahtah continued his on-going distortions of Mr Reagan's proposals, i.e., Mr Reagan's cutting Medicare.  "Ronaldus-Magnus" issued the now-famous line:
" There you go, again."
# Each had their 'wrap-up' statements:
    President Cahtah: "I think to close out this discussion, it would be better to put into context what we're talking about.  I had a discussion with my daughter Amy [then 12], the other day, before I came here, to ask her what the most important issue was.  She said she thought nuclear weaponry--and the control of nuclear arms."
    Mr Reagan:  ".....I think when you make that decision [the vote was the following Tuesday] it might be well if you would ask yourself, are you better off than you were four years ago?  Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago?  Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago?  Is America respected throughout the world as it was?  Do you feel that our security is as safe, that we are as strong as we were four years ago?...." 
    Prior to his presidency, "Clown Prince ZERO-bama, the Narcissist" was little more than an ineffectual, two-bit federal politican with 143 days' experience.  Before that, he was a--again a two-bit--community agitator on Chicago's Southside while 'part-timing' as a law school lecturer.  The "Clown Prince" has never worked for a paycheck that wasn't funded by the state or federal governments.   After his immaculation, the "Clown Prince's" ego went into hyper-inflation; the chips-on-his-shoulder grew exponentially to monumental proportions!!    ##  The presidency didn't change Ronald Reagan.  He didn't let the office intimidate him, nor did he permit it to affect his ego.  He was totally unaffected by the power of the office.
    ### EDITORIAL: obama and America's Decline; Washington Times; November 9, 2010: "....Always ready to underrection our country abroad, the president concluded that the upside to this relative decline in America's fortunes is that "This will keep America on its toes.  America is going to have to compete."  Mr obama ignores the fact that it was American invention, innovation and competative spirit that gave the country its economic pre-eminence in the first place.  Rather than lecturing American to get in the game, he would do better to reverse the anti-business climate he has helped foster...."
    ####During his first inaugural address--January 20, 1981--President Reagan noted democRATs had lost faith in the american people, elling them there was a 'malaise' in the United States, that America had to resign itself to a slow, relentless decline in its power, its wealth, its prestige. 
"We have every right to dream heroic dreams.  Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heros, they just don't know where to look." 
[A bit of a side-bar to the thoughts and actions of presidents:  After the president and former presidents Nixon, Ford and Cahtah attended Anwar Sadat's funeral on October 10, 1981, both former presidents Ford and Cahtah were flying back to the United States aboard one of the presidential aircraft.  As is the norm, the dignitaries pose for individual photos with the staff of the aircraft.  Mistah Cahtah was particularly hostile toward the staff and the whole photo opportunity; he had demanded that they be photographed in groups of four, while Mister Ford posed individually. 
The author--Jim Kuhn--lamented to President Ford that Kuhn had 'really screwed this up for President Carter.'
"No you didn't, young man," Ford said warmly.  "That worked fine."  He grinned at me as if he were confiding a secret.  "I've always said," he told me, "that you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit."  With that he shook his head.  President Ford made me feel human again.]
    While 'boning' the republicRATs on compromises to avert an unnecessary government shut-down in April, 2011 "Clown Prince ZERO-bama, the Narcissist" had this to say:
#####"This is an agreement to investment in our country's future while making the largest spending cut in our history.  Like any compromise this required everyone to give ground on issues that were important to them.  I certainly did.  Some of the cuts we agreed to will be painful--programs that people rely on will be cut back; needed infrastructure projects will be delayed.  And I would not have made these cuts in better circumstances."
###### In June 1982, battles over the federal budget raged.  President Reagan's critics argued that if he would consent to cuts in the defense buildup, there would be more money for domestic spending.  But Reagan was determined to stick to his guns, so to speak.  He believed that only by demonstrating to the Soviets our detyermination to build up our military could we drive them to the bargaining table.  Then, and only then, could the two countries negotiate a reduction in nuclear arms and an end to mutual assured destruction (MAD) which had both counties aiming nuclear weapons at each other as some kind of bizarre deterrence from using them.

    This exercise in 'comparative analytics' could go on forever; there's never been a more verbose president than "Clown Prince ZERO-bama, the Narcissist," while "Ronaldus-Magnus" was a man of as few words as necessary; a man of fierce determination and dedication to the Constitution; to the United States; uncompromising in his principles!!  President Reagan was as good for the country in his era as the "Clown Prince" is bad for the country in the current era.

    The time has come for the GOP to coalesce behind the candidate most able to defeat the "Clown Prince;" coalescence to the point of having current candidates as members of the incoming president's cabinet.  While each current candidate has his individual flaws; each must take great care not to allow their egos and demands for power to get in the way of the betterment of the country as a whole; betterment of the citizenry in particular.  We've--for the past three years--experienced the detrimental effects of a complete lack of experience coupled with a massive ego!!
    Study each candidate very carefully.  Seek both the pros and cons of each candidate's positions on the most pressing issues.  Do a 'pros and cons' chart of each candidate to determine those with the most favorable positions; the fewest unfavorable positions (to you).  Even if one has to "hold-his-nose" it is far better to vote against the Soros candidate (the "Clown Prince"), by voting for the 'less-than-perfect' GOP candidate (much like conservatives did in 2008!)!!!
Til Nex'Time....
* http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/30/obama-calls-america-soft-offers-to-whip-nation-into-shape/
** Ronald Reagan In Private; Jim Kuhn; p 40.
***ibid. p 62.
**** http://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/commentary-mainmenu-43/8820-obamas-seven-new-regulations-would-cost-us-economy-billions
***** Ronald Reagan In Private; Jim Kuhn; p 65.
******  http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/debates/history/1980/index.shtml
# http://www.juntosociety.com/pres_debates/carterreagan.html
## Ronald Reagan In Private; Jim Kuhn; p 81.
###  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/9/obama-and-americas-decline/
#### Ronald Reagan In Private; Jim Kuhn; p 85.
Side-bar: ibid. p 98.
##### http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/09/news/la-pn-government-shutdown-averted-20110410
###### Ronald Reagan In Private; Jim Kuhn; p 99-100.

This'n'That; November 4th[Local Elections]

I Voted-Did You? I left the house at 5:30 this morning. The "missus" works early, so we went to be some of the first in line. We were numbers 10 and 11 in the line. It kinda went downhill from there.... See the "e-mail" below that I sent to the Commissioner of Elections, Monroe County, Rochester, N.Y. Peter M. Quinn Thomas F. Ferrarese Monroe County [N.Y.] Commissioner[s] of Elections Sirs: In what may well become one of the most important elections of the Twenty-First Century, I witnessed unconscionable performance by members of your staff. Initially, our polling place had changed so over the weekend, my wife and I attempted to go to the address listed to ensure we'd find it on Election Day with no trouble. NOT SO !!! We cruised up and down Goodman Street checking building numbers. We saw nearly all the numbers EXCEPT 836 North Goodman. After 4 or 5 attempts we gave up and went home to "Google" the address. Guess what popped up ? A boarded-up house and the back of a strip mall !!! On Monday, my wife called the Election Offices to get more specific directions. Think ANYONE in the office could tell her anything ? You're right-not a soul had a clue as to the location !!! Your office is to be commended for hiding our polling place so well. We discovered it though, tucked well out o sight in the "Goodman Plaza." The real clincher here, sirs, is that we arrved at the polling place at 5:50AM, a full ten minutes before the scheduled opening time. Care to hazard a guess as to when the doors FINALLY OPENED ? You're wrong this time.............. The first person walked into the building at 6:43AM !!! The "unconscionable" portion of this scenario is that the on-site staff was completely unprepared !!! We watched while the staff stood around chatting an presumabily discussing what should be done. Apparently they arrived at a concensus. They scurried around the room hanging th reqired signs and maps; set up and arranged tables and chairs and then waited for the arrival of SOMEONE WHO HAD KEYS TO THE VOTING MACHINE !!! [Does the concept "pre-planning" jog any thoughts here ?] I watched four folks leave the line, having to go to work. Their "window of opportunity" had closed to vote eary in the day, thus avoiding the usual afternoon crush of voters. Gentlemen, is there some future election at which the voting public can expect at least MINIMUM PERFORMANCE from your office? ME Rochester, N.Y. Til Nex'time............

This'n'That; October 28th[Lcl History;obama;Definitions]

History At The L0cal Level A gentleman, Bob Marcotte writes a column a few times a week in the Rochester [N.Y.] Democrat and Chronicle. His columns deal history as it happened in the Rochester area and/or as it affected this area. Creativity helped Rochester promote WWII bonds "Eight miniature 'Pacific Islands' dotted the smooth Main Street 'sea' last night as the stage was set for the ceremonial opening of the Sixth War Loan campaign this evening. The string of Pacific lands, dotted with palm trees, begins with the Philippines just east of the Four Corners and ends with Tokyo, east of Main Street East and Clinton Avenue. Volunteer workers anchored the islands, which straddle the center traffic line, and surrounded them with sand bags and red lights to forestall any premature invasion by streams of cars in traffic." --Democrat and Chronicle, Nov 20, 1944. The things Rochester came up with to promote war bonds during World War II! Centerpiece of the Sixth War Loan Campaign was a replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier, nicknamed "Tokyo-bound." The idea was this: For every $33,644 in war bond sales, the Tokyobound would be moved one foot farther east up Main Street, gradually passing those islands one-by-one. And if all went well--if Monroe County reached its $64.4 million goal-- the carrier would "capture" Tokyo on the last island. War bonds were a big deal during World War II. Why? ***They helped finance the war effort, raising some $135 billion toward the $330 billion overall cost of the war. They were bought by big businesses and average citizens. ***They helped forestall ruinous inflation "by sopping up excess wages at a time when there were acute shortages of many consumer goods," adds Ronald H. Bailey in The Home Front: U.S.A., part of the Time-Life series on the war. Indeed, by mid-1943 the home front "was awash in so much money-some $70 billion in cash, checking accounts and savings, compared with $50 billion in 1941-that one U.S. Treasury official referred to it as 'liquid dynamite,' " Bailey explains. To diffuse the situation, the federal government took several steps, including a requirement that employers begin deducting from each paycheck an apropriate percentage of income ta, which up to then had simply been paid as a lump sum at the end of the year. Thus began the withholding tax that continues to this day. The Treasury also began selling war bonds, in denominations ranging from $25 to $10,000. A war bond was, in effect, a loan made by a citizen to the government. A $25 bond, for example, sold for $18.75, and could be redeemed for its full value after 10 years. No expense was spared to promote the sale of bonds. Huge rallies were held, at which movie and radio stars and war heroes back from the front exhorted patriotic Americans to chip in. Ads flooded the airways and filled newspaper columns. Posters proliferated in public and work places. And Rochester found some truly novel ways to drum up support. Getting creative For example, on June 8, 1943, thousands of Rochesterians stood in line to look at a Japanese midget submarine athat had been captured after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was parked on Main Street between Clinton and South avenues. More than 25,000 residents, in fact, bought war bonds or stamps for the privilege of peeking through a series of portholes cut into the sides of the submarine. The goal was to cover the $500,000 price tag of a new Navy sub chaser. More than $700,000 was collected. "Spectators got a big kick out of seeing the 81-foot pigboat," the Democrat and Chronicle reported. "It's bigger than I thought it would be" was a common reaction. Also: "It looks like a fish." The followig June, while the world waited expectantly for the Allies to invade western Europe, Rochester braced for an equally important struggle at home. The six-county quota for the fifth national war bond drive was a staggering $83.4 million, far surpassing previous drives. To help drum up support, a temporary pedestrian bridge, featuring four flags and a replica of the Liberty Bell, was erected across Main Street at Stone Street [A similar tactic was used during a War Bond campaign in Rochester during World War I.] The Democrat and Chronicle explained the symbolism: War bonds would help build a bridge from the "threat of totalitarian domination" to the "more promising opportunities [that] the victory of decent ideals will bring." A variety of events were scheduled at the bridge to publicize the campaign. War heroes gave speeches. Free tickets were given away for the movie Going My Way starring Bing Crosby. A Stromberg-Carlson Co. dance orchestra call the "Modulators" performed; so did the 80-voice Bausch&Lomb chorus and the 60-member Teutonia Male Chorus. Huge success It worked. No sooner had Sgt. and Mrs. Samuel Volo exchanged vows than they hurried down to the bridge to buy six war bonds: One for each of the bride's three brothers in the service, and one each for Volo and his two brothers, also in uniform. Salvatore Lambardo, a 44-year-old florist, bought $5,000 in bonds. It was "the only weapon I can use against the Germans," he explained. Two months earlier he had learned that his brother, his brother's wife and their 2-month-old baby were killed during a German bombin raid in Sicily. Two of his other brothers were missing in action with the Italian army, and this, too, he bleamed on the Germans. Seven-year-old Carol Mileo, alas, wanted to buy a war bond and ring the Liberty Bell, but was bed-ridden with the measles. Finally, with time running out, Carol's mother called the newspaper and a reporter obligingly bought a bond, rang the bell and brought the certificate to the grateful girl. By the end of the drive, the Rochester district had raised a "smashing total" of 100.1 million. The bridge came down. Rough Voyage And then, that November into December, the Tokyobound began inching its way along that symbolic chain of Pacific Islands stretching up Main Street. The miracle is that it reached its goal in one piece. Apparently the originators of this nifty idea had not taken into account Rochester's motorists-or the weather. The first night the islands were in place, a young motorist crashed into Tokyo. After a late November snowfall, another motorist flattened the island of Oshima Shoto and sped off, leaving a bumper behind. The replica carrier became progressively harder and harder to move as its hulk became encased in ice. And yet, even though the bad weather cut down on promotional events, the Rochester district again easily surpassed its quota, raising some $103 million. Famous visitors As mentione in a previous column, the camer that captured the lag-raising on Iwo Jima was taken with a Folmer-Graflex Speed Graphic camera made in Rochester. The three surviving flag-raisers-Pfc. Ira Hayes, Pfc. Rene agnon and Navy Pharmicist's Mage John Bailey-came to Rochester on May 16, 1945. as part of their nationwide tour to promote war bonds during the seventh war loan drive. Their misgivings about being sent stateside to do this while their buddies remained at the front was portrayed in the movie Flags of Our Fathers. They made no secret of it during their tour. "They give you the impression that they feel a bit guilty about their jobs as bond salesmen....sleeping in soft beds, eating the best offoods.....and telling people why they should buy War Bonds" while their comrade continue to fight in the Pacific, the Rochester Times-Union noted. They arrived on one of those cruel May days when the temperature never got above 46 and a cold rain fell. Long stretches of the parade route were utterly deserted. But not even the elements could deter one woman, wearing a babushka on her head, who was seen rushing up the platform after master of ceremonies Al Sisson had finished, waving a receipt for $3,000 and shouthing "I buy the bond, I buy." Mrs. Hosephine Di Maggio explaine4d that her son, a G.I. serving in Europe, had urged her to buy lots of bonds. "Her eyes beamed complete satisfaction as the chairman [Raymond Ball] took her hand and gave it an enthusiastic shake and congratulated her on her patriotism and loyalty to her adopted country." [Contact Mr Marcotte on-line: bmarcott@DemocratandChronicle.com ] Little Secret Exposed o-bomb-a has a dirty little secret that the mainstream media won't discuss: His radical plan to give illegal aliens Social Security benefits, Medicaid, amnesty and citizenship. By his own count there are twelve million illegal aliens in th U.S. and he wants them all getting government benefits. o-bomb-a's plan to give illegals driver's licenses-even though everyone knows the 9/11 plot began with 13 of the 19 perpetrators getting driver's licenses.

Definitions Necessary In The Current Political Climate

Socialism:

1. Any of various theories or systems of social organizaton in which the means of producing and distributing goods owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.

2. The stage in Marxist-Leninist theory intermediate between capitalism and communism, in which collective ownership of the economy under the dictatorship of the proletariat has not yet been successfully achieved.

3. A political and economic theory or system of social organization based on collective or state ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange. Like capitalism, it takes many and diverse forms.

Facism

1. An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

2. Extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice. The term fascism was first used describing the totalitarian right-wing nationalist regime of Benito Mussolini in Italy [1922-1943]. The Nazi Regime in Germany was also Fascist. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader and a strong demogogic approach.

3. The five main components of the facist ideology:

a] Extreme [superior] nationalism.

b] An assertation of national decline.

c] National decline is often linked to a diminution of racial purity of the nation.

d] The blame for national decline is based on a conspiracy of other nations/races seen as competing for dominance.

e] In the struggle for dominance, both capitalism and liberal democracy are seen as divisive devices to ragment the nation and subordinate it in the world order.

4. The philosophy of government that stresses the primacy and glory of the state, unquestioning obedience to its leader, subordination of the individual will to the state's authority and harsh suppression of dissent.

Communism

1. A theorectical economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.

2. A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.

3. The Marxist-Leninist version of Communist doctrine that advocates the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat.

Til Nex'time.....

This'n'That; October, 14th[obama;Scruffy;Stocks;Midtown]

Intentional Falsehoods: I have as little use for Barack Obama as any naysayer on the planet. I also have no desire to promote or spread intentional false or misleading information about him or any other politician on the current landscape. To that end I must comment on an email I received about Mr Obama which is roughly 95% FALSE!! This email, entitled "Obama Truths" speaks of his Muslim faith; refusing to place his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance; drug use at Occidental College; funding his education, buying his house through alleged "loans" from Tony Rezko... need I go on.......?? The confirmation of these falshoods/misleading information is available at: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp ....and John McCain?: [This is Rush Limbaugh's opinion as expressed on last Friday's or yesterday's show. After considerable thought, I'm inclined to agree.] It's well known that while John McCain was a prisoner at the "Hanoi Hilton," he was subjected to many beatings, interrogations and other forms of mistreatment. Rush believes that during those horrible times, McCain developed a kind of "go-along-to-get-along" attitude... compromising with his captors without divulging any sensitive information or putting his fellow prisoners at further risk. This attitude is evident throughout his presidental campaign. McCain is considered by the Republican Party heavyweights to be a "throw-away" candidate; while Mitt Romney is to be groomed to run against Obama or Mrs Clinton in 2012. I'm still hoping that the voters will see through all the fluff [on both sides] and elect common sense, fiscal sense and experience. Not Poor Timing-Just No Cash: As some may know, I'm not a "value investor" in any sense of the phrase!! Mostly, I buy pennystocks and hope that I made a good choice based on the research I've done. The only "drum I can beat" on this issue is when I bought Siris Satellite Radio for sixty-cents and sold it for $7.75 [+1,291.6667%] after holding it for a couple of years. I live in the Rochester, N.Y., area where PAETEC Holdings Corp [Ticker: PAET] is a big player, locally. They hold the naming rights to PAETEC Park [soccer, I think]. They've cooked a deal with the city of Rochester to knock down Midtown Plaza [America's FIRST indoor shopping mall]. The plan was that PAETEC would build a 30-something floor office building on the Midtown site. The point of all this is that I wasn't able to participate in their stock run-up!! I cudda bought the stock around noon last Friday at it's recent low of $0.72/share. I cudda sold the stock at about 10:30AM today [Tuesday] at it's recent high of $1.65/share!!! That's abouta 229.1667% GAIN!!!! [Shudda, Cudda, Wudda!!!] Meaning that a $720.00 investment [1k shares] would have yielded $1,650.00!!! Oh.............. due to it's recent stock freefall, PAETEC has scaled it's headquarters office building back to a paltry 7 stories. My question is "will it EVER be built??" [The State of New York, which has been deficit spending for years, has committed $65,ooo,000 JUST TO KNOCK DOWN Midtown Plaza!!!] ...On A Sad Note: For several years, "Scruffy" has been a loved and loving member of the family. Scruffy is a black 'n' white long haired male cat. For the last several months he's had kidney, bladder and stomach problems. His recent weight was around nine pounds, down from a norm of 14 pounds. He's been on several oral medications and for the last three weeks, IV hydration at home-every other day. For the last several days, he's eaten little and became very lethargic; losing most of the "spring in his step." Late last week, the decision was made that there was very little hope for his recovery; his condition would only deteriorate further. Today, October 14, 2008, was chosen as his last. At about 8:50AM, Scruffy passed away quietly, comfortably at the Irondequoit Animal Hospital. He came into our world, our hearts as a scrawny, skinny, stray.... having just won one of many "street fights" that day. After a vet check, he kinda moved in and took over!! He was definitely the "Alpha Male" in every sense of the phrase!!! As cats go, I could take'em or leave'em-BUT NOT AFTER knowing, loving and living with Scruffy. Some dog breeds are known to be protective of others in their environment. Scruffy must have been part Shepard.... More than once he kept the other cat [a de-clawed female] from escaping out the front door!!! Scruff' was a most loving individual himself..... a "real ladies man!!" When the ladies would pick him up... he'd put his paws around their necks and nuzzle under their chins..... Good-bye, my friend..... You CANNOT and WILL NOT ever be replaced!!! Til Nex'time.....