Dentastick? "Momma" Culpa. Bird Feathers? Culpa Canina.

One can understand why "Momma" mistook Reilly's half of a dentastick for a "nasty", although she later apologized to Reilly for mistakenly trying to take her dentastick—and no wonder that Reilly clenched the dentastick in her jaw and kep turning her head away from "Momma"!

Reilly also clenched her jaw when she somehow left two cardinal feathers down to their rachises and quills—and "Auntie Michelle" has no clue how Reilly got the bird feathers! By the way, "Momma" and "Auntie Michelle" are fairly certain that Reilly tried to eat only bird feathers that she found by the birdfeeder and not any actual birds.

PS Besides not letting any puppy—especially any small-breed puppy—eat feathers, follow other safety precautions (including not letting your puppy eat any other "nasties") to let your puppy live long and prosper¹—no matter whether he or she is in his or her pre-adult, adult, or senior years.

By the way, it really wasn't that long ago when Reilly celebrated Hanukkah 5776, is it? (She hates "Momma" when "Momma" makes her wear her tallit v'kippah—or anything else—v'ima lah ohevet b'kal mikreh.)

¹Via Diana Ketchen

Guest Post By Rachel Wheeler: Immigration Court Trends for the USA in 2016

(Note: In light of the issues surrounding DACA and the travel ban, this post—which Rachel Wheeler wrote on July 20, 2017—is very significant and timely. Although Rachel wrote the post regarding 2016 immigration trends, the 2016 immigration trends and the then-to-be-affected 2017 immigration trends played a key role in the 2016 Election.

(Of course, the legitimacy of the 2016 Election results is another discussion—and I've made clear my positions regarding the 2016 Election results, DACA and the travel ban, and other matters regarding the fallout of the 2016 Election.)

Immigration Court Trends for the USA in 2016

Each year the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) publishes a statistical year-end review on immigration court matters. Released last month, the FY 2016 Yearbook highlights several significant trends that appeared over the past 12 months.

An Increase in Matters Received

Last year, 14% more matters were received by the Immigration Courts compared to 2015. ‘Matters received’ covers a range of violations and applications pertaining to immigration law: Bonds that require payment, formal requests from deportation, and motions to reopen, reconsider, or re-calendar various applications and appeals.

More than 200,000 Matters Completed

A 4% increase in matters completed shows that the courts are effectively handling the matters presented to them. It also proves that they are processing at a faster rate than the previous year. Of all matters received, those completed fell into four main categories:

Granted some form of relief – This pertains to an immigration judge’s decision to grant relief or protection from removal to an immigrant otherwise vulnerable to forced expulsion. Roughly 17,000 individuals received such grants throughout 2016 and therefore are able to remain in the USA.

Order of deportation – After the decision to expel an immigrant has been passed, the DHS becomes responsible for their physical removal. Deportation cases generally arise when the Immigration Naturalization Service (INS) finds the country was entered illegally, or alternately entered legally yet in violation of one or more visa terms. Over 96,000 deportation and removal decisions were made last year.

Terminated Cases – Terminated cases arise for a variety of reasons. Often, they occur if the immigration judge finds that the DHS is lacking evidence for the removal of an immigrant. As a result, the decision to terminate a case is made. More than 23,000 cases were terminated by immigration judges in 2016.

Officially Closed Matters – This remaining category covers Administrative Closure of immigration cases, Failures to Prosecute, Other Administrative Completions, and Temporary Protected Statuses. The total of these occurrences in 2016 came to slightly over 48,500 cases.

Skilled Workers Choose the United States

Interestingly, inventors chose the United States as their priority destination over all other first world nations between 2000 and 2010. Recent research shows that 190,000 migrants holding global patents for a wide range of products moved to the USA. In the same period, only 10,000 brought their futures (and inventions) elsewhere.

Furthermore, 47% of the increase in the United States workforce in the past decade can be attributed to immigrants. 22% of healthcare and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) occupations were taken up by immigrants. This proves a strong tendency for people to move to the United States not only to pursue the ‘American Dream’, but also to further their career in skilled areas. In doing so, they also strengthen the domestic economy.

The Language of Immigration

Of all the completed matters presented in immigration courts in 2016, 91% came from just five of the 258 languages spoken in these courts. The highest of these was Spanish, accounting for 76% of all completions, followed by English (10%), Mandarin (4%), Punjabi (1%) and Arabic (0.6%).

Recent trends in both general immigration figures from the EOIR and Migration Policy Debate papers show the importance of the immigration vetting process. Additionally, they attest to the need for professional translation services for immigration courts and patent processing.

An Reply To An Email That "Momma" Received This Morning, And An Incidental Note

By the way, "Momma" blacked out the email address of the emailer in question, as well as replaced one word in the email and blacked out the puppy's name to protect the emailer's privacy—and she is publishing the email here because the questions could really be FAQ questions, given that they were well-thought-of questions:

From: Nicole Czarnecki
To: halarivijay3
Sent: Thu, Sep 14, 2017 10:05 am
Subject: Re: Ole Field Farm Puppies

Hi, Dr. and Mrs. Halari:

Per your queries:

1. Joyce was and is a wonderful, loving, knowledgeable, and competent breeder. "Love Little Dogs" is truly an honest and accurate name for her website. By the way, we referred neighbors (Shelby's owners) to her, and they in turn referred other neighbors (Solo's owners) to Joyce. (Also, please tell Joyce that Reilly, Camille, Shelby, Solo, and Fenway are all doing well. I should mention, too, that Camille and Shelby are maternal sisters, and "Tootsie's [Camille's and Shelby's mom's] grandmother is Apple's [Reilly's mom's] sister.")
2. Reilly and Camille each adjusted well to being brought home. Reilly was not brought home until she was three days short of nine weeks old, and Camille was not brought home until she was 10 weeks and five days old.
3. They've been very good; thank you for asking.
4. Yes. Smaller dogs will have more risk for issues such as luxating patella and UTIs, for example, though that is a genetic-based risk and not due to breeder fault.
5. Yes. I'd read up on dog ownership, talk to the vet, talk to neighbors and loved ones whom've owned dogs, and certainly talk to Joyce :-). 
6. Yes, though that's also genetic. For example, Reilly is allergic to heartworm pills (We ended up opting for heartworm vaccines, a booster shot of which she got yesterday) 

Nicole Czarnecki

http://about.me/nickidewbear

-----Original Message-----
From: Vijay Halari
To: Nickidewbear <Nickidewbear@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, Sep 14, 2017 9:28 am
Subject: Ole Field Farm Puppies

Good morning,

I'm reaching out to you about Ole Field Farm puppies. My [family] and I are inquiring and truly planning on buying one from Joyce. She's been great and "Ollie" (the Male Morkie) have been great but we wanted to hear from previous customers about their reviews.
1. What did you think about Joyce?
2. How about you pet after you took them home?
3. How have they been?
4. Anything to look out for?
5. Any pointers for first time dog owners?
6. Any specific health issues with your pets?

We are so excited and plan on picking up Ollie tomorrow morning (9/15), please let use know what you think, it would mean a lot to us.

Thank you,
- Dr. and Mrs. Halari

PS Admittedly, this is at least a small comfort for what "Momma" has been enduring of late—and not to mention that Reilly has been a lifesaver through all that "Momma" has endured¹.

¹Including confusion re what a certain someone wants. Note to him, by the way: 

Tengo algunes preguntas muy cándidas y una admisión cándida para tí, si me permite te preguntar las preguntas; y lo siento si son demasiada francas. A esto punto, necesito las preguntar y la admitir a tí, especialmente porque pronto llegará Yom Kipur (y no pienso que Jesús escribió mi nombre en el Libro de Vida sin razón): 

• ¿Amas o no amas mí y Reily?
• ¿Pienses o no pienses que eres mi futuro esposo y el futuro "Papi" de Reily?
• ¿No entendí algunas cosas que dijiste implicitamente hasta muy tarde, entendí?
• En mi defensa, el momento y las circunstancias no estuvieron el momento y las circunstancias para mí entender qué dijiste. También, el caso no está y no estuvo que no me culpo por manejando algunas cosas en las circunstancias en una manera que no estuvo bueno; y lo siento por cualquier daño que he creado, incluyendo cualquier daño que he creado para tí y Reilly—y no es fácil por mí admitir, aunque neceisto lo admitir que por cualquier daño que he creado, incluyendo cualquier daño que he creado para tí y Reilly, y en parte para mí estar una ¨Máma¨ mejor a Reily y (si Yejovah quiere) ser una buena esposa para tí algún día.

Reilly the Little Trouper (And How Does She Deal With A Beleaguered "Momma"?)

"Momma" doesn't know how Reilly deals with her—especially for about 3.5 years now, including when she first came home (away from home—and "Momma" is amazed that she and Reilly have survived here, as "Momma" has been vocal against Tr**p and received death threats for being vocal against Tr**p for her, Reilly's, and others' sakes). Reilly has also dealt patiently with "Momma" as she's suffered with mental-illness flareups and been up at nights to even the point of exhaustion—even to the point at which she had a headache, threw up, and hardly slept last night—and with little, or even without, compassion from "Mom-Mom" (and at least "Mom-Mom", as if she's perfect, once again admitted what she thinks of "Momma"—"You're very disruptive to this household"—and "Momma" is certainly afraid that she won't be able to take Reilly with her if "Mom-Mom" kicks her out—and not that "Momma"'s perfect, though "Mom-Mom" insists on nonetheless using what "Momma" endures and how she doesn't always handle it perfectly as a way to make her suffer more¹, and verbal abuse certainly does not help "Momma" be a good "Momma" to Reilly),

Not that "Momma"'s recent breakdown over an ableist person whom's supposed to be helping her with something instead of telling her that all she's worth is her disability (like Hell "Momma" wants to have "office clerk" as a "long-term employment goal", despite that she's made clear that she can do more than be an "office clerk" just because of her disability—and "Mom-Mom" makes excuses for her (and "Momma" did and does not owe Reilly an apology for breaking down and inadvertently scaring her, let alone having "Mom-Mom" turn Reilly against her in that moment—and "Momma"'s well aware that her yelling and crying scared Reilly!

¹En paso, una nota a un persona cierto: ¿comprendes ahora, aunque comprendo por qué diste mí mamá el beneficio de la duda? Y trato estar una buena "Mamá" a Reily, pese a qué mi propia mamá piense.

Hoy vey iz meir, todos los mis días especialmente últimamente en alguna o un otro form como el caso parece (y sí; tuve la intención de "Hoy vey iz meir" estar un juego de palabras).

Whoopi Goldberg & Joy Behar Didn't Embarrass Sarah Huckabee Sanders

For "Salon" to even have that as their headline is embarrassing, as Sarah Huckabee Sanders has embarrassed herself—or at least should be embarrassed because of her behavior, including defending Tr**p and her father. Also, Sarah Huckabee Sanders doesn't "have to go out and defend those lies every day", as she willingly took the job as Tr**p's press secretary and decided that "Like father, like daughter" is okay in her case.

Both "Salon" and Joy Behar ought to be ashamed for even defending Sarah Huckabee Sanders, especially right after Joy Behar called her out for her behavior—and for Joy Behar to turn around and act like Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a victim, and "Salon"'s (not to mention others') promoting of Joy Behar's lie that Sarah Huckabee Sanders ""[has] to go out and defend those [Tr**p's and her father's pro-Tr**p] lies every day" is embarrassing—and "Salon" and Joy Behar are embarrassing themselves by defending Sarah Huckabee Sanders and, effectively, Tr**p and Mike Huckabee. 

A Reflection Re "Heaven, 9/11 Memorial Version"

I can only imagine how, I suppose to a similar extent, my paternal grandfather's father and living siblings felt on September 11, 1922 and subsequent days. From what I understand, my great-great-granddad Julian Czarnecki was absolutely no hero—or if he was one, his bad facets outweighed his good ones. Nonetheless, his death must've really weighed on my great-granddad and his living siblings (one of whom would follow her father only slightly over 2.75 years later).

Great-Granddad was going to be 18 that October (and to compound the worst matters in his life, he turned 25 on a day on which a 25th birthday would not be joyous to anyone—Black Thursday). So on that birthday (and subsequent birthdays), he had to remember the loss of his father (with whom he had a conflicted relationship—or at least I'd be surprised if he didn't have a conflicted relationship with him—and subsequent birthdays would become even worse as the years passed and worse events kept happening—in fact, his 35th birthday had the fresh pain of Black Thursday's 10th anniversary and the only-almost-two-months old invasion of Poland).

As for Great-Granddad's youngest sibling, she wasn't yet even nine months old when Great-Great-Granddad died—and the oldest surviving one had, if you count 13 as the bat-mitzvah age, become a bat-mitzvah that year (and she was the one whom followed Great-Great-Granddad into death on June 23, 1925).

At least none of them were around to see 9/11. However, my great-granddad's widow—to whom he was quite abusive, and with whom she obviously had a conflicted relationship—was, and so were four of his five children (One died seven hours after birth, right before the 10th anniversary of his aunt Regina's death.). While I do not know whether my great-grandma ever met her father-in-law or her sister-in-law Regina, I know that she was well aware that September 11th always carried pain for my great-granddad—as carried every October 24th, and not just because of the September 11th before his 18th birthday—and both were born in Jewish homes (he in Anti-Semitic Polish Russia, she in an Anusi home in Ashley-Hanover Township, Pennsylvania) and raised in Anusi homes, and they thus knew the pain of every passing September 11th (on which Great-Great-Granddad may not have died had his family not disowned him for becoming an Anusi) and October 24th.

I can only imagine how the pain of every other September 11th hit her on 9/11, and I never did ask her because I didn't know our family story—not even that we were and are Jews—not to mention that I saw her only once every year from some time in the 90s until 2005, and I was dealing with an abusive dad (It's like the Passover question that the fourth child doesn't ask—he or she doesn't ask because he or she doesn't know how to ask or maybe even to ask at all.).

I wonder what she thought—or at least would've thought—if she heard this song—I also wonder the same about Pop-Pop (whom was sadly, as Granduncle Tony stated, "Like father, like son.") and Granduncle Tony (whom unexpectedly died on July 31 2014, three days after what would've been his mother's 101st birthday). I also certainly wonder what Great-Granddad would've thought and what Granduncle Red (Francis "Red" Czarnecki, whom died in 1985) would've thought (BTW, he was called "Red" because of his red hair—which, as I later found out, is, so to speak, a dead giveaway of if someone is Jewish in Poland, as is Brown hair for someone whom's a Brown-haired Jew, as Ethnic Poles are indigenously light-haired and light-eyed).

A Quick Update On Reilly & Camille

The "gwirls" are doing well and are back to normal. In fact:

1. Both Reilly and Camille were back to normal within a day, and Reilly was back to normal within 12-18 hours!
2. Both Reilly and Camille are their lovably-bratty and brattily-lovable selves.
3. Both Reilly and Camille freaked out with the groundhog being back—in fact, Camille was scared of it when she went to try to "go potty" the night after the dental cleaning, and Reilly wanted to chase it yesterday!
4. Reilly is back to her jealous self—she even zoomed into the family room at the right side of the couch and did a dominance show on Camille when Camille went to say "Hi!" to someone! It was surreal—like she was in a commercial or a movie, or a video game!
5. Poor Reilly has to deal with "Momma", although (for good and bad) she tolerates her!