conuly

Current Mood: frustrated

glue traps.

So when I went upstairs to fetch an apple for Bonne-maman (when I'm in the basement, what I urgently need is always in the attic, and vice versa) I found a poor little guy, chin and all glued to the trap, squeaking in fear.

Really, I should've taken him down to show Jenn. If she had seen his suffering, she would not be so cavalier about torture, I can tell you!

But I didn't think that would be the right thing for the poor mousie, he was upset enough as it was (and wouldn't you be?) so I took him outside and used vegetable oil and a toothpick to free him. One minute he's all glued down, then his tail is freed and then the next thing either of us knew he was sitting upright looking as surprised as I was. And then he was off, not quite sure if I was about to pounce and kill him anyway. (I wasn't.)

Though he was all doused with vegetable oil on one side, and it's cold out, so I don't know if, on the whole, it might have been kinder to just take a knife to him inside and end it all. But I could not have just let them there, it would have been wrong.

So now I'm going to take my miserable little pay and go invest in some snap traps. I'm not entirely opposed to killing small furry animals, even the cute ones (though I'd rather remove them if possible, of course), but torture is one thing I cannot abide. For the obvious reasons.

I'm filing this one under "good deed for the day", and tomorrow I'll put out extra birdseed for the squirrel, I'm feeling that happy. (When we plant our garden this year I plan on putting in some birdfeeders (seed generously mixed with pepper) and some squirrel feeders as well (no pepper!), so that's all right. But while I'm reading a lot about bird diets, I can't find out much about proper squirrel diets other than "early spring is the hardest time" (that's why I'm putting out extra birdseed for 'em) and "peanuts and sunflower seeds are lacking in essential nutrients" and "if you find a baby squirrel, take it to a licensed rehabilitator and for god's sake don't give it cow milk", which isn't useful.)

Current Mood: hopeful

No word on if/when Jenn will be paying me again now that she has her new job. (She works in the same office as our mom, which is not as hilarious as it sounds.)

So, having been paid on the same day I got an email from donorschoose.org I decided to donate some cash over. (I think I'm on a mailing list or something, but that's all right.)

And I did donate a little. I mostly pick projects that are close to completion and/or about to expire soon.

AFTER I donated, I saw this. I don't have $530, and it expires in six days, but she lists two of the Knight and Rogue books as books to buy for her library (although she doesn't list the third, so I wonder if it's out yet). Often I think that teachers and all would do better to make many small project requests than one big one. That way, even if you can't get enough money for all the books you can get enough for some, right?

At any rate, it's expiring in six days, and the odds of it being completed in that time when it has no donations yet are slim, but I thought I'd put it up and see what I could see.

Current Mood: sleepy

One about how recessions, paradoxically, spur people to give more money

( Read more... )

One about the clothing stores that destroy unsold goods before tossing them. Ugh.

( Read more... )

And a follow-up, of sorts, of where they could send those clothes instead - kinda like the food bank, but for clothes.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: bored

This model of donation really makes sense to me.

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Current Mood: sleepy

About the surprising difficulty in donating "unpretty" produce to the poor. The part about half of food grown in the US being wasted has to be hyperbole, though. I know we waste a lot, but surely it isn't that much...?