Taking a quick break between giving shots, pilling cats, meeting students, grading papers, and a dentist appointment in a couple of hours. I’m wondering why Obama has not only come out against the bill condemning the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians that occurred in Turkey 90 odd years ago, but vowed to block the bill, wholly going against his pledge made in his Presidential bid when he said, “I shared with Secretary Rice my firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence. The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy … and as president I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.” (quote taken from Obama’s Presidential campaign website). Indeed, for years, President Obama has not minced words about labeling as “genocide” the deaths of Armenians more than 90 years ago during the demise of the Ottoman Empire and, as a Senator, regularly signed letters to President George W. Bush demanding that he recognize “the mass slaughter of Armenians as genocide” and saying that such an act “would constitute a proud, irrefutable and groundbreaking chapter in U.S. diplomatic history.” This was a principled position I highly respected Obama for holding and have previously expressed my extreme displeasure over my own government’s refusal to recognize the genocide for reasons of political expediency. And now he intends to do a 180 and block the bill?!

I’m really gaining confidence in my ability to give shots to little animals. This morning I had no hesitation or nerves but just matter-of-factly injected Smokey One Eye, this time in the scruff of her neck since her nether regions were somewhat eh urine soaked. Her balance is not good enough to use the litterbox or be out of her carrier unsupervised and so this is to be expected. Last night I did learn a lesson though and that is to make sure she has gone recently before putting her on my lap on the sofa…yeah, I had a lot of laundry to do last night! Her appetite is excellent and that is a good sign whether she has suffered a stroke or has an ear infection. No change in her balance as of yet. I should note that even though I named her Smokey (Eyn Echad) once I actually got her to my house and in the light I discovered her markings are exactly like that of Muffin and she’s not a solid gray at all. Flora is flourishing and the meds seem to be working splendidly for her. She is back to almost her old playful self, no fever at all, and just a bit more resting than usual, which is normal of course. One of the side effects of dealing with the cats of late is my growing confidence of the idea of dealing with a baby :)

The book I collected on Friday was sadly only the Organic Chemistry book and the Biology book has not yet arrived. I’ve now read and taken notes on the first chapter but I’ve discovered it is premised on one’s having taken a ‘general chemistry’ course beforehand and it has been such a long while since I’ve taken a chem. course – I was like 13!! –that I’m really at a loss, especially when the work problems ask for things like the ground state structure of sulfur or silicon, how many electrons Molybdenum has in the outer shell, or what have you. I don’t even remember where all of the elements fall on the periodic table. I remember that carbon is a 4A (I think) on the table and thus has really unique bonding and structural components like making a tetrahedron in structure, being able to make 4 covalent bonds and can link to itself to make really long chains and that that is really quite unique but good g-d, it has been so many years since I’ve even thought about chemistry. Clearly, I’m going to need to review some super basic chemistry before I jump two feet forward into this Organic Chem course. Any suggestions out there for a basic chem for dummies review?