I visited the Pets and People shelter in Yukon today. I’m thinking about getting a small dog or cat. The people who work and volunteer at such places are made of some strong stuff, I’m telling you. After about five minutes there, I was a basket case. So many animals without homes is heartwrenching. There must have been at least 30 cats in one room, and the cages of some of the large dogs were too small for comfort. But at least they are safe, warm and well fed. I’d say they need more volunteers, but make sure you can handle it.I shouldn’t have gone today, since I woke up to some documentary about child abuse on MSNBC (I didn’t tune to this, but left the TV running the night before) and then reading in the paper about that 3 year old boy who was beat to death in Elk City. I was really not in a positive frame of mind.What the hell is wrong with people? And why can’t our state and local governments get it together and take proper care of the kids who need rescue. When I was in Florida the same mismanagement crap with social services led to a big scandal because of unnecessary deaths of innocent children by their parents or caretakers. If half the energy put to anti-abortion activities was put to helping children who have actually been born, this problem would be largely solved.It is just hard to understand how a country with so many resources and money can have its priorities so messed up. But lots of folks were out today shopping, the American pastime/obsession, the supreme rite of its true religion. Supposedly the numbers are down this year because of the recession, but I don’t usually do much shopping, especially during the holiday season, so can’t judge that — anyway, I think there’s just too much consumerism and not enough compassion, or even good sense in our society. In many ways, it’s worse this time of year, not better, despite all the protestations that it’s about “the reason for the season.”Ah, well, maybe...