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My female cat had a litter of kittens last year, with no problems. Now she is in heat and went outside last night for the first time in a year. While she was out she was with a tomcat. Now today she started urinating on the floor, she has never had a problem like this before.....Is she sick or is this normal behavior after being with a tomcat?????

Malcolm Gladwell's new book, "The Outliers" came out on Tuesday, November 12, and everyone is talking about it.

One of my favorite things in the whole-wide world is the failblog.  I recently stumbled upon this gem.  This could very easily be me on any given night.

It was one of the most monumental elections in US history.  November 4, 2008, will be remembered by many as one of the most memorable days of their lives.  For many, Barack Obama's victory is symbolic of a new era in this country's history.  One where race is no longer an issue.   Thousands of people were seen on televisions across the nation rejoicing and celebrating our new president-elect.  America had overcome one of it's ugliest hurdles, racism. But in some parts of the country, Obama's win has not been well-received.  America's racist shadow has been awakened. An article from the AP reports that from California to Maine, police have documented crimes ranging from vandalism and vague threats, to at least one physical attack.  It seems like all age groups are in on the action, from adults, to college students, to second-graders.  Many are not happy with an African-American president. There have been "hundreds" of incidents since the election, many more than usual, said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate crimes. Here are some of the reported incidents, to read the article in it's entirety click here.

_Four North Carolina State University students admitted writing anti-Obama comments in a tunnel designated for free speech expression, including one that said: "Let's shoot that (N-word) in the head." Obama has received more threats than any other president-elect, authorities say. _At Standish, Maine, a sign inside the Oak Hill General Store read: "Osama Obama Shotgun Pool." Customers could sign up to bet $1 on a date when Obama would be killed. "Stabbing, shooting, roadside bombs, they all count," the sign said. At the bottom of the marker board was written "Let's hope someone wins." _Racist graffiti was found in places including New York's Long Island, where two dozen cars were spray-painted; Kilgore, Texas, where the local high school and skate park were defaced; and the Los Angeles area, where swastikas, racial slurs and "Go Back To Africa" were spray painted on sidewalks, houses and cars. _Second- and third-grade students on a school bus in Rexburg, Idaho, chanted "assassinate Obama," a district official said. _University of Alabama professor Marsha L. Houston said a poster of the Obama family was ripped off her office door. A replacement poster was defaced with a death threat and a racial slur. "It seems the election brought the racist rats out of the woodwork," Houston said. _Black figures were hanged by nooses from trees on Mount Desert Island, Maine, the Bangor Daily News reported. The president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas said a rope found hanging from a campus tree was apparently an abandoned swing and not a noose. _Crosses were burned in yards of Obama supporters in Hardwick, N.J., and Apolacan Township, Pa. _A black teenager in New York City said he was attacked with a bat on election night by four white men who shouted 'Obama.' _In the Pittsburgh suburb of Forest Hills, a black man said he found a note with a racial slur on his car windshield, saying "now that you voted for Obama, just watch out for your house."

Is racism in this country something that will always exist, regardless of what progress we seem to be making?  Will it ever be defeated?  Or is it like a bad seed, that once planted in the subconscious of this nation, no matter how hard it is suppressed, eventually it will rear it's ugly head? Some are wondering if this wave of hate has been incited by the dirty campaign run by the Republicans.  Specifically, the Alaska governor Sarah Palin. According to Secret Service agents, Palin’s repeated questioning of Obama’s patriotism sparked off the death threats from white supremacists. According to The Telegraph of London, Palin attracted criticism for accusing Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the 1960s radical William Ayers. In this article from The Standard Online:

The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" at Obama until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric. But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further. The Secret Service warned the Obama family last month that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Palin’s attacks. Intelligence analysts Stratfor have already warned that Obama is a high-risk target for racist gunmen. "Two plots to assassinate Obama were broken up during the campaign season, and several more remain under investigation. We would expect federal authorities to uncover many more plots to attack the president that have been hatched by white supremacist ideologues," it said.

Maybe the hatred was already there, maybe Obama's win would have had the same consequences even if Palin had played a clean game.  But I don't doubt that she came along and stoked the fires of hatred with vitriol and slander. In October I wrote a post about my fears of a Sarah Palin Vice-Presidency, I referred to her as an arch-enemy of peace.  I am afraid this is her legacy, to us in the lower 48.