Citizen Humphrey During Election Week

With the Ontario provincial election only a week away, Humphrey is thinking a lot about democracy and citizenship. He invites readers to view his book on this very subject! You can read it online below, click on the link below. Give it a moment to load and you should be able to flip the pages with your mouse...and it helps to click on the "full screen" button to enlarge the text.

My Citizens and Me:A Dog's Eye View of Democracy by Humphrey Chimpden EarwickerAs told to Dr. Laura Pinto | Make Your Own Book

*REDACTED* [Humphrey] wants an anonymous shell corporation!

Last night, in jaw-dropping awe, Humphey watched as Dr. Stephen T. Colbert signed his name to a Delaware anonymous shell corporation whose details will be disclosed six months after the US presidential election. At present, the anonymous shell is said to be an educational organization devoted to educating the masses on how LGBTTQ people cause earthquakes. But of course, the side benefit is that (like Carl Rove's anonymous shell), it allows Dr. Colbert to obtain anonymous donations which can then be donated to a Political Action Committee without disclosing donor's names (instead replacing them with "redacted"). Dr. Colbert describes it as a money-laundering scheme, a characterization not disputed by his lawyer, Trevor Potter.
Humphrey imagined all the fun he could have with an anonymous shell. Too bad he resides outside the US :(

Humprhey's summer 2011 bucket list

How did Humphrey's summer stack up, you ask? As usual, he had a full agenda planned....

Check!

Check!

Check!

Didn't happen this year....

...but this did!

Sadly, not in 2011. But he reminds his guardian that the bluffs are a fine autumn outing, too!

Oh yes! Many times!

They keep promising this new friend...but Humphrey has yet to meet him.

For the most part, Humphrey got to experience some great summer fun.

But there's always next year for more adventures and new friends.

Remeber Dexter?

It's been a while since we saw Dexter in the neighbourhood, but no doubt everyone remembers him fondly! A certain local politician who's making his way into the papers with increasing frequency inspired Humphrey's look-a-like today, and made him think of Dexter....

Here we go again with altruism!

David Brooks is at it again, Humphrey thought, realizing his guardian will produce an exasperated sigh upon seeing another one of Humph's posts citing the conservative NY Times columnist. But, once again, Brooks is just plain relevant.

Humphrey reports for duty as resident recycler, an espeically fulfilling occupation.

It all started with today's Globe & Mail article reporting on the 10 happiest jobs (which include clergy, fire fighter, author and teacher, among others). These are contrasted against the 10 saddest jobs reported in Forbes.  Humphrey, of course, found it puzzling that "Resident Recycler" was  not included in the happiest jobs list. Nonetheless, he appreciated author Steve Denning's observation that the happiest jobs involved altruism, while the saddest ones (despite higher pay and status) have no intrinsic meeting. Just as Humphrey explained in his June 14 blog post, citing Brooks, altruism matters a great deal to human beings.
All this talk about altruism is loosely related to morality. Which brings us back to Mr. Brooks, who in his September 12 column, talks about a recent study that found 18- to 23-year-olds engage in moral individualism, tending to acribe morality to indivdual taste over universal principles. The article also cites that the youths studied had given a great deal of thought to morality in general. Now, Humphrey is well aware of neuroscientific research, and he wonders if this is more a matter of physiological development in the brain rather than a trend, but who knows?
Despite the rather hopeless tone of Brooks' article, Humphrey has great faith in the human spirit, and is confident that altruism will remain a priority! If nothing else, Brooks' previous column which Humphrey regards so highly implies that it's hard-wired in people and Maltese-poodles, among other animals.