Brazos County “Animal shelter pact not renewed”

Article from Bryan, Texas newspaper

It’s not the Brazos Animal Shelter’s fault that the general public can’t take care of their animals! And the rotten areas of Bryan that the city plans to shove thousands into repairing– MLK, 23rd, 24th– these are some of the predominant areas causing the problems to begin with! Excessive breeding, abandoned animals, pit bull abuse, dog fighting, irresponsible pet ownership—Its their pets that end up on the streets or in the shelter! If the city is going to waste their dollars giving these half humans better roads- improvements which will fall immediately into the same egregious disrepair just like the rest of their Sec.8 villages of state protected thieves, rapists, hoodlums, and gangsters.

The city should instead fund mass euthanasia for the inhabitants of that welfare-funded, over-populated, ever-reproducing, worthless hole of tax sucking nobodies who can’t take care of themselves without government’s constant assistance, and do an even lesser job of caring for their unnecessary and accidental procreations. The last thing anyone in that hopeless area of town needs is more tax dollars (to which they neglect to contribute) in order to give them newer “toys” to tear to pieces.

Is the Brazos County ACTUALLY considering ending its contract with the only Hope for proper treatment the innocent animals of the north Bryan bastards could ever have chance of receiving?! This is insane!

For a town spending 6.3 million dollars to improve streets, plus countless thousands more to make a crummy, dying stretch of a hopeless downtown SEEM impressive to the outsider, it really is falling short of “keeping up with appearances” if it’s going to just turn its back on the animals its citizens so foolishly and negligently bring into the world.

You think a few hundred euthanized pets is a lot for a 6 month period? If that’s what you’re holding against the shelter, then think how many more animals will fall prey to a much worse death when the shelter is no longer in the picture to at least give the creatures an easy way out of life.

And I hate the breed restrictions, I hate that the animals can only be giving 72 hours—but reality demands these rules! I’d much rather a pit bull be put to sleep with a needle and poison than from a brutal, debilitating infection caused from open wounds never tended to- or bleeding to death in an empty field after it lost a Friday night’s thrown together dog fight- or starved slowly for years, attached to a human’s chain in a scorching backyard. That’s what pit bulls end up with, as a general rule in Bryan, TX. When they finally do escape the torture of being “owned,” unless they find a kind soul will give them extra special care, they’re better off being put to sleep at the Brazos Animal Shelter.

You cannot blame the shelter for the fact that more pets were not adopted out to good families! How many dollars have you donated to their publicity program? How many hours have you donated to work with the dogs individually so they’ll be ready to go into the public for a meet & greet day? How often do you spread the word about adoption weekends at Petsmart, or even encourage potential dog owners to go visit the animals in need of home? The workers in the shelter can only do so much, and they will never be the equivalent of a good, stable home to all the pets they receive each week. That is NOT the shelter’s fault- it is YOUR fault.

How is the shelter supposed to afford the spay/neuters, new kennels, medications, basic cleaning supplies, paperwork, employee paychecks, gas to and from adoption days, etc, if not through city funding? It’s the city that so desperately wants its streets to be clean and pretty, how does it possibly think that having a few stray packs of wild dogs and a couple hundred colonies of unrestricted feral cats on every block will improve the oh-so-important appearance of its beloved new streets?!

If the Brazos County is in such a gross need to spend money on the north Bryan area, then spend it seizing the abused pets in just about every house on 23rd street—spend it inspecting the quality of life the poor children are subjected to within the homes—spend it on evening youth programs that teach responsibility for oneself, his possessions, and his pets.

Just fixing the streets is a tremendous waste of money unless the generations who will inevitably live on those streets till death have been taught to treat their streets, and anything they keep on those streets, with respect.

First the D.A.R.E. program gets nixed, now the Animal Shelter is in serious danger of survival—but, hey! The streets will be shiny and new! Now we’re talking Brazos County priorities!

Background Bite Info

Answer to all the questions about the dog bite:

(This is just a lazy copy/paste of a reply to someone on Facebook regarding why I was around the dog, what was going on, and how/why it happened.)

No one would deal with this dog– ACO said until there was evidence it was a nuisance, they wouldn’t deal with it. Owners of nearby property didn’t see it as a nuisance, it was fine with their dogs, followed them around their yards, didn’t chase/harm their cats— just another dump.

Their concern was how grubby & uncared for it appeared- wanted it loved, actually. They asked what the policy would be at the shelter, I explained 72hrs then euthanasia…she didn’t want that, still didn’t call it a nuisance…it was playing great with the other dogs, showed up every morn/evening for about 7 days to get “treats” in the cooler parts of the day- I happened to be there 1 night when it was around…

I had been in contact with no kill shelter in surrounding Austin/Houston areas— there was no way I could keep it/rehab it/afford it- my home, wallet, & heart are full. But a no kill had offered to cover cost of neuter/shots/finding rehab foster if it was brought in. had been taking treats, sniffing around me, letting me touch it, playing with me & the other puppies– had been close to 45 minutes of this.

Got the leash, put it around his neck, reached my arm around behind his head while prepping to walk away with him—–he looked at my arm, then calmly clamped down…

Did not growl, didn’t show teeth, didn’t shake— honestly, I didn’t even notice— I heard the *crunch* before I felt anything- said “hey” …he unclamped, wiggled out of the noose style leash, & continued sniffing for treats, wagging his tail, playing with the other dogs……….

I saw a bit of blood, didn’t pay attention, then a nearby lady said, “Did he get you?” and I looked down and saw blood dripping from every finger and my fatty tissue hanging from a few open wounds…. at this point- I was immediately and utterly concerned that my fossil watch, which was soaked in red, goopy blood, would be forever ruined.

It wasn’t until I started to remove the watch that I realized my vision was blurring & I was about to pass out. Still didn’t feel anything though, still really didn’t think it was a big deal…just sort of thought I was light headed because I hadn’t eaten in a while.

So I walked on, washed it off with some water and splashed my face with water, then sat down with the dog & other 3 bouncy young labs for about 25 more minutes while I waited for the blood to stop flowing and my head to stop spinning – but he wouldn’t come w/n 3 feet of me. Eventually I realized I probably just needed to call it a night, drive home, and go get some dinner because I felt so nauseated and out of it.

Also—I realized this dog never learned any sort of bite inhibition or gentle mouthing– though great with dogs and happy to be around humans–would need special rehab to learn what he should’ve gained from owners in the first few weeks of life. Knew I hadn’t found that sort of rehab in either Austin or Houston– so I decided I’d keep searching online and calling until noon the next day– if I couldn’t find a rehab for a young adult with no bite inhibition toward humans, then I’d just have call ACO myself and explain to them that THOUGH the dog is not a “nuisance” I’m really not comfortable with it being around people- possibly kids- who might be petting it, touch a sensitive spot, then get nipped.

Because of no leash law in the county area- it’s really not in the ACO protocol to catch loose animals UNLESS property owners will say it’s a legitimate nuisance– even then they’re often told to rent a trap themselves….

That night, after I wisely decided to go have a professional clean the wound, I realized it was actually pretty deep, and I wasn’t going to mess around with the animal potentially hurting someone else. Lack of aggression or not, bite inhibition is extremely important, and human welfare trumps animal welfare- so I called in to report it.

Even then— ACO still didn’t want to respond until I finally had to vomit out the words, “Listen- this dog may not be aggressive, but it DID bite me- it’s not worth chancing on someone else.” That got their attention, they’re now trying to catch him– neighborhood cats & other animals are just trying to be kept from the area where the traps are. So far no luck— and so far I’ve yet to find anyone who will give me day #3 dose of rabies exposure treatment.

Ceasar in Training

Happy Ceasar

Today marks the 3rd week we’ve had Ceasar in our lives, and he’s healing wonderfully, on a great track toward proper socialization, and getting lots of lovin’ by many people.

I’ve been reading a few books by Dr. Ian Dunbar, and one of his repeated recommendations is to encourage the new dog owner to socialize their puppy with at least 100 new people by the time the dog is 3 months old. Because our Ceasar is at least a year old already, and we’re entirely ignorant of what type of past to which he was actually subjected, we’ve decided to manipulate that same goal just a bit, and apply it to Ceasar’s socialization timeline.

Our goals: 100 new people and 25 new dogs by July 1, plus as many new environments as possible. We have to keep in mind his healing process and the potential for undue stress during this, but we’re working hard to make each experience seem like this is nothing new- it’s as routine as going outside to potty.

Getting some Lovin'

It’s June 7, and we’ve almost reached our dog meeting goal and we’re halfway to meeting Ceasar’s first 100 people!

Connie and I are fairly new to dog ownership- proper, dedicated dog ownership, that is. We both grew up in animal friendly, dog owning families, but it wasn’t until we got Maddox 3 years ago that really began learning about how to appropriately raise, train, love, and care for a dog. Because of our ignorance going in, Maddox was almost more of a test puppy, in retrospect, and we made many a mistake with her- such as not kennel training immediately, namely.

Baby Maddox

Then a few months later, we found ourselves with Jaxon. With Jaxon we over corrected a bit, and he ended up missing out on some very necessary socializing. They’re both a little over 3 years old now, and it’s still a constant challenge to keep their training progressing forward rather than becoming stagnant, so we’re working very hard to make sure that Ceasar is getting a clean, fresh start from a positive point.

Mud lovin' from day 1

The training focal points of Dr. Dunbar, the “Dog Whisperer” Ceasar Millan, and the ever so entertaining Victoria Stilwell can be summarized by the following:

1. Proper inside behavior
2. Calm, submissive energy release
3. Socialization

In our experience with Maddox, Jaxon, and the other foster pets- these 3 really are the founding principles of good dog behavior, so

Maddox, Jaxon, & a couple of fosters

that’s what’s happening in our lives now: training, training, training- always training. It may not look or sound like training to an outsider, but we have a purpose behind every move we’re making both with Ceasar and our other dogs.

It’s an exciting journey to begin, and so rewarding thus far!

Ceasar had his first lake experience yesterday and his first dog park experience today! Twenty-one days past the time this dog otherwise would have been left to die or driven to his death bed- he’s found a home with a soft bed, ample chew toys, timely meals, healing for his wounds, dog pals to play with, water to lounge in, hands to scratch him, and a family to appreciate him.

Before July 1, he’ll have mastered the routine of hanging out in Petsmart, hobbling through the dog park, visiting the ocean, socializing with cats, kids, men, and other various people, and his basic obedience will be well under way. What a miracle this dog has been for us- again, THANK YOU for helping to save this precious, grateful dog.

Ceasar says Thank You!!!

Body Attack

My drenched, cotton t-shirt sticks to every fat roll in my torso. Droplets of perspiration ceaselessly pour off the tip of my chin. The puddle of sweat below me grows wider and deeper; stepping around it is becoming impossible. My inner thighs are chaffed and raw, regardless of the oily layer my overheated body is excreting. The vein on my forehead bulges and pulsates to the beat of the song, much more rhythmically than my legs are accomplishing. The weight of my well-padded behind is growing more obviously disgusting as it wallops the back of my legs upon every movement I strain to make. My wheezing breathing harmonizes to the high pitch tones in the melody of the ear shatteringly loud music.

My thoughts are but a haze, and muscular control I once claimed as my own has been telepathically seized by the instructor in front of me. The reverberating music, whose beat has now replaced my power of any functional or reasonable thinking, has become me, and I it. The muffled screeching voice in the speakers is my Goddess. She speaks words of mock encouragement, brain washing us more successfully than was ever accomplished at any military boot camp or Nazi training.

“You love this,” she drills. “You’re becoming the person you want to be,” we’re told. Then, in a foreboding voice she exclaims, “The music is your Maker; follow It to the finish!”

And just then, the base deepens, the pounding quickens, the music grows louder, it grows faster, the pupils in the eyes of our aerobic Goddess enlarge to a noticeably intimidating size- then!- right as the song hits the peak of its mountain- she, much more melodramatically than required, leaps diagonally into the air and screams, “AND FLYYY! And FLYY!”

Her seemingly weightless body is lunged from side to side as she punches the air in a vertical fashion with one arm, as one leg flails outstretched to the opposite side of her heaven bound fist. Her breathing, I believe, has completely come to a halt, as all her efforts have somehow been channeled to a combination of arm thrust, body plunge, air leap, and “FLYYYY!” instructions.

A chunk of my sweaty hair hits my defenseless eyeball, stinging like the crash of seawater, but before smearing it out of my face, I suck every drop of its salty liquid in attempt to quench the aching soreness of my dry throat.

“This is not the end! You love the burn! You will not quit! You are having fun! Follow the beat- follow the beat!”

The rest of us look like a pack of wounded gazelles about to meet our fate. All of us somehow unwilling to admit it, choosing instead to relentlessly push awkwardly forward in a leaping, sideways fashion in our best attempts to imitate the flying instructors ahead of us.

Regretfully, I make the one mistake more dangerous in an aerobics classroom than is looking out of a plane at 13,000 feet right before you’re supposed to jump: I look at myself in the wall-to-wall, floor to ceiling mirrors.

The sight came much more shockingly than ever expected. Thrown out of the hypnotic techno trance in which my Goddess had captured me, I was barely even recognizable, even to myself. My pale, freckled skin had transformed into a splotchy pink and purple mess (much like Cinderella’s 16th birthday dress fiasco the fairies had mistakenly made for her.) My short hair that had once been held out of my face with a hair band, had worked its way from a discrete position on the back of my head, to the top of my head in a fashion similar to that of Bam-Bam Flintstone. The eight-hour-old mascara was fading down my puffy, red cheeks, and my calves that felt as though they had been stuffed with softballs were, in reality, disappointingly smaller than seemed fair, considering the amount of pain in which I was being subjected.

Frozen, I shutter at the mirage in the mirror then—-”Horse kick it! Left! Right! Square! Aaaand PUNCH—”

The crunching of the phalanges in my foot beneath the weight of a boomingly large woman to my left, takes my mind off the picture in the mirror, then blast of an elbow to my cheek snaps me back into the hell of reality I’m in.

The once wounded-looking, spandex-swaddled creatures surrounding me, have instantaneously achieved telepathic unity; and like a mindless school of fish, they swirl as one- dancing in firm, sharp squares to the throbbing of the beat.

Desperately trying to make up the lost time I had spent fixated on my disheveled appearance in the mirrors, with a sort of nervous urgency, I attempt to mimic the warriors of the dance floor through the complicated gyrations. But, taking the wrong step, I find myself looking straight into the red face of the stallion who had run me over- her nostrils flaring and eyes blankly peering through me with an eerie sense of self-loathing fury that only women addicted to the masochism of aerobics classes could understand.

At that point- in a frozen moment in time- it struck me very clearly, that the fateful day had come: Truly, I’m no longer the girl who could withstand any extent of fitness torture. I’m one of them- the adult ladies who counts calories, buys self-help literature, and commits to hopelessly unattainable aerobics, neurotically attempting to regain the body of her youth….

“And FLYYYY,” comes the command once again, breaking my dismal train of thought. “And FLYYY,” cues the storming stampede my direction…

After sixty minutes of rhythmic abuse, my battered body mustered the strength to carry my weight across the classroom floor, to a place of rest beyond the torture chamber’s doors, where I gathered my few items and I made my departure.

One hour previous, I had entered the gym as a complete person; I left as the hollow shell of one so drained of every ounce of confidence and pride, that the emotional exhaustion of my embarrassment was too great to even bear the amount of public humiliation I had endured.

However, I’ve begun the never-ending race to attain the body of my youth, and this is the bracket of exercisers into which I have entered: where workouts of long runs and pushups have been replaced with dance-like movements across a shiny wooden floor amid a sea of middle aged women. Unattainable goals, (such as having the ass of an 18 year old once again), will lead me back time, and time, and time again, as a committed client, willing to flail my aging body in coordinated anguish.

I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever find complete psychological recovery from my experience in the appropriately labeled class, “Body Attack,” but with a robotic blank stare and dilated pupils like my soon to be fellow aerobics classmates, I’ll hang on every screech from the voice in the speakers- listening, waiting- ready to follow the commands of the complicated music, because the Voice tells me I love it.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Modern U.S.A. Economy Style)

 Matthew 18:21-35

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”……..

23 Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to the executive branch of the United States government, which decided to bring its accounts up to date with various businesses, car dealerships, and wealthy home owners who had borrowed money then defaulted on loans.

24 In the process, one of the debtors- the CEO of Bank of America- who owed the government millions of dollars, was brought into the spotlight.

25 The bank couldn’t pay, so the U.S. ordered that Bank of America be left to rot away—along with its investments, patrons, and everything it owned— in order to pay the debt

26 But the bank CEO fell down before the government and begged, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’

27 Then Obama was filled with pity for him, and released him and forgave his debt.

28 But when the bank’s CEO left the White House, he ordered that a fellow debtor- a Bank of America patron, who owed him but a few hundred dollars in overdraft fees- be contacted. The bank’s representative grabbed the patron by the throat and demanded instant payment~ (metaphorically, that is, as this was done via out-sourced telecommunicaton companies.)

29 Bank of America’s indebted patron fell into a mushy pile of tears and sobs, and begged for a little mercy with even ONE of the overdraft fees. ‘Be patient with me; I had the money in my savings account all along,’ she pleaded.

 30 But the telecommunicator of Indian descent, speaking on behalf of the CEO of Bank of America, wouldn’t withdraw any of the late fees. The bank representative coldly disconnected the call, allowing the debtor to lose all her savings she had accrued for a Cannon camera (or Nikon- it was still debatable), and ruining all her hope for a timely purchase of a 2009 Toyota Scion xD until the debt could be paid in full.

 31 “When some of the other Bank of America patrons saw this on the debtor’s Facebook status, they were very upset. They tweeted @BarackObama and told him everything that had happened.

 32 Then a White House staff member called Bank of America who he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil bank CEO! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me, then you spent millions of dollars on Superbowl XLIII!

 33 Shouldn’t you have shown mercy on your fellow debtor, just as I had mercy on you?’

 34 Then the angry President sent the CEO of Bank of America to Guantanamo Bay to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt……….

 35 ……“And that’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

 

(In honor of my girlfriend, Connie who recently had a run-in with Bank of America- the issue has since been resolved, thanks to the Twitter BofA man!)

A Photo Journey of Ceasar’s First Month

Here are a few pictures that show Ceasar’s improvement throughout his first month with us. He’s well on his way to being a therapy dog- he’s getting lots of eclectic socialization and he’s handling it all amazingly! May 17 was the day we found this special boy, so I’m a little ahead of myself to celebrate his first month already, but after our most recent trip to West Lake Houston, it just feels like Ceasar has arrived emotionally as a comfortable fit to our little muttie pack. It’s overwhelming to think about how much he has improved and how much I’ve fallen in love in just under a month’s time.

Thank you for being part of our journey, and thank you for helping us give this guy life!

A scared boy, within the first hour at his new home

Didn't want anything to do with us, the dogs, or anything else

He was so big- just a mass of 'the unknown' to us

We gave him a safe spot & made ourselves a palette to sleep next to him

His first day with us, we spent outside as a pack for hours on end.

We cuddled & snuggled as much as we could with him.

We were in awe of his size! We'd never been so close to such a HUGE dog head!

Just covered in gashes, puncture wounds, tears, scabs, & layers of scars

Pulgas, the foster kitty, was very curious, which Ceasar handled so well

By the end of his 2nd day with us, we were a real pack

I fell for him fast. Ceasar is my first pit bull & I'm sold on the breed!

I was so excited but so nervous to take him home after the amputation

He made a very sweet, pathetic patient

Ceasar still trying to figure out this new life of pampering

Ceasar always had 1 of us by his side during recovery, even if it meant sharing an ice pack during a migraine

By the end of week 1, he was starting to realize that human hands are good things

He learns a lot from our dogs- they do most the teaching, really

“]

Ceasar was a guest on Candy95's morning show with Frito & Ali [http://twitter.com/FritoOnCandy

By day 8, he was a comfortable, kind-of-tail-wagging, sun loving guy

Then I took him to Harlingen to heal for 11 days, & the 1st night, this happened

Jaxon & Ceasar bonded on the trip

The big fall really slowed down his recovery process, but he was a tropper

"Grandma" grew up conditioned to fear pit bulls- but meeting Ceasar is changing her heart

9 days after having part of his exposed tail bone clipped- looking good

Growing more alert & attentive as he heals

Part of the amputation wound was determined to stay open

But thanks to so many Twitter recommendations, we started using EMTgel- An AMAZING product!

Ceasar started feeling better & he was ready to chew chew chew!

The wound finally began to seal after we started using the EMTgel

My traveling pals helped the 7hr trip home from Harlingen to fly by

By the time we got home, Jaxon was very tolerant of "his space" being invaded

Connie was very happy to have her boy home & all to herself while I was away at work the next few days

If you haven't figured it out already- better quality photo means Connie was the photographer- NOT me!

Ceasar is always watching us, always observing, always learning

Never underestimate the worth of a Kong investment- it sure beats the cost of a GPS replacement...

We've spent a lot of time in Petsmart, just hanging out socializing

Ceasar's been to the lake twice- met lots of new people & new dogs

He's been to the dog park so often now, that he just rests in the pond while the other dogs run circles around him

Ceasar, Jaxon, & Maddox (with Connie's help) picked me up from work 1 night so we could go spread word of HSUS's rewards program

Then Ceasar went to meet the other "grandparents" & their papillion, "Mulli"

We went on a long, exhausting walk for Mr. Ceasar

But lots of pack time in the lake made up for it!

Ceasar hobbled & sloshed around quite impressively!

But he still takes lots of breaks. Keeps his eyes on his buddies, but his muscles haven't adjusted enough for him to keep up 100% yet

As usual, he got lots of lovin' throughout the day

Even the crazy papillion was worn out after our morning exercise session at West Lake Houston!

Ceasar is definitely "The Miracle Pit Bull"

Ceasar is the perfect fit.

Blasted Breed Bans…

We’re all still learning- Ceasar is learning basic obedience and appropriate indoor chewing behavior, the other dogs are learning how to adjust their exercise and sleeping routines to accomodate our new family member, and Connie and I are learning what life is like as owners of such a misunderstood breed.

A month ago, we had a secure place to live come August- a pet friendly environment that welcomed our other two big dogs with welcome arms and a bowl full of doggy treats. We thought we were set to move on to the next phase our lives (in the world of nomadic rental living, life phases are based on the ending of one lease and the start of a new one), but now our very immediate future is entirely up in the air.

We’ve thus far been blessed with a great home that isn’t part of the dreary world of mass housing in apartment buildings, but with a big move to a new area, apartments seem to be our only option. After visiting over 30 different locations, we found the ideal spot alongside a 22-mile jogging trail, right next to a good sized dog park, and still within our price range. For apartment style living, this place is perfect for us- so the second we got the money to do so, we got the paperwork rolling to get us settled there. But within the past month, the dynamics of this move have changed and shifted and evolved so much, we’re not sure if they’ll accept us now.

Understandably, the apartment complex into which we were planning to move has limitations on the number of household pets. But unfortunately, like so many other properties, they have weight limits and breed restrictions as well. Though their weight restrictions allow for two good sized dogs, with three dogs, we’re well over the weight limits and we’ve also crossed the threshold of an acceptable number of pets. But now, with a very obvious pit bull tagging along, our chances of slipping past the pet policy are slim to none.

So often I hear, “Oh, I had to move into an apartment, so I couldn’t keep my dog anymore,” or, “Well, my new landlord has a policy against ‘aggressive breeds’ so I had to get rid of him.” I hate hearing excuses like these- Ceasar is a member of our pack now, and by taking on the responsibility of bringing him into our lives, we also accepted the reality of life with dogs– personal sacrifices on our parts may have to be made, but that’s just part of the package when it comes to getting a new dog or other pet. Breed restrictions won’t deter us from devoting ourselves to the newest member of our family, they just might make finding a secure place to live a bit harder.

Nothing like a good vet

I love our vets. It’s funny how special the connection is we feel toward them. Dr. Lipsy from the Booneville Animal Hospital found us in March of 2006.  Maddox (our female lab/golden retriever) came down with parvo- we’d just lost our first rescue pup, Rudy, to the disease a little over a month previous to getting Maddie. Connie and I were still very inexperienced and fairly ignorant about the severity of parvo and how long lasting it is, so even though we tried our hardest to bleach our home, apparently we didn’t do it well enough.

About 5 days after Maddox had been with us, she started showing all the tell tale signs of having contracted parvo- fatigue, loose stools, vomiting, bloody diarrhea with the very distinct “parvo smell” — Long story short: It was Saturday evening, the vet we had been seeing was closed and had no after hours number, and we couldn’t afford the Texas A&M small animal emergency clinic. Because we’d just gone through the parvo trauma with another pup, we had a basic idea of how to handle it– hydration, hydration, hydration.

We were able to get Pedialite and penicillin locally so we could start squeezing fluids down her throat and giving her antibiotics to ward off any other illness that might attack her weakened immune system, (which is what sealed Rudy’s fate) but we had no idea what else to do.

We started calling around to local pharmacies to see if they had any recommendations, and somehow- not by any doing on our part- Dr. Lipsy got our phone number, took the initiative to call us, gave us directions to her clinic, and provided us with a free IV bag of saline solution, needles, and a hand written note detailing how to monitor Maddie’s health. She put us in the books for the first appointment of the morning on Monday, and told us to call her throughout the weekend if Maddox worsened or if we had questions.

I could write another 10,000 words on why I adore that lady and the rest of her staff, but to explain what sparked this post today:

We just returned from taking Maddox to her yearly appointment at Booneville with Dr. Barling, and in typical fashion, the whole canine crew tagged along. Not only did Dr. Barling thoroughly check every square inch of Maddie’s body, coat, skin, tail, toes, teeth, ears, etc- but she got details about the food Maddie eats, her exercise routine, her skin improvements, etc. There was no rushing in and out, no annoyance in Dr. Barling’s tone, and no stressful atmosphere. Dr. Barling always comes in, calmly sits down on the floor with the dogs, and treats them with such gentle respect.

But she didn’t stop with Maddox or a mere pat on the head to Jaxon and Ceasar- on her own accord, Dr. Barling checked everyone’s skin, joints, nails, and ears. She gave us pointers about food for Ceasar- she noticed Jaxon’s weight gain we’ve been struggling to achieve, and she gave us a few options for preventing any further joint problems with our big tripawd.

All 3 doctors are so patient with us- as are the poor girls who work the front desk who deal with our regular phone calls with questions or our frequent visit-the-vet-for-fun outings to get treats for the pups- They’re all incredible at Booneville!

We’re so very appreciative for the efforts Dr. Knight with Kingdom Animal made for us while Dr. Lipsy and her staff were over booked this past month, but it felt like we were back at home today with our friends at Booneville.

COME MEET CEASAR! 6-13-09 @ 7PM

Come MEET CEASAR HERE tonight, at Hensel Park in College Station, TX.

Connie & I plan to grab some cheap crawfish from Crazy Cajuns — it’s practically across the street.

The rest of the evening we plan on playing lots of fetch, taking the dogs through the jogging trails, letting Ceasar socialize, roasting some marshmallows.

Come meet up with us! We’ll be there around 7pm.

I have visions of a giant game of hide and seek….but for you boring hippie folks like Connie, you can always just sit around and play your guitars while I run with the dogs.

(Wear bug spray)

You can comment here or leave me a message on Facebook or Twitter, and if you need directions or want to see a map of the park, click HERE

WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU & MAKE YOU A S’MORE IF YOU’RE IN THE AREA!

Best and Brightest: Fools’ Names & Fools’ Faces..

(Courtesy of the great Gary Larson)

I spend more time reading the comments that idiot citizens make on our local news reports than I do actually reading the news.

 

I’ve decided it might be psychologically healthier for me to find a way to vent my frustration with such imbecilic ignoramuses rather than to let my annoyance boil inside me.

Also– these people are making public mockeries of themselves; they obviously want to flaunt their idiocy, so I’ve decided that I’m going to help them do so.

From now on, each time I find a comment that evidences the writer’s ignorance, total disregard for grammar, any ounce of racism, and/or any other flagrant display of stupidity, I’m simply going to copy and paste it into this section of my blog for any curious readers to be able to get a feel for the intelligence level of the most opinionated citizens in my beloved little valley.

Any names, nicknames, or self appointed labels the writers have given themselves will be copy and pasted here too. Mom always said, “Fools’ names and fools’ faces always end up in public places.”

Well, fools- let me introduce you to your newest public place: “The Best and Brightest: Bryan/College Station Edition.” 

Here’s a sample:

http://www.theeagle.com/police/Teen-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-16-year-old-cousin

Posted by: On: 6/12/2009

Comment Title: how do y’all know it happen the way y’all said was y’all there..

how ya know he he was having sex with her asleep she might have been awake the whole time enjoying it but after it happen she hollers rape…i have seen to many guys in jail cause they holler rape after wards ….you just can’t go having sex with some body laying there if she did not want it she could have move or push him away …

Oh, but here’s a really witty guy- He just posts “NBA” as a comment for anything he disapproves of that ends up in the news. It stands for “Normal Bryan Activity” — (which he’s sure to explain somewhere in each post.) Racial slurs are definitely welcome here in the fool’s chapter of this blog.

http://www.theeagle.com/police/Ex-car-lot-employee-charged-with-theft

Posted by: On: 6/13/2009

Comment Title:
NBA-Normal Bryan Activity

Or how about this racist winner:

http://www.theeagle.com/local/Ex-Aggie-athlete-guilty-of-robbery

Posted by: David Wiginton On: 6/14/2009

Comment Title: typical negro
Even suppossed good black students become scum. What a savage people

Welcome, David Wiginton. You belong.

Best & Brightest: Ol’Roy Dog Food

I know I originally said this section of the blog would be based on idiot comments I found on my local news stories…but I’m afraid this guy’s review of Ol’Roy dog food just can’t be ignored- both for his approval rating and his grammar.

Thank you, Connie for finding it.
http://www.happypetdog.com/ol-roy-dog-food/

Mark on February 20th, 2009 wrote:

User rating:

Hi I will give this kind of dog food a100% and 5 stars; I have 5 dogs and they all love the test of this food, they are so healthy, their coat is outrageous looking beautiful their masscules and body all even the eyes are so bright and they have lots of energy all the time I always change the food though, you know so they don’t get bored with the same, but it is from ol’roys too. So I have nothing bad to say about this food. It is excellent for me, and probably my dogs as well if they can talk too will say this. I had tried some other kinds too. But they wont eat, if is not the ol’roy brand. I had try Purina, chaw, eukanuba, iiams, naturals and other brands that I can remember; but they all give them diarrhea and gas and if not their pup stinks really bad. And I hate that, so this is why I like this brand better. And for all people that wonder if they make this food out of dead dogs and dead animals that is a lie I just work there and they won’t put any of this kind of shit, they make the food with dead cows and pork, chicken, vegetables and fiber like rice, obviously, they are dead animals because you have to kill them to be able to use them and also wheat and others. But I assure you they won’t put other things than this that I mentioned. And they check every single animal, veggie and fiber as well. After that they have to pass a health test from the animal protection agency to make sure everything is in good condition so there you have. That is why I trust this food so much.

So says the Devil…

“I feel sorry for [God] actually. What’s in this for him? If things are going well, people forget about him. They unchain the swings, turn the churches into casinos and mock anybody who still believes in him. He’s a very easy target. And who does he get left with? Fanatics and maniacs of every faith and every persuasion, who want to kill the heretics and blow themselves to pieces in his name. I feel sorry God, I do. I mean, what a thankless fucking job. It must be like running the National Health Service when nobody believes in it any more.”

-the Devil

(The Testament of Gideon Mack)

Update on the Living Situation

We got word from our future apartment complex that Ceasar would be welcomed into the community as long as we can provide documentation stating that he is certified/going through certification to be a therapy dog. Also, we have to list him has a foster and provide a time frame for how long he would be staying with us on an impermanent basis.

Excerpts from Harrison Kalodimos’ “What’s Happening in Iran and Why You Should Care”

“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” -Mahatma Ghand

Why should you care about what’s happening in Iran—

Harrison Kalodimos wrote a very readable, very detailed account of what Iran is going through right now and why it’s happening. He provided lots of great links to keep up with the action as it continues.

PLEASE take the time to read Harrison’s entire note! But for those of you who won’t, at least read these excerpts:

6/18/09

“The story in Iran is about power. It’s about the power of citizens who care about their country and the power of non-violent protest. It’s about the apparently powerful being made blind with arrogance and the apparently powerless being made mighty by unity.

“These are lessons in how robust democracies are fueled by the will of the people, in the efficacy of non-violent protests, and in the common desire for peace and compassion that unites seemingly disparate populations.

“Because the Iranian government has worked tirelessly to contain news of these protests by blocking the efforts of centralized news sources such as newspaper and television reporters, most of the information coming out of Iran has come from decentralized sources. Twitter, YouTube, and other social networking tools…

“Traditionally, election results are tallied over the three days following the election and only after that three day period will the Supreme Leader announce the President. However, in a less than twenty four hours Ahmadinejad was announced the winner by a suspiciously high margin (63% Ahmadinejad vs. 34% for Mousavi) and Ayatollah Khamenei proclaimed immediately that the public should back Ahmadinejad. Analysis of the results released by the government revealed additional irregularities including vote counts greater than the number of registered voters in several regions.

“Mousavi…quickly discouraged the destructive rioting and instead asked his supporters to dissent non-violently by wearing green (the color of both Islam and his campaign) and marching silently. Other symbols were quickly picked up by the protesters including the V for Victory (e.g. the peace sign) and the phrase ‘Where is my vote?’

“These non-violent demonstrations have grown larger every day and unfortunately have met stiff opposition from the Iranian government. The first thing to go was the information flow. Within hours of announcing the election results, Iran began severely restricting internet traffic in and out of the country, selectively cutting out cellular service, and canceling foreign press visas.

“It is clear than many protestors are being killed, and in response Mousavi has encouraged his supporters to wear black and chat “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) to mourn these dead…

“While it is a slower process than many people have patience for, non-violent demonstration has an excellent track record of achieving real results.

“…Islamic moral teaching has been used to discourage violence on the part of the protesters, it provides a strong counter-argument to those who decry Islam as a religion of violence. On a bigger scale, in a world where religious violence has discredited religious practice in the eyes of many, it’s good to be generating examples of religion being a force to promote peace and human rights.

“Desire for peace, democracy, and respect for civil rights are not exclusively American or Christian principles, they are human principles.”

Iran Power Structure:
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7267/picture1xmy.png

Political Backstory:
http://tehranbureau.com/2009/06/18/the-leaders-of-iran’s-election-coup/

Again- To find Harrison’s entire note with its vivid detail of

The Power Structure in Iran
History of the Supreme Leaders
The Election on Friday, June 12th
The Resulting Protests
What Happens Next?
Why [YOU] Should Care?

Link to Harrison’s Facebook note

You can find that here, or to read along if you don’t have a Facebook account, I’ve copied and pasted the entire note here:

“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” -Mahatma Ghandi

What’s Happening in Iran and Why You Should Care.
The story in Iran is about power. It’s about the power of citizens who care about their country and the power of non-violent protest. It’s about the apparently powerful being made blind with arrogance and the apparently powerless being made mighty by unity.

As you read this, millions of Iranian citizens have taken to the streets to push back against their government’s attempt to strip them of their democratic rights. And although it is all happening half a world away, there are important lessons for us to take from this situation if we want to keep America’s democracy healthy and advance global human rights. These are lessons in how robust democracies are fueled by the will of the people, in the efficacy of non-violent protests, and in the common desire for peace and compassion that unites seemingly disparate populations.

For six days now, the streets of Iran have been filled with citizens demonstrating the power of non-violent protest. Because the Iranian government has worked tirelessly to contain news of these protests by blocking the efforts of centralized news sources such as newspaper and television reporters, most of the information coming out of Iran has come from decentralized sources. Twitter, YouTube, and other social networking tools have allowed individual citizens to both organize protests locally and spread news globally.

Unfortunately, because information is coming from so many scattered sources and seems to be constantly changing, it’s hard to get a handle on the what exactly has happened in Iran. I’ve been following the stories closely over the past couple of days from the Twitter feeds straight out of Iran to the scholarly analysis of the historical context. Hopefully I can relate the story in Iran in easy to understand terms without oversimplifying the complexity of the situation.

The Power Structure in Iran
To understand the political situation in Iran, you need to understand the political structure of the Iranian government. As I go through this, it may be helpful to refer to this chart. Although these protests were sparked by the presidential election, the presidency in Iran has very little power, most of which consists of speaking on behalf of Iran for international negotiations and influencing public opinion. The real power in Iran lies in the hands of the Supreme Leader who is appointed by the Assembly of Experts (an elected religious assembly). The Supreme Leader makes all military, judicial, and media appointments. On top of that he appoints half the members of the Guardian Council and those he picked for the Judiciary choose the other half (so much for checks and balances). The Guardian Council (enough branches of government for you yet?) in turn also wields a great deal of power including approving or vetoing legislation and presidential nominations.

History of the Supreme Leaders
There have only been two Supreme Leaders since the 1979 Iranian revolution overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (commonly referred to as The Shah). The first was Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini [ho-may-NEE (the ho is pronounced in the throat)], a charismatic leader whose power largely derived from his religious authority. After Khomeini died in 1989, the Assembly of Experts appointed Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei [Khamenei = hah-mehn-a-EE (the hah is pronounced in the throat)] as the new Supreme Leader. Whereas Khomeini derived much of his authority from religious prestige, Khamenei was a man with lots of strong connections in the right places. Because many powerful clerics saw Khamenei as lacking religious authenticity, there has been a great deal of quiet dissent amongst powerful clerics against Khamenei’s rule. For more information on this political backstory, read this article.

Click to read the backstory

The Election on Friday, June 12th
As opposed to the electoral process in America that drags out for almost two full years, the process in Iran is much briefer. After hundreds of Iranians submitted applications to the Guardian Council to run for president, only four candidates were approved on May 21st. These four then had three weeks to hit the campaign trail hard and fast. In these past three weeks, the leading reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi [moo-sah-VEE] has been very popular. His platform has included improving women’s rights and economic reform (Iran’s been hit hard with the global economic crisis as well). He is recognized as a staunchly religious man and has successfully used the color green, symbolic of Islam, as a campaign brand. It’s important to note here that while Mousavi is a reformist compared to the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [ahh-mah-dee-nee-ZHAHD (the ahh is pronounced in the throat)], he is still an extremely conservative candidate that will probably maintain both Iran’s nuclear energy program and strained relations with the US and Israel. This is not Iran’s Obama, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Last Friday, election turnout was so incredibly high that polling places were kept open up to six additional hours to accommodate the long lines. Traditionally, election results are tallied over the three days following the election and only after that three day period will the Supreme Leader announce the President. However, in a less than twenty four hours Ahmadinejad was announced the winner by a suspiciously high margin (63% Ahmadinejad vs. 34% for Mousavi) and Ayatollah Khamenei proclaimed immediately that the public should back Ahmadinejad. Analysis of the results released by the government revealed additional irregularities including vote counts greater than the number of registered voters in several regions. You can find more thorough analysis of the evidence of voting irregularities here.

The Resulting Protests
After Ahmadinejad was announced as the alleged winner on Saturday, allegations of election fraud spread quickly and many Mousavi supporters began aggressively protesting in the streets. These initial protests were met strongly by Iranian riot police and resulted in fires, violence, and dramatic photography. Mousavi however, quickly discouraged the destructive rioting and instead asked his supporters to dissent non-violently by wearing green (the color of both Islam and his campaign) and marching silently. Other symbols were quickly picked up by the protesters including the V for Victory (e.g. the peace sign) and the phrase “Where is my vote?”

These non-violent demonstrations have grown larger every day and unfortunately have met stiff opposition from the Iranian government. The first thing to go was the information flow. Within hours of announcing the election results, Iran began severely restricting internet traffic in and out of the country, selectively cutting out cellular service, and canceling foreign press visas. Although the protests are peaceful in nature, they have been met with disturbing violence by both riot police and the basij, the volunteer militia strongly allied with Ahmadinejad known for its stringent enforcement of Islamic moral code. Between attacks against protestors and raids on university campuses, many people have been injured or killed for their involvement. A disturbing example of this violence can be seen here.

Because formal reporting is effectively banned and anecdotal reports from hospitals indicate that government forces have been confiscating the bodies of Iranians who have died from protest-related violence before they can be identified, establishing an official body count has been difficult. However, it is clear than many protestors are being killed, and in response Mousavi has encouraged his supporters to wear black and chat “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) to mourn these dead.

While images of violent confrontations have been popular in the mainstream media, it should be noted that the vast majority of these protests have consisted of quiet marching as seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4x-Xhlmyy4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMVIwVFFDKs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbYi9RCs-cQ

This tactic has been extremely effect in both preventing a violent quelling from the Iranian government and encouraging more citizens to participate peaceably in expressing discontent with an election increasingly believed to be rigged. There are many reports of soliders of the Revolutionary Guard actually protecting the protestors from the violent basij forces, and you can see here the camaraderie that exists between the riot police and protestors in some areas.

Of course, all bets are off at night-time when the basij roam the streets raiding people’s homes looking for protesters.

What Happens Next?
At 4:00am ET (12 noon Tehran time) on Friday, June 19th, Ayatollah Khamenei will lead the Jumu’ah prayer, a congregational prayer held every Friday at noon. At this time, he is expected to speak to the protests. Because so much of this situation is contingent on the power-plays between Shi’ite clerics, many of whom have publically sided with Mousavi, its almost impossible to guess what’s going to happen at Jumu’ah or afterwards. It’s important to note that these are protests, not a revolution. The goal of these demonstrations has never been to change the government structure. Rather, the election has shown that respect for the electorate has been lost, and these protests aim to reclaim the democratic power of the people.

Why Should I Care?
First of all, you should care because what is happening in Iran right now is the most powerful demonstration of the power of non-violent protest in our lifetime. Even if the protests are forcefully quelled through escalating basij violence, the protestors will have already succeeded in removing the legitimacy of Khamenei as a the infallible leader of the Iranian people. They after drawn aside the curtain and revealed the old man behind the wizard. While it is a slower process than many people have patience for, non-violent demonstration has an excellent track record of achieving real results. Also important here is that as Islamic moral teaching has been used to discourage violence on the part of the protesters, it provides a strong counter-argument to those who decry Islam as a religion of violence. On a bigger scale, in a world where religious violence has discredited religious practice in the eyes of many, it’s good to be generating examples of religion being a force to promote peace and human rights.

A second important point is that the figureheads of a country often give a misleading impression of the attitudes of citizens within that country. While the relationship between the governments of Iran and the United States has been marked by severe antagonism, these protests demonstrate that government attitudes are not necessarily public attitudes and that the general populations of Iran and the United States have a lot more in common than cable news would have you believe. Desire for peace, democracy, and respect for civil rights are not exclusively American or Christian principles, they are human principles.

Postscript
If you have a source that indicates a fact here is wrong, please share it with me. I’d like this article to be as accurate as possible. If you disagree with an opinion expressed here, please feel free to post a logic- and fact-based counter-argument in the comments. If you want to keep up with what’s happening in real time I recommend Nico Pitney’s blog and the live-blog at the Guardian. If you want more in-depth information the internal religious politics in Iran, please visit Tehran Bureau. If you read all the way to this point, I love you.”

Best and Brightest: Iran Election

The following are comments I’ve gotten on Facebook regarding what’s going on in Iran.

If you’re capable of even remotely getting involved in learning about what’s going on in Iran right now, but you still think “it doesn’t matter,” then you deserve to be here.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/04/darpa-to-map-monkey-brains/

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=116423772677&ref=mf

David Lewis at 6:36pm June 19
“i dont care…. thats not the whole story..”

Connie Kai Donnellan at 10:09pm June 19
go be worthless somewhere else, david.

David Lewis at 10:28pm June 19
worthless where? have you been there? i have twice and like i said its not the whole story unless you believe everything you read!

Connie Kai Donnellan at 10:38pm June 19
you’re right. so because of that i’ve read, i’ve researched, i’ve communicated, i’ve looked at pictures, i’ve seen the videos, i’ve watched the news….

you dont seem like you’ve done jack shit other than to put your worthless opinion here.

David Lewis at 10:41pm June 19
ok cause i’m not in the army, i havernt spent almost 3 years over there. maybe if i pulled my head out of some other girl’s crotch for 2 second’s i might actually open my eyes to the rest of the world!

so obviously you can read! why dont you get off your ass for 2 minuites and help change the world instead of reading about it!

Connie Kai Donnellan at 10:51pm June 19
you didn’t spend time in iran. “over there” does not apply to every country, nor does it make you an expert on relations in the middle east. if you had spent less time up your own ass you might understand that your time in iraq has nothing to do with this.

if you think that your example is going to bring good to the world, i’m afraid of what your world will look like.

if you really took pride in your service you would take the time to understand what you’re fighting about, moron. you SHOULD care, regardless of this situation that there could be a reenactment of tiananmen square. you SHOULD care that there are hundreds of thousands of people at risk of political violence. you should have respect for life, and liberty, and freedom, and everything you are supposed to be fighting for. and you SHOULD care because your dumbass could end up having to be involved. don’t be a disgrace you ignorant fuck.

take a shot at my sexuality… its fine.. i got your girl, prick.

Connie Kai Donnellan at 10:54pm June 19
go take a drink, i know you need it at this point.

Buy a T-shirt!

David Lewis at 11:00pm June 19
ok and again i ask what have you done for yours or anyone else’s country besides read???? hooked on mother fuckin phonics obviously worked for someone! and i dont care! i wont care cause if you have been anywhere i have been and seen half of what i’ve seen you wouldn’t care either. you are no different then 90% of america who will bitch and moan about everything and not do shit about it. how many bodies have you carried and sent back to their family because someone gave their life for another country? what have you done for your country for that matter? you haven’t taken shit from me! you cant take shit from me because until your head is pulled from your ass you won’t know shit but continue to bitch about other people on the internet. if i wanted your opinion i would have pulled your string! you wouldn’t last 2 seconds in any of those countries with your attitude but if i’m wrong….. bye bitch dont look back cause you won’t come back!

Connie Kai Donnellan at 11:06pm June 19
you’re just like every other army fuck. just because you follow orders doesn’t mean that civilians are worthless. i got a degree in political science so that hopefully i can change things from the top down. i am doing shit about it. i got my degree, and i’m learning because its through knowledge that dumb fuckers like you may not have to do the things you do, and see the things you see. the amount of bodies i’ve carried, or guns i’ve shot, or people i’ve killed is irrelevant to this argument. its a given that you’ve done things and seen things that i won’t EVER but you signed up for this duty. you can’t use that argument to win out of every situation you put yourself in.

you’re angry because people talk and don’t do shit about it. you’re angry because of apathy. here we are, being anything less than apathetic and you’re proclaiming your OWN apathy. don’t bitch about having to carry bodies, if you’re not going to give a shit about the circumstances that lead up to those situations,

Connie Kai Donnellan at 11:08pm June 19
idiot. you want to stop seeing the things you do, and to stop having to fight for those things? then do yourself a favor and catch up on those fancy “phonics” you’re bitching about. a little education goes a long way.

its fine. you can probably lift heavy things and aim a gun. you’ll do the world some good.

David Lewis at 11:27pm June 19
ok so what will connie donnellan’s little piece of paper that says she’s smart do for the world? absolutly nothing except show she’s in debt! lmao you and everyone else have the easiest buttons in the world to push. when it comes down to it you dont get shit done. i’m not angry or drunk…. like i said i dont care. i dont know how to spell that for you college folk to understand it. i never said civilians were dumb you assumed it. how many schools have you helped rebuild? how many hospitals have you rebuilt? how many roads have you redone? how many people have you trained to disarm bombs in their own country so that they can get on facebook and cry about how bad the world really is and not do anything but get fat and watch the news. i have done all these things and come home to ungrateful people like you who think this is all about oil. i’m done waisting my breath on an ignorant ass like yourself who will continue to read cry and bitch about the world and then get mad when someone

David Lewis at 11:29pm June 19
actually stands up and does something for the world and its not done the way your degree says it should be done. our blood is in your hand mrs education.. goodnight dont let the explosions keep you up(oh wait! there are none)

has anyone ever told you your cute when your mad

Connie Kai Donnellan at 11:33pm June 19
good lord. here is it in simple terms:

people like me order people like you around. if you don’t want to do all those big scary things you do, you had better hope that people like me are smart enough to avoid those situations. you’re not changing the world, you’re cleaning up its mess. i’m hoping to stop the mess before it starts.

i’m being proactive, you’re being reactive. you just made yourself a glorified construction worker.

the armed forces are a heroic thing to put yourself into because it requires brawn and physical courage that i don’t have. i dont want to disarm bombs, i want to prevent them from being put there in the first place. i don’t want to build a hospital or a school because i want to run it. educating myself is precisely how i plan on changing the world.

do you think you’re the only one doing any good? how do you expect things to change if not by education? you seem to have forgotten that you’re fighting for all of us “fat civilians”.

http://img510.imageshack.us/i/sgthollonsi1.jpg/

Comments like these went on forever. To read the rest, click here

Matt Pavlatos at 5:16pm June 19
“I hate to say it, but whats happening in Iran right now is that the vocal minority, which happens to be the educated, enlightened segment of the population, is speaking out.

The truth is that most of Iran does not want what we consider freedom or reform

In other words, the incumbant probably did win, and outside intrustion is probably causing more problems.”

HKalodimos’ “A Bloody Tomorrow in Iran”

To read the original Facebook note where I found this, here is the link

A Bloody Tomorrow in Iran – Harrison Kalodimos
June 19, 2009 at 6:22pm

When Ayatollah Khamenei (the Supreme Leader of Iran) gave the khutba (sermon) at today’s Jumu’ah (Friday Prayers), he broke his multi-day silence to reject the Iranian people’s plea for restoration of a legitimate democratic process (full speech here). Instead he once again told the Iranians to accept Ahmadinejad as their President and ignore last Friday’s obvious voter fraud. More frighteningly, he told the crowd that he was washing his hands of responsibility for any harm that comes to the protesters at the hands of the Revolutionary Guard (the Army) and the Basij (a government militia). With a protest publicly planned for 4pm tomorrow (8am ET), there is no doubt that Khamenei means to violently suppress the voice of the people.

One Iranian blogger contemplates the brutality she is sure to face tomorrow:

Translation:

“I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to get killed. I’m listening to all my favorite music. I even want to dance to a few songs. I always wanted to have very narrow eyebrows. Yes, maybe I will go to the salon before I go tomorrow! There are a few great movie scenes that I also have to see. I should drop by the library, too. It’s worth to read the poems of Forough and Shamloo again. All family pictures have to be reviewed, too. I have to call my friends as well to say goodbye. All I have are two bookshelves which I told my family who should receive them. I’m two units away from getting my bachelors degree but who cares about that. My mind is very chaotic. I wrote these random sentences for the next generation so they know we were not just emotional and under peer pressure. So they know that we did everything we could to create a better future for them. So they know that our ancestors surrendered to Arabs and Mongols but did not surrender to despotism. This note is dedicated to tomorrow’s children…”

Tonight, people all over Tehran are calling “Allah-o Akbar” into the night. This simple prayer, “God is great” in English, represents the Iranian people’s indefatigable hope and faith in this time of trial. Listen to the sound of hope against all odds here.

The translation of the woman’s speech is as follows:

“Tonight, the cries of Allah-o Akbar are heard louder and louder than the nights before.

Where is this place? Where is this place where every door is closed? Where is this place where people are simply calling God? Where is this place where the sound of Allah-o Akbar gets louder and louder?

I wait every night to see if the sounds will get louder and whether the number increases. It shakes me. I wonder if God is shaken.

Where is this place that where so many innocent people are entrapped? Where is this place where no one comes to our aid? Where is this place that only with our silence we are sending our voices to the world? Where is this place that the young shed blood and then people go and pray — standing on that same blood and pray. Where is this place where the citizens are called vagrants?

Where is this place? You want me to tell you? This place is Iran. The homeland of you and me.

This place is Iran.”

Post Author - Harrison Kalodimos

Why we care about Iran

Connie Kai Donnellan at 4:19pm June 20
i don’t agree that the united states should get involved, but the people of Iran have been stifled. text messages have all been blocked, they are tracing twitter and shutting down facebook. they are shutting down all forms of communication between iranians in order to stifle the flow of information. the news agencies have little to no information. our purpose is soley to help give the Iranians the voice that is being taken away. if they want to voice their concern, i will be more than happy to provide the avenue that reuters, cnn, and ap cannot. mousavi may not be better or worse than Ahmadinejad but if the Iranian people want to voice their opinion, spread information, or have their voices simply be heard, i’m more than glad to help f you follow the people who are in Tehran, they are asking that the world sees what is going on. i think thats a fair thing to ask. they are asking that this vote be seriously examined, which is a fair request.

Puppy acquisitions: Thoughts to consider by Connie Donnellan

This is basically going to be a list of don’ts since the list of dos would take ages to write.

I’m tired of cleaning up everyone’s dog mess. Hasty puppy acquisitions are not only irresponsible, but dangerous for you, your family, your community, and your animals. It is more than just a sad surrender story in many cases. The consequences of impulsively picking that oh-so-cute-i-have-to-have-it-now puppy go far beyond just you and your dog. It is because of YOU that the shelters are full beyond capacity. It is because of YOU that there are innumerable dogs and cats that are euthanized every year. It is because of YOU that people are bitten, tickets are given, and breed specific laws are put into place. Before you think about picking up that puppy, here are a quick list of thoughts to put in before you do so.

If you have thought, considered, done, or do condone any of the following, you are not adequately capable of caring responsibly for a pet. Until this changes, you should not, under any circumstances, acquire a new dog.

If you have ever surrendered a dog because you just didn’t have time, you didn’t have the money, he was “too hyper” or you moved, you SHOULD NOT get a new dog

If you think you can own a dog because your backyard will provide him all the exercise he needs you SHOULD NOT get a new dog

If you think you’ll save money by buying Ol Roy, and besides, he just likes it *so* much you SHOULD NOT get a new dog. Would you feed your kids cheetos for every meal???

If you have ever thought that you can’t take your dog out because he is “too hyper” you’re an idiot, and you SHOULD NOT get a new dog

If you have ever picked up your dog at the dog park to hold it up and save it from all of the other dogs out of fear, you obviously have not taken ANY time to understand pack behavior and you SHOULD NOT get a new dog

If you pick a puppy because its cute and sounds cool you SHOULD NOT get a new dog

If you’re too prideful to realize your mistake, and are out to prove something with your new pup, you’re PATHETIC and SHOULD NOT get a new dog

If you don’t understand pack behavior, and haven’t bothered to look it up, you PISS ME OFF, and SHOULD NOT get a new dog.

If you haven’t bothered to research, read, prepare, and understand everything you can before picking a specific and challenging breed of a dog, go to hell, and you SHOULD NOT get a new dog.

If you haven’t educated yourself on vaccinations, parvovirus, county tags, and local pet laws you SHOULD NOT get a new dog

If you think that holding your dog is the best way to protect it you SHOULD NOT get a new dog

READ A BOOK
TAKE A CLASS
LISTEN TO OBEDIENCE TRAINERS
LEARNLEARNLEARN

I’m so tired of this. I’m so tired of bad breeders, and people who haven’t done everything they can to really understand all of the responsibilities and requirements of owning a pet. I’m tired of walking through the shelters and seeing all of the dogs who in 72 hours time will have their innocent lives taken from them because someone was a prideful idiot and refused to take advice like this into account.

Are you guilty of the above things? Don’t get mad at me. Or get mad at me, I could give a shit as long as you LEARN SOMETHING.

Change your behavior. Don’t let your innocent animal pay the price for your ignorance and pride.

Think your dog will be different? You think your dog will be fine? You’re wrong, I promise. It’s an all too repeatable tale, with an all too predictable outcome. I see it all of the time, and this is more than just a personal attack on stupidity. This is a genuine plea to salvage the innocence and spare the suffering your pet has to go through before you realize your mistake.

Do you think your backyard dog isn’t suffering? He is, and it’s your fault.

My fury comes from having witnessed so few owners with the capability of truly providing a genuinely satisfying and fulfilling life for their pets.

If you are not exercising your dog, you are abusing it.

If you are letting your dog become hyper, and neurotic, and aggressive, you are ABUSING IT. It.is.not.their.fault.

If your dog is constantly whining, crying, chewing, circling, spinning, and running around the house you.are.ABUSING.it.

If your dog stares at you from the backyard, and you know you can’t go out and play with it because he’ll jump on you you are ABUSING it.

We take these animals into our hands and they look at us with the expectation that we will care for them the way that THEY need to be cared for. NOT the way that we think they need to be cared for. These are not people, and we cannot treat them the way that we treat people. We have to care enough to understand their language and their needs. Don’t abuse your dogs. Don’t let your family, and your community reap the consequences for your lack of action.

Feel free to add more don’ts to this list. I get flustered when I’m emotional about something, and there are a ton of blatant not-to-dos when getting a dog.

Thoughts on Nicole Wilde’s “Wolfdogs Don’t Need Whispering!”

I was skimming Cesar Millan’s website when I found this page requesting owners of wolfdogs in the Southern California and Colorado Springs areas to submit videos of their experiences, questions, or training issues in order for Cesar to create a show about wolf hybrids living as pets.

I’ve seen a few Dog Whisperer episodes of Cesar dealing with wolf hybrids, so the idea sounds great to make a show that could really have the benefit of both teaching inexperienced wolfdog owners how to deal with their exotic creatures, AND preventing future attempts of wolfdog ownership .

Click photo for a GREAT site about wolfdogs

Excited that Cesar Millan was working on a show about wolfdogs- as they have become my most recent neurotic obsession- I began searching Twitter for keywords like “wolf hybrid” and “wolfdog.” Apparently the news about Cesar’s episode idea has been out for a while– I found quite a few angry tweets about the idea of Cesar trying to whisper a wolfdog into submission.

Namely, I found this article by Nicole Wilde- a woman who has worked with wolves and wolfdogs for over 20 years, and whose literature on the wolf hybrid I’ve been avidly reading lately. Nicole doesn’t share my happy excitement about the National Geographic’s plan to put the Dog Whisperer before the ignorant public, so to find such a hefty contradiction to my feelings about the episode made me investigate my initial stance a bit harder.

Nicole Wilde addresses the #1 biggest potential problem that could arise via focussing more National Geographic air time on wolf hybrids: Even Cesar’s good intentions to help wolfdogs and to train their inadequate owners could result in increased numbers of wolfdog purchases and attempted ownerships.

Nicole says, “A show that features wolfdogs—which are, by all accounts, strikingly beautiful animals—could easily cause viewers to want one of their own…wolfdogs are not the perfect pet for the average person. The potential fallout of this type of exposure is huge.”

Wilde does have some strong opinions about Cesar’s typical style of training being used on wolfdogs, and much of her essay hits on sensitive areas regarding her contradiction  to Cesar’s typical training style.

Because I have no experience with wolfdogs and I don’t  have near  enough experience with dog training done  solely “Cesar’s  Way” to get into a debate about the  wolf  ”taming”  techniques– I can’t (and won’t even try)  to  begin an argument against Nicole’s stance on Cesar’s  normal style being used on such an extraordinary creature.

I do, however, know enough about the responsibilities of dog ownership, the differences between wolves versus household canines, and the woes of spontaneous pet purchases to agree with Nicole about the unwanted outcome of more failed attempts at wolf ownership.

Mindless, inexperienced viewers could simply hear the buzzword “wolf”, see a good looking example of one on TV, then decide to go buy one from the nearest breeder- regardless of any further breed knowledge beyond, “That’s so cool; I want one!”

Wilde has written to the National Geographip expressing her opinions on the issue– I’m going to do the same.

Our letters definitely won’t mimic one another’s– She wrote of, “How ill-advised it is to expose wolfdogs to [Cesar Millan's] training methods, and to the public in general.” That’s not my area of expertise, nor is it my concern.

If the National Geographic is set on go to record this episode, I seriously doubt that a few letters demanding it not be aired will have too much effect– but I do have some hope that perhaps they might be willing to rethink the regular introduction, the mid-episode warning clauses, and the conclusion. Cesar really has the opportunity to influence the minds of those considering wolf ownership- and his producers need to realize how crucial it is that Cesar utilizes his air time efficiently.

This will be an episode dealing with an exotic animal– not your regular puppy mill outcast or problem poodle– this is going to be about wolves. Sure, they might be mixed with a bit of couch dog genetics- but the wild wolf instinct in them should NOT be downplayed whatsoever.

The facts are- lots of people do actually own wolfdogs- whether it’s legal or not, whether they have the space or not, whether they have the experience or not- and there are many others itching to learn more about this unique mix of dog. Cesar could really use this opportunity to admonish hopeful wolf owners against wolf hybrid ownership while still achieving some level instruction for those who’ve already found themselves in the sticky situation of trying to keep a wild animal as a family pet.

In Cesar Millan’s shows, there are always warnings on the screen advising viewers not to attempt what they see before seeking professional help. For this episode, a totally unique, very vivid, completely unavoidable warning needs to be given repeatedly.

The last thing that any dog lover wants, and especially any wolf advocate wants, is for a show designed to help dogs, to actually result in hurting them in the long run.

Click photo to read a few articles about wolfdogs

So whether you’re adamantly against National Geographic airing the show at all, or if you agree that Cesar needs to go out of his way to express the differences in a wolf dog compared to a more domesticated dog, or if you have any other thoughts you’d like to share with the producers, then take a second to fill out this online form.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/contact

You’ll want to be sure to note that your suggestion/complaint is regarding Cesar Millan’s The Dog Whisperer regarding wolfdog stories.

Again, to read Nicole Wilde’s post in Dog Star Daily:

http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/wolfdogs-don’t-need-whispering.

Any further comments about wolfdogs or this post in general will be very warmly accepted. I really want to get a more well rounded view of what life living with wolfdogs is like– so you’ve got experience, please share that with me!

Click photo to order a cheap copy of Cesar's Way