More Strange News From The Home Front

This appeared in this morning's paper. WTF? Sort of like breaking IN to jail:

Three Maine animal shelters report dog thefts

Sounds like organized theft, to me. Anyone else amongst my readers experiencing anything similar in their neck of the woods?

UPDATE:

Stolen dogs returned to Bangor, Augusta shelters

Advertising in an Internet Age

Here's a spectacular advertisement for Pedigree dog food which I just came across on Boing-Boing. While some of the commentors find it derivative or outright imitative of other videos, I find it to be a strangely fascinating view of dogs in motion. Technical details are available in the discussion at Dogster, along with an explanation of the original "charge" from the advertising firm. But for me, it is all about the dogs...

I Don't See A Problem

The image above is someone's copyright image, no doubt. Whose, I do not know. It is presented here for the amusement of the handful of folks who check to see if I'm still alive. I lay no claim to either owning the rights nor do I have any intention of making one red, white and blue cent from the public display thereof. If you own the rights to this image have your legal beagles contact the law firm of Dewey, Cheatum & Howe, LLC and I shall cheerfully push the destruct button on this entry.

Dog Takes Blanket From Cat

This appeared over at the J-Walk blog last week. For those who haven't seen it, it's an eye-opener. And funny, too.

Oops - Almost Forgot

Here's the new addition. Nine weeks old, purebred Schipperkke (pronounced Skipper-key) who sometimes responds to the moniker "Ignatz McGraw" but most of the time comes (if it is convenient) to the callname of "Iggy"...



Little wonder I haven't found the time to update here lately. I need to have my head examined - there's barely enough room in this 25' aluminum tube for my wife and I and an occasional guest, let alone a hyperactive peeing and pooping machine.

John M. Scalzi's Monday Photo Shoot: Crowds

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Get a picture of a crowd or crowded event. Conventions, weddings, parties in cramped spaces -- you know, anywhere there's lots of folks doing something.

OK, this is an oldie – crowd pictures from the Common Ground Country Fair in,September, 2004, I think. They (we) are all watching a Sheep Dog Herding Demo. The lead dog is attempting to keep the geese boxed in with just the force of her Evil Eye™ while her companion canines resist the temptation to run and and break as many goosey necks as possible...

Sunday Seven - Episode 89

Patrick took a moment from cleaning up after the raucous party he had last night with his visiting family to observe, “Later this month, the latest version of the Mac’s OS operating system will be released. It’s still OS X, pronounced “O-S-Ten,” for you non-Mac users out there, but Mac refers to each improvement over the previous version with an animal name: this new version will be known as “Leopard.””

“That bit of news became the subject of this week’s question.”

“But first, Cat of "Sweet Memes" was first to play last week even though she was the second one to leave a comment. (Though Jackie was first to drop the link for her blog, she didn’t give the link to the specific entry, which is required to get the “first to play” title.) So the kudos go to Cat!”

“On to this week's question!”

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name seven varieties of the same kind of animal (i.e., bears, dogs, birds, etc.) that you would use to differentiate improvements of the next version of the Mac OS system.

1. Cardigan Welsh Corgi

2. Pembroke Welsh Corgi (actually equivalent to a Micro$oft Windows Service Pack – the only difference is the addition of a tail. Or, is that a “tale”?)

3. Border Collie

4. Briard

5. Belgian Malinois

6. Australian Shepherd

7. German Shepherd Dog (The King of dogs and operating systems)

Click on the banner above for a clean copy of the questions and to leave a link to your answers in the comments there.

Saturday Six - Episode 160

Patrick took a moment from the ThighMaster® to explain, “I took Zoey to the Charleston Dog Show this morning, and so I had dogs on the brain for this week’s set of questions.”

“But first, it was Otowi of "Otowi" who was first to play last week's edition. Congratulations!”

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal in the comment section to this entry on Patrick's Weekender so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Which makes a better pet: a dog or a cat, and why?
A dog as it is more easily trained, more tractable, has a greater will to please and is more devoted to it's trainer than a cat. Cats have their place; I prefer fricassee myself.
2. A close friend works with an animal rescue organization and tells you that they are desperate for a foster home for a good dog that there is no room for, and that it will be put down unless you can foster it for one week. Would you take the dog in?
So long as it can co-exist with the rest of the menagerie with a minimum of spilled blood.
3. If you could own any pet depicted as a character on a television show, which one would you choose?
Rin-tin-tin, as most of you will not have ever heard of Braveheart.
4. Take the quiz: What Common Dog Breed Are You?

What Common Breed of Dog Are You?

5. If you had the option to reverse places with your pet for a day or have your pet suddenly be able to talk like a human for a day, which would you choose and why?
My dog may be sweet and loveable, but she isn't the brightest bulb in the pack, so the thought of her yammering at me all day lacks much in appeal. Instead, the first option, swapping places, would be the best course of action. Although, I just might be heart broken with her ability to smell.
6. You find you are being relocated to a ritzy neighborhood that has every amenity you would ever want except for one thing: no pets allowed. If you could live there rent/mortgage-free for three years, would you give up a pet to take advantage of the offer?

No, probably not. But not for any real reason to do with the issue of a pet. More, it would be an issue of forced relocation. Ain't gonna happen, baby. Not in this lifetime. I goes where I my wife wants to go, dig?

Brain Soother

Watch this: Slow Motion Dogs.

I take no credit... John Scalzi was pimping it over at his AOL Journal, By The Way. But I found it to be strangely relaxing, so thought I'd share fore those who won't touch AOL Journals with the proverbial "10 foot pole".

John M. Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #152: Caption This Photo!

I've been out and about, taking pictures in the snow today, and I thought it might be fun for you guys to play with one of these pictures: Weekend Assignment #152: Caption This Photo! Try to imagine what's going on between the two in this picture, and put your own spin on it. You can have one of them talking to the other, you can narrate the event -- whatever you'd like. Also, of course, feel free to take the picture from this site and do whatever you'd like with it: post it on your site (naturally), fiddle with it in Photoshop or other photo editor -- Use your imagination and have fun with it. Here's the photo:

If you'd like to participate, grab everything from the picture on up, make an entry on your blog or web page and then leave a link to your caption here on John's AOL Journal...

Here are mine, John:

Dog: “Go ahead, run! I dare ya!”

Cat: “Can't – my butt's frozen to the lawn.”

OR

“Don't even THINK about it, Dog!”

Attack Dog Disguise

To US from Australia, via the J Walk Blog comes this method of getting around local ordinances against your Doberman Pinscher (German Shepherd, Rottweiler, pit bull, etc.) -- a viable disguise:



Disclaimer: dressing your dog like this will increase the chance of it biting you
(If you copy the above images, please mention this.)