Cym for First Dog

It was recently brought to my attention that Sen. John Kerry has a German Shepard named Cym. (See June 18th post.) As a German Shepard, I would be remiss not to plug Cym for the position of First Dog. And while I am not one to smite those of other breeds, current First Dog Barney, an AKC Scottish terrier, has abused his position long enough. He seems to exist solely to make Mr. Bush seem more compassionate, a feat which, if I may, would not be adequate if he were an entire petting zoo.

On the other hand, I would love to see at least ONE picture of Sen. Kerry and Cym before whole-heartedly endorsing Cym’s candidacy. Perhaps a little more of his history, a little about his name origins, how he came into the Kerry household, etc. Sen. Kerry has a very good Animal Rights record (see his candidate questionnaire for Humane USA) and a good record on the Environment. All I is need a little tap, and I’ll put the steam behind a Cym campaign. Whaddya’ say, DNC?

Toy Review #1: Molecuball

Now I know this seems odd. Having toy reviews among my liberal rants. Seems pretty pro-capitalist considering my socialist leanings.

But every now and then it's good to give credit where credit is due. This particular toy is one of my favorites. It's not promoted by TV commercials masquerading as educational children's programs, but rather kind of a nice, durable plastic toy that keeps me occupied at home when my family is away.

Officially called the "Molecuball," my moms call it my mole-cube. It comes in 3" and 5" sizes (I, of course, have the 5".) It's shaped like something out of that old Organic Chem class, and has a rather large hole for putting in treats which fall out when I bat it around with my paw and nose. When I first got it, it actually took me a while to get the hang of it. (My moms thought I didn't like it.) But then I understood... OH, if I hit it, food comes out. Pretty nifty.

And it didn't cost too much in the grand scheme of things - under $10 including shipping for a toy that has lasted me years and of which I have yet to grow tired.

SD-6 or CIA?

(Sydney as Sydney Bristow)

A Plot Discovered...

Sydney plans World Domination 
(Sydney as Stewie Griffin)

My Family

I'm still sitting here in Maryland at my Lolo and Lola's (Tagalog: "grandpa and grandma"). Momma C is up at her sister's to see the new baby, and Momma B is back at work in North Carolina, just back from family reunion down south in La Grange.

I just wanted to check in since I haven't posted in a while. Here in MD, I am pretty isolated from the news so quite honestly I have know idea was is going on in the world and cannot make snide commentary on it.

Perhaps I could reflect on "Family" in light of the fact that I have been stranded by my Moms while they visit our extended family. Yesterday was Father's Day which unfortunately means relatively little to me. I never knew my biological father, and there is only speculation as to what he looks like. Perhaps a St. Bernard/yellow lab mix? Perhaps a rotti/Bermese mountain dog? We don't know. I probably have both his temperament and his bad hips, a plus and a minus. Since he gave me nothing but DNA, I do not mourn the fact that he is a stranger, and I take the speculation of his own parentage as a pleasant mystery, a conversation starter if you will.

In my family now, there is again no father. I have two moms. I know, I probably now lost the half of my readership that is so intolerant and ignorant as to say I will be brought up maladjusted and strange. But in reality, I also know that my moms REALLY wanted me, I wasn't an accident, you know. I suppose this is even more relevant in the human children of gay parents (oooo, I said the "G-word"). I mean, in order to have a human baby, gay and lesbian parents have to bend over backwards for their little one (not unlike heterosexual couples that choose to adopt, especially those that adopt hard to place children.) And yet there are many folks in this world that think this is wrong and seek to legislate our special brand of parenting out of existence (case in point: homosexuals cannot adopt in Florida period).

I don't know. I am soooo lucky to have my moms. I think that they would make wonderful parents. They'd also make wonderful aunts and godparents (more reasonable since they are also too busy trying to make ends meet to take on another mouth of feed). Plus I'm quite the handful as it is I suppose and don't want the competition. And call me old-fashioned but I'd love for my moms to be married first - another long hurdle (both politically and within their respective families). But we'll see.

For now, I will enjoy the gorgeous weather and sit by the pool, wondering why my Momma forgot to leave me more treats.


Sydney 10 days old 

Presidential Dogs

I'm taking a break and re-posting something from AskDogLady.com. Pretty sweet.

May 14, 2004
White House Weapon of Mass Distraction
Dear Dog Lady,

What is it with presidents and their dogs? President Bush always seems to be trotting out his dog for the cameras. And I recently visited the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C., and was surprised to see the site included a statue of Roosevelt's dog, Fala, who, by the way, looks a lot like Bush's dog.

Harry, St. Louis, MO

Harry,
Dog Lady suggests the president is clinging to his dog because the times are wobbly for George W. Bush. His poll numbers are down. The horrifying images from Iraq continue to stream over the TV and Internet. Even Thomas Friedman, the balanced New York Times columnist, has tilted away from Bush. In a column titled "Dancing Alone," Friedman accuses the president and his inner circle of playing politics, without any moral or historical authority in handling the Iraq morass.

But Bush has a cute weapon of mass distraction and he's not hiding it: Barney, the dog Bush refers to as "the son I never had." Yup, Barney has been called up for active duty. The White House has launched a Web site devoted to the daily antics of the Scottish terrier.

Giving Barney his own Internet territory makes political sense. Previous Barney Web videos have attracted millions of visitors and created the impression that George W.'s pet politics are above reproach. The guy hunts terrorists, but cuddles with a terrierist. To voters, a candidate's decency toward animals can be important. Presidents and their dogs go back a long way.

Ronnie Elmore, associate dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, puts the issue of presidential pets in perspective: "I think animals have affected national history and politics," Elmore told USA Today. "Presidents have used their pets sometimes to create situations that were more favorable for them." Some might argue that our pets shouldn't be exploited for political gain, but, hey, we should remember the old rule about dogs -- they lap up attention however they can.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Scotch terrier, Fala, absorbed criticism from political enemies. Roosevelt was rarely photographed without Fala by his side. After Roosevelt died, the tenaciously devoted terrier is said to have sat vigil on his grave.

John Kerry doesn't have a dog to tote around like a grocery sack the way Bush carries Barney for photo-ops. (See famous pictures of Bush and Barney).

Kerry's got an image problem. He's stiff with people. So it makes sense he wouldn't loosen up to animals. He claims to have a parakeet and a Shepherd named Cym, but he is never seen with this dog. Perhaps he doesn't want to expose his pet to the rigors of campaigning.

But chilliness toward critters is a political liability. In the early 20th Century, a candidate named Herbert Hoover was perceived as distant and out-of-touch. After he started traveling on the trail with King Tut, a German Shepherd, Hoover was elected. Coincidence? Or deft playing of the political pet card?

Not that he's asked Dog Lady, but she advises John Kerry to blunt the Barney impact and be seen on cable news cuddling a hound -- either his own or a shelter dog. Imagine the starchy blue-blood candidate mixing it up with a mutt. One picture of Kerry with his arm around a furry constituent might be worth a thousand woofs to tenderize his image.

Hot!

It is so hot here in Maryland (as it was in North Carolina when we left).

It was an uneventful car ride, although I must say I love sticking my head out the window in that little stretch through farm country in Virginia. It was muggy so the smell of hay and horse was particularly strong. Yum!

As soon as I got here, I jump out of the car and insisted we go inside where it was air-conditioned (so much for frolicking in the grass). I did go down to the river with Cousin Denver to take a quick dip while Momm C tested her fly rod. No luck on the fish front but I am cooler.

I think Momma C is going to leave me here when she goes up to see the baby at her sister's. Apparently the baby was sick and had to go back to the hospital. She had a fever and they gave her a spinal tap and catheter and everything. Her parents were very worried and upset, so I think it's good that folks will go visit and help out.

I however am still going to pout because no one is paying attention to me. I really don't feel like making any hard hitting criticism right now since I know no one really is reading this - AND it's so friggin' hot.

Diet?

I'm SOOOO hungry.

I have been on a diet for as long as I can remember. I currently am allotted 2/3 of a pint cup of Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Weight Management dog food for both breakfast and dinner. It's about the size of a man's fist's worth. I've read that drinking lots of water might help me stay full but it just makes me want to pee more.

I know I am on a diet because I need to keep the weight off due to my bad hips. I'm much better in the fall and spring when it isn't too hot to exercise. In this summer heat, I'd rather just sit around and sleep. But that makes me want to eat more.

The local paper here is running a week-long series on the "obesity epidemic" in our country (and concentrating particularly on the phenomenon in North Carolina). I'll have to admit that I've seen a few bigger folks in my day. My moms are okay, I think. Momma C tends to worry about her weight more. When she went to the doctor last week, the doctor said her BMI was fine. (If you are interested in calculating you BMI, go to this online Body Mass Index Calculator.) But when she read the newspaper, it said her BMI made her overweight. As Momma B says though, who are you gonna believe more, your doctor who did a complete physical and lifestyle interview, or a newspaper article? She's right too - according to the online BMI calculator, Momma C needs to lose only one pound to be "normal" and one has to factor in diet, exercise, waist measurements, muscle mass vs. fat mass, etc. But I think Momma C is going to drop a few pounds just in case - she has a history of high blood pressure and cholesterol in her family.

I will probably write more on this subject later when I have more time (time for a walk!) It's a topic of particular interest nowadays - always on the news and now with the release of the documentary film "Super Size Me", which I unfortunately can't see until it comes out on video, and Moms pick it up for me.

Check out these facts (from the Super Size Me website):

Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant.
In 1972, we spent 3 billion a year on fast food - today we spend more than 110 billion.
McDonald's feeds more than 46 million people a day - more than the entire population of Spain.
French fries are the most eaten vegetable in America.
You would have to walk for seven hours straight to burn off a Super Sized Coke, fry and Big Mac.
In the U.S., we eat more than 1,000,000 animals an hour.
60 % of all Americans are either overweight or obese.
One in every three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
The World Health Organization has declared obesity a global epidemic.
McDonald's calls people who eat a lot of their food "Heavy Users".
Before most children can speak they can recognize McDonald's.
Surgeon General David Satcher: "Fast food is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic".
Most nutritionists recommend not eating fast food more than once a month.
40% of American meals are eaten outside the home.

Amazing. But like Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said today on Morning Edition on NPR, we can't just blame the fast-food industry for our obesity problem. These are personal lifestyle decisions we have the power to make for ourselves - eating healthy in smaller portions, exercising regularly, refraining from junk food and fast food, walking instead of driving, etc. Whew, alot to think about. Like I said, I need to go for a walk now.

Sydney

The New little one 

So the offical stats on the new baby:

Sydney Alexis P.

Born Saturday, June 12, 2004 at 8:02 AM
Wt: 7 pounds 6 ounces
Ht: 19 1/2 inches

Mom, Dad and Baby are all home doing fine!

Identity

I'm drawn again to the topic of whether or not I am qualified to even blog being a German Shepard mix and all. Perhaps this is because of my relatively low self-esteem (for a dog). The topic of identity is a hot one in my home (which is the product of being schooled in the liberal arts, as my moms were). There are all the various buzzwords: identity politics, intersections of identity, blah, blah, blah. Race, gender, religion, age, sex, class, ethnicity, regionality, nationality, sexuality, blah, blah, blah.

I am a mutt. I never knew my father, and I was taken away from my mother when I was only 8 weeks old, reportedly because my birth mother would have been unfit (couldn't afford me, maybe?) Pretty rough stuff for a kid, ya' know. I supposedly look like my mother but bigger. Much bigger. I'd love to meet her. I think. Most likely if I did, I'd probably just sniff her and then not be able to look at her. It's still pretty painful.

I'm pretty much asexual. I was neutered as soon as it was physically safe. In retrospect, I think everyone would like to have a little Toby around, but better safe than sorry you know. There are too many homeless doggies out there to let ANY of us go around un- uh- checked.

I guess I'm Southern. I was born and bred in North Carolina. I like cornbread, going down to the swimmin' hole, and chasing squirrels for fun. I have a bit of an accent. (Woof, y'all).

So, generally, as far as "identity" goes, I mostly stick with my identity in terms of family - my role within my family. I am the beloved pet. Nothing too complicated, nothing more to deconstruct. People pretty much know how to deal with me, how to react to me, how to treat me (for the most part). You respect me, my space, and those that make up my family, and I respect you and yours. Why do you think it's so much more complicated for my human friends? Humans are always jockeying for position. They always seem to think that defining and legislating things will either give them more rights or take them away (depending on how you look at things). There is SO much hate in the world based about difference. And I mean HATE.

I am lucky that I cannot hate. It is truly out of my nature. Sure, I can use the word - as in, "I HATE it when I get my nails clipped." But I don't really hate in that way that makes one distrust, lock oneself up in both real and figurative walls volleying epithets and stink bombs, paranoid that someone is trying to take away my cookies, knowing someone is plotting to usurp my power and make me take long walks when I don't want to... I can't hate.

That is perhaps why my moms love having me around. I can only love (and occasionally be too dependent and needy). Humans spend too much energy hating, and subsequently analyzing and diffusing the products of that hate.

Pity.

Travel

Next week, I get to ride up to Maryland with Momma C to visit with her family. I will probably not get to see new baby Sydney this first time because they don't trust me yet (I'm a 115 pound "monster.") But at least I'll see Denver and Opie and my other doggie friends.

I haven't gotten to travel much at all lately, unless you count the nine days spent at the K9 resort while my moms went off to play in Massachusettes. They went to Cape Cod for a week and had a blast. Then they went on an impromptu trip to New York to visit Momma B's sister for the weekend. For the last minute trip, I got to stay with Tito James, but we didn't do ANYTHING fun like usual - he was busy studying for the bar and then watched a scary movie with a lot of scared-sounding people and screaming. It was awful!)

My moms are traveling alot lately. Apparently air travel overall is finally surpassing a pre-9-11 level for the first time. Pretty impressive, yet understandable considering the cost of gasoline now. Who wants to drive anywhere for over $25.00 a fill-up in times where you can catch a flight to Philly and back for sixty bucks? In Massachusettes, Moms said gas was up to $2.13/gallon when they were there. Here in North Carolina, it topped out at around $1.96. (I will refrain from my analysis of war and oil right now - it is early on a Sunday - the day of rest) Moms said that the security at RDU airport was still a hassle, and the post 9-11 good-will long waning is now gone. Having flown in and out of five different airports in a month, Moms were able to say that the security checkpoint at Raleigh-Durham seemed to be the most thorough if not also the most annoying and seemingly bumbling. At Newark, they practically walked up to a screener with no line and were compentently checked in minutes. At the home airport, they snaked through one line for fifteen minutes, then another for five, then another for apparently no reason. What? I know it's supposedly a "different world" now that we're "at war with terror" (Also, What?), but honestly, just causing more inconveniences can't possibly equate more efficiency.

"Unfortunately," I will never be able to experience commercial flight as I am too big to stuff into a humongous crate and ride in the baggage compartment. And I say, good riddance to that. It's unnatural really. If I was meant to fly, God would have given me wings. I don't even like going up the two feet to the grooming table.

So, I'm looking forward to strapping on the ole' riding harness and making the trek up Route 95 by car. I'll sleep along the way, and occasionally wake to sit up and wait from Mom to open the window for me so I can stick my head out and feel the wind flap past my ears and into my eyes, let my tongue hang out so I can taste the world.
Then, when I get to Maryland, I'll get to run around the rolling property sans leash or leader, and if I'm particularly sneaky, I can get all the way down to the river to dip my toes into the shallow brakish water on the sun-warmed bank . Wish me luck.



Fly-fishing in Cape Cod 

Welcome Sydney!

Happy Day! My moms have become real aunts for the first time!

Welcome Sydney Alexis Pipeling!
Born ~8 am, Saturday, June 12, 2004.

I’m so excited to meet her. My cousin Charlie, who will live with Sydney, must be very nervous to have someone new at home to share his love. He’s kind of hyper (as most little beagle mixes are), and he’s been having tummy trouble lately, what with eating all the cicadas and all. We’ll see how that works out.

My Lola and Lolo finally have a human grandchild (which I’m not so insecure to admit they’ve wanted even though they've had three beautiful pups to fawn over in the meanwhile). Momma C is going to go up and help out (perhaps at her parents' first while they are with the baby, and then later with the proud new parents). They say nothing changes you more than having a child – your life truly develops new meaning and brings on new responsibility. For now, I am glad my mommas are content with just me. I’m not ready to share them just yet. I know I’m quite a handful as it is (although I wouldn’t mind more visits with my doggie friends).

I hope to have pictures soon.

Thoughts on the Passing of a 'Great Man'

Yesterday, I was left alone again since Momma C was feeling quite ill and visited the doctors. She will have to see a Rheumatologist to see why her tests came out a little funny. Since I was alone for so long, I again irrationally feared that I would never be fed again, so I took matters in my own hands and fed myself. I finished a box of chocolate-covered cookies and some spicy cheez-it twists. I liked the twists especially because they were bleu cheese flavored, and oh, how I like cheese.

Speaking of cheese, I watched the funeral for President Reagan on TV today. Why "speaking of cheese" you may ask? Well, if you are old enough to perhaps remember Mr. Reagan's insisting that ketchup was a vegetable (a product of his anti-school lunch subsidy policy), then you too perhaps recall his policy of feeding the poor and the elderly with blocks of free Reagan cheese. And not your good stilton or roquefort mind you - I'm talking the yellow or, rather, toxic orange processed kind. Now don't get me wrong - this was mighty generous of him considering. I myself like the processed cheese. Quite tasty. But just thinking about this starts me thinking that I need to peek around the blinders that prevent the American public from seeing the WHOLE legacy that is the Reagan era.

I am but a young pup. My mommas even are quite young, having been schooled during the Reagan years but really shielded at the time about what was going on (after all, who wants to be watching news about Guatemala or Grenada when one can be watching The Smurfs?) But as educated progressives, this family has now come to learn much about America that keeps us struggling to remain proud of our country. We are dedicated and true Americans - upholding the ideals of freedom and liberty - and yet it is disheartening to see these ideals often usurped by the elite few that hold the power in this country. Apparently, if you disagree with the neoconservatives, you are un-American.

Just for the record - Mr Reagan was the first president to outwardly oppose the Equal Rights Amendment (demonstrated by the huge gender gap in those that supported his presidency in 1980); Mr Reagan was blind to the AIDS epidemic and sat by as thousands of gay men perished; Mr Reagan was instrumental in the clandestine support of right-wing paramilitary groups and regimes in Central America (in the name of "anti-communism"); also, the budget deficits created by the tax cuts to the wealthy (did that ever trickle down?), Beirut, Iran Contra, cuts in domestic programs benefitting poor and minority populations... But NONE of this was mentioned in the week long pomp and circumstance that was his state funeral.

The Bushes Sr. and Jr. were both given the priveledge of speaking at the funeral. I watched Ron Reagan Jr.in the front pew with great interest knowing he outwardly despises how W. has used the name of his father to promote his own agenda. As Ron Jr. said himself last year, "My father crapped bigger things than W." Now, this current administration is even taking the positive things from Reagan's legacy and warping them to fit our new "Evil Empire's" plans. Reagan often liken America to the "city on the hill" (originally taken from the Sermon on the Mount by John Winthrop in a sermon in 1620 and referenced at least five times during Reagan's funeral). I have the feeling that W. will use this metaphor to further substantiate the U.S.'s destiny as supreme conqueror and light of the world, "the city on the hill" that is morally right and the only one that knows "truth."

The RNC and the Bush Administration (and the complacent media) are using Ronald Reagan's death and the pagentry of his days-long memorial service and funeral to their own advantage (and Democrats/liberals/progressives are in the unfortunate position of looking callous and insensitive if they critique the Reagan Presidency in any way.) Unfortunately, because of Reagan's advanced Alzheimer's disease he was never able to comment on the politics of the day after his farewell from the political arena a decade ago. Ironically, the current administration is the same administration vehemently blocking embryonic stem cell research that could save many more Alzheimer's-afflicted minds in the future.

I suppose you're saying to yourself, My, that's pretty advance thinking for a German Shepard. Well, I guess it is. But I do nothing all day but sit and and observe and absorb and think and process, something I know most humans wish they had the time to do. I did get a good brushing today,too, and on brushing days, I'm particularly thoughtful.

There's nothing that can get the creative juices going like a good buttscratching.

Musings

So far, so good, eh?

Momma C is going to the doctor today. Just a normal check-up. She has been having a lot of issues lately though - headaches, chest pains, the like. A little worrisome.

I hate going to the doctor. I normally try to hide my butt in the corner so they won't stick that damn thermometer up where it's not pleasant. Thank god I'm too big to lift onto the table. (Not like at the groomers where they just pick me up and dump me on the cold metal tray and start attacking my toenails.)

When my people leave me at home, I'm left either listening to the radio (NPR) or listening to the TV. They use to leave on Animal Planet but now they're too cheap to subscribe to cable and I'm left listening to network television. Eccck. For the last three days, all they've been going on about is Ronald Reagan (who past away this past weekend). Honestly, I can't wait until he's in the ground and folks can go back to talking about what he DIDN'T do as president. Yes, I agree he was a good man, and perhaps one of the most effective presidents of our time (well not MY time - I was born under Mr. Clinton's reign), but Mr. Reagan also created monsters within the Republican party - those that celebrated hate and exclusivity and greed and wealth - the whole concept of demonizing "big government." Hundreds of thousands of liberals are keeping their respective mouths shut right now so as not to look callous in this time of mourning. Then again, Mr. Reagan was far more compassionate that the bullies we have in the Administration now - perhaps we ALL are longing for better times.

I want a cookie.

The first post

Hello friends!

I've been thinking about doing this for years (Really! Way before this ever got popular and easy. But now that it is (easy, that is), I really have no excuse, right?)

What often held me back was the idea that perhaps my life wasn't interesting enough.

I am, of course, "just a dog."

I have a wonderful life. I eat, sleep, go out and run around. I get to travel a little. And my parents absolutely adore me.

So there is a routine.

And routine can't possibly be interesting to anyone else but me.

But here's the deal. My life is so routine I have the time to sit and think and reflect about all the crazy things going on in this world and how they seem to affect my humans, my family.

Despite my nature, I do worry that the next meal might be my last. Irrational, I know. But, like I said, there is some serious poop going on in this world and my moms seem to be right in the thick of things all the time (even when they don't want to be!)

So that's the deal. I hope this works out for all of us.

Woof.

Tobias Poindexter