News Roundup

Okay, I just posted a wonderful story about a pup in Croatia who saved a man and thought I'd do a little digging for more stuff on webnews today. Apparently, our kind gets mentioned quite a bit in the course of the day.

First, I came across a blurb from the Salina Journal(KS), where a 9 month-old Australian shepard was thrown out a window. He is thankfully still alive and recovering at the vet's, but the police have no leads. How could anyone do such a thing? I have heard that folks that are capable of doing this to defenseless animals are also likely to display violence towards people-kind, so anyone who thinks this is only an animal activists' issue is sorely mistaken.

I also read on the Daily News (South Africa) site about a couple of beagles that were kidnapped from the University of Pretoria (they were not research dogs, but rather, a young puppy and his mom at a vet school used to train pet handling). Those guys were found, but I'm sure the dogs were nervous. The dognappers were two teenage girls.

But among the upseting news stories, there's always a heartwarming one. The Express-Times reports on a New Jersey community that rallied around a stray dog that lived in a local ballfield's dugout. They had been monitoring her for a couple months, leaving her dog food, lining the dugout with blankets, but with the impending snowstorms and the possibility of her freezing to death looming, local folks and the local animal shelter, Pets in Need, slowly coaxed her out just before the first big snowfall. She is now seeing a vet and waiting for adoption. I hope her new owners build her a dugout to play in. I hear there is a dog named Scout that stays in a cute little house at the Durham Bulls Stadium, but I bet he's never left in the cold. (I haven't met him because I'm not allowed in the ballpark. Things are so unfair.)

Finally, on the heels of SBC's acquistition of AT&T, the Mirror (UK) reported today that Cameron Robb, director of PetsMobility, has apparently invented a cell phone for dogs.

The 3inx5in bone-shaped device fits on the collar and will go on sale later this year.Top-of-the-range versions will incorporate a camera to show what pets are up to.

If the pet owner sees any misbehaving, they can call the pet's phone and say "Bad Dog!" Rob is due to sign a multi-million pound contract to produce these things.

Now really, I like hearing from my moms, but I get irritated when I see 9 year-olds on their bikes talking on their cell phones. This is too much. Of course, when I was last boarded (I hate being boarded), my moms would talk to me on the phone and it made me feel a little better, but most of the time, I like them kept in the dark about what I do when they're away. It's my "me time." And if you don't think I need "me time," I'm double certain you'd prefer I not reach out touch anyone.

A happy story

Whenever there's something good to share, I like to post it with minimum commentary. Here's a newsclipping from today:

Dog rescues man trapped under snow
Zagreb, Croatia

31 January 2005 02:43

A dog in north-eastern Croatia was being hailed as a hero on Monday after it reportedly raised the alarm to rescue a man who had been buried under a snow drift during a blizzard.

Misko, an eight-month-old cross between a Labrador and an Irish setter, barked until his owner followed him to the place where 54-year-old Stjepan Peserlin lay unconscious beneath a pile of snow, the Vecernji List daily reported.

"He rarely barks, but that evening he wouldn't stop. He was running to the street and back and wouldn't leave me alone until I followed him," Misko's owner, Mato Basic, told the paper.

Peserlin and Basic are neighbours in Starigrad, north-eastern Croatia, and Peserlin had befriended Misko with regular offerings of food, the report said. -- Sapa-AFP

Isn't that sweet? I always thought I'd look sweet romping through mountains with a small barrel labeled XXX. I've heard this practice isn't done anymore. A pity.

Election

My moms leave on National Public Radio for me to listen to all day long (I've mentioned this before, I know). I enjoy learning about new things, but I hate not being able to do anything about the things that get me steamed. It's like when I see a squirrel eating out of the bird feeder and I bark and bark and no one is home to let me out to scare it away. It's the same thing with listening to NPR. You see, as a dog, I cannot vote. I cannot take a day off and lobby "my" legislators. I cannot even open a pack of markers to make a yard sign.

And yet, I hear, I might be wrong, that there are humans, American humans even, with opposable thumbs and supposed consciences that sit on their tuffets and refuse to participate in the System. Maybe it's apathy (I learned that word last year.) Maybe it's ignorance. Maybe it's plain being tired of being locked out of System even when they DO participate.

As much as my Mommies opposed the war in Iraq, they must be quite conflicted now to hear the interviewed folks both in-country and in exile who are voting for the first times in their lives. How incredible that must feel. I can only imagine what it would feel like to get to vote for the first time (maybe one day!). I also think it is great to have so much debate centered around the legitimacy of the "Democracy" that IS forming there. Since they are being scared from the polling places by insurgents, is it a valid assembly if the Sunnis are underrepresented? Isn't that a great debate? Some people are asking what percentage would make it valid. There are requirements to the number of women that need to be represented on the ballot, and talks about putting non-elected representative minorities so that the governing body would reflect the population. Wouldn't it be cool if we asked those same questions here, say with the US Senate?

Just a thought.

Movie Magic

I can't write too much today but I just wanted to share something I saw on the web yesterday. It is the funniest thing ever. (Quicktime Movie :Bingo Flosses). Bingo lives in Durham, so maybe one day we can play.

(Momma C used to be a videographer and included me as a token walk-on in many of her shorts, but NEVER has she given me such a tribute. Am I not cute enough?)

Momma B thinks there are already too many pictures of me as it is. (See my page at Dogster.) What is she thinking?

I am also happy to have my new "pen friend" Xandro from Belgium. Thanks for the comments! I will write again soon.

Musings on a Winter Day

Okay, here’s a funny one: we had a one-inch “snowstorm” last night here in North Carolina. One inch. The weather people actually got up this morning and apologized on TV for not warning us ahead of time. In all seriousness, the local governments need to do something about how they handle such “weather emergencies” in the future, because even though we had a laughable one-inch of snow, traffic on the major interstates were backed up for miles and miles. It took some folks up to nine hours to get home from work. School children were stranded at their places of learning and had to spend the night (which is probably why it was wise to cancel classes today despite the lack of accumulated precipitation on the ground – thousands of kids would have had to go home to shower, just to turn around and come back). And now they’re calling for more snow (which means we’ll probably get none…)

On a different note, today was the inauguration of George W, or as some have called it “the coronation of George II.” While I feel for all those folks going out there and protesting, wearing their black in mourning, I think it’s time we start using the energy spent making giant puppets in more efficient ways. Sometimes we need to play ball to change the game. (Remember, “Winner calls next game”?)

When Momma C was with the Empowerment Project, she was really involved with the so-called Movement. (Sometimes “Movement” seems like the wrong word since there often seems to be little of it…). In the end, she burnt out and is often depressed about how the left seems to stand in a circle and shoot itself all the time. As heinous as most of the right-wing fundamentalist policies are, you gotta' admit they‘re efficient. No time to write the folk song or run a meeting on consensus, just dictate, dictate, dictate.

I don’t think I’m advocating for the left to abandon all equity and fairness when I call for at least some semblance of system and order. Despite agreeing with much of their politics, I am a far cry from an anarchist. In light of all the Organizing, I think we need a little better Organization in our ranks and cut back on a whole heck of a lot of the in-fighting. Everyone thinks they have the answer. The youngsters vs. the “I marched with Martins”. The union leaders vs. the progressive academics. Griping about how we do It isn’t going to make It happen.

I hope to read the new book God’s Politics by Rev. Jim Wallis soon. I cannot for the life of me understand how the religious right usurped “moral values” from the left, advocates of the poor little guy. Cutting funding for health care, veterans’ benefits, education – are these “moral values?” Putting troops and innocent Iraqis in harms way and misleading the public into thinking it will make them safer – is that a “moral value”? Not admitting when one is wrong, especially about something as huge as the reason for going to war – is imperial hubris a “moral value”? When did they repackage “morality” and get a lot of unreasonable leverage equating it to being anti-abortion and anti-gay alone?

What is this “Freedom” Bush keeps speaking about? I like how he patronizes the protesters by letting us know in his speeches that it’s for their very freedom to protest that we’re at war, their “freedom” to protest at arm’s length not realizing that the mechanism of power is so tremendous that their very protesting keeps them on the fringe and out of power. (Yeah, yeah, I’ve studied all the stuff on dismantling this structure, but admit it, it’s not going anywhere any time soon – remember again, winner calls next game.)

When I find the time, I think I’ll ask my Momma what she thinks about all this. I’m feeling a little sorry for her having to go to all those accounting classes and not getting the chance to sit around thinking about all these things all day. But on the other hand, I wouldn’t be able to get my dog food otherwise. Our community has grown to the point where it is near impossible for the average person to step off the grid and live off the land, especially if they in turn want to maximize their ability to help other people. My Mommas realized that their talents and backgrounds were more suited to working for change from within the system and sadly will leave getting pepper sprayed at marches to the more street-savvy. I still love them.

Water, Water, Everywhere

It rained very hard here last night, and I didn't get any sleep. Now, we live in a fairly land-locked area, on top of a hill in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, where when the hurricane season is over, we have little to worry about in terms of flooding, so I wasn't afraid for our lives in any way shape or form. (Well, we could've still had a tornado but, well, let's not think about that...)

What I was thinking about in my fitful sleep was all of the victims of last December's tsunami in South Asia and now the mudslides in California. I also thought of the hurricanes that devasted Florida, Alabama, Virginia, and even Western North Carolina. (Ironically, a Pensacola resident fleeing Hurricane Ivan in the Gulf perished in Ivan flooding while staying with relatives in N.C.) (Is that "irony"? I forget sometimes...) (I'm a dog with only Basic Obedience training so forgive me.)

My moms have prepared an Emergency Box and accompanying Emergency Plan in case we lose power or need to evacuate. (I don't know if they made plans for me specifically. I'm a little concerned about this.) It's hard to know when one has crossed the fine line between "well-prepared" and "crazy" (I was trying to think of a better word: "fatalist" or "pessimist" or "alarmist", but "crazy" works...). We didn't stock up on the suggested duct tape, but we did have some lyiing around to put in the box. (I suppose they didn't want to be the ones who actually bought duct tape nor the ones who didn't have it when it turns out to be useful after all?) But where was I...

You see, I LOVE water. When we go down to the river, I like to just sit down in it and feel the current push by me. I'm not much of a swimmer, but I love the feel of it under my coat, the taste of it on my tongue (when mom doesn't stop me from drinking it!), the sound of it while I splash in and out of it and when I shake it all off. Both of my Moms grew up around water - Momma C on the Cheasapeake Bay in Southern Maryland and Momma B on the Gulf of Mexico in Pensacola. When we vacation, we had better be near a stream, river, bay, ocean, or ice floe.

But water can also be so devastating. Cars floating away after trying to cross a flooded road. The haunting image of a man losing the grip of his wife or a child in a tidal wave and watching her float away forever...

Water is life. It carries life, it continues life, it takes life. It is gentle, it is powerful. It deserves respect.

And yet we taunt it. We waste it. We forget its power and drunk-drive pleasure boats recklessly through it. We pour chemicals into it. We kill the life within it.

That has to change.

Many of the poor souls who lost their lives in last year's disasters made their livelihoods by the sea, humble fishermen like the original followers of Christ, perhaps why all those folks were able to open up those "stingy" wallets.

There has been a phenomenal outpouring of donations for the victims of the tsunami. Many of the affected lands were already plagued by war and poverty to begin with, so hopefully even in this tragedy, newly-gained attention, particularly Western, will still be trained to the region for many years to come. With all the horrible things war and disaster bring, an odd 'positive' bi-product is the eventual curiosity of the lay westerner who would have only known where Banda Acheh was if they filmed a "Survivor" season there. (Not that I could've located it quickly on a map. But I knew, at least, where Sumatra was. And, again, I'm a dog.) But now, school children have been closely examining the dusty maps in their classrooms. With all the news lately, they can now perhaps locate the Indian Ocean, the Hindu Kush, Baghdad, The West Bank... I only wish there was a better way.

As for the donations, I have now considered giving up a month of premium dog food to donate to the International Fund for Animal Welfare . At first, I thought my moms would think this was frivolous because even in their love for me, they may value human lives over those of my fellow four-legged creatures. But I think they will understand that helping them does in turn help the people. My donation to the IFAW would pay for animal treatment and vaccinations in tsunami-affected regions, and "dispensing vaccinations to livestock and pets in order to control the spread of disease is crucial to avoid further tragedy and loss of human life." (From the IFAW website)

So I'll start begging for checks instead of treats now. A career in development might be in store for me yet.

First Day of Classes

Unfortunately, today was Momma C's first day of class. That means I got a quick walk in the morning and a mediocre afternoon watering after class. Wow. I hope that when Mom finishes at Durham Tech and, god willing, passes the CPA exam, she can spend more time with me. It would also be good to see Momma B go back to school, too. She's getting ansy with her job, I can tell.

If anyone out there knows of an organized religion that allows pets into their sanctuary, please let me know. I'm just curious. I know my moms wouldn't REALLY want to attend services with me in tow(We have gone to the Blessing of the Animals at Duke Chapel and I SWEAR my hips started feeling better after that pastor touched them. I was healed!) (Or maybe it was the heavy drugs. Either way, I can run much faster and jump much higher. Creatures of faith can still take the drugs. It's God's will.)

It's been unseasonably warm here in Durham. I was able to take an hour and a half hike last weekend, and Momma C wore short sleeves. In January!

So, my moms leave NPR on the radio for me when they are away, so I get to learn AND get more stressed about the state of the world. Actually, there are very wonderful things that happen in the world too, but sometimes it's hard to remember that. The next time you listen to That Man invent words while trying to explain "his" plan for Social Security or expound on the family-wreckin' horror that is the gay agenda, imagine having to listen to it all without being able to turn it off (oh, to have opposable thumbs!).

Hopefully peace will be the eventual outcome from both this Palestinian election and the one later in Iraq. Trying to assist in "Democratic" and "Free" elections are such sticky things (as if the U.S. really knows how to accomplish this itself...) (I wish I could vote. It really burns me that so many Americans, especially young folks, poo-poo their rights away by not voting (or at least attempting too...) When people actually give their lives for this right (both in the past and presently), I actually find not voting disrespectful. I know they'd never give dogs the right to vote. What would be next? Dog Marriage? Ooo, that would really get Rick Santorum's goat. Not that he has a goat. Or, so he claims...)

It's never as bad as it seems. Dogs like me can help you realize what's really important in life - living simply, getting your daily needs met, helping others get theirs, and sharing unconditional love.

Scratch the ones you love behind the ears tonight.

Back On-Line

It's been awhile. I'm sure everyone was worried about me. (I say this knowing that everyone I know was worried about me, but knowing no one missed this blog since no one actually reads it... sigh...)

I am back in shape and healed and all we have to show for it is a ginormous vet bill. (Don't you hate when people use the word 'ginormous'? I make it a point to use word that annoy me. I don't know why.)

My mom survived last semester studying to be an accountant. My other mommy survived another season helping people. And I grew back all the hair from where they saved me. All in all, a very successful few months. Yay!

The holidays were uneventful, especially since my moms left me with my grandma in Maryland while they went off to spend Christmas with Momma B's family in New York City. I know that if I was a human child they would not have done this. I hope they feel guilty. (But I bet they don't.) Don't tell them that I racked up a ton of snacks in my stocking. That's our little secret.

My appetite has returned, and I can walk really far now. Momma C and I go on hikes on the Eno River and in Duke Forest all the time. I like to drink the water but Momma C read somewhere that I can get strange diseases this way so she brings fresh water in her backpack. I hate plain water. Bleech!

Anyway, I will write again soon. (You see how I'm avoiding writing about the looming Inaugural? I was still recovering from surgery during the election so I can only blame myself for this debacle. Had I not had the emergency surgery, "Dogs for Kerry" may have emerged and made the difference. But I'll keep on fighting.)

Woof.