When I was six years old, my family moved to a small town in west central Florida. Four houses down was another family of recent arrivals, from Michigan. Mom, Dad, three boys (the middle child being close in age to me, so I had a permanent playmate), and a miniature Schnauzer. The kids were Jeff, Mark, and Don. The dog was named “Woofgang.” Being six, I didn’t get the pun.
The dog was as much of a companion as the boys, and we spent endless hours playing tag — well, more like “try to catch the pupper.” A nimble canine running circles around four pre-teen boys was endless amusement for both us and anyone who happened to catch a glimpse of us. When he got tired, he’d just lay down and pant for a while, as would we. A few minutes’ rest, a quick hit off the garden hose (the dog, too), and everyone was ready to go again.
What the parents failed to consider, though, was ground cover. Michigan is largely covered by ryegrass and fescue. No problem there. Woofgang, however, had a severe allergy to centipede grass, which made up more than 90 percent of lawns in Florida back in the seventies.
Poor dog started off a schnauzer, wound up a schneezer.
The American Kennel Club groups dogs by the types of jobs the AKC thinks they should have: working dogs, sporting dogs, etc. I think this is unfairly limiting:
As a few of you might have figured out over the years, I’m rather partial to bull terriers. This has come through no small amount of trial and error. One of my first dogs, for instance, was a pothead:
Another has an interesting way of exercising. First, I left a ladder propped against the roof after blowing off accumulated leaves. Rocco found out he can climb ladders. No problem there, until he started carrying his favorite chunk of cinder block with him.
I think I’ve trained him to only drop the block on political solicitors and Jehovah’s Witnesses, but the chaps from Amazon still won’t come to my front door anymore.
I’ve thought about other breeds over the years, and last week I spotted an albino Dalmatian. I figured it was the least I could do for him.
I finally got some retrievers. The first one worked out pretty well:
The other one… well, I was going to take him afield with me, and let me give you just one piece of advice. Never, ever let Tonio train your gun dog.
Until next time, folks!
That’s pretty silly.
Pets are silly.
That we have them is a strange quirk of evolution, usefulness, and emotions.
I saw an article awhile back proposing the theory that the reason H. Sapiens finally won out over Neanderthals was because of dogs, which were domesticated by H. Sapiens right around the same time as the decline of the Neanderthals.
I read in some book about how dogs are the only animal that evolved side by side with humans. Kind of obvious, but not something I had thought about too deeply. It’s not surprising that they can read human emotion and are such good companions. They evolved to do that.
It’s not surprising that they can read human emotion and are such good companions. They evolved to do that.
They can read human emotions and body language far better than any other animal, experiments have shown they are far, far better at it than even chimpanzees, our closet genetic relatives.
Humans and dogs domesticated alongside eachother.
Dogs and cats use the evolutionary attachment to babies that’s built in, big eyes, big heads, as a hack to get us to take care of us. They were useful for hunting and pest control, now they just parasitize us and depress our production of actual offspring.
30,000+ years is a long time.
Did Humans and Wolf Dogs Make Neanderthals Perish?
The answer is No, because Neanderthals never went away – we’re still here.
Anyone who has seen me in person could verify that fact.
I love it. Thank you Shpip!
Hot Dog!
/Chinese guy looking at the last picture
At first glance I thought that a turkey ready for the roast.
It’s not?
I met a bull terrier at the dog park the other day, hanging out with my Pepperoni, a mutt that resembles both in looks and temperament a miniature Irish Terrier. I always liked the bull terriers looks, but had never been around one. Holy Cow, that is a tenacious thing. Non-stop, up in your face, ur-terrier.
Like a pit bull on steriods.
Unfair
New York Attorney General Letitia James is throwing her support behind state legislation to curtail retailers and grocers from setting prices using algorithms based on personal data.
James, a Democrat, held a news conference Monday at the state Capitol in Albany to push for a pair of bills that would effectively ban the practice, including one that would also prohibit grocery stores and pharmacies from using digital price tags that can instantly change prices in real time. She called it an expanding, exploitative practice that forces consumers to pay more.
She said customers should pay the same price for the same items, regardless of their spending habits or personal backgrounds. But business and tech groups are pushing back, arguing the bills could threaten e-coupons and loyalty programs even though they contain language meant to protect them.
Discriminatory pricing based on “ability to pay” should be illegal? Fine.
Now do taxes.
I wrote some pieces a couple weeks ago. Thought I submitted them, not sure if I did that correctly.
Those in the know guide me or tell me what I did wrong. Toino got me pretty squared away but I still probably screwed up the submission process.
All you need to do is press “submit.” The amount of high-effort configuration is reduced down to picking some tags and adding artwork, in comparison to what it used to be.
Work is an absolute mess right now so I can’t take time to make a new guide. April should be better. Even if you do forget, the editors usually check for you. Because they are all that awesome.
I wasent sure if I did the frontier picture correctly, when I checked them this morning that image appeared in the body of the piece.
Ah ha! That means the little check box on the side came back. Open it up, look at all the options and there will be a check box to remove the front post image from the body of the post. Select/unselect it as appropriate. The site is going to apply the rules to your post which were in effect when you first drafted it. If you did a new post you might not see that issue.
RJ I writer them before the changeover, that may have been part of the image issue.
When I’m in front of a desktop some time in the next week I’ll try it again.
Fuck all y’all; you can’t even be polite to the 1/19th distaff.
Block my IP.
What did I miss?
Not you, mein Herr. Nor most of the Herren here generally. Sorry to harsh your Saint Porrig’s Day.
Yeah; we Glibs aren’t polite to men either.
Yes, thanks so much, sTet, the other night.
[ attempts to recall what I did to/for Toxteth ]
George Glass.
(Yes, I await the Tulip comparisons)
I’ll tiptoe up to inquire what is up?
Not at you, Jar.
Just tired of the revealed preferences. “Ohh, where are all the Mythical Libertarian Women”? If they’re sane, running from here. 🚬
I am presently revealing my preference for typing one handed with my one free arm at full extension so as not to disturb a cat.
Sorry, not youse. Wouldn’t be here present or past tense if not for Glibs.
“Will you shut up? It’s a goddamn beautiful day, shut up!” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073076/quotes/?item=qt0336533
Carry on witcher drinkin.
Started drinking appropriately early today!
🍻
sorry, NA; I’ll buy you one or more.
Drinking is *never* inappropriate….
I’ve heard the various AA offshoots think it’s in poor taste to drink at their meetings.
Okay, I’ll bite. What the hell are you talking about?
Maybe you’re made of sterner stuff, ma chère. I live with one and I want out.
Do you have an app to translate from cryptic references to standard English?
I need that as well GT.
This would be a Forum thing, if either of us make it that far.
Fuggit: Our Bobbo / Yusef treats me like crap.
Didn’t mean to be coy. Sick of burying it.
You’re involved with Bobbo? IRL? Man I am out of things here.
I don’t know what is going on. I am just a simple alien, confused and frightened by your words.
Should I rouse him and ask him? I thought everyone here knew.
This is really lovely. 🎶 Yeats set to music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4O8m4nJhtM
GT, he likes SD fine, just not the one who brought him out here.
I literally know nothing.
I’m only annoyed by acronyms that I’ve never run across be fore in my life.
But don’t hold them against anyone personally.
The Rock of Chickamauga has a distaff? Did not know.
I don’t know what a distaff is.
Literally it is a stick that holds fibers to be spun. Figuratively female generally in the context of speaking about the female side of a family.
“I don’t know what a distaff is.”
—–
All that I know about the distaff is that Johnny Trot says the 3 horse is a lock.
Off to the races. Before the thought escapes me: An odd personal bit, March 17 is Hannah Lore [Redacted]’s bday. To my continuing displeasure, I missed blindingly obvious slaps in the face from her as a freshman at IU 20 years ago. I was still too young to have any confidence or clue. We really liked each other and hung out constantly. She’s now married with a few kids, and great for her, but damn. That missed opportunity legit would’ve changed my life. She might’ve gone to Korea with me, or I would’ve never thought to go. Or we coulda broken up in a month. (I kinda really doubt that. Well. It would’ve taken longer than that.)
Got my paperwork in for the test scoring gig, but I may add an April 4 Meijer Express shift to stay on their records. Would make transition back much easier. Then, I’d likely not even do four days/wk. We shall see.
Whacking Day on good Simpsons was absolutely fantastic. Not a wasted moment in that EP. Nor in others in that era.
Meaning: I remained autistically single (and virginal) despite the efforts of girls around me. *hits head w shoe*
I was captain obvious forever.
It worked for me in the long run though.
I had an ex comment “You’re really an ideal boyfriend because you’re to stupid to realize when other women are hitting on you”.
That was me Slum
Threedoor is Slumbrew’s ex?
That’s a surprise to me as well, Teds’.
He was quite a bit more busty at the time. And female.
Now they’re just middle age man-boobs….
My mantitos have come and gone. They are waning now. I’ve managed to keep my weight down to a reasonable 240. Sure I’d like to get down to 230 and stay there but I’ll take a stable 240.
Me big and hairy like Steve Smith.
I can see I won’t be missed.
Evan, ask Fonzie (!) about “classless”.
Untrue. But I respect your cri du cœur. If you do punch out, I hope it’s just a temporary break.
Merci.
Don’t go.
🙁
I’m inclined to take the O’grady side regarding Bobbo pending more information, but if I am reading this right and you are taking a shot at Evan for posting something about his life rather than your cryptic comments, that seems uncalled for and frankly kind of entitled and nasty. If I misunderstood this comment I apologize.
I shurrre didn’t mean to hijack everyone’s St. Paddy’s Day. Now I owe everyone drinks!
Nowt against our Evan. A recent statement about a prostitute.
Agreed with the others. Still not sure what is going on, but I do know walking away would be a loss for you and us.
Should have “wouldn’t be missed”; wasn’t fishing, but thanks.
I apologize and didn’t mean any harm. I slept w a prostitute in Russia and thoroughly didn’t enjoy it. That’s kinda funny. Didn’t include any names nor comparisons. Neighbor banged on the wall cuz my service worker was too loud.
I’d sincerely miss you around. Always a pleasure, Tox. Didn’t know if crossed a line. Apologies if I did.
On topic
Do ya like dags?
Didnt get to this yesterday afternoon, EPL relegation update, round 30 (31 for Arsenal and Wolves), magic number of points (max 24, 21 for Wolves) for safety in ():
Safe: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United
Reasonably safe: Aston Villa(3), Liverpool(5), Chelsea(6), Brentford(9), Everton(11), Newcastle United(12)
Safe for now: Bournemouth(13), Fulham(13), Brighton(14), Sunderland(14), Crystal Palace(15)
Danger Zone: Leeds United(22), Tottenham(24), Nottingham Forest(25), West Ham United(25)
Toast: Burnley(34), Wolverhampton(37)
Relegated: none
Two really important games on Sunday.
Forest @ Tottenham is a huge game. Winner puts a gap on the relegation line.
West Ham @ Aston Villa. WHU needs to keep up with the winner of Forest @Tottenham. Villa clinches safety with a tie.
I have mostly been not watching this year because the selection of matches available on USA tends to be crap, but
nice, I will watch that one.
Jackpot!
Bank of America has settled a civil lawsuit brought by women who accused the bank of facilitating their sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, court records showed on Monday.
Lawyers for the bank and the women told Manhattan-based US district judge Jed Rakoff in a 12 March telephone call that they had reached a “settlement in principle”, a court filing said. The terms of the settlement were not immediately clear.
The settlement requires Rakoff’s approval. Lawyers for both sides are scheduled to submit legal papers about the settlement by 27 March, and the judge scheduled a court hearing for 2 April to consider approving the deal.
Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer for the women, said in a statement: “Today’s resolution of the case against Bank of America is one more step on the road to much-deserved justice.”
How will the “survivors” retain their anonymity? Will their payouts be left in a brown paper bag next to a trash can like the ransom in an old gangster movie?
A “settlement” – which implies they are not guilty of anything but just want it to go away.
I can see I won’t be missed.
Humbug.
No grudge against you, PB.
Whoever recently mentioned playing CLEAVAGE in Scrabble: here there wouldn’t have been a board turned over. In fact some appropriate treatment.
And here the Scrabble Glib men avoid me.
Bobbo did really well on his first try with rusty me.
Fuggit: Our Bobbo / Yusef treats me like crap.
That guy is a useless idiot.
I gotta say, I feel like I’m out of the loop. Maybe a lot of loops.
Don’t get too worked up about it. There are whole coils of loops everyone is out of.
Out of the loop is better than in the noose.
as long as you don’t end up lopsided
Shpip
Shpip! (Having recovered a bit.) I didn’t know you were a schnauzer guy. Aren’t they the sweetest!
(I was assuming you were a bull terrier aficionado.)
The schnauzer story is from more than a half century ago. Yes, bull terriers are my favorite (though my last one was of the Staffordshire variety).
Dogs taught me a lot.
Are bull terriers the same as pitbulls because pitbulls need banning it seems.
Here in romania bull terriers are what i call pig dogs and dont look like the pics in the post
No, they are not the same.
Growing up i had no pets but my downstairs neighbour had a large female german sheppard. Good pedigree. We lived close to a police station and when there were puppies the police would occasionally get some. Though GSDs can be dangerous Marta was always good with us kids.
After she died my neighbour got an airdale terrier. One helluva voice. Should bellong to a.dog twice that size.
I love how people at work don’t answer my emails, then get angry because their failure to provide the information necessary (which I asked for in those emails) prevented work from moving forward that was important to them but means nothing to me.
I am not going to chase you to move your priorities forward.
at least you get some job satisfaction become sometimes it seem you are not enjoying yourself all that much at work. focus on the things you love.
I’m starting to think my half my co-workers don’t even know how to send e-mail. I keep saying “send me an e-mail if it’s not time sensitive”. That’s even my status on Webex.
And yet, “Hi…” at 03:00.
Today it was “let me start a 5 person chat at 04:00 to ask you a question”. Just send me an email, doofus.
I am like a gen z these days in that I hate people who call without asking me first on webex if I can take a call.
You don’t have to answer!
In my office, we have too many ways to communicate just in writing. We have email, Chat in Teams, and Messaging in our PC-based phone system. 🙄
Sounds like one of those “I don’t really know what I want, or what to ask, so I’ve included some others who might have a clue.”
Email is the best form of business communication. Written so that the recipient can refer back to it easily for details about the task or problem while doing said task or solving said problem, savable and easily searchable so the recipient can produce it when the sender conveniently forgets asking for something that turns out to have been a bad idea, and non-intrusive so receiving the next task doesn’t interrupt doing the current task.
Agreed 100%, Jarflex
Written words are sometimes tough to sort out when there’s no context, inflection or references.
Mrs F and I have enjoyed the company with a number of Glibs, broken bread with many of them, including Bobbo and Shpip.
It’s always been a good time, we say things in jest that could be misunderstood, were it not that it’s never meant to be hurtful.
hot dog
Not hotdog
Definitely no walls around that house…
You know who else had a Hot Dog?
I remember when that hit the charts.
I think I had a copy of that single pressed into something over cardboard on the back of a box of Super Sugar Crisp.
Sounds familiar GT
I remember those records! The laminate was so flimsy they wore out after a play or two and they screwed up the needle lol.
The pusher always hands out a free taste.
The “B” side was even worse.
Amending if appropriately possible (same source each, not musical):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2_8Igq7ko4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ByxyIAWrQ
Of all the music journalisming publications in the world, AV Club is right up there:
https://www.avclub.com/what-we-dismiss-when-we-call-golden-k-pop
Hipsterism meets wokism resulting in retardation.
“Argle bargle herpity derpity doo”
To be fair, AVCLub has been arglebargling since they were printed in the back half of The Onion’s paper edition.
happy saint patricks day
https://x.com/uncledoomer/status/2033913695563084101
Sadly, the schedule didn’t work out but I would have liked to have seen these guys last week.
I think a rogue AI is just inventing culture war stories now:
https://wjla.com/news/local/illegal-immigrant-student-groping-girls-fairfax-county-high-school-assault-battery-crime
NoVA.
Illegal Immigrant.
19 year old high school junior.
Gropes 12 students, down to 13 years old.
School does nothing.
Prosecutor agrees to bail, downgrades from sexual battery to simple battery.
Refuses to hand the perpetrator over to ICE.
Is there some button unpushed? I mean, He’s not a trans muslim I guess.
Fairfax County – anyone surprised?
I’m guessing he’s not on a flight back to wherever he belongs.
He belongs in School!
/local political leaders