Guard Dog

Maybe if you didn't threw that pencil at her, off course or not, she wouldn't have pushed that desk into you. People can have very bad days and the little things can set them off. No kidding there. My ex-wife and I have exchanged gunfire over less. OK, i am exaggerating, but not much.

I'm really having difficulty finding the coorelation between these two thoughts. It's bringing up lots of questions but I'll boil it down to one. Was she good looking?

A Senate term is six years. Once a case like this goes into the appellate court it will move pretty quickly. The hold up to date has been the recount. That has been completed. Now it's just wrangling over what votes actually "count". I must admit I have not really been following this one. Politics has become a very distasteful thing to me lately. But I do have one question. Al Franken? Al Fu****g Franken??? What the hell were you thinking Minnesota? He wasn't even a good writer, his SNL skits were terrible, he was a bitter and tragically un-funny radio host, and you make him your senator? This fool has failed at everything he has ever done. I'm no fan of Norm Coleman but for God's sake... Al Franken? But then this is the state that made Jesse Ventura Governor so...

I didn't hear about that! Who won? Do we get to kill them in game? Kidding of course. But C'mom wan't it just a little fun interacting with Gromnir in BG2 or Torias in SoU. Or others I could think of (like me in NWN )

That is a bummer. I know that has to be very hard for both of you. But you making sure she has the best quality of life possible, and sometimes that means making hard decisions like this one.

Yup, Gorgon is right. The first thing you do is make sure they are comfortable with you. The best way to accomplish that is by long leash walks and fun activities like playing ball, etc. Plus exercise goes a long way to lowering their anxiety level. Once they are ready you bring other dogs into the mix and let them play together in a "neutral" environment (in my case my front yard, my dogs don't have access to it). When they are comfortable playing with the others you just let them join the rest of your dogs full time. It usually takes a couple of days assuming the foster dog does not have aspirations of dominance. If they do then it takes longer and is a little more complicated, but not much. I've done it many times and it has never failed to work. Most of the dogs I have now were behavioral problems from the rescue I worked with back in Florida and just ended up keeping. In the end, the ones best qualified to help dogs are other dogs. No one can understand them better.

It is hard to give them up at first but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Especially when you see how happy they come to be in their new homes and how much happiness they bring their new families.

Since moving to Memphis I have become very interested in the American Civil War (sort of come with being in the "old south" and seeing a few old battlefields first hand). So keeping in that vein I picked up a great book called Three Years With Quantrill by John McCorkle. McCorkle was a soldier under Captain William Quantrill (one of the most maligned figures in American history) during the border skirmishes and fighting in Missouri including the Lawrence Massacre. I'm finding more and more that when I read history I much prefer the accounts of eye witnesses who are not writing a viewpoint seen through the prism of modern politics and prejudices. Great book, if you like American history, particularly Civil War history, check it out.

Hi all... long time no post. A lot has happened lately, too much to get into. But today I paid off all my medical bills, all my credit cards, and all of my outstanding debt. Except for my mortgage and regular monthly bills (electric, satellite, etc) I dont owe a penny to anyone. That is a GREAT feeling. I hooked up with another dog rescue group that is based in Millington. This weekend I'm getting my first foster dog since 2007. Supposedly this one (she is in animal control in Murfeesboro) has socialization issues. That is one problem I do know how to solve in dogs. I can't solve it in myself but I can fix it in dogs.

Thanks everyone. I really do appreciate the thought. I tend to get a little fatalistic when things are going badly. But tonight the Rays are beating the Red Sox, I just put a Snapper fillet on the grill and dogs are being good. Life is good.

I disagree with you here. Socially liberal thinkers seek to brand everything as ok. Libertarians simply value maximum personal freedom. For example; Personally I think abortion is morally wrong and abhorrent. However, I also believe that everyone should be free to pursue that option if they see fit. I would never participate in one and would try to dissuade anyone considering one but I would never they to stop them and I certainly would not ask the state to do it on my behalf. I do not believe it is my place as a citizen to impose my personal morality on anyone and far too many people think the state is simply a tool to do just that. The religious right has grievously damaged the GOP because it forgot the America was in its heart a free country. That means free for people to live their lives as they see fit even if that way contradicts Christian values. For the GOP to return to prominence it needs to become the champion of personal liberty just as Obama is setting himself up as the opponent of it. There is such a golden opportunity here for a leader to point out exactly what the Obama administration has done to damage personal freedom in this country in just a scant three months. And they hold great ambitions to seize even more control over this country, its citizens and economy in the years to come. That is going to be Obama's downfall in the end. His administration has already branded people who oppose it's agenda as "right wing extremists" and potential terrorists. There are already new gun control and limits on free speech being proposed. They are actively trying to silence talk radio and even proposals for blocking internet content (like China, Cuba, and North Korea all do). Cap and Trade will cause utility bills to sky rocket and imminent domain is being used to seize more land than ever before in our history. Heck even mention the 10th Amendment or Federalism ans you are either mocked, shouted down, or ignored. All of this could be used to destroy Obama and the left because Americans as a rule desire nothing more than to be left alone to live their lives as they see fit. Obama and the left won't have it and the Christian right won't either. For the Republicans to return they have to ditch one to oppose the other.

@Aristes. I do want to respond but it will be somewhat lengthy and I want to see some more replys as to whether or not single party rule in the US is a good thing. Deadly and Sand had some interesting things to say. I imagine we'll see more in that vein and it really ties into what I want to say.

In short the the Card Check law would allow work place unions to organize without the consent of the workers by eliminating the secret ballot vote currently required. Increased marketplace competition for skilled workers has had a positive affect on employment benefits and the relevance of labor unions has faded the last thirty or so years. Union membership has been in a steady decline for years now. The unions are very closely aligned with the US Democrat party and since they are running the show these days they wrote this law to increase union membership by eliminating the one thing stopping it: the consent of the people who don't want to be in it. This is a payoff of sorts to the unions who supported Obama over Clinton and then McCain. A little slanted point of view I admit but this is a very heinous law in my opinion because it does trample on individual freedom. That is something the government is getting very, very good at. From the US Chamber of Commerce: http://www.uschamber.com/issues/index/labo...hecksecrbal.htm

Old Man's War by John Scalzi. I'm really enjoying this one. If you like Sci Fi give it a look. Also reading My Life in the Irish Brigade a memoir written by a soldier from the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry during the first two years of the American Civil War. His descriptions of the first battle of Fredericksburg are absolutely amazing.

I went to the doctor again today. I have seen more doctors more times in the first five months of this year than in my whole life before this. I think physically I'm as good as I'm going to get. I've lost a lot of strength in my arms and legs and walking for too long just hurts. It's an amazing thing. Somewhere someone you have never met makes a stupid decision that does not involve you at all and the consequences of that decision ends their life and nearly ends yours. And radically affects everything that comes after. Absolutely and completely random. If I had been held up by just one stoplight or missed one I did stop at my whole life would have turned out differently. Fate can change course on the matter of a few seconds. The lawyer agreed on a settlement for the accident. Its just got me thinking about what the monetary value of someone's life is. It just sucks. The whole thing just f**king sucks.

At the very least we should do a weekly pool like we did two years ago...

I'm not surprised by this. I am a little bummed out however. I had Susan Collins in the Which-Senator-Bails-First pool. Oh well. On a more serious note this move is entirely self serving on Spectre's part and any attempt to use it as a referendum on the GOP would be a mistake. This is a classic case of a career politician seeing which way the wind is blowing and tacking in the direction that best seves their own interests. It does however shed a little more light on the growing schism between the Goldwater Republicans and the Rockefeller Republicans. Perhaps the GOP really will fade as a viable political force after 2010. I'm curious, does anyone here think that is a good thing?

Going to work today for the first time since Jan 19th. 2009 got off to a really crappy start for me. Hopefully the worm turns today. There is definitely something exciting about starting a new job.

You are going to have your hands full today.

In many instances (California Gay Marriages as example) the ballot initiative is an amendment to the state constitution and as such if passed it becomes the supreme law of the state and trumps the state supreme court. In fact they state supreme court is then bound to uphold it and judge cases accordingly. I dislike the ease with which many state constitutions can be amended because it often leads to bad law as Enoch correctly pointed out. I could name three off the top of my head in Florida. However, it can be a necassary counter weight to rein in the state judiciary and to a lesser extent the state legislatures which all to often forget they govern at the consent of the governed. It is not a pretty or perfect system. In fact Republican Democracy is the worst form of government there is, except for all of the others. And don't worry, not having a college degree does not mitigate any point you make so long as it is founded in logical reasoning. You are certainly no dummy Aristes. Excellent points. The trouble with me is I see so many instances where the federal government is usurping power and trampling liberty (especially since Obama took office but GWB was nearly as bad) that I often miss or quickly forget that there are a few triumphs out there.

I think I overdid it yesterday. I hurt so much today I can't do much of anything. And no more pain pills. I can see how they could become addictive. Thats ok, Knob Creek and Sam Adams work almost as well.

I doubt even you would disagree that for the last sixteen years or so we have been in a definite and perceptible drift to the latter.

I spent the day making home made bombs from 3/4" PVC, duct tape, fishing line, finishing nails, and a few common household chemicals mixed in the proper proportions. No, not really. But Obama seems to think I did. I cut my grass for the first time since the accident. It was pretty out of control. Then sat by the creek are read while the dogs played.

Based solely on my own experience I'd say it's probably 65%-35% Conservative vs Liberal. And that cuts accross racial and ethnic lines so that is pretty extraordinary. That really only applies to vets though. While you are actually in, the service is VERY apolitical and members are strongly encouraged not to involve themselves in politics other than voting. No one actually stops you, its one of those things that's just not done. I think thats a good thing.

Actually, as a veteran I find the idea that vets make likely terroists to be incredibly offensive. There is no group of people who are more patriotic or hold their country in higher regard than those who have worn the uniform. Especially those who have done so in war time. And given the utter lack of respect and outright contempt and antithipy the left has held for vets over the years I think they published this report because this is exactly what the Obama admin thinks. That is not to say the military has not produced a few nutjobs but by and large the veterans are the ones who stand, remove their cap, and place their hand over their hearts when the star spangled banner is played at the ball game while everyone else sits or talks. One can certainly imagine why the left would hate people like that. Anyway, this is not the appropriate thread for this discussion and I was just trying to make light of something that I find VERY troubling. So I'll drop it here.