Why Dogs Kill Their Owners

Word to Your Great Grandmother

This is so sad, but funny.

A teenager in Florida who used his 85-year-old grandmother to issue threats with a gun in a "gangsta rap" video has been jailed for 18 months.

Michael Alfinez, 18, admitted to abusing the elderly and a number of firearms charges. Alfinez is seen coaxing his grandmother Marie Huertas into flashing a gun at the camera and saying: "This is for all the pigs" and "I'll
shoot you". The Alfinez family has said that the
incident was a misunderstanding.
Outtakes: A sheriff's report said Alfinez, from Lake Worth, had admitted dressing up Ms Huertas and getting her to flash a gun and money at the camera.
Ms Huertas is seen wearing a full black balaclava and is heard uttering a number
of gangsta rap phrases, after repeated coaxing, that include expletives.
The Palm Beach Post newspaper said police arrested Alfinez in April after they found
outtakes of the video playing on a camera in his car. The Post said Alfinez had
told deputies he knew that there was something wrong with his grandmother's
memory. The sheriff's report says when police showed Ms Huertas the video she
said she was ashamed and did not use that language normally.
The Post quoted Alfinez's mother as saying: "This is my mother. This is his grandmother. Just today when he called me he said, 'Tell grandma I love her very much.' And she told me, 'Tell Mikey I love him, too.'"
Alfinez also admitted charges of shooting from a moving vehicle and firing into a building.

What a sweet boy.

Drop it like it's hot.

Hanging in Effigy

Out on the left coast, someone made a "halloween" display consisting of John McCain arising out of a burning chimney, and Sarah Palin being hung in effigy.

Because she is a white woman, this "display" is being called "art". The secret service has investigated, and it was deemed "no threat".

More like no taste.

If however, I was going to make a halloween display on my front lawn, hang Obama from a tree and make Joe Biden emerge from the fireplace (with his hairplugs on fire), I'm sure I would be charged with a hate crime.

UPDATE:Effigies of Barack Obama were hung on the University of Kentucky campus and outside a home in Indiana after authorities said an effigy of Sarah Palin in California was offensive, but not a hate crime.

This is just getting stupid, people.

Fina's Weekend at the Shore

Our Miss Fina went on her second big adventure sleep over for another new raiser family while I was having my foot operated on. It worked out that Margaret and Hugh Martin will be getting a puppy in early November, and needed a home visit and a sleep-over. So, at the last minute, I took Fina to Lewes, Delaware where we met the Martins, and she stayed from Thursday until Sunday.

They are a really sweet couple, who have a beautiful house right on the beach. Fina is surely experiencing lots of different things this month! Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of her from her time at the Martins, but from all reports she did great, except that she pulled while being walked (what else is new in a new environment?)

I think that the Martins will do great with a puppy....I really can't wait until the new pups come to the region. They are just so darn cute.

Captivity: Day 5

Hello to all! As the temperature is in the forties, and the wind is howling at around 50 mph, I am not complaining about not being able to go anywhere. I'm concentrating on recuperating, and am very much enjoying being waited on. Today I had butternut squash soup (the new V-8 one) for lunch....thumbs up! I'm reading a great book, and am watching all kinds of crap on television. Important emails and text messages come on the blackberry.

My toes are quite yellow and my foot still bandaged. Doctor tomorrow, plus a blood pressure reading at Dr. Gittleman's office. My first big day out since last week! I'm looking forward to getting this big bandage off tomorrow, so I can see what's going on under there.

That's about the extent of my life right now. I can probably repeat all the political commercials I've seen over the past few days...can't wait until this is all over.

I leave you with this, which is something I took a picture of while walking Miss Fina at the mall...it struck me as funny.

In case you can't read it, it says "Do Not Put Child In Bag!"

Gimpy

It's over! I'm officially on the mending track from this stupid heel spur.

Went to the Chesapeake Surgery Center at 9 am today; Dr. Rano came in at 10 am, and we were on the way home by 12 pm. I can't say enough about the doctor and the staff...they were awesome. What a difference from having it done at a hospital. Outpatient surgery centers are so much nicer...plus they had animal crackers and diet cokes to eat/drink after the surgery.

It couldn't have gone better...the nurse hit the vein with the IV on the second try (which is rare for me), the anesthesiologist Dr. Kelly gave me a wonderful, awesome cocktail that gave me a great sleep (I love anesthesia and if I was rich, would employ my own anesthesiologist to help me sleep at night), ha ha. All in all, it was a great experience...no complaints.

Well, actually, it's about 5:00 pm, and the numbness is starting to wear off. I popped a pain pill about 4, so that should take care of it. As I like to say, better living through chemistry.

I don't know, after all of the surgeries, the runs to the emergency room because my insides had burst open, this is kind of a small deal. In the scheme of things, it's small potatoes. But I'm a bit bummed because it seems to be way way small potatoes to some people that I wish would make a bigger deal out of it. They would make sure it was a big deal if the bandage was on the other foot (ha ha). But being wrapped in their own (self-perceived) problems is more important to them. Maybe I should drag my bloody foot around the house, leaving smears. "Oh, am I bleeding? Oh my, let me get that wiped up! I wouldn't want you to get my blood on your clothes that you have to wear to that job that you are forced to work at! That job that pays you a good salary, the salary that you use to NOT pay a mortgage or rent, pays you NOT to provide your own food, pays you NOT to pay a car loan, pays you NOT to pay for your own health insurance or doctor bills, pays you to basically entertain yourself, get yourself around town, see movies, eat fast food, etc.

By the way, I had the doctor remove my soul today to make room for all this sarcasm. :)

Let me stop. Poor poor me. There is not one shred of evidence that a pity-party helps you get over foot surgery.

My wonderful husband has been doting on me in my damaged condition.

I'm not allowed to put any weight on my foot for two weeks, and he has banished me to the couch. Crutches aren't as easy as they were when I was 17 (the last time I had to use them)...so I'm trying to be a good patient. My wonderful husband is....wonderful.

Life is....good.

Fina's Really Big Adventure with the Emmetts

We have a lot of new raisers in our group, and they are going to be getting their puppies in the beginning of November. So, just like when we got Karleen, Miss Fina got to go out on a really really really big adventure with the Emmetts....she was going to go to their house from Wednesday afternoon until Sunday. They are a family of six, with four children, plus they have a dog. It was a perfect place for Fina to go to, to get a dose of something "different". Let's face it, I'm 47 a pretty predictable at my age. This was going to be a whole new world for her...and I think that Fina needed it!

Tricia was great...she's very technologically savvy, and I got pictures consistently for all of the days. She kept me very up to date on all of the activities, and all the behaviors. I think they only ran into one refusal, one that we've deal with, and it was Fina's refusal to get into the car. She has not done that for us in a long time, and I told them that it wasn't a big deal, if she didn't want to cooperate, she didn't get to join the party.

But Fina got to experience so many new things...being with little kids, being with animals, going to the beach, going to a 4H meeting, going to a mule show! (We actually picked her up at the Mule Show, and it was pretty cool.)

EJ Emmett is actually going to be raising a pup for his 4H project. What a great thing. I don't think my parents would have been keen on the idea if I had wanted to do it when I was a kid (Maggie actually said "hey, when I was in 4H all we did was make a house out of popsicle sticks!"). I think it's awesome that he's doing it, and that the whole family is a part of it. What a great experience as a kid. And, from what I could see, he's going to do an awesome job. All the kids were really great with her.









Here's the rest of the pictures from the weekend....she had a great time, and we got back good reports. All this training (nagging) is starting to sink in!





























I can't wait for them to get their pups. Actually, Barbara and Gretchen asked me to help teach the new pup class, so I'm pretty excited about that. It's like babies...there's just nothing like a puppy. I just have to get this stupid foot healed first....

What's in a Name?

I found a website called "World Names Profiler" and it'll tell you a bit about your last name. I did two of them.

Demers:
934.35 per one million people in New Hampshire
401.54 per one million people in Maine
401.05 per one million people in Vermont
362.77 per one million people in Rhode Island


Now, for Katie and Diane, who I know read this...

Cavalluzzo:
40.58 per one million people in Campania, Italy
18.94 per one million people in Ontario, Canada
14.46 per one million people in Basilicata, Italy
5.36 per one million people in New York
1.34 per one million people in Florida

Worst. Backflip. Ever.

http://view.break.com/569469 - Watch more free videos

Dog Dance

This video was sent to me by my GEB Regional Manager, Barbara, as a great example of relationship based training (which is what we use with the GEB pups).

But the connection that this woman has with her dog, and the absolutely beautiful music, brought tears to my eyes.



It's 4 minutes long, but stay with it. It's worth it.

Freecycle

I've recently joined a Yahoo group called "Freecycle". It's a brilliant idea, very eco minded (unlike me); you list things you want to get rid of, or list things you are looking for. Then people who need or have these things contact you, and everyone is happy. I haven't taken anything in, but I have gotten rid of a ton of things I thought I had to keep...like old comforters, sleeping bags, printer cartridges, etc. I wish I had known about this sooner!

Anyway, there have been two posts that have made me laugh out loud. I'm going to post them here...one of them is ridiculous, and the other one is...well...ridiculous.

My son brought home a plant from school. I am in need of about 2
handfuls of soil to replant it. I might take a while to answer as my
computer is going to be hooked back up this weekend. I will get to
your emails asap. Thanks!

**********************************************************

Hello,
I am looking for a treadmill and a Dyson vacuum or something comparable
to a Dyson. The vaccuum I have does not do a good job picking up cat
and dog hair.

Thanks so much!

First of all, go outside. Dirt is free and very plentiful.

Secondly, we'd all like a $600 Dyson for free. And a treadmill. (The treadmill, she'll probably get.)

I'd probably get kicked off the list for mocking the ads. But I just can't help it.

Cross Post...Is this Me???

This is dog-related, and just funny. I first saw this years ago, and have thought of it often ever since....

Is This Me?????

I saw this years ago, and always thought it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

They Put the "Fun" in Dysfunctional!

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) -- Fountain police say a teen solicited two men to kill his mother so he could sell her car and use her bank account to get breast implants for his girlfriend.

Authorities say the mother, Hyun Weis, was attacked with a small wooden baseball bat at her home Thursday but escaped.

She was hospitalized and then released Friday. The nature of her injuries hasn't been disclosed.

Deputy Police Chief Mike Barnett said 18-year-old Nikita Lee Weis was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Authorities say Nikita Weis also wanted money to pay his rent.

Also arrested on the same charge were his girlfriend, 21-year-old Sophia Nicole Alsept, and the two men he allegedly hired, 18-year-old Juan Antonio Velez Gonzalez and 19-year-old Brandon Michael Soroka.

All are being held on $50,000 bail. Officials didn't know whether they had attorneys and said they couldn't get messages to them.

Barnett says the suspects discussed wrapping Hyun Weis' body in plastic and dumping in the desert in New Mexico or Arizona.

Nikita Weis is due in court Monday.

I Wish...

I Wish I Had The Guts To Put This On My Car....

.

(if you can't read it, it says "I'm a Republican because Everyone can't be on Welfare")

Oh, What a Day I'm Having!

From the Consumerist:

Man Sues Doctors for Amputating Penis

What part of "circumcision" was unclear? That's basically what a Kentucky man and his wife are asking of two doctors who cut off the man's penis while he was under the knife. The doctors say they discovered cancer and made an emergency decision. The man says, dude, wtf, you cut off my penis. It doesn't grow back, and it was kind of important to me.

The lawsuit states that Patterson received consent to perform a circumcision and only a circumcision, and that Seaton did not consent to his penis being removed.

Kevin George, the plaintiff's attorney, said [Dr.] Patterson amputated the organ after finding cancer, but he only had consent to remove the foreskin.

"Sometimes you have an emergency and you have to do this, but he could very easily closed him up and said, 'Here are your options. You have cancer,' and the family would have said, 'We want a second opinion. This is a big deal,'" George said.

We've just made a new note to self: if we ever have surgery, we intend to grab the doctor by the collar and say vigorously to him, "No matter what happens, don't you cut off my penis." Who knew you had to worry about that sort of thing.