Doggie Blunder

A video clip from Crufts 2012 is getting a lot of attention on the internet (see above), going viral with just over one million views. In it a dog "does his buisnes" right in the middle of an agility run, disqualifying the team. It was such a shame because up that point it was a beautiful run. The owner, to her credit, held her head high, cleaned up, and managed a smile. I don't know if I would have been that brave. 

There is nothing worse than getting DQ'd for fouling the ring. I can speak from personal experience. My dog is notorious for DQ's in the obedience ring. It took me two summers to get my CD because she DQ'd so many times. I don't feed her right before shows and I walk her around before she goes in the ring, but sometimes it just doesn't matter. I think she does it to get back at me for obedience training. lol 

As much as I hate the "no poo" rule, I understand why it's in place. Firstly, when you work with your dog they should be focused on you. They should know that when they are in the ring, they are working. They aren't going for a walk, so they shouldn't be sniffing around looking for a good place to mark. In agility, it would wreck your time anyway, even if it wasn't a DQ. You would loose too much time to recover from. Marking the ring can  also sometimes be a show of dominance. The dog is saying, "Here's what I think of your commands!" At 4-H one day, one of the dogs peed on their handler's leg because he refused to let the handler be the leader. I felt so bad. (In the video, however, it was more of an emergency pit stop.) In addition, fouling the ring distracts the other dogs. Once one of them goes there, they all have to go. (Even if it was cleaned up and sprayed with odor control. Sometimes they still smell it.)

I hope we see this team at Crufts again next year. Hopefully, there won't be anymore...ahem...mishaps.

Dog Manners for People

I usually hate when people go on long internet rants that start with “u know what i hate” and go on for 1,0000 very spiteful paragraphs, but I have something to say (and I’ll keep it short). I own/show an 12 year old Westie and dogs are a huge part of my life. I honestly don’t mind if someone comes up says, “Can I pet your dog?”. (Hey I’ve been doing that since I could say the word dog) I do get upset when people don’t ask first or give me a dirty look when I say no. It doesn’t matter if you have/had dogs or know everything about them; ALWAYS ask the owner and respect their answer. Now, yes dogs by nature are extremely adorable, but that doesn’t mean they are public property. Every dog is different and running up to one you don’t know could be very dangerous. Some dogs get frightened when approached behind, some are scared of certain things (ex: small children, hats, sunglasses), and some are just stressed. REMEMBER ALL DOGS BITE!!!!!!!! 

Another dog manner people forget is that a dog show is not petting zoo. You can’t just walk up to cages and take pictures or try to pet dogs. If the owner is around, ask first. (If they are a little irritable it's just due the pressure of the show. They probably need to get the dog on the grooming table or to the ring, it's nothing personal.) But just walking up to a crate and getting in a dog’s face is just not cool. To the dog that crate/ex-pen is his haven, his de-stress zone and he’s saying, “WHOA DUDE PERSONAL BUBBLE!” It would be like if that over affectionate aunt/grandma just barged into your living room and started messing up ur hair and pinching your face. You’d be saying “Come On I’m trying to watch TV here! LEAVE NOW!”

So just remember to respect a dog’s boundaries. I think it's a lesson that everyone needs to learn. I had to and now I’m passing on that wisdom to you. :p

4-H Attacked

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/06/23/does-4-h-desensitize-kids-to-killing/?hpt=hp_bn8

I'm so outraged by this I can't even think what to say. To attack 4-H like this is just
despicable, and what's more the people attacking haven't even been in 4-H. Now, I don't raise live stock, but I know people who do and to say that they are "desensitized" and basically calling them murderers is slanderous and appalling. 4-H teaches kids the humane and ethical way of raising animals, something we need in a society where most of our meat comes from inhumane factory farms! Kids in 4-H learn much more than raising animals. They meet new people, new friends, learn social skills, learn work skills, and teaches them about the world around them. Overall, 4-H is about helping kids be the best they can be, "to make the best better". Maybe if the commenters were in 4-H they wouldn't be so close-minded and ignorant. The fact is that slaughter is part of raising and animal. It has been a part of human culture since homo sapiens transitioned from hunter-gathers to farmers (without which, civilization never would have started). We are omnivores and require both meat and vegetables to get our essential amino acids, to survive. If you don't want to eat meat and supplement your amino acid intake other ways, that's fine it's your opinion. If you feel that you can't raise animals for food, that's perfectly fine too. But you can't force your opinion on others and attack an organization that you know absolutely nothing about. It is simply bigoted, slanderous, disgraceful, cruel, and shameful.

Boisterous Bruins Celebrate in Boston, Callous Canucks Burn City

They did it! The Bruins are bring home a Stanley Cup for their fans, the first since 1972! The game was a shutout; 4-0 Bruins. It was an exciting, heart pounding game and even I found myself, who has never ever watched hockey before, unable to tear myself away.

Fans in Boston's took to the streets. Jumping up and down, screaming, yelling, and shooting off fireworks. Even in the small towns across Massachusetts people were honking hours, yelling, and giving impromptu fireworks displays. Boston can't wait for their Bruins to come home so they can see them riding down the street atop the Duck Boats.

However, I think its important to note that although Boston got rowdy it never got violent. A few people who had partied a little to hard, may have been asked to leave by police, but for the most part fans behaved themselves. As one local news reporter said, "It's just good old fashioned celebrating."

It was a very different story in Vancouver where some fans were so distraught that they took out their anger by destroying property. It was on the verge of a riot. At one point people were jumping over a giant bonfire. How much of a sore looser do you have to be to do that? More importantly how stupid do you have to be? Other  fans were disappointed but congratulated the Bruins any way and started looking forward to the cup next year. One woman decked out in her Canuck fan gear jumped in front of a news camera and screamed, "We still love you!!". That's a faithful fan; that's how the rest of Vancouver should have been acting. Instead they booed, screamed bloody murder, and tore apart their own town. Where's your dignity? Where's your pride? Come on Canucks, grow up.

On the Grid

So we all know that we live in a very digital age. No question about it. I mean the average person has about a bagillion electronics on their person at all time. But, have you ever stopped to think just how plugged in we are?

Just yesterday I finally gave into my friend's pleading and set up a tumblr account. (Don't get me wrong, I'm already addicted. It's the perfect way to satisfy my criminal minds obsession :P) But, it got me thinking. I probably have over 20 accounts on the internet. I have a facebook, a yahoo, a tumblr, a blogger, an iTunes, tons of accounts for college websites, and countless other accounts (such as on Taylor Swift's website, Owl City's app, abc.com, dogchannel.com, playlist.com the list just goes on)

How many of these accounts do I actually use? I only check the first five daily, the rest I haven't been on in weeks, months, or even years. Do I remember their passwords? Nope not really. Will they just stay there forever? Probably, yeah.

It's been said the internet is forever, and I'm just wondering how much of a digital trail I'm leaving behind.

Student Death Sentence

Your sitting is small, stuffy room. Your scared stiff and from looking around you can see that everyone else in the room is just as terrified. Suddenly you hear heavy footsteps approaching you, you see a dark body leaning over you. SLAP! A packet of paper drops heavily onto your desk. That's right its the dreaded Summer Reading Assignment.

We've all been through it, and some of us are going through it now. Students are forced to read assigned books over the summer and complete assignments on them. For some, it is simply an unpleasant task that needs to get done. These kids don't let the assignments taint their love of reading. For most however, summer reading and school assignments is like a death sentence, one that obliterates any interest in reading.

The problem with Summer reading is that its structure sabotages its purpose. It is meant to foster a love of reading, especially in younger students. However, by choosing the books for the students teachers are instead fostering contempt for reading. Imagine this: you walk into a bookstore looking for a good read. Suddenly, an employee walks up to you and says, "I'm sorry, but you can only buy one of these twenty approved books." What if you were not interested in any of the books? What if there was a book that you really wanted to read that wasn't on that list? Would you be angry? Would ever come back to that store? Well that's how most students feel about Summer Reading and they apply those feeling of frustration and anger towards all books and reading.

My suggestion is that instead of offering a limited list of required titles, teachers should offer suggestions. How hard would it be to say, "OK you assignment is to choose a book that is 200 pages long, read it over the summer, and make a poster, movie, or power point about it." This way, teachers know the kids are reading at their level while the kids feel in control and enjoy reading about a topic of their choice. I understand, at the high school level at least one classic has to be read to jump start the curriculum, but the free reading book still needs to be fun.

Until, teachers, librarians, and principles realize the flaws of summer reading the book hatred epidemic will continue to spread. Case in point, almost 75% of my Honors 11 English class rarely opens a book, including those assigned during the school year. It's time to turn the page in summer reading and start a new chapter in which the characters are bookworm students.

Surprise! It's Memorial Day!

It seemed to have snuck up on everyone this year. May was mostly cold, wet weather; especially during last few weeks when it seemed to rain everyday. Then BAM its Summer. The hot weather came barreling in, shoving the dismal weather aside, and giving us all shell shock. Then, to top it off it turns out Memorial Day is right around the corner. Who would have guessed with all those rain clouds hanging about.

Well the clouds were gone and it was time to commence operation Mango Dolphin Sunshine (that is Memorial Day Setup). That meant purging closets and dressers of those cumbersome fall/spring clothes and replacing them with light, fun summer wear. Perhaps, the memorial day sales were even taken advantage of. Now its time to tackle the pool. Step 1) Open it. Step 2) Move in the lawn furniture. Step 3) Deploy pool noodles and floaties.That just leaves the grill, a swift and precise operation: clean and deploy charcoal, burgers, and hot dogs.

Now its D-Day, time to put Mango Dolphin Sunshine to the test. First, it's off to parades with the family, to cheer as the floats and veterans go by. Then, its time to remember the true purpose of Memorial Day by thanking our veterans and honoring our dead. Maybe this means attending a Memorial Day ceremony or putting flags on graves. Finally, its back to the house to kick back in the pool and enjoy that hot dog.

Happy Memorial Day Everyone! And thank you to those who are serving or who have served our country!