Removing the feeding tube from our aging hipster plaid pants

[bilmore]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
Why not let the child be a child and walk into the street to poop there?

So, when did you meet my kids?

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Cattle exist because we are going to eat them. They have been domesticated to that end. If we stop eating meat, people will stop raising cattle, and then they won't exist any more. It's not like they're going to go back to the wild to exist in their earlier condition.

Partner called, missed you -- you weren't at your desk. Left a message saying we're restaffing that trip to Bangalore.

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Maybe. But Kip had to go to Michigan to get some sweet ass.

WHEREAS, Kip's relationship with LaFawnduh is a tribute to e-commerce and
37 Idaho's technology-driven industry; and
38 WHEREAS, Kip and LaFawnduh's wedding shows Idaho's commitment to healthy
39 marriages; and

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I was just thinking more from the standpoint of the training on Showdogs. It looks like intensive training to make the dogs learn to behave in a way that is foreign to them. PETA has the whole "Animal companion" thing and forced them to strut walk and do the rest seemed out of what it would want to see.

I didn't think of the ego issues that are being forced onto the mixed breeds that can't make the cut.

My childhood dog was a show dog. In order to buy her from the breeder, my parents had to agree to show her. She got her championship within 8 months, and then retired. Aside from delusions of grandeur and an unwillingness to accept that certain rules involving the green couch applied to her, the dog suffered no ill effects from having been a show dog.

There's no training involved. All they have to do is walk around the ring and then stand still. The lead that the handler uses will get their head up high, and the pace is a fairly easy gait for the dogs. My purebred puppy's siblings are all showdogs (she's the runt and therefore got out of having to spend her weekends in small town arenas). When we had their first year birthday party (preemptive, "yes, I'm a geek"), the puppies all got onto a grooming table to see how well they meet breed standards. My puppy got in on the fun, without having ever been in a show ring, she did fine.

Obediance trials and agility trials are even more fun for the animals. The LOVE to show off.

I'm thinking of getting the puppy involved with flyball.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by paigowprincess
I think PETA might not have all their facts here. While I understand the "how can you breed when there are thousands of dogs being killed" position and agree with it as it pertains to certain breeders, it is not that cut and dry. Many breeders only breed when their puppies are in demand and take deposits. These puppy buyers are not necessarily people who would have gotten a sweet homelesss mongrel from the pound if they couldnt get a purebred. I do think there is value in restoring, maintaining and improving the breeds that are such a key part of history, culture and society. And there are breeders who go to great efforts to preserve the breeds. See for eexample the four people who went to the Congo in the seventies to save the Basenji by adding new blood to the breed. It is the "puppy mills" that a good breeder will say "breeds out" the breed that are doing the damage. And these people arent going to dog shows. Of course some ignorant schmuck might watcha dog show and say, "gee that parsons russell terrier is adorable' and go to the internet and buy one from a puppy mill. But this asshole shoudlnt have a dog in the first place, mongrel or pure bred, bc he likley will end up putting in the shelter when he realizes what dog ownership entails. Costs, time, love, care, patience, training, etc.

I think there is too much breeding goign on and there are too many people who buy dogs on impulse. It is the breedrs responsibility not to overbreed or to sell their dogs to just anyone. Dog shows are created to promote careful breeding. Of course there are those risks of attracting the ignorant tools but there are also the great benefits as well. And PETA is dfw that its just a beauty contest.

Also, dog shows often have staging areas where the ASPCA and other rescue orgs can promote their dogs. My sister saved a cat at a cat show.

The dog problem in this country is largely due to too many stupid people letting the population get out of control. It would also help if landlords permitted dogs to be kept in apartments. But then the people who would choose an apartment over the aibility to have a dog obvviously didnt want the dog that badly in the first place and maybe shoudnt have one. you can always find a place to rent that allows dogs- you just are much more limited.

OK, thats my spiel. I am sure you all enjoyed my getting all mmmmmmmmmm on animmmmmmmmmmmmmal issues.

2 on all of that. Puli people have been excellent in ensuring that the breed is diverse and that there are no puli puppy mills. My puppy's breeder e-mails once a year or so to see if there are any problems with the animals (and she throws birthday parties for her puppies, but that's a harmless preversion as far as I'm concerned). The Displaced Dog's breeder reports in every now and then on how the rest of his litter is doing and how offspring of the rest of his litter are doing.

We're fortunate in that not that many people know about or want pulik, much less know how to go about getting them. I'd hate for a movie to be made featuring them, because with only 200 or so litters reigistered to the AKC every year, there's no way a sudden demand could be sustained without a lot of injury to a lot of dogs.

[NotFromHere]

Originally posted by str8outavannuys
I'm betting that Fox wants the cute guy to beat the scary looking guy.

I thought the point was to pick the one who'll sell the most CDs. And other than the Clay Aiken/Ruben Studdard thing (hasn't Clay sold more?) I think they've gone with the right person. And maybe Bo is the better singer, but does anyone think he'll sell more CDs than Constantine?

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I think you give breeders too much credit. Even reputable breeders (of which, I've known quite a few, thanks to ridiculous overexposure to the dog show lifestyle as a youngster) are in it as a business. It is not some noble "I have to carry on the perfect line of this breed" so much as its an incentive to have as many puppies from as many champion sires and bitches into the hands of as many people for as much money as possible. Many of them pay for their dog show circuit off of what they can make breeding and selling puppies.

These people love dogs - don't get me wrong - in fact they are obsessed with them and that obsession allows them to justify their actions as for the good of the "breed", but much of the actual motivation is far less noble than that.

Let me guess, you were exposed to Lab or Golden breeders? Something in the top ten popularity ranking?

Funny, I haven't met a single breeer like that and have talked extensively with the breeders of newfs, chins, and bulldogs. That said, I did meet a Tibetan Terrier breeder who did not seem paritcularly concerned about who she was selling her pups to though she did have a full refund policy (but it was graduated down to partial over time, which is bullshit and in retrospect, not fully a sign of caring for the life of the pup). And I know the breeding of many breeds is not even a profitable pursuit. Especially if the breed has to be birthed by c-section. If you have two labs and are mating them constantly and cranking out seven puppy litters, then it might be a for profit thing, but these arent the folks winning prizes at dog shows. probalby many arent eeven competing. but they might be in puppy mills.

these people I would be with PETA on. If this was a world full of mes, there would be no puppy mills, no impulsive puppy purchases, no dogs as a business and an IQ test with credit check to buy a puppy. But then, I would also have required Federline to have a vasectomy. Of course his offspring will probably buy these for profit puppies. Funny how that works.

OK, I cant discuss animals all day. I know you all are terribly sorry.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by paigowprincess
Let me guess, you were exposed to Lab or Golden breeders? Something in the top ten popularity ranking?

Funny, I haven't met a single breeer like that and have talked extensively with the breeders of newfs, chins, and bulldogs. That said, I did meet a Tibetan Terrier breeder who did not seem paritcularly concerned about who she was selling her pups to though she did have a full refund policy (but it was graduated down to partial over time, which is bullshit and in retrospect, not fully a sign of caring for the life of the pup). And I know the breeding of many breeds is not even a profitable pursuit. Especially if the breed has to be birthed by c-section. If you have two labs and are mating them constantly and cranking out seven puppy litters, then it might be a for profit thing, but these arent the folks winning prizes at dog shows. probalby many arent eeven competing. but they might be in puppy mills.

these people I would be with PETA on. If this was a world full of mes, there would be no puppy mills, no compulsive puppy purchases, no dogs as a business and an IQ test with credit check to buy a puppy. But then, I would also have required Federline to have a vasectomy. Of course his offspring will probably buy these for profit puppies. Funny how that works.

OK, I cant discuss animals all day. I know you all are terribly sorry.

Not labs or goldens. Actually a breed on your other list.

ETA - My experience with dog show people was similar to my experiences with other similar groups of people in whatever specialty interest group you want to name. Most of them are whackjobs. Now, they might be kind-hearted, well-meaning whackjobs, but that doesn't take away their whackjobbedness. Odd that the Bravo people went from following around pageant moms and dads and shifted over to dogshow people? I don't think so.

[str8outavannuys]

A "two-percenter" is a joke or reference that makes it in to the show, despite the fact that only 2% of the audience will get it.

Last night on South Park, the "Hookers At The Point" reference was the best two-percenter I've ever seen. It turned an otherwise average episode into a classic.

Originally posted by str8outavannuys
I just put a substantial amount of money on Constantine (at +375 odds); enough money to pay for a chunk of my house renovations if it hits. I plan to sell enough of these option contracts once he makes the top 3 to cover my cost, and then sell more once he makes the top 2 (I'm not sure he can beat Carrie). Anyone think I'm an idiot? I'm playing with the house's money a bit here, having had a phenomenal month playing online poker.

Nope, I think its smart. The teenybopper person always seem to play the bridesmaid. But then, that assumes that another teenybopper isnt the bride. It works assuming its him v Carrie but I have to think that maybe someone of more substance could be top two. Lets see, who has more substance? Vonzelle? Nope, too ugly. Scott, well he has more physical substance but, no. The twirp, nope. That leaves Bo. Like I said, his appeal might be to more of a People Who Love Tull generation but then, he seems to have a lot of people screaming in the audeince. How many points do you get for just being really fucking good? I think if its him and Constantine, Bo wins. But can Bo beat Carrie?

This is almost mindboggling.

Originally posted by str8outavannuys
I'm betting that Fox wants the cute guy to beat the scary looking guy.

Who is the scary looking guy? the Fat? the Twirp? Bc C knocks em both out. But Bo? He is sizzling, man.

Hank, can you make me an avatar that has Bo's face with Maude;s hair?

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
Not labs or goldens. Actually a breed on your other list.

ETA - My experience with dog show people was similar to my experiences with other similar groups of people in whatever specialty interest group you want to name. Most of them are whackjobs. Now, they might be kind-hearted, well-meaning whackjobs, but that doesn't take away their whackjobbedness. Odd that the Bravo people went from following around pageant moms and dads and shifted over to dogshow people? I don't think so.

My puppy's breeder is clearly a whackjob, but we benefit from it, so we don't mind.

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
2 on all of that. Puli people have been excellent in ensuring that the breed is diverse and that there are no puli puppy mills. My puppy's breeder e-mails once a year or so to see if there are any problems with the animals (and she throws birthday parties for her puppies, but that's a harmless preversion as far as I'm concerned). The Displaced Dog's breeder reports in every now and then on how the rest of his litter is doing and how offspring of the rest of his litter are doing.

We're fortunate in that not that many people know about or want pulik, much less know how to go about getting them. I'd hate for a movie to be made featuring them, because with only 200 or so litters reigistered to the AKC every year, there's no way a sudden demand could be sustained without a lot of injury to a lot of dogs.

Did you see the Dog Whisperer with the white puli owned by the Beverly Hills Str8 in his fifties, types? GREAT dog. And a rescue dog by the way.

Originally posted by NotFromHere
I thought the point was to pick the one who'll sell the most CDs. And other than the Clay Aiken/Ruben Studdard thing (hasn't Clay sold more?) I think they've gone with the right person. And maybe Bo is the better singer, but does anyone think he'll sell more CDs than Constantine?

Yes. Over the long run. And he will tour and there is a lot of money there. Bo will have longevity, Constantine will last until his hair starts falling out and he starts to resemble Michael Bolton.

Think outside the twat, NFH.

[robustpuppy]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
My puppy's breeder is clearly a whackjob, but we benefit from it, so we don't mind.

My puppy's breeder is a whackjob too, but so sincere about it that she convinced me to make organic raw food for the puppy. That lasted for about 3 months. I was in LS at the time and one of those months was winter break.