Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

Rottweilers. Computers. Cameras. World Domination. Not necessarily in that order.

Rottweilers.
Computers. Cameras.
World Domination.
Not necessarily in that order.

Westminster!

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Of course we are watching on television right now, and even more important (because the Working Group is tomorrow), tomorrow night!

In fact, I had been watching the breed judging videos as time permitted during the day. We do not block websites at my workplace, because we are all adults here and know when the work has to be done. But we all have our favorite sporting events that run during work hours, and we do abuse the streaming video as we gulp down the bandwidth. Westminster and pro surfing are my personal bandwidth suckers.

Axel is actually watching the show. He usually watches television shows featuring dogs or other animals, but he seems especially into it tonight. Maybe because he’s now been there, done that? Well, obviously not to a huge and prestigious show such as Westminster, but still, he has done the showdog thing.

I was going to write a post about how to watch a dog show. But it’s been done. And done, and done. Seems a little silly, too, now that we’re into the last hour of tonight’s broadcast. Play-by-play? Or results? Plenty of places for you to find that, too. So for now, I will give you Axel’s version:

Hi. I’m Axe. I was in some dog shows and I became a Champion. Here is what we do at the shows. We go kind of fast, and turn left. Sort of like NASCAR. But with paws and only once around. We also go up and back. Then we do the NASCAR thing again. Then someone wins. Sometimes me.

There you have it!

(NaBloPoMo | February ’10: 15 of 28)

If you already know the answer…

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Why is it so hard to find good (emphasis on good) information on the ‘net unless you already sort of know the answer? Case in point: I just had a physical and my bloodwork says my cholesterol is okay but my triglycerides are a little high. For every page containing useful and (probably) true information about diet and lifestyle changes to help lower triglycerides, there are a dozen trying to sell me their special fish oil with Omega 3s that are better than that other guy’s Omega 3s, and a dozen more with old wives’ tales or non-information. I really don’t know that much about nutrition, but I do know when someone is trying to sell me fish oil! This is going to be bad, by the way. I live for carbohydrates, especially white rice (I am Japanese so I will say it is genetic), and I am supposed to be cutting back on those.

As for today’s events of the generally regarded as noteworthy variety, I really don’t have that much to say about either one.

I’m running out of feminine hygiene jokes about Apple’s iPad (I had completely forgotten about that ahead-of-its-time MadTV sendup; link may or may not work by the time you click it). Like most Apple products, it’s eye-catching and has that cool gadget cachet. Like most Apple products, it’s also somewhat overpriced. And unfortunately, like one other Apple product, you’re stuck with AT&T if you want 3G service. Still a deal breaker in my world. Also, the manic rah-rah Apple fanboys/fangirls are getting on my nerves, as they always do. Folks, it’s hardware, not a religion.

I haven’t watched any video from the State of the Union address yet. I’ll look for some highlights and bullet points before I go to bed. Prez, just a reminder that your new-guy free pass is just about expired. Obama fanboys/fangirls get on my nerves even more than the Apple fanboys/fangirls.

(NaBloPoMo | January ’10: 27 of 31)

Thoughts on the rescue of the dog in the L.A. river

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I’ve written before about a number of incidents in Chicago where dogs fell or jumped into Lake Michigan and had to be rescued, sometimes along with their owners, by firefighters or police officers.

The incidents I’ve written about in the last year all had happy endings, and I really am glad for that, but I also had and still have mixed feelings about what could have happened. The reality is that the owner’s carelessness or irresponsibility that led to the dog being in the lake in the first place could have resulted in injury to or death of the dog, the owner, or a rescuer.

I just finished catching up with the video and stories about the dog saved from the flooded Los Angeles River by the Los Angeles Fire Department. This rescue did result in a dog bite injury to a firefighter, and I’m guessing the rescue in general was quite costly as a helicopter was involved, as well as about 50 firefighters and ambulance transport for the dog. The injured firefighter, who was the one lowered from the helicopter to retrieve the dog, downplayed the extent of his injury and his heroics. (By the way, this is why we love firefighters, real ones, that is. The real ones never refer to themselves as heroes, just that they are doing their job and they are glad they could help someone.)

The Los Angeles Times posed the question to its readers on one of its blogs: Should L.A. firefighters have risked their lives to save a dog? One recurring theme was the same thing that continues to worry me about these situations: what if the rescue of an animal results in injury or death to a rescuer? Some picked the cost as the main issue; it certainly was not insignificant in this case. I’m pretty sure the rescuers themselves have just as wide a range of opinions as the commenters to the article.

One comment hit me, though: the commenter said that the Los Angeles Fire Department is working without a contract. I do not know if that is true. I do know that the Chicago Fire Department, and for that matter, the Chicago Police Department, is working without a contract. As a CFD spouse, I know I am extremely biased. But after watching the video of the dog rescue, and the countless other videos out there of humans being rescued by the brave men and women of our fire departments and police departments, how can anyone think it’s right for these folks to work without a contract?

(NaBloPoMo | January ’10: 22 of 31)

Sounds reckless to me…

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Tonight I received an e-mail update from the Black Nail Brigade on the nail polish killer. For those who are new to this blog, this refers to a fatal crash in May 2009, when Anita Zaffke was killed when her motorcycle was struck from behind by Lora Hunt, who was painting her fingernails as she drove.

A motion to dismiss reckless homicide charges was heard today. The judge’s decision will be heard on February 10, 2010.

Greg Zaffke’s update gave a few highlights from the hearing. I have to say this part totally floored me, especially because the defense attorney was using this statement by Lora Hunt to justify why the crash should be considered negligence rather than reckless homicide:

I was distracted by applying nail polish, [which I contemplated whether or not to do]. I chose to do a very stupid thing.

Wow. Isn’t that the very definition of recklessness, dictionary or legal?

I hope this plays out to the correct conclusion. I can’t say happy ending, nothing happy about it.

(NaBloPoMo | January ’10: 20 of 31)

Dogs in the big lake again

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Back in the spring, I mentioned two separate incidents in which dogs jumped or fell into Lake Michigan, owners went in after them, and humans and canines both needed saving. It happened again on Thursday night, and at this time of year, the consequences could have been really awful. Dogs and human were rescued, and are fine now.

Most of these stories involve dogs let off-leash where it is technically not legal to do so, and owners who either are not paying close enough attention to call their dogs back from a potentially dangerous situation, or dogs that don’t have a solid enough recall to come back immediately to an owner who is paying close attention.

I totally get that dogs should be able to run sometimes. What I will not get in the slightest, however, is if a rescuer, whether it be a Good Samaritan or a paid professional first responder, is injured or killed saving someone from their own lack of judgment.

(NaBloPoMo | January ’10: 9 of 31)