January 11, 2006 - Msg 32754: You know, I was just thinking, you all are like family. SPOT and MDC sound just like my brothers. You make me feel cared for. I haven't told my husband about the dog. I'm afraid he would go down there and get himself shot. He is not very tolerant of that sort of thing. I think I will tell him about it tonight, though.

Boo
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32755: I sure didn't feel like sweeping but it needed to be done.

Boo

Briscoe Darling to Andy: "..and You, stop tantalizin'"!
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32756: Boo im sorry about the southern redneck thing about shooting the dog ....but thats just the way I am...just call someone...and a good sweep too!..Boo we are your family if ya want us to be!....I love dog and cats and all animals but pit dogs are not in my family...mean...SPOT
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32757: test
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32758: test what?...SPOT
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32759: who put test in?...SPOT
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32760: Boo first people you should contact about the dog is Animal Control, then possibly the Humane Society. I agree that the dog should be taken care of, but banning or manditory spaying or neutering of Pit Bulls is not the answer, it's not the dog's fault, it's the OWNER'S fault. Breed Specific laws (BSL) are dangerous to other dog owners, I am pretty involved in all that, because so many cities & states are trying to pass BSL "bull breed" laws, which include my beloved Bull Terrier, Feather. There are some places that even Goober's dog, Sammie would be conficated & put down if he was even just driving through there, because of his breed. There is one place in Ohio, I think it is, that ANY dog over 100# would be taken & put down, that would be St. Bernards, Alaskan Malamutes, even some Labradors weigh in at over 100#. All I am asking is to think about other breeds & responsible owners that would be punished for the deeds of others before you agree with something like that. I can find the site that tells of all these laws & post the link if anyone wants. Off MY soapbox now. And hope I don't start some big moulage, wasn't trying to.
Thanks for all the welcome backs, I'm glad to be back. And Spot you keep cooking like that & I'll gain all my weight back, whats for breakfast anyways?
*Mavis
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32761: Spot I put the test in... didn't you study?
*Mavis
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32762: sheesh, can't even spell, got me all upset, that would be confiscated, not conficated.
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32763: MAVIS so good to hear from you.....and yes I agree, I have Otis,a black Lab 116 lbs...or maybe more now...neat dog...just no problems with people....SPOT
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32764: Boo, I was going to say you should call the police about the dog, until I read Mavis' post about calling an animal control officer. I think that would be a good idea to have them come down and take a look at the situation.
Oh, and good to see you Mavis! Hope you are well.
-Sterling Holobyte
January 11, 2006 - Msg 32765: Prayers for wisdom in the dog situation, Boo. Sounds like a tough situation all the way around.

My doc appt went well. Everything is a-okay with me and the baby. Hey ky girl - Tabasco cravings - unbelievable! I can't stomach the stuff at all. Did that little one come out with a sunburn? ; )

How's about IHOP's all you can eat pancakes for breakfast everyone? That sounds delish to me.
AFD
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32766: Mornin to the PORCH! Hope everyone is feeling good today.

Mavis is right on on the breed laws. The Chow is seen by lots of folks as being too aggressive and dangerous. This is the 3rd one I've had, never had an issue and they all love little kids. It really is all about the owner and the way they're brought up...just like kids. :-)

AFD...good to hear that everything is good with your little passenger...and with you. :-)

Hey to Spot, Boo, Sterling, Mavis and everybody else. WHere's Pappa?

Ya'll be good...

Goober...
YO!!!
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32767: You guys don't know what a lousy excuse for an animal control officer we have here. That is why I have had to take 6 dogs to the area shelter myself. I call to have animal control pick themup and nobody comes, ever. I've been down that road too many times. I think the city manager will be my first contact to see exactly what the laws are and what can be done. I don't want to go into this ignorant about it. In the mean time, I will just keep my kids away from it.

Mavis, I don't know the laws of which you speak concerning large breeds but I am sure you know more about that than I do. Just realize that I am very angry right now, not at the dogs but at the irresponsible owners, as you said and like I mentioned, pitbulls have been responsible for several deaths that I can think of because, I hate to say it but Texas contains alot of the kind of folks who keep pitbulls for fighting or make them mean to protect their property so they can sell their drugs. I will consider what you have said and read more about it. I wasn't suggesting that living family pets be put to sleep but that the breeding of them stop. If you lived where I live and saw how many are just roaming the streets with no real animal control, you would see the difference. I have taken 2 pitbull dogs to the animal shelter recently. One I found down the road and it had escaped from someones yard. It was without a doubt the skinniest living thing I had ever seen. I don't know how it was still walking, and it was a very young dog. It seems that the guys who train them for fighting are in the habit of starving them just enough to make them mean but not enough to kill them. Another was an adult dog that had been hit by a car and had been on the side of the road probably all night. No collar or identification so I had not choice but to take it to the shelter where it was later put down beause the shelter won't adopt them out because they are pitbulls. I feel like something has to be done. If you have any other suggestions besides mandatory spaying or neutering, I will be obliged. The way I see it, the only way these poor animals can be saved from this kind of suffering is if they had never been born so that these disgusting owners couldn't abuse them and turn them into killing machines. You know, if that dog had broken loose last week and attacked my son, I would have felt that the laws had failed to protect him somehow. No hard feelings.

Glad the dr's appointment went well, AFD.

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32768: Oh, I failed to mention that when I found the pitbull that was starving to death, I first called animal contrul and they were out so I called the police department to report a case of animal cruelty. I was told to leave a message on the answering machine of the animal control officer. He never called me back, so you see what I have to contend with here. I just picked up the poor dog and took him myself because I knew he would suffer less at the shelter than at the city pound. It never ends!

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32769: ...and, by the way, I have kept two of the dogs that would have ended up at the shelter (my lab Leah and my new terrier Jingles). I am obviously an advocate for dogs but we have a real problem here!

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32770: Ooops, make that 3 dogs that would have gone to the shelter. My lab Belle is living with my sister at present.

.....maybe I will start dropping stray dogs at the Marlboro Man's house. Hmmm.....

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32771: I'm interested in Ro's opinion about all this. She is very wise. Are you out there, Ro?

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32772: I feel like I am on a fillabuster (sp?) lately. Sorry.

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32773: (sheepishly)...I'll shut up now.

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32774: Boo: When it comes to protecting my kids, I subscribe to the theory that the best defense is a good offense. I'm not gonna sit around and wait for something that has a good probability of happening to happen before I take some sort of action. You are 100% justified to do anything you can to remove this potential danger from your neighborhood. Don't feel bad about it, no matter what the outcome is for the dog or its owners. I love animals, but that line of devotion ends with my where my love for my kids begins. You're on the right track. It's just a shame that you have to deal with this because some people can't be more neighborly and act like somebody. Prayers for your situation.

Regarding fears, I can sympathize. I'm a Christian, too, but I also suffer from a fairly mild form of anxiety disorder. My biggest fears in recent years involve my kids. I used to think I wasn't being a "good enough" Christian if I still had (often irrational) fears. Now I know better. The Lord made us all different and each of us has our own cross to bear. As long as we remember we don't carry it alone, and carry it in the direction He points us, we're on the right track.

I'm not sure what my point was for saying all that, but I must have had one.

Spot: You're in Georgia, aren't you? My grandfather lives in Rome. Are you near there?

I hope all my fellow Mayberrians are having a great day!

Me-They
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32775: Amen, Me-They, good word! I agree and have been plagued with different fears at different times in my life but have gotten over alot of it, or the Lord has taught me ways to deal with it. I had a terrible time with anxiety after my first child came along but lost it somewhere after my second. Ha! Don't worry too much about them now. I think coming to an understanding of God's grace and what Jesus really did on the cross set most of my fears at ease concerning death. For years I went to a church that was really "religious" and taught alot of fear of h#ll, etc. but I have been attending a Baptist church now for the past 9 years and am more "balanced"!

I hate to drone on but I had to tell ya something that happened this morning that was funny considering what we have been talking about. When I went outside, there was a new dog in my yard! The cutest fox terrier and he had been hanging around out there all morning. I thought, 'Oh, no! Not another one!' but he had a tag so I called the Vet's and found his owner, who was very happy to find him. Seems he followed his elderly owner out to get the paper and kept going. A happy ending!

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32776: I'm beginning to feel like St. Francis, the patron saint of animals...heehee

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32777: I agree with Mavis ,the owners are usually the problem ,but BOO you need to do what you have to in order to protect your kids ,my wife and I have a 150# english mastiff thats like a puppy because my wife treats the dog like a child so the old girl is not aggressive at all .
MAYBERRY DEPUTY
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32778: the old girl is the dog not my wife (hee hee )
MD
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32779: You probably just saved yourself from a flying leg'o'lamb, MD.

Me-They
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32780: Since I'm posting from work, it seems only appropriate to announce that it was on this day in 1978 when "Take This Job and Shove It" hit #1 on the Billboard music charts.

In the unlikely possibility that my boss is on the Porch, let me categorically state that I like my job. No, I love my job. Really. And my boss. In fact, I can't decide which I love more, my job or my boss. I guess I love them both equally, which in no way diminishes the quality of the love I have for each. Really. I mean it.

Me-They
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32781: Y'all (Me-They & Mayberry Deputy) are too much! I'm sitting here laughing at the two of you! Boo,you certainly need to get that dog out of your neighborhood-I'm afraid that I don't have an answer for you on how to go about it. I was bitten by a neighborhood dog that I grew up around when I was around 12-13 years old.. He didn't recognize me one day as I was walking along in my Girl Scout uniform. And he was basically a non-threatening type of dog. I am really scared about the snarling dog you described.Good luck with that problem and please be careful around all those strays.You just never know.
Well,guess I'll go for now,but will check in later. Take care all and it's GREAT to have Mavis back on the Porch!
*****SMILES*****
possum under a rock
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32782: ME-THEY ...dentist prices are too
high for me to get hitin the mouth with a leg of lamb ,but a nice New York strip in the mouth would be good
MAYBERRY DEPUTY
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32783: HI ALL.
BOO IN SOME START IT ON THE LAW BOOK WHERE A PIT BULL ARE TO BEHID A FAENCE ABOUT6 FT HIGH AND LUCK ON IT AND THE DOG HAS TO BE CHANG WHAT A SOMETHING AROULD IT MON FOR IT WILL NOT BICE.
MAYBE YOU CAN CALLED YOUR MAYOR OR THE GOV FOR SOME HELP.

TOM

January 12, 2006 - Msg 32784: ok gang im at work now gona read the mail....back with the supper mene in just a bit...SPOT
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32785: That is what I am thinking, Tom. There might be a law that requires the dog to be in a fence. Wasn't able to see the City manager today, will try again tomorrow.

Thanks for the laughs, MD and Me-They!

Thanks Possum, I will be careful with the strays. You know those two pitbulls I took to the shelter were two of the sweetest dogs ever, even the one that was hurt. They were very different that the one down the street. That dog makes your blood run cold.

Gonna mail my pictures to you today, Ro, so you should be getting them in a couple of days. Did you ever get the pictures I sent you of the kids on the Frio? I sent them after your surgery. You are welcome to put those on your photo site if you want.

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32786: I'm off to visit with family and will be incommunicado for several days. I pray everyone has a wonderful, safe end-of-the-week. Save a bottle of pop and seat on the porch swing for me!

Me-They
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32787:
ME-They-- have a good trip!
Tom- good advice and great to hear from you.
Boo- - was that Peter Marshall, the game show host?? Wow, good stuff!
Pappabear- where are you, I may just declare myself the new mayor! ha
Hey to possum and all you fine porchsters!
Question: In "Andy's Rich Girlfriend" he takes Miss Peggy to a fancy french restaurant, the one where she gets the escargot, and he orders a beer. Is that the only ep where he has an alcoholic beverage? Hmmm, maybe I'll check Floyd's new FAQS !
Spot- Love that Darling episode, that's what inspired my handle, all the boys (cousins) on the truck! ha
Anyone seen the new IHOP commercials? , almost straight out of Mayberry!
Ya all have a good day, grab yer giutar and hang on,
Mr Darlin's Cuz
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32788: 37 days till the Daytona 500... Gentlemen ,start your engines
MD
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32789: be careful me-they..hey Boo,ro,mdc,possum,pappa,tom and all ...boo hope you get the dog thing taken care of...I think Andy orders a beer in the fun girl ep..not sure..will check....tonight its split chicken breast on the grill and mashed taters fried okra and green beans...sliced sweet onion...tea...SPOT
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32790: Boo no hard feelings here at all, just trying to make others understand, the dog is not the one to blame, the owners are. I too would want a dog like that out of my neighborhood, especially if my son, Jacob, was in danger, I am not saying you shouldn't want to protect your son, I am saying, please don't blame the dog or the breed. Dogs only do what we ask them to do out of loyalty to us, that dog doesn't know he is being bad, he's doing was taught. What city do you live in? I can check with some of my Bull Terrier people & see if we can find a list of laws for your city. BTW~the Bull Terrier I am talking about is my Feather, you can see one my site, she's the one 'surfing'
*Mavis
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32791: Do people really watch the stupid stuff on tv now? Beauty & the Geek, the Bacholer & all those shows like that???
*Mavis
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32792: Hey MD you gonna make it here to Bristol to see any of the races? I don't usually manage to get tickets, wish I could, but I do work the Food City Family Race night celebration they have. Get to see a bunch a drivers. Pretty cool part of race week celebration.
*Mavis
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32793: now I kinda like king of the hill mavis....but not the other shows...SPOT
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32794: Mavis! Great to see you sweetie. Gosh it's been a while. I just knew you'd be a hollerin about them skins winning. They got another one in em this weekend? On the road? In Seattle? I hope they do, just for you. Enjoyed your web site. As we speak I have a friend who is waiting for a liver. In fact she got called at midnight tuesday and told to get to the hospital, they had a suitable doner, but after a 12 hour wait decided it was to big for her so they put it in someone else. She is getting very critical so I hope they can hook her up soon. That sounds morbid, I don't mean for it too.

Asa
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32795: Prayers for your friend Asa! Can be tough, I know.
Spot, i dont htink he ordered one there because technically they were on duty, right?
Maybe he does when they go to the big city where the hotel rooms cost SEVEN dollars! ha
MDC
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32796: Good evening, all. I worked last night, and mostly slept today, so have been out of touch. Very interesting, thought-provoking stuff here. I guess it's no secret that I love animals, especially dogs, and would never wish harm on one. Some dog owners, now, that's a different story.

The topic at hand is the vicious dog on Boo's street. This is a real problem, whether the dog is a pitbull or a collie. I do believe that pitbulls have a greater propensity for viciousness, because of breeding practices followed by many pitbull owners. Unfortunately, many of them are bred for fighting. The gentler ones are destroyed, usually while being used as "bait dogs" in the training process of the fighters, while the more aggressive ones are kept and encouraged to breed. This selective breeding has naturally produced an animal with greater-than-normal tendencies to aggression. I saw on Animal Planet that true pitbulls even have a somewhat different muscle structure in their heads and jaws, enabling them to lock their jaws and hold on. They are big, heavy, muscular, and can be very dangerous biters. The potential is there. That's why the breed was chosen by the dog-fighters, for heaven's sake! There's a reason why dog-fighters don't use Yorkies!

None of this would be an issue, though, without the activities of the idiotic owners who breed these dogs for the disgusting blood sport of dog-fighting. Illegal in most states, the "sport" is still very prevalent everywhere, is highly lucrative, is almost always associated with drug dealing, and always with gambling.

Boo, obviously you're going to get no support from the animal control people, but you might get a little help from the police if you stress your suspicions about dog-fighting and drugs. That might get their attention, or might not, but it's worth a try. Unfortunately, the laws are so weak that the officer almost has to walk in on a dog fight before he can make an arrest. The police are aware of the difficulties in making a case, and consequently aren't very enthusiastic about even trying.

This grows too long. More later.

Sugarplum (the vicious little thing) says hey! --Romeena


January 12, 2006 - Msg 32797: you are right I think MDC..but the seven dollar room is so funny...saw the ep barney gets a car from mrs lesh...hee hee...hey sugarplum and Romeena...prayers for your friend Asa..hey to all..here at work till 6am...back in a bit...SPOT
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32798: Hey Romeena how is the porch web page coming along...?...SPOT
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32799: I'm back. Mavis, I hear your concerns about the breed-specific laws. Where does it end? One of my daughters has a yellow lab, one has a golden retriever, and my son had an English mastiff that went to 210 pounds. Gentle dogs, all of them. I'd hate to see a law enacted that would limit the size of family pets - it would surely hit all three of those dogs. As for breed-specific laws, probably aimed at pitbulls since they seem to be such an issue all over the country these days - I'd favor such a law, with concessions. Any dogs removed from a dog-fighting establishment should be humanely euthanized, to end their genetic line and prevent attacks. Existing family pets who have no history of violence should be exempt. Breeders should be licensed (I'd advocate this for all breeders, whatever the breed, which would help to eliminate those deplorable puppy mills.) Licensing would include frequent, unscheduled inspections. There should be a program of evaluation of the temperament before a puppy can be sold, and aggressive dogs should be neutered and placed with responsible owners. Over a few generations, this plan would begin to reverse the trend toward viciousness that has been caused by the breeding practices of the dog-fighters.

There will always be some cretins who think it's smart and macho to have a vicious dog. I remember the little dachsund in an Animal Precinct episode. His owner had blinded him in one eye, hitting him with a hammer while trying to make him mean - by his own admission. For people like that, I would highly recommend spaying or neutering, so they can't reproduce themselves, and I can only wish that they could be "humanely euthanized."

The next step is very important. We need to put some very sharp teeth into the laws, so that anyone found in violation of them would have a very long time in jail (think years) to consider the error of their ways. We have laws now, about dog-fighting and allowing pets to endanger others, but they're toothless. A fine, 30 days in jail, a little community service - that's about it. Four Rottweilers mauled an elderly woman to death, and the owner was not held accountable??? The penalties need to hurt - a lot. That's the only way all this is going to be resolved. Most of us are responsible, considerate, thinking people who do a pretty good job of policing ourselves. Unfortunately, we need some stringent laws to take care of those few who think they're above the law.

OK, that's my take on it, for whatever it's worth. Just know this - anybody who comes to take away my Sugarplum is gonna get hit with much more than a leg-o-lamb!

Woof! --Romeena

January 12, 2006 - Msg 32800: Why's everybody always throwing my name around? I'm gonna have to change it! ; )

Well said, Ro!

Prayers for your friend, Asa.

Have a enjoyable visit with your kin, Me-They. And a safe trip too, if you've got a ways to travel.

Seems like in one of the color episodes, there's a group of folks gathered at Andy's house and they have some kind of wine or sherry of some sort (can't remember the episode though). Also don't remember if they show anybody drinking in the episode where Frank Smith shows up sporting a bottle of Pouilly Fuisse.

Prayers continue for you as well, Boo.

AFD
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32801: where is everybody?..hey AFD,Romeena,asa,...lets have roasted peanuts and a coke for a snack....slow here at work, searching for a movie to watch...SPOT
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32802: Hey to the PORCH!

Boo...don't get me wrong...I'm right there with you on protecting all people, especially my kids, from any danger. I'm behind you on contacting the local government...and if that didn't work, I'd take it out myself.

Hope ya'll are having a good evening...

Goober...
YO!!!
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32803: MDC, no, I'm not talking about Peter Marshall the game show hosts. It is highly likely that the author I am talking about is named "something else" Marshall. He was a minister and his wife Katherine Marshall was an author too. She wrote a book called The Helper, for one. Ring a bell? I know there was a movie made about his life in the 60's but I forgot the name of it. He died young, I remember that much. Anyone else remember the name of the movie? On the topic of Andy drinking, I think it was the only time and he wasn't a drinker, he was only drinking because he was under the spell of Peggy's charms, don't you think?

Mavis, I appreciate your offer of help but I think I can get the information I need from the City Manager. So kind of you to offer, though, and if I need it later, I will let you know. By the way, I like to watch American Idol, is that stupid? haha, I think I can answer that myself. Yes, its stupid but highly addictive.

Thank you for the information, Ro, and I agree. Won't you please run for congress? You are really a smart cookie.

Sorry about your friend, Asa. I had a friend a few years ago whose 3 yr old boy needed a heart transplant. He came down with a virus that attacked his heart and would eventually die without another one. Well, as his church family we had to pray for the child but it was so hard to pray for him to receive a heart when it would mean that another child would have to die. It was a very difficult time for all of us and when he did finally receive a heart it was a mixture of joy and sorrow. He is still alive but has to be in the hospital from time to time and they know he will need another heart at some point. His mother once told me that if she had it to do over she probably wouldn't have gone through with the transplant, strangely enough. She has watched her child endure alot of suffering and she was divorced during the whole process when her husband (who was a minister) abandoned her and the little boy. He just couldn't take it. He divorced her while she was in Houston in an apartment with the child waiting on a heart and he immediately moved another woman into their house. He refused to support her financially so friends had to give her the money they would have given the church in t*thes to support her. It was a very rough time. Guess the guy went nuts or something, hard to figure.

Thank you for the prayers AFD. It is the best thing you could ever do for me and I always appreciate it. Prayers for you and your pregnancy and for your family.

Boo

Gomer, Aunt Bee, Opie and Thelma Lou-"I smell gas. I smell gas. I smell gas. I smell gas"!


January 12, 2006 - Msg 32804: Hey Goober, you snuck up on me, and you too, SPOT.

I understand where you are coming from Goob. Thanks for the support.

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32805: Spot, ever try peanuts in an Orange Crush? By the way, Is King of The Hill that redneck cartoon show? heehee

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32806: Chorus from the song, The Measure of A Man:

"I know the measure of a man,
ia not how tall you stand, how wealthy or intelligent you are.
I found out the measure of man,
God knows and understands for he looks within to the bottom of your heart,
and what's in the heart defines the measure of a man."
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32807: Goober, I understand your position regarding the vicious dog, but I couldn't in good conscience advise either Boo or her husband to shoot the dog. Unfortunately, while there are only weak and toothless laws regarding the owning and maintaining of a vicious animal, there are very strong ones regarding the discharging of firearms within a city. This would be a case the law would prosecute to the fullest extent, you can bet on that. I wouldn't wish that on Boo or her husband. My advice would be to call the police, and keep calling, in the hope that sometime in the course of a response to a call, an officer would be threatened by the dog and would take care of the situation on the spot. How's that for a solution?

Sugarplum says hey! --Romeena
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32808: yea it is Boo...hank hill the propane salesman...hee hee....and never orange crush and peanuts but have put them in a coke...and Ro is the brains of our porch for sure!..."Sure ya smell gas! What do you think this car runs on COAL".........prayers to all in need .....SPOT
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32809: ...or if the people are involved in drugs, as I suspect, they might get tired of the attention they are getting from law inforcement real quick and get rid of the dog, right?

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32810: Ro, I'll bet you got A's in college. I was the nursing student who barely scraped by and nearly had a nervous breakdown!

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32811: I've worked with some nurses who were that kind of student, Boo, and I'd stack their abilities up against any A-student any day. Those who have to dig the information out and work hard to plant it in their brains don't forget as quickly as those who can breeze through a test, and promptly forget it all! --Romeena
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32812: Hey, thanks! I was a good nurse when I was working, I'll admit that. Seemed to have good common sense and an instinct for things.

Boo
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32813: Sorry about all the dog problems, Boo. The worst thing about a thing like that is just that you feel like you have no control. Don't you hate it when that happens? I do, and it seems like it happens in some form everyday! Been enjoying the Andy DVDs I got for Christmas. Been workin' a lot too. Mavis, good to see you. You asked about dumb shows...I want to know what everyone thinks of Daisy Does America. Anyone seen that? The commercials were so dumb that I swore I'd never watch it, but of course it came on the first night while I was unawares and I watched it and even laughed at some of it. But... my verdict is still that it's a dumb show and I plan to never watch it again (until it just happens to show up while I'm in front of the tube of course.) Why aren't there any shows like TAGS anymore? Hey to you and yours, Tom. Prayers for your friend who needs the liver transplant, Asa. Hey you western fans--we got Rio Bravo, Big Jake, and Two Mules for Sister Sarah for Christmas. Enjoying them immensely too.
Charlotte Tucker
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32814: Ro I hate to disagree with you, I do highly respect you, but I had Pit Bulls for years, went through all this stuff, laws, breed legislation, all that, I showed my dogs, didn't fight them, but I did have dogs that came from the so called "fighting" kennels, the people raised them for that purpose. They had the pedigree behind them that all the other dogs had, but....I raised them with my Boston Terriers, my Chinese Cresteds & my son, who was a baby then. Never one time did they offer to hurt any of them, a law that would put down all the dogs from fighters would not be fair either. I have a picture of my Pit, Marilyn, sleeping in Jake's crib, with the Bostons sleeping around him as well. It was all in the way I raised her. One of the best quotes in all this BSL~Punish the DEED, not the BREED. It's very hard to come up with a law that won't punish innocent dogs, & I just don't understand why they don't just punish the OWNERS! Put the dogs down that attacked, throw the low-lifes that own the dog in jail & leave people like me & my dogs alone. It's not all pointed at Pit Bulls either, there are a number of laws on the books in many states that list the English Mastiff you were speaking of. We let this happen with these & they will be trying to take other breeds from us. It won't stop. I am not trying to be obtuse, just hate to see the innocent punished for the deeds of the guilty.
*Mavis
I hate it when you get obtuse!
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32815: Asa prayers for your friend that needs the liver. It is like Boo said there is a mixture of sorrow & joy. I saw the helicopter leave the hospital that night carrying my mother's organs & I cried so much. I thought, "I am crying because I lost my mother & somewhere another family is crying because they gained their family member back." Tears were shed the night of Aug. 7, 2004, tears in Bristol & tears in NC & NY. If I had it to do again, I would. That is why I volunteer for the Organ Donation Services. My mother is still alive somewhere because she cared enough for others to make that decision.
*Mavis
January 12, 2006 - Msg 32816: Spot I have to admit, I watch King of the Hill too sometimes, Hank can be pretty funny. Charlotte I haven't seen that Daisy Does America, saw the commercials & thought it looked dumb. Boo I watch American Idol sometimes, don't have to be there when it is on, but sometimes I watch it. The only ones I HAVE to be in front of the tv for are E.R. The Westminster Dog Show & the Eukanuba Invitational Dog show, which BTW comes on this weekend! Can't wait!
Gonna shut my mouth for a while now & hit the ironing board, got dogs to groom tomorrow, hope to get home before the snow starts.
*Mavis
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32817: Well hey ct and mavis...now when American Idol starts back up I will have to admit that I hope I do not miss an ep...well i can tell ya size dont make the dog mean...Otis my pure black lab is 120 lbs of BABY...loves the kids..my daughter tries her best to ride him...its a site....well will be back in a bit with the breakfast menu...Romeena how are those pics for the site comming along..?..will get Otis"s pic to ya soon...SPOT
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32818: morning gang....sausage and bisquits with egg this morning...grab a couple and a cup of java and a bottle of oj on yer way out this morning...going home to sleep a bit then back here at 2 pm.....SPOT
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32819: Dogs, dogs, dogs.....
Opie: Pa, them dogs are out there. They are out there in that open field.
(Thunder)
I'm worried about 'em Pa.
Andy: Well, you needn't be.
Barney: Opie, you don't have to worry about 'em. What could happen?
Opie: Well, that lightning, what about that?
Barney: Oh, a dog can't get struck by lightning. You know why? Because he's too close to the ground. See, lightning strikes tall things. Now if they were giraffes out there, then we'd be in trouble. You sure don't have to worry about dogs. (Thunder)
Opie: I'm worried about 'em, Pa.
Andy: Ah..
Barney: What were dogs a million years ago, wild animals, right? Wolves, coyotes, they know how to hunt and fish and look for shelter. You take them
two big Airedales. Why they looked as healthy as horses to me. And the little spotted one, he was in fine shape.
Opie: But the little one I first came in with, he was a trembler, wasn't he?
Barney: Him? why, the big ones will take care of him. The big ones take care of their own. (Thunder) And you know dogs have a way of keepin' dry. Ya know that, They're insulated, you see, they've got this fur...it keeps them cool
in the summer and warm and dry in the winter. They're really set up better than human beings as far as that goes. (Thunder and lightning) And as far as the little one goes, why the big ones, they'll take care of him...the little trembly one...(Thunder) and they're short, you see, close to the ground, that way they can't get struck by lightning. Now if they wuz giraffes, they'd have been hit by now, uh..., but dogs are short and they take care of their own. Giraffes don't. No, giraffes don't at all. Boy, giraffes are selfish, just run around looking out for number one, getting hit by lightning, but dogs....(Thunder) You just gonna sit there or you coming with
me??
Andy: What?
Barney: To get them dogs, are you coming with me?

------
--Floyd
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32820: 'Morning, all. Mavis, I was having trouble figuring out why you referred to "disagreeing" with me, when I felt like we were pretty much on the same page. Then I went back and re-read my first post, and I think I see the problem. I didn't make myself clear. I wrote: "Any dogs removed from a dog-fighting establishment should be humanely euthanized." I should have said that any fighting dogs removed from such an environment should be humanely euthanized. Once a dog has been trained to fight, given a taste for blood, so to speak, he's dangerous. He has been taught to think that aggressiveness and killing other dogs is his job. It would be well-nigh impossible to change that once it has been taught. Puppies from a proven aggressive bloodline could be neutered, as I said, and placed with responsible owners. I'm advocating trying to reverse the selective breeding, and turning it back toward gentle temperament, in order to preserve the breed.

Foolish people have chosen the breed because of its physical power, and bred the aggressiveness into it. If that can be bred back out, and neutralized, then other people will be able to enjoy the gentle family companion that you have so beautifully described. I would never advocate destroying the unproven puppies from those kennels, but I think neutering would be wise, to break that line, and then place the puppies with responsible people, such as you.

Breeders of all kinds of animals use selective breeding to promote desirable traits, or to extinguish undesirable ones, whether physical or temperamental. The method works, there is no question. If it didn't, my Sugarplum would look like a wolf! I'd just like to see it used to promote the best qualities of gentleness and loyalty that can be found in pit bulls.

Spot, you're so right about the size of the dog not making it mean. The most hateful little dog I ever knew was my grandfather's Chihuahua. Grouchy, mean little sucker! Get within two feet of my grandpa's chair, and you risked getting your ankles nipped. Then there's 100-lb Bella, my daughter's yellow lab, who is just a big silly blob of love. The most dangerous thing about her is her habit of parking her big yellow schoolbus-size self in the middle of the kitchen floor! Then there was my son's English mastiff, who would back up to anyone seated on the sofa, and LOWER his rear end so he was seated on their lap, with his front feet still on the floor. He wanted to be a little lapdog so badly, it was really a bit sad. Poor old guy, he contracted meningitis at age seven, and couldn't be saved. It was heart-breaking. He was in so much pain, and antibiotics strong enough to kill the infection were killing his kidneys as well, so my son opted to have him put down and end his misery. Rough decision, believe me. His ashes now reside in a little cedar box on their mantle.

Mavis, I hope I clarified my position. I really think we're together, I just didn't express it well. I agree with punishing the deed, not the breed, but I also think that some preventive measures are in order, so the deeds don't occur. Careful, selective breeding can accomplish that.

Have a great day, folks. Sugarplum, who is still asleep, would say hey! --Romeena
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32821: This porch has gone to the DOGS!

homemaker
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32822: Boo, here's my last word n the dogs...promise. What you do is get a TV and put it where the dog can see it, then lock the channel on American Idol...that dog will end up hanging itself to get away from that terrible show! :-)

Ya'll have a great Mayberry day!

Goober...
YO!!!
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32823: Goober, you are too funny! I can just picture that dog, running down the road, yelping "Make it stop, make it stop!" --Romeena
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32824: Doggone it - Ro and Goob, you are too funny!

hm
January 13, 2006 - Msg 32825: I just posted some pictures on the photo album site. That's romeena.myphotoalbum.com. Spot has been diligent in sending me photos to post. I wish everyone would. Since the porch is visited by interlopers from time to time, and they can go to the website too, I'd suggest omitting any identifiers from the pictures you send - no street names or house numbers, or identifying landmarks. Other than that, just send anything you have of your family, your pets, your home. Email the pictures to me if you can. If not, email me for my snail mail address and you can mail them to me. I'll scan them and store them on my computer so I can put them in the album. This can be fun, don't you think?

Mavis, your website has some good shots of you and your pets. Folks can see them there, or if you don't mind, I could copy some to the photo site. Email me with your thoughts on the idea.

Beautiful morning around here today. Cool and crisp, but sunny and clear. Silly little squirrel swinging on the ears of corn that I hung from a bungee cord - he's hilarious! I just love wildlife, and I have a yard full of it. Mostly birds and squirrels, but I get the occasional possum, racoon, and rarely, a skunk. Right in the middle of the city, go figure.

Boo, I can't find those pictures, dadburn it. I know they're around here somewhere, but "around here" takes in a lot of territory.

Sugarplum says hey! --Romeena