Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Monday, September 01, 2008

Toothpaste for Dinner: Vivantoril!

toothpastefordinner.com

Friday, August 29, 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Toothpaste for Dinner: Material Balance (Dog)

toothpastefordinner.com

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Friday, August 22, 2008

Name that hairdo!

Name That Hairdo

Score: 83% (10 out of 12)

5 Really Weird Things About Water

Water, good ol' H₂O, seems like a pretty simple substance to you and me. But in reality, water - the foundation of life and most common of liquid - is really weird and scientists actually don't completely understand how water works.

Here are 5 really weird things about water:

1. Hot Water Freezes Faster Than Cold Water

Take two pails of water; fill one with hot water and the other one with cold water, and put them in the freezer. The hot one would be frozen before the cold one. But wait, you say, that's counterintuitive: wouldn't the hot water have to cool down to the temperature of the cold water before proceeding to freezing temperature, whereas the cold one has "less to go" before freezing?

In 1963, a Tanzanian high-school student named Erasto B. Mpemba was freezing hot ice cream mix in a cooking class when he noticed that a hot mix actually froze faster than a cold mix. When he asked his teacher about this phenomenon, his teacher ridiculed him by saying "All I can say is that is Mpemba's physics and not universal physics."

Thankfully, Mpemba didn't back down - he convinced a physics professor to conduct an experiment which eventually confirmed his observations: in certain conditions, hot water indeed freezes before cold water*.

Actually, Mpemba was in good company. The phenomenon of hot water freezing first, now called the "Mpemba effect" was noted by none other than Aristotle, Francis Bacon and René Descartes.

But how do scientists explain this strange phenomenon? It turns out that no one really knows but there are several possible explanations, including differences in supercooling (see below), evaporation, frost formation, convection, and effects of dissolved gasses between the hot and cold water.

*In reality - of course - it's much more complex than that: hot water freezes first (it forms ice at a higher temperature than cold water), whereas cold water freezes faster (it takes less time to reach the supercooled state from which it forms ice) - see discussion on our previous blog post about this topic.

2. Supercooling and "Instant" Ice

Everybody knows that when you cool water to 0 °C (32 °F) it forms ice ... except that in some cases it doesn't! You can actually chill very pure water past its freezing point (at standard pressure, no cheating!) without it ever becoming solid.

Scientist know a lot about supercooling: it turns out that ice crystals need nucleation points to start forming. These nucleation points could be anything from gas bubbles to impurities to the rough surface of the container. Without these things, water would continue to be a "supercooled" liquid well below its freezing point.

When nucleation is triggered, then a supercooled water would "instantly" turn into ice, as this very cool video clip by Phil Medina of MrSciGuy shows:

Note: Similarly, superheated water remains liquid even when heated past its boiling point.

3. Glassy Water

Quick: how many phases of water are there? If you answer three (liquid, gas, and solid) you'd be wrong. There are at least 5 different phases of liquid water and 14 different phases (that scientists have found so far) of ice.

Remember the supercooling we talked about before? Well, it turns out that no matter what you do, at -38 °C even the purest supercooled water spontaneously turns into ice (with a little audible "bang" no less). But what happens if you continue to lower the temperature? Well, at -120 °C something strange starts to happen: the water becomes ultraviscous, or thick like molasses. And below -135 °C, it becomes "glassy water," a solid with no crystal structure. (Source)

4. Quantum Properties of Water

At a molecular level, water is even weirder. In 1995, a neutron scattering experiment got a weird result: physicists found that when neutrons were aimed at water molecules, they "saw" 25% fewer hydrogen protons than expected.

Long story short, at the level of attoseconds (10^-18 seconds) there is a weird quantum effect going on and the chemical formula for water isn't H₂O. It's actually H_1.5O! (Source)

5. Does Water Have Memory?

In the alternative medicine of homeopathy, a dilute solution of a compound ~~can~~ is purported to have healing effects, even if the dilution factor is so large that statistically there isn't a single molecule of anything in it except for water. Homeopathy proponents explain this paradox with a concept called "water memory" where water molecules "remember" what particles were once dissolved in it.

This made no sense to Madeleine Ennis, a pharmacologist and professor at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ennis, who also happened to be a vocal critic of homeopathy, devised an experiment to disprove "water memory" once and for all - but discovered that her result was the exact opposite!

In her most recent paper, Ennis describes how her team looked at the effects of ultra-dilute solutions of histamine on human white blood cells involved in inflammation. These "basophils" release histamine when the cells are under attack. Once released, the histamine stops them releasing any more. The study, replicated in four different labs, found that homeopathic solutions - so dilute that they probably didn’t contain a single histamine molecule - worked just like histamine. Ennis might not be happy with the homeopaths’ claims, but she admits that an effect cannot be ruled out.

So how could it happen? Homeopaths prepare their remedies by dissolving things like charcoal, deadly nightshade or spider venom in ethanol, and then diluting this "mother tincture" in water again and again. No matter what the level of dilution, homeopaths claim, the original remedy leaves some kind of imprint on the water molecules. Thus, however dilute the solution becomes, it is still imbued with the properties of the remedy.

You can understand why Ennis remains skeptical. And it remains true that no homeopathic remedy has ever been shown to work in a large randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial. But the Belfast study (Inflammation Research, vol 53, p 181) suggests that something is going on. "We are," Ennis says in her paper, "unable to explain our findings and are reporting them to encourage others to investigate this phenomenon." If the results turn out to be real, she says, the implications are profound: we may have to rewrite physics and chemistry. (Source)

So far, other scientists failed to reproduce Ennis' experimental findings (throughout, Ennis herself was skeptical of the result's interpretation that water has a "memory" but maintained that the phenomenon she saw was real).

More recently, a team of scientists at the University of Toronto, Canada, and Max Born Institute in Germany, studying water dynamics using fancy multi-dimensional nonlinear infrared spectroscopy did find that water have a memory of sorts - in form of hydrogen bond network amongst water molecules. Problem for homeopathy was, this effect lasted only 50 femtoseconds (5 x 10^-14 seconds)!

Bonus: Ice Spikes

photo: SnowCrystals

Ice spikes are, well, spikes that grow out of ice cube trays. They look like stalagmites found in caves, and you can make 'em yourself using distilled water. Kenneth G. Libbrecht of SnowCrystals explains:

How do Ice Spikes Form?

Ice spikes grow as the water in an ice cube tray turns to ice. The water first freezes on the top surface, around the edges of what will become the ice cube. The ice slowly freezes in from the edges, until just a small hole is left unfrozen in the surface. At the same time, while the surface is freezing, more ice starts to form around the sides of the cube.

Since ice expands as it freezes, the ice freezing below the surface starts to push water up through the hole in the surface ice (see diagram). If the conditions are just right, then water will be forced out of the hole in the ice and it will freeze into an ice spike, a bit like lava pouring out of a hole in the ground to makes a volcano. But water does not flow down the sides of a thin spike, so in that way it is different from a volcano. Rather, the water freezes around the rim of the tube, and thus adds to its length. The spike can continue growing taller until all the water freezes, cutting off the supply, or until the tube freezes shut. The tallest spike we've seen growing in an ordinary ice cube tray was 56mm (2.2in) long. (Source)

Bonus 2: Make Instant Snow with Boiling Water

What do you get when you throw boiling water to the air in subzero weather? Instant snow. Interestingly, it only works with boiling hot water:

[YouTube clip]

These aren't the only things weird about water. We didn't talk about how water density changes with temperature (ice, for instance, is less dense than water so it floats - a key property of water that made life possible in the oceans and lakes). Nor did we talk about the weirdly strong surface tension of water, ordered clustering of liquid water, and so on. If you are interested, check out the Anomalous Properties of Water article by Martin Chaplin.

bunny ear massage!

rabbit massage

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

spaghetti cat!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

2008 Olympics opening ceremony

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

no pet rental in Massachusetts!

Yay! Great news:

Dear Friends,

It was exactly a year ago that I first heard of Flexpetz, which was renting companion dogs by the hour in California, with plans for NYC, DC, the UK and Boston. My instant reaction was “no way, this has to stop.” Not everyone shared the sentiment. So I did my research--and became even more concerned.

In desperation, I blogged and sent e-Alerts far and wide, urging people to contact legislators. Mass. Animal Coalition was the first to post an alert to its membership. Over time, others followed, and so did the filing of legislation at the state and municipal levels.

The rest is history--history that all of you made. On July 16, Boston became the first city in the nation to prohibit the cruel “disposable pet” trade. And now Massachusetts is the first state.

You stopped the pet rental trade here before it had a chance dumb down attitudes and numb compassion. Just as important, the legislation you passed will serve as a warning to future business models built on animal exploitation. Now they know: You won’t let that happen, not in your backyard.

Legislators call your accomplishment “amazing.” That a bill filed the end of February moved through the pipeline to passage in five months is unprecedented. You did that. You are animal rescue volunteers and behavior professionals...ACOs and dog walking groups...and simply caring individuals, with and without pets of your own. Some of you know one another, others may never meet.

Coalition to Prohibit the Renting of Pets was a virtual organization, linking most of us only by email and all by dint of our commitment to protecting animals. We worked without funds, meetings (thankfully!), slick publications, a lobbyist or even a formal structure. This was grassroots activism at its purest--and most effective.

Celebrate but stay vigilant: Flexpetz has announced plans for 120 U.S. locations. And it's just the door opener; spin-offs already have surfaced. We’re fortunate that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who has embraced this issue, will provide leadership to his counterparts nationwide. As among the most respected of the big-city mayors, his support is invaluable.

Hopefully, the legislation you passed also will inspire other states as it has the UK, where motions have been raised in Parliament to ban pet renting. You even sparked a great strip by Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau.

Keep the dialogue going by blogging and writing letters to the editor; keep challenging pet renting myths. (Yes, some still think it's "rescue.") Reach out to advocates across the country too. Please don’t let this new form of animal abuse proliferate, because once it does, there’s no turning back.

It has been said that evil triumphs when good people do nothing. In Massachusetts, cruelty was defeated because good people did something. Everyone has the power to make a difference. Continue to use yours.

Bravo to all of you!

Beth

Special thanks to our Consulting Experts:

• Patricia McConnell, PhD Zoologist, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist; Public Radio Host; Author
• Raymond J. McSoley, Founder, Behavior Department, Angell Memorial Animal Hospital; Owner/Behavior Therapist, Animal Behavior Associates (Westwood); Author
• Paul Waldau, PhD, JD, Director, Center for Animals and Public Policy, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine; Author

All three, preeminent in the world of animal behavior and ethics, joined our campaign without knowing me—and without a minute’s hesitation. Despite the enormous demands on their time, they gave their all, providing testimony, writing op-eds and letters to the editor, and contacting legislators.

Want to thank them? Make a tax-deductible donation in their names to an all-volunteer shelter or rescue group. Every penny will provide direct services to animals. Every penny counts. Here’s a small group that made a huge impact on our campaign:

• Friends of the Plymouth Pound, PO Box 578, Manomet, MA 02345 (www.gis.net/~fpp )

Under the leadership of Gayle Fitzpatrick, many dozens of volunteers crossposted every one of our e-Alerts, blogged, leafleted, wrote letters to the editor and made endless calls to legislators. Gayle’s been known to reach into her own pocket to buy the freedom of abused animals from their tormenters, and to fund spay/neutering in the South. On top of working round the clock—without pay—to keep FPP afloat and care for her own fosters, she’s in the trenches on a daily basis, rescuing the dogs and cats others throw away.

Donations to FPP or the all-volunteer rescue/shelter of your choice will support these heroics. (And they make thoughtful Christmas/Chanukah gifts for clients, friends and other special people in your life!)

Thank you to those who went above and beyond:

• Laura Allen, Esq., Animal Law Coalition
• Deni Michele Goldman, Animal Control Officers Assn. of Mass.
• Candace Hertzel and Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA
• Donna Fournier Cuomo, The Joey Fournier Services
• Jonathan Stone Rankin, Esq.
• Stacy Wolf, Esq., American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
and especially
• Sheryl Rapee-Adams, Best Friends Network

We’re also grateful to:

• Kara Holmquist and Bryn Conklin, MSPCA, and Gary Patronek and Alan Borgal, Animal Rescue League of Boston, for their testimony
• Susana Abbott
• Jeffrey Birnbaum
• Pat Canning
• Ken Casanova
• Barbara Favermann
• Jamie Kordack
• Bettiann McKay
• Pat Miller, CPDT, CDBC
• Lauren Nealley
• Georg Schmieder and Sam Wallace
• Julie Rembrandt Seeley
• Sinead Scott-Lennon, Dogs Trust, London
and
• Rachelle Cohen and Laurel Sweet, Boston Herald
• David Ertischek and Steve Ryan, Community Newspapers
• Art Goody, NECN
• Michael Graham, WTKK-FM
• Bob Katzen, Beacon Hill Roll Call
• Garry Trudeau, Universal Press Syndicate
• Victoria Warren, WHDH-TV

And most of all, thank you to our legislative champions:

• Rep. Vincent Pedone and Sen. Anthony Petruccelli, without whom the state bill would not have passed. It could have died in committee as so many others did. They refused to let that happen. The senator has a dog, the rep doesn’t. Both acted on principle, the conviction that renting pets is bad for animals, bad for people, bad for society.

• Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner, who filed our ordinance and worked very hard, very effectively to pass it, guided only by his moral compass; none of our core group is a constituent. Councilor Turner was in daily contact, advising us every step of the way. It was his advocacy that caused a rare occurrence in Boston politics—a unanimous vote.

• Rep. Paul Frost, who filed the state bill, and aide Matthew Carleo, who fielded more calls and emails in five months (mostly from me!) than anyone should have to in a lifetime.

• Sen. Edward Augustus, Jr., lead Senate sponsor.

• Rep. Will Brownsberger, who gave generously of his time and counsel to keep us on track.

• Gary Anderson, Legislative Director for Sen. Petruccelli, and Liana Pedi, aide to Rep. Pedone, who researched, informed, advised and advocated for us. Patience is among their many virtues.

• The state bill’s cosponsors: Representatives Will Brownsberger, Jennifer Callahan, Stephen Canessa, Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Jamie Eldridge, John Fresolo, Denis Guyer, Lida Harkins, Brad Hill, Thomas Kennedy, Kay Khan, Karyn Polito, Denise Provost, Mike Rush; and Senators Robert Antonioni, Edward Augustus, Jr. and Cynthia Stone Creem.

• House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and Senate President Therese Murray, whose leadership was instrumental in expediting the bill.

• Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino for signing the state bill and City of Boston ordinance into law, and Mayor Menino for advancing our effort nationally.

Let’s not forget the aides who took our many, many calls—especially the following, who went out of their way to help:

• Neel Chaudhury, aide to Rep. Eldridge
• Marissa Hunnewell, aide to Rep. Canessa
• Josh Krintzman, aide to Sen. Augustus
• Jake Lambert, aide to Rep. Balser
• Amanda MacDonald, aide to Rep. Guyer
• Adam Marx, aide to Rep. Harkins
• Barbara Miranda, aide to Rep. Brownsberger
• Lisa Sears, aide to Sen. Creem
• Darrell Villaruz, aide to Rep. Khan

Very big thanks to April Botta, Regional Marketing Coordinator, and Petco, which opened its doors for us to leaflet, and whose managers and staff couldn’t have been more supportive. This is a chain that genuinely cares about animals; it deserves your patronage.

Finally, my own heartfelt appreciation to our core group for their outreach, advice, leafleting, testimony at the Boston and state hearings…and moral support.

• Leslie Burg, Former Alderman, City of Newton
• Sandra Finder, Social Worker; Volunteer, Northeast Pyr Rescue
• Gayle Fitzpatrick, Founder, Friends of the Plymouth Pound (www.gis.net/~fpp)
• Jinny Fuller, Board Member, Buddy Dog Humane Society
• Jordan Gallagher, Animal Advocate
• Jo Jacques, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (www.wigglebums.com)
• Cheryl Major, Volunteer, Buddy Dog Humane Society; NECN Animal Adoption
Guest; Realtor, ReMax Landmark (www.cherylmajor.com)
• Kathleen Sabina, Animal Control Officer
• Jordan Star, Student, Pollard Middle School—who, among other things, delivered awesome testimony!
• Lisa Westwell, Web Designer (www.westwellswebworks.com)

And as you know by now, Coalition to Prohibit the Renting of Pets is a grassroots effort of animal rescue volunteers, animal behavior and welfare professionals, and caring individuals with the support of:

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Animal Control Officers Association of Mass.
• Animal Law Coalition
• Animal Rescue League
• Boston Dog Rescue, Inc.
• Buddy Dog Humane Society
• Friends of the Plymouth Pound, Inc.
• Humane Society of the United States
• MARC
• MassPAWS
• Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Milford Humane Society
• Northeast Pyrenees Rescue
• PETA
• Salem Vegan Society
• Stray Pets in Need of Massachusetts, Inc.

Thanks to one and all.

**********************************************************************************************************
Books by our consulting experts:

Patricia McConnell, PhD
• The Other End of the Leash
• For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend
• Feeling Outnumbered? How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-Dog Household
• Family Friendly Dog Training
• Puppy Primer

Raymond J. McSoley
• Dog Tales: How to Solve the Most Troublesome Behavior Problems of Man’s Best Friend

Paul Waldau, PhD, JD
• A Communion of Subjects: Animals in Religion, Science, and Ethics
• The Specter of Speciesism

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

against animal testing

Animal testing...Is it just? Is it necessary? NO!

1. Animals suffer horribly in labs and lab experiments.
2. Alternative testing methods exist while animal experiments waste billions of tax dollars a year.
3. The overwhelming majority of experiments don't even address the nation's worst diseases.
4. Regulation is poor and record keeping is misleading.

Friday, July 25, 2008

family Wordle

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Stuart Highland Pipe Band Medley: Glasgowlands, July 19, 2008

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Stuart Highland Pipe Band MSR: Glasgowlands, July 19, 2008

We got first place...yay!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

What have we done to our breed?

From bulldogsworld.com:

How many times have we heard this? Anywhere from breeders of other breeds who don't quite understand some of the issues we go through, to the media who question our "true motives" for perpetuating the suffering inflicted by our stubborn adherence to the Standard, to a few enterprising breeders here and abroad who have strived to "make this breed better" or to bring it "back to its former glory" by crossing existing bulldogs with breeds such as Mastiffs, bullmastiff, American Bulldogs, Olde English, you name it.

Scariest of all is the Weiss Kennel Club's backing of a scheme of a former Bulldog breeder to make the breed "as it was meant to be" by cross breeding pure Bulldogs with Old English and/or American Bulldogs (not sure which one, either way, it is appalling to me and should be to everyone who loves this breed as it is now). Strangely enough, these people are not at all recreating the Rose and Crib style dog of old, but have merely created nothing more than a generic bull-breed mix. (If they read their history, they would know that in order to get back to the Bulldogs of the pre-1860's they would have to downsize quite a bit, but that probably wouldn't appeal to those interested as much as the dogs advertised as weighing well over 100 pounds.)

In these days of "cock-apoos, peke-a-poos, "Labradoodles" and even Miniature Bulldogs, what's another man made breed? That's really all these new bull-breeds are. It's another way to profit off a public hungry for something "new," or to benefit from our breed's wild popularity. Many of these breeders advertise their dogs as "healthier versions of the broken down modern English Bulldog."

So, back to the above question. The answer is quite simple. "What have we done to our breed?" Not much. Oh, we have improved it quite a bit, but we certainly have done nothing to this breed maintenance of a breed that has remained virtually unchanged since the type we see today was "stamped" in the late 1800's.

Certainly, we can look at things such as modern nutrition and techniques for better conditioning and 100 more years of breeding selection to make up for the subtle difference in style and substance between then and now, but when we look back over the last century, we see dogs that were first visualized and then realized by a very dedicated group of fanciers.

The bottom line: The dogs we all love today are pretty much what the early club members had in mind. (I'm sure those fanciers would have something to say about the over all lack of some absolute necessitates for type such as true top line, front ends, tail set and the troubling lack of any massive jaw size, length and sweep which is rampant these days in America and the general over all lack of truly grand head type, but they dealt with these issue back then, too, and I am referencing show dogs. Pet quality has and always will run the gambit between truly poor to very good.)

The biggest complaint of the "anti-bulldog" movement is that we (modern breeders) have created a breed of dog which is on the edge of extinction, either by the breeding/whelping difficulties, the exaggerated conformation, the breathing difficulties, the aggravating immune-related disorders, and so on and so on....

A brief history of our breed is that it was once a fierce little fighting dog that almost went extinct after the 1835 "Act" which banned the dog-baiting sports until a group of men gathered together to save it. The Bulldog Club was formed in good part to preserve the type as they knew it, to maintain purity from that point forward. The Pug crosses of a decade or so prior had been quietly swept under the rug and some early ardent fanciers denied it all together. While some strains remained pure, the strains with the cross ultimately influenced the final product, the "Missing Link" as it were between the Crib/Rosa types and the modern type. Likely the most important goal was to prevent the importation and cross-breeding of Spanish-breed bulldogs that weighed well over 100 pounds. This was a breed that was totally English and they were bound and determined to keep the breed pure.

From Farman's "Monograph" of 1899: "It was in the fitness of things, therefore, that The Bulldog Club should have come into existence in a public house, the Blue Post, Newman Street, Oxford Street, London. At this place, it was that one night in 1874 a few very hardened admirers of the breed met together, earnest in their intention to save the "pot-house dog" from gradual extinction, as well as the threatened invasion of the Spanish Bulldog under the generalship of Mr. Frank Adcock. It is interesting to note that the very fact of the dog's association saved the breed from becoming a basatard race and preserved it from the impending introduction into its veins of blood of the Spanish Milk-cart dogs.

"The present club was started on the 13th of April, 1975, at a time when a determined attempt was being made by the gentleman already named (Adcock) and Mr. Dawes to "enlarge" the Bulldog from its average size to one of a weight of 100-120 lbs. Although the dog was mainly in the hands of certain class, still its patrons were true fanciers and as jealous of the preservation of the purity of its blood as the patrons of any more fashionable breed. As to the suggested crossbreeding, they would have none of it, it was a case of English for England, and sheer self-defiance the few ardent fanciers banded themselves together and reconstituted the old Bulldog Club, which existed some years earlier, but for a very short time only.

And from an earlier book, the Cynographia Britannia of 1800: "The Bulldog is in height about 18 inches and weighs about thirty-six pounds...."

The old Bulldog of England was not a large dog an it is important to remember that in discussing the purity of "our" Bulldogs compared to the newer created bull breeds, or even the older American Bulldog whose breeders claim it to be purely descended from the old English Bulldogs.

The Standards were written, with Philo Kuon's coming in 1865, Jacob Lamphier's "Properties and Points" coming out in Vero show's Book of the Dog in 1879 and The Bulldog Club's (England) official version in 1875.

That is a condensed history, but it is important to know it as a Bulldog lover of any type.

So, back to the old questions at the beginning of this article. Well, what is interesting to me and is the point of this article in the first place, is that the health woes we experience today were just as common 100+ years ago.

It really flies in the face of those who claim we are going to destroy the breed if we don't crossbreed them and fast!

I found the following passages in some of my favorite old books and thought them to be of interest.

"....Recently (for the last 2 or 3 years) in the Manchester District, fanciers have collectively found that a practical and skillful Veterinary Surgeon has amazingly reduced the mortality in whelping by the Caesarian operation. the percentage of loss, both of puppies and their dams, is exceedingly small, and I feel, that in the interests of the breed, I should put it on record."

Sam book has another passage under "Blister on Feet":

"Those red bulging between the toes of many Bulldogs are extremely painful to the dog and very often the cause of bitter disappointment to the owner."

From Bulldogs and ALL About Them by Henry St. John Cooper (around 1910):

"For follicular mange I can offer no suggestions for treatment, except the foregoing, which may or may not be effective, but at any rate is well worth the trial" (he had previously described treatment for sarcoptic mange). "Eczema if often mistaken by the novice for mange."

"I remember at a certain show, a lady gave a special prize to the Bulldog with clean ears. The prize was not awarded, for out of the twelve dogs exhibited not one had clean ears. Canker is very often caused in the first place by neglect. The wax and dirt are apt to stop the hearing and make the dog appear deaf."

There are many more excepts in the old dog books to the Bulldog health concerns. Even the tail issue was a hot topic at the turn of the century. Funny how the breed had the same conditions it has now and is surprisingly still around and thriving in numbers (which in reality is not at all a good thing).

For the anti-Bulldog movement, this should be food for thought. The breed is still around after all this time. And we didn't have to crossbreed them to do it. Our breed (like so many others) has its own particular health issues. Some are quite unique to them alone, some are common among similar bracecephalic breeds and some are just going to happen, regardless of the type of dog it is. And, most important, not every Bulldog suffers these issues. That should always be remembered.

We should be on guard, however. There already seems to be one Kennel Club in the world out to change the breed. And the sponsor claims to be making the breed healthier by crossbreeding it. We need to be aware of the health problems in our breed and we really need to correct them. It's very possible.

And thanks to the efforts of the BCA and others involved in the breed, ignorance is no longer an excuse (not that is ever should have been). There are many Bulldogs that enjoy healthy, normal and lengthy lives, by any breed's standards, and many of them are the finest show dogs.
It must be the goal of every breeder to add health to their overall breeding goals. After all, the mix bull-breed breeders are catering to those who want a Bulldog, but don't want the health problems. It has been going on for too long that people accept the preventable problems as "normal for the breed." There is nothing NORMAL about a dog that struggles to breath through tight nostrils and narrow trachea.

In this day of anti-dog legislation and anti-dog breeder in general, it would behoove us all, not to mention the dogs themselves, to make a very aggressive stand against the Bulldog heal issues that seem shadow our breed at every turn.

Elizabeth Hugo

Friday, July 04, 2008

my personality type

ISFP

The Peacemaker

Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving

ISFPs are gentle and compassionate, open and flexible. They are considerate of others and do not force their views and opinions on them. They often focus on meeting others' needs, especially those who are less fortunate. Having a quiet, modest, self-effacing style, ISFPs avoid disagreements and seek harmony with people as well as with nature. They enjoy life's precious moments and often add a touch of beauty to the environments where they spend their time. They are at their best ensuing others' well-being.

The ISFP is your

Identity

These are your MyType friends who have the same personality type as you. The ISFP is your identity.

ISFP Friends

Self Perception 4% of MyType	Image 5% of MyType	Your Impression
None	None	No

Living

ISFP children are pleasant, quiet, and kind. Their talents may be easy to overlook because they shun the spotlight and do not have a strong need to demonstrate their strengths to others. They may be particularly drawn to people, animals, and plants who need the gentle care that ISFPs provide.

ISFP children generally relate well toothers and tend to have friends because they are easy to like. They are interested in others' feelings and notice particularly when disharmony exists. It is quite difficult for ISFPs to see their friends in conflict with one another. When this occurs, they will try to help ease the disagreements by playing the role of peacemaker.

ISFP children notice and attend to the delights of the senses. Often they will make special gifts for people whom they particularly like. These gifts are usually unique and original, with much attention paid to color, line, texture, and form. They are often very conscious of the internal sensations in their bodies. They tend to be aware of what their body will and will not do.

As teenagers, ISFPs may blend into the woodwork because they are quiet and unassuming. They are oriented toward deeply felt personal values, and they may find themselves on the outside of social groups if the groups do not share the same values.

In adult life, ISFPs work quietly, often behind the scenes, helping individuals meet their goals and dreams. They like a life of action and interaction, and often choose careers that allow them to exercise their ability to see the needs of the moment and respond quickly. They have little desire to impress others or to impose their will. However, they can be gently and persistently persuasive if they believe some action is in another's best interest.

ISFPs enjoy their friends and their families, and spend time nurturing their relationships. They bring an air of spontaneity and easy acceptance to all they meet and are rarely quickly judgmental. Only when people do something grossly out of line will the anger of ISFPs surface. They will then stand firmly against the infraction to support the victim.

Learning and Working

ISFPs learn best through hands-on experience. They may not be as interested in traditional academic subjects as some other types. They prefer application and practicality rather than studying the theoretical and only potentially useful. Making drawings, constructing miniature models, or using other direct representations to master the subject matter are appealing activities for them. They dislike structure and institutional settings that take away their spontaneity and freedom. They want their learning to be relevant to what is going on in their world. They have less patience with conceptual and abstract learning.

ISFPs enjoy learning subjects that relate to helping and knowing about people. They may be easily overlooked in the classroom unless the teacher has recognized their special ways of learning and their unique contributions. Encouragement helps draw out ISFPs.

At work, ISFPs contribute by attending to the practical facts relating to the needs of people and all living things in their environments. Because they pay attention to the humanistic aspects of the organization, they act in ways that ensure others' well-being. People enjoy ISFPs because they bring understanding yet adaptability to the realities of their work.

ISFPs enjoy occupations that allow them to be flexible and adaptable and to meet the here-and-now needs of others. They enjoy responding to the moment and choose work where they can offer practical, specific help in times of difficulty.

Some occupations are more appealing to ISFPs: Bookkeeper, carpenter, personal service worker, clerical supervisor and secretary, dental and medical staffers, food service worker, nurse, mechanic, physical therapist, X-ray technician, and other occupations that allow them to provide gentle help to all living things.

Loving

For the ISFP, love means devotion, loyalty, care, humor, and consideration for the needs and wants of the loved one. When ISFPs first fall in love, they may feel consumed by it. They may become naive and focus entirely on the romance of it - 'falling in love with love.' Future worries are cast aside in favor of the present realities. ISFPs may ignore all else in order to experience their love life most fully. Doing this can leave them vulnerable to the whims of others.

Because being loved and cared for is important to ISFPs, they make sure that relationships are nourished so that they can continue to grow. When They are in love, they find a multitude of ways to show their affection and their appreciation for the other person. Often ISFPs will go so far as to rearrange their careers, start or stop working, move geographically, or make other changes to maintain their relationships.

The friends, family members, and even pets of the ISFPs' partners become important to them as well. ISFPs take it upon themselves to make their environments places where there is the potential to have a harmonious existence for all.

In their desire to please others, some ISFPs may not be confident enough to speak up for themselves about what they need. If the relationship turns sour, the ISFP may believe that it was caused by something that they personally did. They may assume more of the blame than is necessary. When they are scorned, they may retreat and repeatedly analyze the situation internally. When they do face reality and finally let go, they can become more assertive and self-directed in the resumption of their lives.

Famous ISFPs: Marie Antoinette Auguste Rodin Paul McCartney Marilyn Monroe Michael Jackson Britney Spears Ulysses S. Grant Yogi Berra William Shatner Warren G. Harding

Friday, June 27, 2008

my personality

Acquiescent

You aren't interested in making others bend to your will or in always dishing out criticism. You're not a pushy person, and you like it that way.

Cooperative

You enjoy teamwork, play well with others, and prefer getting along to winning.

You're not compelled to win every contest nor to be right all the time.

Reserved

You are somewhat shy, or at least unwilling to spend all your time socializing. With you it's true that "still waters run deep," which is why many of your acquaintances never get to know you well.

You are not always ready to talk at the drop of a hat. Whether you're in the office or at a party, you're not likely to be found gabbing away in the middle of a group of people.

Discreet

You tend to hold onto your thoughts until you have something important to say, and even then you're's not comfortable imposing your ideas on others unless you know they're truly interested.

You don't enjoy talking for the sake of talking, and you have no desire to be the center of attention.

Conscientious

You feel it's important to work according to a plan and finish every task, to do things correctly and thoroughly.

You are not the kind of person who abandons a project before finishing it, or slacks off when you've lost interest.

Reckless

You tend to give in to your impulses and indulge your cravings. Rather than fight your emotions, you often do what comes naturally, which means occasionally overdoing it, sometimes even embarrassing yourself.

You are not good at resisting temptation and avoiding overindulgence; you are not the kind of person who doesn't regret anything you said or did.

Accessible

You're comfortable expressing yourself in words and actions, with no self-censorship. You believe that if someone doesn't like what they see it's not your problem, but theirs.

You don't see the need to keep your thoughts to yourself, or to have a zone of privacy that encompasses only yourself and a small circle of friends and relatives.

A high score on the "accessible" trait suggests that you have a lot of friends, socialize often, and enjoy rap/hip-hop music.

Organized

You like to think a task through before you embark on it. If it's the slightest bit complicated, you make a list (even if it's only in your mind) and methodically work your way through it. When you have a goal in mind, you're not satisfied until you reach it.

You are not one of those people who ignore the details, and you don't understand how anyone can get anything accomplished without thoughtful planning ahead of time.

Sympathetic

You have a knack for knowing what's going on in the hearts and minds of those around you, without their having to tell you explicitly. People tend to turn to you with their problems because they know you care, and that you will likely offer good advice and a helping hand.

You do not feel that people with sad stories are just looking for attention, or have brought their problems upon themselves.

Warm

You have a genuine interest in other people. You're a natural host, and are always thinking about how you can increase the happiness of those around you. When friends have problems or are in trouble, you're usually the first person they turn to for aid and comfort.

You don't always say exactly what you're thinking; you don't like the idea of causing anyone pain because of your criticism.

Scoring high on the "warm" trait suggests that you are among those who enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about charitable work, helping others, and making the world a better place.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

It's what's IN the bag that counts!

Paper, plastic, beef or veg

It’s not the bag. It’s what’s in the bag.

by Adam Stein – April 8, 2008

Someone once asked why we don’t write more about food issues. This post is for you.

Prompted by Seattle’s proposed twenty-cent charge on grocery bags, Sightline has once again highlighted their study of the environmental impact of paper vs. plastic. Check out the handy graph on the right.

The vertical axis is “embedded energy,” meaning the amount of energy required to produce and transport the associated goods. Embedded energy equates roughly to climate change impact.

As you can plainly see, the stuff in the bag matters a lot more than the bag itself. In fact, it matters about 186 times as much. The analysis compared “four servings of two different diets: the first, a meat-based diet that included beef, potatoes, tropical fruit, and drinks such as soda; the second a vegetable-based diet composed of produce grown within the country where is was consumed and a soy-based protein source.”

The moral, obviously, is not that we should waste bags. But if you’re looking to lower your environmental impact, paper vs. plastic is maybe not the only question to be pondering.

Friday, June 20, 2008

swimming hedgehog

I don't know what's funnier, the hedgehog or the women's commentary!

cute Pekingese dog!

If I weren't such an English bulldog fan, I'd have a Pekingese: they crack me up!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Obey the Bulldog!

From the obeythepurebreed.com site:

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Biloxi post-Katrina-rebuilding survey

Survey: 80 percent of Biloxians satisfied with city direction, progress

More than 80 percent of Biloxians think the city is on the right track, and just as many people say they are satisfied with ongoing progress of the city’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
The results are from a poll of 500 Biloxi residents made by Market Research Insight, a company that has conducted more than 5,000 public opinion surveys over 30 years.

Dr. Verne Kennedy, who conducted the survey, says it has a 4.5 percent error factor, meaning it has a more than 95 percent accuracy rate compared to a survey of every single resident of the city.

“Biloxi citizens were very responsive,” Kennedy said, “and only 54 people who listened long enough to learn what the survey was about declined to participate.”

Mayor A. J. Holloway said he was pleased that Biloxians felt the city was headed in the right direction, but he noted the survey also pointed out areas of continuing concern.

For instance, the ongoing debate over new residential development was reflected in the survey:

50 percent of the respondents felt satisfied with the quality of new residential developments in Biloxi, while 32 percent were dissatisfied and nearly 19 percent were uncertain.

62 percent favored rebuilding using “scattered site” low-income homes, with 30 percent in opposition and 8 percent uncertain.

Top issues with Biloxians: more affordable housing (15 percent), improving traffic flow (12 percent), and more business development and jobs (8 percent). Notably, 12 percent were uncertain about the most important issue.

The survey represents the completion of the first phase of the city’s update of its comprehensive plan, a policy statement that guides future growth and development in the city, and considers such quality-of-life issues as transportation, housing, land use, recreation and historic preservation.

The year-long comprehensive plan process is being guided by Wallace Roberts and Todd, a planning firm that has done extensive work in Baltimore; Charleston County and Hilton Head, South Carolina; Coral Springs, Fla., East Hampton, NY, and other cities.

This process will include numerous public hearings and outreach, and it will be followed up with an update of the city’s Land Development Ordinance, which will help facilitate goals identified in the comprehensive plan.

The entire process is expected to cost about $650,000 and will be funded by grants.

Among the other results of the poll:

60 percent of respondents were satisfied with the quality of commercial developments in Biloxi; 33 percent were dissatisfied and 7 percent were uncertain.

Of the 33 percent dissatisfied: 17 percent said there was too much commercial development, 16 percent said too many condominiums were being built, and 15 percent felt there were too many casinos and “didn’t like gambling.”

20 percent of the respondents said the friendly people and Southern hospitality were the things they liked best about Biloxi, while 13 percent said they like the proximity to the water and another 13 percent said they were “born in Biloxi or it feels like home.”

Among the biggest concerns about Biloxi’s rebuilding: affordable housing (10 percent), the slow pace of recovery and lack of rebuilding along the beach front (8 percent), affordable homeowner’s insurance (8 percent).and three issues at 7 percent each: too many casinos, too many condos, and poor roads and traffic congestion. Of note, 9 percent were uncertain of their biggest concern about Biloxi’s rebuilding.

73 percent of the respondents favored mixed residential and commercial development for east Biloxi, while 19 percent thought resorts should dominate east Biloxi.

65 percent of those surveyed favored relocating the CSX railway.
Three-quarters of those surveyed felt Back Bay Boulevard should be extended to U.S. 90 on Point Cadet.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

bulldog overheating

I need to remember this, because I think Matilda began overheating on a walk across campus yesterday:

Overheating:

Hot weather can be fatal to a Bulldog: they don’t even need to be moving about in it. It is essential that we prevent problems from too much sun or heat. Do not leave your dog in an enclosed car in the summertime. Provide shade at all times. The best idea is to keep them inside the house for the most part during the hot summer months. Exercise should be kept at the dog's pace, not necessarily your own. There are several ways of keeping down heat with Bulldogs: wet towel under your dog's toes, ice cubes in the drinking water, sponging off your dog, lemon juice. All short-nosed breeds should be constantly watched to see that they are breathing easily and that they are taking in enough water to prevent dehydration. Far too many dogs are lost from dehydration, heat or sun stroke, and suffocation, when a few precautions could have been taken to prevent death.

Bulldogs overheat quickly because of the shape of their throats--their soft palates are almost always too long and when they get very hot they cannot pant sufficiently to keep their body temperature down. Their attempts to pant quickly cause the production of foam which in turn blocks the throat and causes labored breathing; eventually they will begin to roar as they try to breathe through the blockage. Lemon juice squeezed directly into the back of the mouth is helpful in cutting it, or use your fingers to scoop it out. Always keep the throat clear. Brain damage or death may result if a Bulldog is stricken, so watch your Bulldog.

Stages of overheating:

Your bulldog will begin to "heave" as he pants.
Your bulldog will begin to "roar" - best described as sounding like severe asthma.
He will begin to look tired and distressed.
His tongue will be very floppy and very red in color.
His body temperature will rise (normal temp approx 102 F).
His airway will swell and his throat become full of white foam (because of the panting).
He will quickly become exhausted and will fighting for breath.
He could die.

How to prevent overheating:

Do not allow your bulldog to lay out in the day time sunshine.
Do not walk your bulldog in hot weather.
During hot weather keep your bulldog inside during the hottest part of the day.

How to deal with overheating:

Lower his body temperature: Always ensure that you have ice to hand during the summer months. Pour cold water over your dog, especially around his head, rub ice around his head and under his tail (around his rectum). If possible stand him in a cold bath and keep going with the ice until the breathing is less labored.
Clear the airway: Squirt some lemon juice (from one of those plastic lemon shaped bottles that you squirt on your pancakes) into the back of his throat, he will hate you for it, but the lemon juice will quickly break up the excess foam and clear the throat. Do not allow him to drink a lot of water as this can cause him to vomit.
Keep him calm: Once you have reduced his panic keep him in a quiet place and keep a close eye on him. Talk to him with a soft voice.
If this doesn’t work then you need to get to a vet as quickly as possible. Put a cold damp towel under him for the journey.

Confederacy of Tchoutacabouffa

From NationStates:

The Confederacy of Tchoutacabouffa

"Go Biloxi!"

Category: Democratic Socialists
Civil Rights: Very Good	Economy: Developing	Political Freedoms: Excellent

Location: Absolution

Regional Influence: Minnow

The Confederacy of Tchoutacabouffa is a large, socially progressive nation, renowned for its devotion to social welfare. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 29 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The large government devotes most of its attentions to Social Welfare, with areas such as Commerce and Defence receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is 25%, but much higher for the wealthy. A substantial private sector is led by the Retail industry, followed by Trout Farming and Soda Sales.

A National Academy regulates grammar and usage, the government pours millions of Biloxians into rehabilitation programs annually, roads are often attended by round-the-clock construction crews, and every product goes through extensive safety-testing by the government. Crime is totally unknown. Tchoutacabouffa's national animal is the English bulldog, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Biloxian.

Tchoutacabouffa is ranked 46,351st in the world for Largest Information Technology Sector.

National Happenings

23 minutes ago: Tchoutacabouffa relocated from Mississippi to Absolution.
8 hours ago: Tchoutacabouffa was reclassified from "Inoffensive Centrist Democracy" to "Democratic Socialists".
8 hours ago: Following new legislation in Tchoutacabouffa, every product goes through extensive safety-testing by the government.
21 hours ago: Following new legislation in Tchoutacabouffa, roads are often attended by round-the-clock construction crews.
1 day ago: Following new legislation in Tchoutacabouffa, the government pours millions of Biloxians into rehabilitation programs annually.
1 day ago: Following new legislation in Tchoutacabouffa, a National Academy regulates grammar and usage.
2 days ago: Tchoutacabouffa was reclassified from "Left-Leaning College State" to "Inoffensive Centrist Democracy".
2 days ago: Following new legislation in Tchoutacabouffa, trespassers often find themselves impaled by crossbow bolts.
2 days ago: Following new legislation in Tchoutacabouffa, armed police units patrol the roads late at night.
3 days ago: Tchoutacabouffa was reclassified from "Capitalizt" to "Left-Leaning College State".

Confederation of Tchoutacabouffa

My current Facebook "Nations" status:

The Confederation of Tchoutacabouffa is governed by President Carroll Atlee Hardin Cadden. In Tchoutacabouffa, each citizen has one vote, but only the votes of wealthy land owners are actually counted. Personal computers are given to each citizen and children are taught to type at the age of 12 months. Health care is available to any citizen whose personal insurance is accepted by the medical community.

Norfolk Islands flag, which I chose because of the pine tree, common in Tchoutacabouffa

Public safety is a growing concern and many citizens have taken to only traveling in packs and try to tread softly. Military techniques have finally been upgraded in Tchoutacabouffa and soldiers are taught to fight with sticks and stones. Any citizen may practice any religion, but no public policy may be passed solely on the moral obligations of any one religion. Education in Tchoutacabouffa is of great importance and vouchers are given to any student who cannot afford schooling.

Conservation issues drive this nation's production of vehicles that run completely on human waste. Privatization of corporations and free market are new concepts developing in this country, and many feminist movements have butted heads with masculine movements, spurring this nation's first 'Peoplist Movement'.

Recent News in Tchoutacabouffa

The government has replaced traffic lights with police officers, which has greatly improved the commute for those who have enough to bribe themselves through intersections.

Terrorists in Tchoutacabouffa have been thwarted, and Carroll Atlee Hardin Cadden has handed them over to the judicial system so that a fair trial can be arranged.

This government has enacted minimum wage laws, forcing corporations to pay more to their employees and thus preventing the unionization of the nation's work force.

New Yorker cartoon

I played a game of "Trivial Pursuit" once and got the question, "Which season extends from X month to Y month?" I thought long and hard, and seriously, before giving the answer, "hockey." The correct answer was one of the world's seasons, like fall, not a sports season!