I just came across a children's animated cartoon about pinatas. Viva Pinata is based on the video game. Basically its a whole world where Pinatas play all day. This has to be the stupidest cartoon I have ever seen and I grew up the The Snorks and Monchichis. If you think about it...kids are watching a cartoon about very colorful festive fun animals that will meet their ultimate demise as they are hung from a rope while some blindfolded child beats the crap out of them with a stick until the animal is broken apart so the rest of the children can descend on the fallen remains like a pack of starving wolves to get as much of the animals sweet sweet candy innards as possible. What acid freak animator convinced a board room this was a good idea? Even Lotus stopped and took a quizzical look at the screen.
Lotus's spaniel aspect of her Cavalier heritage is beginning to blossom as she approaches the end of her second year. I heard her "predator alert" bark after I let her out this morning. I looked out the door and found her barking at a pigeon on the power line. A few weeks ago she carried a bird head into the house....that was gross.
I feel so bad for her...Duncan is 140 lbs now and he and Darla play so rough together because they are so huge. All Lotus can do is watch them. It's like watching a small child watch the big kids play and wish they were big enough to join in. It pulls at my heart. I so wish I could afford another Cavalier for her to play with. There was one pup rescued from a shut down mill I considered but her knees were operated on (because they don't care if they breed to dogs with bad knee caps in mills), she would have to be on meds for her whole life, no tile floors...and who knows if her heart will give out in a year or so because of the greedy breeders who dont care about quality. I could not afford the meds and emotionally neither Lotus or I could endure the oncoming suprise health issues of a mill dog. Plus that dog would never withstand the clumsy movements of the 140 lb freight train known as Duncan. Lotus can no longer play with Duncan for more than a few minutes because he is so rough. There is a CockaPoo on our block but I am a total snob and won't let my dog interact with with a demonic act of humans playing god. Every other small dog on the block is poorly socialized because people are idiots. Small dog are not house cats!!
The only normal small dog on the block it this adorable mix that was rescued from North Shore. These people really lucked out. I think it is an Alaskan Kleekai Shepherd or Kleekai Pomeranian mix. Its cute as hell and a little ballsy. I love her...what a great find...I told the people they lucked out. She was a year old when they got her and she is just terrific. If we see them outside we stop and chat. Their mix has a command presence despite being half Lo's size...Lo is immediately Lo to the ground but happy to play. The people are not very well versed in dogs so I am always happy to give them any advice because I miss training. They thought Lotus was a Shih-Tzu so they are a nice clean slate to work with. They are nice people and the fact that they rescued instead of buying a god awful designer breed is just a wonderful thing to me.

A word of advice...don't ever eat dinner while watching Cold Case Files. Back in the day I would be able to watch any gore flick while eating spaghetti and meatballs....but for some reason eating a tuna salad while viewing pictures of a decayed remains was a real challenge.

My mother comes in to my apartment before.
"I paid 6 dollars for this gift bag but it smells funny, do you want it?"
"you have a gift bag that smelled too funny to give to someone but you think I might want this smelly bag to give to someone....do you think everyone I know is without nasal passages?? No, I don't want your smelly six dollar gift bag"

Today on my lunch run for the office was almost hit by some idiot. He was racing out of the porno place that sits halfway down the block. He did not even see my truck moving down the road(I am trying so hard not to type coming down the road for obvious reasons). He just blindly darts into the road. I guess it's true what they say...it does make you go blind. You'll get the joke in a second. LOL

I love owning two huge dogs. A few minutes ago those idiots selling crap out of their bins rang the bell. They quickly picked the bins up again and hauled ass to the next house when they heard the two Newfs bellowing on the other side of the door. Duncan howls...he does not bark...he also jumps on the door...it scares the crap out of me everytime I try to open the door when I come home. I can only imagine what some hapless idiot who does not live here thinks when they hear bellowing and see the door rattle from the weight of a 140 lb puppy. I hope there is an extra pair of pants in those bins.

I just need to post this. Within the past decade I have met a handful of some really cool people who have listened to my bullshit and drama repeatedly and have not only returned to listen to more of it but are always there to back me up and help me out. In thirty years of my life I have never been so fortunate to have such wonderful people in my life. I not only learn from all of you but you are always a major foundation of advice and experience that I can tap into when I have exhausted my own ideas and energy. Not very often do we ever get to say how awesome our friends are with the exception of stupid chain emails we now half read but are thankful we still get them because we are reminded how fortunate we are to be getting them...even if it is the 90th fucking time.
Alot of you have recently been telling me that I have come such a long way in these past years we have known each other. And you have all told me how proud you are of my strength...my insane ranting passion towards certain movements(puppy mills, factory farms) and even when opinions differed(republicans, gays being able to marry(they should ya know lol))and as big as those subjects may be, they are too small in comparison to our bond to ever change our friendship. All of these qualities you have commended me on have come from what I have learned and emulated from all of you. And don't think a day does not go by that I am not thankful for the debates, the friendship and any and all chances I get to repay any of you with the same support and devotion.
So many people have come and gone in my life...some pop back in occasionally and flitter back into the shadows of obscurity but you few that are reading this have always been there...whether we have been states away or too buried with our own dramas we still try to find the time to at least listen. As insane as this past month or so has been for me....when I get to spend time with you guys..even just via email...you remind me that reality is not the job, school, or the idiots out on the streets....reality is the friendship between all of us that has gotten all of us through so much crap. Its the mutual understanding of sarcasm and cynicism and humor that we can only get from each other. Its the sentences we finish for each other, the hand bags that we spot in the store at the same time, the understanding of the most subtle facial expressions of clearing of a throat, the private jokes, the tear filled secrets from those bruised parts of our soul even our own family members know nothing about. Its the compliments and congratulations we give each other. Its those unexplained moments of shared visions, choking on water at the same time states away, crying over the same stupid commercial, or dodging flying pebbles from a very emotionally receptive zen fountain that makes us realize how lucky we are to know people who share in some parallel cosmic flow. It's in the secrets we share, the experiences we compare, the diligent and passionate protection we have for each other. It's having faith in each other's abilities even when other people tell us we can't, and the occasional kick in the ass when we ourselves are unable to find our own abilities. It's just amazes me because I have always been friends with guys because they seemed less catty. And I have found several women who at one time or another were "just one of the guys" and felt the same way. And I think this is why we share that tight camaraderie as well as an amazing sense of humor...because we spent so much time resisting the usual girl bullshit. We share the best of all the realms of friendship.
I am forever thankful, and even on my worst days....honestly I have never been happier. I don't think we ever get a chance to really express to people in our lives how much of a difference they make.

Send this to 15 of your friends to let them know you care and you will find 500 dollars under a rock in Korea. Honestly, my friends tried this and two days later she flew to Korea and the first rock she picked up had 500 dollars under it!!


LOL

I never thought would see the day that A&E Biography would cover Ozzy.

Holy Crap. Its Friday night and I am sitting here watching a documentary on Full House!!! It must be time like these when people contemplate suicide.
Oh...Lu...remember last weekend when we were trying to remember that movie where the guy tries to order something and gets this long list of choices?.....it's Mr. Mom.
He's at the deli counter and he keeps trying to order cold cuts. He asks for ham and the broad is like, "Deli, virginia, taylor, honey baked..."
LOL.

What's in Chicken Mc Nuggets?

The following is an email I sent to Petworks....some pet store in New York that boasts importing the "finest AKC pups from loving homes". Right...no loving breeder would just give up the puppies they put so much time and money into to total strangers...and definitely not to schmucks stupid enough to go into a pet store for a dog.

Where exactly do you get these dogs from? And what reputable breeder would be willing to give dogs to people they have never seen or met. A caring breeder would want to make sure their dogs would have a good home. How are these dogs imported? How can you guarantee they do not come from some foreign puppy mill? How can you guarantee their health physically and behavior wise? How many times have the mothers of the puppies you sell been bred? Are they over breeding? Have you been to these breeding facilities? Have you made sure that the health of these animals is secure? Have you made sure the people breeding these animals are not in it for the money? And just because they have papers does not insure their health and quality...so have you physically gone to these places and checked the health of their line?? How can you guarantee me that these dogs are bred for temperament and health in a home environment? Do you guarantee these dogs for life because sometimes neurological degradation due to poor breeding does not show up until later on...conveniently after all these "caring pet store" guarantees expire. A real breeder would take the dog back at any time.
So, can you guarantee the health and well being of these puppies you sell? Can you guarantee the health and well being of the mother that has to breed these puppies? If not then you are definitely supporting the mill industry...rationalize it anyway you want...whatever helps you sleep at night.

Looking forward to some answers.

--

Whats the best way to piss me off??? Tell me someone I know walked into a pet store and bought a puppy. Skadi's "Puppy mill, what are you an asshole for buying a pet store dog?" in 3...2....1....

Prisoners of Greed

I am floored that educated people in this day and age know nothing about pet stores. If you buy a dog from a pet store you are putting money into the puppy mill industry. I don't know how much clearer I can make it!!
I don't care how nice the store owners are, or how cute the puppies are, or if they are AKC. They came from someone who does not care where the dog goes. They come from a female dog who is kept in a rusty filthy cage breeding and breeding and breeding until her body gives out on her. Eventually she won't be able to walk or stand because her back end will be so weak from over breeding. She is essentially raped cycle after cycle. If you are fine with putting money towards that then by all means go ahead. But you will also be putting money into vet bills for your puppy. Over bred mothers cannot give the nutrition to their puppies in the womb that they need to grow strong. Some have behaviour issues, skin allergies, food allergies. If you have money to piss away...go for it. AKC registered??? Even the AKC admits that any dog even a mill dog can be registered with them.
When you buy a dog from a pet store, you put back into a system that is raising sub par animals for profit...they think you are dumb enough to fall for it. Are you???
I have seen a Great Dane rescued from a mill that was shut down. The people at the mill used to put cigars out on him. If you want your money to be a part of that...go ahead. I saw a Japanese Chin that was kept in a pet store in a cage so small that his back legs grew abnormal because he had to crouch all the time.Did you buy from a pet store? Because your money went into an industry that does this to thousands of animals. You helped fund this!!!!! While you are at it....drop off a case of wine to the alcoholic who beats his kids, stock your store with merch from a sweat shop....its all your money going towards abuse. Thats sick....are you that sick???
And while I was typing this...my dog started yelping because she was choking on a chew toy. So your stupidity almost killed my dog...because I have to still type this shit to try and inform people to stop becoming a victim of petstore by purchasing a victim from a pet store.

Ugh, I am so bored.
My mom bought herself a new laptop...so now instead of bursting into my apartment ever hour and a half, she just emails me....repeatedly..about nothing.
I'm bored. I started putting together and organizing my dog training tip sheets. I was about to start typing up some of the lessons and just did not feel like. So what do I do?...hop on the blog.
I did not teach my Sunday student today. I called their house to confirm we were on for today and no one was home. They are amazing people...very sweet...and their dog is extremely intelligent, very trainable...but they are too busy. They cancel on me alot because their kids have like 7 different extra cirricular activities. Everyone is always coming and going. The energy in the house is just hyper...so their herding dog who is high energy to begin with is picking up on the chaos. They never practice training with the dog during the week so the only enforcement the dog gets is when I am there. Its really a waste of everyone's time. Its unfair to the dog. They have no time to give her the exercise and interaction she needs. I suggested taking her to dog parks but again...they have no time...the kids need to be driven all over the place. So the dog makes no real headway at all. The breeder really should have taken their busy life style into consideration when she interviewed them. The dog is terrific, lovable, sweet, smart as hell...but she needs enforcement. Their kids are none to disciplined either. I suggested putting their herding dog into agility or the new herding club that is just starting up out east. Nope, don't wanna. They keep toying with boot camp training for the dog. I am dead against sending your dog away to be trained by someone else and you have no idea what they're are doing to your dog....but this is one case where I may recommend it. It would just be easier on everyone.

Were you ever alone and you said something to yourself or did something that just had you cracking up, doubled over in laughter...and you can't decide if its a good thing or a bad thing that no one else is around to witness your jovial insanity?
I'm always one to put myself in stitches. Hey, it beats crying and brooding or drinking by yourself right?
I had myself doubled over in laughter for the stupidest thing.
Lotus' spring coat is coming in...or should I say her winter coat is coming off....in clumps. The rug in the aparment is a light color so it looks as if no one has vacuumed in years. I'm constantly picking up clumps of hair. I can't wait until this molting of my dog is over.
I was letting her out the door to go take care of some business and she hesitated. I gently touched her butt with my foot and said, "Get going Sheddy....Sheddy Lee..." It was all over from there....I was in hysterics, she was looking at me like I was nuts as I stood in the doorway doubled over. For those of you who are lucky enough to not live in my little world....the lead singer of Rush is Geddy Lee. So for some reason the whole thing just struck me funny....welcome to my world, now run for the sake of your sanity. LOL
Lo and I are watching The Grudge. I need to see the Japanese one. I already might have. My ex-fiance used to bring home tons of horror movies....I have seen several Japanese ones. Wow...just wow. And I am not talking about the cheesey ass campy cult Godzilla crap...I'm talking about realy dark, twisted Japanese horror. The Horror from other countries has made American horror look like the Teletubbies....bad comparison...those things are fucking frightening...but you know what I mean. Italian horror is only now getting the acknowledgement it has always deserved. Italy loves their gore...but Japan.....loves the dark corners of the human mind. German horror however I have always found to be more artistic and symbolic in its approach. Only recently has America caught up. For years after watching foreign horror anything american was lacking...with the exception of Sam Raimi's work, Savini, Tarantino...to name a few...but for the most part they acknowledge the horror over seas for alot of inspiration. Afterall is was Tarantino who eventually bought the rights to a Fulci classic and brought it to the Angelica theater for a viewing...I was lucky enough to be their sitting in the same theater as Tarantino(who got a standing ovation from all of us for bringing a movie into the states that was orignally banned), Typo Negative, and several other New York based metal bands. It was an awesome night!! Anyway...foreign horror must be seen.
Before this movie The Craft was on. I watch that movie mostly for the exaggerated humor. The irony is my mom busts into my apartment while I am watching it to try and convince me to go to church. Wow....she's still in denial I guess.

Once again....I get sucked into a movie and waste time I could be using to do something worth while. I am watching The Perfect Storm....which is The Perfect Movie for me to cringe. Too many people get trapped under water and die. My biggest fear in being trapped underwater. I swear its a past life thing....not that people adore being trapped under water...

Two reasons I a can accomplish nothing on Saturday mornings.
1) Bravo insists on playing like 4 episodes of Six Feet Under and I get totally wrapped up in it.
2) Lotus' warm little body on my lap snoring.

I'm sorry but can't Al Sharpton get a fucking job like everyone else and just shut the fuck up? He is trying to fill some big shoes....he thinks he is another Martin Luther King. He never will be. King was a very intelligent person who saw a need for all humans to be treated with respect. He wanted blacks and whites to realize we are all human and we are all on this planet together. Sharprton is actually undoing all that by spewing either obvious or overblown information. Sharpton is ludicrous...he has nothing revolutionary to say and all he does is rile up racism. He is useless...he needs to sit down and enjoy a nice hot cup of Shut the Fuck Up.

::Mock Rant::
you heard of it here first.
Mock Rant....if you know me then you have probably seen me mock rant. Its when I rant to someone else out loud about something that is bothering me within earshot of the bother-er or someone in control of said bother. For instance...today I got up at the ass crack of dawn to take my car in for an inspection, alignment, break pad change and tire rotation. I was the second person there when the place opened. Despite my dragging my fat ass out of bed and sucking up the fact this was going to cost me money I absolutely do not have....I wound up sitting there for about six hours. My blood sugar hit rock bottom and I had seen all the upper class assholes with their shiny Lexie and BMW's come in and leave. But me and some Asian kid were sitting there for hours. Finally after he and I complained to each other about how badly this is fucking up our plans for the day I got on the phone with my mother.
"yeah, I'm still here....waiting"
"What's being done to your car"
"Apparently its being taken apart and put back together again because I have been here six hours" A manager was walking by and gave a quick side shot. So I kept it up. "I could change these stupid breaks in two hours but the guys here apparently are having an issue" Another manager over hears this.
"Go ask how long it's going to take.."
"You know what....everyone with the shiny Lexus and Beamers are in and out of here in no time but the poor girl with the blue collar redneck pick up has to wait 6 hours" Some upper class guy who was arguing with his spoiled daughter for messing up the front end of her handed to her car turned to me abruptly (two for one...metal....voiced aggravation and insulted a bourgeois!!) with a look of shock.
"Stop...you better keep quiet..." One of the managers scurried to the garage. I watched him through the window of the waiting room as he grabbed my work ticket from the mechanic.
"No, if you have money you get taken care of...if you are ghetto poor you have to wait while they get the royal treatment"
"Skadi, keep quiet...you are going to get into a fight..."
"So what....I don't care...my hypoglycemia is raging because I have not eaten all day because I have to sit here and wait while the upper class go ahead of me?? Must be nice to be wealthy"
Mr. Rich turned back around and just stared straight ahead.
The manager came back up from the garage area with a forced smile. "Okay, you are just about done"
He worked up the bill (1200$!!!) and handed it to me. "Thank you for your patience" I just gave him a look like "who are you kidding?" We both new someone fucked up or fucked off...either way..it took way too long for the truck to get done....I'm not an air head when it comes to cars like the rich daddy's girl in the waiting room. I have seen inspections done-I know hoe long they take, I have seen brake changes-in fact an ex's brother showed me how to change them years ago, I know how long an alignment takes...her camber was screwed but not that screwed. All of that put together should not have taken six and half hours...four hours yes...five maybe...not six and a half.
So there you have it...the mock rant...when you don't have the balls to start shit directly. A personal trademark of mine...I am not sure if I am proud of it or not....I think its another example of my passive aggressive tendencies.
I'm bored. I was supposed to go out tonight and I was really looking forward to it but in light of the fact that I was up at dawn for my car I am exhausted and the last thing I need is to fall asleep behind the wheel or something on the way home from a club....especially after 1200 bucks in repairs. So, I'm just sitting here bored stupid waiting to get tired enough to head to bed.

I hate my neighborhood. First off no one can get out of a parking lot to save their lives...or me time for that matter. I'm on line for coffee and I see two women ahead of me in mink coats....I had to bite my tongue so hard I tasted blood. All I could picture was that PETA footage where they skinned a raccoon alive at a fur farm and threw the skinless body, suffereing and exposed onto a pile of more skinless dying racoons...the worst was when the skinless face lifted up to look at the camera and you saw the excruciating pain in it's eyes. So this scene was running through my mind while I wondered how many times that scenario played out so these rich whores can keep warm.
I was behind one of them as we left the parking lot. She had a nice new Infiniti with a plate the read luv2spnd. I was very tempted to rail right into the back of her shiny new car with my piece o crap blue collar chevy pick up. Unfortunately you can't fit "Luvs2slaminsbkrchsltscr".
Stop the fur trade industry...we have tons of toasty warm fabrics taken humanely from sheep farms.

EndMisery.com
Not only is there some really terrific information on here regarding puppy mills and buying dogs from pet stores...there are also some pictures taken during an undercover investigation of some mills. Take a look at them and remember them the next time you walk into a pat store that sells puppies. Buying one of these pet store dogs under the pretense of "rescue" is only making an empty space for a new victim....we need to hit them in their wallets to make them stop this disgusting market.

All human activity is behaviour. Through the centuries we have developed codes of conduct, these become laid down by the society, by the culture, in which we live, and by the so-called saints and religious teachers; this code or pattern, this norm of behaviour, becomes traditional and automatic, that is, mechanical. - J. Krishnamurti

Yup, here is another one of my infamous letters fighting cruelty to canines. I can't help it. This one is to someone on About.com who write for the AboutDogs section. She provides so much info to inform people about what is best for their dogs and meanwhile there will be an ad for puppies online or whatever beneath the article. Today I was reading an article on the site about the Lancaster puppy mills (yeah...the religious Amish are responsible for the abuse and genetic degradation of god's creatures....now ask me why I am no longer christian?). Right beneath the article is an ad for puppies on LiveDeal.com...a site that has ignored many of my emails regarding the mass market of unscreened puppy sales. If just one of my emails could change any aspect I would be greatful and finally feel accomplished....until them....I type like an insane dog lady activist...so be it. LOL

I love the articles you have on your site, especially the ones regarding puppy mills. As a trainer I have seen many pet store dogs with issues and I have had to explain to their owners why their dogs have such issues. Sometimes they are angry at me, sometimes at the pet store, sometimes they just insist that their dog is AKC registered (we know that makes no difference) I do have a bit of a grievance regarding your articles on About.com and I don't know if you have the power to do anything about it.
I was reading the article about puppy mills and right beneath your article is an ad for puppies on livedeal.com. I don't know if you have ever been on livedeal.com but essentially it is backyard breeders and mills selling puppies. Some are occasionally 'free to a good home' which is just as bad because laboratories and dog fighters in need of bait dogs can easily obtain these poor puppies for abusive purposes. Again, I don't know if you have any say in what ads are put beneath your articles but I think you should know they are contradictory to the good work you are trying to accomplish.
Thank you for your time,
Skadi

I was in my usual Saturday morning meditation...which is actually just me hanging out with Lo on the couch watching movies. I hit channel 14 which as most of you in the area know is the Cable Guide. What i found hysterical was the fact that as the channel guide scrolls...it includes channel 14 on the listing...I guess thats for the idiot who turns to the Cable Guide channel to find out what channel the cable guide is on.