I was thinking about how ridiculously healthy my pound puppies are--and their ability to tolerate the weirdest things. Now, I am not a cruel person, I don't allow bizarre foods (not even table scraps!)--but dogs just get into stuff-- They have both made it to the ripe old age of ten and at least Dingo (sled dog mix) has at this point stopped ingesting weird stuff.
What Dingo has been capable of consuming (but not at the same time!): whole bag of Roma tomatoes, one pan of brownies, three giant muffins, iced latte with whipped cream, whole package of fruit Mentos (she spit out mint Mentos after finding those), leather glove, 2 cork coasters and three plastic CD cases.
What Dingo can not eat: rawhide (which of course is meant for dogs, but makes her very ill).
My other dog-- Bear, has even stranger tastes. What we have found him in the act of eating: wild birds, dragon flies, voles, numerous types of wiring--he loves wiring! We can't keep a plug or lamp near the beast. He also enjoys wooden sticks, crayons, paper and pencils. He can happily consume a whole pencil with no ill effect. What he can't eat: Iams Dog food. We have to feed him a very expensive lamb and rice formula (probably corn and wheat allergry). I'll say the crayons do produce the most interesting fecal matter of the bunch..
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
130 Dogs!!!
As someone who has been closely following the Iditarod sled dog race for over 11 years, I was surprised to learn about a whole new aspect of the Iditarod: Air Cargo.
Yes, of course I always knew about the "Iditarod air force" and how these little planes volunteer to fly dog kibble, vets, dropped dogs etc. in and out of remote airports. I just never pulled together the vast doggy numbers in my head before.
Namely: the little tid bit in the news about how one unfortunate canine met his end, while waiting for the air cargo plane to get him back to Anchorage. This happened in Unalakleet --a small town in the middle of Alaska nowhere. But big enough (say a few hundred) residents to justify Air cargo flights in and out of the town. They take the sled dogs back to Anchorage, weather permitting. Meanwhile--everyone waits--and more pups join them as they are dropped off from even more remote Alaskan towns (flown to Unalakleet to await transport). There are some awesome photos of this on Alaska stock pics. Dogs on a plane--it looks totally insane!
Alaska weather being what it is , it is often unsafe to fly. Thus the doggies accumulate and that is how you can wind up with 130 sled dogs in one tiny town! Wow!
From what I read, there were 24 volunteers on hand and numerous vets. I feel badly that they are being criticized for one dog's death (bless the poor dog's owners/mushers who seem like a class act). But if anyone can grasp how difficult it must be to keep an eye on 130 dogs, at night, in an Alaskan blizzard!!
Of course, this opens the flood gates for Iditarod criticism, 'the brutal conditions', yada yada--but that's just all crazy speak. Of course the Iditarod has too many dogs, and is freakishly long and the weather is just bananas. But that's what makes it exciting! (and in my opinion, it's exciting for the dogs too--do they really want to get diabetes and just perish on your Lazy Boy recliner?)
Why do the critics want an over-sanitized world for dogs? (do they speak dog? )The harshest critic--sled dog action network --is based in Florida of all places!!! Has this crazy lady ever been to her neighboring southern states and seen all the dead stray dogs along the side of the road? Do those dogs have a better life experience ? Or when will the sled-dog Nazis shut down the Asian dog-burger market? Or how about helping the wolves (the canine cousin for crying out loud) still being caught in leg hold traps in Alaska--now isn't that a better cause to criticize?
Yes, of course I always knew about the "Iditarod air force" and how these little planes volunteer to fly dog kibble, vets, dropped dogs etc. in and out of remote airports. I just never pulled together the vast doggy numbers in my head before.
Namely: the little tid bit in the news about how one unfortunate canine met his end, while waiting for the air cargo plane to get him back to Anchorage. This happened in Unalakleet --a small town in the middle of Alaska nowhere. But big enough (say a few hundred) residents to justify Air cargo flights in and out of the town. They take the sled dogs back to Anchorage, weather permitting. Meanwhile--everyone waits--and more pups join them as they are dropped off from even more remote Alaskan towns (flown to Unalakleet to await transport). There are some awesome photos of this on Alaska stock pics. Dogs on a plane--it looks totally insane!
Alaska weather being what it is , it is often unsafe to fly. Thus the doggies accumulate and that is how you can wind up with 130 sled dogs in one tiny town! Wow!
From what I read, there were 24 volunteers on hand and numerous vets. I feel badly that they are being criticized for one dog's death (bless the poor dog's owners/mushers who seem like a class act). But if anyone can grasp how difficult it must be to keep an eye on 130 dogs, at night, in an Alaskan blizzard!!
Of course, this opens the flood gates for Iditarod criticism, 'the brutal conditions', yada yada--but that's just all crazy speak. Of course the Iditarod has too many dogs, and is freakishly long and the weather is just bananas. But that's what makes it exciting! (and in my opinion, it's exciting for the dogs too--do they really want to get diabetes and just perish on your Lazy Boy recliner?)
Why do the critics want an over-sanitized world for dogs? (do they speak dog? )The harshest critic--sled dog action network --is based in Florida of all places!!! Has this crazy lady ever been to her neighboring southern states and seen all the dead stray dogs along the side of the road? Do those dogs have a better life experience ? Or when will the sled-dog Nazis shut down the Asian dog-burger market? Or how about helping the wolves (the canine cousin for crying out loud) still being caught in leg hold traps in Alaska--now isn't that a better cause to criticize?
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Would Anyone Care About Sarah Palin if She were Fat?
Like the smell of septic gas on my roof, Sarah Palin is the gift that just can't seem to go away. Why the heck is she back in the news??? Good grief. I bet it's those tight pants.
The GOP has no shame at all, advertising their "good looking" ladies. The men of the party all look they have been sleeping in the back of a Dunkin Doughnuts after a weeklong carb binge....but the women are held to a different standard. I once heard this is actually called: "Fox Glam".
Here you have a political party that feels that a women's number one job is to look good. Whatever. But the worst part is, that only after she looks good--will we pretend to listen to her. I use the term 'pretend', because are you really taking someone seriously just because they put on hot pants and lip stick?
There are many, many dirty old men in Alaska who will willingly admit that the number one reason they voted Sarah Palin for Governor was because she was hot. They drove around with bumper stickers "coldest state, hottest governor". And this is now touted as her "political experience?"
The GOP has no shame at all, advertising their "good looking" ladies. The men of the party all look they have been sleeping in the back of a Dunkin Doughnuts after a weeklong carb binge....but the women are held to a different standard. I once heard this is actually called: "Fox Glam".
Here you have a political party that feels that a women's number one job is to look good. Whatever. But the worst part is, that only after she looks good--will we pretend to listen to her. I use the term 'pretend', because are you really taking someone seriously just because they put on hot pants and lip stick?
There are many, many dirty old men in Alaska who will willingly admit that the number one reason they voted Sarah Palin for Governor was because she was hot. They drove around with bumper stickers "coldest state, hottest governor". And this is now touted as her "political experience?"
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Living the Dream
Many years ago, I nonchalantly mentioned to a friend back East--"well maybe I can open up a bed and breakfast or something in Alaska..." She quickly turned to me and said, "people don't do that, that's not a real job".
Typical East Coast attitude. It's like there is a "no dreaming aloud" banner being towed above the whole place.
Travel a few thousand miles Northwest, and you get the opposite attitude in Alaska. The state who's unofficial slogan really should be: "welcome kooks and dreamers".
I now recognize it's probably my favorite thing about life in the Last Frontier. Every year when the Iditarod sled dog race began, I used to burst out into tears of joy. What brought me this happiness was that these dreamers, with their dog sleds and "fake" jobs as dogs mushers-- were so loved and respected here. Living as they like and saying: "screw you-- conventional lifestyle--I'm going to live my dream."
Typical East Coast attitude. It's like there is a "no dreaming aloud" banner being towed above the whole place.
Travel a few thousand miles Northwest, and you get the opposite attitude in Alaska. The state who's unofficial slogan really should be: "welcome kooks and dreamers".
I now recognize it's probably my favorite thing about life in the Last Frontier. Every year when the Iditarod sled dog race began, I used to burst out into tears of joy. What brought me this happiness was that these dreamers, with their dog sleds and "fake" jobs as dogs mushers-- were so loved and respected here. Living as they like and saying: "screw you-- conventional lifestyle--I'm going to live my dream."
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Leave the CPR Lady Alone
My Goodness. From the vitriol online, you can tell that people are quite peeved at the Independent Living Nurse (or staff member) who did not perform CPR on an 87 year old resident. It's quite a story with all sorts of ethics experts and who-knows-what experts chiming in.
As a person who received an A+ in Bioethics in College, I too have a valid "expert" opinion. Leave the poor nurse or staff member alone! True enough, I heard her tone wasn't very loving on the telephone, but who knows how long she may have worked in this sort of environment? Have the critics been around the same amount of end-of-life situations as this staff member? Does anyone recognize the day to day challenges of working in an environment where many of the folks you "serve" are at their last residence on earth?
From a practical point of view, the lady was 87, not 47, 7 or even 77. Plenty of medical professionals know that CPR at this advanced age often does more harm than good. (Broken bones, etc.) Not to mention the oxygen loss suffered in the meantime. Prolonging life at any cost, often causes more suffering than it solves. If you don't believe me, visit a nursing home, or ICU. Nobody wants to die in these places, as they are not quick or easy deaths.
The true "outrage" in this CPR story is the human fear of death. I don't believe it's about this poor old lady (bless her) it's really about--"what if this zany nurse was near me and didn't prolong my life?" Well bullocks. You have no idea if she would have reacted the same way. Do people get this outraged when someone puts their dog to sleep? No they don't, they actually call it humane. (not to say this nurse put the lady to sleep--just pointing out the double standard) People can't think "humanely" about human deaths, for they are so absorbed in their own fears of being extinguished from earth.
As a person who received an A+ in Bioethics in College, I too have a valid "expert" opinion. Leave the poor nurse or staff member alone! True enough, I heard her tone wasn't very loving on the telephone, but who knows how long she may have worked in this sort of environment? Have the critics been around the same amount of end-of-life situations as this staff member? Does anyone recognize the day to day challenges of working in an environment where many of the folks you "serve" are at their last residence on earth?
From a practical point of view, the lady was 87, not 47, 7 or even 77. Plenty of medical professionals know that CPR at this advanced age often does more harm than good. (Broken bones, etc.) Not to mention the oxygen loss suffered in the meantime. Prolonging life at any cost, often causes more suffering than it solves. If you don't believe me, visit a nursing home, or ICU. Nobody wants to die in these places, as they are not quick or easy deaths.
The true "outrage" in this CPR story is the human fear of death. I don't believe it's about this poor old lady (bless her) it's really about--"what if this zany nurse was near me and didn't prolong my life?" Well bullocks. You have no idea if she would have reacted the same way. Do people get this outraged when someone puts their dog to sleep? No they don't, they actually call it humane. (not to say this nurse put the lady to sleep--just pointing out the double standard) People can't think "humanely" about human deaths, for they are so absorbed in their own fears of being extinguished from earth.
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