This has been a whirlwind week. I have been touched and amazed by quite a bit this week. Beavers, bloggers and buggers all featured this week. Grab a cuppa and snuggle into a rocker. Let’s talk.
Log Jam Job
Apparently, the beavers who jammed up the Internet stream have almost all been evicted. I spent a good portion of the early week investigating why the Internet was broken in the United States. You may well be amazed what you can find out when you look. I worked with a couple of ISP, web hosts and wireless providers to get the information highway back up to cruising speed.
I am always taken a bit aback by those who offer me jobs. This makes me somewhat of an anomaly. Most people leap at new job offers. Me? I work too much now. The thought of punching a clock again gives me hives.
I have gotten to asking by proposers if they would take referrals. Fortunately (from my perspective), they say no. I cannot imagine adding a talent agency to my current plate. Give me another year. I will revisit.
What all of it meant personally was, I have seen some smiling faces which had been missing and were weary of complaining about no access. If you are still seeing M3 on your computer as though it is a mobile site, please do let me know. I will see if I cannot rattle some fibre optic for you.
Prep Work
April is just around the corner. That means the A to Z Challenge. If you were not here last year, take a cruise through some of the most enduring posts on The M3 Blog. You may have gotten the email pointing to this year’s page. (Hover your mouse over The Map.) We are going to steam our way through writing a successful book.
If you are going to participate, leave a comment. Until the linky list is both live and portable, the A to Z 2013 page will serve as a jumping off point for readers. I am hoping the randomizer will be ready before the end of April this year.
If you have not signed up, click the A to Z in the right side bar for the list. Only one more week to sign up.
Closeness
You say some of the most amazing things. The M3 Readers are 100% why I do this. We had fun naming fractals on Wednesday (ish). We had a great time talking about and finding Inner Child on Thursday. You connected with me on Friday on Made Red.
What I enjoy most about our discussions is how you take the time to read and respond to what others have to say. You just rock.
My names for this week’s fractals:
- Irish Throwing Star
- Golf Pants
- Sunflower Spiral
- Peacock Orbit
- Couples’ Skate
Right Turn, Clyde!
Nearly all of The M3 Readers know I think People Suck. If you do not, click. It opens in another tab. We will wait.
What has Clyde’s crank turned all the way left are people who suck. In specific, people who encourage indiscriminate breeding. Feel free to pick a species.
Over the last year, you have gotten glimpses of Beau (associate editor at RedmundPro) as he has grown into an adult. Weighing in at a full five pounds, he is as big as he is going to get. He was a rescue from the starve list at a puppy mill.
Thursday, Little V was fraternizing with a litter of ten puppies. With a sufficient amount of coaching, she was able to appropriately ask for a puppy from the litter. Regardless of how many daggers my eyes threw at the person in possession of said puppies, I was moved by one myself. Meet Bacchus.
Nothing special. Just another dog. A tag-wagging, yipping, licking, puppy-breath-breathing wad of fur. Another one to be in love with Man Cub. So what?
Like most of the dogs which come into my life, he has a story. He had a ringworm on his face. He has dermatitis from not-so-ideal living conditions. He has worms. His mother is invisidog. His father is undoubtedly super dog (able to sire pups and disappear). I know only what his physical characteristics and siblings could tell me while I had them to compare.
He is a descendant of a Rottweiler of considerable size. Somewhere along the way, a boxer was introduced into the bloodline, who may or may not have been dating a bulldog. Just a few litters back, a buff Chow Chow made an appearance. He is a sorrel with black makeup, a black mouth and striped tongue, a white blaze, a few white toes and a white goatee. He is cute and will be huge.
Yes, I know. I am a sucker. But not this kind…
Again?
Oh, right, what makes him special. He is currently an only child. His nine litter mates proceeded to the shelter. Those who work at the shelter made the call not to keep them… Sit down… because they had ringworm.
If my eyebrow had gone any higher, it would have met my scalp. Rather than spend $3 on the cure for ringworm and spend the time to make the little dogs suitable for adoption, it makes more sense to exterminate them at $8 per injection plus the veterinarian visit.
Enter Ape
Before you waste all of your ire on the shelter, think about the real problem here: Indiscriminate breeding.
Ten puppies are a lot of mouths to feed. These puppies were reported as dumped. It is not rocket science to figure out they were not dumped into a fenced yard. While the dam was nowhere to be seen, there is more than probable cause to believe she was enjoying the air conditioning. No? Let’s look closely.
1. Knows what the food bowl is, how to use it and where to look for it.
2. Made no effort to fight the collar.
3. Is about two weeks (or one large bag of puppy chow) from whelping age.
4. Is teething… on chairs.
5. Is curious about everything and the champion against packing paper… almost.
Unless you are willing to raise all of the litter, do not breed your dog. It is not an accident. Dogs do not practice the rhythm method. They do not forget their birth control pills and do not have opposable thumbs to apply condoms.
So, when you pick out the doggie in the window (at the shelter), do the rest of the world a favor by spaying or neutering your dog. If all you can handle is one dog, be sure you only have one dog. It is cheaper to get your dog (and/or cat) fixed when it comes into heat the first time than it is to wait until pregnancy. Save money by not overpopulating your own house or someone else’s or a shelter.
What? Orangs prefer cats.
Until next time,
How do we get this message out to younger owners? Name a reason why people believe the myth spay/neuter reduces a pet’s life enjoyment. Will you help get this message out?
Hashtags: #rescue #pets
Thank you for sharing The M3 Blog with hashtags.
Bo Lumpkin
/ March 23, 2013I love Bacchus. I hope he is as much fun as Molly, but less trouble.
Bo Lumpkin recently posted..Low Life Dreams
Red
/ March 24, 2013He will be… as soon as he quits teeth on my dinette!
laurie
/ March 23, 2013Tell me again why the number to the shelter is not posted so I can call and give them a piece of my mind? That has to be the most ridiculous, idiotic, air headed, dumb ass thing I’ve ever heard.
I must be the biggest sucker of all, abandoned animals past the adoption cute phase that have gotten dumped off near my house, I take in.
Red
/ March 24, 2013Only because I hate them enough to be telling everyone here… with the checkbooks. Welcome to the Sucker’s Club.
BuddhaKat
/ March 24, 2013STANDING OVATION!!!
🙂
BuddhaKat recently posted..F.R.A.C.T.A.L.S.
Carl D'Agostino
/ March 23, 2013O how I miss my long ago gone yellow lab. She was a real I love my daddy type. No more. Never again. In pet free condo now anyway. Sheesh, the vets charge more than my cardiologist.
Red
/ March 24, 2013Yes, they do.
RLB
/ March 24, 2013I know exactly how you feel, Carl. I have several beefs w/ vets, cost being only 1 of them; but the true reason our house is pet free after years and years of loving them and doing foster work for our local cat rescue, losing so many, especially Charlie the Circus Cat, took what was left of my heart and left an unbearable hole.
Noeleen
/ March 23, 2013What a rundown of your week!!
I just do not know where you get your energy from.
I can’t believe how many computer gremlins you experience, but true, you are OUT THERE. Good for you know how to fix!
Cheers, Red 🙂
Noeleen recently posted..A perpetual anti-climax, actually
Red
/ March 24, 2013There are loads of things I know about not only the programming but also the hardware. That was what I was helping fix this week. I keep telling you, Noeleen… Schedule. xxx
Deb
/ March 23, 2013Bacchus is a great looking dog, and I bet he’ll be a lot of fun!
xxx
Deb recently posted..Mitch’s New Shadow
Red
/ March 24, 2013Today, it is rainy and vile, so he is learning to fetch indoors. xxx
Deb
/ March 24, 2013Learning to fetch indoors is great. Maybe he could learn to fetch your slippers.
Rainy here too…dark and dreary.
xxx
Deb recently posted..Mitch’s New Shadow
Red
/ March 24, 2013He loves my slippers. Every time I slip my feet out of one, he snuggles in it. 😉 xxx
Deb
/ March 25, 2013Sounds like a great time to take a picture. 🙂
xxx
Deb recently posted..Mitch’s New Shadow
Red
/ March 25, 2013I am going to have to catch him napping in one of them. Now he has discovered the children’s room, he spends a bit less time at my feet and more in the bed! xxx
C. Brown
/ March 23, 2013I do wish all wanna be (and current) pet people had to go through you before getting a pet.
Bacchus is adorable. He looks good with you. 🙂
C. Brown recently posted..Stagnant Maturity
Red
/ March 24, 2013My late husband could not get over it. When Cash’s litter mates were still here, a couple came to look at the last four dogs. The woman wanted Cash. I was blunt; she was my dog. The man waffled around, unsure. They went back and forth and made the listless decision to take one of the long-haired black ones. I said, “He is spoken for. Have a nice day.” Russell was mortified I would throw out someone who had come to adopt. I told him, if they show no more interest than that, not even stooping down to touch the animal, they will never show a dog enough love and attention.” xxx
RLB
/ March 24, 2013It’s not just the people who think they want a pet but have no clue what to do with one. It’s those who breed them to sell, often for fighting, or end up with strays they can’t afford to neuter, but can afford to feed for months or years while letting them roam the neighborhood and procreate.
MJ Logan
/ March 23, 2013Oh yeah I know all about puppies that teeth on dining room chairs. \O.O/
Fun fun fun.
MJ
MJ Logan recently posted..Of Dogs, Boats, and Muskies
Red
/ March 24, 2013I am going to have to replace the cross member on the chair he is sleeping beneath… o.O
Binky
/ March 23, 2013Another family member?! Bacchus does look adorable, and very hard to resist. I’m sure he will have a great life with you and your gang.
Binky recently posted..Grocery Shopping With Wombies
Red
/ March 24, 2013Two nights in the kennel. Last night, in the bed with the children and Beau. No, he is going to hate it here.
Alexandra Heep
/ March 24, 2013Yes, I a participating in the A-Z Challenge. Now, why is my info back to the Blogger stuff instead of what I updated it to?
Alexandra Heep recently posted..I Write Like … H.P. Lovecraft?
Red
/ March 24, 2013You need to use your other email address.
prenin
/ March 24, 2013Nice to see you got a rescue pup! 🙂
I’m mad as hell about the others, but what can I do? 🙁
Unfortunately there are too many others who breed indiscriminately – Tracy was just one such and her female friends tried to get me to give them £20 so that they could buy one of her pups rather than pay for one themselves!
If they can’t afford to buy one, then they sure as hell can’t afford to feed one, or take care of its vets bills!!! 🙁
Love and hugs to you and Bacchus! 🙂
Prenin.
prenin recently posted..Saturday – Snow day.
Red
/ March 24, 2013True. Selling puppies is just stupid in the first place. To my mind, if you are selling them, you had them for the wrong reason. If you cannot come up with £20, you certainly cannot afford the care. Just food for these three is half again more than that… Then, there are supplements, shots, parasite control, recreation…