Guest deleted156886133 Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 @Karna5 Yeah, certain parts of Detroit were notoriously rough in those days. It's no surprise that the cops were desensitized and I imagine a large portion of it's population were as well. I won't mention where I am, but I worry here and am always vigilant when I'm out and about to remain aware of my surroundings. I abhor that!. I'm getting too old for this shite and just need to relax. I'm an avid cyclist still, well into my 50s. About two weeks ago I was riding by an active drug dealing spot. A whole gang of people, 15-20, were on the sidewalk and steps of a vacant building, dealers and addicts alike. Some punk kid shot me twice with what I assumed was either paint balls that didn't explode on impact or a sandbag gun. The kid hit me once in the side and another to the helmet. I was shocked at first and almost turned back to go confront the bastard. But I thought wise to keep riding given the size of the crowd. It was only another block to my place. Besides, I'm unarmed, unfortunately. After I got home, a funny thought occurred to me about that foolish kid who just shot me. He's going to shoot someone with his toy and that person is going to turn right around and show him what a real firearm can do. Sooner or later, you meet your match. That made me smile. I hear gunshots here all the time. Some elderly man was nearly beaten to death right outside my building a few years ago. I still remember seeing the congealed pool of blood on the sidewalk for days afterward. And it's not just my neighborhood. It's happening in neighborhoods all across the country. Rural, urban and suburban alike. There's something really wrong with today's society. It's sick. Anyways, weren't we talking about dogs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyYou Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 The problem being, simply releasing all those former food animals, 90% of them would die off the first winter, without man helping them to survive, treating their illnesses, keeping the predators at bay, etc. The various predators would have a heyday, for a season or three, maybe even a couple years.... but then, food supplies would have dried up, and they would be right back to where we are today. Of course, the climate would like it... a lot less methane being released into the atmosphere.... but, what about the crop farmers? A HUGE source of natural fertilizer just disappeared... she we resort back to *gasp* CHEMICAL fertilizers???? Heaven forfend!!! I have the ultimate faith in humanity to screw up even the simplest of tasks.... This would be no different. We would destroy several long standing industries, put thousands out of work, trash our diets, and quite likely significantly reduce our population due to various vitamin deficiencies, and the consequent health issues that come with them. The road to hell is paved with the best of intentions. Nope. I am going to love my dogs, and share my tasty burgers with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyYou Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 I lived in Columbus Ohio for a while back in the early 80's.... We had an apartment near the airport... (so near, we joked about skid marks on the roof of the building....) We hadn't been there for more than a few days, I was in the kitchen washing up dinner dishes, and heard gunshots. Quite a few of them..... but, since I had lived an Urban area most of my life, it didn't seem unusual.... Then I remembered I was living in the middle of a large city.... and it became a bit more concerning..... Then there was the guy walking down the sidewalk, with what was obviously a rifle, wrapped in a jacket..... as we passed each other, he asked me "Does this look like a gun to you?" Yep. Sure does...... And we had the 'crazy vietnam vet' living in one building, and the drug dealer in another.... We were constantly hearing about how the drug dealer threatened the 'nam vet, and the vet just shot the dealer. (in the keester, with bird shot.....) They were both still around when we moved out.... and I was never happier to leave a location...... We didn't have our dog there. Just not a good place for her. She came with us when I was stationed at K. I. Sawyer AFB in the upper peninsula though. She LOVED it up there. Except for winters. Just like the rest of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karna5 Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 10 minutes ago, HeyYou said: She LOVED it up there. Except for winters. Oh I wonder if that's why dogs are so rare where I've lived most of my life. Winters hit -6F to -18F yearly (up to -27C), and that's lethal within minutes. Not many feral cats can survive that (but some do), and I imagine dogs are the same. I bet a lot of breeds of dog just can't handle that kind of weather. But with regard to overpopulation and good intentions, it's apples and oranges. The point of not eating animals if you have a viable alternative is to avoid murder. When a cat eats a mouse, it's not murder. It's sad, but it's natural. When a human has a choice, well, you get the idea. Nobody would simply release millions of cows into the environment. There isn't enough land for them to free range anymore (perhaps 200+ years ago there was). But they could get phased out easily. It's a similar principle to TNR. You don't just murder feral cats. You neuter them, and the population diminishes naturally over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deleted156886133 Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 12 minutes ago, HeyYou said: The problem being, simply releasing all those former food animals, 90% of them would die off the first winter, without man helping them to survive, treating their illnesses, keeping the predators at bay, etc. Yeah, I know. It's severely flawed. I didn't consider even half the variables, didn't even try. Just trying to demonstrate a couple of points with ridiculous scenarios. Things are the way they are for a reason and even if the world changed it's stance 180 degrees on meat consumption, we'd still have something to complain about. Some people thrive off of it, I believe. They just live to complain. And also to point out why Americans love dogs so damned much. I had a cheeseburger last night so here's to you and yours enjoying your burgers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karna5 Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 1 minute ago, UsernameWithA9 said: I had a cheeseburger last night so here's to you and yours enjoying your burgers. I'm very happy for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deleted156886133 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 On a whim, I was going to post about weird and unusual dog breeds. As it turns out, there are a lot. So, I'm not going to do that. What I will do is tell you about a dog I used to know. Her name was Lindsey and she was a Catahoula Leopard Dog, one of the unusual breeds from the list. She was also one of the most even tempered dogs I've ever met, the very definition of the phrase cool demeanor. Being prized by Native Americans for their exceptional hunting abilities, the breed has strong ties to the States. It's named after the Catahoula Parish in Louisiana and is the state dog. Here's a stock photo of the breed. Which, as it turns out, looks similar to Lindsey: She had such a graceful way of moving, so lithely, it was fascinating to watch. The connection to the breed's greyhound lineage is obvious. I can see how that attribute would allow them to excel at hunting. Not to mention she was stunningly beautiful. Their eye color varies from blue, brown, green, or amber. She had the blue. I've lost touch with her owner, unfortunately. I miss that dog and hope she and her owner are well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienSlof Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 They're lovely looking dogs, but never seen one in the flesh here in the UK. I love blue eyes on dogs - or odd eyes! Probably the rarest dogs I've seen while out and about were a clumber spaniel (now an endangered breed of british gundog and the biggest of the spaniels) and a wire-haired french bulldog (who is an absolute little sweetie and my dog loves him to bits!). He has such a funny, fuzzy face! I enjoy looking through rare breed lists, my favourite being the Turkish dog breed with a split nose: Tarsus Catalburun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deleted156886133 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 3 hours ago, AlienSlof said: I enjoy looking through rare breed lists, my favourite being the Turkish dog breed with a split nose: Tarsus Catalburun Aside from that honker of a split nose, it favors one of the pointer breeds. The English and German Short-Haired Pointer look very similar. Gorgeous dog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienSlof Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 It is a pointer, yes - sometimes called a Turkish pointer. I just love their funny noses! Apparently their sense of smell is enhanced because of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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