sheepdog

So good for you that you realized and appreciated this wonderful womans worth. And what a shame that her own children did not. I suppose it's their loss, and your gain. I suppose many of us don't realize what we have until it is gone, and then of course, it's too late. Her children sadly, someday will probably realize what they had, and they will have to carry the guilt with them for the rest of their lives for having not appreciated her when they could. It was good of you and your family to include her in your own family. I'm sure she deeply appreciated it, considering she didn't get any recognition or love from her own family. At least you were there for her.

Ok, for those of you that voted that guns are ok, but the current process should be changed, just what changes to you think we need? Background checks? In case you aren't aware, the recent school shooter stole the gun he used, (after shooting his mother to get it) so that would of changed nothing. What about limiting the type of firearms? This one isn't going to work either, because it will leave criminals with heavy duty weapons to commit crimes, and law abiding citizens on a very unequal footing to fight back. Really, how much protection can you give your family if you have a single shot 22 and the burgler has a machine gun? If you don't make that one shot count, your pretty much screwed. I am for the record, also very much against registration of any kind for firearms. Because who do you think is going to be the first ones to loose their guns if and when they ever do enact a complete gun ban? And yes, it could happen, history can and does repeat itself, Nazi Germany disarmed it's citizens first if you remember your history.

Funny, no kids in the house here, but your story sounds just like what I am going threw with my new puppy. I can't believe the energy levels this dog has! I get tired just watching her. Her naps, or my rest break however, are when I just open the door and let her outside to burn off some of that energy. Thankfully, we live on an acreage, and away from the highway, so she is quite safe outside on her own, and can really run off some steam, giving me a chance to catch my breath. And just like a kid, she will get into things she isn't supposed to, like the trash cans, and not 5 minutes ago I had a pile of shredded paper to clean up in my bedroon floor. The dangers here come when a child (or puppy) is suddenly introduced into a home where there wasn't one before. Single adults tend to forget how curious children (and puppies) are and how easy it is for them to get into things they shouldn't have, like medicines, trash, guns, electric cords, and all the other household dangers you forget about when you don't have kids around.

Your absolutely right, internet anonymity is a beautiful thing. It's a great thing to be able to speak your feelings, and as they say get things off your chest. This is a common thing for people to do. Before the internet, there used to be as they called them the worlds most undpaid physciatrists, cab drivers and bartenders. It's so easy to spill your guts to someone who you really don't know, and will probably never see again, and who will not hold you accountable or look down on you for your emotional outbursts. However, I would like to add, that perhaps you should think more about your friends. Total strangers are great to unload on, but if you friends are truely friends, you should be able to go to them too with out fear of burdening them with your troubles. Just remember to keep a balance with your friends. Don't always be a bummer and down in spirits when you are with your friends. Share both good times and bad. And be prepared to listen with a sympathetic ear to your friends problems too. It has to work both ways. To put it bluntly, your aunt is a ****. I'm sure you know this. The sad part is she isn't just screwing up her own life, she is ruining it for her poor children too. These poor kids don't stand a snowballs chance in hell of having anything that even resembles a normal life. I feel really bad for them. With no one to look up to as a roll model in their early life it will be a along hard road for them to become responsible adults, but it can happen. I suppose it depends on the moral fiber of those involved. Sadly I suspect every family has a black sheep or someone like your aunt in it. There isn't much of anything you can do about her. Just do your best to lend moral support to your poor cousins. And if the abuse continues or escalates, even if the aunt is violent, something should be done to protect the remaining children in the home. Most child welfare advocates will work with annonomous tips and will not revel your idenity to your aunt, so in the event things do escalate, do not hesitate to turn her in. Those poor kids should not have to suffer like that.

Ok, another question on this same subject matter. How soon does my web site get taken down if I don't have enough hosting credits to pay the months bill? I'm going to be hard pressed to get it done by the seventh or eighth when it comes due. I'm really trying but it's going to be awfully close. Is there any grace period before it comes down or the day it's due its gone if not paid?

Oh absolutly no way should you stick a 2 1/2 year old in any type of public or government run school. Unless you want your children educated in the mindless fashion of a flock of sheep. Public schools cannot be every thing to every one. There are far too many mind sets and things some parents do not want their children exposed to that could not be avoided in a public type education system. At that age a parent should be responsible for what they child is exposed to and not what some mindless beauracrat thinks is good for the childs development. Yes, children can learn at this age, no doubt about that. But what are they going to learn? And sure it's good to be around other children, to learn social skills, but you can do that at a playground or in your neighborhood with other children from like minded parents. Many of a childs life long ingrained habits are learned at a very young age. This is NOT the time to trust the education of your children to others who may or may not hold the same beliefs dear as you do.

Ok, that sounds like a completely logical explaination. I'd bet you as they say, hit the nail on the head. Anyway, it makes good sense to me.

Wow, amazing how so many companies can find so many ways to rip people off. I'm glad you caught it and got your money back. This is just another good reminder of how we should all take the time to take a good look at our monthly credit card statements, and not just throw them down on the desk thinking you'll get back to it later, and then forgetting all about it until it's too late. Not a reservation scam, but I notice on my credit cards I earn these wonderful "bonus Points" or something else they call them. For every dollar you charge you get so many dollars in points. And occasionally they send you an email about all these wonderful products you can readem your points for. For say 10 points they will give you $10 off some product they have marked up 300% to start with so you you will pay for example $90 for a product they claim is worth $100. But if you went to Walmart you could buy the same product for $20. It's a major rip off. I can't believe so many people fall for it, but apparently they do because they keep cranking them out. And they also lure you in with some deals that sound pretty good. There was a gift card you could get for half price at a restuarant that we actually like to go to, but when I tried to get that one, lo and behold, it was sold out! That one really ticked me off. A couple times they had offers on the email, but when you clicked on the link to them you could never find them on the actual web site to sign up and redeam your points for. They just dissapeared. I get so tired of this kind of dishonest garbage.

Ok, this is really a strange topic. I am surprised at how many people are and even admit to being afraid of mascots? Seriously, afraid of people in funny costums? Why on earth would anybody be afraid of something like that? Just seems way to silly to me. There are some phobias that make perfect sense. For example, fear of spiders. I can get that one. Spiders can bite you, and some are very poisonous, they can cause you to die even, or have great hunks of your flesh rot out of your body. So I can see a reason to be afraid of spiders. But seriously, when did Mickey Mouse ever kill anybody?

"It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens. Nice quote, but go tell it to other countries who would see us dead, destroyed, or otherwise wiped off the face of the earth. To all of those nations that believe that their beliefs are the only ones and anyone else who belives differently than they do are to be destroyed. Hard to dish up a big love fest for those parts of the world. I just feel like breaking out in song, "I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony....." And what is wrong with having pride in one's country? Granted the US has it's share of problems, but compared to many other parts of the world it's a pretty darn good place to live. Nothing wroung with learing to live and let live, but only if it works both ways.

Well, as long as we are back now, that's the main thing. Now if I can just get some inspiration going and make some posts. Not easy to do right now.

Ok, I can see a purpose for big dog, but why on earth did our government waste a ton of dollars on developing a robotic squirel?

I've been trying to get in here for 2 days now and kept getting a file not found error page. My hosting credits are down to near zilch, I'm going to be hard pressed to catch up now. And I really don't need any more drama or worries in my life right now.

Sounds like you weathered the storm and did find the right one Velma! Maybe the forced seperations were a blessing in disguise, they made you realize just how much you cared for each other. And oddly, this is the first time I put in writing my own situation. I have thought about it a lot, and how close I came to blowing it off, and have always been greatful I "saw the light" so to speak and gave it a good chance. It's just way too easy to let past experiences color our current lives. Sometime I suppose this is a good thing, but it also can be a danger to our future happyness.

Wow, sounds like you have a fantastic job! Lots of variation and plenty of all new experiences with so many different projects in need of your talents. Welcome to Xisto.

Thanks glad you liked it. You bring up another point, I may of glossed over, remember to consider not only the current size of family, but the possibility of expansion of the family in the future, as often happens with young couples. I don't know how many dogs have lost their happy homes because a couple decided to have a baby and then decided that the dog would no longer fit in the family plan. I've heard all sorts of excuses in this department. The biggest one is that the parents won't have time for the dog when a new baby comes. This may in part be true, surly the demands of a newborn can be tremendous, but with a little common sence and some good planning there is no reason the dog cannot be kept. Another concern of new parents are the sanitary concerns with the dog dragging in dust and dirt and of course dog hair and dander. This is probably the most pathetic excuse for dumping a dog. Studies have proven that children raised from birth with a pet in the home actually have less trouble later in life with allergies and other common ailments. A little exposure when you are young actually helps build your immune system. Some worry a dog might hurt a baby. I have found that most dogs are very respectful and careful around small children. There are exceptions to every rule of course. If a parent worries that a larger dog might knock over a toddler, well, they could, but lets face it, toddlers trip and fall over their own feet. One of my sheepdogs actually taught the owners grandchildren to walk. The babies would pull themselves up with handfulls of his hair and lean against him to walk. The dog would carefully move them around the house balancing against him. Of course, not all dogs are this patient.

Interesting subject. I'm curious as to why creativity in painting and sculpture were not allowed early on, and what changed in later years to allow such things?

Good idea about different browsers, but only problem with that is I've used explorer for all my years on the computer, never used anything else, never even saw anything else, except maybe netscape on someone else's computer. I hate change. Really hate it. Especially with computers. Right now I can do explorer with my eyes closed, know where everything is and how it works. If I changed to some other one, I'd have to take the time to figure it all out again, and that would be a major hassel. I just want to do my thing on the computer, answer my emails, update my web site, visit Knowledgutra and get on with the rest of my life.

You know, it's nice to see someone reading between the lines. Your probably one of the few people who heard from the media that he was a war vetran, and instead of thinking like the media tried to imply that because of his service he was a gun toting killer that you took it as he could have the problem with PTSD.Our vetrans have always seemed to get the short end of the stick. Although things are much better for the boys coming home from the past couple wars, it was the Viet Nam vetrans that really got crapped on. Todays service men come home to happy reunions filmed by the media, parades and all kinds of welcome home celebrations, but when the boys from Nam came home they tried to smuggle them back in in the middle of the night and those that were found getting off the planes had young girls spitting in their faces and calling them baby killers. Things may be better today, but we still have a long way to go to helping our service members return to society. I'm always glad to see organizations like Wounded Warriors helping vets with their numerous problems, from tramatic injuries to problems with PTSD.

Welcome back Spyda! I think I remember seeing your posts too, I've been around quite awhile myself. Thing with me is I don't think I've changed much, I'm still the same old sheepdog. My opinions sure haven't changed much, if anything I'm more contrary and hard headed than ever. Anyway, glad you are back and hope to engage in some conversations soon. I agree, the free hosting here is sure hard to beat!

Actually, it's pretty easy to respond to a very old post and not even realize you've done it until it's too late. Many of the forums have very old posts just a few subject lines down from the top. In some forums, if you removed all the old posts there wouldn't be much of anything left. We really didn't have this problem as bad when I first joined up here, but the last year things have really slowed down and there aren't a lot of new subjects started to join in on. So sometimes you have to rehash old ones when there's nothing else to talk about.

Oh yes, he does sleep. We even have dual remote controls so I don't have to fight him over that. But he watches it all the time when he is inside, and honestly, I get tired of TV pretty quick, so when he sleeps that dang thing gets shut off. Sometimes I have a greater appreciation for peace and quiet than I do for watching television.

Even if I hadn't watched the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on TV the other night, by noon the next day I would of known what breed had won. From the time Wesminster ended that evening till noon the next day I had nearly a dozen inquiries for Affenpinschers. This is WAY out of the ordinary, Affen's aren't a well known or common breed, I normally get less than one inquiry a month for them. But it makes a good topic for a discusion on picking the right pet for your family.So often, when something like a new Westminster Champion, or a Tv Show or even just a television commercial, a particular breed will jump up to the attention of the general public, and everyone will want to run out and get one. This is absolutly the WORST way to choose a pet. But I see this all the time. You know all those people who contacted me following the dog show had not taken the time to reasearch the breed, and since they are quite rare, it's unlikely any of them had any experience with this breed. In the case of the Affenpinscher, it might not make a huge difference, Affen's are pretty good natured little dogs and adapt very well to a wide variety of circumstances. Even an unexperienced dog person could probably do ok with an Affen. But oh dear, I dread the day something like a Komondor wins Westminster! Now there's a disaster waiting to happen! Sure, they are cute little balls of white fluff when they are little, but they grow up to be huge raging killing machines, perfect for living with a herd of goats or sheep, but not in a city full of stupid, lawsuite happy people. The most important thing a person can do before getting a dog is to completely understand the specific charectoristics of the breeds you are interested in. Make sure to take everything into consideration. How much time do you have to spend with your dog, not only training, but grooming and exercising. How athletic are you? Could you run an Irish Wolfhound? (pretty unlikely for the average human) Or do you have a big enough yard the dog could get enough exercise? If you are athletic, do you want a dog to jog with you? Or are you more into niceslow walks? Do you already have other dogs in the home? Not all dogs get along with other dogs. And other non dog pets, like cats and hamsters. A lot of breeds consider these other animals prey, and therefore fair game to chase and snack on. Just how much room do you have in your home? What about people in the house who could have allergies? Just how much hair can you stand to have on your furnature, carpets, clothes, and on every single surface area in your home? If you are a neat freak, you sure better find a breed that does not shed heavily. Just exactly what purpose do you want your dog to fill? Just a buddy to snuggle on the couch and watch TV with you, or do you want someone to go hiking with you, or watch over your home and possesions? You also have to consider your financial situation. It's more than the initial purchase price of the puppy. Some breeds are just very high maintense and are more expensive to keep. Bulldogs for example can have all sorts of ailment and can get you into some serious vet bills. The beauty part of purebred dogs is that there are over 400 recognised pure breeds of dogs. All of these breeds have been bred for many generations to develope very specific traits that are instilled into the breed, not only in size and type, but also in temperment. With plenty of good reasearch you can find a breed that is the exact match for your own circumstances and personality. Just make sure you do your reasearch in depth. Read more than one accounting of a breed you are interested in. Think about the source of the information you are listening to. If you are taking the advice of a friend or even a breeder, remember, if they really like a breed they are going to gloss over any down sides to the breed. Even I can be guilty of this one. I am a huge Schnauzer fan. I find it virtually imposssible to say anything bad about this breed, but I'm sure if you find someone who doesn't like that breed they will certainly be able to tell you plenty of negitive things. While I can't say anything bad about a Schnauzer, there are a couple of other very popular breeds that other people just think are wonderful, that I find to be dumber than dirt. Try to actually meet members of the breed in real life. As many members of the breed as you can. There are always going to be some minor personality differences within each breed. And to finish off, when the last class in Westminster was chosen, the best in show from each of the group winners, I told the hubby that there were only 2 dogs in that last all important class that I could even root for, and usually my favorites are last, but amazingly enough, my 2 favorites won! Affen came in first, and the Old English Sheepdog came in reserve grand champion!

Over 2 weeks now and her addiction is still quite intense. Despite last nights dinner of ham, cream style corn, bisquites and baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream it wan't until I grabbed that bag of donuts that she mobbed me. Boy does she ever have a good memory! And she is so sneaky! She is currently asleep under my computer desk. I can never figure out how she gets under there, I never see her go past me, and she would pretty much have to crawl under my legs to get there. I have to get in gear and start some serious training with her. She can really be a juvinile delinquent sometimes. She is really funny about her choises. For example, at night when it is time to go to bed, all I have to do is tell her to get in her crate, and she practicly shoots herself into it instantly. But when we are outside, taking to her is like talking to a rock. She pays nearly no attention to me whatsoever. Catching her while out is almost impossible. One look at me when I call her and she heads in the othe direction. Oh, she's right under my feet every step I take, I just can't grab her. And she is FAST! We did get a really good laugh out of her yesterday, she likes to bounce on the screen door when you try to ope it to let her out, as it happened, hubby was coming in as I was letting her out and when she lunged at the door it opened and she splatted on the front porch. It could not have been timed more perfectly if it had been done on purpose. She took it in stride though, got up and shot off the porch just like nothing had ever happened.

Yes, that is a big problem with vet medicine today. High, hugly high bills run up when the vet is afraid if he misses something he will get sued. But that does make a big problem for the pet owner on a budget. That is another reason I mentioned the importance of good observation skills when you've decided to take your pet to the vet. Having the knowledge of symptoms can make it easier for the vet to avoid certain unneeded tests. For example, your vet wouldn't really need to take a stool sample if your dog was running a fever, but it it had loose stools the stool sample would probably be the first thing they would do. Another problem comes in when the relibility of the tests can be in question. I just went threw this with a customer. Puppy got sick, vet did a parvo test and it came back positive for parvo. I know for a stone cold fact that the puppy did not have parvo. I have been using Neopar, the worlds best parvo vaccine for many years. It is a very high titer vaccine, far higher than any other vaccine on the market. The problem came in the test because the test relies on the titer level in the pups bloodstream. When you give a high titer vaccine, you will have a high titer level in the puppy, therefore the test will show the puppy positve for parvo. And of course, the other reason I know that it wasn't parvo is that nothing else here has parvo. Parvo is a highly contagous disease, and if it was here I would darn sure know it. I can honestly say I have not had a case of it since I started using Neopar faithfully quite a few years ago. You can have outbreaks using other vaccines, but not Neopar. I do believe there are a lot of times when a vet can't really determine the actual cause of illness, so they tell their clients that it is parvo, simply because parvo is a very serious illness, and in the case of young pups is usually fatal. And it is a common disease, so everyone knows what it is so it's easy to blame any other illness on it. The symptoms of parvo are almost exactly the same as those of a heavy infestation of internal parasites, vomiting, bloody diareah, etc. Sadly, worming the dog with 25 cents worth of wormer is not nearly so profitable for the vet as is the treatment of parvo, with fluid transfusions, antibiotics, antiinflamitories, antivomiting medications, etc.