Gig 'Em Aggies

Well, tonight's the big game. The Texas A&M vs. Cal. The Ags are underdogs, which doesn't surprise me. I think that it should be a good game, and a close one at that. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the Aggies by 3.

I managed to get 20 tickets to the Rangers for Christmas this year! Yippppeeee! I got 10 from my parents, and 10 from Bubba. Annie thanks you too.

Dr. Toes and I are going to the Cotton Bowl this year. I'm pretty excited, because I haven't been to a Bowl game before.

I don't have a lot of profound things to say today. Sorry for the lack of posting as of late, but I've been a tad preoccupied with other things.

Keep on keepin' on.

Merry Christmas

Breaking news, although it's a day late, Annie and I have gotten back together. You know, I really love roller coasters, but this ride sucked.

I hope that all of you have a Merry Christmas! I hope that all of you have a great time with your friends and family.

It's gonna be a pretty small gathering @ mi padres house tomorrow (Dad, Mom, Me, Kewa, Bubba, his Girlfriend, and her Daughter).

Bubba and I are gonna take his enduro (sp?) bike out tomorrow. He's had it for over a year now, and he just now got it running. He's never even really ridden it.

I hope that we have fun. I was just getting my helmet all ready for the endeavor.

Well, Merry Christmas. Keep on keepin' on.

It's Been A Hard Few Days, With More To Come

Annie and I broke up yesterday. I'm dealing with it now, and I really don't feel much like typing. Sorry to my 2-3 readers out there. :)

If you read this Annie, I wish you nothing but good things.

As the old song said, "Breaking up is hard to do."

No kidding.

Keep on keepin' on.

A Break II

We are still on a break, and this sucks. These situations are so hard.

So, understandably, I really don't have a lot to talk about lately. Basically, my life is on "hold" until I can decide what the best decision is.

On one hand there's this........and on the other hand there is this........

It would be a lot easier if I didn't love her so much.

So I bang my head against the wall. Over and over.

Keep on keepin' on.

A Break

Well, Annie and I are on a "break."

The details really don't matter that much, because why does one couple fight versus another couple? It's all really the same: differences between men and women, and the way that each person views things. Men want to "fix" things, and women want to "talk" about them and share their emotions, thereby each sex tries to further their bonding. But when these two points of view clash, it's no bueno.

And besides, any details of the cause of the "break" are pretty boring, so sharing them for the world to see really doesn't help anybody. It's the same type of stuff that couples face all the time. There was no yelling, screaming, curse words, or anything close to that, so it's not a very good story anyway.

So, now I have the holidays to "think", I guess. Probably not the best time to do that, do you think?

But I have been thinking a lot about compatibility today. What makes one couple mesh well, and another mesh OK?

I actually had a real conversation with my dad today. If you know him, you realize how rare that is, since he does about 99% of the talking during any given interaction. But this morning was a very good talk with him. I have to keep these close, since Dad and I have only had a handful of "real" conversations, where I get to state my point of view on a given topic.

I actually got to know him on a much more personal level. Think about your own relationship with your dad. Most of the time it's on a Father/Son level. Even at my age (31) it's still pretty much that way. But once in a while, you expand on those roles, and branch out into something a little more. Like a friendship. Well, today, I started to see my dad in a different light. As a person.

That may sound funny, but it takes a while to realize that fact, and that he's not just "Dad," but he has feelings too. I asked Dad about when he was dating Mom, and I learned a lot about him from that. It was pretty cool.

So that makes today pretty bittersweet, and isn't that the way most things are anyway? I gained a new respect for my dad, which fills a hole, and I lost Annie, which creates one.

Fill one, make one. Make a new friend, lose a friend. Get a new job, lose the old job. Move to a new house, lost the old one. Gain something from you dad, lose something from your girlfriend.

So, I guess I'll have to just follow my motto for this blog: Keep on keepin' on.

And may God bless you.

P.S. I fully realize that this post isn't at all funny. So don't count this one against me. A brotha can only do so much.

Am I Funny?

I'd like to place a poll on my sense of humor:

Am I funny?

Those of you that know me can email me your answer. If you don't.....Post a comment.

Cuz I think that my posts of the last few months haven't been humorous. I'm trying to figure out what my new "theme" should be for this blog, since I dang sure ain't writing about poker anymore.

Hmmmm

I just looked at the stats of my blog, to see who has been reading my shiznit, and I found out that someone found my blog by searching for "bastage definition."

I'm not sure this is something to brag about.

Although I do use the word "bastage" to take the place of the word "bastard," because I really don't want to curse on this here blog. Sensitive eyes may be reading this.

Keep on keepin' on.

But They Are Just Here To Work

Well, for any of you that have been hit with identity theft, this story has to make you feel a little better (the one about the meat packing pant raids). In fact, Annie's sister was wrongfully served papers for possessions of a controled substance, as a result of identity theft. As any of you have read this blog have heard, mine was sort of stolen when I got a grand total of about $3300 stolen from my Neteller account and bank account. It's not fun.

Here's the link to the story

The ILLEGAL immigrants were arrested on charges of suspected of buying or stealing other people's identities to secure U.S. jobs. The story said that there are probably hundreds of victims of identity theft.

"But they are just here to work." Whatever. Unless you've had you identity stolen, you can't really appreciate how big of a pain in the arse all of this is.

Nice.

Keep on keepin' on.

I'm Ready For Some Baseball

Well, since Andy Pettitte is a freakin' traitor, going back to the team that scoffed him, the Astros made a trade to try to fill his spot in the rotation. The Rangers are also busy this offseason, signing Kenny Lofton (why on earth they did that is beyond me.)

I really hope that the Texas teams can do something this year. I'd sure like one of them to make the playoffs. I seriously doubt that the Rangers are going to, so that puts a lot of pressure on the H-town Boys. I think that it's gonna be a "rebuilding" year for the Astros though, since they are going to have to pretty much redo their entire starting pitching rotation this year, especially since it's very unlikely that The Rocket will re-sign with them.

Cameltoes left today for Oregon again. So I get to have all 4 of the puppies to myself. Not that 2 Great Danes, a Golden Retriever, and an Australian Shepherd are "puppies." Mars and the Big Penis are pretty dang funny, and I love them, so it will be another fun 10 days or so with just me and the pups.

I fired up the Xbox for the first time since I moved back to Ft. Worth. Much to my dismay, it didn't work. And this is the 2nd Xbox that I've had (the first one was destroyed by a misplaced urine stream by Big R, but that's a story for a different day.)

Gotta get back to "An Unfinished Life", since Annie is off of the phone. Good flick so far, especially since I love these types of movies.

Keep Hope Alive. And Keep On Keepin' On. And Stay Black. And Keep Pimpin'. And Keep On Striving To Keep Da Man From Bringing Ya Down.

Peace.

Yeah Pakistan

I just heard that Pakistan just passed a monumental law recently. Here it is in a nutshell.

The new law changes the number of male witnesses a woman needs to prove that she was raped from 4 to 3. So, now it only takes 3 male witnesses to the act of a woman being raped to cause the person to be found guilty.

Profound.

And when exactly are there gonna be 4, much less 3, male witnesses to a rape? And if there are that many witnesses, what in the hell are they doing there anyway?

It boggles the mind.

Oh. And there were thousands of Muslims protesting the new law in the streets. Wow.

Don't let members of this "peaceful" religion fool you. At least those who advocate Sharia Law, jihad, and other assorted fun stuff (Like cutting off your head for being a Christian. Or being stoned to death for adultery. Or having your hand cut off for robbery. You know, fun stuff like that.).

So, you know, that about sums it up.

Keep on keepin' on.

Happiness.

I just bought Dennis Prager's book, "Happiness is a Serious Problem." Here is something very interesting that I just read.

"People compare themselves with anyone they think is happier. In fact, the less we know about the people with whom we compare ourselves, the more dramatic the difference in assumed happiness. In the words of Helen Telushkin...,"The only happy people I know are people I don't know well."

If all of us realized that the people with whom we negatively compare our happiness are plagued by pains and demons of which we know little or nothing, we would stop comparing our happiness with others'."

I think that his conclusions are pretty profound. The closer you are to somebody, the more you know about them. And the more that you know about them, the more that you realize that they have their own problems too. Looking at a movie star, for example, you only see the most outward appearances, so you assume that since they have "everything," that they must be happy. I would have to say that 99% of the time, it's quite the opposite.

Keep on keepin' on.

Dr. Toes Responds To The Pit Bull Controversy

Here is Cameltoes' response to the Pit Bull ordeal. The original post is in the "comment" section, but I thought that I'd put it out here for easier reading. Here it is:

"Ok.. so I went to the website that Pitbullspit left for you, which is run
by Karen Delise, LVT - and I found this quote:

"It is important to emphasize that the breed of dog is never the sole determining factor in a fatal dog attack. A fatal attack is always the culmination of past and present events that include: inherited and learned behaviors, genetics, breeding, socialization, function of the dog, physical condition and size of dog, reproductive status of dog, individual temperament, environmental stresses, owner responsibility, victim behavior, victim size and physical condition, timing and misfortune."

And from this they state that the breed is never the "sole" determining factor. Which I agree, but it does play a big role in it.. Because as the quote continues it
will discuss the other reasons that may lay behind the attack, and look.. what's
this.. the dogs functional purpose.. Hmmm what's the functional purpose of a pit???

Ohhh wait.. NEWSFLASH - Serena Williams pitbull just bit her security
guard. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2006/12/04/1204williams.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=17

Back to the subject.. Another reason listed is inherited behaviors.. which we remind
you is different than learned behaviors.. So when they are born "some" of these
dogs are set for a course of disaster.. You and I know it, along with a hundred
other DVM's, that sometimes you get a 8 week old puppy that is the spawn of
Satan.. Sure you can try to change the behavior, but 50% of the time these dogs
remain as a caution for their entire life.I believe strongly that people should
own a pitbull only with a permit, and after going through an educational course.
All dogs should be registered and breedings limited to the best temperaments and
best socialization groups. I love the breed and have rescued many from neglect
and abandonment.. I know they can be wonderful with kids.. but not all of
them.

NEWSFLASH - Pitbull killed in drug raid!!! Now what is a pitbull doing at a
meth lab????

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/16147923.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

I agree with Dr. DD completely on the matter of the dogs intensity when its bite,
and its ability to do some of the greatest damage out of all other breeds..
Yes.. I feel Chihuahuas are a nasty breed, often time due to the way they are
raised, but even if I get bit, I know it will hurt like hell, but I am not going
to lose a finger, let a lone and arm, face, or my life..

NEWSFLASH - money raised
for 2yr old girl after being attacked by pitbull.. http://news.yahoo.com/s/wrtv/20061203/lo_wrtv/10451269

Don't get me wrong.. I enjoy the breed and often feel very comfortable around them in the exam rooms of day hospitals and the emergency clinics.. More comfortable than a lot of other breeds.. But I do feel in the wrong hands, they are a huge risk.. I
think people should have permits to own them, all dogs should be registered,
permits to breed them, and all others heavily fined, and animals seized.. Any
attacks secondary to an owner without a permit is jail time, and any attack with
an owner with a permit is euthanasia of the animal, loss of permit, and of
course a nice court case... This is my two cents..Dr. C Toes

I hope that you enjoyed my essay on Pit Bulls. I feel that I made my points very clear, and I tried my best to be fair and honest. I really hope that the dude that wrote the comment will read my response, and post a response to my response (does that make sense?).

Today Dr. Toes and I work at clinics that are about 2 miles away from each other. So we did what every tree-hugging liberal would do......we car-pooled. It was pretty nice actually being able to use the HOV lane for once and wave good-bye to all of the single passenger vehicles. I managed to only be 10 minutes late too. Freakin' Monday traffic.

I love the clinic that I'm working at today. Why is that? It's because the number of animals I see here is very, very minimal. Although, today is a little different matter. I am in the process of trying to get a patient to a specialist. And it's a huge headache!

After my previous two brilliant posts, I'm about spent.

Keep on keepin' on.

Response To A Reader's Comment

Apparently, I have more than 2 or 3 readers on this here blog. I am going to respond to a comment the "pitbullspit" made about my blog titled "Sorry." I don't think that "pitbullspit" is ever going to read this, but here goes.

Here is pitbullspit's comment:

"Get some more education or awareness on the matter before you choose to add to the negative image the pit bull is already a victim of. I would guess your logic is that we should just get rid of all these dogs. Well when there are no more pit bulls to blame which breed will you choose next to eradicate?"

Here is my response:

I didn't even say that anything should be done, much less say that the breed should be eliminated. As for me getting "more education or awareness," I don't even know what that means. I am "aware" of the fact the Pits continually kill people. I also put about 90% of the blame on the owners of those dogs.

I have also spent plenty of time working at different animal shelters, and I can say, that of all of the animals that are under rabies quarantine there for biting somebody, Pit Bulls have a pretty high representation. And of those dogs, the Pits are the ones most likely to attack me there, from the other side of the cage.

In other words, Pit Bulls are pretty likely to bite somebody, and when they do, the dogs are more likely to be pretty dang aggressive. They are also more likely to kill you.

I realize the Labs and Lab mixes are also very high on the human bite incident list. There are two big reasons for that.

1) Many, many dogs, are labeled "Lab mix." It's a standard identification to give a dog when you aren't sure of what the breed is, but it "kinda" looks like a Lab.

2) There are a lot of Labs and Lab mixes running around here, much more than the number of Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes. I don't have any data to back that up, but in my experience, that is the case (And I am a veterinarian that has worked in dozens of practices all over the state. And at all types of practices catering to both rich and the poor.) So, I think that my conclusion is pretty valid.

As far as my "education", I believe that me actually being a veterinarian that has treated hundreds, if not thousands, of Pit Bulls, gives me a pretty good "education" on the behavior of Pits. As I said, I have had only a handful of Pits that have been a problem for me in the clinic (i.e. they are very aggressive and had to be muzzled).

That being said, Pits attack in a completely unique manner. When they attack, most of the time, if not all of the time, it takes numerous attempts to get the Pit to stop. Most dogs, after being hit once, will stop their attack. Not Pits. They are trying to kill. Or seriously injure. Just look at the reports of witnesses describing the attacks of Pits. Pits just don't stop their attack.

The biggest problem with the Pit Bull is that it is a "machismo" issue. Most people that own these dogs have them to look "badass." It's all about image. Before the Pits became popular, it was the Chow. Now, the Rott, Chow, and Pit Bull are all "Hey look at me, I'm a badass mofo because I have this dog."

Why on earth do drug dealers, gang bangers, criminals, etc own Pits? Is it because of the Pit Bull's striking personality and good looks?

No. It's because of the image that the dog portrays. And the meaner the dog, the better. And the owners of these dogs (the "badass" owners) tend to mistreat these dogs to make them meaner.*

So who are we fooling here? Do I think that Pit Bulls are bad dogs? Yes and no. I think that raised right, they will most likely be fine, and never hurt a flea.

But the problem is that they are killing people, and the vast majority of the people that own them, have them for the "image" that the dog portrays. And I'm not saying most of the owners of Pit Bulls are criminals either, so don't even think that I'm saying that for a second.

I am saying that almost 100% of the people that own a Pit Bull is for the image. Period. Not because of their personality. Not because of their striking good looks.

If you want personality and good looks, get a Golden Retriever. Or a Boston Terrier. Or an Irish Setter. Or an Old English Sheepdog. Or a Great Dane. Or a Maltese. Or a Lhasa Apso. Or a Newfoundland. Or a Norfolk Terrier. Or a West Highland White. Or a........

I do think that the owners of these dogs need to be held accountable for the actions of their dogs. Just like parents are responsible for the actions of their children.

If your dog kills somebody, you go to jail. For a long time.

If your dog rips a child's face off, you go to jail. For a long time.

If your dog rips off a 2 year old kid's arm, you go to jail. For a long time.

I think that Pits should have to be registered, in a similar manner to a gun, because we all know that a lot of these dogs are being used as weapons against people and other dogs, either intentionally or unintentionally.

I think that after a few people end up in jail because their "friendly" dog killed somebody, then the number of Pit Bulls in the country will start decreasing pretty dang rapidly.

Keep on keepin' on.


Footnote:
* I am in no way saying that all owners of Pits mistreat their dogs. So don't even go there.

I Can't Believe It's Almost Over

Can you believe that the College Football season is almost over? It seems like it just started. And that the beloved Texas A&M Aggies were a mere 3 plays from being undefeated, and probably going to the National Championship game? How sickening is that?

Hold on........I just might vomit.

False alarm

Chief Pounds on Toes and I watched the Big 12 Championship game last night. I'll preface this by saying that I've been a Husker fan all of my life, and I really wanted them to beat the hell outta OU. But to no avail. They played like crap, and handed the game over to the Sooners.

Oh well. At least it wasn't t.u. in the Championship. WHOOP!!!


It's a bit chilly this morning, a brisk 32 degrees. I just let my dogs back inside, from their brief adventure outside, and boy are they excited! Daisy loves it outside. And she especially loves the cold weather.

I've realized something lately. I can learn a lot from my dog Daisy. She's a Golden Retriever, with an especially sweet disposition. She ain't the sharpest tack in the box, but she tries. But here's what I've taken from her.

She loves life. Absolutely loves it. It doesn't matter what's going on, or what the weather is like, or what mood I'm in, or if any of the other dogs want to play with her. In her mind, it's always a sunny day outside, with today being the best day of her life. She doesn't have a care in the world. All she needs is......well......any object, and she's on Cloud 9. She doesn't even chew on it. She just holds it in her mouth and is..........happy.

I am realizing that I need to work on that mindset, because happiness is literally a state of mind. Nobody can take away your happiness, unless you let them. Sure, everybody gets hacked off sometimes.

But what good does it do to be pissed off for longer than a few seconds (if at all) at that idiot driver that just cut you off? He/She doesn't care that you are mad. In fact, they don't even know that you are mad. You aren't hurting them, or getting revenge, at all by being mad. Think about it.

So whether it's raining and cold, or sunny and warm, I'm gonna try very hard to be like Daisy: happy.

And as my favorite talk radio host Dennis Prager says, "It's our moral duty to be, or at least act, happy." Think how much better your work environment would be if everybody, at a minimum, at least acted happy.

Keep on keepin' on.

Sorry

I've been pretty MIA lately, as you could probably tell by my serious lack of posting on this here blog.

Last night, Annie and I went to the Mavericks game. It was a pretty big blowout as the Mavs won their 12th straight game in a row. They handed the Sacramento Kings a pretty big ole Texas ass-whooping. The Mavs look pretty dang good this year again. I think that they should be able to at least make it to the Finals, if not outright win it. But then again, I'm no NBA expert, in any shape or form.

I just looked at a puppy who is boarding here. The owner has 2 dogs (a Pit Bull and a German Shepherd mix), and they were both kept in the same run overnight (which is standard for dogs that are from the same household). Well, the Pit decided it wanted to eath the puppy, and now it has about 4 puncture wounds on the side of his face. Poor puppy. I've started the puppy on antibiotics, and we are now separating the 2 dogs. Dam Pits.

Oh, I know, they are sweet dogs. Blah, blah, blah. "But they are so sweet to my kids." "My Pit loves me." Blah, blah, blah. They are a dangerous breed. I say this having only seen 1 or 2 Pits, out of the hundreds I have treated, that have been outright mean. They are friendly dogs. They just like to kill people. Kind of a bad thing, don't you think?

Yeah, yeah. I know other breed of dogs bite and kill people, but not like Pits do. Pits simply won't stop their attack once they get started. Something has to be done about this.

Sorry for the rant there, but it just hacks me off.

I'd better get going. I've got more puppies to save.

Keep on keepin' on.