Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[RoadRanger]

We share 98% of our DNA with apes/gorillas.

100% actually as we are apes.

 

[Ken Morgan]

I’m of the lizard heritage I’ll have you know

 

[agedhorse]

There is a lot of power in understanding pack order and knowing when you're being tested...everyone likes to move up. German Shepherds will occasionally deliberately disobey or ignore a command to see if they can get away with it. It is a testing limits and boundaries deal and if you want to remain the alpha, you need to address it as soon as it happens. If you're doing your job well as a handler, simply stopping and giving a look of disappointment is usually enough to immediately bring behavior back in line.

Sadly, I think many people focus on punishment as a training technique and more often than not too late for the dog to even associate the punishment with the event. I use almost entirely positive reinforcement with verbal reprimands/body language indications only when absolutely necessary, and only if the animal really does/should know better. Harsh physical treatment/physical punishment has no place in animal training in my mind. First off it only creates fears/confidence issues leading to behaviors you'll regret later, and secondly I've never seen it be effective or read a book by an accomplished trainer/handler that even hints that it's a successful teaching or correction technique.

Very true, this applies to herd animals as well, but not so much to pride (or colony) animals like cats. Different hierarchy, different mechanisms.

 

[RoadRanger]

Very true, this applies to herd animals as well, but not so much to pride (or colony) animals like cats. Different hierarchy, different mechanisms.

And once you've figured out that Humans are herd animals a lot becomes clear .

 

[Stumbo]

And once you've figured out that Humans are herd animals a lot becomes clear .

^^^^This.

 

[Al Kraft]

Very true, this applies to herd animals as well, but not so much to pride (or colony) animals like cats. Different hierarchy, different mechanisms.

I always feel like cats are laughing at me when they're not just ignoring me...I was clearly meant to work with dogs and not cats. OBTW - your observation gives renewed meaning to that old phrase used to describe impossible tasks, "it's like herding cats".

 

[RoadRanger]

Cats generally think we are too stoopid to understand what they are "saying" - especially as we are physically incapable of speaking "tail" ourselves. One should at least be able to read "tail" and "speak" slow-blink.
... although I do have one cat that can say "hello" .

 

[agedhorse]

Cats generally think we are too stoopid to understand what they are "saying" - especially as we are physically incapable of speaking "tail" ourselves. One should at least be able to read "tail" and "speak" slow-blink.
... although I do have one cat that can say "hello" .

I think there's some truth to this in a large segment of the modern world's population, eh?

 

[Ken Morgan]

Seriously...animals communicate pretty well, considering the lack of much continuity in syntax, structure, etc. Not hard to discern when most any mammal is frightened, hungry, wants affection, whatever, regardless of their environmental development. A cat born to a line that hasn’t been outside acts pretty much the same as one born to feral felines and brought to our environment at an early age.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

We share 98% of our DNA with apes/gorillas.

94% with drummers.

 

[Al Kraft]

94% with drummers.

...and I'm going to assume we are in the 75% or less category when it comes to DNA similarity with lead guitarists.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Hey now

 

[Stumbo]

94% with drummers.

LOL.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

...and I'm going to assume we are in the 75% or less category when it comes to DNA similarity with lead guitarists.

Present company excluded, Ken.

 

[ric426]

...and I'm going to assume we are in the 75% or less category when it comes to DNA similarity with lead guitarists.

I've known some lead guitarists who were pretty "bananas".

 

[ric426]

When it comes to dealing with less intellectually advanced animals (men) , I think a lot of women have an innate understanding of how to control them.

As far as guitarists and drummers being lower life forms, I've played both (not simultaneously), but now I only play bass. Does that mean that I have evolved, a process that normally takes many generations? The movie "Altered States" comes to mind. Or was it a case of, as my mother was so fond of saying, me not living up to my potential?

 

[beans-on-toast]

My wife and I walk down an alley every moring. When the snow is gone and it isn’t raining, the alley has a community of cats, fenced in dogs, birds and squirrels. They all seem to have different personalities. Some ignore you and wander around, others sit on a perch and like to observe.

One day we came across a black and white (like a holstein cow) cat. She has a long body with an even longer tail. I said meow and talked to her. Ever since then, she’s there every morning. Comes up to me, tail wagging, and is very vocal. She relates quite a story. I say a few words and give her a scratch behind the ears. She then goes over to my wife, and starts again, Meow, meow, meow, meow. My wife says a few words and off the cat goes. The next day, she’s waiting.

Very social, like I’ve never seen in an alley cat.

 

[tb4sbp]

Here is a communications deal-y-o that I am sure you have all experienced:
Ever jam with a bunch of friends; guitarist(s), singer(s), drummer and the like, and get to that spot where someone says in general to all 'What do you know how to play?' Usually (IME) its the guitarist that determines the song. If they don't know it everything falls apart. The Drummer, keeps a beat and if some parts are wrong it still sounds good. Singers can make up words or just repeat verses, still sounds good. Bassists/Bass Players/Bass Guitar Players know rhythms, chords, timing, transposing and so on, still sounds good.

Why do you think this is?

 

[beans-on-toast]

If you are doing oldies, a fake book or music book can help.

You can go to itunes or whatever and listen to the song. Most people have a phone that allows them to download the song. So everyone can listen to it.

Othwise, someone says let’s do this one and teaches the basics to the other band members. Usually it starts with a vocal and guitar or piano. The drummer is vocally given a beat. The bass player listens to the overall picture and brings it all together.

 

[Al Kraft]

Maybe it's from decades of working in host bands for open mic nights and having to provide back-up to anyone who wants it, but as long as I can see a guitar players hands (I play guitar myself) and/or someone tells me the key for the song I can usually provide decent accompaniment. It's obviously tougher when there are complex signature bass riffs that I may not be familiar with, but even then I can sometimes quickly learn one on the spot.