Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[FFTT]

This morning they say someone from Liberia came into Newark NJ via Brussels.

Unreal.

Worse yet, after all the money spent since 2001, now there's a 12 week backup order on isolation gear.
That puts huge numbers of health workers and first responders and everyone else at risk.

The CDC and the military should have been ready for something like this decades ago.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

On a lighter note, a buddy of mine was at a conference in St Catherines last weekend.

He's an overseas grad student, and the moment the desk clerk at the motel heard his accent, she asked him when he had last been in Nigeria.

He was baffled, because he didn't make the connection to Liberia/Ebola. He was about to launch into a geography lesson about the difference between Nigeria and Ghana, when he realized what she was really asking.

He explained that he was originally from a different part of Africa, and hadn't left Canada in over 5 years. She breathed a huge sigh of relief, and put down the air freshener.

What she thought a can of Glade would have been good for in an Ebola outbreak, we'll never know...

 

[BassmanPaul]

I find that I'm feeling more for the young folk left in Africa who have lost everything. Some are left caring for "my younger ones" with no help in sight. The whole outbreak was miss handled in the extreme. I hope that we as a species have learned a great lesson here. Whether at home or far, far away disease can reach anywhere and must be immediately attacked at its source.

 

[greybeard125]

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..............Saw a report today stating that thousands of vaccines will be ready for shipment to africa in January

 

[Jeff Scott]

I hope that we as a species have learned a great lesson here..

We never do which is why dogs will inherit the planet.

 

[BassmanPaul]

We never do which is why dogs will inherit the planet.

But then the whole world will go to the dogs!!

 

[fnordlyone]

We never do which is why dogs will inherit the planet.

Well, as much as I've loved all my labs thru the years… I'm now nursing Marmaduke, because the Big Boy met another Bigger boy and got his ass kicked! Somewhere, all the rabbits, opossums, garter snakes, ducks?!, and squirrels are praising their "Bob!"
But, no… dogs are not non violent, especially not the Duke. In fact, he'd happily rip the bandages of his face and bleed to death if I let him… all while trying to kill yet another critter… Damn dogs have learned too much from humans, for sure!
peace in the middle east
it is a "State" of mind…
….. seriously, quit killing each other, folks
Fnord!

 

[rust_preacher]

I've been looking into dogs for hunting purpose as well as for companionship. Ican't seem to find a tracing dog that would find shot-down dead birds an bark a raccoon-dog into submission while being friendly with children and the two existing cats we have.

I called one breeder who recommended a Labbie for me. I may just as well succumb to the suggestion, although I have been looking for a bit of more uncommon breeds. I guess I am a "Precision guy" after all.

 

[FFTT]

German Short Hair Pointer & Weimaraner come to mind as alternates to a Lab.

The training comes down to the owner's dedication and patience.

I love Labs, but finding pure problem free dogs is getting quite difficult.
I talked to a CIA dog training specialist and they are paying $2500.00+++ for unproven, but otherwise clean pups.

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..............Saw a report today stating that thousands of vaccines will be ready for shipment to africa in January

Sadly saw a different report on BBC saying 400,000 & higher could be exposes in Africa by Christmas.

 

[will33]

I've been looking into dogs for hunting purpose as well as for companionship. I can't seem to find a tracing dog that would find shot-down dead birds an bark a raccoon-dog into submission while being friendly with children and the two existing cats we have.

I called one breeder who recommended a Labbie for me. I may just as well succumb to the suggestion, although I have been looking for a bit of more uncommon breeds. I guess I am a "Precision guy" after all.

Lab, Golden, or other soft-mouth retrievers. Hunting/water dogs and great with kids, ours were anyway, and with our cats. Trick is raising them together from little on, and training.

 

[fnordlyone]

Of course, the lab is the best all around hunter, fetcher, hugger and protector… Most any retriever will do… Even Marmaduke and other aggressive labs are like butter in a child's hand… Just teach the dog that the cat is off limits (get in between them and use an aggressive stance). My previous lab (Anton, a huge yellow) after getting old would let the family cat sleep next to him (a totally safe cat as no rival would dare enter Anton's yard, much less approach the cat sleeping next to such a monster dog!). Best to get a fairly young retriever and domesticate it yourself. You might be surprised that a mature cat can bully a young dog.
f!

 

[rust_preacher]

Thanks for the suggestions WRT dog breeds. My granddaughter just got an aDOOOrable "Swedish-Danish Yard Dog" puppy and that would otherwise be perfect but it isn't qualified as a hunting dog, so there will be no tests or anything. I bet it could keep the raccoon-dogs at bay in the yard, but that's about it...

Here's an example of the raccoon-dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) to you 'Murkins, it's our equivalent of a possum I suppose. Nasty critters that don't really belong to our nature as they are endemic to East Asia.

 

[FFTT]

My dogs have always known which wild critters they can mess with and which to leave alone.
They will bark at raccoons and opossums and black bears to run them off, but never attack.
That would be too dangerous.

I've reinforced the NO Danger! command so they know not to push their luck with certain animals.

If you are talking teaching a bird dog advanced hunting skills, I hope you have a lot of time to dedicate to training.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I've reinforced the NO Danger! command.

We did too but it was "NO Dangerous!" both the girls would come back immediately. Sadly they are both departed so we are dog less. they did make an odd pairing. A German Shepherd/Husky mix and a Chihuahua! They both brought us great joy! We do get regular dog fixes from the neighbourhood pooches who come visiting. We have a corner cabinet in the kitchen that has dog biscuits and several different treats. Our friends laugh as we have all these dog related items and no dog!

Off topic but now I have to head on out with my flag. They're bringing the Soldier who was murdered in Ottawa back to his home in Hamilton. As we did for our troops who didn't make it home from Afghanistan, folk are gathering on the bridges and overpasses to show our flags and salute him.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I have to tell you that the flag thing was a hell of a moving experience! I have never seen so many people. The 401 is the main highway through the Greater Toronto Area. it goes east/west. The posted speed limit is 100 Km but most do 120. The procession was heading west. Cars, trucks, vans and a myriad of other vehicles pulled over on to the hard shoulders in both directions. The East bound lanes were at a complete standstill as people stopped to honour the fallen. On the bridge, Conlins Road, where I was ,a fire truck was parked with firefighters and police officers atop. The Legion Veterans were there showing the colours and "Lest We Forget" flags. The Maple Leaf was everywhere you looked. My flag is attached to a telescoping handle used for painting ceilings. It was the longest I could find and the flag waved high overhead. As the procession passed by we all sang O Canada our national anthem. Men and women openly wept in their grief. As we watched the news coverage later at home, so did my lady wife.

 

[greybeard125]

Started my 64th trip around the sun today, got fri and sat gigs this weekend, and my wife gave me a reunion blues rbx bag for my present (after i hinted about how swell it would be), so I'm having an unusually non-grumpy day--EXCEPT for the fact that I had to drive 20 miles to put comcast's old cable box in the UPS store for them!! Why the hell can't they use the USPO so I don't have to drive to return the old stuff OR take some $$$$ of my bill. NOOOOOOOOO, that would come under the heading of customer service, not customer fleecing!! No wonder they own so much...........do they own UPS too?

Happy Halloween everyone, go scare some kids really good...........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooo

 

[Jeff Scott]

If you are talking teaching a bird dog advanced hunting skills, I hope you have a lot of time to dedicate to training.

Maybe they could learn to fly, instead?

 

[FFTT]

If Basset Hounds Could Fly

I'm So Sick of mowing leaves!
I'm covering an acre and a half of mountain hillside with a push mower.
The big final leaf dump is still weeks away.

 

[chadds]

I find that I'm feeling more for the young folk left in Africa who have lost everything. Some are left caring for "my younger ones" with no help in sight. The whole outbreak was miss handled in the extreme. I hope that we as a species have learned a great lesson here. Whether at home or far, far away disease can reach anywhere and must be immediately attacked at its source.

Well said.

It is about caring for others. In fact it's about seeing that we are all "others."

Don't let someone suffer somewhere else because they aren't by extension, you, your immediate family, your relatives, your friends, your county folk, your state, your country etc.

Conversely:
Ebola has been difficult to study because it disappeared after each outbreak. Now that it appeared near a larger populace it had a wider effect.

 

[rust_preacher]

Since the dog discussion seems to still be on, I am now, due to some unforeseen lucky chances, going to see some "Kishu" breed puppies. Very rare it seems, but have the hunt in their blood, and don't cost an arm or a leg... except maybe one of a chair... Anyway, the description of Kishus somehow resonates with my personality and my purpose for getting a dog in the first place. The litter has 3 male pups available to collect in 2 weeks' time.

I never knew how the craving for a canine companion could hit so hard.

EDIT: Puppy delivery scheduled for Thursday, they are 7 weeks old on Wednesday.