I'm just trying to enjoy a good book and I suppose I lost track of the time because about an hour past their normal "dinner time" I looked up (well, down, actually, from the couch I was sprawled on) and saw this:
It seems a shame that a town would consider banning dogs from the public park but their owners have no one to blame but themselves. From Capital 9 News (NY):
If [Pittsfield] Parks Commission Chairman Charles Garivaltis were to get his way, your dog wouldn't be able to set a paw in Pittsfield's parks. That's because he says owners are letting their dogs use public parks like they're public restrooms.But many don't like the idea of banning man's best friend from public play spaces. They think it's a manner of teaching some owners new tricks.
"Just a little swipe of the dog bag. And you take it with you. You pick up your dog belongings and then you drop them on your way out of the park area," said Anne Lucy.
It was a full house at the Park's Commission meeting to consider a proposal banning dogs in Pittsfield's park.
About 20 residents attended a commission meeting, most dismissed the idea of banning all dogs from parks as absurd. They offered alternative ideas to reduce the droppings like making a special dog park or increasing fines for those who don't pick up after their four-legged friends.
A Pittsfield resident said, "Take one day out of the month and have your officer go to a random park and ticket as many people with dogs not on a leash they're not picking up their messes. One day and fine everybody that does that."
These are the same folks who could care less about teaching their animals to deal with "seperation anxiety" and instead turn a deaf ear to their neighbor's complaints that the lonely dog barks all day long while the owner is away.
This is all part of the big problem in America these days where people of the spoiled-rotten generations coming up think only of their instant concerns and to hell with anyone else. There IS no sense of community anymore.
If you live around the Cave Creek area of Arizona, your pooch could win his portrait painted by artist Linda Budge. Even if not selected, your $10 entry fee goes to a good cause. From Arizona Central:
CAVE CREEK - Tell a tale of your dog's tail, and maybe you'll both win a prize.In her "Dog Days of August" contest, artist Linda Budge is searching for the story of the Northeast Valley's most precious pooch, one deserving of a professional oil painting valued at nearly $2,000.
Budge will accept applications through Aug. 31. Already, the decision is dogging her. "Oh it's really tough," said Budge. "Someone brings in a story and I think, 'Oh, that's it!' "
Budge is accepting applications for the contest at Linda Budge Studio, 38252 N. Jacqueline Drive, Cave Creek.
Applicants must submit a 4- by 5-inch color photo of their dog, along with a 300 word essay describing their dog's personality and why the dog deserves a portrait.
Applications and photos must be hand delivered to the studio 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. The $10 entry fee should be made payable to their favorite animal charity. Cash fees will be donated to the Arizona Humane Society.
A rather interesting theory -- only a theory -- that a common virus that affects cats also has had a hand in human behavior. From Live Science:
A parasitic microbe commonly found in cats might have helped shape entire human cultures by manipulating the personalities of infected individuals, according to a new study.Infection by a Toxoplasma gondii could make some individuals more prone to some forms of neuroticism and could lead to differences among cultures if enough people are infected, says Kevin Lafferty, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In a survey of different countries, Lafferty found that people living in those with higher rates of T. gondii infection scored higher on average for neuroticism, defined as an emotional or mental disorder characterized by high levels of anxiety, insecurity or depression.
[...]
T. gondii infects both wild and domestic cats, but it is carried by many warm-blooded mammals. One recent study showed that the parasite makes normally cautious rats outgoing and more prone to engage in reckless behavior, such as hanging around areas frequently marked by cat urine, making the rats easy targets.
Scientists estimate that the parasite has infected about 3 billion people, or about half of the human population. Studies by researchers in the Czech Republic have suggested T. gondii might have subtle but long-term effects on its human hosts. The parasite is thought to have different, and often opposite effects in men versus women, but both genders appear to develop a form of neuroticism called "guilt proneness."
[...]
"In populations where this parasite is very common, mass personality modification could result in cultural change," Lafferty said.
The distribution of T. gondii could explain differences in cultural aspects that relate to ego, money, material possessions, work and rules, Lafferty added. In some countries, infections by the cat parasite are very rare, while in others nearly all adults are infected.
To test his hypothesis, Lafferty looked at published data on cultural dimensions and average personalities for different countries. The countries examined also kept records of the prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in women of childbearing age. Countries with high prevalence of T. gondii infection also had higher average neuroticism scores.
"There could be a lot more to this story," Lafferty said. "Different responses to the parasite by men and women could lead to many additional cultural effects that are, as yet, difficult to analyze."