Coffee and Provocation

• The Evolution of a Terrierman Coffee Mug:
  This one is not ours, but it's certainly Terrierman approved! Order yours here. Other breed-specific coffee mugs are available for those who have Dachshunds, Westies, etc.
  
  
• The Tallest Dog in the World Is Dead:
  The average Great Dane is dead by age 7, so this dog was euthanized right on schedule. Hat tip to Pet Connection for this tidbit.
  
  
• The Oldest Dog in the World is an American Terrier:
  Max, a Jack Russell terrier cross from New Iberia, Louisiana, has just celebrated his 26th birthday, making him the oldest dog in the world. Max is not only not a "pure breed," he also counts kibbled dog food as one factor in his long life. "I don't feed him any type of table food," says owner Janelle DeRouen. "He started on [Purina] Puppy Chow as a puppy and has been eating Kibbles 'n Bits for the last 15 years." Purina is one of the largest makers of kibbled dog food in the U.S., while Del Monte, the maker of Kibbles 'n Bits, produces about 495 million pounds of this dog food every year.
  
  
• How The Two Stories, Above, Are Related:
  The two blog stories, above, are related. Read this old blog post to find out how: Selecting a Dog: Rules of Thumb
  
  
• Deconstructing the head of the U.K. Veterinary Lobby:
  Nicky Paul, the head of the British Veterinary Association has embarrassed her profession by crawling in bed with The Kennel Club over the televising of Discount Furniture Store Crufts (yes, that is now the real name of this dog show) by a third-rate cable TV channel in the U.K. Ryan O'Meara , editor of K-9 Magazine deconstructs her response to enquiries.
  
  
• Worst Human Being in the World:
  A mother who is accused of cutting off her infant son's genitals is blaming the dog, a dachshund. Yes, a wiener dog. Don't blame me; it's a story from Fox News.
  
  
• Great Moments in Pet Ownership:
  Physician Charles Rust was repeatedly told to get his dogs away from the edge of a Florida park pond that had several large alligators in it. Rust ignored the warnings, the signs, and the leash law, and the predictable occurred: a 10-foot alligator lunged up and bit his dog’s right leg off at the shoulder. The dog subesquently died. Rust's response? To complain: “Why do we have alligators in a public lake where people are fishing and paddle-boarding?” Ugh, dude, it's Florida?!
  
  
• Birders Discover a Never-extinct Bird Is Still Not Extinct:
  The excellent DC Birding Blog notes that "The Tasman Booby was long thought to be extinct.... As it turns out, this species was not actually extinct, but 'survives as a small remnant population' as a subspecies of the Masked Booby." Right. Note to birders everywhere: Subspecies are, by definition, not species. Check out the "Heath Hen." Next week you can put out a press releasing claiming you rediscovered this not-extinct bird. For more on non-extinct wildlife, see "Condors and Species Lost" on this blog. For a post about non-extinct terriers, see Non-Extinct Terriers & Other Mysteries.
  
  
• Just the Facts Ma'am:
  The U.S. Postal Service is putting out a "Dragnet" stamp featuring series star, writer and producer Jack Webb, aka, "Sargent Joe Friday. I wish I had a letter to mail.
  
  
• Mine Is Bigger Than Yours:
  "Mine is bigger than yours" was the message of dueling car makers this week, as Chevrolet came out with ads claiming its new "Volt"would get 230 miles per gallon in city driving. Using the exact same methodology, however, Nissan claimed its new "Leaf" vehicle will get 367 miles per gallon. These are not concept cars, by the way; they are going to be for sale in store rooms next year, and there is already video.
  
  
• Distinguishing Herself:
  While other members of the GOP look as crazy as rats on warfarin, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) decided to act Presidential . Murkowski told The Anchorage Daily News that the GOP is destroying itself with lies in the current health care debate. "It does us no good to incite fear in people by saying that there's these end-of-life provisions, these death panels," said Murkowski. "Quite honestly, I'm so offended at that terminology because it absolutely isn't (in the bill). There is no reason to gin up fear in the American public by saying things that are not included in the bill."
  
  
• "Death Panels" Were Actually Crafted by the GOP:
  The portion of the House health care bill that the GOP Nut-ocracy is calling a "death panel" (it's not) was, in fact written by Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia. What would his provision do? Not much. In fact, it simply requires Medicare to pay doctors for telling their patients they might want to draft a living will, a simple will, and a burial plan. Any counseling given or accepted would be entirely voluntary. Isakson told The Washington Post that it is “nuts” that anyone would look at the language of the bill and conclude it promotes euthanasia.
  
  
• Sarah Palin Left the Elderly to Die:
  The Anchorage Daily News reports that under Sarah Palin's incompetent management of her state, Alaska's health system let 227 adults who were already getting services die while waiting for a nurse to reassess their needs. Another 27 died while waiting for an initial assessment to see if they qualified for help. The Federal Government is now stepping in to force change in the state Medicaid system.
  
  
• The Crows Will Be Using Swiss Army Knives Next:
  Researchers at Oxford University have shown that five out of seven New Caledonian crows in captivity spontaneously used up to three tools in correct sequence to achieve a goal — a feat never before seen in non-human animals without explicit training.
  
  
• Another Contrived Crisis:
  One of of many lies circling the Internet is that the Supreme Court will soon be taking up an important "hunting-with-dogs" case. It is complete bullshit; this case deals with dog fighting videos. But don't take my word for it: you can read a nice summary of the case, and the legal issues, at the SCOTUS blog created by former Baltimore Sun reporter Lyle Denniston.
  
  
• Wealth for Common Good:
  Chuck Collins, an Oscar Mayer meat heir, has created "Wealth for Common Good," an organization dedicated to the old-fashioned patriotic notion that a little sacrifice by the wealthy for the good of the nation at a time of crisis is not a bad thing. As the web site notes, "Our country is facing the worst economic challenge since the Great Depression and an urgent need to make a long overdue investment in bringing jobs and stability back to our communities. This investment should be paid for, in part, by repealing the Bush-era tax cuts our country cannot afford." This would only impact those with taxable incomes over $235,000, of course. Anyone here concerned about how those folks will feed their families this winter? Not me!
  
  
• Great Camera Trap Photo:
  If you want to see a great camera trap picture, check out this one from Camera Trap Codger. As good as they get.
  .
  .