Coffee and Provocation

More Coffee Please!
If you drink a phenomenal  amount of coffee (who me?) it might be genetic.  If it is genetic, can we label it a disease so health insurance will start paying for my Starbucks? 

Iran Considers Banning All Dogs:
Dogs are considered "unclean" in Islam and dog ownership is banned in the Koran, except for working dogs (hunting dogs, herding dogs, protection dogs, guide dogs for the blind).  Now some Iranian legislators are proposing banning dogs alltogether.  As Time magazine reports:  "Lawmakers in Tehran have recently proposed a bill in parliament that would criminalize dog ownership, formally enshrining its punishment within the country's Islamic penal code. The bill warns that that in addition to posing public health hazards, the popularity of dog ownership 'also poses a cultural problem, a blind imitation of the vulgar culture of the West.'"

Banning Felons from Owning Vicious Dogs:
Wisconsin state Senator Dave Hansen of Green Bay has proposed a law that would make it a misdemeanor for someone convicted of a violent or drug-related felony to own a dog that has been declared vicious by law enforcement or a humane officer. The misdemeanor could carry up to nine months in prison. If the dog in question attacked another person and the owner didn't try to control the dog (whatever that means), the owner could be charged with a felony that carries a maximum sentence of up to six years in prison. The prohibition would last 10 years after the felon is released from prison or until the end of the felon's extended supervision.

Let's Laugh at Fat Dwarves Trying to Run!
Because they're dogs, not people, laughter is considered socially acceptable.

Better Than a Tree House:
If you have little kids but no big trees for a tree house, how about building an underground fort?  When the kids grow out of it (it won't take long) it can be converted to a kennel for the dogs, or even tool storage.  A 1929 edition of Modern Mechanics gives the details.

This Dog Needs Help:
Read the story yourself and ask yourself if this Jack Russell/Beagle mix doesn't deserves a spot at your place.  Near Youngstown, Ohio.

Feeding the Ego:
This blog has been named one of the top 25 dog training blogs.  Nothing is more puzzling to me than being called a dog trainer, and I do not think this blog has too much dog training advice.  That said, if you want to get your small game-bred terrier working underground and in the field, I know how to do that.  While there is some advice about digging on the dogs on this blog, your best bet is to buy the book.

Re-Wilding With Tortoises:
On a small island near Mauritius (which is a small island off of the larger island of Madagascar, which is on the south east coast of Africa), Aldabra tortoises have been introduced as a way of reforesting the land with tree seeds.  Aldabra tortoises are replacing a similar species of tortoise that was once on the island, but was pushed to extinction.  Tortoises are needed to ingest the fruits of the ebony tree and to disperse their seeds which are more likely to germinate when they have passed through a tortoise's gut.

Shooting Has Become So Expensive These Days:
When John Weber was given a metal mug by his grandfather in 1945, he thought it was an ugly pot metal brass trinket and not worth much, and he sometimes plinked at it with his air rifle. It turns out the mug was solid gold, is over 2,300 years old, and is worth more than $99,000!

FDA at the Border:
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg testified before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce about the FDA’s screening efforts for products that we (and our dogs) swallow (i.e. food and medicine) and that are made overseas. She notes:  "It is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of all food now consumed in the United States originates outside our borders. In fact, over 70 percent of seafood and about 35 percent of fresh produce consumed in the United States comes from foreign countries. Further, up to 40 percent of the drugs Americans take are manufactured outside our borders, and up to 80 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in those drugs comes from foreign sources. Imported medical devices are another rapidly growing area.... in addition to the sheer volume of imports and foreign facilities producing FDA-regulated commodities, there has been an increase in the variety and complexity of imported medical products.” 

I am NOT Cursing!
I am simply using language in an off-label manner.

The Wolf Population in Wisconsin is Not Small:
Wisconsin's gray wolf population has risen to 825 animals in over 200 packs, which is only one third of the wolf population in Minnesota, but still pretty impressive none-the-less.

Proof That Obama Was Born in Somalia:
Obvious.

More Proof That People Are the Problem:
The penguin population in the Falkland Islands is rebounding thanks to landmines left over from the 1982 war between Great Britain and Argentina.  It seems old landmines are keeping people out, which is just perfect for wildlife!   Of course, as we have reported in the past, landmines and radioactivity are often good for wildlife; we expect Japan to announce the creation of a massive new wildlife preserve sometime within the next two years.

One Reason This Country is Broke:
U.S. military spending has almost doubled since 2001, and we are now spending an astounding $698 billion  a year on the military.  To put this number into perspective, the U.S. is spending six times more than China — the second largest military spender.  Senator Al Franken of Minnesota has introduced legislation that would help put a stop to the madness by requiring Congress to pay for future wars and ensure that they do not add to the federal budget deficit. The Pay for War Resolution gives Congress the option to finance war through budget cuts, creating new revenue or a combination of both budgetary means. Franken said the bill is meant to avoid a repeat of the $1.25 trillion that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have added to the national debt.

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