Journal BarbaraHudson's Journal: Mod points? I don't want fricking mod points! 7
I always feel obligated to use them. Just got rid of 5 yesterday, and today I have 15 more. With so much crap on the internet, including slashdot, it's like King Canute telling the tide to turn, or Sisyphus rolling that rock up the hill over and over.
I mean, what's the point. Nothing changes, because the internet is a vast echo chamber/rage machine/for-profit disinformation generator.
So instead, I'm going to talk about my dog Toby, who died a week ago after 13 years. At least that's grounded in reality (note: virtual reality is an oxymoron - get over it already). And it's something that people can perhaps relate to that is real and unhyped.
Toby was a good dog. He was dumped on me when I was asked to watch him for 10 days, and as a pup he got along well with my St. Bernard. At the end of the ten days, I called to ask when they were taking Toby back, and was told "He's yours now. I left his papers with you." Considering that Toby was chewing everything in sight, and would pee within a minute of my leaving, and poop within 5 (separation anxiety), I was a bit bemused. He was an ugly dog - his head didn't fit his body, all the parts were gangly and awkward. People would ask me what type of dog he was, and I'd tell them he was a fugly.
That changed as he grew up - people were still asking me what type of dog he was, but they were complimenting his good looks and his friendly character. The little kids in the neighborhood thought he was an over-grown world (he got big, just the way I like my dogs). Even dogs that tried to bite him, he would step back a pace and look at them as if to say "okay, NOW can we be friends?" Often it worked.
When I was told that I was going to eventually lose my sight, I trained him as a guide dog - without a harness. When my blood sugar went too low, and I couldn't tell what was happening but just wanted to get in my home, he pulled me past the entrance and to the next house (where we had never been). I woke up on the concrete porch, police, fire, ambulance, and doctor trying to figure out how to get to me because of the dogs (Bear #2, my second newfie, was there also), and I knew that there was no way I would have made it up 14 stairs if we had gone in. And that being indoors, nobody would have seen what happened.
I owed this dog big time. I also gave him a far better life than most dogs could hope for. We were good for each other, and in the end that's what counts.
This is the first time in decades that I haven't owned a big dog. What do I have left? Well, there's my neighbor's little shih-tzu mix who thinks he's mine (since he's been living here most of his life). Guess I'll get me some more of good old-time reality by taking him for a walk
As for the internet? I'm not impressed.
Journal posts? I don't want fricking journal posts (Score:2)
I mean, what's the point. Nothing changes, because the internet is a vast echo chamber/rage machine/for-profit disinformation generator.
Indeed. But writing a journal on /. -- that's going to change everything. /s
Re: (Score:2)
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I'm sorry to hear it.
Long ago... (Score:1)
I posted I never wanted mod points and haven't gotten any since. It's a blessing.
Solution: Gift them (Score:2)
It is too bad /. doesn't offer an user profile option:
(x I don't want mod points
( ) Allow mod points
[x] Allow me to gift them
oh, where to start (Score:1)
So sorry for your recent loss. You took good care of him. 13 years is really good for a large dog. For example, I like Bernese Mountain Dogs (I like all big dogs), but I can't handle the purportedly 6-8 year life span.
My Golden Retriever is 3 1/2, and I've told him I want him to see me all the way thru my 50's, so he's got to get to 13 1/2. My prior Golden made it to 13-14 (I adopted her from an org that accepted turn-ins no questions asked, so could only go by a couple of vets estimating her to be 4-5 at
Re: oh, where to start (Score:2)