Another Dexterpexter Friendly Reminder (TM) before trying to journal again like a normal human being...

There is a crisis developing--a problem that most people probably haven't heard much about. See if you can determine what these things have in common:

In a state of emergency, could you keep your family alive inside your home for a week?

I visited the animal shelter today, hoping to come home with a new companion.

Instead I came home crying.

I am not someone who easily shows those emotions, but I honestly broke down there in front of the shelter staff. To see a terrified dog (more precisely, many dogs) crouching in the back of his kennel (admittedly fairly nice kennels), abandoned there because his owners "put in new carpet" or "the old dog didn't get along with the new dog/cat/child," I was angry beyond words.

(Probably part of several entries to come)

"Can I have the fettuccini alfredo and Caesar salad, except... could you substitute the fettuccini with a spaghetti noodle, and then instead use the tomato sauce with a bit of pesto. For the salad, instead of Caesar dressing, may I have the olive oil and pepper dressing? On the side, please. Oh, and instead of a roll, could I get a breadstick with a bit of parmesan cheese grated on top? Oh yes, and for my drink I would like a coke, wit

A 14 year old girl in Pennsylvania joined the ranks of countless teenage mothers; but, instead of throwing her hands up and becoming a leech on society, a stereotypical high school drop-out, or abandoning the child, the girl attempted to continue high school and her part-time job, as well as take responsibility in raising her child. This is quite admirable for a teenager. Now a 16 year old mother of a two year old, the girl maintains dreams of going to college to study Criminal Justice.

Ran across an interesting article here.

I love her, I do. But she has an inherent streak of mischief in her that has exploded since becoming an only-dog. I don't pretend that dogs are geniuses, but I am becoming increasingly impressed and frustrated at the lengths my dog goes to be a Bad Dog.

Some of you asked what bothered me about the Terms of Service, and others got the impression that it was only the 'intellectual property' concerns that turned me off. While yes, that was a contributor to my decision not to join the mass migration, that wasn't the only concern. I have decided to outline my concerns here:

I am interested in the opinions of folks who have lived both in houses with natural gas heating, and in homes with heat pumps. I am particular about ambient temperatures, and have found natural gas heating perfectly comfortable. However, I notice a trend toward heat pumps in homes, and wonder how someone might compare the two. Feel free to offer your opinions about either, but please clearly distinguish if your experience is mostly limited to one or the other, because peopl

Unless the 'Terms of Use' change at Multiply, I do not believe that I will be joining you folks. I may change my mind in the future, of course, but in the meantime I plan to remain at the 'Dot.

When you came into this world, you were someone else's inconvenience.
When you first started sleeping on my doorstep, you became an unexpected, infested mess with which I didn't know what to do.
When you looked into my eyes, you became a reminder of the 18-year old dog I had just painfully lost to a failed liver--a dog who, like you, had also shown up on my doorstep many years before.
When you decided to stay, and insisted on this point, you became my responsibility.
When y

Hard Candy (2005)

Occasionally there is an artistic film which slips through the cracks--be it through poor marketing, competing release times, or simply because it does--that really deserves attention. If this movie received much notice and acclaim outside of Sundance (and the occasional horror community, where it is awkwardly placed as it is not a horror film by traditional terms), or even vocal disapproval, then I was oblivious.

My FatDog

!!! This runs on about six printed pages. I don't expect any of you to read the whole thing, and wouldn't be offended if you skip it completely. I at least owe an update, and so to spare you from reading my brain dump, I will just state here that I think my dog is going to live. And now, for the brain dump. !!!

In 2000 a stray dog showed up to my door. He was in terrible shape, covered in mud and his ears so full of ticks that he couldn't hear. He was tender to the touch and very hungry. He wasn't the youngest thing on the block, either. But I took him in and have loved him since. He is now probably 15-20 pounds heavier...my tubby old puppy. That is your backstory. Now to today.