I walk my dog every chance I get. He's the type of dog who lounges at the hallways of my office building and does a great job imitating a carpet or a stuffed toy. Being a male golden retriever, its easy for him to intimidate people who are less knowledgeable of dog breeds. On the flip side, it's also easy for him to effortlessly impress folks who know how retrievers behave and interact.
When I was still single, his puppy good looks were a chick magnet. He'd evoke aawwws and aahhs, and how-cute-naman-your-dog-is remarks. Upon hearing those comments, I'd make eye contact with the ladies, smile pogi, and make my move...in my dreams. Good thing, I never scored with that method. If my dog could talk, he'd rat me out, shake his head and tell me how pathetic I am. If he could talk now, he might tell my wife how ridiculous my game plan was.
Anyway, every time I walk my dog Adam, he walks with a sense of purpose and heightened awareness. He barks at other dogs and people in greeting while vigorously wagging his tail, chews grass from the vacant lots, smells dried poop from other mutts and felines both friend and foe. He sniffs the neighbors cooking from their kitchen to the road. Aside from declogging his colon, his purpose is to observe, experiment, and participate. While I may not find it pleasurable to bark, chew foliage, chase wet tennis balls and smell white turd and other dogs' genitalia, I've a lot to learn from Adam's daily wonderment. I don't walk my dog...my dog walks me.
I smell my neighbor's adobo. I bet Adam is savoring it now.
This is a historic day for The United States of America. As I write this, it's only been 3 hours since Barack Obama spoke in front of a huge congratulating crowd in Chicago. His speech was as powerful as expected and thousands of folks in the crowd were in tears. Though the crowd was expected to be exhausted from the long day's wait, everyone was in high spirits.
I will not even begin to talk about the nervous energy of white supremacists and ultra-conservative Republicans. Let alone venture into a guess as to how they will cope in the next four years. Thousands of bloggers and journalists will probably write about that. Not this bloke...at least not yet.
While newsmen, political analysts, members of academe and a bevy of naysayers all scurry to broadcast and publish their forecasts for the first African American President of the United States of America, I am anxiously waiting for the news about what breed of dog the Obama daughters will bring to the white house. The new president said out loud that his girls deserve to have the new puppy to play with in Pennsylvania 65000. The girls do deserve it. I hope the press will be nice to them. Dog lover that I am, I guess I just have to heel, stay, sit and wait.
Give the man a break. He worked ridiculously hard for 21 months. Let him have his honeymoon period and get acquainted with all the White House spooks and ghosts.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
- Mohandas Gandhi
I came across this article on the net while I was searching for alternative and natural flea control for my dog. SEOUL, South Korea - Dog meat is increasingly popular among women in North Korea because the traditional Korean delicacy is believed to be good for the skin, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper in Japan reported Wednesday.
Dog meat has long been regarded as a stamina food in both Koreas, widely consumed on hot summer days in particular.
"Sweet meat has various vitamins, including Vitamin A and B and is good for digestion problems and fatigue," the Choson Sinbo newspaper said on its Web site seen in Seoul.
"Customers get convinced about the efficacy of sweet meat when they see the skin of our employees and cooks," the paper quoted the chef, Ryu Jong Mok, 47, as saying.
The paper said Ryu also has "resilient and fine" skin.
Dog meat is also widely consumed in South Korea, especially among middle-aged men on belief that it's good for stamina and virility. But women in the South are usually less willing to try the food.
Earlier this week, a poll showed that more than 35 percent of South Korean dog owners also eat dog soup.
Dog meat is also eaten in some other Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos.
Activists regularly criticize the practice and call for bans on eating dog meat.But wait! I saw this website, too.
http://www.koreananimals.org/
Welcome to the official site of International Aid for Korean Animals.
Welcome to the official website for International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA). IAKA is a non-profit organization founded by Kyenan Kum in 1997 to promote animal protection and humane education in Korea. Since its inception Kyenan has worked tirelessly, campaigning worldwide to educate the international community about the difficult conditions for dogs and cats in Korea. A major victory for IAKA came in 2007 with the revision and strengthening of Korea’s 1991 Animal Protection law, which IAKA had long campaigned and petitioned to improve.
KAPES was founded in late 2007 by Kyenan Kum and Haesun Park as a response to the newly strengthened Animal Protection law. The two activists realized that with stronger legal protections in place, direct protest of the government and of the meat trade would be less productive than eliminating the demand for dog and cat meat altogether, through hands-on education. The construction of a new Adoption and Education Center in Seoul, capital city of South Korea, is the first step towards teaching young Koreans about the humane treatment of animals and instilling them with a deep compassion for dogs and cats. With the new Animal Protection law in place, IAKA/KAPES seeks to work in partnership with the government to successfully affect positive change in Korean society. The time is finally right to eliminate the plight of Korea’s dogs and cats.
If you think this blog is about hating Koreans, I'm sorry to dissappoint you. I won't join that blogging melee. The fallacy of generalization can be both funny and messy.
Bhappu Gandhiji was right. We have a long way to go. We somehow need to educate some folks that it's just not right to make good old loyal Bantay our 'pulutan' (bar chow) and Muning for siopao-filling. It will never be right in so many levels.
I don't care if eating dogs will make my skin taut and smooth. Dog and Cat was never the main ingredient in Glutathione, nor will it ever be. Them dog-eaters should start educating their ignorant punk arses! Grrrr....Woof!
They say dogs have been man's best friend since ancient times. Would you eat your best friend? I don't believe you can.
