Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

The willow is too close to the house.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

The words do not have to be perfect.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

This really is a full service blog.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Accountability, motherfuckers.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / NFL Wild Card Games Open Thread

NFL Wild Card Games Open Thread

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Looks like the Bengals and Chargers are knotted up at 7-7 now with around five minutes left until the half. I’m utterly indifferent to both teams and am hoping for a good game, which apparently we have so far (just came in from running a bunch of errands).

The 49ers-Packers game is at 4:40. I’ve never liked the 49ers, and I admire the Packers’ blatantly socialist team ownership model, so Go Pack!

We’re smoking a couple of racks of ribs. One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was a remote thermometer and food temperature thingy, which can be set up to sound an alarm if the smoker or food temperature falls outside of set parameters.

Today, I’m just using the smoker thermometer part since we’re smoking ribs. But here’s the weird thing: One of my dogs gets extremely distressed at the beeping noises the receiver thing makes when you’re setting temperatures and freaks out every time the alarm sounds.

She whines and whimpers and then comes and rests her chin on my knee if I’m sitting down and looks at me with pleading eyes. The other dog (same kind of dog, same approximate size) is completely unaffected by the sound. She looks at the affected dog with concern but isn’t bothered by it herself.

If freaking-out-dog’s ears are hurt by the noise, wouldn’t that affect both dogs? Anyway, I feel bad for her and try to minimize the sound, but it’s strange. I don’t understand why she doesn’t just leave the area if it hurts her ears. On the contrary, she comes toward it.

What are y’all up to today?

Reader Interactions

147Comments

  3. 3.

    Barry

    You’re probably seeing some sort of conditioned response from the one dog. It’s associating the sound (or the discomfort) with something bad).

  6. 6.

    raven

    I sat next to a ROK Marine Major when I flew to Korea. The change in cabin pressure was noticeable but this guy was literally screaming for 30 minutes.

  7. 7.

    Corner Stone

    Rivers seems to be having a consistent issue deciding what side of his body he’s going to hand the ball off on.

  8. 8.

    c u n d gulag

    Uhm…
    Maybe the other dog’s deaf?
    Or at least to that frequency?
    Or, possible that dog’s more liberal, and every time some whistle goes off, dog or not, it doesn’t panic and freak-out?

    I smoke with “Liquid Smoke” when I marinate.

    Speaking of smoking – Gov. Andrew Cuomo is now for approving “Medicinal Marijuana.”
    OY!
    MY CHRONIC ANKLE/HIP/BACK/SHOULDER PAIN!!!! *
    Oh, if only there was some medical “solution” besides pills!
    But, what could THAT possibly be? ;-)

    *I’m like Cole – except most of my pain comes from HS and college athletics, not from overall clumsiness and drunkenness.
    Ok, some of those injuries came AFTER games, from alcohol and pharmaceutical semi-abuse.

  9. 9.

    ? Martin

    Auburn marching band was practicing at my son’s HS stadium this morning – much more focus on volume for bands playing 100,000 seat stadiums. They’re a bit larger than my son’s marching band, but much louder. My son says that the trumpets/trombones/percussion are coached to play quieter in his band to not drown out everyone else.

    Otherwise projects around the house. Will probably put SF/GB on the background.

  10. 10.

    Corner Stone

    I seem to recall someone here the other day saying Charlie Strong wanted nothing to do with Texas football, “because it wasn’t all that”.
    Hmmm…someone wrong on the intertrons?! Heaven forfend!

  11. 11.

    The Dangerman

    I predict at least one screwy call in the SD/Cincy game; Triplette is good for at least one every game. How is he reffing a playoff game?

  12. 12.

    Mustang Bobby

    Waiting to see the Green Bay game since I watched them beat the Lions for decades… and I’ll root for the Pack.

    Sending warm vibes and wishes to the folks freezing up north, and I’m marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the purchase of my 1988 Pontiac 6000 LE Safari station wagon that still resides in my garage.

  14. 14.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    @c u n d gulag: Outstanding! I read an inordinate amount of right wing freakout the other day regarding Colorado. The opinions from people that have never smoked pot are comedy gold.

  16. 16.

    indycat32

    Watching the snow (6 inches so far) and hoping my neighbor’s tree, which was struck by lightning several years ago, doesn’t fall on my house from the weight of the snow.

  17. 17.

    kindness

    Well Betty you got your New Orleans win and I was with you there. I am not sorry you won’t get the Pack though.

    Go Niners!

  18. 18.

    jeffreyw

    Sipping homebrewed hard cider, reading, surfing, occasional trip to the front walk to scrape snow. Meatloaf is mixed and formed, just waiting for “cook supper” to strike.

  19. 19.

    Ben Franklin

    I’ll be toasty in CA watching true believers drink beer slushpuppies in minus 30 GB. Arctic icebreakers at half-time, but there is no climate change, becuz you see….there’s ice.

  21. 21.

    Betty Cracker

    At the risk of inciting the hatred of the snowbound, I can report that it’s 80 F right now. We’re seeing lots of birds that we don’t normally see around here — fleeing the expanded deep freeze, I guess. Our weather is supposed to get much colder soon; high tomorrow in the mid-60s and a possible inland freeze in the wee hours.

  25. 25.

    Aji

    I’m not sure it’s hurting her ears, precisely. It sounds to me like something we’ve seen occasionally with some of ours: She associates it with something bad where a member of her pack needs help. IOW, either there’s a direct link with that sound, or it sounds to her just like another sound made when one of her human or dog pack members was in trouble (injury, maybe?), and so she’s coming up to you to try to find out what’s wrong. Among our current menagerie, She-Wolf in particular is especially prone to these kinds of associations.

    Here’s an example of what I mean: Say that once upon a time, you were chopping vegetables in the kitchen while the thing was going. When the alarm went off, it startled you and you accidentally cut yourself. Blood and curses ensue. Meanwhile, she’s seeing and hearing the whole thing, and comes up to you to try to help. The incident sticks in her head, and now she always associates the sound with your injury and needing help.

    So does she come up to whomever’s around when the alarm goes off, or only to you, even when others are there? If the latter, think back to any incident that might have occurred.

    And for anyone who thinks animals don’t process things that way, or that they are incapable of developing things like PTSD, I invite you to come and deal with some of our rescues who were horribly abused. Believe me, they DO process trauma, including trauma to pack members, in this fashion.

  26. 26.

    Yatsuno

    @Betty Cracker: It’s an absolutely (and uncharacteristically) gorgeous sunny day in Seattle. But the high will only get to 45 degrees. I’m still imprisoned in the hospital anyway so it doesn’t really affect me much.

  28. 28.

    James E Powell

    My Friday flight home to Los Angeles was cancelled and I couldn’t get another flight till Monday. Now I am watching the weather forecasts with trepidation. Can’t go west, can’t go east, I’m stuck right here in Cleveland ’cause bad weather just won’t cease. (Apologies to the Bottlerockets)

  32. 32.

    dp

    Thermometers have been my best cooking investments ever.

    For anyone interested in smoking/BBQing, etc., I heartily recommend http://www.amazingribs.com. It’s a very food-science oriented site, which is what I find fascinating.

  33. 33.

    Corner Stone

    Green highpointed that ball, no chance for the D to stop that without PI.
    Great toss by Rivers.

  34. 34.

    Corner Stone

    Can’t stand anything Harbaugh related. So, not a fan of the Pack but hope they send the Scampernicks home for the season.

  35. 35.

    raven

    @Aji: One of the great puzzles we have in that area is with Lil Bit. She was dumped in a box on the vets doorstep in the middle of the night. Her eyes were awful, so bad that the vet removed her tear ducts (don’t ask me why). She was filthy and peeing blood. All of that points to neglect or worse. The thing is she was, and remains, just the happiest little thing I’ve ever seen. She’s obsessed with food but just loves people and if there is an empty lap she’s in it. I have to put a combination of 4 meds in her eyes twice a day for life and she if fine with it.

  36. 36.

    Corner Stone

    Have to say, thoroughly enjoyed both games yesterday. Not much of a rooting cause, but exciting games all the way through.

  38. 38.

    Aji

    @raven: You know, they’re just like us in that regard. Some things flip the switch in some of them; not in others. She-Wolf and Raven were both, AFAICT, subjected to nearly identical first years of life in the same place. She-Wolf, despite being spayed, is positively maternal to nearly everyone and everything. Raven is fear-aggressive (as is Lilith, who comes from a different, but in many ways much worse, background), and very much an atavistic herd-culling type.

    But they’re all so incredibly grateful to be safe and happy now that they’re very different from what they were. Maybe you got Lil Bit in time (and at a young enough age?) that she’s been able to transcend her past. Or maybe her situation was purely neglect and not overt abuse, which does make a difference.

    Either way, I’m glad you’ve got her now.

  43. 43.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @raven:

    Various people (including me) have noticed that FTWP has been intermittently killing comments with links, but it probably won’t be fixed until mistermix returns from his beach vacation.

  45. 45.

    Betty Cracker

    @Aji: It’s definitely me she focuses on when the noise starts, but I’m the only one who uses the gadget. It’s a new gadget (Xmas gift) and she acted that way from the first, but like you said, maybe she associates that frequency with something negative. We’ve had her since she was a pup — she’ll be six soon and has been a pampered princess all that time. Wracking my brain for some explanation…

  47. 47.

    donnah

    I’m miserable. The Bengals continue to screw up this game. I had the flu over the holidays and apparently have a sinus infection, and I have been without a sense of smell and taste since Christmas. Our promised snow is rain and we’re supposed to go sub-zero tonight, so major ice will ensue.

    I am supposes to fly from here in SW Ohio to visit my sis in Florida, and heard that my first two days down there it will be in the forties. It’s been three years since I got to visit her, and I’m going down there now because she broke her leg two weeks before Christmas and can’t do anything for six more weeks. I’m going down there to cook, clean, and chauffer my niece around.

    So, having a big fat pity party for myself.

  49. 49.

    Corner Stone

    @Betty Cracker: Maybe she hears it as a dog whistle, and fears you may be turning Republican.
    She’s trying to protect your immortal soul, Betty Cracker.

  50. 50.

    maya

    @c u n d gulag:

    MY CHRONIC ANKLE/HIP/BACK/SHOULDER PAIN!!!! *
    Oh, if only there was some medical “solution” besides pills!
    But, what could THAT possibly be? ;-)

    OK, I put this “medicinal MJ” , magic bullet ,claim in the same category with that black buck that every Wingnut’s uncle has seen buying chateau briand at the local Pigley Wigley with food stamps. Urbane legend that’s a solid in the progressive’s creed.

    I live right in the heart of downtown Tokeville , NorCal, and have had back, shoulder and chronic, jest-gettin-older pain for years. Pot’s done nothing for any of it and never will. Does it make me feel more relaxed and talkative? You bet. Is it less addicting than booze or cigarettes? Depends on predisposition of user. But medicinal value? Doubtful and dubious. And fuck those “tests and surveys show” shit. In fact, there’s a few MD’s in the area who do nothing else at all except give out 215 qualification certs for the reasonable sum of $90 . Used to be $50. Don’t know of anyone who didn’t qualify once they plunked their money down.
    I have also known several peeps who claim that “they can’t function” or “function better” only after they have their first joint before their feet hit the ground getting out of bed in the AM. Sure they do. One was a mechanic who later confided that his boss was getting on his case because his jobs kept coming back. Stuff not being tightened down right, etc. What could be causing that I wonder? Must be the air-conditioner not set at the proper level in the shop.

    But there will be hundreds, nay, thousands of personal testimonials who have had wondrous visions at and visits to the shrine of Our Lady of Fateema so it all must be true. Now if you see that black buck with the wine shallot sauce stains on his tee, ask him about it because he’s got the really good shit that will cure anything that ails you. You can believe it.

  58. 58.

    Villago Delenda Est

    I’ve always liked the Pack’s municipal ownership model, and think it should be the way to go for all professional sports teams. That way there’s an actual commitment to civic pride, and a justification for public financing of stadia.

    The tumbrel worthy scum that are the owners, of course, vehemently disagree. They love the socialize the risk, privatize the profits model. Parasites always do.

  61. 61.

    raven

    @Villago Delenda Est: “The Packers usually ask season-ticket holders to buy playoff seats in November. In years past, if the games were not played, fans could request a refund or use the money as payment toward tickets for the next season. But the Packers eliminated the refund option this season, said Aaron Popkey, a team spokesman. And a 2-5-1 swoon beginning with the game in which Rodgers was hurt clouded Green Bay’s playoff chances, so many fans held off.”

  63. 63.

    jayboat

    I couldn’t care less about either team, but I always enjoy watching Mr Rivers- he seems to keep a level head in precarious situations.

    He got the talent that Romo only dreams about.

  66. 66.

    Villago Delenda Est

    : @raven:

    Yeah, I read that. Pretty brain dead. Something that Jerry Jones or that greehead prick that used to own the Dolphins would pull.

  67. 67.

    c u n d gulag

    @maya:
    I know it’s not a cure-all.
    But I used to toke-up when I was injured.
    And, while it really did nothing for the pain, at least it distracted me from it.

    And as much as I want pot legalized everywhere, there are some common sense things that even I think need to apply.

    Like, no driving, no operating heavy-machinery, no piloting, no driving a bus, or operating a train, and, basically, not showing up to any job, totally stoned – or even mildly stoned.

    A few hits in the evening, or a few joints on the weekend, when you’re off, should be legal.
    But, like drinking, not to excess.

  68. 68.

    Ben Franklin

    @maya:

    You forgot the curative called sleep. The degeneration of one’s health is more quickly dispatched if the body is not at rest. Even if you’re body chemistry doesn’t jive with pain relief, that’s a big one.

  72. 72.

    Ben Franklin

    @raven:

    rotator cuff? You love food, right? Garlic? If you can stand it ( I luv it) eat 4-5 cloves of garlic. It should be as live as possible, even raw.

    It always fixes mine.

  73. 73.

    raven

    @Ben Franklin: MRI last Friday. Ortho thinks damaged bicep tendon and talked about “releasing” in (which I had never heard of) like Elway and Farve if it’s torn.

  75. 75.

    Corner Stone

    @raven: They do the same kind of thing for damaged tendons in legs. My ex had a lateral tendon release to relieve pressure from a dislodged kneecap.
    Damaged through a lifetime of softball.

  78. 78.

    Ben Franklin

    @raven:

    Tendons are the issue with rotator, so the garlic should help. I think it helps primarily with inflammation on those angry tendies. It’s also a great anti-biotic.

  81. 81.

    maya

    @c u n d gulag: Just a few months ago a couple I know, who had hounded me for some weed – like, uh, would you prefer USPS or Fed Ex? – who also happened to live in Florida, packed up and left for Colorado because of the impending legalization there. I now see that the price of newly legal pot there is a tad high. Who knew?

    I really can’t believe that 1) People would actually leave family behind and move across country just to light up and,
    2) There ain’t no pot in Florida???

    That last one is a real puzzle as you’d think it’s tropical climate would be near Thailand.

  83. 83.

    Corner Stone

    @raven: Ah well…she has no cartilage left in either knee so the joints are all blown.
    But the release did give her a good outcome for what it was supposed to do.
    Essentially, the tendon was pulling the kneecap out of its location. So the release gave the doc a chance to re-seat the kneecap.
    I think it’s similar in the “relieving pressure” type of outcome. But not an MD, so…

  84. 84.

    Villago Delenda Est

    This just in via Noismax, a manifesto from Snowbilly Snooki via the T3 connection from the Spock-with-a-beard universe:

    Sarah Palin Blasts ‘Lapdog’ Media

  86. 86.

    something fabulous

    So un-sporty am I, that a couple OF years ago I was on a business trip with a colleague originally from Cincinnati who mentioned that he could hardly wait to get back to the hotel to watch the Bangals and I couldn’t understand why someone as young as he was so fascinated by a defunct girl-group. Took us the rest of a fairly long check in line to figure out what each other meant.

  88. 88.

    goblue72

    @maya: Whatevs. I’d say the vast majority of folks supporting “medicinal MJ” know exactly what they are doing – pushing a “medical” angle for what is a backdoor MJ legalization, knowing full well that most of the medical MJ “patients” are perfectly healthy and just want to buy some weed to get high on Friday night. (The only chronic condition I have for which I needed my MMJ card was the desire to occasionally smoke some chronic.)

    Its a smoke-and-mirrors strategy almost straight from a right-wingers playbook. I only wish other progressive causes could be so sly.

    Thanks to backdoor legalization through medical MJ, enough jurisdictions have been softened up enough, that full-on legalization is possible. Finally.

  91. 91.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @Betty Cracker:

    …I admire the Packers’ blatantly socialist team ownership model, so Go Pack!

    Well, not really sohulist. The stadium, like most stadiums in the U.S., is owned by the city and a quasi-governmental agency (in this case, the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District), so it’s soshulist in that regard, but not uniquely so. However, the revenue for stadium improvements (and a little bit of the team’s operating revenue) comes from stock sales- but, because the shareholders (such as myself, and, I suspect, at least one other commenter here) can’t trade the stock or collect dividends, it’s more like a charity.

    Glad to have your support, though. GO, PACK, GO!

  92. 92.

    Ben Franklin

    @goblue72:

    You sound disappointed. No worries. When the Master Settlement with the Tobacco Co’s assured Billions for States who sign, there was much scrambling for that revenue.

    Same with pot. When they start to see the possibilities for add-on taxes, there’s no stopping legalization.

  93. 93.

    BruceFromOhio

    Who the hell goes for a deep route on 4th & 3?? After some shit play calling by Bengals OC, SD is pretty much in the win column now.

    Looks like its time to grill before the rain starts.

  94. 94.

    Josie

    @Betty Cracker: Duncan the corgi has appointed himself overseer of all the other animals and their desires. If Mitzi the rescue want to go outside (or come in), he comes and puts his head on my knee to tell me. If I don’t respond, he paws my arm to make his point. Same thing if the cats outside are out of food or if the timer on the stove goes off. How he knows these things is sometimes a mystery, but he feels very responsible for the smooth running of things. Maybe your pup just has that kind of personality and wants to tell you to turn off the alarm and tend to whatever.

  98. 98.

    Violet

    It’s cold out there. Brrrr…. Front came through this morning. I watered everything this morning. . Heading out in a few minutes to cover all the more sensitive plants–the papaya I don’t know what to do with as it’s about ten feet tall. Probably insulate the base of the trunk and hope for the best. The bananas will have to fend for themselves.

    Citrus has to be protected. Picked the last citrus and peppers this morning. Will pick the piddly broccoli too because I left it once during a hard freeze and ended up with mush. It’ll send out side shoots later and I’ll get something. Maybe I could cover it if I’ve got enough cover left after protecting everything else. Trying to figure out how to hook up the Christmas lights to keep the avocado tree warm. Did that several years ago and it’s older and stronger now but they still don’t like temps in the 20’s.

    It has warmed up a bit to almost 50, but it’s windy and it’s going to be cold work outside for the next couple of hours. Dripping pipes tonight too. They froze a few years ago and I am not taking that chance again.

  99. 99.

    goblue72

    @Ben Franklin: I don’t see where I sounded disappointed. I was applauding the strategy that legalization advocates pursued through a MMJ backdoor strategy.

  104. 104.

    PsiFighter37

    @raven: I agree, but only on the premise that they’re playing every game in that ridiculous loud stadium in Seattle. If they had to play any road games, I think it’d be questionable.

    That said, they did just lose one there to Arizona, and their offense played a stinker of a game in that one.

    That said, I have to think that the Broncos are going to be even harder to beat this year, given how much Manning has been lighting up the league this year.

    As for the game just concluding – how long until the Bengals decide Dalton’s not the answer? He plays solidly enough, but is too inconsistent to ever get the Bengals anywhere meaningful.

  106. 106.

    ? Martin

    @goblue72:

    ’d say the vast majority of folks supporting “medicinal MJ” know exactly what they are doing – pushing a “medical” angle for what is a backdoor MJ legalization, knowing full well that most of the medical MJ “patients” are perfectly healthy and just want to buy some weed to get high on Friday night. (The only chronic condition I have for which I needed my MMJ card was the desire to occasionally smoke some chronic.)

    Its a smoke-and-mirrors strategy almost straight from a right-wingers playbook. I only wish other progressive causes could be so sly.

    I disagree. The only rationale under which pot is illegal is a medical one. Cocaine has a recognized medical use and as a result is a schedule 2 drug. If you can undermine the supposed medical excuse to keep pot as a schedule 1 drug (which is blatantly bullshit), then the legality of it should follow. Activists are playing the same game as the feds.

    And the rationale that marijuana has no recognized medical use is also bullshit. Damn near every homeopathic remedy out there has no recognized medical use, and they’re all perfectly legal and unregulated.

    Now, I’m not of the opinion that pot should be unregulated, but I see no reason to treat it any differently from alcohol – not that alcohol regulation isn’t a complete clusterfuck in most states.

  107. 107.

    maya

    @goblue72: I understand all the sub-texts with medicinal pot, yet even with that backdoor approach the biggest concern for most growers here is NOT to legalize. It’s illegal status as well as lax enforcement due to volume makes it a sure thing for easy tax-free cash.

    A couple of years ago Prop 19 was on the ballot to legalize it in Ca. It failed and the counties with the largest % of negative votes were among the top pot producing counties. Of course, those voters claimed that the “wording” wasn’t up to snuff.

    Yes, I would prefer it to be legal just to weed out the growers who have become the biggest environmental problem since the loose logging era. It’s not just the alleged cartels that are the problem the small mom & poppers aren’t so small anymore and their offspring are the newest members of the Libertarian persuasion.

  110. 110.

    Yatsuno

    @maya: The pot sellers have a lot to lose with legalisation, mostly relating to the fact that it’s more expensive and more profitable as an illegal drug than a legal regulated one. Plus you can add fillers to your liking in anything you sell cause who’s gonna complain they got a bad batch of pot?

  111. 111.

    raven

    @Yatsuno: Remember the first episode of Boardwalk Empire? They had a great celebration because they knew they were going to rake in the dough with the incoming prohibition.

  112. 112.

    Karen in GA

    @Aji:

    And for anyone who thinks animals don’t process things that way, or that they are incapable of developing things like PTSD, I invite you to come and deal with some of our rescues who were horribly abused. Believe me, they DO process trauma, including trauma to pack members, in this fashion.

    Whenever there’s a dog on TV, Iggy perks up and pays attention. Sometimes he barks at them. He doesn’t seem to understand that those dogs aren’t really here.

    PLUS

    I remember reading about Michael Vick’s dogs being traumatized not just by how they were treated, but by witnessing the abuse of other dogs.

    EQUALS

    I distract Iggy whenever there’s anything on TV showing distressed, injured, or dead animals.

    Okay, maybe I’ve become ridiculous since we brought him home. But he will be a happy dog, dammit!

  113. 113.

    Zippity

    It was 16 degrees when I got up at 7, down to 8 now-on it’s way to -20 overnight. High of -14 for tomorrow. Had to shovel before it got too cold for the icemelt. Time to pull out the big, ugly, down coat for the next few days.

    I’m still a bit depressed about the Chiefs game yesterday, but overall, it was a much better year than last year.

  114. 114.

    gene108

    @efgoldman:

    No rooting interest, but they should have been able to croak Rivers (one of the most overrated QBs of our time) enough.

    Overrated? He made Norv Turner look good as a coach. How many QB’s can do that?

    I truly wonder what Rivers’ career would be, if he played most of his career under a competent head coach.

  115. 115.

    Aji

    @Betty Cracker: Sounds like she thinks it’s going to hurt you. Maybe it’s pitched the same as something she heard in another traumatic situation, and so she assumes that this is going to do the same thing to you.

    I’ve desensitized dogs (and horses) to sounds and sights and other things with careful exposure coupled with lots of affection and the liberal application of treats. Of course, you’ll no doubt have to apply treats as liberally to the other dog in the process, but it might still work. :-D

  116. 116.

    maya

    @Yatsuno:No shit. That has created another problem: What’s going into the production of it. Over 30 years ago when I first arrived the locals were growing sativa. Then indica was the rage and now…. it’s a crap shoot as to what is being added to the growth cycle to create better? smoke.
    In that 30+ years I have seen a lot of neighbors come and go. Some nice, others don’t let the door…. But lately I have noticed that there’s an increase in hair-trigger screamers around the hood that would put any teething two year old tantrum prince/ss to shame. The only thing 3 of these screamers have in common is that they are smoking the same identical pot from the same source. Could it be some other drug causing it, maybe. All I do know is that what’s being grown today isn’t that organically grown, environmentally correct weed of long ago.

  117. 117.

    Aji

    @Karen in GA: No, no, all my years of dog rescue say you’re doing the right thing.

    Ours are funny: When it comes to TV, they can tell the difference between the sound of an actual dog barking and the use of canned synth barks. One gets their ears up; the other doesn’t even merit an eyelash twitch.

    Although a little over a year ago, we were dog-sitting for about six months for this little Pekingese runt. Her owner named her “Taos” – who names a dog after a misnamed, mispronounced town, anyway? – but it never, ever fit her. She much preferred to answer to Runt. And then one day, I was flipping through the channels on the TV, and what was on one of them for a split second but that scene in Cujo where the dog’s trying to shove his head through the car window. She saw that and started barking so hard she literally bounced on her hind legs all the way down to the kitchen. From that moment on, every time she saw (or heard) a dog (or dog-like sound) on TV, same complete freak-out. Also televised horses, cows, pigs, and buffalo. Also anything and anyone outside a vehicle when she was in it, which made it impossible to take her anyplace. Little monster.

    She hated going back to her real home. We have a way cooler place. :-D

  121. 121.

    JeanG

    @Betty Cracker: Was your dog ever trained with a shock collar, maybe before you got her? They beep before they shock, which makes dogs understandably nervous about beeping. You could try counter conditioning her by giving her really desirable treats after beeps.

  122. 122.

    Goblue72

    @raven: Yes.

    Or in recognition of my new home, I’ll put in Seattle-Nicespeak – Oh, not really, I’m sure other people didn’t know.

  123. 123.

    Goblue72

    @maya: and your point, except to be cranky?

    (And I’m aware of the voting pattern outcomes for Prop 19 – I was living in SF at the time)

  124. 124.

    Goblue72

    @JPL: I really can’t stand the wild card round in the NFL. In MLB (at least before the 2 WC team per league format), the WC teams could often be the second best team in the league, if they were playing in a tough division.

    In the NFL, the WC round just seems like a bunch of on the margin teams wimp-slapping each other for opportunity to play a real contender next week.

  125. 125.

    Kathleen

    @JenJen: I’m sorry, JenJen. My brother feels your pain (he claims the Bengals always melt under the “bright lights” of national exposure). I myself am not a football fan but I do like Marvin and many of the players.

  126. 126.

    MomSense

    Today it warmed up briefly so we went out and raked the snow off the roof and tried to deal with an ice dam situation. The chickadees were everywhere trying to find food. Before today, I hadn’t seen a single bird in about a week.

    Inside, it is the last day before school starts and so there was lots of laundry going on. Have a veggie and white bean soup in the crock pot and watching some football. Have to confess that the packers game is making me cold just watching it.

    My Maine Coon cat is very angry with me after today’s combing session. He is a rascal and does not like to be groomed. He bit my toe with just the right amount of pressure to be a warning but not to do any harm. Normally he would be sitting next to me and cuddling but instead he is on the other side of the room pretending I don’t exist.

  127. 127.

    raven

    @Goblue72: Uh, I would expect someone with a reference to Michigan to know that five of the last seven Super Bowl champions have played in the first round of the playoffs.

  128. 128.

    Betty Cracker

    @JeanG: Nah, we got her as a very young pup from a country boy who wouldn’t have the first clue about shock collars. The only thing we can figure is that, ages ago, our kid had a really high fever, which we tracked using a thermometer that had a similar sounding alarm. Maybe she associates it with our anxiety? That’s all I can figure. Good idea about desensitizing her with treats — I’ll try that. Thanks!

    ETA: Go Pack!

  129. 129.

    eastriver

    You’ve never liked the Niners?
    You’re an asshole. How’s that for gross prejudices?
    And you live in Florida.
    Yeah. Okay.

  130. 130.

    Betty Cracker

    @eastriver: You know how sometimes you have no opinion on a team, but then you meet someone who is a really obnoxious prick of a fan, and that person is such an asshole that you begin rooting against that team just because that one person embodies the whole jackass fan base in your mind? It’s kinda like that. But luckily YOU came along to show me a whole new side. Oh wait…

  133. 133.

    maya

    @Goblue72: I don’t use crank. North of you that prop was well covered and proponents of the measure were at a loss to explain the loss.
    SF is so much more genteel.

  136. 136.

    kindness

    Chill. I still love Betty even though she doesn’t like my Niners. What? Does sports all of a sudden mean liberals will agree?

  140. 140.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @Betty Cracker: Years ago, before Jerry Rice was a Raider, a coworker told me about a trip to California his pastor took. The pastor’s son was a huge Niners fan, so he bought a souvenir helmet to take home. He had the helmet out while sitting at the mostly-empty gate when this guy sat down beside him. After a few minutes, the guy said “So, are you a fan?”

    The pastor said that no, he didn’t follow football, but his son loved the team. The guy then said “Y’know, I play for the Niners. I’d be happy to autograph that for your son.” The pastor said “Sure!”

    The guy pulled out a Sharpie and signed the helmet. As he handed it back, he looked past the pastor and waved at someone. “Hey, Coach, c’mere a minute!”

    By the time boarding was called, about half the team had gone through. The pastor’s son was, of course, elated.

  143. 143.

    kindness

    @The Sailor: Yea, the Nines have traveled Charter for quite a while but they don’t have their own airports.

    The story is plausible. It’s uplifting. I’ll take it.

  144. 144.

    jl

    @Betty Cracker:

    Sorry. Above I appealed for a comeback, and looks like the Niners got it. But I too admire the Packers commie model.

    @kindness:
    “they don’t have their own airports.”

    Please don’t give the NFL any ideas like that.

  145. 145.

    The Sailor

    @kindness: They don’t have their own airports but they do have their own sections of airports, with all the other charter jets, on the airport.

    They ride up in a team bus, there are airstairs, (not jetways), and it’s not at the commercial concourses.

    [pro tip, never take a pastor’s word for the truth]

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