K9 - KIA

Legislation introduced this year would finally take U.S. military working dogs (MWDs) out of the category of "equipment" and make them bona fide "Canine Members of the Armed Forces." If it passes, these loyal four-legged heroes who risk their lives for the safety of our troops would at last be officially recognized as the intrepid warriors and lifesavers they have been for war after war.

"It is time that we as a nation recognize the importance and contributions of Military Working Dogs, and this can be done by elevating their status to Canine Members of the Armed Force," said Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC), who introduced the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). "These dogs are a crucial asset to the US Armed Forces and have saved countless American lives during the past decade of conflict."

Their handler/partners do not consider the dogs to be equipment. As Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Antonio (Arod) Rodriguez says, “Your dog is your partner, and values meaningful interaction. You just don’t think about equipment in the same way.”

Unlike a flack jacket or a HumVee, when soldier dogs die, they get a memorial service.

 

Their bowls are placed upside down, to symbolize that they won’t need them anymore. Their collars and leashes are hung up in remembrance of the dog. And if the memorial is at a kennel, the dog’s kennel door is left open, indicating the dog will not be returning home. The handler, or someone who can handle the heartbreaking duty, reads a poem called Guardians of the Night.

Guardians Of The Night

Author - Unknown

Trust in me my friend for I am
your comrade. I will protect you
with my last breath When all
others have left you And the
loneliness of the night closes
in, I will be at your side.
Together we will conquer all
obstacles, And search out
those who might wish harm to
others. All I ask of you is
compassion, The caring touch
of your hands. It is for you that I
will unselfishly give my life And
spend my nights unrested.
Although our days together
May be marked by the passing
of the seasons Know that each
day at your side is my reward.
My days are measured by The
coming and going of your
footsteps. I anticipate them at
every opening of the door. You
are the voice of caring when I
am ill. The voice of authority
when I've done wrong.

Do not chastise me unduly For
I am your right arm, The sword
at your side. I attempt to do
only what you bid of me. I seek
only to please you and remain
in your favor.

Together you and I shall
experience A bond only others
like us will understand When
outsiders see us together Their
envy will be measured by their
disdain.
I will quietly listen to you And
pass no judgment, Nor will your
spoken words be repeated I will
remain ever silent, Ever vigilant,
ever loyal. And when our time
together is done And you move
on in the world Remember me
with kind thoughts and tales,
For a time we were unbeatable,
Nothing passed among us
undetected.
If we should meet again on
another street I will gladly take
up your fight, I am a Police
Working Dog and together We
are guardians of the night.     

Growth Spurt

I was born in Houston, and can actually remember when the population passed 1/2 million.  Considering the size of the city now, that’s almost hard to believe, even for me.

There is some overflow, but for the most part, Houston is in Harris County.  Boggy Thicket is located in one of the few areas of the county that is not within the city limits.

Now, the latest census estimates make Harris the fastest growing county in the nation – Growth.

An Easter Tale

A man was driving down a country road on a beautiful spring day when a rabbit ran out in front of his car.  He tried to swerve, but felt a bump and knew that he had hit it. When he stopped and went back to the flattened bunny, one look told him it was gone. 

Then he noticed the basket.

“Oh no!” he cried, “I’ve killed the Easter Bunny.”

Just then another car stopped and a young lady got out to see what was the matter.  When he explained what happened, she told him she thought she could help.

She went back to her car, dug in a grocery bag and came back with a bottle. She dumped the contents on the rabbit and rubbed it vigorously into its fur.

All of a sudden the rabbit jumped up, grabbed the basket and hopped off down the road.  After it had gone about fifty feet, it stopped and waved.  Then it hopped a little farther and turned to wave again, continuing to hop and wave until it was out of sight.

“That was amazing.” said the fellow. “What is that stuff?”

She held up the now empty bottle of conditioner so he could read the label.  “See.” she said “Restores lifeless hair and adds a permanent wave.”

Know When to Hold ‘Em

Kenny Rodgers had it right.  Back in the old west, meeting up with a gambler on a passenger train would not be that out of the ordinary

According to Keith Wheeler's The Railroaders, historians estimate that more than 300 cardsharps called the Union Pacific Railroad system "home," and a deck of cards was colloquially referred to as a "railroad Bible."
The British cardsharp known as Poker Alice Ivers, a blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty, made her name running gaming tables in the mining camps, but spent her vacation days playing high-stakes poker games on trains. She was so successful in her travels that she finally retired to Deadwood, South Dakota and invested her winnings in a moral bordello, closing her doors on Sundays to teach Bible lessons to her employees.
George Devol was one of the most well-known railroad cardsharps, reportedly won more than $2 million from his fellow passengers playing popular games such as three-card Monte, but he liked to take chances and lost most of his winnings. Devol also marked his deck when playing cards and was known to be involved in more than one gun battle in defense of his life. He was also known to have jumped from more than one speeding train, dodging bullets.
Canada Bill Jones may have been the only gambler who tried to make a deal with the railroads in order to legitimize his trade, offering the Union Pacific Railroad $10,000 for one year rights to all three-card Monte games on the line, promising he would only target "traveling salesmen and Methodist preachers." The railroad turned him down.

New Life Arriving

I mentioned back on March 8th about the wrens nesting atop out propane tank. 

Well, they are certainly not the only birds nesting here at the Boggy Thicket.  We have a pair of cardinals who chose to build their home within six feet of our front door.

Normally, this would not be a problem.  We hardly ever use our front door – nobody does except the occasional stranger trying to save our souls or sell us something. 

The exception to the rule occurs when it rains.  We don’t smoke in the house, so when it is really pouring down we often end up on the front porch.

The mother cardinal does not like this at all.  She will remain on the nest as long as she can stand it then fly away chattering.  She will then continue to make passes, fussing the whole time until we go back in the house.

I had seen three eggs in the nest last week – Mama was so protective that I did not try to take a picture, the shot above is from the web.   The eggs, by the way, are really pretty – brown spots on a light turquoise background (about the color of my mother’s 1960 Thunderbird) – and they are surprisingly big for such a small bird. 

During yesterdays rain, Honey decided to chance a look.  At first she said “I only see one.” then “Oh!” as a little head popped into view above the rim of the nest. 

We had our next cigarette outside the back door.

Bad Sex

I just came across the report on 2011’s Bad Sex Award and had to pass it along.  The award was presented back in December, and I missed the story at the time.

American author David Guterson has joined John Updike, Tom Wolfe, Norman Mailer and other literary stars as the recipient of the dreaded Bad Sex in Fiction award.

Guterson won the 2011 "prize" for sex scenes in his new novel "Ed King," which offers a modern take on the Oedipus myth and sets it in the second half of the 20th century.

The acclaimed author of "Snow Falling on Cedars" took the tongue-in-cheek honor in stride: "Oedipus practically invented bad sex, so I'm not in the least bit surprised," Guterson said in a statement released in response to his victory.

The choice was announced at a gala event at the Naval & Military Club in London.

The scene cited by the judges deals with the part of the myth where the son makes loves with his mother. It describes a night of abandon that concludes with a soapy shower interlude and finishes this way: "Then they rinsed, dried, dressed, and went to an expensive restaurant for lunch."

The Literary Review has given out the award each year since 1993. It was established by Auberon Waugh to highlight the "crude, tasteless and often perfunctory" way in which sex is described in modern novels — and to discourage it.

Good Bye and Good Luck

 

 

Apparently the Blogs -  residents of Błogoszów, Poland - have had enough. 

They are no longer willing to have their good name hauled through the mud, and have filed a class action suit against anyone in the world who has ever described their website as a blog.  Defendants in their suit include all blog  readers, and anyone who has ever used the term blog as either a noun or a verb.

Assuming their suit has any chance  of succeeding, it is probably already too late to avoid liability, but I'm stopping before things can get any worse.  I don’t know for sure, but I think that if you never posted a comment here, or on any other blog, you might be OK.