Turkish Dogs - particularly Anatolian Shepherd Dogs

I got the above picture from Geno, showing Helmut sharing something with a kitten. I love the picture, and isn't Helmut cute? (see more of his pictures on his label link) :)

Nathan Winograd's blog has some heartwretching pics and movie clips from animal control scenes. He labeled several of them as occuring at L.A. Animal Services, where Ed Boks is the General Manager. Mr. Boks has been very busy in the past year or so, trying to institute broad punitive legislation against pet owners and to cover the entire state of California. As can be seen from his actions and from his record (which includes being problematic to rescues), his interest in the welfare of animals is questionable and his interest in appropriately written legislation is poor as well.

See him below, in his own words -- what he has to say when questioned by Senator Cox.



There is a petition to have Ed Boks removed from his position as General Manager. If you agree, please sign the petition. This IS bigger than L.A. -- there are many areas around the country that are dealing with the Mandatory Spay and Neuter bills due to copycat officials that think L.A. has a good thing going. Amazingly they have not looked at the increase in animal deaths and abuse due to the MSN propaganda coming out of that area. The spending and the deaths of animals has INCREASED! These bills are seriously problematic at many levels.

See Lloyd Levine in his own words... tell Senator Cox what the bill really means in this clip.



The bill in its present form is a dangerous one and needs to be killed. Thanks for all that have been helping to get the information out there!

Happy Fourth!

Labels: animal_control, Helmut, Video

My old copy of NexTalk has been getting a lot of use in the past few weeks and suddenly it kept crashing or just truncating my phone sessions - requiring a reboot to resume a call. Ugh! So I decided to uninstall and clean out the registry and file folders of the program and then reinstall an upgrade. I went to download the program again and was happy to find that the newest version is designed so that it also works on Vista now and has a FAX option. Interesting. Anyway, with Vista capability, now I can install it on my (new to me) Gateway notebook which has Vista installed. :)

The link for NexTalk is here. This is a free program that enables a deaf person (who wants to use the computer interface) to call a person who can hear. An operator types text messages back to the deaf person, typing out whatever is being said at the hearing end. It works a lot like using a real time instant messenger. Thanks to all those wonderful relay operators out there that make these services possible. :D

Now here's a wonderful video with text, showing a sweet dog named Cowboy learning something new. :)

Labels: compu-internet, deaf, humor, Video

Of course, most Anatolians will probably not be endlessly amused. :)

Labels: Video

. . . Because people who love you sometimes want to use your laptop computer to make use of real or imagined, undocumented but desirable features. Two videos below with the second one being loosely applied to laptop computer technology that doesn't exist (yet) -

Tech Support in the Middle Ages
(things haven't changed much!)
Video with English subtitles.
If you haven't seen this one before, be sure to watch it to the end. ;)


A Cell Phone that does everything!
(ewwwww...)
No captions on this one but it's pretty self-explanatory.

Labels: compu-internet, humor, Video

Leo

Some nice news on one of Vick's former pit doggies at Mercury News. (EDIT: I originally posted a link directly to the article but it is doing some Mercury News related odd login/redirect and page failure thing! --so here's the full text followed by the original URL)

Kids, elders befriend a Vick fighting dog
By Linda Goldston
Mercury News
Article Launched: 01/31/2008 01:42:57 AM PST

[picture of Leo above]Caption:
Leo, one of the 50 pit bulls confiscated from former NFL star Michael Vick,... ( Stephanie Lam )

He faced a life of fighting, a cruel death by hanging or drowning if he couldn't make it in the pit.

Now he brings smiles to children, tears of joy to seniors.

Leo, one of 50 pit bulls confiscated from former NFL star Michael Vick's dog fighting kennel, has a new leash on life, thanks to a South Bay rescue group.

He also has a new job: He's been transformed into a therapy dog. Instead of risking his life in a dog fight, he will help fight the fear and loneliness of children and seniors in hospitals and convalescent homes.

"He'll put his paws on the bed and give them the soft warm 'love me' eyes," said Marthina McClay, a dog trainer and founder of Our Pack, Inc., who has worked with Leo since Dec. 16. "That's why he's such a good therapy dog. He's very polite."

When Leo arrived in the Bay Area, he had scars behind his ears and showed signs that handlers at Vick's Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia were starting to condition the pit bull terrier for fights, McClay said.

"He was starting to fight or had done some fighting but it hadn't gone on long enough that he was beyond repair," she said. "Now he's fine and loves to play with other dogs."

Leo shares toy bones with McClay's female pit bull, Hailey, and gives a wide berth to her Chihuahua. He greets visitors with a wagging tail and piercing brown eyes. But there is no jumping up on anyone. This dog sits down and watches you to see what comes next.

"He's a fabulous dog," McClay said. "A real sweetheart."

After authorities seized dozens of dogs from Vick's property in Virginia, the animals were kept in shelters while investigators put together their case. A court-appointed attorney for the dogs decided which rescue groups could take them. Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls or BAD RAP, an Oakland-based pit bull rescue group, helped with the evaluations and drove 13 of the dogs to the Bay Area.

Pack got one of the dogs, Leo, and BAD RAP placed the rest in foster homes.

Vick, former star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, is serving 23 months in prison after pleading guilty to a dog-fighting conspiracy.

Dogs bought for fighting went through a testing process; if they didn't perform well, they were drowned, electrocuted or hanged at Bad Newz Kennel.

Even though he has minor scarring from fights, Leo likely would have faced one of those violent deaths, McClay said.

"He just wants to play," McClay said as Leo snored on her couch.

McClay and others said the Vick dog-fighting case is remarkable because the dogs were not euthanized.

"People stood up and said, 'Wait a minute,' " she said.

What the rehabilitated dogs are showing now "is their core temperament," McClay said. "Their hallmark is people-pleasing. Otherwise, Michael Vick couldn't have done what he did.

"The dogs aren't criminals. The humans who abuse them are the criminals."

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
For more information on pit bulls, dog training and Our Pack, Inc., see the Web site at www.ourpack.org.
______________
Contact Linda Goldston at lgoldston@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5862.

ORIGINAL MERCURY NEWS URL- http://www.mercurynews.com/lifeandstyleheadlines/ci_8126693

Breed Specific Legislation is WRONG!


And time for some Deaf silliness :)
No captions on this one, but it's all quite clear!

Labels: BSL, deaf, humor, Video

Check out this amazing driving and these surreal looking skyscrapers with rotating floors.


And more down to earth and doggie related, a captioned video. :)

Labels: humor, Video

I'm still trying to shake off a bad cold and just have been too tired lately to keep up with any reading. I have previously read much ado about potential problems from cell phone radiation exposure but until recently, I just really haven't been paying much attention since I don't one. James used the landline primarily but his cell phone useage has become frequent and habitual -- time for us to wake up. Just saw this new article last night about how cell phone use interferes with sleep. Other general warnings which compare cell phone radiation to wireless laptop use. Interesting.

Last month, I read some articles regarding internet accessibility regarding how deaf captioning in online video shows (the professional ones) are so lacking. For example, you can watch some of the same newsclips on TV with the captions but the online versions never do have captions. From one of the articles discussing this issue, I ran into some delightful YouTube films that were captioned (Yay!) and had to do with with deaf topics. Here's one of them that has humor from Deaf culture featured. :)


Jamie Berke at About.com has a wonderful article explaining about how exhausting or frustrating it is for hearing impaired students at school, and actually applies to some extent for all deaf and hearing impaired in almost all social situations... see the Classroom Ghost.

On a lighter note, thanks to Diane who posted a link to a "Human Tetris" clip last week, I ended up looking at several hilarious clips showing a Japanese game show with a Tetris-like theme. Good laughs are much needed sometimes. :)

Labels: deaf, frustration, humor, Video

When I saw the link to this, I thought wow, too cute, must share!

Labels: humor, Video

Great video from Rexano.
Woohoo! Aside from the important subject and good coverage of the matter -- there is TEXT in the video, great for deafies like me. :)

After you view the video... go to YouTube and rate HIGH!

Labels: animal_control, Video

I've decided to start a new label/category on this blog for subscriptions, because there are a few services that I think are pretty handy or entertaining, even if I don't always find the time to catch up on these things!

I've had a YouTube membership for some time, but since I'm not really into the hobby of finding time to make video to put online, a membership is handy just so I can tag favorite videos to make them easier to find or to be able to subscribe to favorite video posters so one knows when something new is online. Handy!

One of the YouTube member video makers is National Geographic! I only wish there were a caption mode for the deaf on these vids. But after having made my own first Anatolian Shepherd Dog video that I tested on YouTube, just to see what I'd learn, I am a little more acquainted with the issues making quality video for the half size resolution that YouTube uses. And National Geographic does that very well. Of course!

Since I've subscribed to the channel, here are today's updates at National Geographic at YouTube as quoted from the YouTube subscription service.

New Videos from NationalGeographic
- Exorcism
- What is Skin?
- Rain Forest Shaman
- Stuffing Dead Pets
- Attempted Assassination of a President
- Inside Python Infested Waters
- Sea Monsters
- Monster Fish
- Sea Monsters 1
- Sea Monsters 2
- Sea Monsters 3


Stuffing Dead Pets? I know that stuffing a pet is never going to be my thing. I have known of some European breeders who have kept at least one cured pelt of a special guardian dog - one was a wall hanging of a Kuvasz which someone once described as having dense swirly hair - this is kind of like having a huge bearskin rug on the wall. I guess the latter choice for our big livestock guardian dogs makes more sense to me - although I'm not inclined to do this either. From a genetics and historical point of view, such a pelt can serve as an interesting example of what some feel should be the classic coat in that breed. I think more people that I know, would rather have handmade garments made that have some of the shed undercoat and/or hair from their dogs, especially while the dog still lives, but also as a useful keepsake after the dog passes. Again, probably more practical with these large LGD breeds due to volume and length of the fiber - compared to say an English Bulldog. A knit scarf for example, part wool from a fiber animal, and mixed with shed hair of dog is said to be incredibly warm. Probably more of us who can, will keep the ashes of our beloved friend in an urn until another decision is made regarding its disposition. Some of those who can bury their deceased dogs, will do that. It's just so sad to need to have a beloved animal rendered (like my deceased Arabian mare), but we can't always get what we want.


On a happier note... For more video and a chance to be interactive, Delta Society is taking votes from the public for Pet Partner of the Year - see the finalists, some video and cast your vote here.

Labels: subscriptions, Video

This is Helmut, after having a good time in the corral when I took some video.

Well, finally some homemade video! It's not Steven Spielberg or Pixar for sure but we had fun. :)

The two vids below are actually the same four minute composition in different resolutions featuring "Three Anatolians in a Corral". The Youtube one will be better for those with slower connections but it's harder to read my text additions. The larger one below it is huge .... well, normally I format blog posting widths to fit on small resolution screens but am making an exception for the high resolution version of this vid -- until this posting ages enough and I move with a link to it to its own page so it won't cause problems with viewing other archives with which that post is connected. IE users may or may not be able to play it online, so try the link to download.

I converted the MOV file from my still Kodak Z650 Zoom camera to AVI, after which I was able to explore Windows Movie Maker with the video. Okay the actually footage is not very good since my fancy digital Kodak camera cannot do Zoom while in video mode like a real camcorder can. But it's still footage that some may find entertaining, and I enjoyed it because it allowed me to learn some more tricks with my resident programs. Certainly any footage taken with less than a 1/4 acre will not suffer as much from lack of detail on the subject dogs, but I wanted this footage because I wanted to get video of the dogs romping around the corral. Boone is not in the video because Coco smells so interesting to him now (she's not in heat yet) and I just wanted focus on the current project.

The original video is taken in a large screen mode on my camera, so converting to the half size YouTube resolution causes some loss of detail in the text I added. I think the solution to that is to shrink the movie first, then add the 'captions' (grin). If you do have broadband speeds, then see the second version. You can also use your right mouse button to view the larger one in full screen because it is not a flash file.

Youtube version-



Windows Media Player version (High Resolution)-
you can right click for options like slow motion

Launch in external player - Watch full size for best detail

That's all for now, I think! Will edit this later, as needed. It was fun doing the videos. Hope you enjoy!

Labels: Coco, Helmut, Ruya, Video

I always want to know just HOW do they do this stuff? But sometimes it's just enough to be able to watch and marvel at it all... (No -- no, no... it isn't enough!! That can't be an illusion! ...can it?)

Labels: frustration, humor, Video

I wish more video was captioned for the deaf, but there's plenty of text to be found on this subject if one looks for it. A link to a Tax Law blog is in the Related Links below and has interesting comments and links. (and I can't figure out if this stock image listed under 'taxes' is a man being shaken for change or bullied to tears, but probably the same effect anyway!)



From Shreveport Times

Local attorney acquitted on federal income tax charges
Cryer stopped filing income taxes more than 10 years ago
July 13, 2007
By Loresha Wilson

A Shreveport attorney who has challenged the government for years on the legality of filing federal income taxes has been acquitted on charges he failed to file returns.

A federal jury unanimously found Tommy Cryer not guilty this week on two misdemeanor counts of failure to file.

And according to Cryer, the prosecution dismissed two felony charges of tax evasion prior to trial.

Attempts by The Times on Thursday to reach U.S. Attorney Donald Washington or Bill Flanagan, first assistant U.S. attorney, were not successful. Calls made to the two were not immediately returned.

"The court could not find a law that makes me liable or makes my revenues taxable," Cryer said. "The Supreme Court has ruled that the government cannot impose an income tax on anything but the profits and gains. When you work for someone you give your service and labor in exchange for money, so everything you make is not profit or gain. You put something into it."

Cryer was indicted last year on two counts of tax evasion. The indictment alleged he evaded payment of $73,000 in income tax to the Internal Revenue Service during 2000 and 2001.

Cryer created a trust listing himself as the trustee, and received payments of dividends, interest and stock income to that trust, according to the indictment. He also was accused of concealing his receipt of the sources of income from the IRS by failing to file a tax return on behalf of that trust.

"I determined that my personal earnings were not 100 percent profits, some were income," Cryer said. "I refuse to file, I refuse to pay unless they can show me I have a lawful reason to pay."

"What I earned was my own personal labor. I am giving something in exchange. I'm giving my property and I don't belong to anyone else."

Cryer says he stopped filing returns more than 10 years ago after he investigated claims that income tax was a sham. He contends the law doesn't actually tax personal earning.

Related link:
TaxProf Blog - Member of the Law Professor Blogs Netwok


And a PS. My connection and FTP abilities have been very iffy for just over 24 hours. Hopefully this gets posted before another day passes.

Labels: money, Video