Yearly Archives: 2003

Microchipping Your Pets

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  • Post category:Indianapolis

I just spent some time calling around to get this information for my new kitties, so I thought I’d share for the convenience of other pet owners.

A microchip ID is safe, quick and easy lifetime protection that takes just minutes to complete. Should your pet become lost or stolen, your pet can be scanned by any shelter or vet and the microchip identification will assist in its return.

(A microchip is not a GPS device. GPS requires a power source, which makes it impractical for use as an implanted device. You can get a GPS collar for your pet as well, but collars can get lost, so it makes sense to have a microchip as well.)

Places you can get your pet microchipped in Indianapolis:

Indianapolis Animal Care & Control

FACE low cost spay/neuter clinic

Humane Society of Indianapolis

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I’m Glad That’s Over

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  • Post category:Television

According to the New York Post, Roseanne Barr’s new “cooking” show, Domestic Goddess, has been cancelled. There’s no word on the fate of her “reality” , The Real Roseanne about the making of the “cooking” show, but it’s fate is likely not good. And that makes me happy, because I watched part of the first episode of the reality show, and I had to turn it off because it made me want to kick Roseanne’s ass, and the asses of her entire family.

The whole first episode was about coming up with a concept for the new “cooking” show, but although they keep meeting, and eating, and screaming at each other, and fighting with plastic swords, no one actually attempted to think of a concept for a show. They ended up going to a pitch meeting (late, because they were getting donuts) and pitching nothing but a vague description of what the show would be.

The agents started to ask them a bunch of questions about the show like, “Would this been in a studio, or would Roseanne invade the homes of celebrities and cook in their kitchens?” and you could see the faces of Roseanne’s family light up, like “hey that’s a good idea!” and you could see they never even thought about how the show would work.

Mentally, you start running through all the stuff you have to do in a given day, and you realize, “holy crap, these people have tons of money for no reason and I’m working my ass off…. I hate them!” And then you turn the show off and delete it from your DVR.

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Barney, Beloved Beagle and TV Favorite, Dies at 14

Dick Wolfsie and Barney with Mr. Bendo
Dick Wolfsie and Barney with Mr. Bendo

I just heard on the news that Barney the Beagle, the longtime partner of TV personality Dick Wolfsie, from channel 8 News, died on Friday at the grand old age of 14. I’ll miss you Barney.

I got to meet Barney back in January of 2002 when I was on the news with Dick Wolfsie for my Pictures of Big Things. But sadly, I never got to introduce Barney to my best pal, my doggie Spike who came to live with me later that year.

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Republican Sesame Street: Language of Hate

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  • Post category:Politics

In 1990, then Republican House Whip Newt Gingrich (later Speaker of the House) hired a pollster to devise a lexicon of demonization. In a memo that Gingrich circulated, “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control,” Republicans were instructed that “words and phrases are powerful” and that the list that had been test-marketed should be “memorized.” They were urged to apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party:
“decay … failure (fail) … collapse(ing) … deeper … crisis … urgent(cy) … destructive … destroy … sick … pathetic … lie … liberal … they/them … unionized bureaucracy … “compassion” is not enough … betray … consequences … limit(s) … shallow … traitors … sensationalists …
“endanger … coercion … hypocrisy … radical … threaten … devour … waste … corruption … incompetent … permissive attitudes … destructive … impose … self- serving … greed … ideological … insecure … anti-(issue): flag, family, child, jobs … pessimistic … excuses … intolerant …
“stagnation … welfare … corrupt … selfish … insensitive … status quo … mandate(s) … taxes … spend(ing) … shame … disgrace … punish (poor … ) … bizarre … cynicism … cheat … steal … abuse of power … machine … bosses … obsolete … criminal rights … red tape … patronage.”

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COOL: GPS Tags for your dog, kid or elderly parent

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  • Post category:Brain Food

Mr. Wozniak described WozNet as a simple and inexpensive wireless network that uses radio signals and global positioning satellite data to keep track of a cluster of inexpensive tags within a one- or two-mile radius of each base station. WozNet, he said, will include a home-base station that has the ability to track the location of dozens or even hundreds of small wireless devices that can be attached to people, pets or property. The tags � expected to cost less than $25 each to produce � will be able to generate alerts, notifying the owner by phone or e-mail message when a child arrives at school, a dog leaves the yard or a car leaves the parking lot.”

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Kids?

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  • Post category:Journal

Children: I’m against them. Really, they’re loud and annoying and they seem kind of retarded. Except those of my family members. Children in my family are beautiful geniuses who are charming. And any children I have will of course be tiny little gods or goddesses. But other people’s children, the kind you run into in Target, or who sit at the restaurant table near you, are gross. Please stop bringing out in public. That “seen and not heard” thing just doesn’t go far enough.

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