Tag: dogs

Junior

1,537 words

My dog Junior is a 35-pound Boston Terrier/Boxer mix with the most consistently sweet disposition of any animal I’ve ever owned. He’s a great little guy, and except for his occasional bouts of gassiness, I can’t think of a bad thing to say about him. Yesterday morning while taking him for a walk through my slowly decaying lakeside Georgia community, I was suddenly forced to risk my life in an attempt to save his.

I wouldn’t do such a thing for many people besides my wife and son. (more…)

2,733 words

South African Hunter Mistakes Black Woman for Hippo, Shoots It

If you search the name “Ramokone Linah” on Google Images, you’ll see several pictures of hippopotami but zero snapshots of the black South African woman named Ramokone Linah, who was shot by a white Afrikaner because he mistook her for a hippopotamus. (more…)

Fascist Dogs, photo credit G. F. A. Jeelvy

1,372 words

Folks, I have a tale to tell you. It’s one of those slice-of-life things, but one from which we can learn as a movement and as individuals. Last weekend, while taking a walk by the riverside, I came across a two-month-old stray puppy. Overwhelmed by concern for his well-being, I took him with me, fed him, cared for him, played with him, took him on walks, named him, and kept him until I could find a permanent home in the countryside for him two days later. It was the first time I had done anything like that. (more…)

Ferdinand Lindner, Altnordisches Julfest, from Die Gartenlaube magazine. 1880.

1,818 words

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. From Christmas decorations to Christmas songs, I always get into the holiday spirit wherever my travels and adventures take me. Although I prefer spending Christmas with friends and family, I have spent a few holidays by myself in various countries. While I was never one to question (more…)

Phil Eiger Newmann, The Reaper, 2020.

1,821 words

As someone whose formal training is in journalism and who also likes to pretend that journalism at least still exists somewhere — even as a concept — I’ve bitten my lip bloody for five years as this “Black Lives Matter” chant has grown both ubiquitous and deafening, but not once have I heard a reporter do his job and say:

“Prove it.” (more…)

1,442 words

I think that dogs should be allowed to vote.

In America’s courageous fight for universal suffrage, the franchise has been extended to all those we believe are stakeholders in our nation’s future. (more…)

Emil Doepler, Heimdall an der Himmelsbrücke, 1905.

1,641 words

As I have gotten older, certain events always seem to bring up specific memories and thoughts. This last week, I have struggled to fall asleep as I kept thinking about Homer’s Odyssey. The scene in question is when Odysseus returns home in disguise, only to see his once-esteemed dog Argos close to death after being neglected by his servants while Odysseus was away. Argos immediately recognized his owner when no one else did. (more…)

1,257 words

Like any big bad internet racist xenophobe sexist holocaust-denying huwite supremist worth his salt, I am a softie for animals of all kinds. I visit the zoo at least twice a year to observe our furry friends. One of the reasons I go on long hikes through lonesome trails is to enjoy birdsongs in the quiet and maybe see a squirrel or two. But of all of God’s creatures, none is richer or more complex than my relationship with Canis lupus familiaris, man’s best friend, the humble and noble dog. (more…)

1,480 words

“I think you’re anthropomorphizing,” said the vet. I had brought the cat in for a routine checkup and was describing something cute she had done. I don’t remember what it was (this was some years ago). (more…)