Soap Box Day Today

[Rudy Taylor]

I think it would be the perfect outing some Friday afternoon.  Wonder if the Queen
gives two-fer discounts?

[Teresa]

Well, it is 9:00 and as usual.. for the past 30 minutes and until about 11:00 the Pomeranian dog of Danny & Stephanie Hebb  is barking non stop .. !
I can't believe that EVERY night they can't hear him! But they never ever open their windows. They either have their a/c on or their heat so I guess they can't hear.. either that or they choose to ignore it.
I have told them before that it about drives me crazy and for one night they took him into the house, but that was it..
I know its not the dogs fault, but I am about to take a 12 ga out ..

[Wilma]

Maybe if he were fed at night he would go to sleep.  My husband used to feed our dogs at night and we never had a barking problem.  Of course they were allowed to bark non-stop anyway.

[sixdogsmom]

Poms are notorious yappers! Why is such a little dog left outside? He is probably scared silly! They know when night critters are prowling, it is really easy pickings for coyotes to come into town and dine on kittys and other small animals. I have seen them here on the streets of Moline, and hold my breath every night when Little Man, (our tomcat) goes for his nighttime activities. We have an old pussy who likes to spend warm nights on the patio; but I know when the critters are about because she comes in! Maybe you could offer that little guy a place alongside all the others, hhhmmmmm??

[Wilma]

I will never understand why people have to have these cute little creatures, then ignore them.  I think it is immature of the humans that they don't realize that the cute little creatures will turn into adults and will continue to depend on their humans to provide for them.  Not only food and water, but love and suitable protection.  And why do these humans place their pet pens as far from their house as possible?  Seems to me that our dog pen was always almost outside the back door.  Sometimes our back door was part of their pen.  Made it easy to let them in and out.  Pets have to be a part of the family or they cease to be pets and become pests.

[Teresa]

These 3 dogs are IN a pen and it is about 10 steps from theri back door and about 6 steps from my side kitchen window!
And you are right.. Poms are an inside dog.. but this little guy is outside rain or shine hot or cold! sighhhhhhhhhhhh..
I need to get busy or I will be on my soapbox again..

[Wilma]

So I wonder why they have an inside dog if they don't want an inside dog.

[Teresa]

  who knows~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Joanna]

It's hard not to get mad at the pet instead of the owner even when we know better, so you have my cheers for that (even though it's not any help!)  I'm so glad I don't have that problem Teresa, I'm not sure I'd be as patient as you are...

I'm very lucky in my neighborhood, the dogs don't usually bark unless there's something that needs attention (We have a strictly no tolerance armadillo policy here!)  The neighbor's dogs are cute ~ they are inside dogs but when they get out to do their business, they'll stand in the corner & bark at Squirt over here on our porch until she goes over to play.  Then they race back & forth on either side of the pen about 3 times.  The dogs inside the pen usually win (but they cheat by cutting the corners.   Squirt doesn't care, she races them then comes home with her tail between her legs because she knows she's not supposed to leave the yard.  It's hard to scold her though, because it is so cute.  I try.    I have very tolerant neighbors; I apologize for Squirt going over there and they apologize for their dogs egging her on. 

Life here can be GRAND!

[Wilma]

I am tired of Daylight Saving Time.  It needs to end now.  This thing of starting it earlier and ending it later each year is for the birds.  Well, maybe not for the birds because I am sure they are not observing it.  And I am sure that I am not saving anything on energy.  I have to turn on lights when I get up.  These lights are forgotten as the sun lights the house and they stay on all day.  Where am I saving?

I know there was a reason for this in the beginning so I researched it.  Did you know that it was Benjamin Franklin's idea?  In the U.S. it was instituted during World War I on March 19, 1918 and was observed for 7 months in 1918 and 1919.  After the war ended it was so unpopular that Congress repealed it and overrode President Wilson's veto.

During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt instituted year-round Daylight Saving Time, called "War Time," from February 9, 1942 to September 30, 1945.

President Lyndon Johnson signed into Public Law the Uniform Time Act of 1966 on April 12, 1966 that created Daylight Saving Time to begin on the last Sunday of April and to end on the last Sunday of October.  (Now, what was wrong with this?  I got along fine with it.)

In 1985, the Federal law was amended to begin Daylight Saving Time on the first Sunday in April.  (Things just go down hill from here).  This amendment also set the time to begin the time change at 2:00 AM.

In 2005 the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (signed by Guess Who) extended Daylight Saving Time in the U.S., beginning in 2007, though Congress retained the right to revert to the 1986 law should the change prove unpopular or if energy savings are not significant.  So, this year our Daylight Saving Time started on the second Sunday of March and will end on the first Sunday of November.

Guess I will just have to stay in the dark for a few more weeks.  To me, it is unnecassary to start it so early and end it so late.  I am not sure that the nation is saving anything in energy anymore as most of the nation operates around the clock.  Most of the lights in most of the buildings, including our nation's capitol are on from beginning to end of the work day.  The farmers can work their fields any time of the day or night with the modern equipment they have.  The cows are milked any time of the day with electric milking machines.  The hogs and chickens have lighted houses and can be fed any time of the day or night.  So, who is saving?