Comments for Cog in the Wheel

Comment on I don’t like dogs by Tonya

Tonya — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:04:25 +0000

Reading some of your posts really helps. I am glad that some of you are brave enough to admit that you don’t like dogs. I too do not like dogs. My husband and I have been married for 12 years and we have been through numerous dogs over the years. We would get a dog because my husband wanted it and after I couldn’t take anymore we would eventually re-home it. We have had a German Shepard, a Lab, an English Bull (that bit him), and a Shih Tzu. We now currently have a Boxer that we have had for 2 years. I have to say that I have no patience with the dog and feel I need to be on some type of anxiety medication because of him. There are so many things I cannot take. We have a fenced in back yard but if we let him run loose he makes it look like a dog’s back yard. He chews up my Palm Tree, my tropical plants, he runs through the flowerbeds and throws mulch everywhere. There are so many piles of poop back there that you can’t walk without stepping in it. Even though I remind my husband to clean it he rarely does. When the dog is allowed in the house someone has to be in the same room with him because he wanders aimlessly sniffing every surface he can looking for food. If he goes into the kitchen while no one is in there he pulls dishes off the counter tops and breaks them. I lost a very expensive stone baker because of this. He knows he isn’t supposed to be in the kitchen but waits til you turn your back to do it. Urrr! The times that we are in the kitchen and he is in there with us we are constantly yelling at him to stop sniffing the counter tops. My husband thinks that he should sit on his dog bed in the living room the entire time he is in the house because he can’t stand him wondering the house so guess what…the family gets to listen to my husband yell at the dog all evening. “Get in your bed!” “Get out of the kitchen!” “Get in here!” When he is on his dog bed we also get to listen to him whimper and whine while we eat dinner. He sits at attention and stares a hole in your face while you are eating. My kids also get aggravated with his begging. Having a dog is like having a 2 year old. My husband never walks him. I tried walking him a few times but it was the worst experience ever. He pulls on his collar to the point of choking himself. If he poops in a neighbors yard I dry heave the whole time I’m trying to clean it up. Nothing like cleaning up warm **** that is still steaming out of a yard. Gross! There are so many little things that he does that I cannot stand…lapping water out of the bowl in the kitchen only to get half of it on the floor for everyone to step in, coming to you and putting his wet face on you after he just drank out of his bowl, rubbing up against my black dress pants and leaving dirt and hair on them, licking himself, leaving hair all over the house, barking at night when we crate him to go to bed, whining, jumping up on people, tracking wet dirty dog prints into the kitchen when it’s raining, oh and did I say licking himself??!! It’s disgusting and he makes this smacking noise when he does it. We have 4 children with the youngest being 12 and the oldest being 17 that are well mannered. After you tell the kids “No” a few times they eventually get it. The dog doesn’t get it and I passed the babysitting stage a long time ago. I try to find the joy for my husband’s sake but I just don’t get it???

Comment on Post Turkey by N2Blues

N2Blues — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:55:01 +0000

I know exactly how you feel. I spend holidays at my mother-in-laws’ and my ultra conservative brother-in-law is always there. I believe that he literally cannot keep himself from going down that political road and spewing his views. He and I went back and forth Thanksgiving a year ago. It was over global warming and how terrorist would take over American because we elected a pansy president. I rebutted all his arguments and several times asked him outright for proof of his statements. He flopped. He had nothing to go on other than what he heard from politicians in his worthless party. He got louder in louder in his arguments, substituting volume for facts. Eventually, he just shut up. He had nothing. The following Christmas he kept his opinions to himself. I wasn’t about to give him a free pass on his views. This last Thanksgiving he was quiet again. BUT… his 17 yr old son (my nephew) is now spitting out the party line. I just shook my head. After we left the gathering, I told my wife what a shame it was that the son had already given up thinking for himself. For him, the fight was already over, and in my opinion, we all lose. I remember thinking at the time how sad it was that he was already an old man.

The last remaining hope for redemption is that my nephew will leave for college in 8 or so months. Maybe getting out of his home environment and into one that questions everything, he will learn to think for himself and form his own opinions. Even if he sticks to his political views, I hope at the very least the next thing to spew from his mouth will be his own views and not the party line.

Comment on Hindsight by jon

jon — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:52:05 +0000

You know, I hate it that we – America – are practically famous (infamous?) for starting or escalating a war then leaving. Still, we might as well leave as gracefully as possible. It really isn’t complicated to me so I bet it isn’t complicated to those in power either. It takes thousands upon thousands of troops to win in a counter insurgency…and that just ain’t gonna happen. It’s not about right or wrong. It’s about can we do it. We can’t.

The ending is already written. It will be interesting to see how tactfully the president can get us out.

Comment on Slow Down by N2Blues

N2Blues — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:43:29 +0000

With family get-togethers and holidays there is always the lynchpin. Once the pin is pulled the fragments scatter. Unfortunately, it is the way of life.

Comment on I don’t like dogs by jon

jon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:13:41 +0000

Thanks for being more thoughtful. We are all so different. Most people with dogs can’t imagine that others don’t feel the way they do. In fact, it never crosses their minds. At least you thought to look it up when you didn’t understand AND you acted on the information you got.

Honestly, I get it. Since I made the original post I have met a dog I like – most of the time. He’s a lab who isn’t smelly, doesn’t bark and doesn’t get in my face – traits I wish all people shared too. It has been pointed out to me (as I mentioned before) that my problem is with the owners, not the dogs. And finally, another friend pointed out that dogs are pack animals. If the owner doesn’t become the alpha dog, the pet will.
You have tried to understand and so have I. Just a few million people to go!

Comment on Where is the line of overreaction? by A.Y. Siu

A.Y. Siu — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:19:43 +0000

That’s a toxic work environment. You aren’t overreacting. Unfortunately, if you complain, your co-workers will consider you no longer part of the water cooler group, or they may retaliate in other ways (think the Friends episode in which Rachel doesn’t get to be part of any projects, because everything happens during the smoke break on the rooftop).

Basically (and unfortunately) you have to decide whether you want to:
1. Raise a stink about it and possibly change your workplace while having your life be made more miserable in the process
2. Just put up with it
3. Switch jobs

Comment on I don’t like dogs by Dog Guy

Dog Guy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:30:22 +0000

I’m a dog person and am guilty of treating my dog like a member of the family. He’s a labrador retreiver but stays inside mostly. He sleeps with my on the bed with me and my girlfriend. He’s spoiled rotten (yet obiedient) and I enjoy spoiling him. I take him outside frequently for a game of fetch or to go swimming in the pond. I love my dog….love him. He gives me so much joy that I often wonder why other people wouldn’t or couldn’t understand this. I did a google search on why people don’t like dogs and it brought me here. I must say that after reading the posts that I have a much better understanding. It just goes to show that we all have our likes and dislikes…. The next time I have a guest in my home I am going to assume that he/she doesn’t like dogs…just to be safe. I’ve probably unknowingly pissed off a lot of people by assuming that they’ll like my dog as much as me.

Comment on …and it really only gets better after they’re 30 by badphonekarmagirl

badphonekarmagirl — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:50:49 +0000

Not at all pushy! It just helps to know everyone goes through things like this. Actually one of the best thing I’ve done is volunteer to help out by copying things for his teachers. I know what to expect to come home and what they will be working on at school and it allows me to be in contact with the teacher on a weekly basis. It worked better last year when he only had one teacher, still, I am up at the school and see his teachers and they see me. I also see his classmates. It is a win-win for everyone. You help them and you get the benefit of being in the loop. This is the main reason we always know when he is not telling us the truth about his work.

Comment on …and it really only gets better after they’re 30 by poverty_dieter

poverty_dieter — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:30:28 +0000

Hi there! Sounds like you’ve got your hands full. Speaking as someone who has been through it all and has a great kid, here’s some advice: tell your son that you are going to really get to know all his teachers and actually follow through and do it. Don’t tell him that as a threat, but rather act as if it’s the most fun idea in the world. Then, make sure that his teachers send you his weekly assignments. Then, ask to see his assignments every day and make sure they match with what his teachers have sent. If they don’t match, email the teacher and talk to your son. The whole ordeal is such an inconvenience for all involved that it’ll probably clear itself up. At least that’s what worked for me! If your child knows that you email his teachers all the time, he’ll definitely do his homework. If not, your only other solution is to move to a small college town into a middle class neighborhood near the university. Your son will be surrounded by all races of the faculty’s children. He’ll have a broad sense of the world and what he can accomplish from being around all those cool academic types. OR….you can ignore this email. I just reread it and it sounds sort of elitist and pushy. Sorry!

Comment on All we are saying is give pot a chance by jon

jon — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:09:57 +0000

Here here! I want medical marijuana to be legal as a foothold for across the board legalization. Can I admit that? Sure I can because 44% of Americans agree – legal for any use. As it is, a prescription can be had for anything in a “medical marijuana state”. And that’s good. We’ve spent so long looking over our shoulders that we are still uncomfortable talking about it in public. Pot should be legal. Say it with me. Pot should be legal. Alcohol does a lot more damage but it’s legal. It’s legal because we tried to do away with it and just empowered a bunch of gangsters. Sound familiar? And think of the tax money!! Lots and lots of people smoke pot. A bunch more would if it was legal. We’ve been ranting so long about why it should be legal…I’d like to hear the argument against from the opposition.
Ok, end of rant. I forget about the cancer patients and the people taking cocktails for life-threatening diseases. I feel a little guilty. They need this. It’s right there and they can’t have it…and it helps. A lot.