In the News: 28 Dachshunds were rescued from FL Filthy House

1 of the dogs adopable from DRSF

A month ago in Palm Beach County, Florida, 28 Dachshunds were

rescued from deplorable conditions in a home owned by a 65 year old woman that ran a "puppy mill" in her filthy rat-infested, feces- filled home. She was arrested. All of the dogs went to the local humane society, and 7 of them (some of the more sickly)  were taken in from the Dachshund Rescue of Southern Florida who is doing a fundraiser to help cover their vet costs. 
 You'll find many of them at DRSF who now has 96 DACHSHUNDS WHO NEED A HOME!!!  http://www.dachshundrescuesouthflorida.com/doxies-for-adoption.html
  If you can't adopt one, please DONATE to help them cover the costs

Story:  Beverly Louise Shott: Woman arrested on 28 counts of animal cruelty

WPTV Webteam

2:59 PM, Mar 21, 2016

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. - A 65-year-old St. Lucie County woman was arrested Monday  and charged with 28 counts of animal cruelty, according to St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara.
Detectives were notified of Beverly Louise Shott's home in the 3500 block of Seminole Road and informed that several dogs were living in filthy conditions.

1 of the dogs adopable from DRSF

"The conditions in which Shott was living and raising these animals was deplorable," said Sheriff Ken J. Mascara. "Animal feces was caked into the rugs, rats were roaming the house and 28 mature dogs and puppies were running free in the home. After examination by a veterinarian, it was determined that all of the dogs were infested with fleas and worms."
Shott was breeding the dogs at her home and then selling them through a business she owned, Sheriff Mascara said. The business is Discount Tackle off of Old Dixie Highway in Fort Pierce.
Employees at a neighboring business say she occasionally had a couple dachshunds with her at the store. They never suspected so many were living at home. However, employees say they knew she was selling the dogs. They say she had signs posted along US 1 advertising the dog sales. They have since been removed.
According to the Sheriff, the dogs were seized by Animal Care & Control and turned over to the St. Lucie County Humane Society pending the outcome of the case and civil seizure process.
Shott was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail on $28,000 bond. She posted bail Monday evening.
The St. Lucie County Humane Society says it will be at least 30 days until they will know if the dogs will be adopted out.
Video: http://www.wptv.com/news/region-st-lucie-county/port-st-lucie/beverly-louise-shott-woman-arrested-on-28-counts-of-animal-cruelty

"How Gullible Are You? Part 1: Dr. Pepper, Big Butts, and Australian Welcome Sign

Here's another blog asking "How Gullible Are You?"  - This is the latest round of stuff people are emailing each other believing these to be true, whether they are or not. What do you think?

1) Dr Pepper Bought by Coca-Cola, to Be Discontinued

An online hoax held that Coca-Cola had bought up rival soda brand Dr Pepper and would be shutting down production of the popular soft drink.
 

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2)  Man Deletes Entire Company with One Line of Code

The hoax was a viral marketing scheme intended to direct traffic to his server management company.
 

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3) Was Ted Cruz's Father Linked to the JFK Assassination?

Digitally altered

Disreputable web site posits a link between Ted Cruz's father and Lee Harvey Oswald based on negligible evidence.
 

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4) 'Welcome to Australia'

A photograph purporting to show an official "Welcome to Australia" sign has been digitally altered.
 

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5) Oxford Butts Study

An Oxford University study that supposedly indicated "big butts make you smarter" was heavily distorted in news reports.
 

Windows Users Should Delete QuickTime

If you use Windows on your computer,  you may want to delete your QuickTime video program and just use Windows media. On April 15, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent out an urgent alert advising Windows users to uninstall Apple's QuickTime program. The reason is that the program has not been updated to patch security vulnerabilities.  - We removed it from our home computer already.
- Rob and Tom

Here's the article from CNN Money (and the Washington Post):  Windows Users Should  Delete QuickTime 

Apple has pulled support for QuickTime on Windows, the video and audio software that had once been widely used to play movie trailers and other Internet media clips.

The company decided this week not to issue any more security updates for QuickTime on Windows, despite two major vulnerabilities in the software that can allow hackers into people's computers.
Apple's last QuickTime update for Windows came in late January, and the company had been periodically fixing bugs over the past several years.

But Apple (AAPL, Tech30) hasn't dedicated much effort to QuickTime over the past decade. The last major QuickTime release for Windows was in 2005. Apple delivered a substantial QuickTime upgrade for Mac OS X in 2009, and the company continues to support QuickTime for Mac with regular security updates.
Source: CNN Money: http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/15/technology/windows-quicktime/ 
Source: Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/04/15/windows-users-uninstall-apples-quicktime-now/

How Gullible Are You? Fake Prince Meme

It's really sad when people decide to capitalize on the death of a famous person to create "fake quotes" to attack a political party, person or thing they don't like. Such was the case last week when the pop star known as Prince died. Someone obviously from the Republican Party decided to use Prince's death to spread a FAKE meme and hateful quote about the Democratic party. How cold and callous.  People that do this kind of stupidity need to get some serious mental health assistance. Capitalizing on anyone's death to promote your own views on anything is wrong.
  So, if you see this stupid meme, now you know it's fake. Don't share the fake one, but do educate people that it was fake and in very, very poor taste.
Source: http://www.snopes.com/prince-quote-politics/

Dog pics to make your Wednesday Nicer

Dolly and Tyler cuddle

  Well, to make your Wednesday easier to deal with here  are some recent cute pics of our kids, Dolly (the Weimaraner), Tyler (black and tan Dachshund) and Franklin (red Dachshund).

Tyler and Dolly

 

Franklin

Dolly and Tyler

Tyler

Tyler

Franklin

English Tea at the Mansion At Strathmore!

Rob, Linda and Tom

Recently our friend Linda treated us to an elegant English Tea at the Mansion At Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland. The mansion is also a performing arts venue hosting diverse range of global musicians, and is on the same property as the Strathmore Concert Hall for larger concerts. 
 

The Tea room at the Strathmore

  
The tea featured a string quartet and wonderful small sandwiches, scones and other delectable delights. The tea was tasty and the elegant setting made for a nice way to spend a couple of hours with great company. 

Linda and Tom

If you're looking for a fun, tasty and different thing to do, the Strathmore hosts afternoon teas during the week and Linda is one of the volunteer servers as she enjoys her retirement. Give it a try! 

MORE INFO: https://www.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/afternoon-tea
ABOUT THE TEAS: 
The soothing sounds of local musicians fill the room, as you enjoy Afternoon Tea in the cozy atmosphere of The Shapiro Music Room at Strathmore.
Strathmore Blend Tea is specially made for us by Master Tea Blender John Harney of Connecticut, and is served with a light lunch of delectable tea savories.
Afternoon Teas: $24 per person (Stars Price $21.60)
Specialty Teas: $28 per person (Stars Price $25.20)
Tea begins at 1pm
Call 301.581.5108 for reservations. Pre-paid, non-refundable reservations required.
Vegetarian options are available; please be sure to request a vegetarian meal when making your reservation.
Tea for Two gift certificates make great gifts! To purchase, call 301.581.5108 or visit the Shop at Strathmore located in the Mansion.
Strathmore celebrates 30 years of Afternoon Tea. Read more.

Sinusitis? I recommend Getting this: NeilMed Sinus Rinse Kit

 This weekend has been absolutely brutal for me (Rob) with a bad sinus infection (that followed asthma and bronchitis). My thanks to all who recommended a Neilmed Sinus Rinse Kit or a Neti pot. I got the Neilmed Sinus Rinse Kit and it helped a lot. (if you have an infection - green mucus - you should go to the doctor and get antibiotic to clear it).

   I've used nasal saline solution and it winds up burning the back of your throat. With this rinse, it doesn't. There are 50 packets of medicine that include some salt and baking soda in a  gentle mix that must be mixed with purified or distilled water (get it at the grocery). You fill the bottle with water and mixture and leaning over the sink, squirt it up one side of your nose - it will clear out the congestion through the other side of your nose.

   I've been doing this a couple of times a day, and it really helps. You can get it at CVS, Target, etc. Everyone with sinus congestion NEEDS to get this. It's about $10 and so worth it.

    OTHER THINGS TO DO  Take 12 hour Mucinex DM, Sudafed PE, Motrin, and 12 hour cough syrup. **SLEEP sitting straight up. It helps drain the sinuses - whether propped up in bed with pillows, or on a recliner.

After 2 weeks of sickness, I'm HOPING to be better by the end of the week.  - Rob

Product Details

You'll need purified water for it

NeilMed SINUS RINSE is an easy squeeze bottle system that allows you to deliver the saline solution with positive pressure to clean the nasal passages thoroughly, while maintaining your head in an upright position. You have complete control of the pressure and volume of solution, ensuring a gentle, soothing and therapeutic experience. Daily rinsing is safe and will keep your nasal passages clean, healthy and open. Use For Nasal Allergies, Dryness & Hay Fever Sinus Pressure & Nasal Stuffiness Nasal Symptoms from Flu & Cold Nasal Irritation from Occupational & House Dust, Fumes, Animal Dander, Grass, Pollen, Smoke, etc. Post Nasal Drip & Nasal Congestion Advantages Soothing, No Burning or Stinging Large Volume & Low Pressure System for Saline Nasal Irrigation, Moisturization and Daily Nasal Hygiene Single piece, custom-designed rounded black cap fits any nasal opening. No push and pull components make for easy cleaning. Preservative, Drug, Iodine, BPA, Gluten and Latex Free Premixed Packets of USP Grade Sodium Chloride & Sodium Bicarbonate (Purity level 99% or higher) Excellent cleansing prior to spraying nasal corticosteroids pH Balanced & Isotonic, or Hypertonic with two or more packets Smooth Flow with easy squeeze bottle Empties nearly 95% in upright position Suitable for use after sinus surgery and during pregnancy. Consult your physician with concerns. Portable for travel Money back guarantee

 

 

Ireland's Cork City Toilet Rat Caution!

Downtown Cork City, Ireland. Credit; Rob and Tom

We visited the city of Cork, Ireland in the spring of 2015 and keep up with news of Ireland. We love Ireland, although we will say that the city of Cork was not our favorite place... other than our visit to the famous Cork County Gaol (Jail) - which is a MUST-see. We remember walking through the city and it seemed much more downtrodden than other cities and towns we visited. Well, apparently, they have a rat problem - but rats are coming up in toilets!  At least it did in this particular story from the Middleton area of town after flooding occurred. Hopefully once the flooding subsides, so will the rat problem, -  Rob and Tom

Rat Watch in Cork City Toilets

From Cork City's Evening Echo: http://www.eveningecho.ie/ Tuesday, April 19, 2016

HOMEOWNERS have been advised to watch their backsides during floods after a man in the Midleton area was bitten by a rat while sitting on the toilet.

Yesterday, Councillor Noel Collins reported the incident to Cork County Council during a Southern Area Meeting, after asking them to investigate the possibility of flushing rat poison through the sewer system.
 

“The flooding resulted in another problem for residents, that of rat infestation, which really upset many families, mentally and physically, and indeed, one elderly gentleman suffered a rat bite to his posterior while using his toilet, and had to receive immediate medical attention,” he said.

Credit: Getty images

A plumber found a broken sewer pipe nearby, which is believed to have allowed the rat to enter the system.
The council warned that flushing rat poison through the public system could lead to contamination of other water sources, but said that Irish Water are responsible for vermin control within the system.
 

Cllr Collins added: “I would advise homeowners to keep their toilet seats down when not in use, and to watch their posteriors.”

In the news: World's 'oldest dog' dies at 30 in Australia after going to sleep in her basket

This is an amazing record for mankind's best friend. Imagine your beloved dog living 30 years - that's the age that a dog in Australia reached before passing this week. Here's the story.

In the news: World's 'oldest dog' dies at 30 in Australia after going to sleep in her basket

Caption: Maggie, who was thought to be the world's oldest dog, has died in Australia aged 30 - or 133 in human years.


The Kelpie was owned by Victoria dairy farmer Brian McLaren.  He told a local newspaper that she died on Sunday night in her basket.
"She was 30. She was still going along nicely last week. She was walking from the dairy to the office and growling at the cats and all that sort of thing," Brian told the Weekly Times.
"She just went downhill in two days and I said yesterday morning when I went home for lunch, 'She hasn't got long now.' "I'm sad, but I'm pleased she went the way she went."

Maggie's age can't be verified because Brian says he lost the dog's paperwork when she was a puppy.
Brian McLaren says his youngest son, Liam, was four years old when they bought Maggie. He's now 34.
Before she died, the farm dog was deaf and had been losing her vision.

 The official holder of the world's oldest dog is held by an Australian Cattle Dog called Bluey who died in 1939 aged 29.

Guinness World Records says he was bought as a puppy in 1910 in Victoria and worked among cattle and sheep for nearly 20 years before being put to sleep.

SOURCE: BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36080853/worlds-oldest-dog-dies-at-30-in-australia-after-going-to-sleep-in-her-basket

Another Fun TP: Kyle's Bed & Breakfast: Without Reservations

For a great read, check out the fourth trade paperback in the LGBT comic series "Kyle's Bed and Breakfast: Without Reservations." Greg Fox is an incredible writer and artist who brings to life the many characters of Kyle's Bed and Breakfast. This paperback came out in October 2015.

The setting is a Bed and Breakfast in New York, owned by a 30 something gay man named Kyle, who runs this  gay bed and breakfast. He has long-term renters and people who come and go. There are so many great characters and situations that many gay men can identify with and relate to and you'll really get involved in their lives. I love reading Kyle's B and B and seeing what the characters can get into next. 

In this collection you'll read about Kyle's assistant coaching of an olympic skater who insisted making a statement, Drew and Lance learning to trust each other, Richard's brother, and a great new 80 year old character, Rudy. Once you start reading the series, you'll want to get all of the paperbacks!!!

I can't wait for the NEXT collection to come out. 

This series takes comic strips through 2014. For the most recent comic strips, you can find them on-line at:
kylesbnb.blogspot.com/

ABOUT THIS BOOK: It's easy to see why thousands of readers have been swept up into the captivating saga of the B&B boys in this, the fourth volume in the series. Set in the picturesque New England-style harbor town of Northport, (a real town, located on the rocky north shore of Long Island), the men of Kyle's B&B have returned for more drama, romance, laughter, intrigue, suspense, and, (sometimes), sheer wackiness. Closeted baseball player Brad... cool, calculating businessman Lance... party boy gossip Richard... hardworking college student Eduardo... and B&B owner Kyle, the calm at the center of the emotional maelstrom. Although the series runs as a biweekly comic strip, (published online and syndicated to LGBT print publications across North America), this collection reads more like a graphic novel, with interwoven, ongoing storylines sure to be of spellbinding interest to both men & women, gay & straight readers alike. Containing several years' worth of episodes, (in which new characters such as Olympic figure skater Michael, octogenarian Rudy, and southern musclebear sensation Drew are introduced), this volume also includes a 7-page all-new story sure to enthrall readers. Happily, it isn't necessary to have read prior volumes in the series... new readers can jump right into the story here with ease, in what is possibly the best volume in the series so far. Lushly illustrated in full-color, this is one B&B you'll want to return to again and again!

About the Author

Greg Fox is the artist/writer of the comic strip "Kyle's Bed & Breakfast", currently syndicated to a variety of LGBT publications across North America, Fox has published four collections of Kyle's B&B, the first of which was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, and a collection of figure drawings, "Kyle's B&B Presents: Drawings of Drew" featuring Kyle's B&B character Drew Danvers. Fox currently resides in Northport, Long Island, New York, busily working on new episodes of Kyle's B&B, and several other book projects for Sugar Maple Press.

Has this happened to you? Mindreading

Last Thursday, I (Rob) was sitting at the kitchen table after finishing dinner and my hubby got up and started
washing the dishes. I looked up at him and said, "tomorrow on your day off, can you go down to City Hall and get a new recycle bin to replace the old one?" 
   He looked up and said "That's exactly what I was just thinking as I was washing these dishes! Get out of my head!" 
   It's not the first time that I've been able to voice exactly what he's been thinking when he's thinking it. We have a great connection. It may also be because I have the ability to read energy - like hearing ghosts and spirits. But it just confirms that we have something special. Of course, he laughs and jokingly says "that's too creepy. It's time for a divorce!" :)
   Has this ever happened to you and your partner?

A fun dog mystery: The Silence of the Chihuahuas (A Barking Detective Mystery)

Looking for a creative mystery that involves a dog? I (Rob) just finished reading a great one, with a young female private eye and a Chihuahua named Pepe that helps her solve mysteries. The catch: He talks in English with a spanish-tinge and she understands him. It's really funny. It's well-written, the characters are interesting, and the book is really entertaining. I couldn't put it down, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
   The book in the series that I read is called The Silence of the Chihuahuas (A Barking Detective Mystery) by Waverly Curtis. I've already ordered the others.

BOOK SUMMARY:
Pepe, aspiring P.I. Geri Sullivan’s muy clever Chihuahua, has stopped talking. But why now, with Geri’s best friend Brad missing and her ditzy sister in grave danger? Geri’s lost without Pepe’s dogged detective work, especially when a client of Brad’s expires under very murky circumstances.
Luckily, Pepe turns out to be an excelente blogger, and his nose for clues soon has the detective duo chasing down leads. But they’ll have to put a bite on crime quickly, because danger’s afoot – and it’s making tracks in their direction . . .