#i mean that would be an intriguing reason for his flippant behavior!

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

Do you mind if I share some speculations on our favorite bug man?

I think you're right in that Howdy has caught onto something being off about their world. But he can't just jump up and tell everyone that they are living in a simulation. So he has to watch and wait for everyone else to realize it in their own time.

But

In his heart, he is a lovable asshole. And an asshole he will be!

Sally got close to figuring out that the food are props, but it hasn't clicked yet. Until then, the lable on the "mashed potatoes" is just a marketing ploy.

And sure, Howdy knows the blowing balls are made of foam, but Eddie doesn't know that! So Howdy sends him off, watching him struggle to carry something that weighs next to nothing.

Maybe if they interact with enough props, they'll catch on, too? In the meantime, Howdy is gonna have fun messing with everyone.

ohhhh i Do like this interpretation! where he's actually trying to clue them in, not just going "well. this might as well happen". and doing it his own... uh... Special way....

[amazingmsme]

Music So Sweet

AN: Me writing an actual prompt instead of my own ideas no one asked for? It’s more likely than you think. Great Comet is way underappreciated, so I hope you enjoy!

Pierre sat at the bar nursing his glass of vodka. Across the club, he watched as Anatole wooed a couple of women by serenading them with his violin. As much as the young man got on his nerves, he had to hand it to him; the kid could play. And as much as he hated to admit it, they were family. Dolokhov leant against the wall rolling his eyes looking extremely bored. His eyes scanned over the room before casting his gaze downward to stare at his drink. He swirled it in his hand, glancing back up towards his friend. Anatole had promised him a night on the town in celebration of yet another duel he'd won, but instead shrugged him off for some random women.

He always did this to him, and quite frankly it was pissing Dolokhov off. He met eyes with Pierre and pointed at Anatole before making a choking motion. The man simply chuckled and shook his head.

He turned his head to the side watching the girls lean against the counter and look at the musician with dreamy eyes. It made him sick. Of course he would've been fine if he had a pretty girl himself, but Anatole had easily whisked both of them away and dazzled them with his skill. Anything he tried to do to impress them now would surely fall flat in comparison. 

Dolokhov smirked as he formed an evil idea, and he reached forward, tweaking his friend's sides. Anatole jumped with a squeal, the bow striking a particularly sour note on the violin. He whipped around and fixed him with a hard glare.

"Excuse me, do you mind? I'm with company," he said, willing a blush off his face. Dolokhov snorted.

"Indeed you are. Might I remind you with whom you came?" he said, pointing at himself.

"Don't need reminding, I just found better company," he winked at him and slapped his shoulder. Dolokhov's mouth hung open as Anatole turned his back on him and back to the ladies.

"I'm sorry, where were we?" He went back to playing, pulling the bow across the strings in a beautiful song. Dolokhov looked at Pierre in bewilderment. The older man shrugged his shoulders, unable to suppress the chuckles escaping his mouth. Granted, it wouldn't be as funny without the alcohol in his system. He mouthed, "Try again." And so he did. Just as Anatole raised his bow again, he lurched out and shoved his elbow, forcing him to mess up once more. The girls seemed slightly amused, if not a little annoyed that the song had been interrupted.

"Pardon me ladies," the blonde excused himself and grabbed Dolokhov by the arm and ushered him away. "Just what is your problem?" he snapped. He bit his lip to conceal his grin, doing a poor job of it.

"Nothing. I'm just surprised you even acknowledged me at all," he snarked. Realization washed over Anatole's face and he laughed.

"Dolokhov you never cease to amuse me. I assure you that we'll have as much fun and as many drinks as we want as soon as I'm done with these fine ladies. I'm sure you can find one yourself to keep you busy," he brushed his friend off as easy as sand on dry skin.

Dolokhov sneered, "No I think I'm fine right here." With those words he planted himself, knowing he wouldn't move from this spot just to spite Anatole. Said man rolled his eyes at the dramatics and spun around to face the two women. He picked up his playing and smooth talking seamlessly, smiling as they soon became putty in his hands.

Pierre was intrigued in where this would go. To an outsider it was obvious just how thin Dolokhov's patience was growing, and even Anatole could only be so oblivious. He sipped from his glass and watched the scene.

Dolokhov waited for the right moment and reached out with his leg, delivering a decisive kick to the back of his knee. His legs buckled and he nearly dropped his instrument, but managed to catch it in a fumble. This seemed to be the last straw for the blonde as he faced the larger man who sported an amused grin.

"Seriously, what's your deal? You should be celebrating your win not ruining my chances in bed," Anatole scolded. His friend merely smirked, "Messing with you is as good as any celebration I could possibly have." To prove his point, he reached out and poked his side. He twitched away with a slight giggle.

"Alright you had your fun, now let me have mine," he tried to turn away, but a strong hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing so. He was twirled back around, suddenly feeling very much trapped.

"Trust me, this will be fun," Dolokhov promised with a wink before wrapping an arm around his slender frame and used his hand to dig into his waist. Anatole tried to hold back his laughter, but only lasted all of about three seconds before the damn burst. The ladies watched on in amusement, giggling at his reactions.

Anatole's cheeks couldn't possibly be any redder. He was unsure of whether to push his friend away or to use his hands to hide his blush. In the end he did neither and instead flailed his arms around uselessly. He came close to elbowing Dolokhov in the face.

"Stohohop! Please!" he pleaded. Anatole saw himself as too good for most things, but he was certainly not above begging. His friend tilted his head teasingly.

"Why? If I'm going to stop, I'll need a good reason."

"Ihihit's embarrassihihing! And it tihihickles!" he complained amidst his mirth. Dolokhov chuckled and shook his head fondly.

"Well I'd hope so! That was my point after all," he teased, working his fingers up his sides. By now the ladies had moved on, leaving the men at their play. With the loss of their company, they gained that of another as Pierre walked up. The older, often somber man had an unusual pep in his step as he wandered closer. What was really odd was the abnormally playful smirk he sported, a gleam of mischief lit up his eyes that hadn't been there for years. Upon seeing his brother in law, Anatole thought he was saved and cried out for his help.

"Pierre help me!"

The smile on his face only grew as he leant against the wall and Anatole realized he was not there on his behalf.

"Bold of you to assume I think you deserve my help," he said, taking a swig from his glass. Dolokhov barked out a triumphant laugh.

"See? Pierre agrees with me, you only brought this on yourself." He ignored his indignant cries through his squeals.

"Whahat did Ihihi do?" he asked, still oblivious to his flippant and borderline rude behavior. Dolokhov snorted, shocked that his friend could be so dumb. Wait no, he takes that back, this is to be expected.

"This is what you get for ignoring me all night while we were supposed to be celebrating!" He shifted his hand to skitter between Anatole's shoulder blades and a loud scream of laughter filled the air. He gestured for Pierre to help him out. "Mind giving me a hand here?"

The older man glanced around the club, shaking his head. "Nah, too many people staring. I'll let you have your fun."

"Oh come on, you know you want to wreck the little shit for everything he's done, live a little," Dolokhov encouraged. He did have a point, there were many times in which Pierre wished he could put the arrogant ass in his place.

Anatole looked up at him with mirthful teary eyes, struggling to fight off his friend's hands. "Plehehease dohohon't," he pleaded. Pierre had to bite his lip to keep from grinning so wide as he set his drink down. That was all it took for the blonde to know he was utterly screwed. His squirming increased and he weakly shoved at Dolokhov's hands. Pierre stood before the trapped and giggling man, making a show of cracking his knuckles. His laughter and squirming only increased once he saw this.

Pierre added his hands into the mix of the wonderful torment and it wasn't long until Anatole's knees buckled. He leaned back against his supposed best friend for support, mouth hanging open in loud laughter. Dolokhov smirked and bent down, sweeping his legs out from under him so that he was holding him bridal style. Anatole shrieked at the sudden movement and his face flushed at the position he was in. He smacked at his chest, "Put me down!"

"Sorry, no can do. You looked like you were about to faint, and I can't let that happen."

Anatole rolled his eyes, "You wouldn't have to worry about that if you hadn't tortured me."

Pierre spoke up, "Oh it wasn't so bad. And between us, it'll do you some good to get knocked off your high horse every once in a while."

"You're always mean to me, dear brother."

Pierre simply hummed, neither confirming nor denying the statement, but acknowledging it nonetheless. With that, he patted his shoulder, picking his drink back up and tilting it their way in a subtle goodbye. "Maybe next time you'll think twice before ignoring your friend."

"Yeah," Dolokhov interjected as he set him back on his feet. "Now, what do you say we continue my celebration with another round of drinks?"

"I'd say lead the way." And he did. 

[ladyloveandjustice]

Fall 2018 Anime Overview: Zombieland Saga

Sakura Minamoto wakes up in a creepy old mansion one day to find out she’s a zombie with no memory of her past life. What’s more, a mysterious and obnoxious man has gathered her and a bunch of other zombie girls because he wants them to become pop idols who will revitalize the Saga prefecture. 

Zombieland Saga lets you know right out the gate it’s all about the unexpected, when it interrupts the typical “cute clumsy girl following her dreams” anime schtick with a (literally) heart-stopping surprise. It’s a show that celebrates the unusual and features some of the most loveable and charming characters of 2018.

ZS sort of straddles the line between being an affectionate parody of idol shows and a quirky celebration, but whatever its goes for, it’s always an entertaining, wacky romp. The first episode sees this gang of zombie girls doing a heavy metal concert, the second features a rap battle and the fifth episode involves the girls running around in ungainly chicken costumes. ZS also fully plays up the body-horror-comedy potential of its zombie cast- expect to see some eyeballs flying. It’s wild, weird and colorful.

But wacky hijinks aren’t enough to carry a show, it has to have character and heart behind it, and this show fortunately has plenty of that. I love this gang of misfit girls. The zombie idol group Franchouchou includes a former child star, 19th century courtesan, biker gang leader and one shambling classic non-verbal zombie who remains shrouded in mystery, on top of idols from different eras and what not. Needless to say, it’s a cast from far more varied backgrounds than most idol shows and they all have a fun dynamic.

Saki was definitely a big fave, because I absolutely adore aggressive delinquent girls and the show clearly does too, glorying in her tough girl ridiculousness. Her focus episode, rather than fully condemning her delinquent lifestyle, celebrates her individuality. Though one of her friends is happy leaving delinquency behind settling down to what she calls a “normal” family life, Saki’s response is “what even is normal? I don’t think I’ll ever get it.” She attracts biker girls to the audience and gives a performance where all the girls join in on her sukeban style. The message is clear- Saki is happy living an unconventional life and she’s not going tone down her vulgar attitude as an idol either, in fact, she’ll flaunt it. 

And happily, the show really puts its money where its mouth is in showing an idol group that accepts all. If you’re big into the anime community, odds are you’ve heard that one of these girls is revealed to be trans. It’s handled better than most would expect from a comedy anime- the girl is a full rounded, realized character, she comes out and reveals her past on her own terms and the other girls ultimately accept her and support her, saying they won’t treat her any differently.

 Which isn’t to say its unassailably perfect by any means- the depiction of her dysphoria might be considered too slap-stick-y, she’s thrilled with being a zombie because she was concerned about her body changing which ignores that there are medical options for that way preferable to y’know, dying young (still, nice she found an upside to her situation), the girls are obnoxious about it when they first find out, with one even going into a laughing fit about the “manliness” of her dead name, though they are at least called out and settle down about it- but all in all, its a sympathetic portrayal and just presented as being a new facet of an already great character, and that’s sadly rare to see in anime and media overall with trans characters.

The show could have focused solely on teamwork and cooperation like a lot of its type, but I think the fact it puts a lot of emphasis on individuality and people from all walks of life coming together is what allowed me to click with it a little more than I have with other shows in the genre. This is reflected in Franchouchou’s fans- because the girls are so versatile, they end up with an audience that included death-metal-heads, the elderly, pre-teen girl gangsters and so on. As one of them puts it “More weirdos! That’s what Franchouchou’s all about!”

The show’’s got more going on than that too. There’s some gentle jabs and examination regarding the business side of the idol industry- two of the zombie are former pro-idols from different eras, and clash over how the business has changed in with how it involves the fans over the years, which is an interesting aspect to see. There’s some faint zingers thrown in occasionally too, like a flippant comment that at least as zombies they can’t die from overwork, and stuff about staying “in-character”. It’s nothing too challenging, and is ultimately the show is very glowing about idols overall, but it’s at least interesting to see these things acknowledged. There’s also stirrings of a larger plot starting to unfold with hints about how the girls may have become zombies, reporters noticing fishy things and mysteries abounding. It makes me look forward to seeing where the show goes- anything could happen, honestly.

Though I do admit there are some faults. The girls’ manager, Kotaro, was always a bit of a sticky element in the show because he’s a raging asshole who has gathered all these young girls to do his bidding, without giving them any info about what’s going on or how they ended up here. I was okay with it because the girls basically always snapped back at him, treated him as the shady weirdo he is, didn’t have any regard for his orders and did what they wanted, and even beat the shit out him when he went too far. It IS really weird they don’t demand more answers from him, instead just accepting the status quo, and the whole thing kinda falls apart if you think too hard about it, but, you can roll with it.

What I can’t roll with is how Kotaro just kind of makes the transition from horribly obnoxious shady person no one trusts to quirky-mentor-who-is-extra-but-means-well without really earning it. He’s still keeping the girls in the dark, he’s still a jerk, he’s done nothing to clarify or make up for his earlier behavior, but the show seems to expect me to accept him as a benign cryptic ally after a few pep talks and it uh, doesn’t really work for me. 

And then there’s the final episodes, which revealed something potentially very concerning. Major spoiler territory here for a bit, so watch out.

I did find the last arc, which focuses on Sakura’s angst over her memories of her past life and wanting to quit the group, a bit predictable and “meh”, though it wasn’t bad by any means. I was probably a little disappointed because there were other characters who hadn’t been explored at all  who I really wanted to see more of, but the show’s almost certainly getting a second season, so I should be patient, I guess.

Our first hint of Kotaro’s backstory is given in these final eps and it’s...a little troubling. It could go in some bad directions, some of which would have to potential to break the show. It turns out he was a classmate of Sakura’s when she was alive, and he’s kept this from her, which makes the dynamic between them even more screwed up. Especially since Sakura had been agonizing about not remembering for so long while he said nothing, and clearly doesn’t remember him even now. Why did he bring her back from the dead? If it turns out he had a crush on her when they were kids and WORSE, if we find out that crush persists even now that she’s still a teenage zombie and he’s an adult and this is framed as okay- yeah, that would be a reason to drop the show for sure. 

I’m hoping it doesn’t go there. ZS is all about playing around with expectations after all- the first episode already took a piss on the idea of a romance by having Kotaro get all up in her face and seem like he was talking seductively and giving her the doki dokis...only to show she was actually just freaked out this weirdo had fried squid in his pocket. (And later it’s shown throughout the show Kotaro does his up-close-and-personal thing with anyone, regardless of age or gender, so presumably he doesn’t mean it romantically and it’s just how he is.)

But still, Sakura being the one of the girls most willing to go along with Kotaro’s bullshit and accept his orders makes this revelation even more troubling, the power dynamic between them is BADLY unbalanced and Sakura is in a very vulnerable position.

I AM intrigued how the hell Kotaro went from “apparently regular high school student” to “weirdo who knows how to raise the dead” and what his connection to the other characters are (especially the mysterious man in the bar), so provided they DON’T go a super creepy direction with it and he IS called out properly for his deception it could be a really interesting plotline. So, we’ll see I guess.

spoilers over

Overall, Zombieland Saga wasn’t a perfect show, but it was a fun time with fun characters, and that’s exactly what it set out to be. The show’s also mercifully light on fanservice and other nonsense, which is a plus. If you like zombies, hijinks, friendship, zany comedy and awesome girls, this is definitely worth a look.

[nicolasmartinez-88]

Is Your Dog Safe At The Dogpark?

Numerous dogs want to play with abnormal canines, and this is totally typical canine conduct. You need to think whose wish is this, is it your canines or yours? Numerous canines are unseemly for a canine park. Perhaps the most depicted issues we hear is that flippant canine proprietors carry some unacceptable canines to canine parks.

Forceful canines may provoke battles with individuals and canines getting nibbled. Excessively hostile, excessively decisive, excessively rowdy, unsavory canines, under mingled canines and doggies don't have a place in a canine park.

Some may have hereditary shortages, social shortfalls and can't peruse another signs may in like manner fall into difficulty. Doggy ranch, pet cleave, on line canines might not have figured out how to peruse canines appropriately.

Canines much like individuals may have terrible relational abilities; young doggies and juvenile canines particularly can frequently be unpracticed communicators prompting mixed up translations.

Doggies and unfortunate canines can likewise be risky, in light of the fact that they may battle or nibble as a dread reaction. Furthermore, canines that have a caring relationship with their proprietor would prefer to associate with them than go around with obscure canines. Who disclosed to us that we expected to do this for our canine?

For what reason do individuals anticipate that their pet should be social with different canines? This isn't the means by which canines have endure. Canines are foragers, they just assemble at food locales to search, they feed in roads, lawns, trash dumps, and afterward they go on their happy way alone or maybe with another canine. They don't frame packs as the old writing has persuaded.

A lot of what we have expected about them is imitated from investigations of different species. Do we study the Zebra to get ponies? Obsolete presumptions about canines have prohibited us to examine the canine. What could be the best model to contemplate canines by? It's simply the canine, however that is for an alternate article.

Unquestionably coerce assumes a part here in having them purported playing with different canines. Our ways of life have gotten a great deal more mind boggling, which implies our pets mean undeniably more to us. Anyway, what preferable approach to remunerate them over permitting them the opportunity to skip with their own sort and become one with their inward canine? This coming from the human's point of view obviously and not the canines.

For what reason do individuals accept that all canines need to be with different canines? This is one more human presumption. In realitycanines are foragers and are ordinarily more semi-lone and very much wants the friendship of individuals to that of different canines. A forager doesn't need or need different canines contending with him for restricted assets.

The taming of cannes has created canines to be man's friend. Your canine ought to be centered around you, appreciating you, playing with you. You ought to be the most significant, fascinating fun amigo he has as opposed to more unusual canines.

People have gone through over 10,000 years, 40,000 perhaps 90,000 years taming canines so they would incline toward people over canine friendship. Would we truly like to urge pets to play by canine standards as opposed to human guidelines while simultaneously we request a greater amount of them in their well disposed communications with us?

A large number want to associate with their own species. This doesn't imply that these canines are unpleasant toward different canines; they're simply not intrigued. Deplorably, individuals erroneously believe that there is something "incorrectly" with these canines and continue to take them to playgroups or other multi-canine exercises to "fix" them. Individuals who understand this as quite ordinary conduct discover these canines make brilliant sidekicks.

I cherish and appreciate the way that my canines would prefer to play with me than play with an odd canine. I have canines to collaborate with them, to play with them, to impart life to and to be my partners. I would prefer not to be dealt with like simply one more canine. I need to be everything I can for my canines, and the other way around.

All the more significantly I need them to need to be with me since I'm a ton of fun, I can toss a mean Frisbee, I can play pull, I can open jars, opens entryways, give love, give structure, they know precisely what I anticipate from them through preparing, and they have a sense of security.

Countless individuals take their pets to canine parks or pup day care on the grounds that their canines have social issues which they trust these exercises will by one way or another mystically eliminate.

Remember whether your canine doesn't feel good and feels he must be cautious you are then setting your canine in that position. Furthermore, every time your canine feels he needs to accomplish something he is idealizing his strategy by over and again practicing the conduct. On the off chance that he continues to practice the conduct it will heighten and transform into forceful conduct.

It's dependent upon you to not set him in a place of safeguard. An aspect of your responsibilities as a pioneer is to ensure your canine. There is no requirement for your canine to figure out how to welcome different canines considerately, effectively, or by any means. This isn't what the canine needs.

Lastly, remember to inquire as to why you think your canine requirements this sort of movement. In the event that your canine is respectful and sound, odds are that the person is totally substance to invest energy with you instead of different canines. Is that not why we call them buddy canines, to be individuals friends instead of another canine's buddy.

However long your canine can disregard different canines, he shouldn't have the option to GO UP to another canine and meet another canine respectfully or in an energetic way to be a decent canine resident.

The best human canine connections are made by encountering positive cooperations with you. Our canines have no motivation to approach canines. Certainly, some meek ones do strengthen when tossed into a pup climate wherein they should figure out how to stand up for themselves on the off chance that they don't need different canines to menace them cruelly.

In any case, a genuine danger exists that those harassers are there in light of hostility issues now you have set your shy canine in a place of guard.

The more contentious canines will overwhelm and menace the more meek ones, the net outcome being that each canine's issues will be strengthened as opposed to decreased by the experience. When we add these canines to each one of those whose proprietors chase for an encased pup area on the grounds that their canines won't react to their solicitations, does this sound like a spot where a canine will learn great propensities?

Does that imply that you can't participate in pup exercises since you appreciate the friendship of others who like canines, as well? Not in any way. In any case, simply make certain to choose those exercises that will address your canine's issues and not simply yours.

On the off chance that canines of all ages experience social issues, for example, bashfulness, shyness, division tension, or animosity, examine these issues with somebody proficient about both creature conduct and the human-creature bond prior to including that canine in any pup bunch exercises.

Few out of every odd canine can cavort through a canine park. Canine parks do have their utilizations for certain canines, is it one that will satisfy your canine's necessities? Contemplate this. My recommendation is the well-known adage "let the purchaser be careful". That way canines won't be put in exercises and conditions that exacerbate their issues instead of better.

Dianne is a Certified Animal Behavior Therapist just as Master Trainers in her field. Having some expertise in assessing and treating social issues in homegrown canines. Dianne offers guidance to canine proprietors consistently and composes articles for the Ottawa Dog Blog and Animality Pet Magazine the Orleans Star just as La Nouvelle. She has seemed various occasions on TV giving counsel to canine proprietors.

Dianne has been highlighted in a few magazines with her canines including Dog-Sport magazine and profiled for Progressive Choices - Ontario Women in business, being portrayed as having a mix of ability, expertise and energy. Dianne imparts her life to her better half Richard and their three canines and two parrots.

[ezatluba]

Old Dogs, New Research and the Secrets of Aging

The ways that dogs grow and age may provide potentially useful similarities with people.

By James Gorman

Nov. 9, 2020

Dogs go through stages in their life, just as people do, as is obvious to anyone who has watched their stiff-legged, white-muzzled companion rouse themselves to go for one more walk.

Poets from Homer to Pablo Neruda have taken notice. As have folk singers and story tellers. Now science is taking a turn, in the hope that research on how dogs grow and age will help us understand how humans age. And, like the poets before them, scientists are finding parallels between the two species.

Their research so far shows that dogs are similar to us in important ways, like how they act during adolescence and old age, and what happens in their DNA as they get older. They may be what scientists call a ��model” for human aging, a species that we can study to learn more about how we age and perhaps how to age better.

Most recently, researchers in Vienna have found that dogs’ personalities change over time. They seem to mellow in the same way that most humans do. The most intriguing part of this study is that like people, some dogs are just born old, which is to say, relatively steady and mature, the kind of pup that just seems ready for a Mr. Rogers cardigan. “That’s professor Spot, to you, thank you, and could we be a little neater when we pour kibble into my dish?”

Mind you, the Vienna study dogs were all Border collies, so I’m a little surprised that any of them were mature. That would suggest a certain calm, a willingness to tilt the head and muse that doesn’t seem to fit the breed, with its desperate desire to be constantly chasing sheep, geese, children or Frisbees.

Another recent paper came to the disturbing conclusion that thecalculus of seven dog years for every human year isn’t accurate. To calculate dog years, you must now multiply the natural logarithm of a dog’s age in human years by 16 and then add 31. Is that clear? It’s actually not as hard as it sounds, as long as you have a calculator or internet access. For example the natural log of 6 is 1.8, roughly, which, multiplied by 16 is about 29, which, plus 31, is 60. OK, it’s not that easy, even with the internet.

To bring the comparisons home, the researchers compared an aging Labrador retriever to an aging Tom Hanks. They used a lab because that’s the kind of dog they studied. And they used Tom Hanks, because, well, everybody knows Tom Hanks. For most of us, of course, there is no pleasure in seeing a dog get older, but seeing even a beloved celebrity subject to the irresistible march of time is somehow reassuring. Sometime in the future the A-list may be able to purchase immortality, but not yet.

Scientists also reported recently that adolescent dogs share some of the characteristics of adolescent humans, like, say, “reduced trainability and responsiveness to commands.” Not your children, of course, but those of other parents.

However, teenage dogs don’t torment their actual mothers. They complain to their humans. That means a double whammy for some pet owners. If you happen to have adolescent human children as well as adolescent dogs and you all are stuck at home in close proximity because of a worldwide coronavirus pandemic, then all I can say is more research is required.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be flippant about these research projects. They involve some groundbreaking work and could have potentially important conclusions. Take that paper with the natural logarithms, for example. To come to those conclusions researchers sought patterns of chemical changes in DNA, a process called methylation that doesn’t alter the content of genes, but does change how active they are.

Lab tests can tell how old a human is just from the pattern of methylation. Thanks to this research, the same can be done for dogs. The results will help researchers studying aging in dogs to translate findings to humans. None of this research was done on dogs kept in a laboratory. All of the dogs in the aging comparison study were pet Labrador retrievers and the owners gave permission for blood samples.

Scientists are unsure about whether the physical decline seen in aging in dogs and humans, in fact in all mammals, is related to the process of development in earlier life, or whether the decline is a different process altogether. The researchers found that the pattern of methylation suggested that the same genes may be involved in both processes.

Good methods of comparing dog and human ages are important. Dogs are increasingly seen as good models for human aging because they suffer from it in many of the same ways humans do. As the Dog Aging Project, which is collecting genetic and other information from a vast number of pet dogs, puts it on its website, the goal of the research is “Longer, healthier lives for all dogs … and their humans.”

As an aging human, I can’t fault that approach. In, 2018 the co-director of the project, Daniel. E. L. Promislow at the University of Washington, Seattle, laid out the reasons dogs make a good animal in which to study aging and get results that will help people. In essence, they suffer a lot of similar ailments, such as “obesity, arthritis, hypothyroidism, and diabetes.” That’s not all of course, but when we imagine that an old dog walks funny for the same reasons we do (it hurts), we’re not being anthropomorphic.

Elinor Karlsson at the Broad Institute described her research in genomics and dogs: “One of the things that we’re really interested in is figuring out, first of all, whether there are things in the DNA of dogs that you can find that actually explain why some of them live a remarkably long time.” Those findings might be of use in extending healthy aging in people.

The study on the changes in dog personality over time used Border collies that were part of the Clever Dog Project at the University of Vienna. The Border collies were all companions, volunteered by their human owners. Humans are said to grow more easygoing, stable and agreeable as they age. We can all think of exceptions, probably in our own family, but overall statistics cannot predict the behavior of outliers like Uncle Rasputin or Aunt Ratchet.

How do you test dog personality? The Border collies were put through many different tests. In one, a stranger walks into a room and pets the dog. In another, the owners dress up their dogs in human T-shirts. One-fifth of the dog owners admitted to having done this before, on their own, not for research purposes. In another test, the owners dangle a sausage in front of their dogs just out of reach for a minute or so. Be assured this was approved by an ethics board, and the dogs were fed the sausages once the time was up.

The researchers found that dogs do change as they grow older just as people do. They become less active and less anxious. But one of the authors of the study, Borbalu Turcsan, of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, noted that some dogs don’t change as much over time. “People with more mature personality profiles change less as they age,” she said. “And we found exactly the same in the case of dogs.”

The end of aging is of course the same in dog and human. Dogs just get there more quickly. This is one thing that makes the dog a “good model for human aging and mortality,” as Dr. Promislow wrote.

“Dogs age a lot faster than people do,” Dr. Karlsson of the Broad Institute explained. “And so if you want to study aging with the idea that you want to help people within our life span, then you want to be able to study something that’s aging much faster than us. You can learn about it more quickly than waiting eighty years until somebody dies.”

On this point, of course, what is a benefit for science is a great sadness for dog lovers. Dogs die too soon. And it is left to us to witness it, time and again. It’s never easy. As one version of the folk song, “Old Blue,” has it, “Old Blue died and he died so hard, shook the ground in my back yard.”

Here, where the consolations of science fail us, poetry can remind us of what it is about dogs that makes us face the shortness of their lives. In, “A Dog Has Died,” Pablo Neruda describes his dog, in younger days, at the beach:

Joyful, joyful, joyful,

as only dogs know how to be happy

with only the autonomy

of their shameless spirit.

[voice-in-the-voids]

Video: “Don't Judge Blacks Differently,” by PragerU. 

A conservative relative of mine sent this video to me, and I wrote a critical analysis of it in response. I spent more time than I should on it, so I was like, what the heck-- might as well post it, right?

A) That lady... doesn’t sound like she’s legitimately invested in the issue. Normally this wouldn’t be too big a problem, but her dispassion on an issue like this that should pertain directly to her makes it feel like she’s reading a script. We live in an age of mass media; charisma is essential to getting the attention of the public. When the audience feels like you’re reading off a script, it undermines the point you’re trying to make. I’m sure you can think of some YouTubers who you watch who occasionally acknowledge the fact that they’re reading from a script, but they manage to read the script with excitement/passion/good acting because that’s how you catch the audience’s attention. Furthermore, talking like you’re invested in the issue will increase your credibility. 

B) There are a LOT of nuances and relevant issues that they straight-up ignore, like the Poverty Cycle, drug/alcohol use, and they even try to sidestep the whole racially-charged aspect of the issue. Not addressing the nuances makes me think the writers (and, by extent, Prager) have neither a comprehensive grasp of the situation nor the compassion they should have towards others.

C) “in free, democratic America you have no other options?!” Yeah. Did you SEE 2016?! Russia played us like a piano with fake grassroots movements, leaving us with reason to question not only the political system currently in place but also who in the media we can trust. Because of all the misinformation that Trump’s presidency has wrought (Russia used misinformation to *try to* help him win, he’s denied climate change and loosened regulations on companies that were to help keep the environment clean, he spread misinformation on Covid, and he consistently slandered anyone who spoke out against his administration, like Romney and Yavanovitch)— flippantly blowing off the idea that there is no other option is another example of a failure to comprehend the nuances of the situation. It also puts Prager in a dangerous position from an argumentative standpoint; if someone is able to reasonably deny that statement, it invalidates the rest of their argument because their argument is built on the premise of there BEING other options to fight injustice. Such a flimsy, flippant excuse for an argument as “we a democracy” is unacceptable.

D) their message boils down to “we’re not racist... YOU’RE racist!!!” And that annoys me. Part of the reason that I’m staying out of this whole issue is because there’s too many variants to the stance; there’s too much to research with not enough information available. Furthermore, if I DO try to voice my opinion or participate in activism, there’s a strong possibility that what I have to say will be misinterpreted by a paranoid audience looking for enemies. The message of this video embodies that very thing— someone looking for enemies.

E) they say they want “the facts” but they don’t cite a single source in the whole video— at least, not that I’m catching. This makes me extremely dubious about the credibility of their argument. Analytics are fine, sure— but if you don’t have empirics to back them up, that usually indicates a flaw in the viability of the argument, since a lack of evidence leads me to believe the argument doesn’t work in the real world.

F) They call white supremacists  “honest” and “open” 🙄 I don’t think I need to elaborate on why that was a bad move, but I will anyway. White supremacy is a philosophy. Just because people don’t practice it in the open or say they’re white supremacists doesn’t mean they’re not. To say that white supremacists are honest and open is to underestimate their potential for wrongdoing-- or, to put it simpler, to underestimate their sneakiness-- and to try to minimize their assessment of the White supremacist threat is to side Prager with the white supremacists, at least in the audience’s perception.

G) Their assessment of the “condescenders” gets on my nerves. It demonizes people like me who are refraining from judging a situation we know nothing about, constructing a false dichotomy that ultimately fuels the fundamental flaws in our political system of the status quo— polarization, a self-imposed flaw that in the past has led to civil war.

H) They say something along the lines of “black people want treated the SAME as everyone else!!” without addressing the fact that police are held to a lower standard of behavior than the general public, or at the very least acknowledging people’s perception that this is the case even if you personally don’t agree with that perception. You CANNOT make the argument that everyone should be treated equally without addressing this issue. Police have little specialized training compared to other fields like doctors in which someone holds other people’s lives in their hand— and too little knowledge of the law itself. A police only has to *think* someone is breaking a law— they don’t have to actually break any laws— for them to justify their actions in court. In spur-of-the-moment, life-or-death situations, this would make sense... if we could be confident that they know the law reasonably well. Also, police are trained for preemptive action; they’re trained to see everyone as an enemy, basically. (I watched a video on this topic once, like half a year ago; it was intriguing. They have this exercise where you have to pull out a finger gun before the other person or you lose.) This mindset that justifies NOT ONLY looting and lack of compassion, but also straight-up murder. Ignoring the existence of this mindset during an argument where you’re trying to say everyone should be held to equal standards completely decimated that argument AND makes you look like you’re racist, approving of one group’s demonstratively lower standards while openly attacking another’s less-demonstratively lower standards. The argument consequently collapses under the obvious double standard.

I) This goes along with C; the whole “there’s no other options” thing. The law FAILED them, failed us. Every single time a while police officer gets off the hook for killing a black person, it’s another failure on the part of the law. It doesn’t matter if there was a legitimate reason; without an apology or publishing the details so that people can make their own judgments, public perception will be that the legal channel that’s the “appropriate” way to get justice is corrupt and will fail them. When the law fails to execute justice, people lose faith in it. So what else is there to turn to? I already covered the fact that elections are in question. Again, a flippant answer to these concerns is UNACCEPTABLE. You can’t just get away with saying “we live in a democracy” and “condescenders will say there’s no other option” as the sum total of your argument. A demonization of a legitimate viewpoint with NO regard to the “fact” or empirical evidence not only renders their point ineffective, but it also suggests that Prager doesn’t have anything better to go off of. They’re grasping at straws to cobble together a half-baked argument based totally on emotion— ironic, considering their insistence that facts are important. (And they are! See, this is what we would call a “turn” in debate, or a situation where the opposition uses the debaters’ own argument against them.)

---

Like I said earlier, this analysis was for a relative (who unironically sent me this video)-- it’s not intended to sound professional.

Sources on either extreme of the political spectrum often have similar flaws to the ones I elaborated on in this analysis. Next time you see a political opinion that differs from yours, don’t hate on it-- dissect it. Don’t just say it’s wrong, say WHY it’s wrong. 

If an idea can be picked apart in 280 characters, you’re probably just being lazy. 

Stay aware, 

-Voice in the Void