Muzzles and warm weather

Inappropriate muzzles and warm weather can be a nasty combination for your dog. Dogs cool off mostly by panting. Water evaporates from their mouths/tongues and takes heat with it. So what happens when you muzzle your dog's mouth shut in warm weather? They overheat, like an engine without coolant (I know nothing about cars by the way...).Heatstroke can kill a dog and I don't know of a veterinarian that has not seen a case. The "banned" breeds in Toronto are required by law to be muzzled. As often as I see a seemingly-responsible dog owner walking their muzzled dog, they are far too often muzzled with one of these:No. No. No. It is wonderful...

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Museum of Creation, Kentucky

I was astounded to learn that a $27 million (US) Creation Museum was built in Kentucky. That it was built in that particular state did not shock me. That it exists at all in the year 2007 is what dumbfounds me. The museum is based on the concept that the world and everything on the planet was created by God in six days. According to the museum (and bible), the world is only six thousand years old. Interesting. Fossils, according to the museum's creator, are the result of the great flood, for which Noah built his Ark. This was when he rounded up two of every species on the planet in order to preserve the gene pool (funny, I wonder how he...

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More kvetching about public transit

Two years ago, I gave up my Mini Cooper. Yes, ok, so I used to drive a car, reinforcing the oil giants that we need them.Well, shoot, we do! I need my freakin' car back because I no longer wish to take the most unpleasant and inconvenient mode of transportation imaginable: the TTC!At 7:00 AM this morning, I jumped on the 501 from Leslieville heading West. The pleasant, clean, and cool air outside didn't last as it was not less than 90 degrees on the damn streetcar. The radiators were BLASTING heat. All six of us on the double-length car had all the windows open to prevent us from passing out. To boot, the conductor was driving so slowly,...

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Great service but...

A very active day, indeed. Spent this afternoon hiking in the Albion Conservation Area, near Bolton. A change of scenery is all I needed from the oft-encountered blight of downtown Toronto. This evening was spent with friends in the Beaches (or Beach) neighborhood. Warm, fresh air added to the peacefulness of the evening.For dinner, we sat on a popular patio, had a few refreshing drinks and enjoyed the company of one another. Unlike what I describe in a previous post, the service was quite good, but the food was terrible. I ordered butter chicken, a popular Indian dish, which the waitress described as "delicious." Oh, by delicious she...

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