With Pitchers and Catchers

It is one of those rites of spring, or at least one of those subtle hints that Spring time is right around the corner. There are actually a few signs that pop up that let you know Spring is on its way. Theres the Philadelphia Flower Show, a March Madness Bracket, your first sighting of a blue bird of happiness and finally for many people there is the start of Spring Training with Pitchers and Catchers reporting for camp.

And with Pitchers and Catchers, there is also the crazy ways that these fine tuned athletes find to get hurt. Falling out of bed from a nightmare, falling down the stairs with your luggage, and this years earliest entry, submitted by the snake bitten Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood. Of course, since they train in Peoria, Arizona, you have to wonder how many margaritas Mr Wood was sipping to find himself unable to get himself out of the hot tub. At least he didn't end up looking like the California Raisin.

Puppyknapped

Somedays, the news just ceases to amaze me, really it does. Over the weekend, a 5 month old puppy was snatched from a pet store in Audobon, Pennsylvania. There are a few things that really annoy me about this story. Besides the fact that yes, its um stealing, its also the stupidity of the thief. Nothing like getting caught on multiple surveillance cameras now is there? But, probably the biggest thing that burns my butt is that there are plenty of kittens, puppies, cats and dogs available at your local shelters that are close to free that can be taken, without the whole threat of jail time. As opposed to getting the 5 finger discount, these animals are really close to free and looking for a home. Its either laziness, or this poor doggy was needed for something else.

Pennsylvania Scam?? Inspections

I have been marinating over this post for a little while and this weekend finished it off completely.

In Pennsylvania, you have to get your car inspected every year. Doesnt sound that bad does it? Good for the environment and good to keep the uninsured drivers off the road. Except that every year you have to send out about $90, plus you have to send out $30 bucks for registration. So, its about $100 a year to drive a car.

Whats worse, is that you can't take it to a free place to have the car inspected. In NJ, the state runs inspections, which are free. If you fail, they tell whats wrong and give you a month to fix it. With the Pennsylvania rules, you car is almost kidnapped, held for ransom until you get whatever they tell you to get fixed will cause you to pass. So Mrs Duck had to fork over $600 a few weeks back to get the car to pass.

So, since I had a new car, registered in NJ, I was inspected already, good for 3 years, which means it would not have expired until 12/2007. A whole year! But nooo, since I have moved to PA, I need to still get the car inspected every year. Which is what the police officer told me when he pulled me over on Sunday. So, I have a week to get it inspected or else!

So in the end, Pennsylvania I am sure gets a cut from the $90 that the dealers and garages and of course they get a cut from the tickets they give out for no inspections stickers. Sounds like a nice little setup to me.

Dangit, Take your dog for a walk!

So, sitting here watching Action News with Mrs Duck, and she is always on a rampage about the Home Depot CEO getting millions upon millions as a retirement gift as they kicked his ass out the door. And the fact that the reports are out there that the Shrub's new plan to fix Iraq is to actually send more troops in, but not enough to make a huge difference, since they will go from being outnumbered at 200 to 1 to being outnumbered 100 to 1.

So, Im sitting here hoping I have timed the news just right to miss the early headline stories, and just catch a glimpse of Cecily Tynan (shapeless namedrop for webhits) and the weather, and maybe more on the Eagles Giants game, you know something that wont have my wife's brain exploding out of her head.

And hey look its the health report, this is usually good for some uplifting story, you know a new drug, hope for a sick child, maybe an Alexs Lemonade Stand fundraiser or something, Holy (Bleep)!! Diet Medicine for Dogs???!!?

Thats right, theres a Phen Phen for dogs, well really more like a lipitor, since it helps in the absorption of fat or some other nonsense. And hey, I think its great if its a last resort, you know if Fido is taking a dump on the couch because he cant move anymore since he cant get his butt off the couch. But, it actually sounds more like something cosmetic, you know, if your pekinese is paunchy or something like that.

People please, what happened to, well, I dont know, PUTTING THE FOOD AWAY, or maybe giving Pluto a little less for dinner. Oh hey, heres an idea, lets not give Scruffy 77 treats a day, maybe only 30 will buy off his undying affection. And you know what else, maybe an idea that will help everyone, since the United States is supposed to be one of the most obese countries in all the world, TAKE LITTLE BROWNIE FOR A WALK! And not just down to the mailbox and back, but maybe around the block, down to the 7-11 and back, exercise for everyone. You and Fluffy will be happy for it.

It just burns my butt, drugs for obese dogs, as opposed to taking the research to try and beat diabetes in animals, or a cure for Kitty Luekemia, or even some sort of cancer drug. You know something where a scientist would say, "hey I did this and this and it cured this cancer cell, I wonder if I did this and that, would it work for human beings?"

Excuse me now, I need to go scrape my wife off the ceiling, The Shrub thing did put her over the edge.