So I just got back from a rather lucrative 1-hour “dog psychology” marketing session in Uris Hall (a.k.a. the Columbia business school), which I signed up for after seeing a flyer earlier in the week. For one hour of hypothesizing what Berkeley would say in various situations, I got a free lunch, $50 in cold, hard cash (we’re going to have to make a trip to the pet store), and a coupon for a free (and somewhat goofy) $120 Bowlingual dog translator, to be redeemed when they arrive Stateside in August. Apparently they’re trying to come up with a stock of English phrases for the US release. So, if you happen to buy one of these and it tells you your canine is saying things like “I defy you,” “The madness has come upon me,” and “Your coming here is as the footsteps of doom,” you’ll know why.
Category: Berkeley
Ku Klux Kanines.
Slate examines the psychology of racist dogs. Fortunately, Berkeley doesn’t have this problem – he barks madly at anybody with the temerity to knock on my door, regardless of race (along with any random forces of evil passing through.)
Raise the Roof.
A very happy birthday to Berkeley, who turns three today. Since that’s 21 in dog years, I expect all kinds of shenanigans in the apartment this evening while I’m out tutoring.
There is no bone.
Hmmm…let’s see how Zen this dog is once we get some bacon in the room, or for that matter, when Berkeley starts yelping at him for absolutely no reason in particular. Then I’ll be impressed. (Sent via High Industrial.)
Your tauntaun will freeze before you reach the first marker…
It is very, very cold.
Mind-Reading Mutts.
Take that, cat lovers. Scientists delve deeper into the inextricable links between humans and dogs. But, if this is true, why can’t I convince Berkeley to stop chewing the comforter?
Music soothes the savage Berk.
No, according to these guys, it really does. There’s no question Berkeley‘s a lot more docile with “The Breaking of the Fellowship” on or somesuch. And when “Where’s Your Head at?” is blaring, he knows it’s time to jump up and down and run around in circles. (Via Follow Me Here.)
Dog Confessional.
In a Work Hole.
Hey y’all. Updates have been intermittent this past week due to my catching up with all the work I was supposed to be doing while I was in Hawaii, meaning very long days fashioning history powerpoint slides for a textbook company. Now that that task’s finished, I need to get back to my primary research work, reading through and organizing the papers of Henry Luce and his contemporaries for a professor. At any rate, it’s going to be busy around here right up until the start of term, so I apologize if the updates get more sparse than usual. In happier news, regarding the burning of my feet (mentioned here last week), today was the first day since said burning that it didn’t hurt to put on my shoes…although Berkeley stepping on said shoe immediately thereafter was not a happy experience.
Don’t sleep on the Berk.
A new study finds dogs have higher language and math skills than you’d think.