Beware of Puppy Mills

I posted this on my Frenchie Meetup.com group but I thought it would be valuable to those googling French Bulldogs.

It is vital to your experience as a dog-owner, that you do as much research as possible before purchasing a pup. I've encountered numerous people who long for a dog and then get seduced by the sad eyes in a pet-store window or decide in the moment to get a puppy because it just "chose them." Unfortunately, the illness and death stories I read about, proliferate afterward.

Get as many written references as you can for your breeder. Meet owners who have adopted from the same breeder you are considering if at all possible.

Does your breeder interview you? How interested are they in placing a pup in your home? Most caring breeders will get as much information from you as you ask from them.

Responsible breeders are unlikely to have a lucrative puppy business. It's often a sideline. They're fanatics about the breed and only want the best lines. If a breeder has numerous puppies, available in all colors, I'd say beware. Frenchies often have small litters. More than 3 pups per bitch is a lot. How many times can you breed a bitch in one year? Whelping is often done by a vet with Frenchies too. Large, hard skulls passing through narrow pelvises often require Ceasarian birthing. The stock is not prevalent in a responsible breeder's pen. If a breeder says you can get a Frenchie pup immediately, what you got there is a puppy miller.

My $0.02

Sean

Grizzly Man

I finally saw Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man this past weekend. Discovery Channel has been running it.

I cannot get it out of my mind. Timothy Treadwell, who despite having no zoological background, decided to live amongst Grizzlies in Alaska. He died along with his girlfriend, victims of a bear-mauling.



The naiveté that Treadwell shows in his relationship to nature is nothing short of remarkable. By anthropomorphizing these creatures, and living some life of "one-ness" with nature, Treadwell is blind to the savagery that is inherent in it.

Herzog treats his subject with respect but never shies from opining.

Click the title of this post to view the trailer.

As I said before --------- I-N-S-A-N-E

The Steelers (Stillers for those from Pgh.) won!
My mother's concrete goose was dressed for the occasion. It's been dressed for every holiday and even wore a bridal veil at my sister's wedding!
And now, without further ado......

The goose in black & gold.....

Jonathan Bressler's She Wolf

I've written before about our friend Jonathan Bressler. I think I wrote when he had his show at the National Arts Club back in June 2005.
His work is remarkable. We're hanging one of my favorite pieces right now. He often uses Greco-Roman classical sculpture as a starting point. Through collage, faux-finishing techniques, etc., he finds newness in his familiar subjects.
The piece is for sale. Please contact me through this site if you are interested. I will put you in touch with Mr. Bressler.

Sean

Red-tailed Hawk Taken Up Residence in Harlem

A family of Red-tailed Hawks had a nest of chicks on the roof of a nursing home in Harlem. One of the juveniles has stuck around, perching on an aerial at West 132nd Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. The rat and mouse hunting is probably pretty good right now with so many houses under construction. I haven't used my binoculars yet nor have I gottena photo. But, I see him pretty regularly on the aerial.

scp

Backstage is pretty good

He just didn't like the non-linear story-telling. I still think it's a pretty decent review.

My mother has gone Steeler mad!

I got my Terrible Towel in the mail today as well as this PowerPoint thing. I converted it to a movie file so it's easier to see. Enjoy! ------------------- Sorry, not available....requires too much bandwidth.

Sean

Sorry to everyone who kept getting RSS notices today

I'm trying out Mozilla Thunderbird as my email application. It doesn't
seem to have the same response rate as Outlook. The posts don't show as
"sent" and then they pile up. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Sean

The first review is in

Objete got a great write-up in offoffonline.

I can't believe what a little email can do!

I innocently sent out an email to some old Boston Conservatory friends about Steven Fales' show and now I'm getting tons of communications bouncing around. I love it! Going to Boston Conservatory was one of the best times of my life! Too bad it was when I was also way too clinically depressed to have it be as productive as one would have hoped. But, I loved my friends there and have had times when I've really missed them.
We're trying to put together a mini-reunion, possibly combining a trip to see "Confessions of a Mormon Boy". I hope we don't let it go too long.