http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city Dogster diary for the dog Cairo en Copyright 2013 by Cairo & Dogster Tue, 21 May 2013 18:52:42 PDT Dogster Pet-o-matic Gennie - http://www.dogster.com 360 http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/809958 Tue, 25 Dec 2012 12:19:17 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/809958 Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate) and a Happy Holidays. Happy hol ... Happy holidays to everywoo]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/799262 Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:29:35 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/799262 It has been a long time since I wrote on Dogster. Surely, way way too long. I do apologize. ... http://www.huskydigs.com/2940/going-on-a-road-trip-part-1/ Hope everyone is doing well.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/727316 Sun, 3 Jul 2011 17:36:02 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/727316 I usually don't copy and paste from my Enterprising Husky Society blog but since this is pretty impo ... http://www.huskydigs.com/2423/nike-signs-michael-vick-convicted-felon-and-dogfighter-to-be-its-spokesperson/]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/714756 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:22:28 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/714756 Yesterday, my mom sent me a letter. Today, I wrote her back. Dear mom, Wonderful update and i ... Dear mom, Wonderful update and it's great to hear from you. Is it true that our favorite local bagel shop on the Upper East Side with the yummy lox (salmon!!) has now gone out of business? In response to your semi-existential conundrums, here is a link from the Onion that might be helpful to you -- you are not alone: http://www.theonion.com/articles/grown-adult-actually-expects-to-be-happy,19442 xoxo, your Red and White Sassy Girl ]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/714583 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:44:24 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/714583 Today I got a letter from my mom. As you know, my mom is back in NYC (without me) on a business(?) t ... greetings, dear cairo. i've slacked off since thursday afternoon, so i apologize for not getting back to you on skype -- just been inundated with a lot of "getting my affairs in order" here in ny/nj. i hope to do some catching up on sunday. am having a bit of a mind-brain-cognitive crisis of a nature that i can't put my finger on. so annoying. being back in ny, i'm using this oppty away from dogs and home life responsiblities to Think Deep and work on my 3 year plan and my 7 year plan (since i'm 32 and my next milestones are 35 and 39). it's never a smooth process and, as usual, they're not exactly writing themselves. in a burst of inspiration (and because my office supplies and rest of belongings are stacked away in storage), i bought a 16-pack of crayons to map out my future plans and literally "draw up" my thought process. [Company name] work is going fine and i like web stuff and especially the design stuff and i heart technical projects and planning and analyzing but i was at the barn (my oldest and most expensive son is now 12!) and i had a realization that i would not likely make 7 figures doing this kind of work, so now the question is, how can i acquire assets or develop businesses that throw off streams of income, so that 'what i do' and 'how i make money' do not have to be one and the same. how? how? how? Actually, I have a suspicion that she actually wrote this email to a peer or friend of hers, which she copied and pasted to me, for my benefit. Regardless, I'm glad she's trying to use her time away to do some productive thinking, instead of frittering it away shopping or barhopping.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/714500 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:20:13 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/714500 Do you ever wonder what your mom does when she leaves you for 11 days to go on a "trip back east"? ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/712342 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 04:04:11 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/712342 No, I'm not talking about America's consumer debt problem. I'm talking about, I think whoever wal ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/706646 Sun, 9 Jan 2011 04:29:36 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/706646 One of the things I like most about my mom is that she shares her food. Somewhere along the line, s ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/704859 Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:22:40 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/704859 Hi everyone, I hope everyone is having a nice holiday. I got a wrapped gift for Christmas, take ... www.huskydigs.com/1658/christmas-day-and-a-standing-rib-roast/ I haven't had a chance to write in my Dogster diary in months because I started a husky blog and then didn't have time to write in that one either. I hope next year to stay in better touch with my Dogster friends to share more stories and pics. love, Cairo]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/681968 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:30:33 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/681968 whew! well, everyone has been asking me why i am not getting up until 10:30 or 11:30am these days. i ... www.huskydigs.com The site was created by siberian huskies and is meant for dogs who like blogs and husky stories and pics and opinions. It is a fun site meant for all dogs, not just huskies. There's also a section on huskies in need (adoptable adorable rescues). Ok, that's it for now. now i can finally start going to bed at a reasonable hour and Double D won't grumble at me for tapping away at the keyboard so loudly into the wee hours of the night.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/680790 Thu, 8 Jul 2010 01:45:26 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/680790 hi everyone, as many of you know, i am actually a resident of new york city, where people and dog ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/680338 Mon, 5 Jul 2010 01:39:48 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/680338 Over the July 4th weekend, a lot of visitors and party-goers descended on our little beach city here ... See how great a city we look like?) Anyway, without getting into why China is a two-faced hypocritical country whose smiling face is only skin-deep, the point is, my mom condemns the Chinese who commit these offensively barbaric acts, and if she identified an offender on the street, she too would (at least) shout at him from her car if she were driving by. (Assuming, of course, that the identification was correct.) And herein lies the conundrum. Of course the foul teenagers were being stupid in their drunken shouting, and my mom should have been mad at them for shouting racial epithets ... or should she? Every theory tells us that it's wrong to harbor racist feelings towards a person solely because that person is a member of a race known to commit certain atrocities. But is my mom glad that there are people who are outspoken against those who torture dogs only to eat them? Yes. Are "those people" indisputably predominantly asian? Yes. Could it be the young punks were somehow operating on a higher principle but just terribly misguided in their implementation? Perhaps. So can she really be mad at these young punks? Well, ... not really. In fact, she wishes more people were outspoken about these things. Although, not exactly in this way. And let me point out again that this occurred in a nice neighborhood in Los Angeles, a very blue spot on the map. This wasn't some small town in Alabama (or even perhaps parts of Pennsylvania ...) where she needs to be worried about being singled out and her physical safety. Without knowing what the kids' real motivation was (who knows, maybe the girl's father lost his job when it got outsourced to 2 Chinese people), I guess the only thing my mom can be mad at is the fact that these kids were wrong in their racial profiling of her. Racial profiling is probably better if done by trained and educated professionals. Not so much by young drunk teenagers (or overly zealous young macho cops, for that matter.). Arizona, are you listening?]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/680260 Sun, 4 Jul 2010 14:34:39 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/680260 Happy 4th everyone! Thanks for reading my diary and send me a Pup Pal request if you'd like! Cair ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/679874 Thu, 1 Jul 2010 22:55:45 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/679874 Maybe it was there all along, all this time but was lying dormant. Finally, after watching the 2nd ... something but I just figured that, like all siberian huskies, it was just my "wild" side, the duality of being the cutest and most charming housepet in the world, and also the most primal ... in the sense that I resemble a wolf, anyway. But tonight, it began. At first, it was just a whiff in the air, which lifted my nose up towards the mountains. I closed my eyes, slightly, to focus on the scent. Something -- I don't know what -- started to rub me the wrong way. Then I detected the sound of the woman's shrill voice, an obnoxious cacophony of laughter, hooting and exclamations, getting louder and louder as she approached. My annoyance quickly gave way to irritation. I felt the skin tightening on my forehead, stretching back along my temples. Then began an aching in my skull, where my protruding orbital bones were beginning to recede. What, I screamed silently, was happening to me?. Suddenly a complex computer science algorithm flashed before my eyes, then it was gone, before being replaced by an image of a man-bot (half man, half robot) making the sounds meep meep!. Then instantly, gone. I looked down at my paws to make sure they were still gleaming white. Everything in front of me started to get blurry, and I didn't have to look to know that my eyes were turning dark brown. Her voice continued to get louder as she carelessly polluted the air with her verbal garbage, like toxic fumes from a malfunctioning energy plant. By now, my irritation evaporated and anger took its place. My headache intensified. Suddenly I could clearly see my husky cleverness and wit sitting in the reptilian part of my brain, and it started to move to a different cortex. As I howled to ease the pressure in my mind, and as she approached our front door, I don't know what surprised me more: the anger and contempt overtaking me, or the sound of my howls turning into fast English. She was now at our doorway. "KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!" she exclaimed in an exaggerated sing-songy yell. My mind flashed the image of Jacob morphing into a werewolf. Suddenly I realized my tongue was sharper than my teeth, and that's exactly when it finally hit me -- the computer stuff, the bad vision -- I was no longer a siberian husky -- in a fit of rage, I had turned into an AAG ... an Angry Asian Girl, one who wanted to rip apart her nosy insulting neighbor. "Look, I don't know what you want or what you're going to say, but I can already tell you that I really don't care. Just because I'm home during most of the day, and just because I leave the door open to air out the apartment, does not mean that I'm an idle housewife sitting at home all day, like yourself, who has neither the motivation nor skills to do anything more than wash the car. No I have not talked to Guy. No I do not know why our upstairs neighbor got arrested. No I do not know who he's called, and even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you, and no I do not care whether he's called you, or what your husband said to him. I don't care to gossip about what you saw with who you saw and when. I don't care what you overheard and I don't care what kind of hypothesis your feeble mind has scrapped together. I do not want your advice, I don't want to be like you. Keep your advice to yourself, your questions to yourself, and stay out of my business. Keep your distance from my face. Frankly, I'm half your age but I've seen greater successes than you'll ever see, so stop wasting my time with your trite neighborhood politics bullshit, your stupid interruptions, your vacuous chitchat and gossip and rumor-mongering, because that's all your mental faculties allow. The only reason you even own a home in this neighborhood is because you got lucky so many decades ago -- you could never buy your way back in now. It was luck, sweetheart, not skill. Understand the difference? Didn't think you could. These new people in the neighborhood, the ones who are a little too promising and successful for you, the ones who don't care for you, you think that your campaign of gossiping is gonna bring them down? Your tactics are so junior-high, and your loudness and yelling, so offensive. You may fool your other little friends, but not me -- I'm a lot smarter than you, actually. So please, be gone, and stay gone. I may be new here, but you're the one not good enough to be here."]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/679528 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:01:37 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/679528 "I don't know ... it must have been either the curry or the cheesecake." I overheard my mom speak ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/676619 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:14:59 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/676619 I just wanted to share a household trick that can make your parents happy. A while ago, when my flea ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/674780 Mon, 31 May 2010 18:58:42 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/674780 Today I went to the lovely dog beach by Trump Golf Course in Palos Verdes. It was a really lovely da ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/673424 Mon, 24 May 2010 16:51:57 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/673424 well, i asked my mom for my own facebook page, and she said No. apparently she's not convinced th ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/672830 Thu, 20 May 2010 20:20:01 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/672830 Today I have a question. I'm confused. I see on Facebook that there are dogs, as in, pictures of dog ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/672532 Tue, 18 May 2010 21:02:10 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/672532 hi everyone, just a quick note to say i am recovering much better from my Big Fix surgery. the i ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/671648 Fri, 14 May 2010 00:25:37 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/671648 So as I mentioned, I'm staying in Los Angeles on a "creative break" (therapist's words), and one of ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/669887 Mon, 3 May 2010 21:31:32 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/669887 This weekend I went on a hike in the Malibu hills with my mom, the sock puppet and his dad, DD the h ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/668987 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:06:44 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/668987 Hi everyone, this is an article that just came up on my Google Reader feed. " In an effort to co ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/668532 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:43:16 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/668532 I really love beach life. The water is about 60-something degrees and the surfers are still in ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/625625 Sun, 4 Oct 2009 12:22:50 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/625625 "Watch out! Is that a WOLF?", the girl interrupted her conversation to exclaim to her friend as she ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/561110 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:37:28 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/561110 Hi everyone, Sorry for my absence recently. I have been paw-deep in helping my mom with her care ... Don't you hate it when you buy your girlfriend a husky puppy for Valentine's Day ... only to discover that her apartment doesn't allow dogs??D'OHH!! Well, no problem, champ! Just sell the dog on Craigslist the next day, and you can still get some of your money back! So I finally got my paws on the keyboard, and I go on the internet. And what do I find. But, every week it seems that there is someone giving away "Dog, Siberian Husky Free to Good Home" on New York City Craigslist, or selling a husky puppy. Every week I type in the term "siberian husky" in the Search box of the Pets section, just to see what people are up to, and stay abreast of my kind's affairs, and every week lo and behold someone is trying to give away their husky. Now, it could be a legitimately good person trying to do a good thing. In the case of the Feb 11 post (link is good for 1 week) : New York City Craigslist ad for "Dog, Siberian Husky Free to Good Home" The dog's owner passed away, which is very sad. And the relatives are nice enough to be finding the dog a home, but I'm afraid they might be too soft in their criteria of what maketh a good home, so my mom sent them an email with the contact info of the local Sibe rescue. Now the next ad (which actually must have just gotten deleted) was a person trying to sell a Siberian Husky puppy for $100 because he had gotten the puppy as a gift for his girlfriend for Valentine's Day, only to discover that her apartment doesn't allow dogs! OOOPS! And he is only asking $100, which is a discount to the $500 he paid for the puppy (which he points out). Higher consciousness (conscientiousness?, I get confused) calls for one to refrain from judging others, but I must say that there is something very sadly misguided about treating the purchase of an animal so casually. Now I understand that people may be trying their best to rehome these huskies, but my understanding is that Craigslist (www.craigslist.org) is a forum used for buying iPod accessories, finding part-time work at local restaurants and random people to hook up with -- probably not the most discriminating place to find potential adopters of dogs for life-long homes. Well, I'm sure good owners read Craigslist too, it serves a wide swath of humanity, but I just worry that people will give away the husky to any random weirdo. Because let me tell you that during the course of my walks in the city, there are plenty of random weirdos who stop my mom to tell me that they "love" Siberian huskies and "want to get one" but it's clear that the only thing they're in love with is the idea that huskies look like wolves and it looks good in the snow. Too many people get huskies for too wrong of reasons and most people have no idea what kind of activity and exercise and commitment is involved. Ok, done with that lecture. Except for one more thing. Can I just add that giving a dog away "free to a good home" is horrific. This is a bad idea on so many levels. I agree that if it's the right fit, maybe the seller will not have to accept any money in exchange for dog, but for dog's sake, plese don't advertise that you are willing to give it away for free! That attracts entirely the wrong type of person. Ok, now I'm really done lecturing. So ... in other news ... dum de da... what other news is there. Hmm. Oh. I think my mom really is getting old. Without giving away her age, (it rhymes with "schmirty"), I have noticed some shifts in her behavior, in the past year and a half that I've been alive (and in her care). First, she's stopped purchasing fashion magazines by the handful and has instead begun reading O Magazine, the Oprah magazine. That is the most telling sign. The second sign of paradigm shift is that instead of spending as much time contrasting whether a matte finish or a dewy finish of foundation best complements Penelope Cruz's skin, she is instead reading essays written by 40-year-old women on the subject of failed relationships. Why this would interest anyone is completely beyond me. I worry that with the advent of her old age, my mom is becoming less ambitious and less driven; I found her reading an article -- with a level of interest that disturbed me, slightly -- on how to make egg omelettes. I worry that my mom does not sense the urgency of the struggle, the need to survive the financial meltdown and the shakeout in NYC -- and that somehow her motivation has vanished, the fight has been eroded away and she has become soft and, worst of all, complacent. So, I wrote her a letter. ---- Hi Mom, This is Cairo,,, I was wondering ,,, Have you become soft and fat? ,,, I noticed you are not driven and ambitious anymore?,,, I thought we were going to do big things in the city and make lots of money and do the Models and Bottles thing ,,, Well, ok, think about it. Maybe you should start working out again and lifting weights??,,, And P.S. I bought you a bumper sticker which I taped to the refridgerator,,, it says "Failure is STILL Not an Option", if that helps.,,, Also, I changed your screen saver to say "Fight Mediocrity!" Hope that is ok w you! Love, Cairo ---- I'm aware that you can't manufacture ambition and drive -- work ethic, on the other hand, can be learned, and I am a champion of working breeds -- but maybe the physical structure of one's brain starts to change when one turns schmirty. For instance, my mom used to be able to do lots of things simultaneously ("the Director") but now, she needs all her focus to concentrate on just one thing. What a poor utilization of mental CPU cycles!]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/540404 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:47:41 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/540404 So ... I recently met a boy dog about my age. He's not really my type at all, at first blush, but a ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/540382 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:30:45 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/540382 Yesterday we got our first real snow in the city (New York City, of course). Friday afternoon my m ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/535614 Sat, 6 Dec 2008 16:32:24 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/535614 So, the latest news is that my mom is on a budget. This basically means that my mom now buys my ra ... budget. This basically means that my mom now buys my rawhide dog treats in 6-packs from Petland Discount (which -- despite its primitive yellow and black sign and unappealing wholesale-surplus interior lighting and shelving and the fact that it's staffed by teenagers whose rudeness is just barely masked by their indifference -- is actually a great place to pick up a variety of basic stuff at a good price) instead of the little privately-owned pet shops on the block. It's a sad state of affairs. My mom and I like to patronize the local mom & pop pet shops -- you know, support the local community, but sometimes they just charge too much. But with the unemployment rate at 6.7%, it's only natural that people are trying to cut back on their expenses and consumption. The pet shop nearest us means well but the last time my mom ran in there to pick up a knuckle bone because she knew she was going to be leaving me alone in the apartment for a while (for too long, rather), she grabbed the item without first checking the price, and then was in sticker-shock when the cash register rang up the final price. At that point, standing in front of the cashier, her sense of propriety gave her no choice but to purchase the item, instead of exclaiming out loud her initial response of, Dude, are you serious? That much -- for a dog treat? Anyways, my mom quickly purchased the item and then left and has not since gone back, for fear of being a repeat victim of such steep markups. I must say I loved the knuckle bone (and the bone does not chip and is hard enough for me to safely gnaw on) and so the quality is not the issue, but Manhattan or not, overpriced stuff is overpriced and should not be encouraged. Next on my mom's new rules for budgeting is that she will not pay more than $1.50 per pound for dry dog food. But she also seems to think that I've somehow been losing weight because I look thinner in the face. I told her that I am very sad and lonely being an only dog right now, especially one that has to stay at home, in her crate, by herself, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. And few things makes me eat more than the knowledge that another dog is present in the household or vicinity. So, my mom decided to buy a small bag of fish-flavored dry dog food to sprinkle in with my usual bland (and cheap) kibble. I think it's trout flavored, which I usually go crazy for ... and it cost $11 for 5 lbs, yowie. My mom agreed it's okay to break the budget for small tasty treats, as long as I don't eat it all really fast right away, and as long as I promised to eat more on a regular basis and get my weight up. Huskies, as you know, don't like to consume lots of food on a regular worry-free basis. This budget business also means that my mom is making herself Hamburger Helper for dinner. So, instead of getting a pinch of grilled salmon and creamy mashed potatoes and steamed spinach as a side accompaniment to my kibble at dinnertime, I now get a few sloppy spoonfuls of boiled cheese-and-meat flavored brown sauce ladled over my kibble. The noodles are gummy and disgusting. The sauce tastes like a warm blend of articial flavors meant to remind one of "Italian lasagna". But I eat it anyway and don't complain (except on my blog, which my mom never reads), in my support of her budget endeavor. And I must admit, the budget was partially my idea because I know my mom is a bit, umm, how do you say, financially reckless, hehehe. Just kidding. There is nothing "hehehe" about financial recklessness. I am just saying. Okay? Other than that, New York City is great. They've already set up the Christmas tree sale in the park, and now there is an entire little village of Christmas trees, with pretty red and white lights strung up.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/515589 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:39:06 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/515589 hi everyone. well, you know how people are always interested in the fact that a siberian husky c ... picture of me as a perfect circle on my blog (but not a shooting target, thanks).]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/514457 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:27:19 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/514457 i like to check the international markets before i go to bed, especially if people are starting to s ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/514451 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:57:25 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/514451 hi everyone, in place of my usual self-indulgent rambling, i have decided to forward along a mes ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/797639 Link to Raley - http://www.dogster.com/dogs/797665 Link to petition - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/50/justice-for-husky-dogs -shot-in -orange-county-florid Link to ASPCA - http://aspcacommunity.ning.com/main/search/search?q=hoochie .....................................................................................................]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/514121 Wed, 8 Oct 2008 22:18:51 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/514121 I recently turned 1 year old. That puts me past adolescence into pre-adulthood. Or, is it post-ado ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/513781 Tue, 7 Oct 2008 21:35:12 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/513781 This is a follow-up to my previous post about labrador retrievers, since I know follow-up is a prett ... pic of me biting the lab puppy.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/513387 Mon, 6 Oct 2008 23:19:42 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/513387 Ok, so it has come to my attention that some of my readers might think that I am breedist -- not so ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/512303 Fri, 3 Oct 2008 22:51:57 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/512303 hi everybody. i'm back and feeling in a 'lighter' mood. no more election speak for now. so, i had ... It had been raining an unnaturally soft and steady rain for the past three days. The sky alternated between medium gray during the day and black at night and was back to gray when I awoke on Monday morning to the urgent siren of my alarm clock and the realization look, are you frigging serious, a stepford wife, a dolt, the poise and confidence of a mannequin, in office??, c'mon lady, this isn't QVC and you're not selling cosmetics, this is the vice presidential debate ooops. i need to continue working on editing.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/512145 Fri, 3 Oct 2008 15:16:31 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/512145 The problem of "winning" yesterday's VP debate can essentially be summed up as this: the problem be ... To change her voters, Biden supporters have the task not of convincing Palin's voters to stop liking her or that she should not be liked, but the task is to convince them that she cannot be trusted, despite how much they may like her. My doggie thoughts on can sarah palin be trusted. I guess it comes down to convincing the horses which way they want to vote ... cat or dog? (Polar bears, however, are already voting against Sarah Palin.) --- links cited http://mydachshundpolitico.typepad.com]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/511846 Thu, 2 Oct 2008 14:33:47 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/511846 Recently I had a flash back to September 25th, and the memory of a conversation filled me with an un ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/511295 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:44:49 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/511295 VP candidate Sarah Palin said that the difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom is lipstick. ... pictures of me as a husky wearing lipstick. Depending on the shade of lipstick, I think one can make several arguments. Although it would be natural for a husky to be playing ice hockey because of natural climate conditions (and pit bulls are, I thought, a more mild-weathered dog, perhaps originating closer to the Equator), I believe I will have to choose a different competitive team sport. "Ski mom" might work also. Also, I gather from her metaphor that Sarah Palin means that a hockey mom is a female pitbull with lipstick. What if the pitbull is a male? Does that make it a hockey dad? But would a hockey dad wear lipstick? For that reason, I did not make pictures of my little brother Derek the miniature dachshund wearing lipstick. Because he is a male and it is somehow undignifying. If however, he were a female miniature dachshund, and she wore lipstick, would that make her a ... mini-golf mom? a badminton mom? But alas, all metaphors and analogies break down after some point.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/510942 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:35:46 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/510942 Ok, I thought it would be appropriate for me to make a quick comment on today's situation. Here are ... DOW plunged about 780 points, its worst drop ever, Wall St Journal Lawmakers Grope for Resolution as They Attempt to Avoid Economic Calamity, New York Times What does this mean, you ask? Well first of all, I am getting this secondhand from my mom, who has only been working in the hedge fund/pension fund/money management/Wall St business between 5-10 years, so that is not very long at all. But she wanted me to tell all the dogs out there a few things, in case they were getting really worried. There's been stuff in the news about people having to abandon their dogs at shelters and pounds because they are being foreclosed out of their homes and cannot keep on housing their dog or cat. Hopefully that doesn't happen to any of you. So, 1. On the one hand, it is very important not to panic. If you are considering selling out of your stocks now (presumably to preserve what capital is left), bear in mind that the undisputable majority of successful professional traders tend to regret trading decisions made out of emotion (fear, greed) rather than rational logic. Of course, you may not need to compare yourself to a professional trader. That's not to say someone can't get lucky -- it just very likely will create as much emotional volatility as market volatility. 2. On the other hand, the government media has a big interest in preventing panic and chaos and, as mentioned above, calamity. So, even if the news is dire, the media will try to contain it to reduce widespread craziness. Which means things may be worse than they have thus been publicly reported to be -- hence why there seems to be one domino after the next (Merrill instead of Lehman, WaMu, Wachovia) without the usual amount of due-diligence time. [Many people suspect that there exists a covert group of market riggers who prop up the stock market and who the government sends into effect when key indices break below certain levels of support -- but this provides only paltry assurance.] 3. Please please please do not put your entire retirement account (or a significant portion of your retirement account) in just one or two (or three or ...) stocks. While some may argue that "diversification" is overrated/misleading, in almost all cases, you greatly increase your risk of LOSING SIGNIFICANT VALUE if you hold only 1 or 2 or so stocks. Did you read about those executives and long-time employees at Bear Stearns and Lehman who said their childrens' college education savings had been wiped out, after their companies collapsed? Very likely it was because all of it was in the stock (or options) of that one company. 4. What if you don't want to sell out of your stocks now, but you don't want your portfolio to keep losing money, and you happen to have cash on hand? In this case, I would suggest buying shares in "bear" stock to offset your long stock position (stock you currently own), thereby effectively making you "neutral" to what the market is doing. Because bear stocks perform well in down markets and fare worse in bull markets, you likely won't need them in good times, but for now it's good "protection". If you don't know your way around bear ETF's (indices that trade like stocks), then consider a bear mutual fund. Note, however, that if you buy a bear mutual fund at the close of Monday and then the market suddenly bounces back up on Tuesday, then your bear mutual fund will lose value. But if you think that it's going to be a bumpy ride downhill for a while to come, then you should consider hedging your long stock position. 5. Please please please find a financial advisor that you trust. Likeability is nice and is a strong selling point. But it should be your primary interest to determine that this person is competent and capable and understand all the risks they are presenting to you and fully understands his business, and is not just a salesperson in a pretty package telling you things you want to hear. On that note, remember, this is not a popularity contest. As in any high-functioning organization, you want to hire the individual who will do the job best, not someone who you personally like the most as a friend or family member or neighbor etc. My old neighbor was a lovely woman who made a fabulous turkey soup and was great to have over for dinner, but would I nominate her to be hired as my boss at work? I think not.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/510938 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:08:07 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/510938 So I also decided to write a second blog. It's basically the same stuff as this blog, but with more ... mydachshundpolitico.typepad.com/the_mini_dachshund_review.  (I decided to name my blog after my little brother.)]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/510196 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:44:08 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/510196 So, my efforts at finding a paying job have not been very successful. Instead I've decided to put r ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/509848 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:00:24 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/509848 I've been following the big headlines lately, in the major newspapers, about the country being in th ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/509768 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:50:12 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/509768 Hello everyone. Apologies once again for the lapse in keeping you abreast of my affairs and where ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/500251 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:58:11 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/500251 Well on Friday I was sitting around watching the news. I'm not really a follower of politics, nor ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/481001 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:44:46 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/481001 Some of you may have noticed that I had stopped writing in my blog for a while, and then suddenly I ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/478139 Sat, 5 Jul 2008 00:22:36 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/478139 "She's not active enough for me", he said in his slow, deep voice. "I mean, she's a great dog, but m ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/462867 Fri, 23 May 2008 12:41:50 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/462867 I am asking this on behalf of my mom, who doesn't want to ask this herself, here, because she says i ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/462865 Fri, 23 May 2008 12:32:12 PDT Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/462865 My mom is in Los Angeles for a few weeks and she took the laptop with her, so I haven't been able to ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/426963 Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:46:26 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/426963 I chew on branches while moms changes into her rollerblades And puts her running shoes in her messe ... Come on ... And I look up at her, smiling, but still trotting slowly Waiting for my motivation, preparing And then, it comes, from behind: A bicyclist with an alien-head helmet and a tight shirt That looks like a national flag And as he zooms past us, I shift into overdrive and take off after him Hike! Leaving my mom hanging on as I race to catch my bicycling bogie My head pumping, both hocks moving in unison in straight lines As a I gallop forward forward faster forward faster faster forwarder Spurred on by more speeding bicycles whizzing past us, from behind Very close to catching them Very close to knocking over slow joggers in our way At the end of the bike lane is a dog run And playing with other dogs, that's always fun And I know it'll be there waiting for me But even if it's not, that's alright Because I enjoy the journey]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/426931 Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:34:59 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/426931 Believe it or not, I've actually written several entries for my blog, but I'm not at liberty to post ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/420474 Sat, 2 Feb 2008 15:09:54 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/420474 Sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been busy during the day helping my mom at her work. She' ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/414253 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:15:18 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/414253 So I am learning what it means to be a responsible pet owner. One important item of business (th ... terrible -- I suppose they succeed at serving their intended purpose -- but nobody would mistake them for the kind of underwear that I see the plastic people wearing in the windows, which are usually made with much less material and have some kind of exciting zebra print and lacy stuff on the edges. It's just that my mom's style is a bit frumpy. Sorry if I keep blogging about her fashion sense, but it puzzles me that she doesn't have an intuitive sense of how to integrate form and function. (If it weren't for the fact that I am very focused on the outdoors and am "on the go" when I am outdoors, I might be embarrassed by her attire somedays.) Me, I never sacrifice style for substance, nor do I sacrifice substance for style -- look at this, look at my paw, look at the line from my paw to my shoulder blade and how it ties in so fluidly into my back, which compresses and decompresses with airy ease. I'm engineered to run efficiently and effortlessly for long distances, and I'm also engineered to look hopelessly good as I do so. My arresting choice of coat and markings ("stunning" as more than 1 person has said) are distinctive and always fetch compliments, yet the coat also protects me from harsh elements and keeps me clean when -- look, the point is that somebody did a really good job putting me together, ok? They thought it through, made some rough drafts and design revisions, consulted with educated colleagues, whatever, before they ordered me into production. And I'm just saying that's the way things should be -- people shouldn't just slap things together and then sell cheap crap. Why can't people learn to integrate style and function, EXPECT nothing less, expect both, why must one choose, why must one compromise? WHY WHY WHY? AM I SUPPOSED TO WORK BECAUSE THE WORK ITSELF IS REWARDING OR BECAUSE IT'S THE MONEY THAT'S REWARDING? HUH WHY DO I HAVE TO CHOOSE WHY CAN'T I HAVE IT ALL? WHY ARE SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS SO CONFLICTING WHY CAN'T THE SMART PEOPLE ALSO BE FUN AND COOL TO HANG OUT WITH WHY CAN'T I HAVE A CAREER AT THE SAME TIME AS A FUN PERSONAL LIFE WHY DOES SOMETHING HAVE TO GIVE, WHY WON'T IT SNOW, WHY IS IT SO BALMY OUTSIDE EVERYDAY THIS WINTER, WILL IT EVER END hmm. Ok. sorry. I'm approaching the 5 1/2 month mark and I'm starting to ask myself these questions of greater intellectual bearing, questions about the human condition and the canine condition. Being Executive Vice President of my mom's company has been full of annoyances lately and my mom's only taken me jogging one evening this week, so I haven't had a chance to blow off steam. Maybe that's why my sock puppet has taken to eating her underwear, jogging and running isn't even an option for him, poor mini dachshund. So where was I. Well ok, I don't know why my Bratwurst has been stealing and eating her underwear like a rabid creature and I told my mom I'd have a talk with him etc etc. How does he even find them? Well it will be much harder for him now, since she only has a few pairs left.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/413204 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:54:35 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/413204 Sorry I haven't been able to get on the laptop because my mom has been shopping at some J Crew half- ... fashion, and how J Crew really falls into the former category, and since most people work in normal offices all day and not at fashion shows, of course they're going to be more concerned with being clothed than being bleeding-edge interpreters of fashion, but I decided against trying to educate her on the subtlety of the distinction. We huskies have our own style, like I wake up and I look good, and I photograph well no matter what the light is like, and my coat is starting to develop a nice white ticking that gives me more depth, but it's just hard to explain the concept of style to people who don't have it. Actually that reminds me of my favorite designer, Edna Mode, from the Incredibles. She was feisty and energetic and she designed incredible indestructible and beautiful outfits, not like the lame night-reflector vest that my mom bought me to make me look like a traffic cone so we don't get hit by a car at night if we're rollerblading. I wonder what Edna Mode would have designed for me. Oh well.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/410891 Tue, 8 Jan 2008 11:21:19 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/410891 The topmost guy of yet another big investment bank has been pushed out. I have not been able to ge ... CEO of Bear Stearns plays bridge and golf while funds collapse I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the people who made him leave his company. But my mom said his company lost a lot of money, as in $1.6 billion in investor capital. How much is that, you ask? Well, if you can imagine how much money it takes to buy your dog food and your favorite treats, and multiply that amount by a bazillion, and then take that number and chase it around the room and then multiply it by how much you would like there to be snow in the wintertime (OR AT LEAST NOT 65 DEGREES AND SUNNY IN THE NORTHEASTERN REGION OF THE COUNTRY), then you multiply that figure by the number of dogs in the world, then that's how much money it was. A lot! I personally am only the Executive Vice President of my mom's company, but I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have a job. I would probably be really bored all day and chew on the wood moulding on the door and along the lower edges of the wall and howl to amuse myself, for instance. Actually, I've never howled for amusement when left alone in the insufferably boring apartment, partly because I made it very clear to my mom from Hour 1 that, even if she can't promise me year-round winter, she must throw oodles of cash at people so that they walk me and play with me and entertain me and daycare me (if I may say that), and partly because my mom got me my own sock puppet. However, unlike the man whose head is mentioned above, my mom is not on the Forbes 400 list. Well, not yet anyway... that's where I am to come in ... At first I thought I wanted to be the first dog on the Forbes 400, but then my mom told me there is a lot of paper-pushing and back-and-forth at that level, and I don't like to push paper unless it's cardboard and I'm chewing on it, but I much prefer to chase squirrels until they're outta sight and not back and forth between 2 trees, so I decided it would be better if I let her be on the list and I would get all the equally good benefits. Anyway, my job is very important. I need to be on my game. I don't want a headline like, EVP of mom's company Chews Fuzz Off Tennis Balls As Legions of Squirrels Run Loose in Her Front Yard ... how embarrassing that would be. So, I am drafting a top-secret business plan right now ... If any of you would like to see it, pmail me.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/410863 Tue, 8 Jan 2008 10:07:53 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/410863 My mom told me that pet ownership comes with serious responsibilities, because my Liverwurst sock pu ... "Breezy and warm with temperature tying the record from 1998 with clouds and sunshine" , thanks to accuweather.com) is beyond me.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/410513 Mon, 7 Jan 2008 14:32:56 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/410513 Since I still don't officially have a job, my mom made me Executive Vice President (EVP) of her comp ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409924 Sat, 5 Jan 2008 20:54:40 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409924 Well, thanks to Wall St Journal headlines "Economic Anxiety Roils Stocks", all-time-high oil prices ... "Economic Anxiety Roils Stocks", all-time-high oil prices, and a jump in doggie day care rates, my mom informed me that I need to get a job in order to make money to pay for my own daycare. Hmm. I thought the "job" thing was something to enjoy in and of itself -- as in, the reward is in the process. As a working breed (and a true professional, even if the specifics are still a little fuzzy right now), job satisfaction is the reward for my work, right? But now that they've introduced money into the equation ... well, I'm not so sure anymore. Am I suppose to derive satisfaction from the work itself, or from the money that it brings in? So ... what kind of job, what kind of job. Well, as you know, I am already an aspiring rap mogul and top journalist. It hasn't been paying very well so far, but nevertheless I continue. The first doggie item I want to report is that I recently saw Snoop Doggy Dog on the cover of L'Uomo Vogue (that's Italian for "Vogue Man") with -- of all things -- an Irish Wolfhound. I applaud this act of individualism and worldliness. When was the last time you saw a rapper on the cover of any magazine with a sight hound? Well, Snoop isn't really a gangsta rapper (even though he's from Long Beach, CA), but when was the last time you saw a black person with an Irish Wolfhound? In fact, come to think of it, I have never seen an asian person with an Irish Wolfhound, or a hispanic person with one, or an eskimo person with one ... the only Wolfhounds I've ever seen in my life were at Central Park, when a lady (who was white) was walking alongside two gian-ormous slinky creatures that seemed to float, like mist in the forest at night. (It was night time and there were a lot of trees around.) What kind of dogs are these?, my mom asked, always proud that Manhattanites know no bounds when it comes to the kinds of dogs they can house -- happily, of course -- and the woman replied that they were Russian Wolfhounds. They were very big dogs. My definition of very big dog is one that cannot fit in the backseat of a normal-sized family sedan. Anyway, going back to my original point, I commend Snoop Doggy Dog for doing something (or agreeing to do something) that reflects an appreciation for diverse interests and cultures outside the predictable and stereotypical rap world -- and Italian Vogue is fairly high on the fashion food chain. Well, I don't expect Snoop to give shout-outs to lure-coursing on his next album, but I think it's a good thing to see that dogs -- in whatever form -- can be so adaptable to different environments. (Although I do not think Irish Wolfhounds should be the accessory du jour for rap aficionados.) Final thought? Look, mixing it up is not for everyone. It's not easy to be a husky growing up in a Manhattan studio apartment with a miniature dachshund, and I would not advise your typical New Yorker to get a husky ... but done right, it can be very, very cool.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409912 Sat, 5 Jan 2008 20:15:17 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409912 All, Just checking in to report that earlier this afternoon we got back safely from our semi-week ... one. Regarding the last item in the report, I don't think he was trying to be rude or insulting to my mom -- I just think that in all honesty, that NYPD officer thought that my mom had never rollerbladed before or, in his words, "are just learning how to rollerblade". His comment was actually more of a question ("are you just learning how to rollerblade?") than a statement, to be exact. I told my mom that he was just doing his job in expressing an interest in the citizenry that he was honored to protect, since he was directing traffic at a busy intersection so that no cars would knock down the bicyclists or rollerbladers, and my mom agreed to give him the benefit of the doubt since he seemed to take a shine to me.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409400 Fri, 4 Jan 2008 12:15:53 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409400 The second type of growl that my mom makes is when she growls without saying anything. She looks ... :O( except for with shoulder-length straight dark hair. It's basically a grumpy-growl. I saw this yesterday night. She was so grumpy she didn't even take me for a walk until midnight (which, when it did finally happen, felt great because it was like 5 degrees outside, yay! (Well, the real-feel temperature, anyway)) This grumpy-growl came to be when she arrived at the doggie day care after work to pick me up (not late, surprisingly, thankfully most of the holiday crowds have left NY) and to pay the upcoming month's bill. Now I don't want to publish any incriminating business-secrets, so I will try to keep it sufficiently vague so as not to identify anyone, but still using enough information to be illustrative of my point. Yes, this sounds complicated, but it is my duty as a top journalist and aspiring rap mogul to maintain the highest standards of objectivity, while keeping it real. Ok, so anyway. So she went to give the big guy at the counter the money for January's doggie day care, and he informed her that prices had gone up. Oh, she said, surprised because she had not seen any notices or letters to that effect, well ok. Then he told her the new rate, and she paused for 2 seconds while the math machines took over her CPU and finally flashed a number in her brain. 20%, it said. Doggie day care prices had gone up by 20%! Good DOG, what were the economic drivers behind such an increase? Is it correlated to twice the price of oil? Did the Union of Doggie Day Care Workers go on strike? Had a pirate ship led by a beautiful but paradoxically NOT annoying girl hijacked a precious shipment of mops and lemon-scented cleaning agents, thereby forcing the prices of what remained in the mainland US to suddenly skyrocket? Well, maybe his rent had increased or they are adding on a new indoor football stadium for us dogs in the far play room. So let's say that my mom was paying somewhere between, say, $340 and $360 a month for 14 days of doggie day care a month -- this means that now she will be paying between$408 and $432 a month, just so I can go 3 days a week! (well, technically just over 3 days a week) Did I mention that the membership fee was $250, to even join the doggie day care in the first place? Anyway, I feel bad for my mom, (and I helpfully pointed out to her that the late fee had increased from, for instance, $10 to $15, so she should make even more of an effort to pick me up on time at night) but I have a pretty good time there and have never gotten hurt or developed strange signs of social maladjustment, so my mom is going to let this one go ... and just growl to me about it, on the side.]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409311 Fri, 4 Jan 2008 07:08:34 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409311 I discovered recently that humans growl too. I have been observing my mom, which she may or may ... When I called this very number and spoke to this very department, numerous times prior to the visit, I was told it would be covered at 80% of reasonable and customary charges, and now I am being told it will only be covered at 80% of 60% of reasonable and customary charges. I ask you the very same question, and I get different answers. So either someone there is lying to me, or somebody is wrong. I'd hate to think someone is lying! So tell me -- [pause] WHO ... IS ... WRONG? Is it the other people? Or are YOU THE ONE WHO'S WRONG? In fact, my mom must really enjoy saying this, because I've seen and heard her on the phone repeating this very same thing over and over! And the final 'Or are YOU THE ONE WHO'S WRONG?' seems to get punctuated with a bigger growl with each time she says it, which is already big because it's in caps to begin with. [corporate editor's note: Thanks to the goodwill of generous html-savvy readers just like yourself, Cairo has now learned how to incorporate italics and bold as well as other ascii special-effects in her diary entries. As with all potentially long-sought and life-altering skills, we hope that Cairo does not overuse this one in her eagerness to scratch her creative itch, and we now expect yet even more from her diary entries. Thank you again for reading.]]]> http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409038 Thu, 3 Jan 2008 13:42:46 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/409038 Hi again, my readers: You may have noticed that I've added another picture to my page, this time ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/408650 Wed, 2 Jan 2008 15:03:06 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/408650 so apparently the bestest city in all the world does not get much snow. so far, my little wolfen ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/408608 Wed, 2 Jan 2008 13:08:52 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/408608 That's crude oil, which is the stuff that they turn into the stuff that your mom puts into the car s ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/408153 Tue, 1 Jan 2008 13:30:38 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/408153 My mom realized that having a young siberian husky puppy in her small 2nd floor Manhattan apartment, ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/407083 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:51:20 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/407083 People say that siberian huskies are sneaky ("they do things they're not supposed to do! and then pr ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/406457 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:39:17 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/406457 Argh! I got in trouble for spending so much time on the internet today! I posted a bunch of r ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/406429 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:40:44 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/406429 Ugh. My mom has been late picking me up from doggie day care almost every night, it seems like. ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/406407 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:35:58 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/406407 I CAN STAND UP AND REACH THINGS ALL OVER THE COUNTER TOPS SO MUCH STUFF ... ON THE COUNTERS ... ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/406046 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:58:17 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/406046 Christmas day was a beautiful bright blue winter day at Central Park. We walked for over 3 hours on ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/405895 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 07:38:11 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/405895 I am trying to bring my mom to her knees. Yesterday I saw her looking at me morosely, with her he ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/403200 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:28:59 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/403200 is everyone getting this year, that's what they were talking about at my doggie day care yesterday. ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/402599 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:37:46 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/402599 I go to the dog park alot. But I noticed something. I always go with my mom, but I noticed that som ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/402577 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:30:43 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/402577 I just want to play. Sometimes I'll play by myself. Other times I'll try to engage the adult men (2 ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/402477 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:04:33 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/402477 I stretch out on my side as if I have rigor mortis. Oftentimes my mom will pick me up while I'm slee ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/401458 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:20:07 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/401458 arrived recently. And, the first snow of my life, I should add. I found it quite interesting, but n ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/400646 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:39:03 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/400646 My mom finally got me a new kind of dog food. Supposedly it is all organic (which isn't a legal defi ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/399646 Sun, 9 Dec 2007 16:55:18 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/399646 today we were very overjoyed to discover that there is a starbucks near us that allows dogs. or at l ... http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/399250 Sat, 8 Dec 2007 16:37:32 PST Cairo ~ writing at dogster.com http://www.dogster.com/dogs/677490/diary/Husky_tracks_in_the_city/399250 This time, my mom didn't fall down at all. It also wasn't 20-something degrees and dark and windy ou ...