Dog Breeds That Were Almost Extinct, But Did A Complete 180

OK, we looked at breeds that are rare, breeds that are extinct, and today, we will look at breeds that were once rare, but for whatever reason, did a complete turn-around and today are very popular. Though dogs unfortunately in general are dying out as the internet glorifies cats more, and people are getting lazier, these are breeds that were once on the verge of extinction. People often start breeding programs to revive nearly extinct breeds, and sometimes they are successful. Here are some examples of those success stories.

1. Portuguese Water Dog
This breed, from Portugal, originally was uncommon, or unheard of, outside it's native country. By the 1930s, the breed was almost wiped out. Even with AKC recognizing the breed in the 1990s, it was still uncommon. That is until US President Obama decided this was the breed he wanted to give his children in 2009. Because his daughter had an allergy to dog hair, and this is a truly hypo-allergenic breed, they were brought together. Before you knew it, everybody wanted one of these dogs, and for a while, they were becoming quite popular in the USA.

2. Rottweiler
Most people do not know it, but in the early years of the 20th century, the rottweiler was almost wiped out. They were originally bred as cattle-drovers, but when steam engines replaced that task, the breed was nearly wiped out, and the breed virtually disappeared. In 1882, at a dog show, the last known specimen of this breed was shown, and was a very poor representative. But today, every rottweiler in existence is descended from that one poorly bred specimen. They might be extinct today if it had not been discovered to be a great police dog. During WW1 and WW2, these dogs became extremely popular.

3. Shar-Pei
Though this breed was created 4000 years ago in China, by 1978, it was considered the world's rarest breed. Only 11 specimens were known to exist then. It wasn't until the late 1980s that this breed began to gain a stronghold, and 200 specimens of this breed were smuggled to the USA to begin breeding practices. I saw my first shar-pei pups in a pet store in 1990, and I was amazed because I had known years before that the breed was almost extinct. They especially became popular when Daniel Wood of New Kids on the Block, was pictured in a rockstar magazine holding a shar-pei puppy.

4. German Shepherd Dog
Created in 1899 by breeding old German herding dogs, there used to be 2 other varieties of the GSD. Once there was a longhaired and wirehaired version. While the longhaired sometimes pops up in modern GSD litters, the wirehaired version is completely extinct. During WW2, Germany lost a lot of popularity thanks to Hitler, and so did it's dogs. And by the end of the 1940s, the modern GSD was almost extinct. Those that survived became plagued with health problems. Sound specimens had to be imported from Germany to keep sturdy dogs, which were used for police work.

5. Lowchen
This is a small toy dog that, at one time in it's history, there were less than 20 specimens left in the world. Today, it is still not that popular, as there are only a few hundred registered each year. But in 1996, it gained recognition by the AKC. Though it is more numerous now, it will probably never be a very popular dog, but it has made a remarkable comeback.

6. Havanese
This is one of few breeds that is native to the island of Cuba. It is also known as the Havana Silk Dog. Though today, it is considered a separate breed, as it is somewhat different from the original Havana Silk Dog. The original version of the Havana Silk Dog is currently extinct, leaving us with the Havanese, which originally was an endangered breed. In the 1970s, there was only 11 individuals brought to the USA. From those dogs, came the modern Havanese, and it has become one of the fastest spreading dogs recognized by the AKC.

Well, those are some of the breeds that bounced back from the edge of extinction, thanks to human ingenuity. To learn more about all these breeds and many more, check out our book The Encyclopedia of the World of Dogs at UMG Productions.

Extinct Dog Breeds

Well, yesterday I did a post about rarest dog breeds, today I want to discuss dog breeds that are no longer with us. Some have descendants that are still around today. But these breeds themselves are no longer with us. All breeds serve a purpose to aid humankind in specific tasks. Some tasks are no longer performed, and the breeds that were created specifically for those tasks were no longer needed and therefore, no longer bred. I will discuss that about each breed in this post.

1. Tahltan Bear Dog
This is a tiny hunting dog, no bigger than a common fox, and characterized by it's bottle-brush tail. By 1984, only 8 specimens remained, which consisted of mostly males and 2 females, one was spayed, and the other was too old to be bred. Some people claim they are trying to recreate this breed, but the specifics used to create this breed, with it's quirky character, no longer exist and so this breed cannot be recreated. The Canadian Kennel Club stopped recognition of this breed by 1979. This is one of the last known pictures taken of this breed.

2. St. Johns Water Dog
Though this breed is the closest common ancestor of the labrador and golden retrievers, this breed it's self died out in the 1970s. This is the last known photo taken of this breed, and it is clearly of an old specimen. They were said to be very dedicated workers, thus not as good at being pets as the modern labrador retriever. They were bred out due to the rising popularity of the labrador and golden retriever.

3. African Hairless Dog
Also known as the Abyssinian Sand Terrier, or Cane Nudo, this was a small hairless type terrier that was kept mostly as a companion dog. Like the modern chihuahua, they were used as effective bed-warmers. In fact it is believed this breed contributed to the development of chihuahuas. But that is not exactly proven. It was a contributor to the modern Chinese Crested Dogs however. This dog was completely nude, with the exception of the hair on the head and down the tail. This dog disappeared in the late 1800s, possibly due to it's use being diminished, and being mongrelized by European companion dogs.

4. Turnspit Dog
This was a small dog of terrier-type, used for turning cooking skewers in the home via a pulley and wheel system. When the dogs were replaced by levers, and then by machines, that was when the popularity of the Turnspit dog diminished. It was last seen in the mid-1800s. It's closest modern relative is the Glen of Imaal terrier.

5. Moscow Water Dog
Though this breed closely resembles the Newfoundland, it is not the same breed. It bore the thick, waterproof coat and webbed feet of the modern Newfie, but it completely lacked the compassionate, gentle nature of the breed. That is to say this dog would jump in the water after a drowning person, but it would attack that person once it was in the water. That is why this breed died out during the World War 2 era. Because the USSR isolated it's self from the world, these dogs have no modern counterparts. This is the last known photograph taken of this breed in the 1940s.

6. Braque Du Puy
Also known as the Du Puy pointer, this breed originated in France in the 19th century. It was created by the Du Puy brothers. They were extremely fast dogs and very graceful. Though some European sportsmen say the breed still exists, they have not been seen since the 1970s and were declared extinct by the 1980s. They were apparently never as common as other french pointers.

7. Talbot Hound
This breed dates back to the 1400s, and was said to be a highly-effective hunting breed. They were gentle in nature, had a great sense of smell and a melodious howl. However, they were high-maintenance dogs too, that often needed tending to. This breed has not been seen since the late 1700s. By the early 1800s, classes were held for this breed, but since none were ever entered, the classes were dropped. Though this breed is extinct, many popular hunting dogs today are descended from them, including the beagle, bloodhound and the basset hound. This is also one of the breeds used to create the rare Billy.

8. Alpine Spaniel
More of a mastiff than a spaniel, this is a heavy-set breed that was originally used to do avalanche rescue. They were kept in the monasteries in Switzerland and nearby countries and sent out to rescue people who had gotten stuck in blizzards or caught up in an avalanche. They carried the familiar buckets of brandy around their neck for the hapless travelers. Unfortunately, this breed was wiped out in the 1840s by distemper. Only one specimen survived and she was bred out to local mastiff-type dogs to create what is today the modern St. Bernard. They also live on in the relatively rare Clumber spaniel.

9. Kuri Dog
This was the only true breed created in New Zealand. They became companions to Maori women. But when European settlers invaded New Zealand, they found the dogs to be snappy and unpleasant, and quite unattractive. The native people kept them both as pets and would also eat them. The breed disappeared in the 1860s, mostly by being mongrelized with European breeds.

10. Bullenbeisser
This is perhaps the last known photograph of this breed. It was created in Germany and perhaps died out in the mid 19th century. The reason it died out is mostly because it was mongrelized out of existence. Though that is not entirely a bad thing, as it gave us what is today the Boxer and the Bullmastiff. This breed has created a very long line of large, heavy-boned, and very courageous dogs.

11. Chinese Happa Dog
This was a toy dog from China, and was perhaps the short-haired version of the pekingese. It was a breed that was created in China over 3000 years ago. This photograph is probably the last known of this breed, and it was taken in 1915. The breed disappeared by the 1920s. But they were the common ancestor of the pekingese, the japanese chin, the tibetan spaniel and the pug.

12. Paisley Terrier
Though it was said this dog could kill rats and mice, it was primarily a companion dog. I think this picture is of a similar, reconstructed dog and not of the actual breed. It was a pet/show version of the skye terrier, and was once also known as the Clydesdale terrier, as it was mostly bred in the Clyde valley of Scotland. This breed was simply bred out of existence, with it's closest descendant, the Yorkshire terrier, taking it's place. It is unsure when this breed totally dropped from sight, but it was uncommon in the USA by the 1920s.



Well that was my list of extinct dog breeds. Some you may know, some you may not know. To learn more about the descendants of these breeds that are still around today, check out our book "The Encyclopedia of the World of Dogs" at UMG Productions.

World's Rarest Dog Breeds

Well, dogs as many of you may know, come in many different varieties. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. All of them bred for different purposes. For example, chihuahuas were bred for cuddling and keeping their owners warm. Border collies were bred for herding livestock. Foxhounds and the like were bred for hunting. Terriers were bred for hunting and ridding farm areas of vermin. Well, these are some of the rarest dog breeds in the world today. Many of these breeds are so rare for different reasons. Mostly because they do not make good house pets. I will discuss each breed on this post.

1. Levesque
This is perhaps the rarest dog around today. It is rapidly becoming extinct. They were never very popular breeds, even in their heyday. They never gained any popularity because they are workaholics who would typically escape from their grounds to chase game, often getting into mischief and even killed by some game animals. This breed is so rare, that this is the only really known picture of this breed and it is probably already extinct outside of it's home country of France.

2. Billy
Almost unknown outside of France, which is where this breed originated. Like the Levesque, these hounds are not good family pets. They are very active and not hesitant to follow it's nose when it picks up on something interesting. Though they are not extinct, probably less than 50 individuals are registered annually through the FCI.

3. Kerry Beagle
This is a large dog that resembles the English Beagle in a lot of ways, but it comes from Kerry County in Ireland. Like the Levesque and the Billy, these animals are workaholics. But they also make good family pets, unlike the others. Though they can be loud. They often howl loudly when they are on the trail of their intended game. Like other beagle breeds, they love to hunt rabbits and hares.

4. Tayra
This is a very little-known greyhound-type dog. They originated in Turkey, and were used for hunting deer and antelope, as well as hare. They are also workaholics, and the added issue is they are very fast, like all greyhounds. These dogs are so rare that no reputable kennel club registry recognizes them as a distinct breed.

5. Aidi
The national dog of Morocco, but it is almost unknown outside of it's home country. The Aidi, also known as the Chein d'atlas or Atlas sheepdog, is a working dog that was bred to guard flocks of sheep and goats and protect them against predators like wolves and leopards. This is a large, strong, brave dog, but it's whole life centers on protection. Even to the point where they do not get along with other dogs, and sometimes might attack their owner's friends. This is the contributing factor to the rarity of this breed.

6. Armant
Also called the Egyptian Sheepdog, this breed is extremely rare, even within it's homeland of Egypt. As its name suggests, it is a breed used to herd sheep and goats. The reason it is rare nowadays is because Egypt does not have a national kennel club of its own, so the breeding of these dogs has not been documented or regulated by a standard, and chances are it was mongrelized out of existence.

7. Soft-Coated Griffon
If you'd been studying dogs as long and deeply as I have, you'd know that usually the word "griffon" refers to gun dogs and hounds that have long, hard, wiry hair. This is not the case for the soft-coated griffon. Also known as the "boulet griffon", this was the first breed to be registered by the FCI. Ironically now it is extremely rare and possibly extinct. By 1984, the breed was removed from the FCI's list of recognized breeds. A revival program was started later on, by a man named Phillipe Seguela, and he had created near-perfect replicas of the old breed, but unfortunately he lost interest and abandoned the project in the early 1990s.

8. Prazsky Krysavik
Also known as the "Prague ratter", this is a toy terrier native to the Prague region of Czechoslovakia. It is rare outside of it's homeland because for years Czechoslovakia was behind the iron curtain, and that also meant livestock could not go in or out, including dogs. This dog was mostly used by apartment dwellers to rid the home of rats and mice. Today, it is still unknown outside of it's home country.

9. Markiesje
A breed created in the Netherlands, this is also known as the Dutch Tulip Hound. It is actually a spaniel-type dog, not a hound. It has only just been recognized as an official breed by the Dutch National Kennel Club. It is rare outside of it's country, because it has only been recognized recently. This breed though is believed to date back to the 15th century. It is an active dog, but has been known to make a nice family pet.

10. Telomian
A very rare pariah-type dog, This breed is not really recognized by any major kennel club, therefore is not regulated or documented. This breed originated in Indonesia, and often is not kept within the family unit, so they often run wild in their homeland, which may explain why this breed is so rare. Though they are classed as a companion dog, they are also great for hunting.

11. Lithuanian Hound
This breed is extremely rare today outside of it's home country. They are used to hunt big game like hogs. During the hunting season of the late 70s and early 80s, many individuals of this breed was killed by wild boar in fact, which was the major contribution to the rarity of this breed. The breed never quite recovered from that, and today is extremely rare.

12. Skye Terrier
One of the oldest of the British terriers, the skye terrier was also once one of the most popular. Today, it is falling by the wayside. I had a skye terrier when I was a kid, a black one named Sir Knight. I know he was a skye terrier because when he got older, he looked just like the dog in this picture. Like all terriers, they are feisty, and powerful for their size. I remember back in 1999, I saw an ad in the local newspaper, someone was giving a skye away because it killed his cat. So, socialization is very important. There is believed to be only 5000 of these left in the world.

13. Otterhound
Though this is a cuddly-looking hound, they are also vicious hunters of otters. This breed was developed with webbed feet and a waterproof coat to aid in hunting for otters. Today, otters are rare in Great Britain, and protected in the USA, so otterhounds are not really needed for their original task. Thus the breed is now facing extinction. There have been less than 100 registered through AKC annually over the last few years. Because these dogs are specialized workaholics, they do not make the greatest family pets, which is why they are becoming extinct.






Well, that is my take on the rarest dog breeds in the world today. To learn more about these breeds, and many other breeds both common and exotic, take a look at our book "Encyclopedia of the World of Dogs" at UMG Productions.

OMG! Is This True??

Check out this video! Watch to the end.

It's saying that Paula found out her mom was unfaithful to the man she called her father. I wonder if that is really true? Or if it's a rumor. They said that is why she killed herself. I almost have to laugh at that! So all these years, I thought it was grief over losing Michael that killed her. But apparently I was wrong. It wasn't a drug overdose fueled by grief, it was a drug overdose fueled by anger over her mom doing something that Paula herself did several years before! My question is, why was she surprised? Obviously, Paula had to get her immorality from somewhere. Right? She cheated on Bob Geldof, and she had kids with him. I think! It's not a far cry to believe that Paula would sooner or later have cheated on Michael if they'd ever gotten married. So why was she so uptight because her mom cheated on her dad? That totally does not make sense to me!

But then again, when did Paula Yates ever make any sense? And for that matter, this report seems to be off in some places too. In the scene where Michael confronts the photographers, the reporter says he was "intoxicated". Well, he didn't look intoxicated to me. He just looked angry! I think the script-writer for this report just said Michael was "clearly intoxicated" because s/he was butthurt and wanted to make Michael look bad. If they're saying that because of his lisp, and they're taking it as the slurred speech of an inebriated man, well Michael always had that lisp! I think it's a cute lisp! I love it! It drives me crazy every time I hear him speaking. Makes me want to cuddle and kiss him! hehehe!

Also, the report says that Paula got this information in 2002, which is way off. Paula was dead in 2002. In fact, she was dead in 2001 too. She died back in 2000. LOL! So their dateline is WAY off! But whatever the case may be, the dumb Yatesfags can stop thinking that she died as a result of grief-fueled drug overdose. If indeed this is true. Either way, she left Lily. She disappointed Michael. I still don't like her! Fuck her!

I've given my opinions of what I believe happened to Michael. I still believe he was murdered! By both Paula and Bob! I blame both of them for his death!

Musicians Everyone Else Loves, But I Can't Stand

Well, I recently did a post pointing out musicians that have songs that I adore, even though most of them I am not a real big fan of. Now, I am going to discuss musicians, or groups, that everyone else seems to love, but that I cannot stand. That is to say these are musicians that a lot of my friends adore, and I look at their posts about them and wonder why. LOL! Now, my friends do have their own rights to have their own opinions. I am not trying to change their minds. This post is just based on my own opinion of these people. These are musicians that I have heard before, but I just never liked any of their music, and you will never see any of their songs on my MP3 player.

1. David Bowie
I remember hearing of something when I was in middle school called "Bowie-mania". Well, I heard his song "Let's Dance" and I absolutely HATED it!!! I couldn't even listen to the whole song, it was so awful! It hurt my ears to listen to it! And nothing he ever did after that impressed me either. Nor before that, for that matter. He was just bad, IMO. Not to mention, he's ugly as shit! He looks like a damn stray, emaciated cat!

2. Justin Beiber
Though he seems to be today's teenage heartthrob, I don't like him at all. Besides the fact that he has got no manners, and he's only after the money, he has no talent. What he has is a gang of highly-skilled engineers who probably work to their ultimate limit to make this kid sound even halfway decent. Unfortunately I think all the young singers today sound like him. That's not good. I can't think of one single song of his that I like, or would ever want on my MP3 player.

3. Justin Timberlake
I have one song by NSYNC on my MP3 player. That is all! I do not like Justin Timberlake since he left the group. To me, he is nothing by himself.

4. Prince
OK, this one I kindof have mixed feelings about. He was an inspiration with his music to a lot of other 80s bands. Including INXS, which is my most favorite band of all. I used to have Little Red Corvette on my MP3 player, and I do head-bop to his songs on the first Batman movie from 1989, but frankly I just don't like him well enough to keep any of his songs on my MP3 player. I cannot explain why. I just don't like his music all that much.

5. The Doors
Three words: WORST-GROUP-EVER!!!
I've heard their songs before and I absolutely do NOT like them! Too dark and depressing for me. And I positively hate it when people compare my Michael to Jim Morrison! In order for Michael to look like Morrison, he would have to bloat up his face, and have a permanent fixture on his mouth to look like he's eating something sour, and have his eyes somehow moved so that they both touch each other at the top of his nose! UGH! Morrison is that ugly to me!


Well really, that is all I can think of, besides the female singers. But I think it's pretty safe to say I do not very well take to female singers. I'm not saying some of them do not have good songs, I like a lot of songs by Celine Dion, don't ask me why, but she has come out with some pretty cool songs. I also like Loreena McKennitt, and Enya because I love celtic music. But for some reason I don't think women singers are all that great. Maybe its that I am old fashioned and think singing is a mostly male-dominated profession. Or maybe it is because I prefer songs made by cute guys.

Memorial For Dad

Well, Kathy and her family are going to be organizing a memorial for my pa. I cannot go because it's going to be in Tacoma, in the mobile home park where they used to live. I still miss my pa. I miss him like everything! But I stopped crying every 10 minutes at least. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go to this memorial. I don't have a car, nor any other way I can get there. I don't know anyone here well enough to ask them to take me. I'm not that desperate to go! I mean, I can remember my father very well here at home, and go ahead with a little memorial bit of my own, with just me, and possibly Katrina. Well, she didn't know him. All she knew about him was what I told her about him, which quite frankly, did not make him sound too flowery! Dad and I used to fight a lot when I was younger. But as I got older, I stopped because I felt uncomfortable getting into childish fights with an old man. Even though he wasn't frail. He was still old. Made me feel like I was battling with my grandpa! And I didn't like that feeling.

Well, I cannot just totally dismiss the times my pa threw me under the bus, especially with Kathy. For the past 15 years, I have been trying to get along with Kathy. If for no other reason, to bring a sense of peace to my father's life. But sometimes Kathy and her family make it so hard to get along. They were raised differently than I was. I was brought up to speak my mind, no matter what. Now, that's not to say Kathy and her family are not nice people. They really can be nice. It was nice of them to help me and my sis come down to visit my father before he passed. But I think sometimes my father gave Kathy a totally distorted picture of me. For example that weekend Kathy was in Arizona and dad invited me to visit him in Tacoma and stay for the weekend. I really have no idea what dad told Kathy I did that weekend, but I have the feeling it was not the whole truth. I am still very interested in knowing exactly what he told her, because she said to him that if he ever invited me to stay there for the weekend again, that she was going to divorce him. And as far as I know, I didn't do anything that was that bad. Seems kinda silly to divorce someone you apparently love just because I would not eat a steak! I mean really! Even my ma thought that was so petty!

I remember when I was moving in to my tiny little abode in Port Angeles, ma and pa both helped me move my things in. Ma cornered pa and confronted him with that, asking him if Kathy really said that. He said yes. Ma said "Well I don't like it! How could you let her talk that way about our daughter?!" I'd kinda like to know the answer to that question myself, but ma said that dad went silent after that. At the time my sis told me that Kathy said that, I had just finished telling ma and my stepfather that Kathy is a good person. I almost felt like washing my mouth out with soap after hearing she said that! LOL! But anyways, that is all irrelevant now. This memorial is for my father, and remembering the good things about him. I told Kathy to have fun at this memorial when she posted the announcement on her facebook page. Stephanie, her oldest daughter, must have taken it the wrong way because she snapped at me with "Have fun?! This is a memorial, how are we supposed to 'have fun'? Answer that for me please!" Well, she asked a question, so I answered it. I told her "By celebrating his LIFE. His life is worth celebrating. Isn't it?"

I don't know exactly what Stephanie thought I was trying to say, but that's the best way I could put it. It's times like that that I have to remind myself that she was raised differently than I was. So, she doesn't understand. But I do the exact same thing every November for my Michael, I celebrate his life. It doesn't mean I am glad he's dead. It means I want to celebrate his time here on Earth, because I love him so much. He meant the Earth, moon and sun to me! When my grandma died and was buried, we had a little procession, but then after that, my stepfather said "We mourned her death, now let's go celebrate her LIFE." and then took us all out for a pizza. It was a time to get comfortable, have dinner, laugh and reminisce about all the great things grandma was known for. It can be fun, and it took my mind off the sadness I felt losing grandma. Knowing my father the way I do, I would think he'd want to be remembered for his laughing and singing, and a lot of good things. I'll always remember him as laughing and singing all the time, making jokes about everything. So, that is how I am going to remember him. That helps take away some of the grief I've been feeling over losing him.

Well, Stephanie's comment is no longer there. I don't know if she deleted it or if Kathy deleted it, but I hope Stephanie read it. I hope she realizes I didn't post that comment to offend anyone or to get into a fight with her. I just want those who attend to have fun remembering my father. Because that is what I am going to do. Kathy and her family were so nice while me and my sis were there, but still a bit stand-offish against me. I remember at one point I needed to look something up on a computer. But Kathy did not have a computer, and I saw either it was Stephanie or Jennifer (Kathy's younger daughter) had their tablet. I asked her if I could borrow her tablet for just a minute to look something up and she looked at me like I had just asked her to sell her soul to the devil! LOL! But I assured her, I only needed to use it for a minute. Well that was one of the funnier things that happened while I was there. But I did notice it was just me they all seemed to have a problem with. Not Anna. And I really think it has a lot to do with what my beloved father possibly told Kathy that happened that weekend I spent there. Oh well. I keep trying to be nice, hoping soon they will come off it. But I think it's a moot point now. Now that my father is gone, neither Kathy nor her children are going to keep in touch with me, and probably not even with Anna. I just have that feeling.

Facebook Friends and Killer Clowns

The apocalypse is coming! LOL! But instead of the 5 horsemen, we're being invaded by killer clowns. UGH! The only clowns I know of on Facebook are the people who deleted me from their friends! LOL!! But that's not what I am here to talk about. This is just a message to those who ask me to become their friend on Facebook. Take notice, I am not really that desperate for Facebook buddies. If I know you, and you've either impressed me, or I somehow like you, I will add you to my friends. But if I do not know you, and you have not posted anything on your timeline, or if everything in your timeline is in spanish or some other language I don't speak, do not expect I am going to accept your friend request. Now, that is not to say I do not like people who speak only in other languages. But my point is, why? How can I be a good friend to someone if I cannot understand and communicate with them? I get involved in the lives of my Facebook friends, as much as they allow me to. I laugh with them, cry with them, tell them I am happy for them when something good happens, send condolences when something bad happens. I've prayed for some of my friends who have asked for it, or needed it. I know people have private lives they don't want to post on Facebook, and I understand that. I do not expect anyone to post everything that happens in their lives. There are things about me the internet still does not know, and never will know. They are secrets that are going to the grave with me.

I've been getting a lot of requests lately from people who only seem to speak spanish. I cannot accept them! I don't know these people, and probably will never know them because of the language barrier. I cannot get close to someone I cannot understand. I'm not saying they are not nice people, just saying how can I be friends with them when I just cannot read anything they post? I got one request from someone who had nothing posted on his page. Nothing except pictures. No comments from himself or anything. I saw I had a few mutual friends with him, but I asked him if he's an INXS fan, and he never responded. So, I deleted him. This morning I also noticed someone added me to a group that was nearly 100% spanish speaking. I don't know why people always are thinking I speak spanish. Could it be somehow they know my last name? I don't know how! I left that group. I told them I cannot stay there, I don't speak spanish! When someone comments, I can use Facebook's translating feature. But when they post a picture and it's written in spanish, I cannot tell what it's supposed to say. So, I cannot tell them whether or not I like their picture. And that sucks!

So, it's not them, it's just me. Really. I have a few friends who mostly speak spanish and I am fine with that, but they've been my friends for a long time now. They are some very loyal friends too. But I just cannot accept any new ones. Sorry people.

Well, there is a new trend out now, killer clowns are stalking America. Maybe the world! Some have caused some serious trouble! Some have raped women, some even at gunpoint, or knifepoint. I can only say wow! With wide eyes! What is this going to do to the people who are already coulrophobes? I think it's just going to add more people to that parade! I've seen reports where one kid told of a clown that was thrashing a knife around chasing him, and several more reports of clowns trying to lure kids into the woods. One boy was walking to the bus stop and a man in a clown mask followed him. They've been using laser pointers, and luring kids with the promise of money. Seems most of their victims were young boys, but I am sure there are some girls they have harassed as well. This trend seems to be spreading. I'm just waiting for the day to come when there are reports of clowns actually killing people.

You know what I blame all this on? As much as I hate to admit it, I blame all these shows that glorifies such characters as The Joker. Don't get me wrong, I love the Joker as much as any Batman fan! But somehow he is being glorified enough to where people are wanting to imitate him! I think that is what is causing all this BS going on in the world today with these scary clowns. I can only hope their only objective is to just scare people. I hope they do not turn to actually killing people.

Surprisingly Ancient Mammals

I just LOVE doing these animal posts! Heck I love animals. They're a lot of fun. Well, most of them are. Cats are absolutely no fun at all. But all other animals are a lot of fun to watch and have around. Anyways, in this post I am going to look at some mammals that are surprisingly old as a species or family. Some of these mammals even date back to the age of the dinosaurs, which is really rare in modern mammal families. Most mammal families that were around during the dinosaur age went extinct with the dinosaurs. But these mammals managed to survive the so-called "KT event", and have even survived to today, right under our feet.

Platypus
Well, monotremes themselves are pretty ancient, dating back to the early Cretaceous period, about 80 million years ago. They managed to survive mostly by being burrowers. These are the only mammals in the world today that lay eggs, directly linking them to the ancient reptiles that are the ancestors of all living mammals.

Opossum
Though people today mostly do not like opossums, they are a very ancient family of mammals. They are thought of as being lazy, stupid, disgusting animals. But looking at them at a bio-geographical level, they must be doing something right! Because they are a family that is more than 70 million years old, dating them back to the mid-Cretaceous period. In short, this animal is older than such dinosaurs as Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex. They still display a number of primitive behaviors. People today regard them as stupid. But they are amazing survivors!

Tenrec
Tenrecs are actually the oldest placental mammal in the world. There are several varieties all in the family Tenrecidae, and are dispersed throughout Madagascar and part of central Africa. This little-known family dates back to the mid-late years of the Cretaceous period, alongside the Opossum family. They are approximately 70 million years old. Many species are diggers, and roost in burrows, which played a part in keeping the family alive.

Lemur
Lemurs are small, secretive primates, and represent the oldest of the group. Lemurs date back to the original family, Adapidae, which goes back to the late Cretaceous period, about 67 million years ago. Today, Madagascar is known as being the traditional home of lemurs, but there are many varieties of prosimians, which are also found in Africa and Asia. But in their earlier days, they could also be found in Europe and North America. The only reason we have lemurs today is because of the isolation of Madagascar, and mainland lemurs are small and nocturnal.

Fox
Foxes are the oldest of the carnivores, dating back to about 65 million years, the late Cretaceous period. The oldest foxes are from Europe, but today, the oldest living fox species is Africa's Bat-eared fox. Bat-eared foxes even still have teeth that are more like those of modern insectivores than like those of true carnivores. The species it's self is very primitive. Today, we see how foxes have become such great survivors; because they are known for being clever animals.

Civet
The civets and mongooses are the oldest of the feliforme carnivores. That is to say, the carnivore superfamily that contains the civets and mongooses, hyenas, cats and panthers. The family of civets and mongooses (family: Viverridae) goes back to the early Cenozoic era, about 55 million years ago. Viverrids are a strictly old world family, and while the civets themselves are nocturnal, mongooses are mostly diurnal.

Horse
Horses are surprisingly great survivors! Though their diet is extremely specialized, they are very intelligent animals, which has enabled them to survive for so long. The first equine species appeared about 55 million years ago, which makes them older than any other hooved mammal around today. Their quick-wit, and superb running abilities are what has kept this family alive for so long.

I Should Have Been There!

Look at this sweet, solemn face:

Photo by Matthew Marsland.

I've got to say something. Next month is Michael's month and I've been actually putting off writing this post because of that. But I figured Oh well. I want next month's posts to be more positive about Michael. So, I am writing this now. I have to say something. I love Michael. More than anything in this world, except Timmy and my family and friends. LOL! Long list there of people I love! But I had to say something about this pic, it's painful to look at. He's got water around his eyes, which I believe to have been from crying, and even his smile in this pic looks sad. Usually when Michael smiled, it was so bright and cheery, it lit up the room! But this smile looks sad to me.

Well, I was told that the picture was taken at the ARIA awards in 1996, and Michael had received word that his home had been raided due to drug charges and that just tore him apart. Poor guy! This is why I just cannot support Michael's decision to want to be with Paula, because I believe she did these things to him. But Michael was still very sweet and generous to be handing out his autograph that day to adoring fans like the guy who took this pic. I'm sure he tried to hide his feelings as much as he could. I remember hearing about Michael being charged with drug possession in 1996, and at that time I was not even into INXS then. I remember thinking how glad I was that I was no longer an INXS fan at that time. But it was just odd that I even thought anything about them the year before, as my feelings about INXS were no different than they were at the time this pic would have been taken.

I just remember snapping with the thought in 1995 that Michael was going to be the first band member to leave us. I absolutely have no idea why I thought that, INXS was the farthest thing from my mind that year. I never heard any recent music from them that year, I just did not think of them. But for some reason, I thought that one day out of the blue. I do remember after I had that premonition, wondering if he was OK. But then I thought nothing more about it. I spoke to a friend who is a wiccan and a medium. Yes, I associate with wiccans too! I don't judge, they are actually very fascinating people who worship nature. She told me that Michael and I were, in a sense, spiritually connected. I don't really believe her, but then how can I? Michael and I never had a formal meeting, just an exchange of kissing. Sort of. LOL! But if we'd have actually met, I could have been Mrs. Michael Hutchence. hehehe! It's a very far-fetched idea, but it's fun to think about. Michael and I have a lot in common, I am finding out. I don't look like a supermodel. In fact, I am ugly as shit! But then again, so was Paula Yates. LOL!

I dunno. If I had been there and saw Michael in this kind of shape, I would not have been able to contain myself. I would have seen the tears being held back in his eyes, and I would have said "Are you OK, baby?" I've always been observant. And also always been too compassionate sometimes for my own good! But no compassion would have been wasted on Michael, I don't think! Though I am not so sure I would have gotten an answer. The band members all said Michael never liked to talk about his own feelings. Which is a shame! Because you hold them back like he did, they're eventually going to eat you up inside.

I once heard everybody has frequencies they work on, as individual as our fingerprints. That's what gives people their sixth sense. I think somehow mine and Michael's frequencies are very close to each other's. But how I could know some things and not others is way beyond me, and probably not meant to be understood. I just take it as what happened happened. I should have acted on them somehow. But the sad fact is, I didn't. I don't know exactly what I could have done to help him, I'll never know that now. But I'm sure I could have done something and it would have helped, even if just a little bit. I'm pretty good at making other people feel good. Always had that gift. That's because I laugh at myself pretty good. Even if others around me are laughing at me. LOL!

Facts About Chihuahuas Most People Don't Know

They are one of my favorite breeds. OK so many people know that by now. But in this post I decided to post facts about this lovable breed called chihuahuas that many people probably do not know. Most people think of chihuahuas as being useless and ugly creatures. Well, they are not. When you get to know them as well as I have, you realize what wonderful animals they truly are. And a well-bred chihuahua can be very beautiful too.

1. Chihuahuas are more than 3000 years old.
As a breed, chihuahuas are a very ancient breed. The techichi (now extinct) was the breed used in creating chihuahuas, which dates back to the Mayan empire. The techichi died out with the Mayans, but the chihuahua lives on today.

2. Chihuahuas have royal blood.
The techichi was kept mostly by Mayan emperors instead of blankets to keep them warm on cold nights, and regular folk were not allowed to own them. The 70s band, Three Dog Night, was named for the breed in fact, when royal folks would use 3 dogs on very cold nights. When the emperor died, their dogs were often sacrificed and buried with them.

3. Chihuahuas are a type of spaniel.
Though the techichi was a pariah type dog (or greyhound type), the chihuahua as we know it today was created when the orientals invaded Mexico, and their royalty brought toy spaniels, like pekingese, with them in their invasion.

4. Chihuahuas used to be bigger.
This is why people who say chihuahuas are "rats" annoy me so much! Chihuahuas used to weigh 50+ pounds in their earlier days. The techichi was the size of a modern pit bull, and chihuahuas were once just as big. It wasn't until the invasion from China came and bred these dogs down that chihuahuas got smaller.

5. Long coated chihuahuas are not "Made in Mexico".
The long-coated chihuahua is actually a creation made in the USA, by the crossing of other small spaniels, like the papillon, into the lines of chihuahuas. Long coated chihuahuas are just over 100 years old, compared to the smooth chihuahua.

6. Chihuahuas are one of the few "prejudice" dog breeds.
Chihuahuas are the only dogs that I really know of that are partial only to other chihuahuas. I have actually seen this firsthand! Back in Astoria, I had a neighbor that had a chihuahua, and I walked Minnie (my papillon) and Vegas (my chihuahua) to the mailbox and the neighbor's dog wanted to follow Vegas, but completely ignored Minnie.

7. The first chihuahua was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1904.
The first chihuahua registered in 1904 by the AKC was named Taco. It was one of the first non-sporting dogs to be registered by AKC and shown in a conformation event.

8. The Taco Bell Dog was actually a female.
Though she is portrayed as a male dog in the old Taco Bell commercials, and even given a man's voice, Ginger was actually a female.

9. Chihuahuas can live to be over 20 years old.
There is a specific line of chihuahuas from a breeder in California, that are well-known to live as long as 20-22 years. Though I could not tell you exactly which line it is.

Facts Vegans Seem To Reject

OK, every once in a while I gotta write up something on vegans. It's not that I want to demean my vegan friends, it's just once in a while they do something, or say something, that makes me scratch my head and wonder why they would think that. Vegans want to be above any form of education, at least some of the wild ones I've seen on YouTube do. Let me first get this out of the way, I do have vegan friends, and I've stopped trying to shame vegans already. I believe everyone has a right to their own beliefs. But these are facts that seem to be rejected by vegans all over. Even though there have been studies done to prove these facts are real. So, let's get started on these.

1. Plants are living things too.
Yes, I have actually met vegans (who are probably teenagers) that believe plants are not living things. The fact is, they really are. They are living things that just want to live as well. Think about that the next time you poke your fork in that salad. Those are actual, living, breathing things you are stabbing, and unlike a cheeseburger, that salad is not dead.

2. Plants feel panic when threatened.
Plants, just like animals, feel panic. They do not express panic the same way an animal does, they do it chemically. You know the smell of fresh-cut grass after you mow your lawn? That is the smell of grass panicking, alerting other grass stalks that there is danger.

3. Plants just want to live too.
Broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts the way we know them do not exist in the wild. Wild versions of these vegetables are inedible because they defend themselves by producing toxins. They do that because they don't want to be eaten. What we get in stores or in our vegetable gardens, are the modified domesticated versions of these veggies. The fact is, whether it is a plant or an animal, every living thing just wants to live. But nothing has a designated 'right' to live, in the world of nature.

4. Cows are not that intelligent.
Vegans think cows know when they are about to be slaughtered. I got bad news for them, but they don't. They don't understand the concept of life and death. They may feel a temporary loss when one of their herd is killed, but it does not last long.

5. Vegans are hypocrites.
They call us meat-eaters hypocrites. But the biggest hypocrites I've ever seen are the vegans. Especially those who claim they do what they do for empathy towards animals, but then they bash other people who choose not to go vegan. Also, if you live in a house, or you have a garden, or you own a cat and you are a vegan, that also makes you technically a hypocrite.

6. No matter what the human race does, we are always going to be impacting other species in some way.
There is nothing we can do to keep our species going, and not in some way be affecting the existence of some other species. As I mentioned in my last post, we build houses, which takes land away from another animal. We plant gardens, which is encroaching on another animal's territory. And many vegans I know own cats, which kills all kinds of wild animals, and has even caused the extinction of many species over the years.

7. Eating meat is not a 100% horrible thing.
Again, everything we do is going to impact the existence of some other creature somewhere. Eating meat of an animal is not the worst thing that can happen to that animal. What is worse is if the animal is killed but not eaten. All those nutrients just go to waste then. Meat consumption is part of the natural cycle of living.

8. Humans were meant to eat some meat.
We are not strict herbivores like the vegans want us to believe. Strictly herbivorous animals have much longer digestive tracts than what we have. Herbivores can be identified by their natural pot-bellies. Humans are actually omnivores, which means we live best on a diet of both plant AND animal matter.

9. Face it, the only reason vegans feel for animals and not plants is because plants don't have faces.
It's a simple case of out of sight, out of mind. Animals panic and they have facial expressions that can show panic, thus making vegans feel sorry for them. Plants don't have faces, so they cannot show panic the way an animal can. They can only show panic on a bio-chemical level. But vegans do not understand this, because it is not actual, physically visual. Thus they do not feel sorry for plants.

10. Mushrooms are more closely related to people than they are to plants.
But yet, the vegans often eat mushrooms in place of meat. Why is that? Mushrooms also are living things that just want to live too. Don't they have a "right" to live without the threat of being eaten? Again, they use toxins to prevent themselves from being eaten by predatory humans. So, we should also not eat mushrooms, just like we should not eat animals.

I say, the animal is dead, it cannot feel anything. If we don't eat it, some other creature will. If you feel sorry for the animals, then also you have to feel sorry for plants too. You have to feel sorry for bacteria too. And viruses. These are all living things. They're all just trying to survive to reproduce. But we kill them for science, to prevent ourselves from getting sick, and in the case of plants, for food. But the cheeseburger we consume, is horrible and we are rotten people for eating it. It just doesn't make sense to me. The cheeseburger on our plate is the only thing on our plate that isn't going to feel pain when it is cut up.

10 Best Musicians Ever!

OK, in keeping with a new tradition, I have decided to make this post, discussing musicians that I think are the best ever. I love music. Not as much as I love animals, but I do love music. You all know that by now! I write about my love of music almost every day on this blog! Every thing I do is for my love of music. I used to prefer classical music when I was in middle school. But as I got older, I learned to like rock n roll music. I never would have learned had I not taken the bus to the voc school every day. I first heard rock n roll and fell in love with it in 1987, when I first started going to the voc school on a pre-vocational program. I heard it and loved it. I heard many different songs that sounded great! Need U Tonight being one of them. Anyways, here is my opinion of the best musicians ever!

1. INXS
Of course you predicted it! INXS had to be my #1 pick!! Need U Tonight was the first song I remember hearing from INXS, and it actually quickly became my favorite song of 1987. You could say it was INXS that got me started on rock n roll music, too. INXS are possibly the only band (besides #2) that combines great music with beautiful men! Some of the sexiest men in musical history are in this band. Michael is the best-looking singer I've ever seen in my life! While Timmy is the best-looking guitarist I've ever seen! My love for INXS cannot be measured in just the number of songs, but in the number of whole albums! They are the only band that, IMO, is that good! My favorite albums are Full Moon, Dirty Hearts, Kick and X.

2. Roxette
I know I've mentioned it, but Roxette has always been another one of my favorite bands, after INXS. I always thought Per Gessle was adorable! Never thought much about Marie Fredricksson, but she is a great singer. Per Gessle, like Michael Hutchence, had his own set of moves, which I thought were cute! I loved their album, Look Sharp, but their Joyride album only yielded a few good songs, including the title track and Fading Like A Flower.

3. Bee Gees
I've been a fan of the Bee Gees ever since I was a child. I used to have a wild, kiddie crush on Barry, who is IMO the best-looking band member. In 1979, ma got us a copy of the Saturday Night Fever album and my sis and I used to play that album over and over again! I loved Barry's voice! Plus we had Tragedy and Night on Broadway, which were also very good songs by them.

4. U2
OK, now we've passed the bands that I love for both music and cute men, and move on to bands/singers where the men are ugly as shit, but the music is good. U2 is such a band. Though I don't like any of their 90s stuff, their 80s stuff was pretty good. On my MP3 player, you will hear songs like Numb (the live version), Pride (In The Name of Love), and Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

5. Rod Stewart
He may not be the best looking man in music, but he does have quite a few very good songs. I have several songs of his on my MP3 player. His voice is very soothing and nice, and his songs have very good rhythm as well. Among the songs of his that I have are Do You Think I'm Sexy (my answer is no, but I like your voice), This Old Heart Of Mine, Downtown Train, Rhythm of My Heart, and one that he collaborated on called All For One. He has one of those kinds of voices that when you hear one of his songs, it brings back good memories. I know several of his songs have that effect on me! LOL!

6. Michael Jackson
Well, he was somewhat decent-looking before he went batshit crazy with the surgeries. And one must also remember he was a child-molester too. But one thing I cannot deny is he did have a good voice, and he's produced some great songs in the past. On my MP3 player, I have several songs of his. Such as Bad and Black or White. I also liked his work on Free Willy, but unfortunately not enough to put it on my MP3 player. I did also make a DVD of my most favorite videos ever, and that video includes Thriller. I like the video more than the song though. Though my sis Katrina does like the song Thriller. She likes the blood and guts though. LOL! It's the Beavis and Butthead in her.

7. ABBA
I think it's pretty safe to say that the Swedes make some of the greatest rock music in the world! ABBA is no exception. Though the men are not that good-looking, not even halfway decent, they do have remarkable songs, several of which I have on my MP3 player. Among the songs I like are Chiquitita, Take A Chance On Me, Dancing Queen and Knowing Me, Knowing You. Though this group seemed to die out with the fall of disco, I still think they're pretty good.

8. Erasure
I first learned of this group when my sis was into them in the late 80s. The men are by no means attractive, but they have some very good songs out there. Some of the ones I have on my MP3 player are A Little Respect (I prefer the Big Train remix version), Blue Savannah, Oh L'amour and Stars. They have a great voice, and I like how their music combines regular rock n roll with a bit of techno-pop.

9. Aerosmith
Steven Tyler is pretty well-known for having a disproportionately large mouth! LOL! I guess that's part of his charm. It's certainly what helps him make those long and loud screams he always does in his songs. My sis Anna does not like this group, but Katrina and I think their songs are pretty darn good. I have several on my MP3 player. Among the songs I have of their's is Ragdoll, Dream On, Janie's Got A Gun and I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing. The men are not attractive though, I only like this group for the music. Nothing else.

10. Billy Joel
Well, I guess he was somewhat nice looking as a younger man. Although today he looks like the 80s called him and wanted their hair back, and he actually sent it to them! He has created quite a few good songs in his days. Many of which can be found on my MP3 player. Some of my favorites he's created was Downeaster Alexa, We Didn't Start The Fire, For The Longest Time, Uptown Girl, Don't Ask Me Why and Its Still Rock N Roll To Me. There is another from 1993 called The River Of Dreams that I used to like. Unfortunately not enough to put it on my MP3 player.