Stephen King Likens Rich People to Old, Dead Dog Shit

I try to keep this from being a political page, except in support of lawmakers who believe in cleaning up dog doo-doo.  Stephen King, however, made a few points that caught our attention in this article from The Guardian.  He says, and I tend to agree, that rich people should have to pay more in taxes to support our society.  He also says, "most rich people are as boring as old, dead dog shit."  I always liked his books.

Spring is Defrosted Dog Turd Season

Adapted from Locksley Hall, by Lord Alfred Tennyson:

In the Spring a fuller crimson comes upon the robin's breast;

In the Spring the wanton lapwing gets himself another crest;

In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish'd dove;

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

In the Spring all the dog turds that were buried in snow defrost;
In the Spring you better watch your step or pay the messy cost.

Watch your step!  Spring is defrosted dog turd season.

Let's Play Find All The Dog Turds

Boston's been hit hard with snow recently, and there's more on the way.  We won't see most of these dog turds until all the snow melts.  

Boston Common

California Tax Board Receives Package of Dog Poop

The California Franchise Tax Board in Sacramento was evacuated and a level 2 hazmat team was called in when a suspicious package with a "strong odor" arrived in the mail.  The mail room and about 100 workers were evacuated before the package was inspected and found to contain dog poop.

Level 2 HazMat suits.  Photo Credit: Sacramento Metro Fire Department

They don't know who mailed the package yet, but I'd be surprised if they don't make a special effort to catch the culprit.  Getting a municipal building evacuated tends to tick a few (usually important) people off.  Who knows what the charges will be when they catch the person, but I'd bet this counts as a terrorist act.

You can read more at CBS Sacramento, where I got all of this information.  Follow the link if you want to read the same thing with banners and ads for CBS in the margin.

In fact, when you google this story at least 20 articles come up all saying the same thing.  The whole story may have developed from this tweet from @metrofirepio, the twitter account for Sacramento Metro Fire:

#MetroFire HazMat determined unk brown substance in pkg sent to FTB was dog feces. 0 injuries, joint effort FTB/CHP. pic.twitter.com/qjPthX02c2
— MetroFire Sacramento (@metrofirepio) January 26, 2015

Dog Doo in Calpe, Spain

Here are some pictures I took while on vacation this past summer.  It is in a town called Calpe (Calp), on the east coast of Spain.  People are drawn to the beautiful beaches overlooked by the Peñón de Ifach, the giant limestone outcrop known to the Phoenicians as the "Northern Rock" (to distinguish it from Gibraltar). The pictures are taken on a steep hill that is a commercial area with lots of shops and fun things to do right next to the beach.  Just make sure you look down once in a while, because some people leave their dogs' mess wherever it falls!

Some person or persons have clearly stepped in this dog poop already.

Looking up the hill at the same turd.

This view of the Peñón de Ifach may have been what distracted whoever stepped in the dog doo above.

Police Back-Up Called in Dog Poop Drama

Here's a video from the UK of a police officer trying to enforce the scooper laws there.  The woman does a fair amount of (bleeped out) cursing, and the person filming really wants to see the poop in question.  I'm sure she's just trying to get out of the ticket, but even bleeped out it sounds like she gets pretty nasty.

This video came from yahoo, and here's what they said about it:

A New Year’s Day walk in the park turned foul for one London dog-owner. Amber Langtry was walking her dog with a friend in Victoria Park when a Council Enforcement Officer accused Langtry of not cleaning up after her pet. Langtry denied the allegation and challenged the park officer to show her the offending evidence. An argument ensued between the pair and eventually led to the officer calling for police back up. Credit: Amber Langtry

by Storyful 10:29 mins

Dog Poop and Broken Glass

Here's a shot from right outside the building where we live.  My son, who is almost 3 years old, likes to cut through the bushes when we're going out walking, he calls this his "special way."  It's too small a path for an adult to cut through, and in another year or two he will be too big to fit.  Today we discovered that not only had someone let their dog poop there without cleaning it up, but someone smashed a beer bottle as well.

Dog poop and broken glass right outside my building

It's harder to see the broken glass, but the dog doo is pretty obvious.  Most adults wouldn't even look in this gap between the bushes, but since my small child likes to cut through this way we noticed it right away.  I caught him just before he stepped in the turd, and I had to go out and clean it up myself to keep it from happening in the future.  

The beer bottle is in such a strange place I have to assume it came from someone out drinking in public (illegal in the U.S.) or was thrown from a passing car (also illegal).  Clearly whoever did this has bigger problems than dog poop and is probably not in complete control of their actions.  I hope they can find the help they need.  

I also hope whoever allowed their dog to do this comes to their senses and starts picking up after their dog.  Sometimes accidents happen; a surprise second poop on a walk may mean you're out of poop bags.  But I noticed this turd yesterday, and at least 24 hours later it was still sitting there so it's not like the culprit was in any hurry to come back and take care of their business.  Or their dog's business.  

SCTV Great White North: Dog Scoops / Curb Your Dog

Here's a classic from Bob and Doug McKenzie on SCTV.  They discuss how they handle it when their dog does its business, and the responsibilities of dog owners in big cities like New York.

Dog Turd Just Outside the Playground

Here's a picture of a dog turd right outside the fenced-in playground at our local park.  One of the reasons I prefer this park is because it's fenced in, so this is as close as the dog poop gets to where my kids play.  Rain could still conceivably spread the bacteria into the playground, and this is right next to where I park my bike sometimes, so it's still obnoxious to let your dog do this here and not clean up.  

The dog turd as seen from my bike (and part of my shoe).

The turd is just outside the fenced-in playground.

Is That A Balloon Tied To Your Dog?

I couldn't resist turning it into a meme, then I couldn't think of anything clever to say.  If you have any ideas leave a comment or contact us on facebook or twitter!

Signs in Montclair, New Jersey

Here are two pictures of the signs in Montclair, New Jersey, that have taunted me over the years I've seen them but never had a camera with me.  The scooper's arm is incorporated into the letter "d" and the dog is the bottom part of the "g" (I guess).  Does the dog have a balloon tied to it?  Your guess is as good as mine.

There were several of these signs on the sidewalk outside the Mount Hebron School

Mount Hebron School is visible in the background, in Upper Montclair New Jersey

Rain-bloated Dog Turd Outside Babies 'R' Us

Here's a rain-bloated dog turd in the parking lot outside a Babies 'R' Us.  This is the island between parking spaces in a strip mall, and it's ridiculous to me that people let their dogs go in a place like that and don't clean up.  It's gross.  I see people letting their dogs poop in parking lots all the time, and they always clean up afterwards.  Obviously not always.  

Rain-bloated dog turd outside Babies 'R' Us.  Photo taken 11/07/2014

It's The Law… It's A Courtesy..

Here's a sign from Brookline, MA, that makes an excellent point.  Not only is it the law, but a courtesy to your fellow living beings.

A sign in Brookline, MA

Do Not Walk Dogs On This Property

A sign outside of a condo building in Brookline, MA.  There are several reasons the residents don't want dogs roaming the landscaped areas outside their home, and dog poop immediately comes to mind.  And owners who don't clean up.

Brookline, MA

Her handsome put on ur emergency oxygen mask

This is one of the funniest comments ever left on one of our facebook posts, and I've turned it into a meme.  The original comment is gone now, but with regard to this sign the poster suggested: "It should say pick up ur children shit mouth bitch ahead. Her handsome put on ur emergency oxygen mask"

Shell Out Big Bucks for Licensed Costume

Here's another awareness-raising meme I made for Halloween 2014.  It strikes me that the holiday has turned into a spectacle where parents pay a fortune for the most elaborate costumes (sometimes for themselves)  for what?  Some candy?  Just don't let it ruin your Halloween.

Pretty Halloween Lights

This is a meme I created to help build awareness this Halloween.  Kids are out trick-or-treating in the dark and might step in your dog's droppings!

Dr. Jean Gauvin on Dog Poo and Public Health

Here's Dr. Jean Gauvin weighing in on cleaning up after your dog.  He's tweeting in French because he's "Vétérinaire petits animaux / Small animal veterinarian Président Association canadienne des médecins vétérinaires / President Canadian vet. medical association."  For some reason the only word abbreviated is in English, and it's for the word "veterinary."  Whether he can spell veterinary or not, he knows what he's talking about.

En plus, c'est une marque de civisme: Pick Up Your Dog's Poo. It's Important for Public Health! http://t.co/TLYwoFO5cj @CVLachine #dogpoop
— Dr Jean Gauvin M.V. (@JeanGauvin) October 18, 2014

The Dog Poo Capitol of Britain

A mother in the town of Haverhill is calling her town the dog poo capitol of Britain.  Mel Turnbull says "[Haverhill] is the dog poo capital of Britain and now with the wet weather one pile spreads and then you've got three more. I am prepared to spray paint it all pink." She's got some great quotes, it's worth checking out the link.  She talks about how her son could have gone blind, and how the wet poop spattered all over her and her childrens' clothing.

Mel Turnbull with her children Evie and Callum

Turnbull believes it has become a copycat crime, and dog owners don't clean up after their pets because they see others don't. What do you think?

Dog fouling is a massive problem in Haverhill

Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/worst-town-dog-poo-Britain-Haverhill-mum/story-23208615-detail/story.html

moonj's post on Vine

#DogDoo is the only comment provided by moonj on this Vine.  I don't know where this is, but there's a big dog turd on the sidewalk.