Author: Dick

Those who regularly read my musings here know that I tend to write a lot about dogs. One reason why is that I like dogs. I miss having the companionship of dogs such as those I had in my younger adult life — first, Pedro and then Cochise.

But I also write about dogs quite frequently because in my daily walks around the neighborhood I am sometime accosted by a loose and often frightening dog. My latest tormenter is a female pit bull that gets free occasionally from her yard near Evalon Avenue and First Street in Beaumont. Fortunately, this dog can be fended off by doing a Zorro imitation with a stick. The dogs in the photo above have thankfully remained behind a fence at their residence on McFaddin Avenue. I have the feeling they just don’t like me.

I bring up the subject of dogs once again because of the news that the Houston district of the U.S. Postal Service, which includes Beaumont and Port Arthur, saw the largest number of dogs biting their employees last year with 108 bites. Following Houston was Santa Ana, Calif., with 94; Indianapolis metro area, 83; Bay Valley, Calif., and the Cincinnati metro area with 82 bites. In case your interested in a year-by-year study of dogs biting mail carriers nationwide:

1999 — 2,729
2000 — 2,721
2001 — 3,158
2002 — 3,070
2003 — 3,743
2004 — 3,429
2005 — 3,249

Even though numbers have declined that is still too many mail folks getting bit. And if the dogs don’t hesitate biting a man or woman in a spiffy uniform they sure as hell won’t give a moment’s thought to biting me.

This is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. I didn’t know that there was such a week but it doesn’t surprise me. And I also think it is good to remind people that they shouldn’t let their dogs eat people. Here are some tips the postal service gives to help avoid being dog bit:

# Don’t run past a dog. The dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.
# If a dog threatens you, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact. Try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.
# Don’t approach a strange dog, especially one that’s tethered or confined.
# While letter carriers are discouraged from petting animals, people who choose to pet dogs should always let a dog see and sniff them before petting the animal.
# If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.

The USPS also provides information on how to be a responsible dog owner:
# Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dog in any situation.
# When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door, in another room.
# Don’t let your child take mail from the letter carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.
# Spay or neuter your dog. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite. Humane Society of the United States statistics reflect that dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are up to three times more likely to be involved in a biting incident than neutered or spayed dogs.
# Dogs that haven’t been properly socialized, receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.

All of which sounds like excellent advice. So have a happy National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Sleep tight and don’t let the dogs bite.

What do you get a concrete goose for a graduation present?

Only a few blocks from where I live sits a sign that graduation time is at hand: Yes, I’m talking about a concrete goose dressed in mortarboard and gown.

The concrete goose in front of a house on Long Avenue in Beaumont, Texas, is dressed by its caretakers for whatever the occasion is at hand. It was made to look like the Easter Bunny around Easter time. I remember after Hurricane Rita the goose was wearing tattered clothes as if it had been through, well, a hurricane. Just recently Concrete Goose wore a spring ensemble that included a bonnet.

I’ve seen no figures to indicate just how many people dress up their concrete geese or ducks or lawn jockeys or gorillas. I remember this concrete gorilla in Waco named Darwin that gets decked out for different occasions. I also don’t know if the people who have Darwin in their yard bought it from what was Double D Statuary just south of Waco on I-35 in Eddy, Texas. Austin American-Statesman columnist John Kelso wrote after visiting the purveyors of everything concrete that one of their apes bore a resemblance to President Gee Dubya. If it is one of the creatures found on the aforementioned link, I don’t really see it. However, I do think the concrete banana gorilla looks somewhat like President Eisenhower.

Each time I see Concrete Goose in a new costume I can’t help but laugh. It’s great to know folks in your neighborhood have a sense of humor. Now if I can just figure out what to get the goose that has everything for a graduation present.

It is simply amazing that one employee who takes his work home can lose personal identity data on 26.5 million people. But that is what happened with the theft of data concerning Department of Veterans Affairs patients and their spouses.

A VA analyst reportedly took some work home and the data of the millions of veterans were apparently stolen. The information included Social Security Numbers and birthdays of all veterans discharged after 1975 and some discharged before 1975 if they had filed a claim. I fall into that first category, so I am not exactly thrilled to say the least. We used to have a saying in the Navy regarding what actions superiors might take against a sailor for some screw-up. It was: “What are they going to do, take away our birthdays?” I guess they have now.

When I worked as a reporter I spent a number of years covering veterans issues. I also have been a VA patient for more than 10 years. So, I have seen the various problems the department has had over the years. Primarily, the major problem has been funding by Congress. VA funding always seems to come up short until someone raises hell about the level of dollars and shames Congress into putting more money in VA appropriations. Usually the amount of money added is barely enough or still inadequate.

The VA bills itself as a 21st century medical system with its prescription drugs being dispensed by computerized systems along with the department’s goal of having all patient records computerized. But I have found flaws in both technological advances. First, prescriptions sometimes may appear to have been mailed — maybe so and maybe not — but they don’t always get to the patients at times. Also, in the places where I have seen VA doctors and nurses using the electronic records, normally the last computer page is all that is referred to by the practitioner. One doesn’t see them going back and finding the two surgeries I had on my cervical spine. They only get this information if they know it by heart, such as might be the case but not always will be the case, with a primary care physician. Or else, the patient is left to figure out if the doctor or specialist needs to be told something about one’s medical history that is relevant.

In such instances, why even bother having a complete medical record computerized when the physician or nurse doesn’t bother to carefully look at one’s records?

The latest foul-up involving the VA makes me seriously ponder just how secure will be an online health care initiative the department has been developing. The “My Health Vet” Web site is meant to give medical information to individual VA patients. Veterans will be able to fill prescriptions online as well as access copayment balances, appointments and key portions of health records.

Security of My Health Vet has been debated but I certainly have more reservations about having my health records online since it appears that easy for my VA identity data to be stolen.

It will be interesting to see if VA will address My Health Vet and other techlogical issues in the wake of this latest embarrassment, or whether they will just go on as if nothing happened.

Talk about your cold cash! Rep. Bill Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat, is the latest member of Congress that the FBI apparently has snared in a corruption probe. Jefferson is innocent until proven guilty, of course. But I am beginning to think maybe we should only elect millionaires to Congress.

It seems that I am getting a bit heavy handed in my old age. I deleted a draft post and in the process deleted the last post. Oh well, it wasn’t anything earth-shattering just my talking about watching a semi-interesting exchange among U.S. House members on C-Span. Yawn, huh?

While out running an errand earlier I saw a funny bumper sticker. It said:

“My kid wants to be president.
I told him to aim higher.”

Bumper stickers are an odd facet of our society. Plastered to our bumpers and windows are our thoughts about life, gender, sex, politics, religion and what kind of beer one drinks among other topics.

An ex-husband, ex-wife, ex-lover, ex-whatever makes a good target for a bumper philosophy such as:

“Ex-lovers make great
speed bumps.”

Heck, it doesn’t even have to be an ex:

“My wife and best friend just ran off together.
I’m sure going to miss him.”

Sometimes bumper stickers express feelings that you might or might not otherwise publicly disclose such as:

“Drive any closer
And I’m gonna slap you.”

I noticed one earlier today while taking a walk that kind of took me aback. The sticker was in the window of a pickup truck belonging to a roofer from Houston. It showed the Rebel flag and said something to the effect of “Don’t be afraid to show your colors.” I’m not sure if those were the exact words but that was the gist of it. I think the first thought that came to mind was: What a moron!

Now I don’t care how you feel about the Confederate battle flag. I can see why those who detest the thought of slavery and its relationship with the South are repelled by the flag. I see it more in historic terms although not to the degree that many do who use such an argument.

The CSA had three national flags. This was the first one. The crossed star-and-bar flag seen so commonly among the redneck elite was the battle flag of the confederacy. If you are genuinely pissed off that Texas and other southern states are still a part of the United States, then I guess I can understand why you would cling to the battle flag as a symbol.

It wasn’t ideology that made me think the guy was a moron who had the sticker of the Rebel flag and the exhortation to fly it. No, it was the fact that this guy has a business and might well have a tendency to turn off potential customers of all races, colors and creeds with such a display.

As is the case with drinking liquor and shooting firearms (though not necessarily together), a little common sense goes a long way. The same is true with displaying a personal philosophy with a bumper sticker.