2023 TinCaps schedule released

New Post has been published on https://aroundfortwayne.com/news/2022/10/13/2023-tincaps-schedule-released/

2023 TinCaps schedule released

The Fort Wayne TinCaps have announced their schedule for the 2023 season.

Ray Bourbon was one of the most popular vaudeville performers of the 1930s, performing both as a drag queen and as a regular comedian. He was a frequent collaborator with Mae West, having starred in both Sex and The Pleasure Man, and regularly appeared on tour with her. In 1949, he performed his act Don't Call Me Madame: A Midnight Revue at Carnegie Hall.

The 1950s, more and more laws began restricting drag performances, and he was arrested several times. Taking a note from Christine Jorgensen, Bourbon made the claim that he'd undergone gender reassignment surgery, and changed his name to the feminine Rae.

He built a whole comedic album around his "operation," which you can listen to here.

Bourbon's act didn't age terribly well into the 1960s. A new political gay rights movement based on respectability was underway, and Bourbon's swishy stereotype was at odds with it. Along with that, with the sexual and cultural changes of the 1960s, his act just wasn't that outrageous and shocking anymore.

Everything came to an abrupt and bizarre end when he was arrested and charged as an accessory to murder. Bourbon had been traveling across the country in a junky old car with a trailer carrying about 70 dogs towing behind it. After losing his car to a fire, Bourbon sent his dogs to the nearby Blount's Kennels, where he left them for several months. When he finally had the money to buy a new car and to bail out his "children," the owner of the kennel informed him that his pets had been given away. It's not clear exactly what happened to them, but Bourbon took it to mean that his dogs had been sold to a chemical company to be used in experiments.

Bourbon hired two young men to go look into the matter, to find out where his dogs were, and to rough up Blount. They killed him, instead. Bourbon plead not guilty, but was still convicted and sentenced to ninety-nine years in prison. He died there in 1977.

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard whatever is an amazing portrait of the impact of methamphetamine in the rural US. Everything from the textures to the design of the environment to the story itself.

I guess, as an American, I should be used to living in a media panopticon where everyone knows how we talk and what our houses look like, but the Baker estate is not like a movie set or an influencer's home. There's real clutter, the kind that accumulates when you haven't moved cross-country in over ten years and your kids have grown up: kennels for cats who've lived and died, tool boxes, riding mowers, plastic bags full of plastic bags, pool toys. The age of the house shows, not just in the dated wallpaper and cupboards, but in the glimpses we get through the crumbling walls of construction techniques that have been obsolete for eighty years. The pegboard as wallboard. The cludged-together, homeowner-grade repairs of railings and staircases. The immersion is total. This could be any rural home I've ever visited whose owners lost the battle against entropy.

Houses on cheap land can get big. Real big. The Bakers appear to have inherited a plantation house, but there's a lot more on the property. It's perfectly normal to build a mother-in-law apartment and park a trailer in your backyard when you've got the land. Code inspector? What code inspector? You don't need no stinkin' permits. You're not gonna sell, and if you do, the buyer can figure out what they want to do with your wobbly deck.

You own the house and you've got no neighbors to complain about their property values. If you've got money, you trick out your garage. Get a lift. Get a hoist. Fuck it, dig an oil pit. You can do it! That's your man shed. Build some racks out of hog panel and hang all your tools in some haphazard arrangement that makes sense only to you. You've got to be your own mechanic if you want to keep your vehicles running.

Then there's the Baker family themselves. They were nice. Normal. Probably voted for Trump, but so did everyone they know. Of course they'd take pity on a nice white woman and a little girl begging for shelter, they're not animals. Jack was ex-military and pushy; Marguerite was socialized to stand by him whether or not he treated her well; Lucas was an amoral genius who couldn't make it in the real world; Zoe was at least prepared to fly the nest but either she'd tried and had to retreat, or she hadn't quite gotten up the nerve.

By the time we meet them, Jack and Marguerite are caricatures of themselves. Violent, paranoid, impulsive, irrational, moody. They can barely even function. Marguerite's kitchen is swarming with cockroaches and flies, and Jack's outbursts destroy the furniture and walls of the home that he was once proud of. The areas where Jack and Marguerite live are heaped with garbage bags, dimly lit, and filthy.

Every time we meet Lucas, he's wired as hell. Lucas seems hyperfunctional, constructing his elaborate traps and escape rooms, except he can't make the details come together. He lines the walls of his areas with white plastic sheeting, but the mold creeps through the seams anyway. He doesn't bother to change the codes on his padlocks. He toys with Ethan and banks on Ethan being too dumb to shove a bomb through a conveniently placed hole in the wall.

Zoe can still be reasoned with, but we see her fears in her diary. We see the tinfoil taped over her window to block the light.

Lucas, Jack, and Marguerite exhibit behavioral changes consistent with early, chronic, and long-term methamphetamine abuse. Their house bears the same marks of frenetic remodeling, ambitious yet ill-conceived design choices, repetitive behaviors, and neglect that scar so many homes occupied by meth addicts.

Meth is like other drugs in that it rewires the brain to promote drug-seeking behavior, but it also over time causes the brain to atrophy. Signs resembling dementia or schizophrenia eventually occur, accompanied by cognitive decline, and much of this is permanent. It becomes harder for the user to fight back against their dependency (against Eveline) the longer they use the drug (the deeper Eveline's mold works into their bodies).

This is an American horror story, it's a familiar American horror story, and it's a love letter to our country from Japan that seems to me to say, "We're so sorry about what you're going through. Here, shoot some mold-monsters about it."

Hello, do you know something about the temperament of the Greenland dogs comparated for example to other nordic/primitive breeds like Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute? I can't find much about them online. They are so extreme and work-driven as many told and cannot be only pets?

Well it would highly depend on what your definition of "pet" is. If your idea of a pet dog is a dog you can take on occasional walks and relax easily inside with, trainable and friendly, easy to take places, than the Greenland is likely not the best choice, if not a very bad one. If your definition of pet includes working the dog in harness on a regular basis, allowing them to live outside if they desire and have multiple dogs, then they could be a good pet.

For me personally, I could probably handle one after having a dog like Slash, but do I want to? Absolutely not. I enjoy the easier going, more chill nature of the Malamute for me personally and that's saying something considering that while Slash is a good house dog, he is only a good house dog because he is given work year round in some capacity.

I have only met a few Greenland Dogs in person, one was at the time young and ran with my dog's parents in a sled team, very tireless, but affectionate. And the other was a retired elder dog who could not retire to being a house pet her entire life and often found it stressful being away from the working team, even if she herself was not working.

Remember, these are primitive sled dogs and are less removed from their origins than many other sledding breeds. The modern Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed and even the Alaskan Husky have their origins in the 20th century and have their temperaments highly selected for. A Greenland dog is the same as it has been for centuries and centuries, vastly unchanged due to its isolation from westernized dog breeds and kennel clubs until very recently. A majority of Greenland dogs still live in Greenland (the country has very strict import and export laws for domestic animals and dogs in particular to protect the breed) where they are working dogs. A majority of Greenland dogs outside of Greenland are also working dogs.

As far as temperament goes the Greenland Dog FCI standard states:

The predominant temperamental qualities of the Greenland Dog are energy, mental strength and boldness. He is a passionate and tireless sledge dog. To people - also strangers - he is friendly, and while acting as sledge dog not closely attached to any particular person and therefore not suitable as a guard dog. On hunting seal and polar bear he will show a strong hunting instinct."

The Nordisk Kennel Union says this:

The Greenland Dog is a true unaffected natural dog with all that this entail. Therefore, this breed is only suitable as a family dog for people, who have great canine experience and who understand the special needs and distinctive character of this dog. In the right environment, this dog is energetic, mentally robust, vigilant and generally kind towards adults and children. It is an overall curious dog with a distinct pack mentality. This breed greatly demands allowance to use its immense power on running and pulling heavy loads. It needs a good social life and the pack is of great value to these dogs. This breed enjoys living outdoors. 

They are often said to be amongst the most intense of the sled breeds, more driven to work than Malamutes, more energetic, more prey driven, more more more and more.

The Alaskan Malamute Illustrated Standard says this about temperament for Malamutes (so imagine this + MORE ENERGY):

The Alaskan Malamute is an affectionate, friendly dog, not a “one man” dog. He is a loyal, devoted companion, playful upon invitation, but generally impressive by his dignity after maturity. The Malamute is a true pack animal with the natural instinct to “lead or be led.” This results in an independent, self-confident and strong willed personality, and explains why Malamutes can sometimes be aggressive with other dogs of the same sex. While historically guardians of campsites and Eskimo children, the Malamute is not the type of guard dog that sees a threat in eye contact or the approach of strangers. Dogs who react negatively towards people do not typify correct Malamute temperament and any sign of aggression towards humans is unacceptable.

There are many great Greenland dog mushers (both in Greenland, Scandinavia and even the UK) that are present on Instagram if you have an account and want to learn a bit more about these dogs (note that some of them outside of Greenland also mush Alaskan Malamutes, this is pretty common as the breeds work well together). Here are some ones that I like:

Dodgesled Taxi (Sisimiut, Greenland)

Arctic Living Ilulissat (Ilulissat, Greenland)

Siku Tours (Uummannaq, Greenland)

Ukioq Soul (Åre, Sweden)

Suna-Sanik Kennel (Norway)

Kennel Tasermiut (Norway)

Ikihallan Greenland Dogs (Rovaniemi, Finland)

Infury Sled Dogs (UK)

Greenland Dog Adventures (Sisimiut, Greenland)

And here are some videos I like about Greenland Dogs:

Greenland Way of Life: Raising Dogs

The Insiders Guide: Dogsledding in Greenland

And finally, an article about how these dogs and Inuit are at the forefront of being affected by climate change (even my half house pet/half working pet malamutes are uncomfortable when my house is heated in winter btw...):

In Greenland village, shorter winters cast doubts over dog sledding

Nothing puts the arbitrary nature of gender roles in perspective like historical gender roles. For example in the 18th century umbrellas were considered feminine and men who used them were characterised as effeminate and foppish. In the 1780s as umbrellas became more popular amongst men there was a cultural pushback to the perceived gender transgression. On the 16th of August 1780 the Morning Post complains of of the “canopy of umbrellas” bemoaning that “the effeminacy of the men, inclines them to adopt this necessary appendage of female convenience”. On the 4th of October 1784 a letter to the Morning Chronicle goes on a tirade against men using umbrellas:

Sir, Fashion, or custom, stamps an authoritative power on every absurdity, otherwise by what right do men establish the several inconveniences, which are daily felt by all who wish to pass unmolested in the public streets. If any one is so ridiculous as to make a dead stop in the common path, and gape about like a country lout, the frequent gibes and jolts, which are the common consequents of such misconduct, will in little time enliven the understating; but what shall we say to evils which are unavoidable to the most attentive and alert? Of this kind is that vile foppish practice of sheltering under a umbrella, and moving forward with such momentum, as might very quickly scoop out an eye, draw a tooth, or detach an ear, were those parts to be opposed to the severe stroke of one of those fantastic instruments. That the ladies should be allowed to secure their beauty and persons from the heat of the sun, or the inclemency of the weather, every one is too much interested to deny; it is natural, and has a striking effect. Besides the base of the hoop, and a decent respect, keeps us at an awful distance, and prevents any ill to those who are so happy as to meet them; not to mention the peculiar adroitness with which they manage both superior and inferior shades. But to see a great lubberly cit, bounce from his shop, with a coat, hat, and wig that are not together worth one groat, with a bloated ruddy countenance, which bespeaks him to have guttled like a hog, shelter his heavy [illegible] from the influence of the solar beam, is intolerable. Let him be stationary under cover of the shade of his shop window. The macaroni being of the doubtful gender, may in part claim a feminine right; his dress is too delicate to bear an heavy shower, perhaps his person is so too; but a coach, if a clean one is to be found would serve his purpose much better, as there would be less likelihood of his being washed away into the kennel, which he deserves to be kicked into for his d-----d affectation.

Upon the whole, let me tell you, this is a vain and dangerous custom- For the safety, therefore, of his Majesty’s liege subjects, who sensibly fence themselves with a good beaver and surtoot upon necessary occasions, let it be enacted, that the Levitical Law be put in full force in case of injury done to any party, viz. “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” &c. if the face should be scratched or torn, let the Coventry Act be in full force; but as prevention is preferable to penalty, be it also enacted, that all such male animals as use these unhandy instruments be drove off the foot path into the streetway, and that their umbrellas be left to the mercy of the hackney coachmen.

The guitar house still hasn’t sold. When it first went on the market, it was speculated that a flipper bought it for a quick flip, but I don’t feel that that’s the case. Anyway, it’s in Fayetteville, Georgia and they’re asking $650K. Take a look at the guitar house.

Unfortunately, it only looks like a guitar from the air. You can’t imagine the things that Zillow is saying about it to sell it- I’m going to let them do the commentary.

At first I thought this was a broken down dog kennel, but I think it may be some sort of greenhouse. 

This looks so much better than the outside. Zillow: I promise you’ve never seen this before! “Guitar House” is ready for a True Connoisseur! Unique Shape and Floor plan will blow your mind away!

Uh, this is it for the kitchen- an unfinished sink. Zillow: It was designed as a Guitar by the Country Music Singer Elvis L. Carden. Not only was it his Home, it was also his Muse! One of his albums is named “Living in an Old Guitar.”

Zillow: The Main part of the Guitar boasts 8 custom-made vintage sick-glass windows. According to Google, ‘Glass disease, also referred to as sick glass or glass illness, is a degradation process of glass that can result in weeping, crizzling, spalling, cracking and fragmentation.’

Thru the doors you can glimpse a sunroom. Zillow: Unrenovated sunroom/garden room in the middle of the guitar for gardening or koi pond.

Zillow: Renovated, this Guitar just needs a slight tune-up & polishing!  

There are 5 bds., but there are 2 in-law suites, one in the basement, and 2 of the bds. are in them. 

2 baths are in the house and 2 are in the in-law suites.

One in-law suite. Zillow: One of the in-law suites (the basement) features Industrial style ceilings & antique fireplace you’d want to rebuild to emphasize the uniqueness of this place!

This is the “antique” fireplace they’re referring to. Nice touch sticking a picture in.

In-law suite #2. What is it w/these sinks?

The exterior really needs work. 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/115-Wilkins-Rd-Fayetteville-GA-30214/52270533_zpid/

Human Zoo by jaerie | E | 1209 Harry is a hybrid that was captured for display in an isolated country far from home. Someone from his past could be a savior, but he has other plans.

Twenty-Eight by beardyboyzx | M | 1499 "Can't believe you finally caught him," Niall says, clapping him on the back. He's been there with him on his very first mission, when Twenty-Eight was just the first criminal Harry encountered in his spy career to them. or: Agent Harry Styles has finally caught his nemesis, but there's a knot in the plot he's not ready to detangle.

routine surveillance by disgruntledkittenface | E | 2680 Harry’s training period for the Bureau consists of routine surveillance. One night, it becomes a little less routine.

The Night Market by Anonymous | E | 3000 It’s to earn a bit of extra spending money and have a bit of fun while doing it, that’s all. Harry examines his reflection in the mirror as Niall does up the back of his outfit. The clothes he wore on the train here are already safely tucked away in a locker, along with the key to the thick, heavy collar around his neck. The little green light shines from the centre of it, indicating that he’s available.

excuses for adultery by Anonymous | E | 3588 Louis asks for a break from sex, Harry finds a way to get his needs met. Louis finds his way to get revenge.

Knot's Farms by Anonymous | E | 4774 Hybrid travel visas are much stricter than laws for human travel. About twenty more hoops to jump through, and five times the cost. Louis’ proud, so proud of Harry going off on his first big tour, but he’s realistic, too. They would see barely a dime of that money if they had to spend on a hybrid EU visa. So, he’s spending ten days at Knot’s Farms, one of the higher rated hybrid kennel agencies.

the trolley problem by ThereAreOnlySecrets | E | 7350 In front of him are three men of different ages, but with similar distressed looks on their faces. Beaten and bloody, each one tied to a chair. Panicked, Louis backs away from the sight - and straight into a solid, muscled chest. “What - what is this?” “Oh, this is a little problem I thought you could help me with,” Harry murmurs into his ear lightly. “You see, these three men betrayed me, baby. And I want your help in deciding which one to make an example out of. Now, it’s a very simple game. I will put on a ten-minute timer and by the end of the countdown, you will tell me which one of these very distraught and scared men deserves to die. If you don’t choose anyone…Well, then I will kill all three of them.” This is not how Louis thought his day would go. Please let this be a sick, twisted joke...

The Revelation by creamcoffeelou | E | 8373 Harry feels his edges start to unravel. He can’t find where he ends and where Louis begins.

Lick the Knife by larry_hiatus | E | 13303 Three things about Harry: 1. He wants all of his exes dead. 2. He has a blood kink. 3. He’s Louis’ roommate. Three things about Louis: 1. He’s a serial killer. 2. He hates Harry. 3. He also kind of loves him.

I often hear that wolfdogs are a modern fad, but in reality, wolfdogs in the USA have a long and deep-running history. Here is a little about wolfdogs of the last 100 years.... McCleery Wolf Ranch -- A breeder who acquired wolves in 1921 during government culls, and created a line of wolves and wolfdogs, passed along for several generations, of which the last remaining descendants now reside at Wolf Haven’s McCleery Ranch facility. 

IOWOLFER -- A wolfdog organization and pedigree tracking/verification registry created in 1979 that supported responsible wolfdog ownership and breeding practices. This organization was ran by Suzanne Smith, a wolfdog and wolf breeder who worked to try and outcross the arctic lines to get away from the jaw malocclusion that was in the line. IOWOLFER held rendezvous and shows ever year where wolves and wolfdogs and their owners could mingle and evaluate animals and work together on projects. IOWOLFER spearheaded issues like correcting percentages on lines that had been misrepresented such as the Gordon K Smith line, lobbying for rabies vaccine approval for wolfdogs, fighting against anti-ownership laws, and public education. 

Fur Farms -- The Davidson Fur Farm operated in the 70-90′s that bred and sold puppies into private ownership. Later, he bred a line of 50% F1 and 75% F2 Norwegian Elkhound/wolf crosses. Many wolfdog lines descend from animals from fur farm facilities like this one. Davidson often traded animals with facilities that operated in the 60′s-90′s, such as Don Garrett, Rod Twitto and Harold Matz, other fur farms at the time that also sold to private ownership. 

Bear Country USA -- This was a drive through zoo opened in 1972 and is still in operation today, although no longer has quite the same caliber of wolf as they used to. Many lines of wolfdog today trace back to their wolves or animals from other zoos such as the Folsom Zoo. This is an ‘end line’ facility, because, as far as I am aware, no one is quite sure where they sourced their original wolves from. 

Rick Halvorson -- Rick Halvorson acquired a pair of pure arctic wolves from Aqualand via an auction, and another animal from Stanley Park Zoo, back in the 70's. These animals came from several generations of inbreeding at the zoos, tracing back to (to my understanding) a full sibling pairing of wild caught arctic wolves. People who acquired Halvorson arctics proceeded to inbreed them as well, to maintain the arctic genetics. Pure arctics started to have severe jaw and skull deformities due to the extensive inbreeding. Crossing to other wolf subspecies such as C. l. Hudsonicus was done, along with crosses to dog (including, most famously, great pyreneese crosses). The last few pure arctics from the Halvorson line ended up in sanctuary after a breeder who was trying to preserve them passed away, and are now deceased due to old age with the exception of a single 17.5yo female. 

--

Below are a collection of old advertisements from the Wolf Hybrid Times and other newsletters, where established kennels could list advertisements in. While none of these breeders are active any longer and contact information was removed for privacy purposes, descendants of kennels like these are what makes up the vast majority of multi-generational wolfdogs in North America (and even overseas in Europe!) today.  Unfortunately, due to the secrecy that has arisen around lineage on wolfdogs in the last 2 decades or so and certain breeders who won’t give out pedigrees or give false information, a lot of modern wolfdog owners don’t have their animals’ pedigrees tracing back as far as it actually could go, into the 60′s in many cases. 

For further information about wolfdogs:

  https://texaswolfdogproject.org/resources/owning-a-wolfdog 

 https://runningwithwolfdogs.com/

https://www.wolfdogbehaviorist.com/

http://www.floridalupine.org/

Some people describe a police dog’s bite as a deep tear through their flesh. Others are haunted by the feeling of a Vise-Grip, the dog's jaws slowly but painfully tightening around their arms or legs until the muscles go numb.

These are not the nips or snaps of a pet dog in a backyard. A police dog, trained for weeks on how to bite harder and faster and with little reservation, can inflict debilitating injuries and lasting scars. The physical damage lingers as long as the memories of a dog’s snarling teeth, its guttural growls, its head ripping back and forth upon crashing into a fleeing target, all while a police officer stands nearby shouting commands and praise in German, Dutch or Czech.

Across the nation, police dogs bite thousands of people a year. And in no major city is someone more likely to be bitten than in Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, home to one of the largest K-9 units in the country, has the highest rate of dog bites among police departments in the largest 20 U.S. cities.

Some cities saw one police dog bite over the last three years. In Indianapolis, it was once every five days.

Law enforcement officers from around the United States train with their police dogs on how to capture a suspect at Vohne Liche Kennels, in Indiana, on Sept. 23, 2020. Dogs are muzzled for the protection of the man acting as a decoy, who is not wearing typical bite gear for this training exercise.Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar

Those are just some of the findings of a yearlong investigation by IndyStar and the Invisible Institute in Chicago, along with The Marshall Project, and AL.com.

The first-of-its-kind national analysis included a review of police dog bites from 2017-19. That review found that IMPD dogs bit 243 people over those three years. That’s more bites than New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; San Antonio; Dallas; Austin; San Francisco; Fort Worth; Columbus; Seattle; and Washington, D.C.

Combined.

Police K-9 Bites per 100,000 Residents

Among police departments in the 20 largest cities, some have much higher rates of police dog bites than others. Between 2017 and 2019, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police dogs had 243 bites, or about 28 bites per 100,000 residents. But city police in Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco each recorded only one incident.

Source: Analysis of use of force data from police departments, population data from the Census Bureau.

Per-capita rates use the latest five-year census population estimates and are approximations. City police departments in Los Angeles, Houston and San Antonio may include serious non-bite injuries in their K-9 use of force records. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department data for bites in 2019 include numbers through January 23, 2020.

The investigation also revealed for the first time:

Nearly 60 percent of people who had been bitten in Indianapolis were suspected in only low-level and non-violent crimes or traffic infractions; bites that would appear to be out of policy in some other cities, such as Seattle and Washington, D.C.

At least 65 percent of those bitten were unarmed and did not act violently, facts that contradict IMPD’s stated reasons for using dogs so often.

More than half of the people who were bitten are Black, a disproportionately high number for a population that makes up just 28 percent of the city.

15 percent of people bitten were younger than 18. Three-fourths of the juveniles are Black.

Sometimes police dogs bite the wrong people entirely, such as police officers at a crime scene or innocent bystanders in a neighborhood.

Marshawn Wolley, a community leader who has worked alongside Indianapolis city and police leadership to reform IMPD’s policies, said he was shocked to learn about what’s happening with IMPD’s dogs.

"This is not meeting the standards of what we expect from a professional police department. They have missed the mark. Dramatically,” Wolley said. “There’s really no hiding from this. They set the standard for being the worst. This has to be addressed. This has to be addressed."

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett declined an interview request. He answered questions by email.

"These numbers are clear evidence that we must continue to have a dialogue with our community around what they expect not just of the K-9 unit," Hogsett said via email, “but of their police department as a whole."

The high number of bites in Indianapolis is driven in part by the convergence of two factors: a comparably loose set of IMPD policies that enables K-9 officers to release their dogs on people suspected of committing low-level offenses and, critics say, an old-school policing culture that encourages officers to do just that.

When IndyStar presented its findings to IMPD Chief Randal Taylor this month, he said he was concerned about the numbers.

"You know, I would hope we wouldn't have to bite that often," Taylor said. "If there's changes we need to make, I'm always for that."

Then, in an email Oct. 7, Taylor announced his department had drafted a new policy that, he says, will eventually place restrictions on the use of police dogs. For example: Officers would no longer deploy dogs on suspects in misdemeanor cases unless they believed that person is armed, though dogs would still be justified in all felony cases.

The policy change, if enacted, would have stripped out as many as 23 bites in misdemeanor cases over the last three years—an amount larger than the total number of bites found in some major cities.

That said, it's just 10 percent of the bites in Indianapolis. Even if they were removed from IMPD's total, Indianapolis would still remain the major city where someone is most likely to be bitten by a police dog.

FRANKLIN, NJ — Four people, including a 7-year-old's father, were sentenced Friday in connection with the abuse of the girl and running a "family-owned transgender pornography production studio specializing in amateur, BDSM and taboo fetish content" out of a Somerset County home.

Marina Volz, 32, (formerly known as Matthew Volz) — who now is a woman and is the girl's biological father — flew the 7-year-old girl across the country for the sole purpose of sexually abusing her and filming it.

"If that is not a heinous, cruel, and depraved manner then I don't know what it is," said Somerset County Judge Peter Tober on Friday.

Sean Allen, 54; Volz; Ashley D. Romero (formerly known as Adam Romero), 28; and Dulcinea Gnecco, 21, all of Coburn Lane in Franklin Township were sentenced.

In December 2018, Volz went to Oregon to get the 7-year-old daughter who was living with her mom to assume custody and fly her back to New Jersey to be sexually assaulted and filmed by Volz, Romero, and Allen.

Romero and Allen helped Volz to bring the child to New Jersey.

A video found on multiple electronic items in the Franklin Township home showed Romero and Allen jointly sexually assaulting the child.

In January 2019, an anonymous caller reported the suspected abuse and the child was removed from the home.

A search of the home found neck collars, a kennel cage in the basement, sex toys, and other sexual devices, said Tober.

Police also found firearms, a high-capacity ammunition magazine, and cocaine, said Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart.

"Collectively they are a vortex of darkness that sucks the light out of anything and anyone that they touch," said Acting First Assistant Prosecutor W. Brian Stack during the sentencing. "The greatest example is what they did to the victim. A 7-year-old child who was smart, funny, trusting, full of light. In a month's time they converted her into darkness."

Read More: 4 Produced Porn In Somerset County – In Front Of 7-Year-Old: SCPO

"At their core, they are bad people," said Stack.

The grandmother of the child said in a letter read to the court that each of the defendants "killed the victim in this case."

"She can never be the person she would've been," said the grandma. "Marina you brutalized and murdered your own daughter."

Tober noted it would be years before the gravity of the harm inflicted on the girl would be known.

On Friday, Volz and Romero were each sentenced to 25 years in New Jersey State Prison without the eligibility for parole.

Allen was sentenced to 12 years in New Jersey State Prison and eligible for parole after 10 years. Gnecco was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

In addition, Volz, Romero and Allen will be required to register pursuant to Megan's Law and be placed on parole supervision for life upon their release from prison.

Charges:

Volz pled guilty to 10 counts contained in Indictment 21-08-00615-I: Count 1 charging 1 st degree Human Trafficking (N.J.S.A. 2C:13-8a(3), Count 2 charging 1 st degree Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2), Count 3 charging 1 st degree Aggravated Sexual Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(1), Count 4 charging 2 nd degree Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Sexual Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2), Count 5 charging 1 st degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(3), Count 6 charging 2 nd degree Conspiracy to Endanger the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2), Count 7 charging 2 nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by engaging in conduct that would impair or debauch the child (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1), Count 11 charging 1 st degree Aggravated Sexual Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(1), Count 12 charging 2 nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by engaging in conduct that would impair or debauch the child (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1), and Count 22 charging 4 th degree Possession of a High Capacity Ammunition Magazine (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3j).

Romero pled guilty to nine counts contained in the Indictment: Count 1 charging 1 st degree Human Trafficking (N.J.S.A. 2C:13-8a(3), Count 2 charging 1 st degree Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2), Count 3 charging 1 st degree Aggravated Sexual Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(1), Count 4 charging 2 nd degree Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Sexual Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2), Count 5 charging 1 st degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(3), Count 6 charging 2 nd degree Conspiracy to Endanger the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2), Count 8 charging 2 nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by engaging in conduct that would impair or debauch the child (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1), Count 16 charging 1 st degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(3), and Count 20 charging 3 rd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by possessing child pornography (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)(b)(iii).

Allen pled guilty to five counts contained in the above-captioned Indictment: Count 1 charging 1 st degree Human Trafficking (N.J.S.A. 2C:13-8a(3), Count 2 charging 1 st degree Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2), Count 3 charging 1 st degree Aggravated Sexual Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(1), Count 4 charging 2 nd degree Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Sexual Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2) and Count 5 charging 1 st degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(3).

Gnecco pled guilty two counts: Count 18 charging 2 nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(2) and Count 19 charging 3 rd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)(b)(iii).

English-speaking YouTube dog-trainers sure have an interesting reaction to finding out Finland and Sweden prohibits confining dogs in small crates at home for extended periods. No, crates are not banned. The crates can still be used at conformation shows, at events, for veterinary care and aftercare, during transportation, for hunting trips etc. In fact, it's kind of mandatory to crate a dog in the car. Most people just leave the crate door open at home. Like a dog bed. If they have a crate as part of the furnitures.

And no, it is not required to remove the door.

It's more common to confine a dog to a room. But that room need to be sufficiently big enough. You can't just lock up a dog in the bathroom or in a closet.

And the law is selectively enforced anyway. Usually neighbours report such incidents. But, it's like, if people notice that you have a dog but don't take them outside for walks, then they start getting suspicious.

Besides, containment isn't illegal. Confined dogs have a minimum space requirement. But usually most people instead use baby-gates, playpens, kennel runs or a tie-out or a zipline (aka cable trolley) for managing their dogs. While the information isn't always available in English, there are enough second-hand references in English to figure out what laws are being referred to and to simply use a machine translator once the original source [also here] is found. Or just check the comments under blogs and videos. Usually people will share what is allowed and isn't allowed since most are bilingually fluent. Also, like, Sweden and Finland aren't the only countries where crating is either uncommon or unheard of. If one use Google, they will find other countries where the practice isn't as widely prevalent as it is in the U.S. and Canada. And only became known after Cesar Millan's books were translated from English into other languages. Gosh, wish dog-influencers actually look things up before making assumptions in their videos.

Why the Dachshund Dog in Germany Could Face Breeding Ban: Reports

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/xK7NJ

Why the Dachshund Dog in Germany Could Face Breeding Ban: Reports

Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Vsevolod Vlasenko/Getty Images Germany’s iconic Dachshund, also known as the sausage dog, could be outlawed in the country. It comes after a draft law that seeks to prevent breeding practices that cause animals to suffer. The German Kennel Club is petitioning to […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/xK7NJ #DogNews

Lester Don Holt Jr. (born March 8, 1959) is a journalist and news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, He was made the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News. He became the first African-American to solo anchor a weekday network nightly newscast.

He was ranked as the most trusted TV news anchor in America. He is known for his moderation of the first Presidential debate of 2016 and was praised by The Washington Post columnists for his role in fact-checking false statements.

He majored in Government at California State University, Sacramento. He told American Profile news magazine: “My first on-air job was actually as a disc jockey at a Country and Western station. The only time I could land a full-time gig was if I was willing to report the news.” He would keep the job with the radio station through his college years.

Career Timeline

1981–2000: CBS-owned and operated stations

1981–1982: WCBS-TV reporter

1982–1983: KNXT weekend anchor and reporter

1983–1986: WCBS-TV anchor

1986–2000: WBBM-TV anchor and reporter

2000–present: NBC News

2000–2003: NBC News / MSNBC correspondent

2003–2015: Weekend Today co-anchor

2003–2014: Today fill-in anchor

2007–2015: NBC Nightly News Weekend anchor

2011–present: Dateline NBC anchor

August 6, 2013 – September 2, 2013, and February 9, 2015 – June 18, 2015: NBC Nightly News interim anchor

June 22, 2015 – present: NBC Nightly News anchor/managing editor (added managing editor in April 2021)

He made cameo appearances in The Fugitive, U.S. Marshals; and Primal Fear, as well as on television shows, including playing himself in episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Due South, Early Edition, and Warehouse 13. He appeared on 30 Rock. He announced the 2006, 2007, and 2008 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and was featured in Making Music magazine. He hosted Mystery of the Crystal Skulls. On May 31, 2020, he delivered a virtual commencement speech for the 254th graduating class of Rutgers University. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

A Storm and a Flood, pt. 1

8 November, 2023

I was writing to our friend in Los Angeles last Thursday afternoon, responding to a message she had sent inquiring about the state of affairs in Tuscany and Italy, in general, given reports of bad weather and flooding. Some of you may recall that this past summer the Emilia Romagna region was hit with unseasonable late spring and summer rain that flooded vast areas of the flat, low lying areas and washed out roads and homes in the more mountainous areas. Francesca had to work around the problems this created for some train lines going southeast from Bologna to the Adriatic coast where she had to work.

In the last few weeks there has been a number of storms that have brought rain on the northern part of Tuscany where Prato sits nestled up against the Calvana hills (calva means bald in Italian, so it signifies that these hills have no trees on top) and close to the Apennine range that runs northwest to southeast across the country. Autumn rain is pretty usual, and as the olive picking season begins in mid to late October, the concern is always for getting the fruit picked before a big storm, or waiting after a storm to allow things to dry. This year we had a couple of short intense storms that brought rain on us, and it so happened that twice during these downpours the power went out for a bit. The first time it took the electric company several hours to restore the service. They had to drive out to the village to open up the old switch box to set things right.

Through my kids I was aware that a large storm was on the way this last weekend, but here in Prato there was little warning or announcement that anything unusual was expected. So we all went about our business as usual. We were lucky that our friend and contractor had sealed the skylight window above the stairs in the Paolo and Giovanna’s house so that the rain wouldn’t drip down inside anymore, and I had cleared the rain gutters on the upper corner where I could reach to make sure there would be as little overflow as possible. Our friend Monica, who I met in Los Angeles almost 35 years ago and now lives in the Val d’Elsa, came to Prato on Thursday morning to drop off her pet bunny rabbit at the kennel in Prato where she always does when she is going off on a trip. I picked her up at the train station and we ran out to the Villa Fiorita area near Figline on the other side of the Bisenzio from Villa Rucellai, dropped off Bambi the bunny, and then we had lunch in the big kitchen.

It was a gray day, and it was drizzling in the morning, but it was not particularly cold. As we finished our coffee after lunch Monica suggested we go for a walk, but we found that the rain was getting stronger, and while it wasn’t enough to keep us from a quick turn among the olive trees, the wet weather from the previous week had made the ground a bit muddy, so we didn’t go. I took Monica back to the train station and she caught her ride back to Firenze Rifredi where she would change for a train for Empoli and home to Castelfiorentino. It was already a sign of things to come (although not totally clear because trains around here can often run late due to work along the rails) that at 2:30, Monica caught the train that had been expected at 2:00. The train she expected to catch at 2:45 was going to be 50 minutes late. My wife was expected to arrive at 9:00 that evening coming from Lugano by way of Milan, so I sent her a message to let her know that many of the trains were delayed and to be ready for a long journey. As I drove back to Canneto, I went to the market to get milk and bread for the weekend, and the rain began to fall more steadily. Since the clocks had fallen back only recently, I was still getting to how dark it got seemingly so early in the day. The day before was the feast of All Saints, and I had been outside at the cemetery of Canneto with my wife’s cousin and my brother in law. By 5:30 things were pretty dark outside and the street lights had been on for 20 minutes or so. Only after the sun went down did we begin to feel a faint bit of cold, and it was more due to the wetness of everything than the air temperature. So I was very happy to be inside the house as the rain began to fall more steadily. My wife sent me a text to let me know that she would really love to have a salad fresh from the garden when she arrived, but I told her that it was raining and I was reluctant to go out. In fact, at that moment it was suddenly really coming down, a downpour similar to what we had had a week before, and looking out the window it appeared like a fog. Then the power went out.

It is important to note that the frantoio (the olive oil mill) was hard at work making olive oil. As different people’s loads of olive paste enter the large separator centrifuge, the machine is paused and when it begins to spin again, you can feel the vibration through the building and the lights in the big kitchen will make a reflexive dimming as an electric load goes toward the work. When the frantoio is working there is a constant hum from the machinery that you can feel and hear, and when the power goes off, there is sudden silence. The white noise drops out and all the other sound comes up.

After I lit a few candles, I noticed in the twilight outside that the rain had slowed and almost stopped. The downpour was slowing, but the accumulated water was flowing across the piazzale like a river flowing. The urge came decisively that it was the only moment to go to the garden to get some salad for my wife. The lull in the storm was only going to last so long.

The breeding strategy documents are worded strangely (paraphrasing): "We're unable to comply with both our kennel club's health recommendations and our country's animal welfare laws. While [insert dog breed] is from [insert country] because the majority of the breeding dogs are from the U.S. where line-breeding are accepted. These line-breeding practices in [insert country, multiple] violates our welfare laws. All of our imported dogs have higher than average COI. Until the U.S. breed club take responsibility for their dogs' genetics, our hands are tied. In the meantime, we recommend our breeders to [insert different tests hosted by the kennel club alongside advice from zoologists and conservation scientists]." Such passages comes up a lot in health-testing guidelines and breeding recommendations across many different breeds.

I don't think these are worded strangely. But I don't think these imply "shitty temperament from American dogs." as previous asks implied, rather a level of inbreeding in American dogs that is unacceptable in another country (one you seem unwilling to give me? I'm not an expert in these things by FAR, so why my opinion on this matters is beyond me).

I have expressed my distaste for close line breeding at the level some breeders think is okay many times, as do many people within the states. I've expressed my distaste for a lot what the AKC does and how its organized in the past as do many people within the states. The United States is huge, our dog community is huge, and we are not a monolith.

But, unless pure bred people across the entire world are willing to open studbooks, they are just washing the same clothes in the washer over and over. They're not adding anything new, even if they strive to keep COI low. With a closed gene pool there's only so much you can mitigate. If they have such a problem with American dogs they have the option to not import them. To not breed them. This will of course limit their gene pool further, so in my opinion they would also be best working in tandem with their breed's clubs in other countries, including the states, instead of stoking a divide. They could also work to only import dogs that meet their COI requirements instead of making blanket statements for an entire breed across an entire massive country. They could also import semen and pair it with bitches that aren't closely related to ensure low COI litters. Their hands aren't tied. They just don't want to take the options available to them.

595.

Do you know anyone who always makes themselves out to be the victim? Ohh god yes. I went to university with a girl like that - she never took ownership of her mistakes and she lost a LOT of friends because she wasn't ever willing to admit to doing anything wrong.

Have you ever wished you had been born the opposite sex? Nope, I don't think so.

What were some of your favorite books your parents read to you as a child? The Tiger Who Came to Tea, the Magic Faraway tree series and Bollygum.

Have you ever been insulted or called names by a significant other? Sure, but jokingly and seriously.

What’s your favorite movie battle scene? The ones in Lord of the Rings are all pretty good, especially the ones in the Two Towers.

Do you drink more frequently than once a week? No, I don't remember the last time I had alcohol actually - it was probably on New Years Eve.

Do you have any step-grandparents? I do - both my dads' parents re-married and my mum was informally adopted by her aunt and uncle so I actually have eight grandparents lol.

What is something popular that you refuse to participate in? The hype around Taylor Swift. <--- sure, let's go with that.

Do you oftentimes find it difficult to relate to other peoples’ feelings? Yeah, most definitely. That's an autistic thing though.

What’s a common misconception about your country? That we all have bad teeth. I actually read an article that said we have some of the best teeth in the world.

How far away do you live from the house you grew up in? It's probably a seven hour drive from here, give or take.

Have you ever been to a same-sex wedding? I've never attended any wedding apart from my own.

Who takes care of your pet(s) when you’re out of town? My sister-in-law looks after our cats normally, but I think going forward I'll be paying Sophie (another pet-sitter) because we now have Toby who needs tablets so I don't want to put that on family really. We take Archie with us but if we were going abroad I'd put him in kennels.

Do you practice meditation? No. I've tried it but it did nothing for me.

What’s your favorite Marvel movie? The only one I remember seeing is Dr Strange. I'm not really into that kind of thing, to be honest.

What was the last thing you wrote down on paper? A note for Mark last week about the dogs.

What’s the population of your hometown? Where I live now, around 7k. Where I grew up, around 16k.

Have you ever eaten Cajun food? What about Creole food? No and yes.

If you’ve had both, which cuisine do you prefer? .

Did you have a Walkman when you were a kid? I did! I thought I was SO cool lol.

What’s the most difficult experience you and a significant other have gone through together? I honestly don't know - looking back, nothing was actually that awful, but it certainly felt that way at the time.

What are your siblings’ names and ages? I don't have any siblings.

What’s your favorite recipe you’ve come up with? Uh, I'm really not that creative or inventive lol.

Have you ever worn false eyelashes? Nope.

Do you pay much attention to local news? Hmm, not really. I see stuff on social media but that's about it.

Have you ever attempted to pick a lock? Did you succeed? Yes and yes.

When did you last dust the baseboards in your home? I actually vacuumed them this morning lol.

Do you prefer Japanese or Korean cuisine? I've never had Korean food I don't think, so I'll go with Japanese which I really like.

What’s something you have zero tolerance for? Abuse of any kind, especially if it's towards animals and children.

Do you know anyone who could be described as a religious fundamentalist? I don't, but I find the whole fundamentalism thing weirdly fascinating. I love watching shows about it.

What was the last act of self-care you did for yourself? Uh, I don't know, arranged to see my mum this weekend?

What grammar mistake do you find the most irritating? I don't really care about other people's grammar, to be honest.

What will you be buying the next time you go grocery shopping? I just did an online order, actually. I'm just getting normal stuff.

Do you drink soda often? Yeah, everyday.