Posts Tagged ‘annnoying things’

Book Revies: Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus

May 10, 2024

This book was turned into a cable miniseries, but no drama can give you the impact of the prose of the book.

There are many ways to tell a story, but Garmus did a great job of telling us how women were regarded by men for so many centuries in western culture. This story takes place in the late 1950s—-early 1960s. Along the way, she gets in a few digs at the Catholic Church. This is global cultural influence of Christianity is what I addressed in my own book:

https://mybook.to/9798218231698

The church influences public policy as well—-to this day. Our abortion laws are based on what non-scientific people, who are given credibility—believe when live begins. You can tell how disingenuous they are—and more about controlling women, by the compromises they are willing to make, Yeah, life begins at conception, but if the fetus doesn’t LOOK LIKE a total human, then abortion is ok.

I’m a boomer, and I know my parents hoped that my ultimate goal would be to find a good husband and have a normal life with a normal family.

This story involves two individuals, Calvin Evans and Elizabeth Zott, failed by their families for various reasons. How many children today are failed by their families: not encouraging them, or saving them from bad decisions? How a many orphans are mentored realistically, not with an agenda?

While there are a few minor flaws in the story (the dog, ‘Six Thirty’, knows several hundred words. Is that really relevant?), people should know that woman were commonly treated like Elizabeth.

The Road to Hell IS Paved With Good Intentions

April 4, 2024

This has been a not-so-great week due to poor planning as well as assumptions. I turned a $1800 ‘vacation’ into a $3000 one because I neglected to actually ask my roommate to stop working, take his headphones off, and listen to me. I had told him I was going out-of-the-country for about 10 days. I did this months ago—-before I went to Dubai. I said I’d be back for 3 weeks, then go to France. Trying to plan better, to make sure I could get a ride to the airport rather than getting up 3 hours early to take public transportation, I asked him if he could drive me to the airport next Saturday because I have to be there at 6:00 for an 8:00 flight.

He looked at my itinerary and vocalized (Wo!Wo!Wo!), because he will be away for 3 days near the end of my trip. He could not take care of my dog and would not bring her to the kennel. That meant I had to arrange for boarding.

This was last Friday night, and I did not sleep well. It’s Spring Break in my area, & I really feared all good kennels would be booked full. I Googled one close to the house. It’s run by someone who has an advanced degree in animal behavior, and two of my dog training friends work there. Unfortunately, the minimum charge is $65 a night ($85 during peal times!!!).

So I called Carriage Hill, in Glenview. This kennel is older than I am. It’s run by family, so everyone involved has come up working in the kennel and learning dog behavior, They show and hunt. It’s austere, I know Delilah will be stressed and unhappy, but she’ll be safe. My tenants can’t care for her, because she hides under the bed when they try to get her out, but she’ll also nip them if she’s out in the a yard and I’m not. This is the irony of training a dog: she knows all the exercises, and comes reliably when called, but that kind of thing doesn’t change a dog’s personality.

But I also had a kerfuffle with my uncle’s wife and my sister.

Over 20 years ago, I called the health department on my brother. My sister had sent her boyfriend to help my brother with some repairs. Eric, the BF, was working outside, but when he asked Scott (bro) to use the bathroom, he opened the door and strong ammonia came out that burned Eric’s eyes and throat (there was also garbage piled up), so he went down to the gas station.

When S (sister) called to tell me this, and that she was afraid she’ have to go in there & clean up dead animals, I said, “Give me his address, I’ll call the Health Department in his town.”

Now—-as an aside—which will make sense—-before the Health Department could arrange a visit, there was a small article in the Chicago Tribune, with a photo of men carrying cages, and the story was that they had raided a snake breeder (in Scott’s town). I called S, and she laughed and told me, “It was on the front page of the Daily Herald. At first, I thought it was Scott.” We laughed….that there could be 2 of them.

Was it none of my business? Here’s the thought that went through my head: If I wasn’t mentally right, and my relatives knew this, and I had accumulated more animals than I could care for, so that my place smelled so bad that friends were physically assaulted by the odor, which was also dangerous (ammonia) wouldn’t I want them to intervene and call the Health Department?

The Health Department came out, & Scott let them in and BRAGGED that he ran a reptile breeding business. He didn’t have to let them in. He was obviously in denial, and told S later that he was already in foreclosure, but he wasn’t even cited. The Health Department called his homeowner’s association, and they gave him a five day notice…which is when he went of Bank of Dad for help once again.

Some how, this got turned into me calling the police. & 20+ years later. Scott has forgiven me, & I should accept this—as though I was the wrong one. Nobody mentions five years ago, when he was so addicted he didn’t care that he had no electricity, heat, running water, or had a hole in his roof during a polar vortex when temperatures were going to 40 below zero. I had asked S if she had heard from Scott, because our 90-year-old father was in the hospital with both a broken femur and broken neck, and Scott couldn’t be found. Apparently his phone was cut off. As least that’s what S told me, I suggested she call the police in his town (a new town…he had moved twice since being foreclosed—-& may father had bought him a mobile home to live in…at least the 4th place my father had bought for my brother), to do a wellness check. They rang the doorbell, and when Scott answered, asked if he was alright, because his sister was worried. He said he’d call her.

2 weeks later—he still hadn’t called S, and I suggested she call the police and have him involuntarily committed. That’s what she did, and that’s what they did—to detox. She went to his mobile home and found it a disaster, with the hole in the roof, and many dead animals. She cleaned up as best as she could, Scott told her there was $30,000 in commemorative coins in the unit. She ultimately did find these while cleaning up. That’s another story.

So, by taking this horrible action of having S call the police and getting Scott into detox—-I saved his live. But that was none of my business.

When my father came to, and we three girls started visiting Dad (and Dad gave ‘power of attorney’ to R, my youngest sister), he asked about Scott: where is he? Because …. three daughters aren’t worth one son.

Although Scott has come a ways emotionally these past few years, being in rehab, he has no problem insulting and trying to manipulate us. but I’m forgiven and should accept that.

I don’t talk to him, but my uncle and his wife do when he calls (every Veterans Day) . They don’t come out and say how uncomfortable they are with all of us, but claim they don’t want to get involved in the DRAMA that is my siblings…when I responded to a text my aunt had sent me (in response to me asking when we could get together—- I’ve been trying for almost 2 years)— she suggested we have Passover at R’s house, and told me that R wanted to invite Scott. I didn’t believe it.

That’s not exactly how it went down. R did not want to invite Scott, but was ambivalent when my aunt said SHE would invite him, and if I didn’t want to come, oh, well…

So she did involve herself and didn’t care that I was uncomfortable. I started the drama when I called the police (no…it was the health department)….but I should not have made a moral decision as my brother’s well being was none of my business.

Other skeletons came out: my uncle doesn’t talk to his brother—not because he wouldn’t share in paying for my grandmother’s housing—but because he called my aunt a racial slur. This as though the uncle who married the Mexican woman never made a racial remark, like denigrating Schwartz’ (what Jews call black people) or anyone from India or the Middle East towelheads.

I’m not ‘religious’, but I try to follow a Sikh ethos. I made a moral choice and got abused for it. I feel very demoralized, but this will not change the dynamic Scott has set, that everyone believes is justified.

After thinking about all this, I decided I was too old to allow them all to affect my feelings and mental health. I apologized to my aunt. uncle, & R, told them my conscious was clear, and to arrange whatever they wanted. I’ll be back in 2 weeks, so we’ll see how that goes.

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I got a wonderful review of “The Pleasure Seeker,” from Book Viral, which I will post upon my return from Europe.

Welcome back to Chicago

March 28, 2024

I had the most aggravating experience with PACE (bus operators, part of the Metropolitan Transportation authority) upon returning from overseas to O’Hare.  It is so far impossible to find out who does oversight.

Pace/Metra needs their board members to actually take their transportation or hire ‘secret shoppers’.1st—the employees at  the stop (this is at the remote parking at O’hare in Chicago)where the Pace route ends) are very rude & not helpful at all.  I can understand to a certain extent that  you have to be at the ‘column #9’ (though there is no real signage indicating where to get the bus), but when I saw the bus in the driveway, I ran to it—-as they often ignore passengers.  Driver would not let me on, she just pointed for me to go across the street.  Drivers at O’hare should not be allowed to do that. Then, she took off with an EMPTY BUS.

2. I waited for another bus.  Got on,  Put my card on the card reader, & it said INSUFFICIENT FUNDS.  You can’t pay cash—-at least she (another female bus driver) didn’t ask if I had cash.  So I had to get off.  U knew ther ewas enough money on the card. I had checked before leaving the country!  

3. I went to the  information desk. 2 Pace employees were jabbering, so I had to interrupt them.  I asked if there was a VENTRA vending machine in the building, & the employee behind the information desk just said, “No,”  & kept talking to the other. THERE ARE NO VENTRA VENDING MACHINES AT THE TERMINAL!!!!

4. So, I had to take the train back to the terminals. There are no VENTRA vending machines in the  O’hare terminals!  But at every terminal there are Jehovah’s Witnesses set up!  Seriously. that should not be allowed.  Maybe I should set up a stand next to them to promote atheism?    What happened to separating church & state? Would you allow the Hare Krishna to do their thing?

5. Where to get the card refilled?  You have to go down to the L station….in the lower level at the Blue Line Terminal—–where there are at least 5 vending machines.  My choice was to get on the Blue Line & transfer downtown to Purple, then Red line, which I did, or shlep my bag up 2 flights of stairs & take the train back to the bus depot. So… I took a very crowded train.

Now, imagine you’re a visitor, and you want to go to Rogers Park, or Skokie, or Evanston—& information sends you to the light rail  to remote parking to get a Pace Bus, but doesn’t tell you that you need a VENTRA card, so you can’t get on.  Welcome to Chicago.

But worse!!!!  I just checked my card balance online, and I have $8.25.  Way more than enough.  meaning the card reader in the bus is defective?

The city that works?  I am more than angry. Their response:

Thank you for your message to Pace’s Customer Relations Department. Your message is being reviewed and, if a response was requested, you should receive a response within 7-10 business days.

In the future, for a faster and more efficient response, you can submit information directly into our Feedback Center. Entering your question or concern directly into that portal improves the process by prompting you to provide all the information Pace needs to investigate and respond to your issue. You can even add attachments through that method.

Link to Pace Feedback Center: https://pacecsmprod.servicenowservices.com/pace.We appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us. Thank you.

It’s been 2 weeks. No response.

It’s the Same Issue: Reproductive Health & Choices

March 7, 2024

I live in Chicago, & for the past several months we’ve been getting an influx of refugees from Venezuela. The reason so many have been coming is that because we didn’t like their president (several presidents back) for his economic policies, our congress put economic sanctions on the country, and we destroyed their economy. The people coming from Venezuela are, for the most part, white, urban dwellers—and apparently either devoutly religious or culturally fatalistic. Why they don’t go to Columbia or any other Spanish speaking country is a mystery. They had to walk through several countries to get to the USA. Apparently Panama, Costa Rica, and even Mexico (I’m not suggesting either Honduras or Guatemala—also messed up royally by US foreign policy) wouldn’t do for any of these people. They have actually told volunteers they had no idea where they’d end up or what would happen, but apparently they are disappointed by the facilities they are being offered as ‘not adequate’. While I feel sorry for them (they are being bused up by DeSantis from Florida & Abbot from Texas)—& frankly—they’re right, the facilites are inadequate. We weren’t expecting them, and can’t take care of our own poor people——-the federal government has plenty of money for the military—bur dealing with the right now problem of unhoused, displaced people isn’t getting anyone’s attention…), an awful lot of these refugees are teenagers or in their early 20’s, already with at least 1 child—& pregnant to people they are not married to. They are complaining about not getting diapers for the babies….but how did they get them on their long trek?

I know: who am I to judge? I came from a culture that you don’t bear children until you can support them. It was considered a shame, an abomination. But these people have come from a culture who apparently believe using contraception is not God’s way, and the rest of us should take care of the children they bear and can’t care for.

How dare I? Bearing children is a right, right?

Well, on the opposite end of personal choice are that all male members of the South Carolina Supreme Court, which has decided to ban all abortions because the unborn (that would be people who don’t exist) have rights. & look at Alabama, where the old white guys—-not religion or philosophy majors, have decided eggs are children. They are without sin, so are more important than the rest of us who are actually breathing. The logic evades me. They’ve decided, due to philosophical or religious leanings, that if you get pregnant , if contraception failed, or you were raped , the unborn is more important and has more rights than the woman forced to carry that fetus. Decided by men who would never be in your position.

What a great country this is where a few men can decide what the rest of us should believe. This is, of course, a pretzel logic philosophy. It requires those of us who don’t believe you are born until you breath to abide by a law set by people who believe that God only takes you to Heaven if you are saved by his son, Jesus, and that all that stuff we learned in the old Testament is negated, but more, that they should decide what we should believe and adhere to.

When people bear children they can’t support, morally, the rest of us must—as they are real breathing people. But that (in theory) takes resources away from those who were born and planned, but are special needs and handicapped. How unselfish is that? I’d like to have music and art classes in our public schools, but we have to take care of the special needs kids who will always be a burden to society no matter if they are in school or not.

Meanwhile, I guess the logic is that you have rights until others who are more philosophical decide you don’t.

I Love Dolly Parton. However…..

February 23, 2024

I was going to do a book review, but last night I watched Dolly Parton’s Pet Gala on CBS, and, having worked with dogs (for almost 60 years…Yikes!), it was the train wreck I could not ignore, I guess I could go online & find out which idiots were responsible for producing this, but it doesn’t really matter. They weren’t dog lovers, that’s for sure!
Dolly—& the entertainers who performed—- were marvelous. I liked the vignette she did on dogs trained to help the physically disabled (they were from Canine Companions for Independence, a well known nonprofit which supplies trained dogs for free to those who need them),

This show could have been so much better without the dog fashion show. You know, capitalism doesn’t exist to meet needs—-it creates ‘wants’. you see it, you want it.

I have owned sighthounds for over 40 years, and unless we have a measurable windchill, my Salukis and Whippets (& now, a lurcher who looks sorta like a Greyhound) go out without coats. They have never shivered. A sweater is a fashion statement, If they need coats (we fanciers tend to call them ‘blankets’—like racing dogs wear). we buy garments to protect them from the chill.

It was sad to see so many obviously stressed out dogs dressed up in glorified doll clothes. Clothes made of satin and lace, with embellishment doodads. All these ‘garments’ would need professional dry-cleaning—using poisonous chemicals….but who thinks of that? I know, I’m a curmudgeon. Chemicals? Seriously? Yes.

You could see by their expressions and body language that these were not ‘happy’ dogs that had confidence. Even the dogs ‘cuddled’ in the audience were overwhelmed. You could tell that (for the most part) these were not ‘show dogs’.

Why do I even mention showdogs? Because dogs that are used to being ‘shown’ are used to strange situations, smells, and noises. If you’ve never been to a dog show, go! The noise you’ll hear will be from blow dryers (I kid you not) being used by obsessive people grooming at the show. You won’t, for the most part, hear barking. It’s funny going to an obedience or other performance trial, seeing the rows of crates & dogs lining up to go into the ring…no noise.

I saw a Pumi (the ears gave the breed away), a Saluki (wearing a ridiculous outfit), what I thought was a Barbet (not wearing clothes, but brushed out, big, black, and wide, that I’m sure was being mistaken for a Doodle of some sort). I saw Asian Fusion trims on Maltese & Yorkies. None of these dogs looked like they were having a good time, In 1 segment when someone was reading, and all the dogs were on mats ( down/stays—in obedience talk), the Afghan got up and walked off the stage. The other dogs held their stays, but I’m sure the Afghan had had enough.

I’m sure most people thought all these dogs were cute, and might have learned something. They were entertained by humans, but it could have been so much better. A trainer could have done a bit on teaching off leash walking, or directing a dog to go away to a target. They could have shown barn hunt, water eetrieving, explained dock diving and scentwork. They could have done something on agility, and lure coursing, They could have given a grooming demonstration showing all the different brushes, combs, and what works on different types of coats! Sure, they can do it again—but will they insist on the dog fashion show?

I know, I’m not their market. Older teenagers and college girls are the ones buying dog dresses. I’m sure their are no college loans. They won’t be going out drinking instead of saving money for a home. Thinking about that is merely irritating. Thinking these women thought the dogs were having fun because their owners are into fashion or pseudo fashion? This is how things fall apart.

Why is the Term ‘Minor’ a Legal Designation?

February 15, 2024

If you study anthropology, you learn that some actions people take are cultural and learned from other people in their culture. In some cultures, toddlers are allowed to pick up sharp knives and walk around with them. In some cultures, men believe their penises are disappearing into their bodies, and request wives to perform fellatio to prevent this. In some cultures children always sleep with their parents until they become teenagers. In Maasai (African) society, teenagers are circumcized and sent out to kill lions.

In America, since WWII, we’ve had a culture of teenage girls becoming anorexic, and more recently, for teenage boys not being able to handle a physical hormone surge with the accompanying anger, are compelled to kill others…with guns legally bought.

Did you, as a kid, ever do anything illegal that was also considered dangerous? We used to play in houses being constructed. We could have easily fallen through holes in the floor. I never shoplifted, but I had friends who did, got caught, and their parents were hauled into a hearing to let them know they had to pay. How about friends playing ball who broke windows. Parents were responsible for what their kids did.

Yes, of course the kisa are mentally ill. but when your outward behavior appears normal, and is dismissed as ‘boys will be boys’, it’s impossible to stop, especially since it’s so easy to get a gun. How ironic that you have to be 18 to buy cigarettes—and 21 in most states to buy alcohol….& your parents are considered irresponsible if they allow you to partake in alcohol and tobacco. But guns?

So I don’t understand the series of unfortunate events where Jennifer and James Crumbley were not automatically responsible for giving their teenage son Ethan a gun and refusing to believe , even when presented with evidence that he had obsessive thoughts of violence, that he was having emotional issues, & that there was at least a 50/50 chance he would use guns to kill.

I don’t understand why, when the school principal called the parents in to tell them they needed to take him home, that he was in crisis (and they didn’t), that the school didn’t call child protection, or whatever the agency would be.

And this went to trial. Oh, I guess it was deciding whether they were accessories to murders or to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. Oh, the nuances.

2 Interesting movies based on Nonfiction Books: Origins & Killers of the Flower Moon.

February 8, 2024

Having read both books, I’m sure I am not alone in wondering how these books could be turned into movies, but they are, and the screenwriters, directors and actors did really good jobs in both films.

Killers of the Flower Moon is creative nonfiction. a history of the Osage after oil was found on their land. As it was written, several Osage women were murdered by white husbands, and nobody took this seriously until a few of the Osage went to Washington, DC, to get outsiders interested in what was happening. I think Leonardo DiCaprio’s character got too much screen time, but you get the jist.

Origins is not really based on Isabel Wilkerson’s book, “Caste,” as the book is nonfiction,not really with a story line at all, but her discovery of why social stratification exists. DuVernay made it into Wilkerson’s story. As she was doing research for a book she wasn’t sure she wanted to write, her mother, husband, and sister died. At one point, someone suggests she take it easy for a while, but she says she has to keep working as she has no means of support.

I enjoyed both movies.The editing, acting, and production on both films was well done, and I hope people will see these movies and be encouraged to do more research on the stories. Dee Brown’s, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” is still in print *at least available on Amazon) & of course was a ‘banned book’ due to it being ‘slanted’ in favor of ‘Indians’. No joke. Of course, what history is depends on who’s writing it.

Wilkerson’s “Caste” is probably banned, too, even though it is historically accurate. Why would it be banned? We don’t want our kids believing their parents and grandparents were racists & Christian, do we?

******

We know of these books because they were traditionally published. That is, the authors found agents who sold them to publishers, who did marketing.

I’m not so lucky. You can read an exert of my book on Amazon if you’re not sure you want to buy the whole book: https://www.amazon.com/Pleasure-Seeker-Robyn-Michaels & here’s a link to the interview Peter Okonkwo did: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4mTh_7ZyDc

Color Linked Personality Traits in Dogs

February 1, 2024

When I started this blog over 10 years ago, I was a dog groomer. I’ve addressed this before, but when I started learning to groom dogs, in the late 1960s (as a teenager) EVERYONE involved in grooming and training dogs was a DOG PERSON: Meaning everyone was a competitor, or worked for a competition, They all knew the value of learning about breeds, breed/dog structure, animal behavior and husbandry, genetics, and doing our best to understand dogs.

Things have changed. Many of the ‘old timers’ have died and now I am an old timer. The pet industry got a bit more sophisticated about marketing goods, animals, and services, and got less ethical as time went on. The ‘fancy’—as we call ourselves—is small. Are there even 10,000 of us in the USA?

I’m a member of 4 dog clubs, and I’m, sure the average age of our membership is 60. All that indigenous knowledge will be forgotten. Many of the breeders will be forgotten.

I learned about dogs not just from mentors, but from experience. One thing I learned from PAYING ATTENTION was that in many breeds, dogs of certain colors may behave aberrantly. 

I worked for t one of the top Miniature Schnauzer breeders in the country. Miniatur Schnauzers only come in 3 colors: black, black & silver, & salt* peper, Those mostly white with party patches (& blue eyes)? No matter what those AKC papers say, there is no way those dogs can be purebred. But that isn’t the issues I’m addressing, The breeder, for a time, had several black & silver bitches. gorgeous dogs. She had bought them to include into her breeding program, but ended up selling the, She told me they were way more hyperactive than the others, and screamers. I didn’t really think about it at the time, but my sister recently bought black & silver Min. Schnauzer…and it’s true. He’s very hyoperactive and noisy.

I was working in a grooming shop in the early 2000s, and I had several clients with Tibetan Terriers. They come in as many colors as Lhasa Apsos. ”Lion color” in s ; popular (a black masked reddish/fawn. But so are black & white parti-colored Tibetans, and they were all more nervous and noisy int eh shop than the Tibetans of other colors.

I was working for a German Shorthaired Pointer breeder who was also a field trial judge. He was telling us about a client who had a black Labrador Retriever that died, and now she wanted a chocolate Lab. He told us he tried to talk her out of it, for the very reason they were all much more hyper active than the blacks and yellos. It was the reason few regular hunters wanted them.

I was telling all this to a French Bulldog fancier who compete in performance, and she remarked at how interesting that was.  She told me that if you wanted a performance Frenchie, you should get a fawn or brindle, that the parti0coloreds & piebalds didn’t have any attention span.

I am sure this color linked personality has to be true in other breeders, but I don’t have enough experience with that many.

What I do have experience with is designer dogs—the Doodles. Only breeders who breed pets as livestock are breeding mixes, and the irony is thay pull that “F1″ BS, as thouhg theyknow what they’re talking aobut, They know neighter genetics or statistical odds.

I’m Not a Breeder—My (pet) Just Had Babies: It’s a Miracle (of Greed)

January 28, 2024

The irony of this: notice all the ‘ads’ for puppies! Just exactly what this post warns about….

419 Online Sellers/ Scammers (particularly of puppies & kittens)

January 18, 2024

This is a photo of a Maltese I groomed, and it’s been stolen & recopied by scammers.

Ok, I’m not sure how this happened—-obviously a algorithm thing, but I started getting posts from a FB feed: Bad Breeder and Scammers List, and I am appalled that people can’t find ethical fanciers/hobby breeders by a Google search. At least I think I figured out why, and why buyers are getting scammed..

Before I get into how scammers scam and get away with it, are you old enough to remember Nigerian Princes and estranged wives of African leaders whose millions were tied up and couldn’t be released except to an American bank account? Have you ever used a dating site? Well, this is a succinct description of how it works: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/419eater.com This page goes into detail (just 1 well designed page) .

It started with the bank thing, moved on to dating sites (all a guy has to say is that he’s a Christian, and lonely, rich, vulnerable women fall for the most inane bs), but hasn’t seemed to gotten to Amazon—maybe because they ask for bona fide banking info before allowing you to misrepresent what you sell. The scammers moved on to selling pets. Well—actually, in many cases, not delivering anything. They say they will send you a puppy. Just send them money via Zelle or a gift card. Some rich naive trusting souls have been scammed more than once. Baffling that people could be so stupid.

They post a lot on Facebook : Labrador Retrievers for Adoption and Rehoming ( put your breed and puppies into the FB search & see what comers up). Many designer dogs breeders, but also slapped together FB pages of sellers who’ve stolen photos (the photos of dogs that many fanciers own), and in some cases spoofed whole web pages, merely changing the name & email.

During COVID, when I was at home, i checked out 1 such scammer who posted on Craigslist. He listed his website. Never mind that pet sales are not allowed on Craigslist. Craigslist is run by libertarians who expect the community to ‘flag’ fraudulent & illegal posts. If you read their posting rules & list of prohibited items, they’re pretty clear about what isn’t allowed. However, it’s just to cover the company ass; you can’t sue Craigslist if you fell for a scam. If you had read the rules, you would have been warned.

In any case, this guy selling English Bulldogs set up a classy website. Nothing about why he was breeding dogs. All were photos of the parent dogs & their puppies. Some of the parent dogs had AKC names, so I Googled those names and found the dogs to be owned by others. In any case, although there was a contact email (gmail) in the website, & what credit cards the scammer took, no physical address. Not even a town or closest airport. I can understand not putting an address in…but how about the city or town where you’re located? i contacted the web host & told them why I thought the site was a scam, and they took it down. But I know he was a drop in the bucket. He probably put up another website. Like playing whack-a-mole.

It is a huge industry in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Russia, China to flimflam Americans—& we’re so easy to flim flam. They steal photos of hunky guys & post on dating sites and have really good backs stories. They post on Facebook, Craigslist, anywhere you can post for free. They steal photos and whole web pages, just changing the contact info. They pay for SEO search terms. Thus, if you’re looking for a particular kind of dogs, the places where they sell come up first on Google search engines.

So, a buyer is looking for, say, a Labrador Retriever. Her ‘key word search’ is ‘Labrador Retriever Puppies’. This is what came up for me:https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=labrador+Retriever+puppies+

I was happy to see “AKC Marketplace” in top, but if you open the page, you will find many commercial breeders, not necessarily ”Breeders of Merit”. The AKC only cares about registration, not genetic soundness. A site called “Puppies.com” and commercial kennels also come up. The parent club contact is embedded in the AKC Marketplace page, but from experience, I know that the link may lead to nothing, Why doesn’t the Labrador Retriever Club of America 
Home – The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.thelabradorclub.com
 website come up on the 1st Google page? The club doesn’t pay for key words. Maybe they don’t think it’s a problem.

I next Googled “Yorkshire Terrier Puppies”. Again, AKC marketplace comes up. Yes, they are AKC registered, but you see that most of the parent dogs are not AKC champions. A link to the parent club, again, is embedded. keep scrolling, and many many links come up to commercial breeders, but you wouldn’t know the parent club: http://www.theyorkshireterrierclubofamerica.org/ exists.

I’m sure that if you buy a dog off AKC marketplace, you will get a puppy. Will it be free of liver shunt, juvenile cataracts, & luxated patellas? These issues are not mentioned. The site is so breeders can sell puppies.

i googled “Afghan Hound Puppies,” & again the AKC marketplace is #1. Very good, AKC, & I see most of the breeders are ‘Breeders of Merit,” & the parent club comes up on the first page!

But again, I suggest you Google your breed.

Now, since the AKC marketplace comes up 1st or near 1st, why are people still getting bamboozled? Facebook marketplace & Craigslist.

I know that we can’t protect people from their own naivete or laziness, but if you are a dog fancier, and you care about your breed, do a little research & make sure people looking for your breed can find actual; fanciers who love your breed enough to follow the breed standard & do all the genetic CERF tests.