Even if an owner doesn't love it, I wouldn't wish for an eagle to eat it anymore than I'd wish an eagle would eat a cat that pees on a bed.

I took that as the same kind of hyperbole we all use from time to time when we're annoyed, and saying we wish certain politicians (or whoever) would die bloody. I don't think Erin really wants an eagle to eat the dog. I think she was annoyed that it barks all the time, that's all.

I know. That's why I am commenting on other's comments, correlating the value of the doggie's life with being loved by somebody.

Please, people make jokes all the time about drop-kicking small dogs, or wishing they'd die. I don't think it's funny. I don't care if the dog's happy or not. I don't care if the people can't take care of it. It's not funny, it upsets me, and I wish you guys wouldn't do it.

Even if an owner doesn't love it, I wouldn't wish for an eagle to eat it anymore than I'd wish an eagle would eat a cat that pees on a bed.

I'm vehemently opposed to animal abuse of any sort. No question.

But I imagine if I were woken up or kept awake by a barking dog or a peeing cat, I might think/express my anger/displeasure in a hyperbolic manner that I don't actually mean but it's how I'm processing my anger/displeasure at the time. Better to say, "I wish an eagle would eat that dog!" than to go next door and scream at it or throw things at it.

Erin has never seemed like an animal abuser to me, and yes, this is a situation of how well do you know someone's character, but I'm pretty sure she didn't actually literally mean she wanted the yappy dog to die in any way much less be eaten by an eagle.

Sometimes people express their frustration in hyperbolic speech. I tend to fall more on the end of accepting that as just that -- an expression of frustration, not a true wish for harm to befall an animal/person.

I understand that other people's tolerances for such things are different than mine. And I guess, based on that, I'm not even sure why I'm posting this, except to say I don't think Erin is advocating animal abuse/harm.

That's why I am commenting on other's comments, correlating the value of the doggie's life with being loved by somebody.

If you mean my first comment, where I agreed with Theo and then expanded, I did not correlate the value of an animal's life with whether it was loved by someone.

I said that ownership of an animal does not automatically means that the owner loves that animal, unfortunately.

t edit Or I might be misunderstanding what you mean, in which case I'm sorry.

I don't want to keep this going (especially since posting on an iPhone is hell) but I will respond once for clarity. I didn't misunderstand, my point was that EVEN IF an owner was mistreating a dog, resulting in that dog being yappy, the dog's value is the same. I mentioned the peeing cat to contrast that it's misbehavior doesn't warrant it any less love than a yapping dog. And it's been mentioned here before that jokes about hurting cats were not taken well, and I would assume jokes about hurting dogs would be equally uncared for.

No one is saying Erin is abusive! Geez.

my point was that EVEN IF an owner was mistreating a dog, resulting in that dog being yappy, the dog's value is the same.

I didn't mean that the dog's value was any less. I apologize for implying that it was, because I absolutely don't think animals' lives and value are negotiable.

I'm sorry, and I will drop this.

No, I got your ETA after my post; we're good. Thanks Teppy.

So, I went to the library, picked up my new suit, and bought a wedding card. Now I am tired. I have had too many stairs in my day already. Luckily I don't have to do anything before this party except get ready for it.

Halloween amusement of the day so far: Woman in skimpy gladiator costume, walking with friend in corduroys and a jacket. The cords were brown, and her hair seemed to have a green tinge to it, so I'm guess some kind of tree costume, but she basically just looked fully-clothed.

Please, people make jokes all the time about drop-kicking small dogs, or wishing they'd die. I don't think it's funny. I don't care if the dog's happy or not. I don't care if the people can't take care of it. It's not funny, it upsets me, and I wish you guys wouldn't do it.

I hear you, Dana.

It was hyperbole; I don't usually mind barking dogs -- dogs bark, lizards hiss, ok -- but this is the SHRILLEST, MOST CONTINUOUS barking I have ever heard. And it's next door.

What I perhaps should have said, upon waking from listening to this dog yap since 6 am, for the third or fourth day in a row, to my much beloved kitty peeing on my leg, to which I responded with a gritting of teeth and muttered curses and no animal harm, because I don't do that, before I had any coffee, is that I wish that fucking yappy dog would shut the fucking fuck up.

I do not wish it, or any other dog, harm. We don't even have eagles in my hood. I just want it quiet(er).

I am sorry if this upset you; I never imagined it would, and I won't do it again. I didn't think I needed to police clear hyperbole so much.

I am, perhaps, a touch too cranky this morning.

msbelle, I hope Mac chills out, and comes back and you can clean your house and have a pleasant day.