Been helping process data at SETI Live lately... No, I haven't found any aliens yet, but lots of random Earth-based radio signals! The idea of the project is to recruit a bunch of random joes to look at the signals and teach the computer how to recognize Earth-based signals, eventually narrowing things down to get just signals from space, which can ( Read more... )

In my psychology classes, I learned about something called the "Mirror test", which is designed to determine if an animal has a sense of self. Human infants can pass this test at 18 months ( Read more... )

Lots of people I talk to about having cats will say something like, "Well, I wouldn't mind having a cat; but I just couldn't stand the litter box."

...Yes, the title is a bad pun. So sue me. (Not that you'll get much, considering that, by law, I have to keep my net worth under $1500.)

So, let's talk litter boxes.

Here's the thing. Litter boxes are ( Read more... )

Because Aspies in general are pretty smart, shouldn't we just be able to 'stop being weird ( Read more... )

Mercy: 4-year-old pound hound with behavior and anxiety problems. Latest problem: Getting her to walk nicely on a leash--not just for her owner, but for anyone who happens to be on the other end of the leash!

Wonder of wonders, during the past week, Mercy "got it" quite suddenly, and is now heeling. No kidding--I would've been happy with just 'not ( Read more... )

December 28, 2006 - January 2, 2007

Just like anyone not jaded enough to avoid the custom, Mercy seems to be making some New Year's resolutions. Whether she's going to keep them is anybody's guess...

Resolution 1: I will not pee in the house.

Mercy has been wonderful about her housetraining. The accident she had next to the door on Christmas day has ( Read more... )

December 24-27, 2006

We've had a decent few days here. Bear and Simon went home for Christmas, so Mercy had to spend two days without her canine pack. She was pretty bored, despite a few games of tug-of-fetch.


( Read more... )

December 20, 2006

It's raining. Still. Unlike the boys, who are gleefully playing in the mud, Mercy absolutely hates going out into the rain. This has resulted in a wet spot on the carpet (soaked up with a towel and deodorized with pet-odor cleaner).

When I took her out she absolutely refused to leave the covered porch--just pulled back on the leash ( Read more... )

Tuesday, December 19
Today was a boring day for Mercy. Mostly, it was because I was silly enough not to tie my sneakers properly yesterday, resulting in a big blister on my heel, which in turn caused a lack of walks for Mercy. I took the opportunity to collect the muddy toys from the yard and wash them; they cleaned up fine. I even resurrected the ( Read more... )

I've been asked to take care of my housemate's dog Mercy. She's a beagle/foxhound mix with a beautiful face, a great personality, a history of neglect and shelter time, and a talent for getting out of everything from fenced yards to tightly-buckled harnesses.

Since Mercy's owner tells me she will have periodic Internet access over the holidays, I'm ( Read more... )