Keyboard

When writing on an Ipad, the keyboard is in the screen. This is a little difficult to use for me, with my paws. Ordinary keyboards are easier, there I can use my claws, if I feel the need. The screen keyboard does not react to the touch of a claw, though. Well, I am lucky I am a rather small dog, with small paws. It can be done.

Unable To Plan Ahead

We all always get to go out late at night. Then again, sometimes, some of us will still want to go out at a later hour to do their stuff. I never need to, I can plan ahead. Tonight, again, one of the other dogs disturbed all of the rest of us, asking to go out. It is rather inconsiderate, not to foresee the needs of the night and doing something about it before it becomes urgent. Well, it is still very rare that we are disturbed in this way, which is good.

Qualification Round Without Dogs

The Swedish qualification to the Eurovision Song Contest is finished as of tonight. Sandra Nielsen won with a slow song that I cannot remember. I guess most Swedes wanted it to win, but the international jury groups was more into Ace Wilder, who ended second. I did not vote. I will never vote, unless there is a good song about a dog or dogs. I wonder why noone ever writes such a song. There are so many songs about love, but not about the love of a dog. Well, miracles may happen another year.

Nice Friday Night

I got to go with Paula and Daniel to Paula's parents tonight. I always enjoy such visits. It is different from my everyday life, yet common enough to be familiar. I love Paula's parents. Another thing that I love, is good meat, and I got some of the same kind of meat that the humans had for dinner. This was great. All in all, a great evening. If the rest of the weekend is this nice, there will not be a thing to complain about.

Technical Problems

There was something wromg with the Internet connection, I could not load the page to write in my blog. Now I can, but it is late and I feel tired. Karstuhl's pup is doing fine, Karstuhl has told me. This is the main focus right now, so when the pup is all right, everything feels fine. You do not care much about Internet connections not working properly, when the pup os doing all right.

Cutting Claws

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Paula and Daniel cut the claws of my daughter Soya tonight. At first, I was not worried at all. I trust my humans. Then Soya started to scream, and she did not stop. I figured they had cut one claw to short, so it hurt and bled, and became worried. However, everything was all right, once Soya came back down to me. Soya was not hurt at all. I was actually a bit embarrased on her behalf, pups her age normally do not scream this much just for having their claws cut. Well, I am a mother, and it is my duty to look after my pup. I love her, regardless of her unnecessary screams.

Crimea

There is almost a war starting in southeastern Europe, on the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea. Whenever there is a war among humans, dogs tend to fare bad. For all the dogs in Crimea, I hope for a peaceful solution to this crisis.

Grandpup

Humans say they have a grandchild, if they have a child who gets a child of its own. Dogs get pups, not children. Thus, the pup that my daughter Karstuhl has got now, must be my grandpup. So far, I have not met her. It is the habit of dogs that the mother is alone with her pups for the first weeks, and the pup is just two weeks today. I am looking forward to seeing my grandpup. Eventually, I will.

Any Ideas for a Blog Post?

I know I have some readers, when I write this blog. My blog service provider have statistics showing this. Once in a while, I am not so sure what to write about in this blog. I would therefore like to invite my readers to suggest topics for blog posts. You may do this by commenting on this post. It moght be that I do not do anything about every idea right away, but I will be grateful for all ideas I can get. What do you say, do you have any ideas?

Early Spring

It is the first day in March, but it feels more like April. We have an early spring this year. There have been many days with temperatures above the freezing point lately, and just a little snow is left in small piles here and there. It is damp and muddy outdoors. I think I would prefer a little more true winter. The weather is not ours to decide upon, however. Perhaps this is a good thing, it gives us something to talk about and complain about, while we know noone is to be blamed. Thus, nobody can take offence, when we whine. This may feel relieving once in a while.

Not Really Dog Candy

Paula bought candy today. Some of it was shaped like dogs, and red and sweet. It was not dog candy, though. I did not fancy it. Somehow, it was like eating dogs. Cannibalism is nothing for me.

Princess

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Last Thursday, a new Swedish princess was born. Yesterday, we learned she will be called Leonore and will be Duchess of Gotland.

Last Monday, my own princess was born, my pup Soya. She is the most important being in my life now. I wonder of I can call her Duchess of something. That would be cool.

Ukranian Zoo

There has been a revolution in Ukraine, and President Yanukovych has been dethroned and has fled. He has loved a lofe in luxury in the generally poor country. One of the concerns now is what will happen to the property he left behind. Out of this property, I worry the most about the animals of his private zoo. Inanimate things is one thing, they can await new decisions, but domesticated animals need care. I hope they will be well provided for.

Gathered

Paula was away from home last weekend, Daniel was away last night. Tonight, they are both home. It always feels best when the whole family is gathered at home.

Ice Hockey Silver

The mens' ice hockey final in the Olympics was played today, the last day of the games. Canada was the better team, when facing Sweden. The end result for Sweden is, thus, two gold medals and a good amount of silver and bronze medals. The Norwegian cross conry skier Marit Björgen won three gold medals herself. This only goes to prove what I wrote by the start of the games, thar Norway is the best of Winter Olympic countries. I wonder what Sweden can do to be better.

Understanding Humans

A human scientist in Hungary has conducted MRI scans on dogs, realizing that we have areas in our brains that react to human sounds in the same way as primates do. This would suggest to this scientist that dogs really do understand human sounds and language. I guess he has never had a dog himself, otherwise he would know we do understand human languages, and many words. Well, it is nice that he makes the research, because the results may convince humans who do not have dogs.

Olympic Results

Sweden beat Finland in the ice hockey semi final in the Olympics today. We would have hoped Sweden would meet Mum's home country America in the final on Sunday (where April and Calvin are from, too), but in the other semi final, Canada won. Now we have to hope for the USA in the bronze game and Sweden in the final.

What was more important, though, was that the Swedish mens' curling team won bronze, thus not letting China get a medal in this sport. China is a dictatorship, and many people eat dogs there, so I really dislike that country.

Sweden has had a good harvest of medals so far. I would just want to have a few more gold medals. There are chances left, such as in ice hockey, but also in cross country skiing. We hope for the best.

Meat and Macaronies

We got good food today, with meat sauce and macaronies in it. Nevertheless, Karstuhl got even better food. This is just because she has a newborn pup to take care of. I understand why she gets more extra food than the rest of us, but I cannot help being a little jealous anyway. You cannot help having hunger for good food, it is only natural.

Suitable Weather

It is February, but over the last days, we have had temperatures well above the freezing point and most of the snow has melted. Today has been different, though. The temperature has been below the freezing point all day, and in the evening, snow started to fall. This should not be a surprise for anybody. We live in a country where February is usually a winter month. The Winter Olympic Games is shown on TV. It is only suitable that we have winter weather again.

Grand Mother

I have become grand mother of yet another dog. My daughter karstuhl gave birth to a baby bitch yesterday. It feels great to be called grand, I think. It will be interesting to get to know this little pup, once she is old enough to meet other abult dogs than her mother.

A New Pup

Hello, Karstuhl here!

I gave birth to a beautiful little black and tan girl this evening. It was not an easy delivery, but totally worth it. Now I know what I will devote all my time to for the upcoming weeks. I love her so much!

Another Gold

The Swedish ladies won the ski relay yesterday. Today, the Swedish men did the same. It was exciting to watch. I am disappointed with Norway, though, ending up without medals in any of these relays. Norway is my late Dad's home country, so it is one of the other countries I hope for in the Olympics. So is Mum's USA and Japan, home of our breed, but neither of those countries have anything to compete with in cross country skiing.

My Poodle friends were happy that France, home country of their breed, won bronze in the relay today. It was the first ever French cross country Olympic medal, so it was really something.

Ski Competition and Melody Competition

It was the Olympic Ladies' Relay in skiing today, and Sweden won its first gold medal. We were all happy about this.

In the evening, the third round of the Swedish qualifications to the Eurovision took place. Daniel voted for the song that came last. He is not that sorry, he feels confident in his own taste of music, nevertheless. I did not vote. There is still no songs about dogs, so I abstain.

Valentine's Day

It is Valentine's Day, a day when humans celebrate love. I recently got out of heat, so my male Shiba friends did not flirt with me, regardless of Valentine. We have different customs than humans. Paula and Daniel had a little celebration of their love, though.

World Record

A young Japanese figure skater set a new world record today in the Olympic games. You can trust the Japanese to do amazing feats. I am proud of my Japanese roots.

One Year Old!

Hello, Orange here!

Today is my first birthday. It is special in a way. At the same time, I imagined it to be more special than it has turned out to be. It is not that I am disappointed, far from it, but over all, it is a good, albeit rather normal day. We got more good food than usual, pasta upon my own request. Good food and treats always make for a great day. I feel happy.

Spring

Hello, Orange here!

I am soon one year old. Very soon, it is indeed tomorrow that is my birthday. The first times that I was outdoors as a little pup was in the spring. Now spring is coming back. I have learned that the seasons come back annually like this. While I enjoy the snow, it is nice with a little warmer outdoor temperatures and more hours of daylight. February must be a good month in this way, and not just because I was born this month. I wonder what my birthday will be like.

Sochi Stray Dogs Saved

A lot of my faith in Russian humanity is restored. The stray dogs of Sochi are safe. The earlier news that the city officials of the olympic venue city of Sochi would kill off a lot of stray dogs is no longer true. A Russian woman has built a makeshift dog shelter in the mountains above Sochi, where a lot of dogs have found temporary refuge. A Russian man, who is a billionaire, has put up the money needed, in large part thanks to a stray dog whom he adopted and loved when he was a child. Now they are searching for permanent homes to these dogs. I do hope a lot of Russian dog loving families are around and will adopt dogs from Sochi.

Why Norway Wins So Many Winter Olympic Medals

I read this interesting article about Norwegian winter sports and why Norway is such a great Winter Olympic nation. Norway has won more winter olympic gold medals than any other nation, despite its population of only five million people, about half of Sweden's population. Of course, my Dad was from Norway and could tell me a lot about this, but this article reinforced what he always told me. It makes me proud of my Norwegian background.

Tokyo' s New Mayor

Tokyo has a new mayor, Yoichi Masuzoe. He had the backing of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party. An important difference between him and his main contenders was also that he is in favour of restarting the Japanese nuclear power plants, that has been idle since the 2011 tsunami and nuclear faliure at Fukushima. He has the same view as the PM and cabinet in this issue. I guess restarting the nuclear power plants can be a good idea. Lessons have been learned since 2011, it is unlikely any such accident may happen again. It is also good to counter the use of fossil fuel such as oil and natual gas. We will see what happens.

Olympic Games

The Olympic Winter Games have started in the Russian town Sochi. Sweden has got results already, a silver medal in ladies' skiathlon. Norway is leading the medal league, though. This should not be a surprise to anyone interested in winter sports. My late father, who was from Norway, must be happy in Heaven.

East Sea?

The legislators in the US State of Virginia has enacted a law requiring all school textbooks to state that the Sea of Japan has two names. This sea, between Japan and Korea, has always been called the Sea of Japan in English, but people of Korean descent in Virginia has claimed that the Korean name should also be included. They say the single reference to the name Sea of Japan make them feel hurt, because it is the Japanese name and Japan occupied Korea for some decades before and during the Second World War. The Korean name of this sea is, in translation to English, East Sea.

Well, in English, the sea between Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and Denmark is called the Baltic Sea. The Swedish, Danish, and German names are essentially the same, and would be East Sea, if translated into English. Perhaps people in Virginia of Swedish, Danish, and German descent should also whine about the name of a sea in school text books, claiming that the Baltic Sea should also be called East Sea?

I think the legislators in Virginia have made fools of themselves. You cannot, you should not try to, alter traditional names in your own language by legislation, neither for politically correct reasons, as in this case, nor for any other reasons that I can think of. I do not only say this because of my own Japanese roots as a Shiba Inu, I think this must be a general rule for any legislators.

I wonder what the rest of the English speaking world will do. The most probable thing is, they will not do anything. If the new alias for the Sea of Japan ever comes into general use, it will not be anytime soon.

Pangaea

It has been said that a long, long time ago, all of the continents of Earth were stuck together as a giant continent. This ancient continent is usually called pangaea. These days, we do not need a continent stickning together. Thanks to human inventions, humans and dogs can go anywhere in the world, even across the oceans, despite being land living animals. In a way, human civilisation has created its own Pangaea. As a dog, I am thankful for being part of it. It does give us great possibilities in life.

Composer Mamoru Samuragochi, a Fraud

The Japanese classical music composer Mamoru Samuragochi has admitted that he is a fraud. He has not written the music he has claimed to be his own since the mid 1990's. Mamoru Samuragochi has become known not just for his music, but also for being a composer despite having turned deaf. He has, thus, been called a Japanese Beethoven. Now he admits that he has had a ghost writer since 1996, even though the ghost writer did not write everything, at least not from the start. I think it is sad that a composer has felt the need to do this. A lot of people are angry with him, and I understand why. They feel cheated. It is as if you would hope a beautiful dog would win Best in Show, only to discover later this dog had a disqualifying fault that was hidden from the judges and audience. I hope this is an odd case, that most classical composers are actually the composers who they claim to be.

Claws

Hello, Karstuhl here!

We had our claws cut today. This is one downside with being civilised and living mostly indoors in a protected environment. Wolves never have to have their claws cut, because they use them in a way that makes them naturally short. It is not fun having the claws cut. The bright side, however, is getting a treat afterwards. Wolves never get treats.

Horrible News from Sochi

Stray dogs are killed in Sochi. This is terrible. Dogs should not be strays, but strays should not be killed, they should be taken care of. Can I watch the Olympic Games with peace in my mind, when I know this? I am not sure I can.

Old Songs

Paula is playing songs from older Swedish Song Contests. She says many of them are much better than the current songs. I was not around back then, so I cannot remember them from before. Maybe she is right. There are some nice songs, anyway. No songs is about dogs, though. I think song writers make mistakes when not making more songs about dogs. There are so many songs about love, why not the love from a dog?

Seattle!

It is Super Bowl Sunday. The contestants are Seattle and Denver. We do not know much about this sport, but since Mum is from Washington, as is Seattle, of course, we hope Seattle will win. Go, Seattle!

Coming Home

It has been a great weekend with Mia and Stefan, but still, there is no place like home. I came home this evening. It was nice seeing the pack again. Reaffirming my position was done in a few moments, then everything was back to normal. I like it at home.

Qualification Round for the Qualification Round

Today was the first night of the four "semi finals" of the Swedish Song Contest. This is actually the first out of four qualification rounds for the Swedish qualification round to the Eurovision Song Contest. It is, thus, a qualification round for the qualification round. As such, it is never surprising that some of the songs are bad. This night, none of the songs were great, though some were good. It remains to be seen which song will be my favourite in the Swedish qualification round.

This Is Strange

I published a blog post last night, after midnight, or so I thought. This evening, my blog service said this blog post was still just a draft. I published it, but it came after the last blog post. Still, the blog service information said seven people had read it. How could people have read it, if it was a draft? Sometimes, I just think no answer can be found.

Paula on a Thursday

I realize I am writing this after midnight between Friday and Thursday, but that is how some things are.

Paula was off from work today, Thursday. This is one of the perka of working in the weekends too. She did not leave home, but spent all her tome woth us. This is my favourite kind of Thursday.

Weekend Trip

This Friday afternoon, I went out on the countryside with Mia, Paula's sister. I will spend the weekend with Mia and her fiance Stefan. It is exciting, it is not every week that life turns different like this.

There is also a cat where Mia and Stefan lives. His name is Kurt. I would want to be friends with him, but it is not easy to charm him. Cats have different ways of comminication than dogs. I need to figure Kurt out.

New Snow

Hello, Orange here!

We got more snow this morning. It seemed like I was the only one rejoicing. Daniel was not amused that he had to shovel the driveway again, whoch I can understand, but the other dogs could have shown some more enthusiasm. Am I really the only one still loving the snow? It is not that they were unhappy about it, but there were no wagging tails, either. Oh well, the main thing for me is to feel happy about my own love for the snow, is it not?

Pie

Paula baked a pie tonight. It smelled great in the kitchen the whole night. I wish I had got to taste some, but we had alreadye aten. paula promised us some pie for tomorrow, though. I am looking forward to it.

Going Along

Paula did not go herself to her work today, Daniel gave her a ride. He also picked her up after work. I got to go with him both times. This was extra fun in the afternoon, since we went by Paula's parents for a little while. I like it when I must not stay at home all day.

Politics

Daniel is a politician in his spare time. He devotes quite a lot of time on it. Today, his political party decided who will be its candidates for the 2014 city council election. Daniel was chosen on a spot making it safe to say he will be elected and get a prominent position in the city council. We are very proud of him. And wish him good luck in the election.

Judgment

I read this judgment on animal cruelty from Svea Court of Appeals of the 21st of January this year (case no. B10203-13). A man was sentenced to fines for being cruel to his puppy. This makes Me both glad and sad. I am glad the man was fined, but I am sad that any human would be cruel to a puppy. I hope the dog is better of now.

Junior Master Chef

We have another cooking competition on, on TV. This time, children are competing, and they are really good chefs. The show is called Junior Master Chef. I was just a little disturbed when one of the judges ruled that one dish was not good enough, by comparing it to dog food. What is wrong with dog food? This should be a positive description of any dish.

Late Meeting

This evening, Daniel was away. He was at a political meeting, which is quite all right in it self. The trouble was, the meeting went on and on, so he came home really late. We were all disappointed with him. At least, he could have called us, or something. There are so many ways to communicate these days.

Giving Paula a Ride

Paula was away visiting a friend tonight. Daniel and I went to get her, when she wanted to get home. It is always nice to be at service like this for the ones you love.

Ultra Sound

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Paula took me to the veterinarian today. She wanted to confirm what I already knew: I am expecting pups. I am not comfortable with the ultra sound checking for pups, but Paula was glad to see at least one pup for sure. I expect to deliver the pups in February. This is a good month, I was born on the 19th of February and my first litter on the 15th of February. It feels good.

A Japanese and a Swede in Caterham

The Caterham Formula 1 team will have a perfect driver line up this year, at least if you are to judge from the nationality of the drivers. The experienced Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi will be the number one driver, while rookie Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson will be number two. It is also worth mentioning that Marcus Ericsson won the 2009 Japanese Formula 3 championship, so they both have connections with Japan. How can you go wrong with a combination of Japan and Sweden?

Basic Rules for Swedish Dog Breeders

The Swedish Kennel Club has enacted new basic rules for dog breeders, which came into force on the 1st of January this year. If you are thinking of getting a dog, remember that every serious dog breeder in Sweden follow these rules. You can find them on the homepage of the Swedish Kennel Club or by following this link. These rules are in Swedish. If you do not know Swedish, at least make sure your Swedish breeder know about these rules.

Crisp Rain

Rain of crisps is sometimes falling in our kitchen. It is mostly Paula who make this happen. I like it, because I really like crisps. Tonight, though, only Mum and Calvin was in the kitchen when the rain fell. This felt a little unfair. I have to do what I can to be in the kitchen next time there is a crisp rain.

Hunter

Hello, Karatuhl here!

My son Suzuki, who lives in Finland, has started a career as a hunting dog. He hunts hares with his humans and may soon start to hunt bigger game. I like this. Hunting is a traditional Shiba occupation and a worthy occupation of any dog. I wish him all the luck!

OK, This Is Enough

We wanted some snow, all of us. We now have snow on the ground. Still, the snow has kept falling all night and all day. Daniel has shoveled the driveway three times today. It is about two decimetres of snow now. This is enough, we do not need any more snow. Enough is enough.

Learn How to Draw!

Dog shows are often the subject of critizism for being too focused on the looks of the competing dogs. Dog shows can be described as the dog fashion industry, so in part, it is natural that it is about looks.

The dog show world is, however, nothing compared to the human fashion industry. Many female human fashion models and acresses are photographed, but then the photographies are manipulated in many ways to make the woman look "more than perfect". This means that she often look unnaturally thin, but not as unhealthy as such a thin person would normally look like.

I believe a photography should be a picture of the real world, not an idealized fantasy world. The manipulated photographies probably affect the viewers more than the manipulators think, because the viewers presume the pictures show the real women.

If you want to make pictures of "more than perfect" fantasy women, I believe you should learn how to draw. Many comic book heroines look "more than perfect". However, since the viewers recognize the pictures as drawings right away, even on a subconscious level, they do not presume this is what real women would look like. A good drawing can make a great fantasy come to life, a photography should not.

Tax Deduction for Dogs

Hello, Karstuhl here!

The Administrative Court of Appeals of Stockholm has ruled (case no. 4147 - 4152-13, judgment 19 Dec. 2013) that a man could not get a general tax deduction for having a dog which he used in the line of duty. He does not work full time with his dog on duty, but just part time. The court therefore says that his expenses for the dog is private costs. He could not prove that he had had certain costs, either.

In one sense, I can understand the court. It rules according to the present Swedish tax laws. On the other hand, I believe every human should get tax deductions for each dog they have. Dogs are such an asset to any person. For instance, it is proven time after time, that dogs make humans live longer and happier. I would suggest a common tax deduction for each dog registered as belonging to a certain human. This would be a great political reform.

Green Spaces are Positive for Mental Health

Human scientists have found that living in or near trees, grass, and other growing things, has a lasting positive effect on your mental well being. This sounds reasonable. I believe it is the same thing with dogs. It is better to have a lawn to run around and play on, than a hard asphalt square. Parks, trees, small areas of grass, are essential for every dog taking a walk outside (you all know why, but it is not only that). It makes sense that it would be equally essential for humans. After all, we all developed in green surroundings, so it is the natural habitat for us.

Snow!

There is snow on the ground now. Quite a lot of it, actually. We are all happy, except for Daniel, who is annoyed when showeling it away from our driveway. Well, you cannot expect everybody to be fully happy about a thing, can you? Daniel does see advantages with the snow, he says the white snow makes the gloomy winterland brighter, which is good. I like that, too.

Rain, Rain, Rain

The rain is pouring down today. It is getting quite frustrating for us wh want to have snow on the grund in January. Rumour has it, snow will start to fall tomorrow. I believe it when I see it.

Club Meeting

Daniel is a member of the board of the Swedish Spitz Club. This makes us a little prod. However, he sat in a telephone meeting with the board tonight for two and a half hours. This was no fun. It is better when he hangs out with us.

Cardboard and Paper

It can be fun to play with paper and cardboard. Sometimes, Paula and Daniel leave a paper bag with old paper and cardboard in the kitchen, and we get hold of it and play with it. It is fun. I cannot understand why Paula and Daniel are annoyed, when they pick up the pieces that are left. They were the ones who left the paper bag there. Well, I am happy despite the annoyance.

Junior World Championship

Sweden was host for the Junior World Championship in ice hockey, with the finale played today. Sweden played against Finland for the gold medals, but lost in overtime. Even though Sweden played better throughout most of the game, Finland made the ultimate goal. When everything comes around, it is not enough to be best, you win if you score the most goals. This is comparable to when you lose in a dog show to a dog you think is not as good compared to the breed standard as you are yourself. You may be the best, but this is not always enough. On the other hand, the Junior World Championship is comparable to a junior class at a dog show. It is more important that Sweden win in the upcoming Olympic Games and World Championship. We have chances to get revenge.

Rain

It is the begining of January. Our town and countryside is usually covered with snow this time of the year. This is not the case now. We have hardly had temperatures below the freezing point for a month. Today, we had a lot of rain and the lawn is getting muddy. It is no fun. I want it to be winter.

Unlikely Cause of Death

Some mass media has published the improbable story that the disfavoured uncle of the dictator of North Korea would have been trapped in a cage with starved dogs and thus killed by the dogs, who would have eaten him.

I could never believe this, when I heard about it. The overwhelming majority of dogs are not likely to eat humans, no matter how starved they may be. If they do, it is certainly because they have been taught by their humans to do so, which is also unlikely. The story did not come from North Korea, either. The American historian Dr Tim Stanley has also published an article where he dismisses the story as unlikely. I could not put it as well as he did, but I have to agree with him.

I do not believe more than that the uncle of the dictator has been executed, but probably in a way more likely to actually kill him.

Party with Dogs

We saw some kind of reality TV ahow tonight, where some people were at a costume party. The great thing was that their dogs were invited to the party, too. These humans really knew what a natural part of all human life dogs are. I wish this could happen in Sweden some time.

A New Year

Hello, Orange here!

I have just experienced my first new year celebration. It was fun and contained a lot of good food. I was a little annoyed, however, that people were using so many crackers in the middle of the night, it was disturbing. Now there is a new year. I do not feel like anything is different. It feels just like last year. Maybe the changes will come gradually? If this is so, why did we have such a big celebration last night? Oh, well, if there are changes, I guess I will notice it, eventually.

Happy 2014, everybody!

Happy New Year!

We wish all of our readers a happy new, unsuperstitious year. The New year is often celebrated with fireworks and crackers. The origin of this tradition, however, is superstition. People believed they should make noise to scare demons, trolls et cetera off for the new year. Unless you believe in such monsters, skip the crackers and fireworks, and keep the friendly animals like dogs happy. I am not afraid of the noise, but too many dogs are for it to be funny.

Swedish Taxes - No Longer the Highest

Sweden has a history of having the highest taxes in the world, in proportion to the Gross National Product. The tax part used to be over 50 % of the Swedish GNP. Over the last seven years, with a centre-right government, the total taxes have been lowered to about 45 % of the GNP. This have caused Denmark, Belgium, and France to pass Sweden in the league of having the highest taxes. There is, of course, nothing good about having a top position in this league. The aim of politics must be to make the most of the tax money, not to have the highest taxes you can.

Upcoming New Year

Hello, Orange here!

There is something about this "year" concept that I do not understand. I know I am not a year old yet. Javier, who is a little older than me, just turned one year old. Now we all will have a new year in two days. This is what I do not understand. Our own years are those counting from our birthdays, but what is this general year? Why do we get a new one in two days from now? They say it has something to do with the days getting shorter before, and now longer, but this development happened on the 21st, not the 31st. I have to read up on this.

Cloned Dogs

We saw this documentary on TV this afternoon about some American humans who had had dogs, and missed these particular dogs so much, they paid a Korean company great amounts of money to clone the dogs. While I can fully understand the sense of loss, a cloned dog would never be the same. It would not have the knowledge and memory of the deceased dog, just the same genes. It would be easier, cheaper, and more natural just to buy a new dog of the same breed. Then you would not have to compare the two, either. I do wonder about the expectations of one of the humans. He would travel to meet the cloned puppy, and said he was keen on knowing whether the puppy would recognize him. How could it? No memory, not even that of a beloved human, is inscribed in the genes. I suspect this human will be a little disappointed.

Snow for a Little While

Hello, Orange here!

Snow fel for a little while this morning. I was happy for a little while, too. Then the temperature made the snow melt. It was all over by early afternoon. You can never be fully satisfied with the weather, can you?

Christmas Goes On

Hello, Orange here!

Christmas goes on for several days. This was news for me. Pleasant news, though. Christmas is nice. I like the great food and Christmas spirit. As far as I am concerned, it could be Christmas for many, many days. Merry continuing Christmas, everybody!

Slow Day

It is Christmas Day, which is a slow and comfortable day in Sweden. We have the great celebrations on Christmas Eve, and then we rest a bit on Christmas Day. This is cool.

Merry...!

Merry Christmas to all blog readers from Hailey, Karstuhl, Orange, and the other dogs at Kennel Aangenaam!

When You Know You Are Right

Japan has announced it will buy new weapon systems for its military. The country has tense relations to its neighbour China, a dictatorship who claim Japanese islands in the East China Sea. China denounces the Japanese plans, calling it military expansion and "is firmly opposed to" Japan's actions.

Japan is a democracy with a firm belief in the rule of law and human rights. It is threatened by China, a bigger country which is a dictatorship with little, if any, regard for human rights. If China critizises the Japanese plans to strengthen the military, it is a clear sign that Japan is right in doing so. Sometimes, critique is good, because when you get it, you know you are right.

Rain

It is two days before Christmas Eve, and rain is falling this evening. We want it to be snow. At Christmas, you get a better holiday feeling if it is snow. It is also much more fun to play in the snow. Now it is just getting muddy, and our paws get dirty. I'm dreaming 'bout a white Christmas.

Coward

People who cause a traffic accident, but just leave, must be cowards. This happened to a dog mother in Halland in the south of Sweden, who had nine pups, two weeks old. She wanted to go out by herself, but was hit by a car. When found by her humans, she was already dead. If the person who hit her had stopped and taken care of her, she might have lived. Fortunately, the pups have gotten foster mothers, other bitches who can take care of them. I hope they find the driver and prosecute him or her, but I fear they can never do that.

Pizza

Paula's sister Mia and her fiance Stefan were here tonight. The humans had pizza for dinner. All of us dogs had eaten already, but I would have wanted some pzza, nevertheless. It is tasty food. There was nothing left for me, though. I do not blame the humans, they must think it is tasty, too. It was nice seeing our guests.

Phases of the Moon

The Moon has recently been full. This is when you can, sometimes, see a Lunar eclipse. There was none this time, just like it usually is not. On the other hand, if you look at me, you can se a Lunar Eclips. This is my name, and I an proud of it. We will have to see when there is an eclipse next time.

Painting of a Semi-Nude Godess

As a dog, it is not self evident what it is with humans and being nude. Without thick coats, like dogs and many other animals have, I can understand why they need clothes to protect their skin from cold weather or blazing sun. Why they cannot stand being nude, or that others are nude in their presence, is another matter. I think it has something to do with their reproduction, which is not based on the smell of bitches in heat, but more with looks. Still, many pieces of human art depict humans who are nude or semi-nude.

In the Swedish Parliament, they have had a baroque painting on a public wall, with a picture by G.E. Schröder of the Roman godess Juno, looking like a human. The painting has been in the same spot on the wall for the last thirty years (much longer than the longest life spans of a dog). The godess is semi-nude in the picture, which is quite common when it comes to paintings from that time. The vice chairman of the Parliament has, however, made sure this painting was removed. The reason is simply that the vice chairman was offended by the nudeness. I guess she did not see the artistic values of the painting.

I believe it would be easier for humans if their females smelled of being in heat twice a year, instead of this obsession with covering their bodies up at all times. You cannot tell for sure, but it works quite well for us dogs.

Claws

Hello, Orange here!

I had my claws cut this evening. I do not like it. The claws were cut despite my objections. Well, it will be a while before the next time, anyway.

Christmas Song?

One of the radio stations we usually listen to has decided to play nothing but Christmas songs these weeks before Christmas. It gives us a good Christmas spirit. We were surprised, though, to hear Roxette's song "It Must Have Been Love". There is nothing in the lyrics of this song that reveals it is a Christmas song, the closest are some words about it being a "hard winter's day". A little research on the Internet revealed, however, that the full title of the song is: "It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For The Broken Hearted)". It must have been intended as a song about broken love at Christmas, but I guess the whole message was lost somewhere when writing the lyrics. The words within parentheses does give the song a slightly different meaning. It must be harder to have a broken heart on such a joyful time as Christmas than on other days. It is a good song, regardless of the meaning that did not quite find its way into the lyrics.

Birthday

Hello, Orange here!

Javier celebrated his first birthday today. He was not sure what to expect, but it turned out we all got great food with a lot of sausage. Now I cannot wait until it is my first birthday. The older dogs say it is soon Christmas, which is even better, but I do not know about that. We will have to see.

New Hair Cut

Poodles are not the only ones who cut their hair. Humans do too. Daniel got a new hairdo today.

Good Food

Paula and Daniel went out to eat Christmas dinner tonight. They had already given food to us dogs. We also got extra treats. It was macaronies, which is fairly tasty, and it was some sausage. Sausage is always a hit in my food bowl. I would have wanted more sausage, if I would have had that, I know I would have been just as satisfied with our food as Paula and Daniel was with theirs. Oh, well, there have been times when we have been more satisfied with our food than they have been. Life can even out.

Toy Wolves Used for Protests

A toy wolf sold by IKEA has sold out in Hong Kong, since it has been connected with protests against the local government. The toy is called Lufsig and is sold in many IKEA stores around the world, but in Hong Kong and China it has also been called by a name which sounds close to a profanity in the local language.

I like the use of a wolf in political protests. Wolves are strong and intelligent animals, good for many things.

Reunited After Nine Years

A Staffordshire bull terrier in England has just been reunited with her humans after nine years. At the age of three, Niamh, as she is called, disappeared through a gap in the fence at home near Worcester. Her owners just recently got a phone call from an animal sanctuary in Salisbury, not far away. The staff there said Niamh had been found wandering the streets of the city and taken to the sanctuary, where she was identified by her microchip. She recognized her humans when she was reunited with them.

This is a happy end to a long time being away from home. Niamh was a little underweight, but had obviously been taken care of by someone for the better part of these nine years, because she was in fairly good health.

What bothers me with this story is the human who must have taken care of Niamh. The dog had a microchip, so she was easily identifiable. That human must not have cared about trying to find Niamh's real family. All is well that ends well, which this story certainly did, but it would be interesting to hear what that other human have to say.

Oh, no!

Hello, Orange here!

The weather is warmer again. The snow is melting. It turns into water and drops off. I like the snow, I want it to stay, but who am I to say what the weather would be like? I can wish, but I guess that is it. Too bad, though. The snow is so fun to play in.

Anna

Today is the name's day for everybody in Sweden called Anna. This is a very common name among female humans. paula's sister is among the people who are called Anna. There are seldom cause to celebrate a dog on a name's day. We dogs often have more unique call names than humans, which are not mentioned in the calendar. The good thing is that a unique name make you feel more unique, the downside is there is one less reason to celebrate. On the other hand, you can always come up with other reasons to celebrate, if ever you need a reason at all. I will gladly celebrate by eating treats any day.

More Snow

Hello, Orange here!

We got much more snow today, there is now about 10 centimetres of snow on the ground. It is much more fun to play with than I would have thought. I hope the snow Will stay for a Long time.

Crap!

Here I am in Stockholm, at the greatest annual dog show in Sweden, competing for the very first time as a veteran. I did not do well. Being a little nice to the judge, I Will not say what prize he gave a multichampion like me, but I was not satisfied. Of course, the judge does thé judging, it is the rules. Nevertheless, I do not always have to agree. I Will be back!

A Real Snowfall

Hello, Orange here!

Snow has fallen. There are a few centimetres of it all around outside. It is fun to play in. This is the second time I see snow, but the last time, it disappeared quickly. I have been told this snow may last for months. We will have to see what the weather will be like.

A Neutral Head of State

The King of Thailand celebrates his birthday today. He gave a public speech, where he urged people to support each other for the sake of the country. Thailand has seen a lot of demonstrations and civil unreat lately, but the King is politically neutral, he standa above the day to day politica. Hence, his urge for peace will certainly have effect. This is a great advantage of having a monarchy, where you always know that the Head of State wants the best for the whole country in the long run, for generations to come, not just past the next election.

Taxi Service

Paula was at a Christmas party with her work mates tonight. Daniel and I went to get her home. It was not that late. On the way home, we passed by a hamburger drive through and I got a cheeseburger. It is nice that it pays off to give taxi service.

Upcoming Holiday

Hello, Orange here!

Something called Christmas is coming later this month. The older dogs, who have been around before, are looking forward to it. I do not really know what it is about and what will happen. They say there will be a lot of candy, which sounds good. Time will tell.

Visitors

We have entertained visitors from Belgium. This is interesting. My paternal grandfather was from Belgium, so I have always wanted to know more about the country. Our visitors did tell us some things I did not know about. They are Shiba breeders to, which implies they are good people, and they turned out to be really good people, too. We will see if we will go down to Belgium to visit them sometime.

Countdown to Christmas

It is the first Sunday in the time before Christmas that we call advent. We have lit up the house with the traditional chandeliers and other lights. I long for Christmas, we are always given extra treats at Christmas. Perhaps snow will fall soon too, making for even more Christmas spirit. I feel happy.