Today is a mixed bag of news.  Nothing is long enough for its own thread, but is definitely worthy of discussion.

Scientists have done a study and have concluded that dogs are smarter than cats.  Well, no duh!  We need to waste money on that one?  At any rate, because dogs are more social animals, their brains develop more.  Any arguments?

North Korea has attacked a South Korean island, killing 2 South Korean marines.  Others are injured.  This country is a problem.  What do we do about them?

The Park 51  developers  who want to put the Islamic Center 2 blocks from ground zero.  Now we find out they are applying for a $5 million dollar federal grant to pay for part of it.  What are they thinking?  Isn’t it controversial enough?  What are they thinking?

 

21 Thoughts to “Dogs are Smarter than Cats and other stuff…”

  1. Actually North Korea is very significant. I just don’t know enough about it to do much of a write up. The news combo is not to trivialize any of the issues.

  2. marinm

    Mr. Obama is about to find out that the world is not the faculty lounge and that a policy summit doesn’t always work.

    My cats are brilliant. They know how to trip me down a flight of stairs, wake me up when they’re hungry, open doors and keep my pillow warm while I’m away.

  3. Censored bybvbl

    Marinm, yeah, but can your cats prewash your dishes, clear your counters, jump through hoops to please you, and show you where the stinkiest stuff in the yard is? (My dog is outnumbered by my 5 cats though.)

  4. This is why I have cats AND dogs.

    There is never just one answer with me.

  5. Dogs are domesticated.

    Cats are tamed.

    Proof: If one owned a cat the size of a Mastiff or Irish Wolfhound, it would eat you…..

  6. marinm

    The idea of having a tiger is appealing but that I need ‘permission’ from Big Government is an annoyance.

    Then again if the tiger makes a mistake on the carpet I ain’t hitting it’s nose with a newspaper! 😉

  7. If you have Netflix, watch “Dogs Decoded,” a PBS-Nova program. Fascinating stuff. You’ll never look at your dog the same way.

  8. marinm

    That reminds me. The low-rate Netflix plan is going up by $1 but there is a streaming-only plan for $7.99 if you don’t want the newer material sent via DVD in-mail.

  9. Is the regular non blue ray going up also? I have blue ray but never use it.

  10. marinm

    MH, I didn’t see that price going up. While I have a BR player I don’t do the BR netflix. My BR player (Playstation 3) is hooked up to the HDMI input on my TV and can display upto 1080i but so few movies really take advantage of that..even on BR. But, being able to stream from the PS3 on a wireless connection IS freakin’ sweet. 🙂

    BTW, if you haven’t watched it…. Netflix Archer. OMFG it’s awesome. 🙂

  11. Wolverine

    Good gosh….and it used to be known simply as “going to the movies”!!!!

  12. @Wolverine

    Best Bob Dylan voice…For the times, they are a changin’.

    @marin, I have the insignia blue ray player that uploads to the TV and also streams. It was very inexpensive. I just end up liking to watch on the computer. Don’t ask me why. I have no answer. And my computers aren’t blue ray.

  13. marinm

    I need to wiki this Bob Dylan person.

  14. DB

    Well I seriously dispute the entire dogs are smarter than cats study. Sure, dogs are more social, but cats are crafty critters. I have 2 of both species and can say that when my dogs are bored they just lay around, but the cats can entertain themselves by climbing the xmas tree and breaking only the expensive ornaments, not the cheap ones. A cat doesn’t pee in the middle of the living room where a human might notice. Oh no, no. They pee thru the sunroof of your daughters barbie PT cruiser so that you spend days sniffing around wondering where the cat pee smell is coming from. And a cat has no remorse or guilt when she shreds your new cashmere scarf, but stares at you with pure denial in her eyes when you say “Did you shred my scarf?” The dogs in the meantime are thumping their tails, looking guilty and are ready to confess to a crime they did not commit. Cats are capable of doing things with intent…they intend to give you a heart attack when they leap out of the bushes when you are weeding the flower bed. They intend to gross you out when they leave a mouse on the door mat where you will be sure to step on it as you leave, and they intend to deprive you of the enjoyment of reading when they lay on the newspaper on the exact article you happen to be reading. This capability of intent leads me to believe that cats are significantly more intelligent than dogs. They want us to know that we are here to please them, they are not here to please us, unless it pleases them to do so. Now granted, when one of my dogs was a puppy she did eat the last two chapters of a mystery novel I was reading, but I’m pretty sure from the looks the cat gave me, she totally put the puppy up to it:)

  15. Emma

    One of my (many) favorite quotes from “Meet the Parents”:

    See, Greg, if you yell at a dog, his ears will go down and his tail will cover his genitals even if he’s done nothing wrong. It’s very easy to break a dog. But cats make you work for their affection. Cats don’t sell out like dogs do.

  16. Gainesville Resident

    All I know is my dog is very smart. She has my routine figured out, knows my name when someone else tells her to find me, and of course knows to come get me when dinner is ready. In the morning she’s figured out that when I brush my teeth that means I’m just about done getting dressed and it’s time to take a walk so she runs downstairs and waits for me. She also knows the expression “you have had enough to eat” and walks away from the dinner table if you say that to her.

    1. @GR

      Now that is smart. I have never seen a dog stop eating when told to.

  17. Gainesville Resident

    DB – that’s all too funny about what cats do. Have to give them credit for being clever!

  18. Gainesville Resident

    Moon-howler :
    Actually North Korea is very significant. I just don’t know enough about it to do much of a write up. The news combo is not to trivialize any of the issues.

    Things in North Korea are indeed really heating up. That was very significant, and a clear violation of the armistice treaty in effect since the 50’s. Remember – the Korean War never really ended – it’s just been one long cease fire that’s been in effect up until now. Well, they also blew up that South Korean ship a few months ago. This time they killed two people and injured several others, and set a bunch of houses on fire with their artillery bombardment of that island.

    I’ve been to South Korea for work (2 years ago) and have contacts in South Korea operating the transportable satellite broadcast system I work on – which relays military data about the North Koreans to troops on the ground near the DMZ. Anyway, my contacts tells me things are really heating up there and you don’t know what might happen next, or if things will escalate. The South Koreans are threatening to retaliate, which while they have a right to do, may just make things continue to escalate.

  19. Gainesville Resident

    She’s not happy about it – usually make some sort of sighing sound and walks away!

  20. Cats are smarter. Dogs work to please you. You work to please the cat…

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