Fire Wally @firewally@mspsocial.net

After playing a very technical sport for so long, the simplicity of strength/barbell training is really appealing. Like today, I picked up a very very heavy thing then carried it across the gym. Felt great.

Filing my Beto Hot take now: The dude has "VP Choice of a more progressive candidate" written all over him. Just gotta stay in the race long enough to seem viable-ish and then drop out gracefully and wait for the invite.

Spouse is out visiting family and I played a derby yesterday so my big plans for today are ibuprofen, massage roller, dog walk, and season 2 of Patriot 😌

This thread is brought to you in honor of Annie, who is back home last night after attempting to cross St. Anthony parkway right in front of me 😲

Final note: any time you see a "missing dog" poster, taking a quick phone picture takes like 5 seconds and gives you a very small chance of being a huge help to someone in a stressful situation.

Oh and dog owners, for fuck's sake keep a quality, well-fitted collar on your dog

If you want to say nice encouraging things to the dog, do so barely above a whisper. The dog hears you just fine.

If you do manage to get a hand on the dog, first thing to do is tighten the collar and check it for damage, then keep hold of it.

You'll probably need help and lots of time if you want to safely capture a dog

Dogs, like humans, will want to maintain a personal space bubble. You may be able to get the dog to move by SLOWLY approaching the edge of their bubble, waiting for them to move away from you, and then SLOWLY inching forward.

Keeping the dog between (say) a fence corner and you means they'll be relatively safe and predictable and gives you time to recruit help

If the dog isn't in immediate danger, you've got 2 options for what to do next, either try to get the dog to approach you or corral the dog into a safer area.

The (only) reliable way to get dogs to approach you is food: dog treats, small bits of meat or cheese, plain carbs like bread, rice, or popcorn are all decent options. Throw a piece a few feet in front of the dog, wait for them to eat it, then repeat.

Sitting on the ground or even laying down will make you less threatening

First, take stock of your surroundings: Are there other people around? Where are the relatively safe places (fenced in yards)? Where are the dangers (busy streets)?

Your goal is to (a) do no harm and (b) make the dog's situation as safe as possible. Having at least one human (you) watching them is a measured improvement in safety, so start there.

This is assuming you are comfortable and able to help, of course. Here are some basic principles to remember:

* EVERY dog can outrun you

* The dog is in an unfamiliar situation and will be agitated.

* Dogs don't know english but they are excellent at body language

This came up again for me yesterday so in case it's ever useful I'd like to share some tips on:

What To Do When You Encounter a Loose Dog 🐶 🐕 🐩

(one you can assume to be a pet, in an urban environment)

I fuckin’ love this truck wrap because I’m pretty sure the designer is aware of the concept of beer but has never actually had one 🚛🍺🤔

I want a phone app that lets me do social media for like 15 minutes and then sends a “Hey, why not read a book now?” notification

I can’t think of a more silly invention than the car-headlight wiper.

Today I learned that there's a website where you can "Adopt" a storm drain and help keep it clear. Great idea this week because all this snow is gonna melt and it's gotta go *somewhere*

https://www.adopt-a-drain.org/

After much hemming and hawing, I've come to the decision that I've got one more season of roller derby in me. Gonna try to play hard and go out on a high note

I'm playing derby again this weekend! Come see me and my all-gender teammates roll around (and into) other humans at a charming old warehouse in NE Minneapolis

(Saturday Mar 16, we play at 3 and again at 7)

https://www.facebook.com/events/790691154643241/