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Today's Poll: Are you going to watch any of the Winter Olympics?

By Howard B. Owens
Howard Cohen

Hi Howard

I definitely will be watching the Olympics, My oldest son Marc and my daughter Ali will be attending as spectators.

They have set up a blog, if you would like the link...I will send it to you.

Howard Cohen

Feb 7, 2014, 12:44pm Permalink
Bea McManis

I can understand why some are boycotting, but once our athletes begin their event they are no longer in Russia, but in a multi-national Olympic area. Not watching them will not make their efforts any less real. I've followed them as they developed for the last 4 years - i'm not going to miss their attempt to follow their dream.

Feb 7, 2014, 1:28pm Permalink
John Roach

I am not "boycotting", just not that interested in the Winter games. The time zone difference also plays a factor as I can watch reruns and/or highlights of anything I want.

Feb 7, 2014, 2:26pm Permalink
Greg Rada

A job, church, daughter, EMT training plus class - doesn't leave much time to watch anything. Oh and I don't have cable, that plays s factor in to. Lol

Good luck USA.

Feb 7, 2014, 2:57pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

I dont see the connection Honestly Steve. There are several places in NY where the same has to be done. I know that the DEC gives ranchers and horsefarms permits to kill feral dogs and coy dogs just 10 min drive south of Syracuse in Lafayette. Strays breed with coyotes (thats big strays like rotts and pit bulls and boxers) Creating quite dangerous packs of animals that attack people, horses and cattle. So technically we have similar policies here.

I see one of the articles you referred to, however I also see both sides of this issue. I also distrust coverage of such things for a couple of reasons. 1) Lessons learned from watching the lies that "protestors" propagated during Holley's Squirrel Slam last year lead me to suspect any coverage of these type of things. 2) From the article it seems the stray dog problem is like our stray cat program in that sheer numbers are overwhelming. It can be done more humanely I agree and even local people there push for it however sometimes when Govt, any Govt steps , more efficient methods to solve the problems occur. The people of Sochi if they want to save these dogs or curb the problem can get involved. Seem to me though it was a nuisance that became unacceptable to Officials so quick solutions are being implemented.

Its your choice not to watch but I'd suggest some research and critical thinking applied to the matter before blindly accepting the media's coverage at face value.

Feb 8, 2014, 8:47am Permalink
Julie Morales

Your post is confusing to me, Kyle.

You say you’ve drawn your own conclusions and can see “both sides of the issue” from reading an unidentified article, then admonish someone with a different opinion to do “….some research and critical thinking….before blindly accepting the media's coverage at face value.” Are you suggesting a trip to Russia for us to observe the dog slaughter first hand so that we may have more informed opinions?

Or maybe, like you, others are capable of drawing their own conclusions that don’t necessarily coincide with yours. May I suggest you take your own advice?

Do you trust the largest animal advocacy organization in the US?

http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2014/02/no-medal-for-sochi-when-it-comes-…

In part:
“Despite promises from the Sochi government that street culling of dogs would not be part of preparations for the Olympics, it has reneged and hired a private "killing" company that is currently hunting and poisoning the dogs its spokespersons call ‘biological trash.’”

Please tell me where and when in New York the “same has to be done.”

Ultimately we each must decide for ourselves and live with our own conscience. I do agree that research and critical thinking is a good place to start.

Feb 8, 2014, 9:16pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Hmmmmm The Humane Society doesnt have the credibility it once did. If you look into my previous post it is done NOW with coy dogs which are feral dogs that have mixed in with coyotes. They are dangerous and people can get agricultural permits to hunt them and shoot them.

As for the human society's credibility...

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=13758
http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=12352

Read these and see what you think of the Humane Society's opinion and credibility.
If thats not enough heres more from other sources...

http://www.humanewatch.org/hsus_scrambles_for_credibility/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrTPiQUftSg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-uHgiilMQA

"Beware if you love animals dont watch this one as it is graphic"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvpL2vh3rrg

PETA and HSUS started out as good organizations. But the have become corporate entities filling their own pockets. Somewhere along the line they lost sight of the goals they set up for. Now they are fleecing people of money thru donations, and their emotions over animal protection and rights. While their shelters and agent go to collect and kill healthy animals. They also have began legislation to enable shelters to only hold obviously stray animals. (Thats healthy and obviously well cared for animals that may have been abducted or accidentally got out of caring homes.) And reduce the hold times to less than 24 hours. Look at this incident/lawsuit...

http://lagniappemobile.com/cat-owner-sues-over-pet-euthanized-at-county…

The reason for the lawsuit is the shelter workers actually lied and violate exsisting laws local and otherwise. Why because it was the end of the day and they didnt want to be bothered with the paperwork.

People really need to question things and not take them for granted. The WCSPCA locally is a perfect example of why things arent quite what they seem to be.

Feb 9, 2014, 8:43am Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Julie like some here I care about animals alot. But as I said critical thinking needs to happen. Other links in the link I provided will present you with another side of this issue.

I would be even more critical for them if it wasnt for witnessing the fiasco @ WCSPCA and seeing the protestor lie and twist the Holley Squirrel Slam into something it isnt and never was, These examples drove home the lies that these Organizations will go to to maintain their reputations and force their morality onto us.

One last enlightening link is this one....Huffington Post article done by Nathan Winograd again. It's pictures are rough however it'an insight into one of his fights w PETA. It the thing that fuels his dedication and this farce of PETA and HSUS.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-j-winograd/peta-kills-puppies-kitt…

Feb 9, 2014, 9:01am Permalink
Dave Olsen

Korea and Vietnam. It is still considered a delicacy - Gaegogi ( I think) Considered to bring good luck to the consumer. An old joke among the vietnam vets I knew is Q - What do you call a Vietnamese man with a dog? A - Vegetarian. And if he has 2 dogs? A- Rancher.

Anyway, I learned just now by looking up Gaegogi that the Swiss really like smoked dog ham. Again, you can learn something new every day if you try. None of this is very useful however, unless I ever get to Switzerland. I most likely won't eat it though.

Feb 9, 2014, 10:35am Permalink
John Roach

Dave is right. When I first got to Viet Nam, I asked a guy why there were so many dogs running around our compound. He laughed and said you don't see them outside the compound. We treated the dogs like pets and they treated them as a food source.

Feb 9, 2014, 11:58am Permalink
Tim Miller

I watched women's slope snowboarding and women's curling this morning (he US team could not recover from a couple of early mistakes), and more curling this afternoon at lunch. I just find some sports that I am unfamiliar with very interesting when done by folks who,really know what they are doing.

Besides, the Swiss and British curling teams have a couple of very attractive ladies on them... Watching those pairs of eyes (yes - eyes) so focused while concentrating on the stones was mesmerizing.

;-)

Feb 10, 2014, 3:11pm Permalink

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