“Doga” earns a giant WTF?!

Photo by Michael Nagle for the New York Times

The Gray Lady strikes again.  In my continuing love-hate relationship with the New York Times (I love to hate it), an article from today’s issue jolted me right out of my yoga-buzz and plopped me right down into the middle of WTFville.

The article in question is about “doga” — yoga with dogs.  Dog owners and their pets come to a yoga class where the dog is used as a prop to help the owners achieve a more intense stretch.  Doga also claims to increase human-animal bonding, which is in keeping with the yoga principle of the universal connection between all living things.

First of all, the look on the poor dog’s face in the photo above says it all.  Any dog making pathetic eyes like that is not enjoying himself.  Ears are dropped low on the head, tail is tucked under … or would be if he wasn’t  straddled over his owners pelvis.  Creepy much?  (For the record, the dog could be a she … it’s impossible to tell gender from the photo.)

I understand the importance of bonding with your dog, but I fall squarely in the camp of “this is ridiculous.”  I struggle to understand why people will pay good money in the middle of a recession (or any time, really) for unnecessary things.  Bonding with your dog does not have to be complicated. Play with your dog.  Talk to her.  Throw a stick.  Cuddle up on the couch together.  It’s not too much of a leap to say that same things about human relationships.

Why do we feel the need to seek out “doga” in order to connect with our dogs?  Why do basic, instinctual relationships (human or animal) make us so uncomfortable that we need special ways and places to connect?

::shakes head:: A brief Google search generated 17,700,000 results related to “doga”.  Really?  Seriously?

“Doga” = earning a giant WTF stamp.

Seriously?!

Back in September, Random House dropped publication of The Jewel of Medina, by Sherry Jones, a fictional account of the Prophet Muhammad and his bride Aisha, due to concerns for the safety of the author and those connected with the book.

I can’t believe this actually happened:

Early Saturday morning, Mr. Rynja’s house in North London, which doubles as Gibson Square’s headquarters, was set on fire. Three men were arrested on suspicion “of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism,” the police said.

No one was injured in the arson, in which a small fire bomb was apparently pushed through the house’s mail slot. The police were already on the scene as the result of what they described as “a preplanned intelligence-led operation,” and, helped by firefighters, broke down the door and put out the fire.

Holy frak people!  WTF?!?!

Full story in New York Times here.

(Bonus link: Book review from SBTB here.)

What the Heck Just Happened?

I tend not to follow current news.  It’s shameful, but I’m more likely to remember who won the last challenge in Project Runway than know what’s happening on Wall Street.  But after this past Monday, with the failure of Lehman Bros, even I am starting to tune in more.

If you’re at all curious about what’s going on financially, there’s a great explanation of what happened with Fannie, Freddie, Bear Stearns, Lehman and so much more up at the New York Times opinion section.  Freakanomics author Steven Levitt rounded up two economists to explain to the populace just what the heck happened.

In related news, if you’re wondering what you can do to be safe, the brilliant people over at The Consumerist posted a great article on What to do in These Uncertain Financial Times.

I’ll be taking their advice and will be very, very thankful that I have a good and stable job.

Are you doing anything to feel more secure?