Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Blind pet diagnosis: the truth lies somewhere in the middle

I propose a simple series of diagnostic tests

Italian Greyhound
Italian Greyhound

Dear Hipster:

I have a 13-year-old Italian Greyhound rescue, Turbo, who I just discovered is almost totally blind. Italian Greyhounds are sighthounds. Does Turbo’s sightlessness make him an ironic, hipster sighthound? Should he move to North Park?

— Kathleen

Sponsored
Sponsored

Hipster veterinary medicine is still a developing science, with very little consensus between different schools of thought. For example, orthodox hipster veterinarians insist no dog can be a hipster dog without a cute little mustache, either because of Schnauzer-style shaggy mustache fur, or, as can be the case with some piebald animals, because of distinctive markings on the upper limit that mimic the appearance of a mustache. At the other extreme of this raging debate, progressive hipster vets argue any pet featured prominently in one of those infuriating animal Instagram accounts warrants a diagnosis as a “hipster pet.”

The truth, as it always does in these types of things, surely lies somewhere in the middle. Before you go rushing to any conclusions with a diagnosis for Turbo, I propose a simple series of diagnostic tests.

When Turbo visits the dog-friendly patios at your favorite watering hole, does he automatically gravitate towards lapping up puddles of Sculpin instead of spilled Miller Lite?

Does Turbo howl along with your Arcade Fire records?

Have you ever found yourself saying, “Turbo will only eat organic kibble”?

Do you own totes adorbs little dog clothes? If so, does Turbo look totes adorbs when he wears them?

If you answer these questions in the affirmative, perhaps you do have a hipster dog on your hands. Only a qualified hipster veterinarian can diagnose hipster dog syndrome, but it’s really not a big ideal because the only negative symptom is that other, more mainstream dogs might secretly complain about how hipster dogs have totally ruined the dog park and now you can’t chase a stick in peace anymore. They’re just envious.

Dear Hipster:

I always find it depressing when the winter rolls around and the sun starts going down earlier and earlier every day. Never mind the time change. Ugh. Nothing sucks more than getting out of work and having it be straight up night. But maybe I’m being to negative; are there any upsides to the sun setting early during the winter? I can’t think of any.

— Tanya

As a basic precept, people who say nothing good happens past 2 am haven’t been living the right lives.

One of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes comics from back in the day is the one where Calvin’s dad chastises a groggy Calvin for sleeping late while Dad has been “up since 6:30 getting many things accomplished” or something to that effect. The day is a time for productive working and being busy with important things you have to do. Calvin, to his credit, disagrees.

Objectively speaking, the best part of the early sunset is that the day ends hours before it otherwise might. Once the sun sets, you pretty much have my permission, such as it is, to drink beers and get up to no good. Winter is hard enough to live through as it is, even in places like Southern California, where the winter is only slightly less pleasant than the summer. Darkness gives you a daily license to ill. Use it. The chores can wait for daylight.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Born & Raised offers a less decadent Holiday Punch

Cognac serves to lighten the mood
Next Article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Italian Greyhound
Italian Greyhound

Dear Hipster:

I have a 13-year-old Italian Greyhound rescue, Turbo, who I just discovered is almost totally blind. Italian Greyhounds are sighthounds. Does Turbo’s sightlessness make him an ironic, hipster sighthound? Should he move to North Park?

— Kathleen

Sponsored
Sponsored

Hipster veterinary medicine is still a developing science, with very little consensus between different schools of thought. For example, orthodox hipster veterinarians insist no dog can be a hipster dog without a cute little mustache, either because of Schnauzer-style shaggy mustache fur, or, as can be the case with some piebald animals, because of distinctive markings on the upper limit that mimic the appearance of a mustache. At the other extreme of this raging debate, progressive hipster vets argue any pet featured prominently in one of those infuriating animal Instagram accounts warrants a diagnosis as a “hipster pet.”

The truth, as it always does in these types of things, surely lies somewhere in the middle. Before you go rushing to any conclusions with a diagnosis for Turbo, I propose a simple series of diagnostic tests.

When Turbo visits the dog-friendly patios at your favorite watering hole, does he automatically gravitate towards lapping up puddles of Sculpin instead of spilled Miller Lite?

Does Turbo howl along with your Arcade Fire records?

Have you ever found yourself saying, “Turbo will only eat organic kibble”?

Do you own totes adorbs little dog clothes? If so, does Turbo look totes adorbs when he wears them?

If you answer these questions in the affirmative, perhaps you do have a hipster dog on your hands. Only a qualified hipster veterinarian can diagnose hipster dog syndrome, but it’s really not a big ideal because the only negative symptom is that other, more mainstream dogs might secretly complain about how hipster dogs have totally ruined the dog park and now you can’t chase a stick in peace anymore. They’re just envious.

Dear Hipster:

I always find it depressing when the winter rolls around and the sun starts going down earlier and earlier every day. Never mind the time change. Ugh. Nothing sucks more than getting out of work and having it be straight up night. But maybe I’m being to negative; are there any upsides to the sun setting early during the winter? I can’t think of any.

— Tanya

As a basic precept, people who say nothing good happens past 2 am haven’t been living the right lives.

One of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes comics from back in the day is the one where Calvin’s dad chastises a groggy Calvin for sleeping late while Dad has been “up since 6:30 getting many things accomplished” or something to that effect. The day is a time for productive working and being busy with important things you have to do. Calvin, to his credit, disagrees.

Objectively speaking, the best part of the early sunset is that the day ends hours before it otherwise might. Once the sun sets, you pretty much have my permission, such as it is, to drink beers and get up to no good. Winter is hard enough to live through as it is, even in places like Southern California, where the winter is only slightly less pleasant than the summer. Darkness gives you a daily license to ill. Use it. The chores can wait for daylight.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Too $hort & DJ Symphony, Peppermint Beach Club, Holidays at the Zoo

Events December 19-December 21, 2024
Next Article

East San Diego County has only one bike lane

So you can get out of town – from Santee to Tierrasanta
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader