samhexum

Preferred the Matlock premiere to the Elsbeth one.

Preferred the Matlock premiere to the Elsbeth one.

Whoever supplied the ammunition for tonight's episode made a lot of $.

WEHT Mark Dalton WHO?

This dog’s hilarious thieving habit stumps even the experts Duke, an 11-year-old golden retriever, has gained Instagram fame for the bizarre items he diligently gathers and hoards. October 7, 2025. Duke the golden retriever was getting settled in his new adopted home when one day he grabbed a pair of reading glasses and pranced off with them. Then Duke moved on to fine china — picking up teapots, plates and cups in his mouth and gingerly placing them on his bed to cuddle with. After that, he began thieving books, magazines and electronics from around the house. He even nabbed a 12-pack of toilet paper and an entire lamp and dragged them to his bed. “He wants these very odd items,” said Cathy Hoyt. Hoyt and her husband, who live in Richmond, adopted Duke 18 months ago. They had been warned about his strange tendency to take and guard household items, but nothing prepared them for the reality of it. “Every night and nap time, he will go get something to sleep with — something weird,” said Hoyt, who is semiretired and works at the front desk of a local veterinary clinic. At first, Hoyt started taking videos of Duke’s curious behavior to show her vet. But the clips were so hilarious that friends and family urged her to make an Instagram account so they could keep up with Duke’s latest heists. The account took off and now has a loyal following, with some videos getting millions of views. The Dodo, an animal publication, recently featured Duke in a video. “It’s all kind of taken me by surprise,” said Hoyt, whose calm voice is always in the background of the videos. Fans comment that Hoyt’s reactions to Duke, whom she calls often “Dukie,” make the videos even funnier. She will sweetly call out to him, usually sounding taken aback, “Duke, honey, what are you doing?” as the dog saunters by, dragging a picture frame larger than his body. Hoyt said she gives Duke different kinds of dog toys to keep him busy and entertained, and she makes sure he gets plenty of outdoor exercise to tire him out. Still, he will abscond with pretty much anything that is not nailed down when he goes to his bed. Before Duke came into their lives, Hoyt and her husband had recently lost their golden retriever Charlie, who had been with them for 12 years. They have another senior golden named Gina, 12. “Duke is our fourth senior,” said Hoyt, adding that they’ve adopted all four from Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training (SEVA GRREAT). “We love taking in seniors because we know it’s harder for them to find loving homes.” A picture of Duke, now 11, appeared on the rescue’s social media, “and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’” Hoyt said. She and her husband drove to Virginia Beach to meet Duke, and they brought Gina with them to make sure they’d get along. “I fell in love with his face and his expression and his personality, and how loving he was toward Gina,” Hoyt said. “You get a feeling from a dog when you feel it’s right. … He just seemed to need us.” Before Duke arrived at the Hoyts’ home, his life had been relatively unstable. He lived with a family that went through a divorce, and the owner who kept him died shortly after. He then went to an older member of the family, who could not manage his resource guarding behavior — which is when a dog becomes protective over items it values. From there, he went to a foster family and briefly to an adoptive home, but he snapped at a small child who tried to get an item back from him. “It is very unusual; he is not like any other dog I’ve ever had,” said Susan Beckman, Duke’s former foster, who has taken in 12 pups. She is a volunteer and on the board of SEVA GRREAT. “He took my entire computer bag with the computer in it and carried it to the sofa and laid down with it.” Despite warnings about Duke’s antics, the Hoyts decided to adopt him anyway. “The behaviors were a bit startling because we had never had a dog like this,” Hoyt said. “He is also a ‘counter surfer,’ so you can’t have clutter on your counter.” While they adjusted to Duke’s quirks, his repeated pilfering brought the Hoyts some humor at a time they needed it. “It was almost like he was healing my heart because I was missing Charlie so much, and Duke was making us laugh,” Hoyt said. “We would never give up on him ever, never in a million years.” In most instances of resource guarding, a dog is protective over items that directly benefit it in some way, like treats, bones and toys. But dogs can also be drawn to items that offer them comfort. “I think he does it for security,” Hoyt said, explaining that since Duke switched homes so many times, perhaps he clings to things that make him feel he has marked his space. Although Duke will sometimes growl when Hoyt tries to get an item back from him, she said, he is not overly aggressive. She will often trade him a treat for whatever item he has, or if she lets him have it for enough time, he will tire of guarding it. “For the most part, we’re good, as long as we give him space,” she said, adding that he steals between three and seven items per day, and he is mostly gentle with human items — but destroys all dog toys. “It’s just crazy,” Hoyt said. “He will have a room full of toys and find a teapot.” Clive Wynne, a professor of psychology and director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, said he is a bit perplexed by Duke’s behavior. “It’s strange in this case because the object isn’t much of a resource to the animal; it’s just an arbitrary object,” he said. “Why a teapot should be of such importance to this dog, I don’t know.” Wynne said it’s hard to rationalize why Duke’s behavior developed, and whether trading for treats is actually rewarding and reinforcing it. “It’s just a part of the glorious mystery of living with dogs,” he said. “The idiosyncrasies are a part of the joy of having them in our lives.” In any case, “as long as he’s not breaking things, it’s quite amusing,” Wynne added. “It’s delightful, it’s fun, and here’s an old dog and he’s found some people who can enjoy his eccentricities.” Hoyt and her husband agree. “He’s just a lovebug with interesting behaviors,” Hoyt said. She said she hopes her Instagram account for Duke brightens people’s days. “We’re spreading a little joy, especially now in these times that are so negative,” she said. “Every single night, I lay down with Duke on his bed, and I tell him: ‘Do you know how many people you made happy today?’” He seems to get the message. “He’ll just look at me and lick me,” Hoyt said. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2025/10/07/dog-duke-thief-rescue-golden-retriever/ [Limited access]

Paradise by the dashboard light had the Phil Rizzuto section about rounding the bases.

Having a bowl of corn flakes for an early din-din right now.

I'll bet your intellectual side thinks your emotional side got peanut butter on your chocolate and your emotional side thinks your intellectual side got chocolate on your peanut butter.

What is this, a Meatloaf album?

I miss @WilliamM.

I don't know if it was this particular article but I read about them a couple of days ago. They are longtime besties. There was another couple mentioned in the article I read consisting of two female best friends, one of whom is asexual.

I was wondering why somebody was posting about the spraying for mosquitos carrying West Nile virus.

fair enough... I heard they're glad you're happy, but think you're weird.

Buy me dinner first.

At least he can look forward to you consoling him.

A Queens food tour for Filipino American History Month QNS.COM The world’s most diverse borough is filled with an array of authentic Filipino food and desserts, from pork sisig to burnt Basque cheesecake.

David Del Rio is sexy Latino eye candy, but has absolutely nothing to do on this show other than bark out his lines and carry a briefcase (men still carry briefcases?). The 'Oops! I'm going to be a daddy!' finale surprise was another misfire - totally out of left field. He plays his character as more of an incel - not as some Romeo having actual sex with another person. I wonder what the replacement character will be like.

David Del Rio has been fired from the CBScourtroom drama, a source confirms to TVLine, after the show was alerted to an incident involving the actor. An investigation was conducted, and the show has since parted ways with Del Rio. His character will immediately be written off, though it’s not clear how many episodes he’ll appear in for the upcoming Season 2. The show is currently on a filming hiatus through November after completing production on the first half of the season. (TVLine has reached out to Del Rio’s representatives for comment.) No details about the alleged incident have been officially released, but TMZ, who first reported the news, says that Del Rio was accused of sexually assaulting co-star Leah Lewis on Paramount property. Del Rio was reportedly escorted off the Paramount lot last week as soon as the allegations were reported.

I have found that most instructional videos on YouTube are enhanced by increasing the speed to 1.25X because you can understand the dialogue just as well but it takes 80% of the time to watch.

World's Tallest Bridge Opens Glass Cafe at a Staggering 2,600 Feet in the Air Visitors can reach the cafe via a glass elevator that will reach the top in one minute If you’ve ever dreamed of drinking a cup of coffee half a mile into the air, there’s a new way to get your morning cup in the sky. China’s Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, which opened to traffic on Sept. 28, is opening a glass cafe 800 meters (2,624 feet) in the air called Interstellar Coffee. According the Guizhou Daily Tianyan News, the cafe, which is perched atop one of the towers, will have two floors and a 360-degree unobstructed view thanks to its glass walls. It will feature Captain George Coffee with plans to expand its selection in coming months. Visitors will reach the dizzying height via a glass elevator, which can hit the top in under one minute. There’s also a 1,900-foot high glass walkway for visitors, and tourists will also get the chance to bungee jump off the massive bridge.

Woman killed during argument over door etiquette at Texas shopping center well, THAT'S just rude!

The 2025 Taste of Sunnyside features more than 65 local restaurants and establishments and will encourage participants to go door-to-door through the neighborhood and discover the strength of Sunnyside’s dining scene. The restaurant crawl runs from 1-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, with participants advised to check in at 40th Street or 46th Street underneath the elevated seven line on Queens Boulevard

Bed Stuy House Tour Returns for 47th Year WWW.BROWNSTONER.COM The Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant house tour gives a glimpse inside the neighborhood’s homes and raises funds for college scholarships.

Sorry, but you didn't think of the most obvious explanation... he couldn't afford a new wardrobe after buffing up.

New mural in Murray Hill highlights culture of Koreatown QNS.COM A brand new mural is bringing the lights and energy of Seoul to Murray Hill, highlighting the food scene of Queens’ very own Koreatown.