I don’t have to tell you who I voted for yesterday. Quit asking me. It’s none of your business. I will say, however, that my candidates didn’t win. I’m not sure if any of them won.

You know you’re insignificant when your choices for even the little piddly offices lost. I bet I’d back the wrong guy for dogcatcher.

Speaking of which, I wish that position still existed. And I wish the official dogcatcher would set up at the entrances to malls, etc, to bag people who dress their dogs in baby clothes and bring them shopping. Or put them on a leash and walk them proudly up and down the aisles of stores that sell food. I saw a dog in a princess costume yesterday. NOT an attractive sight.

I don’t dislike dogs. I’m allergic to their dander, and I have to leave when a dog appears, but it goes deeper than that, with me.

I hate to break it to some of you, but dogs are not people, and public places like malls are for people. It’s bad enough that so many people bring nasty undisciplined children (themselves a kind of wild animal. . . .) ; we really don’t need yappy little dogs adding to the fracas. Or big dogs that sit down in the aisles and block traffic.

( I AM NOT REFERRING TO SERVICE DOGS IN THIS RANT !!! )

I am referring to dogs who have more clothes, more toys, and better food, than many little children have.

There is something wrong when a person would rather buy a Halloween costume for a dog, than buy a warm coat and socks for a child.

Of course, if you are rolling in the big bucks and can do both, more power to ya. And congrats to your dog, too. Only the best for your dog. Personal chef for your dog. Call him in from the back yard where he’s eating his own poop and dancing in his own vomit like the fastidious princely aristocrat you firmly believe him to be, so he can dine on that expensive gourmet meal you prepared for him in the same pans you use for your family. Oh, careful, he’ll pee on the little chandelier sitting beside his silver bowl. Oh, that’s what it’s there for? Pardon MEEE.

I’ve been ranting on another person’s blog about poor parenting, and it’s carried over.

It’s just that I think children are more important than anything else in the universe. If you have no children and have no interest in helping someone else’s child, by all means lavish money and trinkets on your dog. Coddle your dog. Let your dog poop in my yard, and take pictures of your dog sitting on top of my flowers. How about coming over and taking some pictures of your dog ripping into my garbage and scattering it all over the deck? Or maybe I should take pictures of that. . . . . Hmmmmm. . . . .

Don’t think I dislike dogs. Nope, I think dogs are great. They lead the blind, and provide companionship, and hours of fun. They are beautiful and loyal and loving. They are wonderful animals. Key word: animals.

Children, on the other hand, often have many not-so-great qualities. True, some of them would pee on the chandelier with the dog, and eat off the floor, and dance in their vomit; but a child is a wondrous miracle of humanity, and should be nurtured and cultured and given every opportunity for happiness. Never lose an opportunity to help a child.

After all, he’s going to be helping the dog choose your nursing home.