Cynically Optimistic

[insert snare drum here] DOG SHOW!!!

I decided to skip work today and venture into Manhattan and attend the 128th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. It was not a terribly exciting event, but it was great to see all the different breeds of dog in one place, and the crowd was interesting. Behind me in line to buy my ticket was a 6' 9" (at least) transvestite. It took me 20 minutes of waiting in line before I realized the goat noises I kept hearing were actually coming from the throat of the man selling the programs (I suggest he finds a new line of work - perhaps a goat herder). There was a very high concentration of frumpy women in sweatshirts and old people. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing them use the word "bitch" when referring to female dogs. Some choice quotes:

"Oh No! That Bitch has toes in."
"Get your bitch on the floor, now!"
"First he'll be judging the bitches."

And my personal favorite.

"Excuse me, is that your bitch? I like your bitch. I'd like to breed with your bitch"

I think the only places you're likely to hear comments like these are at a dog show or a party with Snoop Dogg.

A big part of the event was the table area, where all the dogs were staged together. The table area was very crowded, and I really got an opportunity to meet a lot of breeders and other nice dog-friendly people. I noticed that several of them were wearing furs and leather, and the hipocracy was not lost on me. They were generally agreeable people, and you could tell most of the dogs were very used to being shown at events like these, because they were extremely well behaved considering the circumstances. I was amused that the groomers used straightening irons, crimping irons, curlers, etc. to get the dogs looking sharp.

All in all, it was a great day. I'll have more photos once I get the film developed from my SLR, but until then you can enjoy some shots from my digicam.