Dogs, old and current, and new tricks

Some of you know that my 2nd best friend, and dog, D Rex vanished from our home about 4 days ago. He is not an escape artist, but I fear that with me goin' 16 hours a day and Jane being up north with family (to avoid the heat, heh heh) he has been lonely and engineered an exit. I got home and instead of him waiting at the side gate as always, he was absent. Upon further detailed investigation he had flown the coop. This is a dog that won't leave the house if the door is open, but he loves people, both to play with and occasionally gnaw upon, and I think that he didn't take kindly to being "neglected". Anyway we consulted with vets, and at his alma mater Dog U about how best to execute a search and recovery. They all recommended facebook, and particularly Baja Dogs, a site on facebook dedicated to taking care of and recovering lost and stray canines. Well, it's no small secret that over the last few years I have never been a big fan of facebook. I don't want 23,000 friends, I don't want to swim in your aquarium, if I wanted to be a farmer, I would be. In fact my general belief is that this sort of social media is graffiti esque in nature and allows people the illusion of social contact, while neither having the risk implied in real contact, nor the satisfaction. Well, while that opinion may not have substantially changed I do now see, asleep on the floor of my office, the positive results possible with a connected citizenry. Chris got a call from a guy who had seen "D" on Baja Dogs, and I have my dog back! While I may not jump into the aquarium nor hoe your dirt I must and do willingly admit that there are real strengths and advantages to this sort of network. I suppose like most things that it's all in how you use it, but I find myself willingly thanking that strange man at Harvard that came up with the idea. While I'm pretty sure that he doesn't need a donation, you can take it to the bank that I will make a donation to Baja Dogs, and that the man who phoned Chris will enjoy some fishing "on the house". I thank you, my dog thanks you.