#533 Ran Dumb

I got to thinking about animals recently.
No, not that way.
I’ve never even been to Enumclaw.
I was thinking about how animals infect every corner of our lives. From the tiniest bacteria in our gut to the giant whales on our Mexican vacation.
And, of course, our little dogs.
What got me to thinking was a news story about how Paula Abdul had broken her nose because she was running and tripped over her Chihuahua.
Talk about a random act of blindness.
Somebody ran dumb indeed.
But really, is this a man’s best friend thing? At what point do little doggies qualify as free range nuisances? Trip its mistress for gosh sake. There’s a boon companion for you.
Now when she goes to the expensive plastic surgeon and he has to give her a little nose job, I hope tiny Chi Chi won’t have to cut back on the gourmet dogfood nuggets.
Who wants to bet Paula gets a slimmer, perkier nose out of this ordeal?
So when I was thinking of Chihuahuas I thought of a few things. Like the word Chihuahua reminds me of a muted trumpet playing a swing band tune.
And the Chihuahua’s smarter cousin is the coyote. So much so that we call it a wily coyote, or say someone is wily as a coyote.
We often compare traits of animals to descriptions of human beings.
Wily as a coyote. Dumb as an ox. Proud as a lion. Cute as a kitten.
And my favorite—naked as a jaybird.
Any help on this one?
Why is a jaybird any more or less naked than any bird?
Is a jaybird a jayhawk, as in the Kansas mascot? Is it because folks in Kansas are more candid? And therefore more naked of pretense than the rest of us?
Or does it refer to the classic blue jay, who is loud, obnoxious, and less likely to give a rat’s ass what anyone thinks.
Naked truth as it were.
Which like a naked jaybird, and a plucked chicken, isn’t pretty.
Kind of like some hairless dogs.

America ya gotta love it