Pets also doomed to be replaced by AI and bots...

[HomerS]

My late father had dementia and spent the last two years of his life in a memory care part of a nursing home.  He was a a dog lover (not to the extent I am, but a close second).  The nursing home said I could bring in my dogs to see him.  Bear (30 pounds pekanese/border collie couch potato) has the personality of the cute little fluffy dog.  I brought her into his room and the look of fear on his face one would have thought I brought in a wolverine!  It took some convincing, but I got him to let her lay with him in his bed and encouraged him to pet her.  The mind is a scary thing.  These things could be a case by case situation.

[89AKurt]

On 12/6/2025 at 1:54 PM, TarheelRick said:

I was also thinking 'pet rock' than another rather useless emotional item crossed my mind, the 'mood ring'. I may be stepping on some toes here, but another phenomenon that has taken over the country is 'service dogs'. I do realize the good they accomplish for the people who need them. My beef is with all these war-painted soccer moms who can't stand being away from "fifi" long enough to buy groceries and have to bring their dog into the store with them. 

Don't get me going about THAT!  A few years ago everyone was putting their fake "service dogs" in shopping carts.  This year met a guy who took the passenger seat out so his fake "service dog" that has no manners and was wanting to jump on me..... no thanks (other irk wanting to chat via war and peace texts).  I've been bitten 3 times, not into dogs.

When a CME makes a direct hit, those people will go first.