Year of the Dog

[wei yau]

January 29th is the first day of the Chinese New Year and it will be a most auspicious year for me. It is the year of the Dog, my year.

While I don't necessarily believe in astrology, I do enjoy reading about the supposed traits one inherits from their birthsign.

The following traits are ascribed to Dogs and I actually find that I exhibit most of them. Here's a nice little summary from an astrology website (http://chinese.astrology.com/dog.html)

In the West, the Dog is man's best friend, but in Chinese Astrology this Sign is a little more unpredictable than that. Dogs are loyal, faithful and honest and always stick to their firm codes of ethics.

This is a bit over-the-top for me, but I do stick to my code of ethic (whether or not said code is actually ethical...well, that's another story).

However, this Sign has trouble trusting others. It's generally quite trustworthy itself -- except for the occasional "little white lies" the Dog tells in order to make things go more smoothly.

Heh. I do love you all, really. You're all wonderful people.

This Sign tends to root for the underdog and its keen sense of right and wrong makes it duty-bound to the core. The Dog's mantra seems to be, Live right, look out for the little people and fight injustice whenever possible.

Well, if that is me, I'm all bark and no bite.


Dogs can also be rather dogmatic, too. They don't go in for light social banter; instead, they go straight for home, expostulating on the topics that are most important to them. At these times the Dog's narrow-minded or stubborn side can become apparent; this Sign has trouble staying light and calm when an important issue is at stake.

Luckily, posting and reading at the FF has gone a long way to alleviating this trait.

This Sign can also be very temperamental; mood swings characterize its emotional life and often the Dog needs to run off to be alone in order to recuperate. Part of the problem is the result of this Sign's load of irrational fears that turn into niggling anxieties that turn into hurt feelings and occasional grouchiness. This sensitive Sign needs to warm up to others over time and gradually learn to trust them. Without that trust as a foundation, Dogs can be judgmental and coarse.

Wow, it's like my counselor wrote this paragraph. And I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone in this regard, whether you're a Dog or not, I'm reasonably confident that there are quite a few of you who can relate to this attribute.

Where love is concerned, Dogs often have a tough time finding the right match. They can be so anxious and overwrought in the romance dance that they'll stress their partner to the max!

Well, I'll leave that "to the max" stuff alone. But, I'd say that anyone who has ever been involved with me romantically can agree with the above.

Dogs need to work on controlling their irrational worries and would also be well-served to relax their mile-high standards, which can sometimes wind up alienating the ones they love.

Maybe there is something to this astrology stuff, it's like I can see my future in this paragraph.

[Leesifer]

Heh, I was so into astrology in my teens.

My chinese sign is the Fire Horse (sign of the Horse but with added oomph) and my western sign is Aries. They are both pretty similar from what I remember.

[wei yau]

The Fire Horse is animated and sociable. He has a wild side that leads him to a life on the edge. Fire Horses are generally either incredibly lucky or ridiculously unlucky. They love the excitement of action and the change it brings. The Fire element makes them passionate about their feelings and they always take a stand in a situation. Fire Horses are never on the fence about anything and have definitive opinions about the world. Their tempers can be overbearing

If I'm not mistaken, the Horse is inherently a fire sign. So being a Fire Horse means you are extra Fire-y.

Just as the Dog is inherently a metal sign, so being a metal dog is often known as being an Iron Dog (which sounds too cool, I need to make that a superhero character or something).

[Leesifer]

The Fire Horse is animated and sociable. He has a wild side that leads him to a life on the edge. Fire Horses are generally either incredibly lucky or ridiculously unlucky. They love the excitement of action and the change it brings. The Fire element makes them passionate about their feelings and they always take a stand in a situation. Fire Horses are never on the fence about anything and have definitive opinions about the world. Their tempers can be overbearing

Yep. That's me for definite. :yup:

If I'm not mistaken, the Horse is inherently a fire sign. So being a Fire Horse means you are extra Fire-y.

I might be. :sly:

Oh, and Aries is the first sign of the western zodiac and the cardinal fire sign. I don't stand a chance really. :firestrm:

Just as the Dog is inherently a metal sign, so being a metal dog is often known as being an Iron Dog (which sounds too cool, I need to make that a superhero character or something).

Heh. Iron Dog. You should change your user title.

[TomJoe]

I was born in the Year of the Rat. The Wiki on Chinese Astrology tells me the element for that year was "Water".

[Dingfod]

I'm a goat, a freakin' goat. Figures.

[TomJoe]

I'm a goat, a freakin' goat. Figures.

I'm not sure why ... Nyahhhhh ahh ahh* ... I find that totally amusing ... Nyahhhhh ahh ahh ... but I do.

*Queue up Adam Sandler's SNL "Goat Boy".

[Crumb]

My chinese sign is the Fire Horse
I swear this said "Fire Hose" the first time I read it.

I'm a :dragon:

[aequitas]

We have three dogs. Every year is the year of the dog in our home. :beagle:

[Leesifer]

I'm a goat, a freakin' goat. Figures.

Some people are crazy (http://www.informationforthebrain.com/Goat_Sales_Letter.html) about goats. :goat:

[livius drusus]

I'm a goat, a freakin' goat. Figures.

Hey! Quit badmouthing the goats, man. I love goats They're strong, stubborn, affectionate, funny and they have those freaky-ass rectangular pupils which make it nearly impossible to stare them down.

I also love dogs, rats and horses. If we were in Earthsea instead of pedestrian old Earth, I'd totally love the dragons too. I love iguanas, though, so that should count for something.

[cappuccino]

I'm a Dog too, a lot of the description matches me but not all of it.


In the West, the Dog is man's best friend, but in Chinese Astrology this Sign is a little more unpredictable than that. Dogs are loyal, faithful and honest and always stick to their firm codes of ethics.


I'm loyal, honest, and I have a code of ethics I try to follow everyday. Whether the code itself is ethical is quite another thing as you're correct in saying, wei yau ;)


However, this Sign has trouble trusting others. It's generally quite trustworthy itself -- except for the occasional "little white lies" the Dog tells in order to make things go more smoothly.

I'm very trustworthy yes and I don't have much trouble trusting others, beyond giving others a reasonable degree of trust. I'm optimistic but I'm also a die hard realist, I know that people are in it for their interests.

I admit, I don't have trouble telling little white lies to keep things running smoothly. But I can be honest and blunt when the occasion calls for it.

This Sign tends to root for the underdog and its keen sense of right and wrong makes it duty-bound to the core. The Dog's mantra seems to be, Live right, look out for the little people and fight injustice whenever possible.

...well I cheer for the underdog all the time and my mantra is live right but at the same time I don't like to get involved. I know how to pick my battles and I know when it's useless to do something. So yeah, I'm all bark and no bite.

Dogs can also be rather dogmatic, too. They don't go in for light social banter; instead, they go straight for home, expostulating on the topics that are most important to them. At these times the Dog's narrow-minded or stubborn side can become apparent; this Sign has trouble staying light and calm when an important issue is at stake.

I'm definitely not dogmatic or narrow-minded. I love to cover a huge range of topics and I'm very laidback. It's hard for people to push my buttons. But there are topics I'm passionate about. I tend to be very selective about things, totally a personality type B+ here.

This Sign can also be very temperamental; mood swings characterize its emotional life and often the Dog needs to run off to be alone in order to recuperate. Part of the problem is the result of this Sign's load of irrational fears that turn into niggling anxieties that turn into hurt feelings and occasional grouchiness. This sensitive Sign needs to warm up to others over time and gradually learn to trust them. Without that trust as a foundation, Dogs can be judgmental and coarse.

I won't call myself temperamental, like I said, I'm laidback but I do keep things bottled up inside. I have all those little fears and anxieties that I keep behind my carefully constructed facade. Only my closest friends have some idea of the things I keep to myself. I'm reserved and I need time to grow comfortable and warm towards others, it varies depending on who I'm interacting with and the situations I'm in but the description's got that right about me.

Where love is concerned, Dogs often have a tough time finding the right match. They can be so anxious and overwrought in the romance dance that they'll stress their partner to the max!

Oh yes, I have trouble in that area! :P

Dogs need to work on controlling their irrational worries and would also be well-served to relax their mile-high standards, which can sometimes wind up alienating the ones they love.

Yep, I need to work on controlling my neuroses though I won't say that my standards are mile-high. Interacting with plenty of different people makes for a comfortable and relaxed standards except when it comes to civil rights and intellectual honesty and knowledge. Then my standards are indeed mile-high in those areas.

I dunno, the description seem to make me sound high-strung though I'm not really like that, I think. Maybe I'm just not recognizing that in me. I'm laidback but I get nervous and worry over the silliest things. In fact it'd be accurate to say that I'm laidback when I'm around with people but when I'm alone and with time on my hands for thinking about things, I start to go off on those crazy flights of imagination and anxiety. Overanalyzing things is one of my major personality trademarks.

[curses]

Ooh, I lucked out (in my not-so-humble opinion). I'm a Dragon.
The Dragon is one of the most powerful and lucky Signs of the Chinese Zodiac. Its warm heart makes the Dragon's brash, fiery energy far more palatable. This is a giving, intelligent and tenacious Sign that knows exactly what it wants and is determined to get it. Yes, I'm stubborn, but I mean well ;).Dragons possess a certain natural, charming charisma that ensures they can always influence their peers and often find themselves the center of attention in social situations.Yeah, I hate being in public but I love being the center of attention. Sometimes I don't understand myself. This Sign is truly blessed, too; Dragons are considered to be very lucky in love!
..and it only took me 28 years to prove it! </sarcasm>The Dragon's friends are always keen to hear what this firebrand has to say and when it comes to dispensing advice, the Dragon has the floor.I'll give them that, but to be fair, my friends ask everyone in our circle for advice.
Its ego can get in the Dragon's way, but even so, this larger-than-life creature has a knack for initiating projects and keeping the troops motivated. According to Dragons, it's their natural born right to lead the way -- because who else could do it so surely and so well?What ego?:innocent: Yeah, I'm good at starting stuff, and it's a shame I rarely can finish...oooh, SHINY THINGS!!As lucky as they are, Dragons have a good chance of achieving considerable material wealth during their lifetimes, although it isn't mere money that's this Sign's main motivation.Someone tell my bank account, I feel it's been left out of the loop on this.Power is what the Dragon wants and truly believes it deserves. Dragons are quite the opportunists, forever searching for ways in which to consolidate their considerable power. Contrary to all this strength and fire, a weakened Dragon is a sad sack, a creature that refuses to take defeat with even a modicum of grace.Yeah, OK..this is me.

I'm not a big believer in astrology, though I do find it fun to "study" (loose definition). I'm also a Leo, so does that make me double trouble?

[godfry n. glad]

January 29th is the first day of the Chinese New Year and it will be a most auspicious year for me. It is the year of the Dog, my year.

While I don't necessarily believe in astrology, I do enjoy reading about the supposed traits one inherits from their birthsign.

The following traits are ascribed to Dogs and I actually find that I exhibit most of them. Here's a nice little summary from an astrology website (http://chinese.astrology.com/dog.html)

In the West, the Dog is man's best friend, but in Chinese Astrology this Sign is a little more unpredictable than that. Dogs are loyal, faithful and honest and always stick to their firm codes of ethics.

Heh...

An American journalist covering the Nationalist Chinese army from Nanking during WWII noted that the Chinese troops often had a number of dogs on leashes. He was quite taken aback with how attached the owners were to their pets, to take them along during manuevers.

One of General Stillwell's staff stopped the young journalist midsentence and said, "Those aren't pets, those are Chinese K-rations."

I am a snake. For those who've stepped on me, they know I'm venomous. I've read the Chinese astrological description and it's part hooey and part so general that many people would fit into the description. Typical astrological claptrap.

[Petra]

No wonder I like you so much wei yau; I'm a genuine dog lover. :yup:

I am a Water Rabbit (http://www.tuvy.com/entertainment/horoscope/water_rabbit.htm), born in 1963. :pancakebunny:

In western astrology, I'm Taurus; which sounds all calm an' stuff, but I'm otherwise surrounded by firey signs (Leo, Aries, Sagittarius) which I s'pose gives me my more hot-headed passions.

[Godwhacker]

My wife is Chinese, so this weekend will be big. Our daughter will be born in the year of the Dog, so we have alot of stuffed doggies. Unfortunately, most baby clothes with dogs on them are for boys, although we still got a few of those outfits anyways (we don't want to get too "genderish" with the baby clothes).

I myself, no doubt, am a HOG! Oink Oink! :piggy:

[Adora]

I'm a motherfuckin' Rat. Who's the pimp who pushed the cat into the water? ME, fo shizzle. Stupid cats.

[Dingfod]

I'm a goat, a freakin' goat. Figures.

I'm not sure why ... Nyahhhhh ahh ahh* ... I find that totally amusing ... Nyahhhhh ahh ahh ... but I do.

*Queue up Adam Sandler's SNL "Goat Boy".Kiss my butt.




Get it? Butt.

[ms_ann_thrope]

I love being a Rat!