hitchcock asked: The past two mornings I ran into a skunk while I was walking my dog in the morning. I don't think this is a good situation. What do I pay taxes for if I have to cross the street to avoid the skunk in my neighborhood? Please note that skunk isn't a metaphor.

Anyways, I found some good suggestions at this Yahoo!!!! Answers!!!! Link (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080711075749AA5FC4S). Since skunks are kind of like otters, do you have any good ideas on what I should do?

What kind of dog do you have?  Is it a hunting dog of some sort?  If not, I recommend you purchase an Otterhound immediately.  I suspect he will take care of any varmints you should happen to cross paths with.  Once the skunk has been vanquished, bathe the dog in low sodium V8.  This is a foolproof plan.  Good luck!