Apparently, June 18 is National Splurge Day. When I first read about this day, I just assumed that it was related to that wonderful Treat Yo’ Self episode of Parks & Rec. It turns out that National Splurge Day actually dates back to 1994. (I wonder if it would have gained more traction if it had a cooler name?)
Anyway, dogs can teach you a lot about how to treat yourself right and live life to the fullest. Here are some tips I’ve picked up from my own canine life coaches.
You can take a day off from that diet. Channel your inner pup and eat with gusto.
We’ve talked about cicadas on the blog before. However, while reflecting upon my recent BlogPaws experience, it hit me. While I can’t speak for bloggers in general, I think I’ve stumbled upon an interesting discovery: pet bloggers are kind of like cicadas.
via giphy.com
Now, before you get bent out of shape, obviously there are some differences. None of the pet bloggers that I have met are freaky bugs with orange eyes. (If you are an actual cicada who maintains a pet blog, please give me a call. Or an email. I’m not sure which technology you prefer. However, I have so many questions for you. First, what kind of pet does a cicada have? A fruit fly? How do you type? Do you just hop from key to key? How do you want me to pronounce your name? Did you start life as a cicada or was it some sort of Kafka thing? Oh, and sorry for that “freaky” comment. No hard feelings?)
My pups know that the freezer must contain some interesting art or a brainteaser, as I’m often staring in there at night while pondering something. (You know, like whether to have an ice cream sandwich.)
The title of this post was almost “you say ci-cay-da, I say Secada.”
Anyway, on to more pressing matters. It’s cicada season in parts of Virginia. Thus, if you live in the area or will be visiting, you may want to be on the lookout for these noisy insects. The season is just getting started, but before long they’ll be everywhere. Seriously… everywhere. In fact, to mutilate a classic song: “If you’re going to be at BlogPaws, you just might find a cicada in your hair.” If that happens, try not to panic. It’ll be okay. Continue reading →
Will wonders never cease? I’m actually delivering your Friday links on Friday!
First up, your punny pet name for the week: Sansa Bark for a dog and Roger Starling for a bird. (Here’s some extra punnage for you. The second one on the list cracked me up.)
It just so happens that Mad Men is back on Sunday night. Are you as excited as I am? Ah, the glory days of advertising…
In other news, Game of Thrones came back last Sunday, so I’m really in TV nerd heaven right now. If I ever make that Game of Bones parody, I will totally be relying on these casting suggestions. (Jon Snow and Ygritte are my favorite doggelgangers, I think.)
You may have noticed I totally just made up a word. What do you think?A dog doppelgänger would totally be a doggelganger, right? (The word doppelgänger is ripe for wordplay. For example, if you happened to be watching an adult film – or even Game of Thrones – and saw someone who looked like you, then you would have just encountered your doppelbanger. See? It’s so versatile.)
Um, anyway… moving on… I can’t quite decide which of these is my favorite. I mean, you can’t go wrong following the motto of House Swanson, but how can I say no to Professor Farnsworth?
On a completely unrelated note, I feel like this revelation is earth shattering (at least for my younger self, who desperately wanted to be on that show). Speaking of old shows, this post totally took me down memory lane (even though some of the shows were after my time.)
Finally, that brings us to today’s video. This Mad Dog intro is quite clever:
Sorry for all of the TV talk today. I promise that I don’t just sit around watching TV all the time. Ask my pups. (Although they don’t seem to mind being couch potatoes from time to time.)
Speaking of pups and not sitting around, you should head over to Peggy’s Pet Place and check out the great blogs participating in the first FitDog Friday Blog Hop. (I didn’t have a chance to get a post up for it today, but I hope to participate in the future. It sounds fun!) In addition, it’s almost time for K9 Kamp again – I can’t wait to enjoy the nice weather with the pups.
Okay, so I know that this clip is basically everywhere right now. However, given that it exemplifies puns and song parodies at their finest, I just had to share it here too:
I couldn’t decide which of the two videos below to share with you in honor of Pi Day. (Do you celebrate?)
The first one is short, cute, and kind of about pie (the yummy kind). The second is longer, actually about pi (the non-yummy kind), and features Dog Hamlet (although you have to wait for his appearance).
Rather than choosing one, I’m just giving you both. It’s a little something for everyone, pleasing to every palate. Kind of like pie.
This one might be my favorite. I love the idea behind it.
Speaking of Barkitecture, it’s also the name of a pretty cool annual festival in Austin. Sadly, it doesn’t happen in July, which is when I went to Austin last year. Anyway, check out some of the photos.
Looks like there’s something similar in Houston and in California (and some other places) too. There needs to be one near me!
Honestly though, even if we had a dog mansion, I’m pretty sure my dogs would just nap in the grass or the dirt instead when they are hanging out in the yard. That’s just how they roll.
Did you know that Frank Lloyd Wright designed a dog house at the request of a young boy? It turns out, however, that FLW was not in tune with his inner canine. The boy’s dog, Eddie, was not a big fan of the work.
It seems that there was once a show called Barkitectureon the DIY Network. I am intrigued… is it still on? If not, what happened to it? And how did I miss it?
You know, when I was a kid, one of our dogs used to sleep on the roof of his dog house, like Snoopy. That roof was flat, however. Snoopy’s house seems kind of pointy on top. That can’t be good for his back.
Anyway, here’s how some toy manufacturers got around that problem:
Let us never speak of that terrifyingly large Woodstock again.
Okay, friends… it’s time for a little friendly debate. Of all the dogs that have appeared on television, who is the top dog?
Before we get started, the ground rules:
We’re talking fictional dogs here. A real-life hero dog or otherwise famous dog (think Uggie) who has appeared on a television news program or in a commercial doesn’t count. (Although maybe we need a sub-category of dogs in commercials. I do love Chopper, after all.)
Animated dogs totally count. Dogs that have appeared in holiday or other specials shown on television are also fair game.
Miniseries and made-for-TV movies are also in the mix. However, movies originally released in a theater and later shown on TV don’t count – that’s the subject of a future pup culture debate.
Ready? To get you started, here are a few lists of TV dogs.
I’ll even kick off the discussion with a few of my favorites:
Odie – I’m not just obsessed with Garfield. I love his canine pal too. He’s not the brightest, but he sure does have a big heart.
Seymour – Unlike the other dogs on this list, Seymour appeared in one memorableepisode, the supremely moving and beautiful “Jurassic Bark” episode of Futurama. Have you seen this one? If not, you owe it to yourself as a dog lover and a human being with a soul. I got teary just typing those sentences. Um, quick… let’s watch a happy moment from that episode.
Wishbone – It’s not all animated dogs here. My mom gave me a Wishbone stuffed animal one year and it was seriously the best gift ever. I mean, it’s an adorable dog and some great books. What’s the story, Wishbone?
Eddie – Given my love affair with Terriers, I guess it’s no surprise that I adored Eddie from Frasier. Moose, you were the best.
I could probably go on for a while… in particular, there are quite a few animated dogs I might add to that list. However, I’ll stop with five for now.
So… who is your favorite? Share your nominees in the comments and tell us why! (If there’s enough interest, perhaps I’ll take the top mentions and put it to a vote soon.)
Dear advertisers, marketers & others in charge of sounds on TV:
During a recent episode of Modern Family, there were no less than four doorbells in a single half hour of television. In my house, that translates to four instances of insane barking and general chaos. (One of these days, we’ll get over that doorbell mania.) I could barely get through the show.
Then, while I was watching the Oscars on Sunday, I saw a Hyundai commercial featuring the beeping of a dying smoke detector. (Apparently, this one has been around for a while, but I guess I have managed to skip over it until now. Thank you, DVR.) Luckily, Bella was upstairs at the time – nothing turns her into a neurotic mess faster than that beep. Tavish woke up, but then I muted it.
A tipster on Facebook mentioned that they read an article saying that marketers were including these sounds on purpose. The goal? To engage homes with dogs. Um, more like enrage. Or torture. At least in my house.
The video below is an extremely accurate depiction of how I feel every single time that Hyundai commercial comes on or there’s a doorbell on TV. (Don’t watch it where any dogs can hear it, okay?)
I used to assume that you just didn’t realize the chaos you were unleashing in my house. Now that I know your actions might just be premeditated, I’m feeling pretty grouchy. Be warned, advertisers. If you intentionally use these dog-annoying sounds in your commercial, I will remember your brands… but not in a good way.
Please. Make it stop.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Member of the Dog-Having Public
Readers, do these sounds cause chaos in your house? Do you also wish that advertisers would just cut it out? Let’s band together!
