Tag Archives: working group

BlogPaws Episode 2: Say hello to my not-so-little friends

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After the welcome reception on Thursday evening, I was feeling pretty good about returning to BlogPaws on Friday.  I wasn’t disappointed.  The day started out with a pretty great keynote speaker.  Or, more accurately, a duo of speakers:

Meet the men of Rescue Ink.  These are some pretty tough customers from Queens. If you’re looking for peaceful conflict resolution, they may not be your guys.  (Although I have a feeling they’re the type that can solve problems without knocking heads together if the situation allows it.)

In any event, they’re tough customers who care about animal welfare, as the dedication on their website makes clear.  They’re extremely committed to stopping animal abuse – you could really feel the emotion behind their words and their passion for this cause was evident.  That commitment was inspiring.

Rescue Ink is an international animal welfare organization dedicated to defending the defenseless.  (They joked that their lawyers wouldn’t let them go into too much detail about how they actually do that.)  Our two speakers are actually two of the founding members of the group.

Joe Panz (bio)
Big Ant (bio)

Rather than give you an exhaustive recap of their speech, I just wanted to share a few of the quotes I jotted down during the keynote:

  • “A rescue isn’t a rescue until you take it out of a bad situation and find it a better home.”
  • “You don’t send Boy Scouts to get rid of bad guys.  You’re gonna run out of Boy Scouts real quick.”
  • “They say that animals don’t have a voice.  We don’t mind speaking for them.”
  • “It takes 5 puppy mill puppies for one to survive long enough to make it to the pet store.”
  • “Money shouldn’t get between you and your animal.  Your animal is family.”
  • “We defend those that can’t defend themselves.”

You can learn more about the guys from Rescue Ink at their website, including some of their success stories.  I also recommend checking out this post at Kahuna’s K9s – Eryka did a great interview with them after their speech.  This recap at the Pet Health Care Gazette is also fantastic and perfectly describes how I felt listening to these two.  Finally, here’s a video of the interview that Miah from Start the Change did with Joe and Big Ant.

A shot of their logo on the big screen at BlogPaws

Up next: the sessions begin, I learn some stuff, more friends are made, and a puppy movie is screened.  In short… good times.

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Friday I’m in love (with BlogPaws)

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Today, I’m at BlogPaws!  However, I couldn’t just leave you hanging on No Frown Friday.  It just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t send you into the weekend as usual… so let’s get to it!

  1. As always, we begin with a pun… Tina Spay.  (I’m obviously in 30 Rock withdrawal.)
  2. Speaking of wordplay… if I ever need a Cat Scan, I hope I get this type.  Way better than the traditional kind.
  3. Speaking of Cat Scans… if all goes according to plan, I’ve met some of my favorite bloggers by now.  (If you’re there… say hi!)  Maybe I will ask those who are vets if this cartoon actually depicts a teaching animal hospital.  I have a feeling that it does not.
  4. Next, I give you cats with mustaches.  No wordplay or brilliant segue needed.
  5. Apparently the MTV Video Music Awards are this weekend.  (Kind of funny, considering that I can’t remember the last time I saw a video on MTV.)  Anyway, I would be much more likely to watch the VMAs if they really did have puppies on hand to impersonate the various presenters and winners.
  6. Finally, what happens if your toddler decides the dog needs a new ‘do?  Hilarity, that’s what.

No video today – it’s been a crazy week!  However, if you aren’t at BlogPaws, but want to keep up with the action, you can follow me on Twitter.  (I’m not sophisticated enough to blog from the event itself, but Twitter I can handle.)  I’ll be using the hashtag #Blogpaws.  Stay tuned for a full blog recap next week.  Happy weekend!

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I’m so excited… I’m so excited…

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I’m all over the place today… I feel like Jessie Spano on a caffeine pill bender.  (I know, Jessie.  I’ll never get into Stanford at this rate either.)   Anyway…

  1. Your punny pet names:  Jessie Spaniel and Elizabeth Barkley.
  2. Shameless self-promotion time again!  Go visit my cupcake blog and enjoy some chocolate chip and mint chocolate chip cupcakes.
  3. Penguins graduating are adorable.  I hope the penguins went retro and played the Bayside High song during commencement. 
  4. The Canadian Prime Minister adopted a kitten.  This kitten is adorable.  That is all.
  5. For your consideration: this pup is gunning for an Oscar nom with his dramatic interpretation of playing dead.
  6. A chimp bottle feeding a tiger cub?  All in a day’s work.  If that’s not enough cute for you, go check out these Animals with Stuffed Animals.  I have a feeling that’ll do the trick.
  7. Add to your wish list: Dog Lips!

Finally, it’s not quite the Zenniest moment of Zen ever, but it’s pretty close:


(via Best Week Ever)

I'm going to BlogPaws 2011 badgeIn other exciting news…. I’m going to BlogPaws!  Who else will be there?  I can’t wait…

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    That’s one way to stay cool…

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    Happy Friday! I hope that you have not yet melted from the heat… if you have, then I ‘m not sure how you’re reading this, but I congratulate you on your skills.  Anyway, here we go…

    1. Your punny pet names for the week:  PetMe White and Jimmy Falhound. (Not my best work, but they are relevant to the links below.  Here’s a bonus, however: meet Ferris Mewler, feline friend of hilarious individual The Blogess.  That cat’s Eric Northman impression is off the charts… guess we know who would play Ferris Mewler in a made-for-TV movie.  Alexander Skarsgard all the way.)
    2. Wondering what’s new over at my cupcake blog? (Probably not, but I hope you’ll indulge my occasional desire to self-promote.)  If you’re hungry, perhaps these vanilla M&M cupcakes with chocolate buttercream will satisfy you.
    3. Sorry about that cupcake tangent… will you forgive me if I give you 20 dogs slow dancing to Boyz II Men?
    4. No?  Well… how about if I told you I can predict exactly how excited your dog will be to see you based upon how long you’ve been gone?
    5. Still not satisfied?  Man, tough crowd.  If Betty White hanging out with a beluga whale (yup, they’re buds) doesn’t do it, I’m out of ideas.

    So, we’re cool now, right?  Because once I linked to a video of a gosling, and had to clarify that I did not mean Ryan Goslng – it was a sad day for all, and I wished I’d been able to share a video of Gosling with a gosling instead.  I don’t have that today, but I have something even better.  Ryan Gosling and his dog (who happens to be rocking a mohawk) just hanging out on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

    It’s the little things.  You know, like a dog with a mohawk.  It is important to stay cool, after all.  Anyone else tried out this cut? 

    Happy weekend!

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      Now casting: Bella’s made-for-TV movie

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      Hmmm… perhaps it would be a direct-to-DVD movie instead?  Bella doesn’t have a large ego, so I’m sure she wouldn’t expect her first flick to go straight to the big screen… anyway, you may be wondering what I’m rambling about right now.

      Although I got sidetracked thinking about the format, I’m trying to decide what human celeb would play Bella in a movie.  Where did that random query come from?  The lovely Kahuna K9 (a new blog I discovered today through my blogging pals at Rescued Insanity, Kol’s Notes and Something Wagging This Way Comes) has invited bloggers to answer that question.  So, it’s time to cast Bella’s doppleganger…

      After much consideration, I’ve decided to give the role to Kristen Schaal.  (Loved her in Flight of the Conchords and still love her when she pops up on The Daily Show or anywhere else.)  I think her performance as Mel on FOTC was the key to winning this role… there’s something about her slightly goofy, happy nature with an edge that just says Bella to me.  Do you agree?

      Any thoughts on who should be Kristen’s understudy? (Bella’s movie just morphed into a play, I guess.)

       

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      Paw-fice Space

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      Tomorrow is  Take Your Dog to Work Day!  As I discussed last year, Bella cannot come to work with me, but you know what they say – those who can, do; those who can’t, blog about it anyway!   So, even though Bella and I will not be participating (the closest we’ll ever get is when Bella hangs out under my feet when I work from home), that won’t stop me from sharing a few links!

      Cleo over at Grouchy Puppy makes a convincing case for dogs in the workplace.  There are so many hardworking dogs out there helping to prove her point…. in fact, some of our blog friends – including One Pibble’s Wish – are ready to show off their typing skills!  Although there are some puppies who sleep on the job, you shouldn’t hold that against all potential canine employees.

      Not sure if taking your dog to work is for you, or where to start?  Two Little Cavaliers has some tips for talking to your boss about this issue.  You can also check out this handy list of things to know before taking your dog to work (courtesy of BlogPaws) and some more great tips from the All Things Dog Blog.  Banjo & Millie also provided a wealth of information about the benefits of pets in the workplace – I encourage you to check it out!

      Finally, I leave you with a video that seemed perfect for today’s post:

      Are you taking your pup to the office tomorrow?

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      Too many awesome pet blogs, too little time…

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      As I mentioned yesterday, the fabulous blogs Something Wagging This Way Comes and Kol’s Notes recently gave this blog the Versatile Blogger Award.  So, I’m doing my duty and passing it along…

      First and foremost, thanks again to Something Wagging and Kol’s Notes for sharing this award with me.  I highly recommend you pay them a visit – both blogs are great!  Bella and I are humbled to be in such company…

      The rules: I have to tell you seven things about myself and then choose fifteen other blogs that deserve the award. (One set of rules said newly-discovered, and the other set just said versatile, so I’m making up my own rule and just choosing fifteen blogs I always enjoy… though it’s hard to narrow it down to just fifteen.  As you can see from the blogroll at right, I enjoy a lot of blogs!)

      The last time I did something like this, I shared some puppy-related items about myself and some things about Bella. So, this time I decided to use my seven things to tell you a little more about me (the non-dog related stuff). Here we go:

      1. My favorite food is grilled cheese.
      2. I’m a voracious reader… I go through books at a pretty fast pace.  In fact, I just started a new book last night (the fifth book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries), and finished it this evening.  Hours need to be subtracted for sleep, work, commuting, and dinner, during which reading was not an option.  Another recent example? I finished all three Hunger Games books in 3 days.  When I get into a book, it’ll be gone in no time.  Tina Fey’s Bossypants is next in my sights.
      3. I never thought I’d want an e-reader, but I love my Kindle.
      4. I love writing song parodies (as you may have guessed from my recent post about the Pupperazzi).  Although I can’t really sing, I can’t help myself!
      5. I love outdoor concerts.  And wine.  Especially outdoor concerts that allow you to bring wine.
      6. I enjoy movies… and musicals.  Thus, I was in geek heaven yesterday when I went with a friend to see Stephen Sondheim’s Company at the movie theater.  So far this summer, I’ve already seen a production of Follies (apparently I’m in a Sondheim kind of mood lately), and will be seeing Wicked  and Mamma Mia again soon.  I’m sure there will be other performances in my future as well…
      7. I can relate pretty much anything back to Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210.  It’s one of my… talents?

      Whew… hope you made it through my rambling.  Now, to the fun part!  I’m passing this award onto the following blogs:

      Don’t count… I may have cheated a little. Honestly, this was way too hard and there were so many others I wanted to mention, so if I didn’t list you above, please don’t be offended!  Perhaps I need some sort of regular feature where I heap all sorts of compliments upon all you wonderful pet bloggers out there, so that I’m not leaving anyone out.  Stay tuned, my lovely readers – the wheels are turning on this one!

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      A different kind of rescue dog

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      There’s some synergy in the air, it seems.  We were just talking about Jack Russell Terriers on Friday… and today I have a very special JRT story to share with you.  Meet my new hero, Steve Porter.

      For more on this amazing story, go here.  You can also see photos of the rescue.  Although Jessie ended up with a cone of shame, this story has a pretty happy ending.

      As you may know, JRTs are very brave and are built for hunting below ground.  Some JRTs even compete in events called Go-to-Ground, which simulate and test a JRT’s ability to hunt underground. 

      When I was a kid, my Toy Fox Terrier (Scotti) would show off these skills as well.  She’d chase squirrels and other animals all over the yard, including chasing them through a small drainpipe that was back there.  We were lucky – she never got stuck, although the habit did result in quite a few baths for my muddy mutt.  The frequent baths never proved to be a deterrent, however.

      It appears that Jessie’s ordeal hasn’t stopped him from following his instincts either.  Those terriers are incorrigible.  In a good way.

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