Home sales still setting records - OrlandoSentinel.com: Business

Home sales still setting records - OrlandoSentinel.com: Business

Pelican Bay - Christmas sail destination?

Pelican Bay (Page 1) - Florida Sea Grant

CD Baby: THE GOTTLIEB-DANIELSSON PROJECT: Extended Journey

Eric's percussion tutor is married to a famous drummer Danny Gottlieb. They appear together on THE GOTTLIEB-DANIELSSON PROJECT: Extended Journey Danny has appeared on over 300 albums and was a founding member of the Pat Metheney Group.

Rounding out the Gottlieb-Danielsson Project, and indeed making it a "family affair" is saxophonist Tamara Danielsson and percussionist Beth Gottlieb. Beth Gottlieb, a successful percussionist, dedicated teacher (Interlochen, Rollins College), and wife of Danny, brings her considerable skills to the project, adding even more color and texture to help define the group's sound.

Gov. Jeb Bush and other state officials have encouraged students to read the book and to see The Chronicles of Narnia

Students might go to 'Narnia' -- or not - OrlandoSentinel.com: Lake County News

Katrina Christmas Display

WWLTV.com | News for New Orleans, Louisiana | Top Stories

Frank Evans thought the tiny blue-tarped roofs, little toppled fences and miniature piles of hurricane debris he included in the Christmas display he builds every year for a suburban New Orleans shopping mall struck just the right humorous tone.

The call of 'D'oh!'

The call of 'D'oh!' - OrlandoSentinel.com: Television

IOL: Lawyer determined to get The Simpsons off air

IOL: Lawyer determined to get The Simpsons off air

Moscow - A Russian lawyer plans to take his case against The Simpsons to the European Court of Human Rights.

It comes after a Moscow Court rejected Igor Smykov's appeal to have the show banned from Russian TV.

Mr Smykov wanted to have the cartoon series taken off the air in Russia, or at least shown at a later time, claiming it promoted drugs, violence and homosexuality.

He also demanded £6 000 (about R4,5-million) in compensation from TV channel REN-TV saying the show had morally damaged his nine-year-old son.

FOXNews.com - Politics - Capitol Holiday Tree Is a Christmas Tree Again

Let's hear it for small victories in the ongoing fight against petty people with counter-culture agendas. FOXNews.com - Politics - Capitol Holiday Tree Is a Christmas Tree Again

Amazon.com: Nintendogs - Labrador Retriever: Electronics

Here it is. How Eric would prefer to raise a Labrador Retriever.

Amazon.com: Nintendogs - Labrador Retriever: Electronics

Can the Canadians save us from the Evil George Bush starting an intergalactic war?

Click here to send your letter to the Parliament of Canada requesting public "ET" Hearings:  PEACEINSPACE.NET

“From 1963-1967, Hon. Paul Hellyer was Minister of National Defence of Canada in the cabinet of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, who won a Nobel Peace Prize.  On September 25, 2005, at the Toronto Exopolitics Symposium held at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto, former Minister of National Defence Hellyer stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head," and "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."

Former Minister of Defence Hellyer went on to state: "The time has come to lift the veil of secrecy, and let the truth emerge, so there can be a real and informed debate, about one of the most important problems facing our planet today."  Mr. Hellyer stated the Canadian people may be threatened with the consequences of war in outer space over our sovereign territory: "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning."    

I’m glad to know that the Canadians are working on “the most important problems facing our planet today.”  If they weren’t how could we possibly take them seriously?  All hail Canadia!

Train Depot Track Designer

Free download Lego Track Designer

Train Depot Track Designer

Otter Key

Some notes on the Otter Key anchorage Yacht Club Colony - Florida Sea Grant

Pet Friendly Anchorages Along the East Coast

Pet Friendly Anchorages Along the East Coast

Orlando's median home hits $261,300

Orlando's median home hits $261,300 - OrlandoSentinel.com:

Orlando was the second-hottest market in the country for existing-home sales during the third quarter. The median price of a single-family home soared to $261,300, a jump of nearly 45 percent from a year earlier, a national trade group reported Tuesday.

Orlando's median price in the third quarter was up from $180,500 a year earlier. Nationally, the third-quarter median was $215,900, and the 14.7 percent year-over-year gain was the second-greatest on record for the Realtors association, a spokesman for the trade group said.

Dogs: A Heart Patient's Best Friend - Yahoo! News

Dogs: A Heart Patient's Best Friend - Yahoo! News

"Dogs are a great comfort," says study leader Kathie Cole of the UCLA Medical Center. "They make people happier, calmer and feel more loved. That is huge when you are scared and not feeling well."

Anxiety scores dropped 24 percent among patients interacting with a dog. Scores dropped 10 percent when only a human visited. The group that got no visit exhibited no change.

"This study demonstrates that even a short-term exposure to dogs has beneficial physiological and psychosocial effects on patients who want it,"

Lab Foster Photo Diary

I added a photo diary blog of the joys of fostering Labrador retrievers.  You can find it here at http://labfoster.blogspot.com and I added a permanent link on the right hand side of this blog.

Eric Playing Soccer

 
Upward Soccer season is almost over and we finally got the camera out to get some pictures. 

Happy Halloween!
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We Love Our Vacuum

Dyson DC14 Complete Here is our new vacuum cleaner. With tax it was about $600 which is 3x more than we've ever thought about spending on a vacuum cleaner. Why blog about a vacuum cleaner? Because it's the COOLEST thing we've bought since David came home with his iPod mini. Everything they say about it is true. It eliminates dirt that the old Hoover swore wasn't there. And boy do we need it with 145 pounds of black labradors lying on the carpet all day.

Bentley

 
This one looks pretty good! 

Who wants a cookie?

 
 

Hoover at Sea

 
OK Here is another attempt to post from within Picasa2 to blogger. Maybe the third time is the charm.

This picture was taken in the Gulf around Fathers Day. 

Bentley

 
 

Here is a nice picture of Bentley. It's a little dark, but the brighter shots all show either a blue or gray haze in his eyes.

I kinda like this one. But we need to try more shots, probably some on the back porch and maybe the front yard.

Long trip to Taipei

Long trip to Taipei, but I’m learning how to travel it a bit better.  This time I brought two books which is good because I finished the first one on the way over.  I bought a neck pillow at the LA airport, which helped a great deal.

Blogger for Word

O.K.  This is pretty cool.

Eric should go to www.blogger.com and download “Blogger for Word” at this link:

http://buzz.blogger.com/bloggerforword.html  

Blogger for Word is a free add-in that makes it a snap to edit and post to a blog from Word.  When you install the program it adds a new menu into Word.  The menu items include:

Blogger Settings;  start here to tell the program your blog sign-on.

Open Post:  This is a real cool feature.  You can grab a post straight from your blog in order to edit it.  A drop down menu lets you choose what blog you want, and another lets you pick out which post to edit inside Word.

Save as Draft:  If you don’t want to post right away.

Publish:  Gives you the option of either Updating an existing post or Creating a New Post.

This is a really useful tool for playing with Blogger.

SUN-SENTINEL INVESTIGATION: FEMA has always been a disaster!

Free money, poor planning, poor response. It's the FEMA way!

SUN-SENTINEL INVESTIGATION: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The view from our room in Jacksonville, FL. We went up for the weekend to see the Jags play the Denver Broncos.
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Jaws in 30 seconds with bunnies.

"Jaws" reinacted in 30 seconds using bunnies!

Jaws in 30 seconds with bunnies.

Alerts go out on dog influenza - OrlandoSentinel.com:

This makes me think we should keep Bentley away from the adoption days until more is found out.

Alerts go out on dog influenza - OrlandoSentinel.com:

Advice Goddess Blog

Heh. From now on, I'm going to reply to all interupting cold calls with:

"I'm sorry, I'm busy right now. Can you give me your home phone and I'll call you back later."


Advice Goddess Blog

Hurricane Katrina: Folklore vs. Fact

Hmmmm. Used to be you could trust what you read in the papers and heard on the news.

Gateway Pundit: More Hurricane Katrina: Folklore vs. Fact

Apple admits problem with iPod nano

For once I'm happy not to be an early adopter! But it's still soooo cooooool and I want to get one once they fix it.!

(blogged while under the influence of Itunes...)

Apple admits problem with iPod nano

Michelle Malkin: TOM DELAY INDICTED

Wonder how this will play in the Orlando Slantinel and St. Pete Liberal times:

Michelle Malkin: TOM DELAY INDICTED

OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today

The St. Pete Times Poynter Institue is teaching it's liberal students (minions) to lie in order to push forward it narrative:

OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today: "The chaos in the wake of Katrina seemed to affect some reporters and editors, says Kelly McBride, who teaches ethics at the Poynter Institute, a journalism research and education center in St. Petersburg, Fla.

'You get so hung up as a reporter on what the big picture is that you use generalizations that become untrue.'"

What ever happened to just telling the freakin truth?

OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today

From OpionJournal:

"The problems with the New Orleans Police Department are nothing new. In February 2004 the Gambit Weekly reported on a study conducted by the University of New Orleans for the New Orleans Police Foundation, which found that the NOPD was quickly losing officers. In just the preceding three years, a force of 1,700 had become a farce of 1,500; the foundation estimated that 2,000 officers were needed to police the city adequately:

Recounting the 'three major reasons' cited in the UNO study for the shrinking NOPD--poor pay, lack of consistent promotions, and the city's strict residency requirement--the Foundation then offered three more contributing factors for the reduction in force:

• 'Housing costs are higher in Orleans Parish than other Parishes in the metro area, and the residency requirement forces our police officers to bear these higher costs.'

• 'NOPD officers do not consider the Orleans Parish School system adequate; 84 percent send all or at least one of their children to school elsewhere, usually at additional expense.'

• 'NOPD officers make less (money) than their peers in other agencies; they have not been promoted as promised. This is especially crippling when coupled with the negative impact of the residency requirement, higher housing and education expenses.'

Result: The Big Easy became the country's murder capital. "For New Orleans to have a murder rate that is on par with New York City's, our city would have to record only 36 murders per year," the report found. "This is 221 fewer murders than the 257 murders recorded in 2002."

The Gambit notes that the study, which was actually issued a month before the paper's report, was supposed to have been a "blockbuster," but instead it "became quickly swallowed up in a 24-hour news cycle of bloody crimes."

OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today

OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today: "Remember a few weeks back when left-wing commentators were citing Katrina as an indictment of Ronald Reagan's small-government philosophy? What we see here is Democratic big government at work. Employees walk off their job when they are most essential, and weeks later their bosses haven't figured out if that's a firing offense!"

NCAA Football - Weis uses play called by 10-year-old boy dying of inoperable brain tumor

This one will make you cry.

Yahoo! Sports - NCAA Football - Weis uses play called by 10-year-old boy dying of inoperable brain tumor

Everything in Michael Crightons "State of Fear" is true

Here is an article about Arianna Huffington showing up to a Sierra Club meeting in a Chevy Suberban limo.

Michelle Malkin: DRIVING MISS ARIANNA

Last night Betsy was watching Fox News and some eco-zealot was spouting off about global warming and rising oceans causing more hurricanes. When his opposite pointed out the oceans weren't rising and global warming doesn't exist globally he retorted

"I wish I was paid by Exxon to go on these shows and lie about global warming."

If you haven't yet, go out and find a copy of State of Fear

Sluggo?

I kinda like the name Sluggo for Bentley. Sluggo is: "Nancy's best friend and constant companion. He's a sweet kid and a loyal friend. Sluggo's certainly not the brightest kid in the gang, but he's always there when you need him."

Deputy Dawg

Is this Bentley?

EBay to Buy Internet Phone Firm for $2.6 Billion - New York Times

Skype was sold to EBay for between 2.6 Billion and 4.1 billion.

Yikes, and here I thought it was just an internet toy!

New York Times

More stories of frustrated volunteers

If this doesn't get you mad I don't know what will. Doctors told to mop floors instead of saving dying patients because the lawyers were concerned about liability? FEMA not allowing a water truck to unload because of paperwork? Firefighters sent to Atlanta to take sensitivity training while New Orleans burned?

What the hell is going on with our government? If I were drowning in a cesspool and had a choice between rescued by an abusive firefighter, or drowned and dead because the would be abusive firefighter is in Atlanta learning how not to offend me I'll take the former thank-you-very-much.

CNN.com - Leadership vacuum stymied aid offers - Sep 15, 2005

Katrina - What Went Right

Interesting article on what went right in the New Orleans rescue effort. It would seem that with no unified command and no communication systems established that multiple rescue groups simply went about there work saving people without recognition. While the press was reporting that nothing was going on, and in the process making a politcal issue out of it, thousands of lives were being saved.

"Urban also notes one explanation why the rescue operation flew below the radar of the media: Individual federal and state units were not coordinating their efforts overall. There was no central clearing house for information on rescue efforts. What looked like a hurricane relief breakdown was in fact a press release breakdown."

So while we had a near total governmental breakdown at the local, state and federal level the people and agencies themselves went about their work.

Lack of plan hurt Katrina-hit states' response

Here is a great article from the Palm Beach Post about Florida's emergency management agency planning and practices.

Lack of plan hurt Katrina-hit states' response

Hurricanes

Following the disaster in New Orleans has led to a few thoughts.

I never think much about how nice it is to live in the relatively rich and well governed State of Florida. Usually it's just the opposite. We worry about if our education system is competitive with other states. Or if we can keep up with the demands for emergency services, roads, sewers and all the other infrastructure with so many people moving here. Then you see the total disfunction of Louisiana and are startled into the clear idea that Florida simply operates at a much higher level. Kind of like watching the UF Football team play Louisiana Tech last weekend.

In Florida we got:

1. Jeb Bush declares state of emergency for huge swaths of Florida as any hurricane approaches and puts the Guard on alert.
2. Florida opens emergency headquarters and starts preplanning deployment of assets including FEMA, Nat'l Guard, Red Cross, and Power companies.
3. Maintains constant contact with local officials.
4. Unhappy, but relatively orderly Floridians somberly trying to get their lives back together while waiting in line to meet with insurance agents, FEMA officials, contractors and power companies.
5. In other words, a catastrophe, but general order.

Just last month the last blue tarp caused by Charley on our street was replaced with a new roof.

Since it's a storm and the storm never actually agrees with the track that National Hurricane Center estimates, there are mistakes. Last summer 800,000 people from Pinellas/Hillsborough drove to Orlando only to see Charley smash into Punta Gorda. Nevertheless, the Pinellas Beaches were under mandatory evacuation. Those who chose to ignore it were told under no uncertain circumstances that they would be on their own and fending for themselves.

In Louisiana we seem to have:

1. A crying governor
2. A screaming mayor of New Orleans
3. The head of Louisiana Emergency Management heading to New York a week into the crisis to speak at a symposium. Huh?
4. A police department left on its own with 50% deciding to quit.
5. The federal government paying off an angry mob of people looking for handouts to the tune of $2,000 each.
6. Oh yeah, disorder, looting, rape, pillage, murder, in other words, chaos.

I remember being angry when Andrew hit Homestead because our response was so much worse than Charleston's response to Hugo. We were running in circles where Charlestons mayor was absolutely heroic. But clearly Florida learned our lessons about planning, response, and the need for martial law to prevent mayhem and looting. I seem to recall Lawton Chiles grumbling about where the Nat'l Guard was too, and that he had to be reminded to fill out the freakin paperwork before they were allowed to deploy.

But Florida learned. And not because of who Jeb is related to, but because the Chiles government left behind a program that the Bush people picked up and studied. And when Charley, Jeanne, Francis, Ivan, Dennis etc. etc. etc. happened they executed the plan at a high level. Not perfectly, because you can't be perfect in response to a natural disaster. But competently, at least as competently as human nature and mother nature allowed for. Jeb Bush's response has been CEO like. Calm and careful, and in charge with clear goals like a.) limit loss of life, b.) keep channels of communication open, c.) perform triage while keeping people informed of their status and where they fit in the plan to (eventually) receive the government response they think they need. Katrina's romp across southern Florida as a Category 2 was almost ho-hum even though 1.2 million residents had at least a temporary loss of power.

One year later, 1300 families still live in temporary FEMA housing in Punta Gorda and 1000 still live in FEMA trailers after Ivan
These storms are huge deals, and the disruption they cause is catastrophic and long term. But I feel so much better about living here in Florida than in Louisiana.

Jim Geraghty on Katrina on National Review Online

Jim Geraghty on Katrina on National Review Online: "We Failed You? Try Again."

Pictures

Apparently the problem with having a 1 GB memory card in the digital camera is you can store lots of photos before downloading them. I went to download a picture of our new foster Bentley this morning and there were 187 pictures stored on the card dating back to June. So I did a little catching up and posted a few shots.

This is Bentley (aka foster #8) who is a four year old boy and a huge love sponge. If he gets his way, he would like his head scratched for between four and six hours a day. Left outside his whole life, developed heartworm so his owners wanted to euthanize him. Nice of them to go out of their way. He is very nice and extremely gentle. Doesn't seem to know any commands or be very familiar with a leash, yet is very well behaved and picking up on living in a house very quickly. September 11, 2005
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Closest we got of getting the two knuckleheads to pose together. September 2, 2005
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This is Shane (aka Foster #7) who we only had for a week but might have been our favorite of all the fosters. September 2, 2005
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Eric meets a real live Astronaut. August 13, 2005
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Boy Scout. August 13, 2005
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Kennedy Space Center Saturn V building, August 13, 2005
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Balloon hats. July 23, 2005
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July 9, 2005
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More Please! July 9, 2005
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Dessert at Grandma's July 9, 2005
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Eric working at BizKids, June 17, 2005
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Jack Kelly: No shame

More reading: Jack Kelly: No shame The federal response to Katrina was not as portrayed

Jack Kelly: No shame

America Canine Search and Rescue Photos Tribute Slideshow - September 11, 2001 - World Trade Center Attack

America Canine Search and Rescue Photos Tribute Slideshow - September 11, 2001 - World Trade Center Attack

Frustrated: Fire crews to hand out fliers for FEMA

Update: I fixed the link, it is here

They've got people here who are search-and-rescue certified, paramedics, haz-mat certified,said a Texas firefighter. We're sitting in here having a sexual-harassment class while there are still [victims] in Louisiana who haven't been contacted yet.

Instapundit.com -

Update: here is the working link

SOME KATRINA LESSONS: We're going to see a plethora of commissions and inquiries (most about as useful and non-partisan as the 9/11 Commission), but here are a few lessons that seem solid enough to go with now:

New York Daily News - Home - Michael Goodwin: Don't blame only feds

New York Daily News - Home - Michael Goodwin: Don't blame only feds: "The charge of racism-inspired foot-dragging isn't just nonsense. It's pernicious nonsense, as in destructive and malicious. You know that's a fact because loony Howard Dean, the Democratic Party boss, is now peddling it. He's joined by Jesse Jackson, who said the squalor in New Orleans 'looks like the hull of a slave ship.' Oh, please."

OpinionJournal - Extra

Wall Street Journal reviews Local and State responsibilities in an emergency and gives the mayor and governor a failing grade. OpinionJournal - Extra

Carolina Journal | A Gathering Storm for the Media

Carolina Journal | A Gathering Storm for the Media: "A Gathering Storm for the Media
Misreporting on hurricane further eroding public's trust of media"

Katrina - The Report Card

Here is a fair and balanced commentary on the preparation and response to Katrina. RealClearPolitics

Collegiate D-I : Trailer hitch bike rack and trailer hitches - etrailer.com

Collegiate D-I : Trailer hitch bike rack and trailer hitches - etrailer.com

Trailer Hitch - Choosing the Right Ballmount

Trailer Hitch - Choosing the Right Ballmount

Ford tribute to troops and mustangs

Great Ford Commercial (takes about 5 minutes to watch, but worth it)

Ford Vehicles: The All New 2006 Ford Explorer Home

In case your interested in what your not getting: Ford Vehicles: The All New 2006 Ford Explorer Home

Betsy was rear-ended by a dumptruck. The good old Explorer was flipped over and wound up on its side off the road. She was taken to the hospital and released shortly afterward. Hopefully she will recover quickly.

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After the tow guys finished unrolling. It actually started and drove for about 10 feet.

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When David called the FHP they said "Oh you're referring to the dumptruck meets SUV"

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The ACLU's 30 Years War

The ACLU's 30 Years War: "for the past 25 years the American Civil Liberties Union has conducted a legal war on the Boy Scouts."

Fish!

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Eric & Hanna swimming in Salt Springs

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President Addresses 2005 National Boy Scout Jamboree

President Addresses 2005 National Boy Scout Jamboree: "President Addresses 2005 National Boy Scout Jamboree "

spiked-science | debate | Waste | Recycling religion

spiked-science | debate | Waste | Recycling religion: "In the absence of an economic incentive, governments' interest appears to be in using environmental issues as a kind of secular religion: weekly worship at the bottle bank."

The Pandas Must Die - Tomsk feat. Corky & The Juice Pigs

The Pandas Must Die - Tomsk feat. Corky & The Juice Pigs

Thank You Principal Shear -- Eric is in there somewhere (hint he's wearing a red shirt.)

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"THANKS" to Principal Shear

Can you find Eric in the S ? Palm Lake Elementary School

Seafood Shack address and phone number

Satellite Photo

Seafood Shack
4110 127th St W
Cortez, FL 34215-2502
(941) 794-3766

Quick fix to check engine light

Auto answers: When 'it could be anything' isn't good enough | LJWorld.com

Check Engine light on Explorer

Scanning With Actron - 4 Wheel and Off-Road Magazine: "check engine"

Eric enjoying Field Day with Principal Shear

2005 Palm Lake Field Day / P4150474.JPG

Speedtech Instruments

David would like a wind meter for his birthday.Speedtech Instruments

Speedtech Instruments

A windmeter would be a good birthday present for David...

Speedtech Instruments

CNET Bandwidth Meter Speed Test - Bandwidth Test

CNET Bandwidth Meter Speed Test - Bandwidth Test

Audacity: Features

Software for recording from lp's


Audacity: Features

Wallace & Gromit : In Theaters October 7

Wallace & Gromit : In Theaters October 7

Coonhound Breed Profile

Coonhound Breed Profile

BocaCiega BayWatch

Follow the link then click on the Streaming-Cam link in the upper left hand corner. The camera is mounted on a flagpole and is looking to the south at the structure C bridge!

BocaCiega BayWatch

The many faces of Luke. Luke is our sixth lab rescue foster. He is a bundle of energy right now and gets along well with Hoover. 

Hoover, taken with the new camera 

Eric worked on his small boat sailing badge for Boy Scouts this weekend. Here he is sailing away from the dock in a Cape Dory 10.5 sailing dinghy. He successfully navigated from the house to the Don CeSar boat ramp without any problems. 

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - Fla Res Tix

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Campaign '04 Pictures

zete_tic:

Subjects for Further Research: Canada

Welcome to Canada Where the Weekly Standard sends an intrepid reporter to the Great White Wasteland to the north to learn why Canadian inferiority complex makes them feel so superior to Americans.

"Canadians are traditionally so insecure about the lack of attention we pay them that their government has even paid American universities $300,000 to study them. One of the foremost Canadian Studies programs in the country is at Duke. A professor in the program has said, "We're the most important university to make a serious effort to study Canada. That's like being the best hockey team in Zimbabwe."

"While it's difficult to go five minutes without hearing how collectively nice Canadians are, Ferguson says, "what we fail to realize is that self-conscious niceness is not niceness at all; it is a form of smugness. Is there anything more insufferable than someone saying, 'Gosh, I sure am a sweet person, don'tcha think?'"

When the late Canadian radio host Peter Gzowski had a competition to come up with a phrase comparable to "American as apple pie," the winner was "As Canadian as possible, under the circumstances."

In 1996, when Canadians were asked to name both the greatest living and the all-time greatest Canadian, 76 percent said "no one comes to mind.

More Great Internet Tunes

Kitty Fishy Stew (rude words)

Independent Woman (skiffle kitties)

Punk Kittens

Bananas Sad Song

Sonic Warfare - The Most Frightening MP3s from Across the Globe

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

The Llama Song

Flash � The Llama Song

OpinionJournal - by P.J. O'ROURKE

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

Key paragraph: "There isn't a single light rail transit system in America in which fares paid by the passengers cover the cost of their own rides." Heritage cites the Minneapolis "Hiawatha" light rail line, soon to be completed with $107 million from the transportation bill. Heritage estimates that the total expense for each ride on the Hiawatha will be $19. Commuting to work will cost $8,550 a year. If the commuter is earning minimum wage, this leaves about $1,000 a year for food, shelter and clothing. Or, if the city picks up the tab, it could have leased a BMW X-5 SUV for the commuter at about the same price.

We don't want minimum-wage workers driving BMW X-5s. That's unfair. They're already poor, and now they're enemies of the environment?

Yahoo! News - When pets die at the vet, grieving owners call lawyers

Yahoo! News - When pets die at the vet, grieving owners call lawyers

Jewel is Foster Number 5 and she was adopted to a wonderful family yesterday. She is going to be a great dog once she settles in there and they work on her discipline. We are very happy for her and wish her a long and happy life in her new home! 

Here is Hoover and Dudley. Dudley was our third foster and one of Betsy's very favorite. He is now adopted and living in Tampa. Hoover thought he was worn out with Dudley, who followed him everywhere. But this was shot on February 6 and we've had two more fosters since then. We think Hoover needs a break soon. 

Eric made his first shot playing Upward Basketball today! 

Boone goes sailing before getting adopted. He is now known as Bo! 

What type of Dog are you?

Click on the game link (left margin) to answer 10 questions and find out what kind of dog you are! Gone to the Dogs: a new British comedy film

Dog Names

Steven Wright:

'I decided to name my dog 'Stay' '

'Come here, 'Stay!' Come here, 'Stay!''

'Drives him crazy.'"

Bringing Your New Dog Home

Bringing Your New Dog Home

CNET Bandwidth Meter Speed Test - Bandwidth Test

CNET Bandwidth Meter Speed Test - Bandwidth Test

Kong Pet Toys. Legendary strength, quality, and performance!

Here is the Kong web site complete with recipes for smearing on the inside of Hoover's Kong to keep him "amused and to reduce seperation anxiety while we are away."

Kong Pet Toys. Legendary strength, quality, and performance!

Lab-Tested: Squeaky Duck

Lab-Tested: Squeaky Duck

What is a Dudley?

Labrador Resources

Labrador FAQ

Labrador FAQ

eBay item 4520790125 (Ends Jan-30-05 19:00:00 PST) - Morgan Out Island 416 - Superb - No Pmts. for 6 Months

Someone selling a Morgan 416 on e-Bay has linked to our blog! I found out when someone else sent me an e-mail.

eBay item 4520790125 (Ends Jan-30-05 19:00:00 PST) - Morgan Out Island 416 - Superb - No Pmts. for 6 Months

Eric was the lead grouch in "The Grouch Who Stole Christmas." 

Eric in a flight simulator