What Happens in Vegas: Horrifying Arson at Puppy Store

I'm a cat person, not a dog person. But I can't imagine the stone black heart it would take to plan to burn down your puppy business, while trying intentionally to burn the puppies! Fortunately the little guys survived. But can you imagine any jury not throwing the book at these two?

[Excerpt]

Awwwww. Image from source, LVRJ

Puppies safe and happy after surviving pet shop arson

More than two dozen puppies are safe and happy after firefighters rescued them from a burning pet store. Clark County Animal Control officers moved the puppies to The Animal Foundation following the Jan. 27 fire, at Prince and Princess Pet Boutique. . .which authorities say was arson. They say they have surveillance video of shop owner Gloria Lee, 35, allowing a man identified in an arrest report as Kirk Bills into the building. Authorities say Bills is shown on the video splashing kerosene on the puppy cages. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Review-Journal

What Happens in Vegas: The Sad Story of John Fredericks

I've sort of fallen out of the local news habit. The only time I seem to watch are those nights when The Daily Show is in reruns, or if I just happen to have the TV on at the right time. I catch it often enough to know who the local personalities are for the most part, and to know one station from the other. John Fredericks was--to me--just another of the many locally recognized names. I knew he had a dog named Jordan, and that to his regular viewers, his dog was something of a celebrity.

John Fredericks with Jordan in 2008.
Image from LVRJ.

When his dog died, I was involved in making the grave marker, an elaborate and attractive monument. And after that, I didn't really follow what happened to John Fredericks. Until I caught a snippet about some alleged misconduct, and reported it here on my blog: What Happens in Vegas: Local Weatherman Accused of Stalking. I really only took notice because it seemed so out of character. His persona was rather sunny, the middle-aged reporter with his adorable--but manly--dog.

I knew that Fredericks was breaking in a new dog named LJ ("Little Jordan"), and later that he'd left Las Vegas for a different market. I didn't think about Fredericks after that, except for the odd time that the link to my post would randomly pop up on my page. Then today, there was activity at work about the original Jordan monument. There was going to be an addition to acknowledge the passing of John Fredericks. Huh?

He can't even be out of his fifties, I thought. Again, it just seemed unlikely. But it was true, he'd died. Worse, he was in hospice at the time, suffering from cirrhosis. Apparently, he'd never gotten over Jordan's death. Which is sad enough. But the more you read about it, the sadder it gets.  Here is an excerpt from a local Las Vegas paper, a year before Fredericks died:

[Excerpt]

"When Jordan died in August 2007, Fredericks struggled with depression and alcoholism.
During Christmas week 2008, he left the business shortly after his replacement dog, LJ (for Little Jordan), was banned from the station. . .

. . .But jobs were scarce and he ended up with a $9-an-hour job cleaning 150 cat litter boxes every morning. The owner allowed him to stay in a trailer. He slept in a sleeping bag, existing without water or heat. . ." Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal

It just gets worse from there, and as I said, that was a year ago. I went into this story just to note the death of a moderate local celebrity, and came out depressed and a bit upset. And ask anyone, I'm all black-hearted and compassion free most of the time. But apparently, this guy led one of the most sad-sack, string-of-bad-luck, depressing lives you can almost imagine, buoyed briefly by a stetch of years where he simultaneously had a wonderful dog and a great job as a local celebrity. The rest is just. . .well, the poor guy. Obviously, a long-term healthy life can't be anchored to the life of an animal that only lives an average of 12-15 years. It's too bad somebody couldn't have helped him before his life took such a sad turn.

[Excerpt]

John Fredericks, 57, dies in hospice

Former Las Vegas weatherman John Fredericks, who never recovered from the 2007 death of his golden Lab, Jordan, his longtime on-air companion, died Friday. He had checked in Nathan Adelson Hospice on Tuesday. . .

Read more at: LVRJ

The Simsons: C. Montgomery Burns Stumps for Mitt Romney

Poor, poor Seamus.

Blogging Takes a Backseat (Technology Woes)

I'm late getting to blogging, because of a bit of crossover between my day job and my weekend job. A couple of months ago, I got a cloud drive, to make file management between work and home easier. But you know what? No matter how "intuitive" the technology is supposed to be, it's just. . .not. Ever. I'm a tech head, and I have to strain my brain. What do ordinary people do?

So while I work, enjoy this video about why cats are better than dogs.

Don't Roof Rack Me, Bro! (Seamus Unleashed) by Devo

You know that story about Mitt Romney strapping his dog to the roof of the car, and then speeding off down the highway for hundreds of miles? Yeah, it never really went away. There's a whole movement of dog lovers out there who won't drop it. But did you know that the band Devo feels the same way? Wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!

Pit Bull Hero

Image from DogFiles

Now here's something you don't see every day. Pit bulls usually get spectacularly bad press. But they're not all bad. My friend Stupid Monkey Planet has had a couple, and they're wonderful. My mom had one that was bug-ass crazy, but it wasn't her fault that someone had raised her for fighting (not Mom). Anyway, it's nice to see the breed--which some communities have actually outlawed--get a good story.

[Excerpt]

Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child From Attacker



The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her “guardian angel. . .”


Read more at: DogFiles (via @KaleyCuoco on Twitter)

Dogs Vs. Police Car. Guess Who Wins?

Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

Glenn Beck Loses Mind; Barks Like a Dog

Sorry for two Glenn Beck posts in a row, but I just have to say something. This man is a nut job. His strange "school teacher" persona, but with a bag of crazy schtick puts him squarely in cartoon character territory. Mr. Garrison of South Park territory, to be precise. I wouldn't be surprised to have him introduce "Mr. Hat" and "Mr. Slave"-like characters. It certainly wouldn't be any nuttier. He's already got me uttering Mr. Slave's catchphrase: "Jesus Christ."

My 2nd Favorite Super Bowl Ad: Doritos "Shock Collar"

Man's best friend gets revenge. Very funny.



See more Super Bowl ads here: Advertising Age

What Happens in Vegas: Local Weatherman Accused of Stalking

Image from source, LasVegasNow

Well blow me down. John Fredericks, a former weatherman here in Las Vegas accused of stalking? A woman? Seriously, I'd just assumed that. . .well, nevermind. Anyway, I'm a little surprised. Fredericks was popular here before retiring, being especially well known for his love for dogs. I guess you just never know. About several things.

[Excerpt]

I-Team: Former Weatherman Accused of Stalking

A longtime Las Vegas television personality has been accused of telephone stalking. A local woman says she met former TV weatherman John Fredericks through an online dating service and things got weird soon after. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Now

Michael Vick: Who Cares?

Image from arepitbullsmean.com

I mean seriously, who cares? He did something evil, but he's just a friggin' football player. How does anything this man did or does work its way into our top stories of the day? Why was FOX "News" Sunday's (ludicrously named) "Power Panel" discussing this story with the same focus as health care reform?

I think cruelty to animals is disgusting. But many things are, and many other crimes have been committed by other sports stars. If this guy paid his debt to society, what friggin' difference does it make if he has a job again? I don't get why this man--that everyone supposedly hates--is allowed to get this much attention. And here I am doing it. Sorry.

Ziggy Marley & Me

The Other Half and I spent some time with our good friends on New Year's Day, at an annual dinner of crown roast of pork. It's become more of an event than New Year's Eve in our circle of friends. This year, there is a new addition to the group, a dog named Mr. Ziggy.

Ziggy is one of a couple of dozen dogs used in the movie Marley & Me. Apparently, his specialty is jumping into water on command, and taking himself for a walk. He's a gangly, rambunctious fellow, and cute as can be. But he is a chewer. Oddly enough, he picked a hardback copy of Marley & Me to chew up! And the book is subtitled "Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog." Funnily enough, when they opened the book to see if the spine was intact, it was opened to Chapter 11: The Things He Ate.

Welcome to the family, Mr. Ziggy!

Frivolity Break: Malfunctioning Dog

I'm having another of those "hard to blog" days. There's an unusual (for Las Vegas) blanket of snow on the ground. I have a stack of Christmas cards I have to fill out or I'll never get them out in time. And nothing I'm finding online is striking my fancy for the blog. I haven't given up yet, but this disclaimer will have to suffice if I can't find something soon! So, for now, here's some frivolity. . .

Dog Malfunction

Book Report: Dean Koontz's The Darkest Evening of the Year

Image from Amazon.com

I was trapped waiting for my truck last week, after a routine smog check/oil change that lead to four visits to the shop and $1200 in repairs (so far). But on that first visit, to fill my time, I walked to K-Mart and found a new Dean Koontz paperback book to read.

I love Dean Koontz (and Stephen King, Robin Cook and John Saul), despite the derision he gets from "true" literary fans. I don't care if real readers don't like him, I do. The Other Half and I do have a joke about any new Koontz book though, "Wait, don't tell me. It's about a golden retriever, a man and a woman who fall in love under strained circumstances in a Jeep Cherokee in Orange County, and everything wraps up a little too quickly."

The Darkest Evening of the Year, the book I picked up, fits that joke exactly, except Koontz seems to have switched car preferences to Fords (this time an Expedition). But I can forgive him, especially as it pertains to the dog(s), since he lost his beloved golden recently. And despite the repetition in themes, I've always enjoyed his books. One of the interesting Koontz themes, is the tendency to have a seemingly supernatural force that is eventually explained to be natural.

In this book, the other-worldly happenings aren't explained away, in fact they are sort of shrugged off. It didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book, but it did lead me to sort of shrug it off when I was finished. I was interested all the way through, got to the end, and put it down. Done. Not interested any more.

The title has nothing to do with the story. The characters were interchangeable with those from any other Koontz books. The dogs were lovingly described, and I cared what was going on, while it was going on. But a lot of books leave me wanting more, leave me sorry that the book was finished. This one was just over and done.

It wasn't the worst book I've read by this author or any other. In fact, it was better than many, and a worthwhile way to pass the time. But I wouldn't go out of my way to catch this one. Read it during your next flight, or the next time you (like me) have car trouble. But seek out a different one if you're looking for a meaty story. I hope Mr. Koontz finds a suitable replacement in his heart for Trixie, his dog, and moves on to other material. And I'm sure I'll be back to read it, whatever it is.

Review: OK for fans, pass for others.

Goodbye to a Friend: Pepper the Wonderdog

I don't have much time for blogging today, since we are spending time with some friends with a very sick doggie. Sadly, it may be the last time we get to visit their dog, Pepper. She's had a medically rough life, but has provided them with an outstanding companionship over the last ten or eleven years. Luckily for her, her owners are gourmet cooks, and plan on making her last days as enjoyable (and fattening) as possible!

We're gonna miss her (even if our cat won't). We know going in, when we get a pet, that they're a little tragedy waiting to happen. And we always want to forestall that day as long as possible. I'm sure when our kitty's days are winding down, we're going to go through much the same thing, so I want to express my warmest wishes to my friends. You guys gave her the best life she could have had--indeed rescuing her from an awful animal shelter--quite possibly extending her lifetime by a decade. Good on you both!

Sublime Silliness: Unbearably Cute Edition

All photos from their respective sites

For a break from politics (even if those have themselves been kind of snarky), here are some humorous sites you might like to visit.

Stuff On My Cat
Stuff On My Mutt
My Cat Hates You
Cats That Look Like Hitler (Kitlers)