The Barking Lot – America’s Finest Dog Blog (01/19/19)
The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of This Just In…Written by my lovely wife, Jennifer and me. It opens with the weekend dog walking forecast followed by the main blog from dog lover, Jennifer. Then it’s DOGS IN THE NEWS and our close. Enjoy!
THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.
TODAY: A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT. Snow, occasionally heavy. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 9 inches anticipated. Highest amounts will be toward the lakeshore. Patchy blowing snow. WHERE…Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha Counties. WHEN…Until midnight Saturday night. ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Travel will be difficult. Patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A Winter Storm Warning for snow means severe winter weather conditions will make travel very hazardous or impossible. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
Due to lake effect snowfall kicking in, periods of snow showers will continue across far southeast Wisconsin Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. Snow amounts of 3 to 8 inches are expected across much of south central, east central and southeast Wisconsin, with highest amounts farther south. Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties could see 6 to 9 inches right near the lakeshore due to the lake effect snow. Brisk northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow. Hazardous travel conditions will continue Saturday.
Morning snow showers. High of 25. “F”
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High of only 15. “F”
6 Winter Safety Tips for Dogs in Snow
Now, here’s my lovely wife, Jennifer, with this week’s main blog.
And this is Stanley Coren.
Coren is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia.
You certainly could call him a dog lover and dog expert.
He has received awards from several major police dog organizations including the California Canine Narcotic Association who cited him for his “continuing contributions toward the understanding of canine behavior.”
Books Coren has written include “How to Speak Dog,” “Why We Love the Dogs We Dog,” “The Pawprints of History,” “Why Does My Dog Act That Way,” “How Dogs Think,” “The Modern Dog,.” “Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?” and “Born to Bark.”
And let’s not forget…
In the above Coren offers a 12-part canine IQ test and an obedience personality test that measures the future obedience quotient of a puppy. There are also tips for teaching and training less intelligent dogs.
Like Coren I’m fascinated with what makes dogs tick and why they act the way they do.He’s just written a column that explores an intriguing topic. Consider these two dogs:
You’ve got your small dog, and your much larger dog.
We know dogs are smart. Researchers in the UK told us so in a study released last fall. OK, it concluded that some other animals are just as intelligent, maybe more so. But dogs are definitely smart.
Here’s where Coren comes in. Which dogs are smarter? The big ones? Or the little ones.
What do you think? Ha. I suppose it depends on the size of your pet, right?
I love Coren’s work. What’s the answer? It’s right here in his latest column.
—Jennifer Fischer
Thanks, Jennifer.
Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week.
On our blog we don’t post the horrible, abusive stories that far too often break every week. At the same time the news just simply isn’t always good, and we post stories for a reason, even if they’re just newsworthy and need to be shared.
Example: Heartbreaking Footage Shows Missing Dog Chasing After His Owner’s Car After Being Abandoned.
In Colorado, Rescuers Rush To Save Dog After It Fell Into Icy Pond.
UPS driver strips to his boxers, saves dog from drowning in icy pond.
Facebook is still a dog’s best friend.
Column: Dog poop bags are a menace. But what’s the green alternative? (Yes, the column uses the “s” word).
WHAT? This Startup Wants to Feed Maggots to Your Dog.
A dog-food startup that says it makes meals good enough for humans just raised $39 million.
This robot dog teaches itself tricks.
THAT’S IT FOR DOGS IN THE NEWS.
HERE’S OUR DOG PHOTO(s) OF THE WEEK.
Thirteen-year-old Jayme Closs was reunited with her aunt and dog last week, posing for a picture her aunt shared on the “Healing for Jayme Closs” Facebook page.
Officials say Closs is doing well after having been missing from the Barron area since Oct. 15.
The young girl was rescued walking down a road in a rural area in northwestern Wisconsin after she fled a home where law enforcement says she was kept by Jake Thomas Patterson, 21.
Last weekend, Victoria Beckham shared a sweet snapshot of family dog Olive enjoying an “afternoon nap with her daddy,” former soccer star David, while wrapped in an expensive designer blanket.
The bright red throw appears to be from Louis Vuitton’s sought-after, instantly-sold-out collaboration with cult streetwear brand Supreme. It’s currently going for $6,000.
We close as we always do with our closing video.
That’s it for this week.
Thanks for stopping by.
Please consider passing this along to other dog lovers you know.
See ya, BARK, next Saturday morning!
The Best Cartoons of the Week (01/19/19)
THE BORDER
TRUMP
TRUMP AND PELOSI
MUELLER
THE MEDIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ
GENDER ROLES
GILLETTE
DIVORCE
Goodnight everyone, and have a super blood wolf weekend!
Every Friday night we smooth our way into the weekend with music, the universal language. These selections demonstrate that despite what is being passed off as art today, there is plenty of really good music available. Come along and enjoy.
This week we’re setting a soft and relaxing tone, so just sit back and enjoy.
Mark your calendars: The only total lunar eclipse of 2019 is set to happen Sunday night which is being referred to as a ‘super blood wolf moon.’
In the past we’ve done some fun “moon” blogs and this is another. We’ll get into the latest moon excitement with more appropriate music. That’s our theme this week, so let’s get started.
If you look up into the sky on the night this Sunday you will be treated to the only total lunar eclipse of 2019. It will be visible for its entirety in North and South America.
What a way to start our musical blog. Here are the voice talents of Patti Austin and Take 5. Please click, listen, and stay with us for more about this weekend’s lunar display.
For starters, a classic made popular by Waukesha legend Les Paul. To those who keep this music alive, many thanks.
Here’s the deal. Try to follow along. I’m not an astronomer but I’m playing one this week.
The Moon passes through two distinct parts of Earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse. The outer part of the cone-shaped shadow is called the penumbra. (Who says my blog isn’t educational?)
At 8:36 pm Milwaukee time Sunday night the edge of the Moon will begin entering the penumbra. The Moon will dim very slightly for the next 57 minutes as it moves deeper into the penumbra. Because this part of Earth’s shadow is not fully dark, you may notice only some dim shading (if anything at all) on the Moon near the end of this part of the eclipse.
Are you kidding me, Kev? When this hits it’ll be well below freezing.
Relax.
Understood.
You just might be celebrating this moontacular indoors.
That’s your cue, Mr. Buble.
At 9:33 p.m. Milwaukee time the moon moves into the darker shadow and significant darkening of the moon will be noticeable. Some say that during this part of the eclipse, the moon looks as if it has had a bite taken out of it. That “bite” gets bigger and bigger as the moon moves deeper into the shadow.
Nat King Cole was taken from us much too early. So was his daughter.
God bless Natalie Cole for covering so many of her legendary father’s songs.
By 9:33 p.m. Milwaukee time you should see Earth’s shadow start to move across the surface of the moon, growing larger and larger and larger until it completely covers it up.
At 10:41 p.m. the totality of the eclipse will occur, as the moon is fully shaded by Earth. That’s where the “blood” comes in. There’s no violence involved, instead, the term comes from a reddening of moon, as light leaks around the edge of Earth.
I love telling this next story. The year is 2002. I’m visiting my mother on a Saturday night. Naturally she’s in front of the tube.
PBS.
There’s a male vocalist in front of a huge orchestra. The bandstands all had the initials RS emblazoned on them. I recognized the performer immediately.
But he looked different. Much different. He was singing “Moonglow.”
It must have been Moonglow,
Way up in the blue,
It must have been Moonglow,
That led me straight to you
Seeing and hearing this spectacle for the first time, my first thought was this is awful (I’d grow to love and appreciate it all later).
“Mom, do you know who that is?”
She wasn’t sure. I knew she had never heard of him.
“Do you know he used to be a rock star?”
Nope. And she didn’t really care.
“You like the way he’s singing?”
Yep.
“You don’t think he’s murdering that song?”
Not at all.
It was at that point my conscience landed on my shoulder like something out of a Flintstones cartoon and told me with no subtlety to knock it off and let my mother enjoy.
Rod Stewart was singing and promoting the first of a string of albums featuring the Great American Songbook.
Mom was enraptured (Thank you, Mr. Stewart). And he would do several more songbook CDs. Mom had all of them.
Back to the moon. As beautiful as it is, the moon can be cruel as well.
This is wonderful.
Don’t be saddened by the beginning.
There’s a happy ending.
Oh, and by the way…
That’s it for this week.
Goodnight.
Sleep well.
Have a great weekend.
Bandleader Glenn Miller was in the news this week.
I’ve lamented in the past that when Miller’s theme song is performed today you rarely hear the great lyrics. Normally it’s an instrumental.
So enjoy Carly Simon, flailing arms and all.
Oh, and dim the lights and find a dance partner, too.
Ready?
They don’t write them like they used to.
I stand at your gate
And the song that I sing is of moonlight
I stand and I wait
For the touch of your hand in the June night
The roses are sighing
A moonlight serenade
The stars are aglow
And tonight how their light sets me dreaming
My love, do you know
That your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?
I bring you and sing you
A moonlight serenade
Let us stray till break of day
In love’s valley of dreams
Just you and I
A summer sky
A heavenly breeze kissin’ the trees
So don’t let me wait
Come to me, tenderly in the June night
I stand at your gate
And I sing you a song in the moonlight
A love song
My darling
A moonlight serenade
Friday Night Forgotten Oldie: Herb Alpert revisits his legacy
Trumpeter Herb Alpert has enjoyed an amazing career that began decades ago.
Alpert and his friend Jerry Moss used to drive to Tijuana, Mexico, to watch bullfights. The two started working on a double-horned musical piece that would become Alpert’s first hit on the label the friends formed. “The Lonely Bull” came out in 1962, more than 56 years ago.
Since then his body of work is stunning: five #1 hits, nine GRAMMY® Awards, fifteen Gold albums, fourteen Platinum albums, and over 72 million records sold. Think about this factoid: In 1966, Alpert and his Tijuana Brass simultaneously had four albums in the Top 10– and five in the Top 20. That’s never been done again.
Today, Alpert is still touring, still making albums, still winning awards.
The legend has a new album out, ‘Music Vol. 3’ that offers new takes on his classic tunes including this mash-up of “Spanish Flea” and “Rise.”
BONUS!
You do remember…
That’s model Dolores Erickson on the cover who was wrapped in cotton and wearing a bikini. Erickson was also three months pregnant.
No, that not whipped cream since it would slide off. Shaving cream stuck perfectly to Erickson’s body. The only whipped cream is on her head and fingers.
Erickson is 83 years old and lives in Seattle.
The title instrumental was always played on the original “Dating Game” TV show when the contestant walked out and was introduced before asking three unidentified eligible bachelors or bachelorettes questions to determine who would be chosen to go out on a date.
The album hit #1 and sold more than six million copies.
The case of Jake Patterson screams for the death penalty
NOTE: The following is NOT a blog about the pros and cons of capital punishment.
FOR THE RECORD: During my broadcast career I’m proud to have won several awards for reports on this issue that explored both sides, including news reports and extended radio documentaries (one judge called one of them “network quality’).
Jake Patterson.
Patterson needs to die.
Patterson needs to be executed.
The clear reasoning why is right here, in the criminal complaint, if you can stomach it.
There are some crimes that are so abhorrent, so dastardly, so evil and cruel that they warrant the life of the perpetrator being eliminated.
In this case there is absolutely no chance of the wrong person being convicted and found guilty.
Can we really sentence the wrong person to die? The answer is an emphatic no. My extensive research shows the last time a wrongful execution took place in America was in the early 1970’s. Law enforcement has advanced significantly since then. And in this case it’s clear Patterson is “dead” to rights.
Unfortunately Wisconsin has no death penalty. There have been attempts to make it the law, feeble at best, over the last 25 years. They’ve gone nowhere.
So, Patterson will be found guilty on all counts. And we, the taxpayers, will foot the bill for his life in prison room and board, food, shelter, health care, etc., until he dies, which could be into his 70’s or 80’s. Who knows. He’s 21 right now. But don’t rule out him being killed by another inmate. Those guys have kids of their own.
Finally, one more travesty. Patterson will have lawyers arguing his case. They will be public defenders. He is entitled to this defense. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Can you imagine a day in a life of a public defender? The dinner table:
How was your day today, dear?
Well, I tried to get a double murderer and a child kidnapper off.
Not since Jeffrey Dahmer has there been a more clear cut case that Wisconsin needs to implement the death penalty.
Oak Creek does it, AGAIN!
No, I’m not sorry for posting. No, this type of blog isn’t getting old, unless of course you’re sitting on the sidelines while your neighbor racks up economic development touchdowns, one after another.
Oak Creek is kicking sand in the face of us here in Franklin where I live by building, growing, expanding, and innovating.
From the Journal Sentinel:
In what appears to be a groundbreaking strategy for area municipalities, Oak Creek plans to sell some of its public works fleet and lease vehicles instead.
After almost three years after discussions, Oak Creek Common Council unanimously voted Tuesday, Jan. 15, to enter into an agreement with Enterprise to lease municipal vehicles.
Actual movement, actual progress.
OK. Not the greatest idea since sliced bread. But still.
I’ve lived in Franklin since 1992. That’s 26 years. I have never, ever seen an article about any initiative in Franklin that’s been described anywhere close to being “a groundbreaking strategy.”
So, Oak Creek advances by another in a series of countless baby steps while Franklin spins its wheels in the mud.
Today’s highly interesting read (01/17/19): It’s Up to Us to Realize Dr. King’s Dream
From columnist Tom Purcell:
Too many of us are consumed with hatred and anger, which have reared their ugly heads in our public discourse lately. Dr. King, who endured hatred so ugly and excessive that it led to his assassination, spoke often of the futility of hating anyone or anything – of how hating harms the hater than the hated.
Read more about the words of MLK here.
Amber Alert works
As of mid-October of 2018, in Wisconsin, 34 activations had been issued since the state adopted the Amber Alert program. All of the alerts have resulted in the safe recoveries of 45 children. Source: Rebecca Ballweg, a DOJ spokeswoman.
And now we have Jayme Closs.
What is the Wisconsin AMBER Alert Plan?
The AMBER Alert is an emergency child abduction alert. Its purpose is to save the life of a child.
Wisconsin’s AMBER Alert Plan is a collaborative effort between the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, Wisconsin Public Radio, the Dane County Public Safety Communication Center, the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Revenue—Division of Lottery, and local law enforcement agencies.
An AMBER Alert disseminates information to the public about the abduction of a child as rapidly as possible. The broadcast will contain descriptive information about the child and the abduction. Citizens with information can then contact the appropriate law enforcement agency using the telephone number listed in the alert.
Today’s highly interesting read (01/16/19): School superintendent salaries in the Milwaukee suburbs
The superintendent of a local school district has an important and challenging job.
But should his/her salary be greater than the governor of the state of Wisconsin ($144,423 according to an Internet search)?
The Journal Sentinel compared the salaries of superintendents in Milwaukee suburbs.
When it comes to superintendent salaries for school districts in the Milwaukee suburbs, the district administrators at Nicolet and Arrowhead are at the head of the class.
Surprisingly, those districts are among the smallest in terms of enrollment for the metropolitan area.
This portion is especially interesting:
Are the salaries justified?
