Some comparisons of city size. . .as of July 2007:

Moorpark, California: 36,199
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: 42,267
Spokane, Washington: 200,925
Boise, Idaho: 202,832
Los Angeles, California: 3,834,340

That gives you an idea of Boise in relation to Moorpark, where I used to live, Coeur d'Alene, where I now live, Spokane, the nearby "big city," and Los Angeles, the area where I grew up. While Boise is significantly smaller than L.A., I felt like it still had a "big city" feel that Spokane does not have. It is the state capital, after all!

For those who don't know, Coeur d'Alene has the most lousy mall I have ever seen in my life. . .not that I've seen a lot of malls, but a one story mall can't be that great! So when I heard that Boise had lots of shopping, and a "real" mall, I thought that sounded awesome!

After lunch on Sunday we once again got in the car, and this time we headed for the mall. On the way to the mall, however, we stopped at Barnes and Noble so Val could check out the book sales and I could spend the last of a gift card I had. I used my gift card to get Josh Groban's Closer CD, which I have been wanting (unfortunately I had to wait until I got home to listen to it!), and I also bought a planner for school that is pretty cute, if I do say so myself! Val found some books, too, so I would say it was a successful stop!

Eventually we made it to the mall where we saw all sorts of stores that we don't have in Coeur d'Alene (and some we don't have in Spokane, either)! Michelle and I were excited to go in Mervyn's and we had high hopes of finding something cute, but unfortunately we were both pretty disappointed with the store by the time we left it. We continued to explore the rest of the mall and Val and Michelle found some good buys. Michelle was excited about the Disney Store and Val insisted we just had to go in the Hollister store to feel their clothes and "smell the smell." I will say the clothes felt soft when I touched them, but the store was a bit weird because it was not lit very well. . .and since Hollister is very much a "California-wear"/"surfer" style store, they had lots of surfing-related stuff and then two TV screens showing webcams of beaches in Huntington Beach, CA and I think one in Virginia somewhere. Apparently the Hollister scent is unique and all the clothes are sprayed with this scent, which I thought was odd. But now I can say I've been in a Hollister store! (yay?)

We found all sorts of fun stores to check out, and eventually we were ready for dinner. We decided to treat ourselves to the Cheesecake Factory, since we don't have one of those in CdA and we heard it was good. It was! We actually opted to share three appetizers between the three of us instead of getting dinners because we knew we wanted cheesecake and we knew we weren't hungry enough for huge dinners plus cheesecake. So, we split potstickers, mini burgers and a quesadilla between the three of us, and then we were so full after that, that we ordered a piece of cheesecake to-go and took it back to eat in Val's room. The food and the cheesecake were delicious!

Sunday night we couldn't stay up too late because school started early for Val on Monday morning and she had to take me and Michelle to the airport before heading to school! So eventually we said goodnight, and settled down for the night. 6am (which was 5am our time!) Monday morning came far too quickly. . .and Val's "Grease" alarm clock nearly made me jump 10 feet in the air when it started to sing. . .loudly. We got ready and were ready to leave about 30 minutes earlier than we needed to be, so we sat around and talked some more.

Michelle and I had about 2 hours to "kill time" at the airport so we wandered around and looked at every gift shop and explored the other levels. Then we decided to just sit down and eat cookies while reading books as we waited for our plane. The flight home went well, even though I hate flying, and before we knew it we were back in Spokane, Washington. It was 90-degrees and sunny in Boise when we left, and we came home to 65-degrees and rainy in Spokane. What a difference!

School started for us when we got home. It was a bit hard for me to get into the "school mode" after spending the weekend playing and having fun. . .but I managed!

The trip was fun, Boise was awesome, and who knows. . .maybe I'll go back someday!

In 1863 the town of Lewiston, Idaho became the capital of the newly-discovered Idaho territory. On December 7, 1864 a resolution was passed by the Idaho Territorial Legislator to move the capital from Lewiston to Boise. In 1865 the move was made and Boise is now the capital of the state of Idaho. On August 22, 2008, I visited Boise.I really hadn't been anywhere other than the northern part of our state. My friend Val is going to school in Boise, and when she asked my friend Michelle and I to drive down with her and spend a weekend exploring, we jumped at the opportunity!

It was certainly a looooong car ride, but fun in its own way. The poor car probably had way more stuff in it than it ever should have held, but it did a good job getting us from home to Boise safely. The drive took us about 9 hours, including time for lunch in the parking lot at WalMart in Pendleton, Oregon. It was a beautiful drive! Instead of driving straight down through the middle of Idaho we went over to Eastern Washington, down through beautiful Eastern Oregon (Oregon is one of the prettiest states I've ever been to, I have decided!) and eventually we re-entered Idaho, changing time zones somewhere along the way. We even passed the "45th Parallel," which meant we were half-way between the equator and the North Pole. :-)
The three of us are very good friends and we have been for about 4 or 5 years, and so even though the drive was entirely too long and a bit cramped, we enjoyed the time for "girl talk" and singing along to the Phantom of the Opera and Enchanted soundtracks, and whatever Val had on her iPod, including some of David Archuleta's studio versions from American Idol. :-)

We arrived in Boise and unloaded Val's stuff. She is staying with her cousin and his wife, so Michelle and I helped her arrange stuff in her new room. After dinner and unpacking we eventually went to bed, where Michelle and I, sharing an air mattress in a guest room, talked late into the night. Yeah, we're girls. :-)

Saturday was spent exploring, but our main mission was to visit the Boise State University campus and find all of Val's classrooms and pick up her very-expensive-and-overpriced textbooks. I found the campus facinating to explore because it is so different from what I am used to here. I hadn't been on a large school campus before, so it was interesting! The campus at Boise State is beautiful with lots of old red-brick buildings.

After exploring the school and finding all the classroom buildings were locked, we ventured across the street to eat lunch at Baja Fresh, which is somewhere I have not eaten since I was visiting California in 2005. No, we don't have them up north -- but we should! My tostada was delicious.

One thing I *really really* wanted to do in Boise was see the state capital. I have seen (but not been in) the California state capital in Sacramento, so I thought it would be neat to see the Idaho capital in Boise! Unfortunately we could not go inside as they are doing renovations that will not be complete until 2010 or so, but the outside was amazing.

Hot, tired and thirsty we headed back out of the city to do some shopping in nearby Meridian. Old Navy was a stop at the top of my list, but, unfortunately, I did not find anything this time. We also went to Marshall's, which is another store I haven't seen since California, and then we visited Ross and, of course, WalMart. After eating dinner at Pizza Hut and driving by one of the Boise Great Harvest Bread Company's (unfortunately it was closed!), we headed "home" to eat some fruit we bought, and to rest. However, we had spotted a little gelato and frozen yogurt shop down the street, so we eventually headed back out for ice cream before it got dark. The ice cream store was right next door to Kohl's. . .so of course we had to stop there, too!

Eventually we did decide to call it a night. . .but oh, we had a fun day!

. . .to be continued. . .

We came home from Leavenworth on Wednesday -- which happened to be the opening day of one of my favorite summer activities: The North Idaho Fair and Rodeo. While it was obviously not possible to go on Wednesday, I was able to spend a good part of the day at the fair on Thursday. This summer I did an internship with the children's department of the local library, and so I spent Thursday morning at the fair helping the library with a kid's booth. We had three crafts for the kids to do -- they could paint, decorate a treasure box and make a kaleidoscope. It was fun, but it would have been even more fun if the weather had chosen to cooperate! Instead of sunny skies and warm weather that should be expected at the fair, we experienced torrential downpours and hurricane-strength winds. Okay, so maybe I am exxagerating a little bit, but not by a lot! If you click on the picture, it will make it bigger and you can see all the rain pelting the fair! That's the library booth I took a picture of.

Instead of waiting out the oncoming storm under our little tent-sheltered-by-a-few-haybales, I ran over to the nearest building -- which happened to be the cow and pig building. So, I spent 20 minutes in the barn with the cows watching and listening to the sound of the rain, hail and wind. Oh. . .and it was pretty cold, too! But. . .it was fun to spend time with the library at the fair -- and I got in for free, so it was pretty awesome!

The weather stayed damp most of the day, but I went back to the fair in the evening anyway. This time I went with a couple friends from work. Which was awesome. Of course. :-) We walked around the entire fair, looking first at the Home Arts building (and admiring the amazing quilts and clothing items that had been entered). We wandered next over to the photography rooms so that we could see how my entries did. Yes, that's right. . .I entered six photographs in this year's fair. I did not place with any of them, but it was fun to see my photographs on display. :-) We got caught in a rain storm once or twice while walking between buildings, but it wasn't too bad. There was an amazing rainbow at one point. After looking at my photography we headed to the Culinary Arts building to check out all the cookies and food items my mom had entered. She got second place for her Rhubarb-Mixed Berry Pie. :-) And she placed with some of her other entries, too. There were lots of other things to see, too: chickens, roosters (the one in the picture practically posed for me to take his picture!), rabbits, horses (including some AMAZING draft horses), cows, pigs, and my least favorite: the reptile room. Ick. Look at this creature I got a picture of. The picture even freaks me out!! :-) There were also some beautiful flowers and vegetables on display. It was quite late by the time we finally finished looking at everything and walking around the carnival part of the fair (I refuse to ride those rides, though!).

I sure do love the fair, and I can hardly wait for next year!!!

This is Houston evacuating itself on the heels of Hurricane Rita in 2005, and we imagine the roads look very similar today. Deja vu.

This time around, pets are allowed on public transport - In 2005, many residents who refused to leave their pets behind stayed put and even died alongside their animals. Author and breed advocate Ken Foster reports that some pet owners are trying to track down dog crates to load up pets before leaving town. Word has it that homeless, adoptable non-pits have been evacuated to better shelters with strong adoption programs while the pit bulls & strays are being housed nearby in high-kill shelters. And so it goes...back of the bus, pit bulls.

We're all holding our breath as Hurricane Gustav approaches New Orleans and other coastal communities. Can we quiet the monster by sending 'Go to sleep' calming vibes to Gustav? It's worth a try - the alternative involves chewed up fingernails.

We're wishing safe travels to all residents of the Gulf Coast and are holding the local animals in our hearts.

Earlier this week, I read that the Watsonville City Council was going to address cracking down on dangerous dogs in the city. The newspaper reported that among the options council members were to consider was restricting certain breeds, like pit bulls and rottweilers. My heart jumped into my throat. Would Watsonville really choose breed specific restrictions? Of course, I was anxious all day and at the end of the work day, I went to the city council meeting like a good citizen and waited for the dangerous dog agenda item, which of course, was scheduled for the very end of the meeting.

Finally, at 9:30 pm, Marc Pimentel, Administrative Services Director and Animal Services Board Member, addressed city council. He suggested that his staff investigate options to better address dangerous dogs and set forth several available options. He recommended strengthening already existing laws; partnering with local animal organizations to develop a public education outreach campaign; and changing who conducts the dangerous dog hearings.

After the presentation, city council members commented and asked questions. And by the time the last council member spoke, I was so proud and pleasantly surprised. ALL members of council, including the mayor, opposed any breed specific measure and believed the problem to stem from the owner, not the dog. ALL council members were in favor of the recommendations made, and ALL were especially in favor of working with others to provide community outreach. The city staff agreed to research the recommendations and come back at a later date with more specific proposals for council's approval.

News: Watsonville Rejects Targeting

WOW! Viva progressive thinking. If you have a minute, please send a quick email to the council to thank them for not only focusing on the right end of the leash, but also for realizing that education and public outreach is a more effective tool than a breed-specific band-aid:
Contact Info

The hot and cool looking Nicole Kidman is facing a new legal stink over a story about her favourite perfume.

British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph is seriously on the nose with Kidman's legal team after it ran an article alleging her favourite scent was Jo Malone's White Jasmine and Mint - not Chanel No.5, with which Kidman has a sponsorship deal worth $12 million.

An item which appeared in the paper's Spy gossip column last week claimed the actress had jeopardized her position as a celebrity spokeswoman for Chanel No.5 after she allegedly applied the Jo Malone scent while walking the red carpet at the London premiere of new film The Golden Compass.

It was also heard that cosmetic giant channel was allegedly unhappy with the actress, and that her behavior had apparently constituted a "breach of contract".

Kidman has gone further than turning her nose up at the report - last week she set media law firm Schillings on to the broadsheet.

Schillings in a conversation said the allegations were "entirely untrue" and "grossly defamatory".

Schillings also added that "We have today been instructed to obtain an immediate retraction of such allegations and are taking separate action against The Daily Telegraph"

Source : http://www.news.com.au

As I mentioned in my last post, I was able to go on two vacations this summer. . .in a one week period! It was a busy week, but I had an absolute blast. Of course, as you might have guessed, I took an overabundance of pictures on these various adventures, and I thought it might be fun to share some pictures with you all, as well.

The first part of the week was spent in Leavenworth, Washington with my mom and grandmother, who was visiting from Missouri.

Leavenworth is a small Bavarian village nestled amongst the mountains of central Washington. It is north of George, Washington (yes, that is a town!). It's about 4 hours away from CdA, so it was a decent drive. We arrived in town and promptly checked into our hotel room which featured a cute little teddy bear sitting on the bed. I immediately fell in love with said teddy bear, and being quite tired I promptly fell asleep on the bed.

We did a lot of window shopping, eventually buying a few things. We ate some interesting cuisine, and I tried Italian gelato for the first time. It was really, really good. I tried blueberry and pink guava. Yum!

On Tuesday evening we put on some warmer clothes, grabbed our blankets, and headed into the hills to watch an outdoor production of The Sound of Music. The show was excellent, with the cast singing from the hills as was appropriate to the story. The music was, of course, amazing, and the play was well acted and produced. They performed to a full house, even though there was a sprinkling of rain during the second half of the performance!

It's official.

Summer is over. School started on Monday.

Yes, it was a bittersweet moment to walk into my first class of the semester. On the one hand I am excited: this is my senior year in college, and if all goes according to plan I should be walking across the stage to receive my diploma on May 3, 2009 (which is in less than 250 days, by the way!). However, on the other hand, going back to school means that I have less free time, I can't work as much, and my life is consumed by something known as classes and homework. Now, don't get me wrong. . .I enjoy school (as much as I might whine, complain, and cry about it at times!). . .but homework gets frustrating (and sometimes boring!) at times. . .and I will admit it:

Owie
Nothing feels right when loved ones are in pain. Our ten year old Sally, aka Wasabi Sabs, aka Queen Machine - the dog who first sucked us into this crazy work - had to have her toe removed yesterday.

Her most beautiful, most precious, most exquisite little digit
....... Sob! ........
The result of an angry mast cell tumor.

She's had the friggin' dis-ease for three years now. Some of our lessons learned along the way: 1) Don't over vaccinate your pets. Please. Sally's immune system literally crashed years ago after an accidental double-dose of vax and we're sure it opened a door to this cancer. 2) Don't think that you have to remove every MC tumor you see. Let smaller bumps sleep, but do take off any tumor that grows up angry & fast. 3) Consider diet key to strengthening your pet's vigor. A raw meat & bones diet has kept our girl running strong since she was diagnosed. We swear by it. 4) Cancer is a gift that reminds us how short & precious life is. (Repeat: Sob!)

Cool Things
Pit Ed Campers are Doing

We've been honored to meet many hardy souls & talented miracle workers during our Pit Ed Camps. Here are just a few things that alumnae campers are doing to help the underdogs in their corners....

Leslie Dodds of Mendocino County went home after Camp last summer and hammered together a successful pit bull adoption program at both of her local shelters, all while maintaining a 'real job' in the insurance biz. Besides saving lives of adoptable animals, she brought a group of teenagers together to train and socialize the dogs. We met her Pit Crew last weekend when they brought us a new dog for our program. Lookit what these young people can do: PIT CREW
Make it work, girls. We're SO impressed!

Debbie Eaglebarger (above) knows how to spin straw into gold like nobody's business. She manages a small crowded shelter in Corning CA with only one steady helper. When she's not socializing her dogs in well run play group sessions, she's helping adopters put Canine Good Citizen titles on their pit bulls. NEWS. By the way, this severely under-funded project can always use donations. More info on Debbie's efforts here.

Look at these sensitive photos from Alison Talley of Silicon Valley Humane. Not only was Ali keenly tuned in to the dogs during our hands-on exercises, she has one hell of a good eye. She snapped these pix during Aug 08 Camp while the CGC exam was going on. Beautiful work, Ali. PHOTOS

Actress Vidya Balan, who stormed the Bollywood big-screen with her 2005 debut in Parineeta, recently did the catwalk for the Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation's 27th Anniversary Gala Dinner in Long Island, New York.

The fashion show was part of a fundraiser for cancer treatment in India. After strutting down the runway in one of designer duo Priya and Chintan's newest creations, Balan curled up in a hotel room armchair to chat with Trisha Sanghavi about contributing to a good cause, visiting New York City, and being a Bollywood star.

On Asking her that if she had walked on ramp before she answered:

“ Once before, as part of the Salaam-e-Ishq music release where all 12 of us, John [Abraham], Salman [Khan], Priyanaka [Chopra], Anil Kapoor, Juhi [Chawla]... walked on the ramp. It was part of the music release, but besides that, no.

She wasn't nervous at all. “We were all just having fun” she added.

Source : Rediff News

We're overwhelmed by Animal Planet-related mail tonight....Heeelp!
But, how can we complain? A favorite email:

I watched Animal Planet last night. You guys have changed my stereotypical opinion of Pit Bulls. The comment Tim made about handling 3000 Pit Bulls and never being bitten amazed me. If I handled 3000 of ANY dog, I'd figured that I'd have been bitten at least once! Great story! Great show! P.S. Has Donna been bitten by a Pit Bull? - Joe Wilson

Ha! Answer: Yes, once. My fault. No damage, but giving up my bragging rights hurt worse than the big yellow bruise I took on my thigh. Ouch.

The Animal Planet Show is now ONLINE
....And, Forrest the Denver Dog is SAVED
Thanks for the news, Colorado Pit Bull Rescue!

Congrats to Roo, Clara and Inspector Hector for passing the Canine Good Citizen exam. Hector is on his way to Therapy Dog fame soon. We just love watching this dog's progress from afar. Photo: The Minnesota Mavericks at home.

Roo has a side-stitch worthy post on the Vick Dog Blog today written in the voice of Hector. It seems someone's been working VERY hard to earn his kibble at home. Thanks for the smiles, guys. Me Too, Me Too!!!

We have an early copy of Animal Planet's Animal Witness - Michael Vick Show in our hot little hands. Altho there are some concerns, we think this is an important show. Producers chronicle the case, from random drug arrest of Vick's cousin in 4/07 to the search of his home where dozens of pit bulls and fight evidence surprised investigators - to denial, confessions, apology, sentencing and finally, the current status of the dogs. A variety of interviews help outline the story, with the bulk of the focus staying on Vick and his downfall.

First, the Good: Viewers will "meet" a number of the foster-care status dogs in BR's Pit Ed class as well as Leo, looking great during his therapy work. We would've liked less Vick-footage and more focus on the dogs' trials and recovery, but the messaging is pretty darn clean and they come across well - just regular pit bulls stuck in a nightmare situation. Guardian Master Rebecca Huss is right on the money with her quotes and observations, and we weren't at all unhappy with our interviews, either. That doesn't happen too often, so, we'll take it. We were really happy to see Rose (right) included. Her story still needs to be fully told.

The Bad: It was odd to see PETA and HSUS reps interviewed for this piece. Outside of voicing (and, still maintaining) condemnation for the victims alongside their much-criticized fundraising campaigns, Animal Planet didn't seem to realize that these orgs were not players in the Vick case. Oh wait, we can't forget about the efforts to rehabilitate the fighting machine himself. (Not included in the Animal Planet taping - thank dog.) ASPCA forensic vet Melinda Merck was included however, and gives a short but interesting interview on her role in the case and collection of evidence. They kept details to a minimum (because the state trial is still pending?), but it was still fascinating to hear how science was used to help animal victims.

And the Ugly: Animal Planet was good enough to go back in and fix an error on the number of dogs sent to sanctuary for overt dog aggression (10, not 22). Thank you, production crew. But the show is peppered with way too much stock dog fight footage. Why do viewers need to see so much abuse, a la snuff film? A voice over tells: "Most dog fighters are amateurs and know little about conditioning or caring for their dogs. Many are inner city gang members where street fighting is common." Okay. The narrator then goes on to explain - in full detail - how to stage a dog fight. In case any wanna-be thugs are watching, they'll find the Cajun rules of dog fighting outlined here along with a perk for internet sites that sell fight supplies. That is SO not good.

Despite that bigger disappointment, we're endorsing this show because it offers a general message of compassion for the dogs. We're grateful to the film crew that we worked with. By the time they wrapped up (11pm -- a twelve hour day of filming. ugh), I'm sure they were more than ready to take a break from Vick-talk.

Animal Planet Witness Show Schedule Here

The SF-area film crew shown below, at lunch with Zippy's foster family. And chasing Jennifer with Hector around at Pit Ed class: Video

Imagine if this was your pup:

"He acts just like Forrest Gump.
He's slow when
you walk up to him, but then he wiggles so hard he urinates all over himself. He's the biggest baby in the world." - Chris McGahey, Forrest's owner

And imagine that your city is trying to kill him because he looks like a pit bull. This dog's owner is fighting Denver to save his boy. No one has been successful yet. Denver's ban is unforgiving and anything that looks like a pit bull dies; no questions asked. Story

Let's all send some support to this brave dog owner and help keep the world's eyes focused on this case. Favorite addresses? Please share. Thx.

August 21, 2008 (USA)

Frederic Fekkai, the leader in luxury hair care, is pleased to introduce Fekkai Salon Color, a revolutionary premium hair color collection that offers salon-quality results at home.

For the first time, Fekkai has entered the realm of at-home hair color offering a selection of beautiful, naturally hued shades. With 20 signature colors to choose from, finding a perfect shade has become easier than ever.

Fekkai Salon Color offers long lasting color with complete gray coverage for healthy, vibrant color at home that is never flat or inky.

With its exclusive pre- and post- conditioning treatments, this unique at-home hair color system improves the overall health of the hair, ensuring beautiful hair color and unparalleled hair health.

According to Fekkai clinical studies, testers experienced 40% more softness, silkiness and shine to the hair after using Fekkai Salon Color!

Read Full News Click Here

August 21, 2008 (Russia)

The fashion chain Lindex is opening the doors of its first ever store in Russia, namely in St. Petersburg, making it the first Swedish fashion chain with a presence in the country. The boutique is located in the newly built Atmosphera Gallery on Kommendantsky Square.

"The opening of this boutique in St. Petersburg is the starting point for Lindex' s continued journey into Russia. Our plan is to open 100 new storess in the country over the next five years. Russia is an exciting and strategic market with strong purchasing power. That' s why we see significant opportunities for expansion there," says Lindex MD Göran Bille.

The store, which covers an area of more than 500 square metres, has a glass facade and an interior designed in line with Lindex' s latest store concept. Lindex has worked hard to simplify the store for its customers and has devised new solutions to display the clothing in an optimal way.

Read Full News Click Here

August 21, 2008 (USA)

Janet Jackson loves to remain in headline for some or the other reason. Once again the successful singer has seized attention by announcing that her own lingerie brand Pleasure Principle will be launched in US by November this year.

Multitalented Janet has collaborated with Australian lingerie designer Bruno Schiavi for creating stylish and sensuous lacy bras. The sensational and super stylish singer, songwriter and actress has picked up fabrics like satin for providing perfect fit and comfort to the wearer.

Pleasure Principle line will be available in deeply rich combinations like burgundy and beige, peach with silver and timeless classic, black and white. Fine detailing like bows and beautifully crafted lace are used for enhancing the feminine grace.

Read Full News Click Here

August 21, 2008 (Turkey)

Urart A.S., The Nuance Group’s Turkish joint venture, is pleased to announce the addition of an exciting new destination/confectionery concept to the shop portfolio at Antalya International Airport’s Terminal 1. “The box of Delights” features the typical Turkish sweet in all its variety and presented in a breathtaking design reminiscent of the traditional Ottoman style.

Turkish Delight, or lokum, a traditional confection made from starch and sugar, has been produced in Turkey since the 15th century. It was introduced to the west in the 19th century, when an unknown Briton became very fond of the delicacy during his travels to Istanbul and purchased cases of lokum, to be shipped back to Britain under the name Turkish Delight. It became a major delicacy not only in Britain, but throughout continental Europe. Today, it is not only popular with locals, but also with visitors looking for a typical product from Turkey.

“The box of Delights” offers a unique way to sample some of the very best Turkish Delight as well as related traditional fine food varieties. The outlet consists of a free-standing display area which presents the merchandise as if in an exhibition, granting maximum visibility. The design of the stand, while minimalist, is reminiscent of the traditional Ottoman style with a very genuine 19th century hat motif adorning the back panel.

Read Full News Click Here

I wish I had a nickel for every person who wants to find a no-kill solution for their dog. We get letters and phone calls like this several times a month:

I believe that my dog is not happy living with me and she need more room to play around (a yard) and more attention. I'm gone over 10 hrs. a day at work. I looked around and many different organizations and shelters, and since you specialize in pitbulls, if you have any advice on where i could surrender her to a NON KILL location. I don't know if BAD RAP takes surrenders?

The answer? No. We can't take your dog.
No, there is no such thing as a No-Kill solution to a pit bull that falls out of its home.
No, SF is not a No Kill city. Not for pit bulls, anyway.
No, the private shelters in the area will not take your dog.
No, despite their best efforts to help pit bulls, your local public shelter cannot guarantee that your dog will be adopted.

The answer? Train your dog - again. (This home fell out of our Pit Ed classes)
Get up earlier and exercise her more. Consider a treadmill.
And keep trying to find a new home that can meet her needs.
Or - if this is all just too impossible - Please. Give your girl a week of love and then put her to sleep with the help of your vet.

What a horrible bit of advice to have to give. As you can imagine, this is not one of our happier jobs at BR.

August 18, 2008 (USA)

Colombian fashion designer Amelia Toro’s COTTON USA apparel collections for Vogue Latin America and Fucsia magazines showed cotton’s versatility as an important fiber for couture, in addition to everyday basics such as denim.

Toro designed and produced exclusive garments made with U.S. cotton-rich fabric, including 280 meters of denim, from Colombian COTTON USA Mark licensees Coltejer and Fabricato.

Both licensees are important consumers of U.S. cotton fiber, annually purchasing 25,000 and 35,000 tons of fiber respectively. Coltejer’s denim facility utilizes 100 percent U.S. cotton.

Read Full News Click Here

August 18, 2008 (Singapore)

Nuance-Watson (Singapore) and Scental Group, the Travel Retail Asia Pacific arm of L’Oreal Luxury Products, officially opened the new Kiehl’s stand-alone store at Perfumes & Cosmetics at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 last Friday. Mr. Yatin Premchand, General Manager of the Singapore Environment Council, was present to witness the “Plant-a-Tree” ceremony.

At the store’s official inauguration, Scental’s Division Manager Emmanuel Goulin presented attendees with background on the brand including the brand’s principle to provide products of efficacious, naturally-derived formulas for skin and hair. In line with this philosophy, Kiehl’s also pursues the mission to raise global awareness of climate change, destruction of forests and species extinction by donating part of its profits to different local environmental organisations.

At the Singapore opening event, Mr. Goulin donated a check to the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) as a symbol of the beginning of their partnership. Kiehl’s has selected SEC - a non-governmental organisation, well-known for its “Plant-a-tree” programme – for a long-term partnership to increase public awareness of environmental matters.
Read Full News Click Here

A little birdie asked for a Frodo Report. Happy to oblige...

Frodo - the shyer V-dog who suffered from isolation back in VA at just six months old - has been making progress in small but steady baby steps. At 22 months old, he's still dog social and spends a good part of his day romping with foster mom Kim's two dogs. Kim reports that he's starting to "act naughty" at home - a good sign! Pretending not to hear commands, sneaking into a closet to root around for treasure, chewing through a tie-down leash ... All healthy signs of a growing independence and newfound confidence. What a wonderful journey. We're so grateful to Kim for her patience and commitment to Frodo's growth.

Frodo makes a guest appearance in the upcoming Animal Planet Animal Witness Show that premiers August 24 at 10pm.

We watched an early screening in order give a review. There were a few rough spots, so before we give our report, I want to wait to see how many last minute edits the production crew decides to do. However overall, it's well done and worth watching.
Here's the Animal Witness
promo on YouTube.

Overheard @ Oakland Animal Shelter:

Boy: "Mom! Mom! Lookit THIS one!" ...pointing to a wriggly white pit bull in the adoption runs

Mom: "Hmm. She's cute. But white gets dirty."

Challenged by Reality

This tiny-sized girl joined "gray area status" at Oakland Animal Services when shelter life jacked her up and inspired a not-so-nice fence fighting habit. Hormones (she may be pregnant), constant noise, high energy levels, high stress, and never enough exercise makes for a tough time in the kennels. We look forward to finally having a trailer so we can help dogs like her chill out long enough to show us who they really are.

Thankfully, she lucked into a rare breed-experienced foster spot, so is resting up tonight. We'll scratch our heads about her once she's come back down to earth.

There are SO many dogs just like her that won't be so lucky. Gray is quickly becoming our least favorite color.

Hey, EK here, reporting back from training for the Team Pibble triathlon, a fundraiser we're doing for BAD RAP. I'll tell you: I had no idea what I was getting into. As it turns out, my experience riding my bike to BiRite and jumping waves and doing handstands in the shallow end of the pool isn't really the same thing as doing a triathlon—biking 34 miles and running 10 after swimming a mile at top speed with hundreds of other athletes trying to outswim you. I’ve been kicked in the face in the pool, gotten a flat, wrecked on a hill, ridden with a busted derailer, and wanted to quit so many times I have simply lost count of the discouraging thoughts.

During this time, I also adopted my best girl, Stella, the stout little fireplug of a pit bull who came to BAD RAP from Detroit. Those of you who don’t know her story might not know what a rough start she got. Rescued in a drug bust, Stella’s freedom came in the midst of guns ablazing, doors kicked in, other (aggressive) dogs let loose around her. The cost of that chaos and whatever unthinkables preceded it took form in Stella’s many residual fears. Stella is shy of new experiences, skittish with big sounds, and desperately afraid of brooms or anything that looks at all like an animal-control catch pole.

With all that she’s afraid of, though, she continues to show a mindblowing faith in me, in the good folks I’ve been bringing over to meet her, and in the routines I’m setting up for her. She’s adapting to her new neighborhood, bravely joining me on walks, softening to the tall friends who previously scared the wits out of her. She will walk past the broom now and has even eaten treats in its company. Stella has proven so forgiving.

This morning as Stella snoozed away before the sun rose, my stalwart teammate Monica came over with all her triathlon gear. We loaded up our bikes, suits, and shoes, and after we walked Miss Stella and settled her back in her crate, Monica and I headed out in our Team Pibble shirts to complete a test-run for the triathlon—an Olympic-distance swim, bike, and run, along with all the transitions among the three. For those of you following the Olympics, we did the same thing these qualifiers from the Vancouver World Championships did at the same distance they'll do tomorrow morning in Beijing. Only they’re a little faster.

Thinking of those women and their superhuman abilities, I was out at the water this morning. It was super still and as I set out my transitions stations, I was seized with this crazy fear. This was the first time we were actually doing a full practice race from beginning to end. We’d only done drills or different parts of it—swim to bike, bike to run. This was the full deal. The fear was kind of mind-frying. It was that rib tightening, hands shaking, electrical current through the whole body kind of fear. I was pacing pacing pacing in my wetsuit when this ridiculously obvious connection just came to me. This is exactly the kind of leap of faith I ask Stella to make every single day. Do the thing you think you cannot do.

These dogs have come into our lives for all sorts of reasons. Maybe your dogs aren't here to teach you to go do stupid things over really far distances in uncomfortably constrictive spandex. But chances are you learn something from them. And that it took work, patience, support, stamina, and—let’s get right to it—resources for you to get them where they are.

Please donate today at www.teampibble.com to help us put more good-hearted Stellas into the loving homes they deserve. See you at Pit Ed and other BADRAP events after the race! Thanks for all your support and love through this crazy training.

This is John Glionna of the Los Angeles Times, sharing his notes with our Honky Tonk last month. John wrote a sweet article on BR that landed in today's paper. He and Honky seemed to speak the same language, which took the pressure off of us. Being interviewed is nerve-wracking, especially when it's about a topic that's as multi-layered as the State of the Pit Bull Nation. We'd hoped that John's cool hair and relaxed vibe would translate into a story that was low on hype and big on happy, and he certainly gifted us with both. Thanks, John.

Los Angeles Times Article

These big smiles are meant for all the pit bulls that just passed their AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) exams. Linda Chwistek (left) spends a good chunk of her week helping pit bull owners prep their dogs so they can join the Pit Bull Hall of Fame. Jennie Keifer (right) was good enough to test a group of the dogs last weekend. Twenty five dogs have been added to our Fame page. That's crazy good! Congrats to everyone who tested!

We have to applaud the Humane Society of Utah for this wonderful story about their own CGC program. In this age of breed discrimination, putting a CGC on a pit bull is big: It opens doors to rentals, insurance policies and it calms the nerves of naysayer neighbors and mother-in-laws. If you've been thinking about shining up your dog's halo, one of the easiest, most gratifying things you can do is prep him for the CGC exam. Do it! If you're in the SF bay area and your dog has his or her basics pretty well worked out, contact Coach Linda for an appt. to eyeball your dog.

Below is quik-vid of Teddles showing Judge Jennie how cool he is in a crowd situation. He's supposed to stay loose on his leash and avoid jumping up on anyone. He sailed through this test, but a loud train rattled by and he wasn't able to concentrate on his sit-stay well enough to pass the whole exam (Ted's afraid of trains). Better luck next time, buddy.



Jonny Justice here (who passed his CGC exam btw!) is contemplating Eva in her chair. One of the tests involves a distraction, typically a wheeled distraction like a stroller to gauge a dog's ability to stay chill when presented with moving objects.

We're blessed to have Eva's help in our CGC Prep Classes. When she's not distracting the crew, she flirts with the dogs on the sidelines and lets them investigate her chair. Chair-shy dogs are encouraged to find treats tucked on her wheels and lap. It doesn't take long for dogs to say, "Yum! That chair is my ticket to Happy!"

August 14, 2008 (Brazil)

In its new sunglasses collection, Mormaii Eyewear aims at the youngsters who more and more look for big and irreverent models, having metal as a strong tendency.

With handmade colors and paintings in harmony with the tones of the lenses, also with options of graduated lenses, this collection tends to be the aspiration of a more and more fashionable youth who really like the curves of the attractive sporting Mormaii models.

By analyzing the success of the Arpoador I model, launched last year, this collection is supposed to be a big success, besides combining metal and Grilamid, bringing more lightness and ergonomics for the glasses.

There are three different fronts. The Arpoador II model is a base 7 mask nylon lenses with three options of colors: G15 (green), brown and graduated wine color.

Read Full News Click Here

August 14, 2008 (USA)

Move over Project Runway - the best dressed this Halloween will be outfitted in fashions inspired by the country’s chicest costume designers!

“This year, the new Halloween costumes are heavily influenced by what you see on the fashion runways, in the movies and on TV,” says Melissa Sprich, Party City Merchandise Manager of Costumes and Accessories. “We have taken the best of these influences and shaped them into our finest costume collection yet!”

Over the past few years, Party City has led the Halloween costume industry by collaborating with designers and manufacturers to incorporate the latest fashion and pop cultures trends.

That is great news for those who love to celebrate Halloween because this year the costume parties are expected to start early for adult Halloween revelers. A Friday Halloween holiday means parties the weekend of October 24 as well the weekend of October 31, inspiring many to get a head start in planning their Halloween celebrations and even more importantly, attire.

In preparation, Snow White, Tinkerbelle and Wicked Witch of the West have undergone a couture makeover. Party City and its top Halloween designers have created the trendiest costumes yet for this Halloween season. These costumes feature sleeker silhouettes, softer fabrics and hot, must-have accessories.

Read Full News Click Here