It must be talking animal day! Hmm …I don’t think Puppy got the memo. He hasn’t been talking to me – really, at all – today. Now some days he does some of that good ‘moan-talking’ big dogs do. I just love that – sooooo funny. Oh – and it’s not only big dogs that do it. Because the dog I think Lucky learned it from is the dog across the street and he’s pretty little – maybe 50 pounds, if that. It cracks me up whenever I hear Lucky or Reuben (neighbor dog) doing it. It’s like it’s something that I just can’t get used to it so it sort of surprises me every time, then I crack up laughing! I wonder, though – if any tiny dogs do that kind of ‘talking’. I’ll have to investigate that further. But back to the talking animals. I’m referring to talking ‘human-speak’. Yep – real human words. Too funny!

[FYI: Puppy = Lucky = my 120 pound sweet, darling dog. His real name is Lucky. His name from Mommy is Puppy.]

This morning, in my internet wandering around that I do every morning, I found a very funny video of animals talking. I wasn’t even really sure where I’d seen it. I really thought I’d seen it on the Cheezburgr Network, but, I couldn’t find it anywhere on there. They do have a lot of blogs, though, and they post fairly frequently. So maybe that was where I saw it. Anyway, I searched around so I could share it with you and was lucky enough to find it. It originally comes from a BBC comedy television show called “Walk on the Wild Side”. It’s a 30 minute show and so far, I’ve only seen clips of it and it is absolutely hysterical! So here is the one that I saw this morning:

Too funny!!!

Next up is a video from my mom that she sent me via email. She sent it yesterday, but, I just saw it today. That’s really weird that two of these crossed my radar today, huh? And did you know that you can see YouTube videos in your gmail account? Or is it all email that can do that? Hmm… Anyway, this one is so funny, I can’t stop watching it. I’m sure the family is getting sick of hearing it, but, it is just too funny!! I give you:

I also saw this patty cake video of two adorable, little animals with very sweet voices:

How cute is that??

What??! They are animals!! And they are *human talking*! Haha!

Ok, ok, I cheated with that one. But they were just too cute not to! Moving on…

Next up, we have my favorite ‘talking dog’ video on YouTube. I absolutely love this video, simply titled:

And here we have a talking husky named Mishka, who was just featured on CNN by Anderson Cooper – who does quite a lovely impression of her!! That still shot on the video is his face during the impression – too funny!!!

Here is the original video that they were talking about and showing a bit of in the news clip:

Mishka is so adorable and has her(?) own YouTube channel that is very, very, incredibly popular! (Why yes, I’m jealous.) (And Mishka is a girl, don’t you think?)

Going back to that hilarious BBC show, “Walk on the Wild Side”, this one just kills me! It is Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne!!! It’s so funny to see animals with a ‘Rosanne-esque’ relationship! And the name alone cracks me up ==> “Sharon and Ozzy Gophers” Hahahaha!! Check it out:

And we finish things out with another clip from “Walk on the Wild Side”. The bird in the beginning and the owl at the end are my favorites! Way too funny!

Ok, now I gotta go – I’ve gotta go work with Puppy and get him to say some stuff! Ha!

Wikipedia says:

Nepeta cataria is mostly used as a recreational substance for feline enjoyment. Roughly 50% of cats will be affected by the plant,[2] whether it is growing in the wild or harvested and dried. Approximately two hours after an exposure, the feline will be sensitive to another dose.[citation needed] The common behaviors that are observed are: rubbing on the plant, rolling on the ground, drooling, or consuming much of the plant. The plant terpenoid nepetalactone is the main chemical constituent of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria and acts as a feline attractant. This chemical enters the feline’s nose, and produces effects on the cat.[3]

Catnip has a history of human medicinal use for its soothing properties. It has also been known to have a slightly numbing effect. The plant has been consumed as a tea, juice, tincture, infusion or poultice, and has also been smoked.[4] Nepetalactone is a mosquito repellent

Sure makes you wonder what we’re all missing out on, now, doesn’t it?

Look how cute this catnip banana is!!!

Click on that adorable freaggin’ banana and you can buy it from Amazon, and yes, I will get an itty bitty commission. Heck, I’d buy it if I still had a cat! Hey, that reminds me, I dreamt about my sweet kitty last night! Isn’t that funny how things throughout your day bring your previous night’s dreams back to you? Even at the end of the darn day! Anyway, his name was Rosco. Gorgeous, solid-white darling kitty. He was 14 when we had to put him down. I think that was about five years ago. I think I’m about ready for another cat, but, the old man says, “NO WAY!!!” What a party pooper! Hrmph!

I recently received a review copy of Disneynature: Crimson Wing – The Mystery of the Flamingo (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) and I was a little skeptical at first, as I was thinking, ‘a feature-length film all about flamingos?’

But not one teeny tiny ounce of skepticism was necessary! I absolutely and completely loved this movie! It was so interesting! I was riveted the whole time. Well, except for the part where I fall asleep. But that really says NOTHING as it is a genetic condition I inherited from my mother. Doctors have been unsuccessful finding a cure so far.

The condition? Oh, it’s called FallasleepwatchingTVormoviesitis. It is hard to live with, for sure, but, my mother and I both do our best to cope with the cards we’ve been dealt. And it absolutely does not matter how much we love the show, how loud-shoot-em-up it is, how super-mondo scary it is – none of it. We will fall asleep. In fact, when I’m still awake at the end – my husband is pure shell-shocked.

But we have to get back to the flamingos here, people.

Ok, well – first off, it comes in Disney’s super groovy DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack. I think I’ve told ya’ll about those before. They come with a DVD, a Blu-Ray and the disc for copying to your little player-gizmo-thingymabobs. What do they call it? Hmm….

Oh wait, I’m a dope – this one doesn’t come with that copy disc thing. Shoot, I forget what they call those things. But – no matter. We don’t have one in this set. But you do get the Blu-Ray and the DVD, which in my absolute weirdness is cool, because, even though I don’t have a Blu-Ray player – I still get the pretty blue box for my movies! Ha! (I’m jealous of people with Blu-Rays, because, they get the cute, more compact blue cases? Dang, I am weird. And besides – I might actually have Blu-Ray – don’t one of the XBox’s have that capability? Or am I just crazy? Wait – don’t answer that.)

Geez, people – flamingos, we’re supposed to be talking flamingos. Right. I learned so much amazing stuff about them that I had absolutely no idea about. And I’m hesitant to even describe much of it to you, because, if you don’t know the flamingo deets either, I’d love for you to have the fun surprise of learning like I did. I was so excited!

My family watches a LOT of educational television (and movies, too, I guess) and we particularly love creatures so a lot of our media education has been about things that live. (We have to think about the trees! I am a treehugger, after all!) {Ha! Spellcheck doesn’t like treehugger – silly thing! And guess what else it doesn’t like? ITSELF! It doesn’t like spellcheck. Spellcheck says that spellcheck is spelled wrong! haha!} Tangents, darn. I have tangent issues, which I expect you know if you have been reading any of my blogs. What I was trying to say is that we watch a lot of critter TV. There aren’t a lot of surprises in educational animal-friendly TV. I still learn a lot, but, I suppose it’s like expanding on what we know, adding to it, you know? But this was ……

Also included, in the extras, is the making of the movie. That part was just as fascinating as the movie. It was so interesting to learn what those people went through to get all of the incredible footage of these pretty pink creatures!

I’m really running my mouth here and I haven’t told you much at all about the movie. But I really, really didn’t want to. My big, main point is that ….

And I can’t wait to send it to my brother, Mic, who lives in Dallas. He was here went it arrived and he was really excited about it. (And yes, I was still skeptical at that point. Guess I should pay attention to my big brother, eh?) I only wish I could be there with him when he watches it!! We would have so much fun watching it together. We will just have to wait until summertime to enjoy it together when we go there for our visit. At least I’ll know he’s getting to see it, though!

Don’t forget to pick up your copy here: Disneynature: Crimson Wing – The Mystery of the Flamingo

This amazing and wonderful dog, Thor, became a real hero today! His family’s home caught on fire when the family was asleep and he went into the bedroom and jumped on the bed and demanded that his mom and dad get up and get out of the house!!!

And then, Mom and Dad turned to move toward the bassinet to get their three month old baby, only to discover that Thor had already dragged the bassinet all the way to the bedroom door!!!!! Way to go, Thor! You absolutely rock, dude!! And you help to make a good name for your breed. Rotten humans have ‘tarnished’ your breed with their nefarious activities, but your actions today really show that you are just as much man’s best friend as any other dog!!

Donations to the family may be directed through the Elkhart County Red Cross. Call (574) 293-6519

You can read all kinds of good stuff about pit bulls at The Truth About Pitbulls, an information-packed site by a wonderful animal crusader!!

That was really cool that the birds were not so ‘far trained’ that they couldn’t still respond to kindness. The ones you see on Animal Cops (that have already been fighting) are just so far gone that they have to euthanize them. So sad. So it was wonderful to see these birds respond to human touch and the soft voice the man was using with them.

Press release:

February 16, 2010
The HSUS Assists San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in Raid of Alleged Cockfighting Operation

National organization praises sheriff’s department for swift action

YUCAIPA, Calif. — The Humane Society of the United States supplied key intelligence that led to the raid of an alleged cockfighting operation by the San Bernardino County Sherriff’s Department. Authorities impounded more than 500 birds.

“According to published reports in a cockfighting magazine, the owners ran an operation encompassing the United States and Mexico,” said Eric Sakach, senior law enforcement specialist for The HSUS. “The actions of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department send a clear message to the community that San Bernardino County takes allegations of cockfighting activities seriously.”

Tuesday’s raid was a multi-agency effort that included the San Bernardino County Animal Control, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, USDA Office of Investigator General and others. Animal fighting experts with The Humane Society of the United States supplied professional expertise and assisted in the identification of potential evidence.

“Our Rural Crimes Task force is committed to investigating agriculture related crimes and animal abuse,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops. We will not allow this blood sport to flourish in the County of San Bernardino.”

The HSUS offers rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in illegal animal fighting. Anyone with information about animal fighting criminals is asked to call 877-TIP-HSUS (877-4787). Your identity will be protected.

About Cockfighting:

* Tens of thousands of people are involved in cockfighting nationwide.
* Common cockfighting practices include breeding birds for viciousness, drugging them to heighten aggression, and fitting their legs with razor-sharp knives or gaffs, which resemble curved ice picks.
* Law enforcement raids across the country have revealed that cockfights, which are frequently attended by children, often involve firearms and other weapons due to the large amounts of cash present for gambling.
* Law enforcement officials have documented a strong connection between cockfighting and the distribution of illegal drugs.

-30-

Follow The HSUS on Twitter.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the Web at humanesociety.org.

Way to go, HSUS! Thank you so much for all that you do!

Oh that face! That precious face! There’s NO resisting it! Especially knowing that he is a rescue! I just keep staring at that picture, because, he (she) is so darned cute! My sweet Lucky Puppy came from the Dallas SPCA and I could never thank them enough for rescuing my darling boy so that he could join our family. He had brought so much love and joy to our lives, it is really un-expressable.

I hope that you will watch their video of their successes this year. It really is an amazing organization. I’m just gonna shut up now and let ya’ll go watch the video, before I go and get all mushy and stuff!

UPDATE: I deactivated and deleted the following plug in some time ago. Which means I can’t remember why. You can still LOL Puppy in the comments, though!
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I just love this picture of Puppy! It cracks me up! And I’m testing out the new LOLPress plug in that works with the Cheezburger Network that I found on Jesse Luna’s blog. Thanks, Jesse!

Is he cute, or what?? I swear, that dog puts up with more crap from us! LOL This was when he’d gotten this new sweater and Shawn wanted to put his hood up like a gangster. And of course, Puppy just tolerated it. He’s so mellow.

There was one problem with that sweater, though. There’s no cut out for …uh.. you know …voiding – emptying the bladder. So yeah, gets it wet every. single. time. I always feel so bad pulling it over his head to take it off, because, I know it must be touching him. Ick! He never seems to care, though. He doesn’t wear it that often, but, he does seem to like it.

I saw a picture of a dog online the other day with one that was amply cut out for all that peeing business that needs to happen. Need to get one of those. Or I could just cut this one and have Grandma sew a seam on it.

Ok, now ya’ll have a coupla jobs to do. Frealz.

1. Tell me in the comments how uberly, awesomely cute my dog is.
2. Hover over the picture and click on ‘Caption this Image’ and LOLDog my Puppy!!
3. Share this post with your friends so Puppy can get Super LOL-ified!

Thank you times eight million if you do one, two, or all three of these things! You’re the best!!!

I seriously am. Completely and totally smitten with this precious, eenky weenky kittykens!!!! Love her! (Him?)

She reminds me of when Patrick was a newborn (my oldest – who’s 16 now and WAY taller than I!) – he fit on the bathroom counter – perpendicular to the mirror – not sideways! That’s tiny! Newborns are small!! And he was not exactly a small newborn either. Heh.

It’s especially small, however, for someone who is growing about six inches daily! And I know he’s in a growth spurt right now, because, his Sensory Integration Dysfunction issues are rearing their ugly heads! He swears his clothes are shrinking and they’re so uncomfortable etc etc… I know, I know, if he’s growing, they are shrinking, right? Well, sure, but not to the degree that he is complaining about them! And he complained the other day that his band jacket was smaller – and that jacket is not a material that ever shrinks. The lining could shrink, but, not the outside. Well, anyway – remind me to tell you what I know about and what we’ve been through (go through) with SID one day. It’s been eye-opening, that’s for sure.

This post, however, is about this little cute kitten. And what it reminds me of -you guys let me get way off track again, didn’t you?

See, I would lie Patrick’s itty bitty self on that bathroom counter and he would do those ‘newborn sneezes’ – you know the ones? I don’t know if they all do it – or maybe they just don’t all do it as cute as Patrick did it. Oh. my. gawd. I couldnt’ get enough – it was so completely adorable!!!!

And it looked a lot like this…..

I feel really torn about sharing these videos, and I felt really torn about watching them. Since they are maltese mama dogs having maltese babies – they’ve obviously been bred. They do look to be responsible, home breeders – and while that’s not perfect, it is definitely better than a puppy mill. I personally do not like any kind of breeding – I think we as humans have really lost that right. There are just too. many. dogs. that are destroyed every. single. day. by the shelters that cannot handle the sheer number of them. But I really, really enjoyed watching these videos. Wow – hypocrite, I am. Eck.

In my defense – and in the defense of the video owner – they do say in the very first video – to please get your pets from the local shelter. I was very happy to see that on their video. And I haven’t been able to find anywhere on their channel about their being breeders or anything of that nature – so you never know.

This is supposed to just be a nice, enjoyable post – not a soap box rant about how I feel. I just thought I should make it clear that I really don’t agree with breeding and I did feel odd watching these videos. But I did also enjoy them. And I think you will, too. So enough of my blah blah soap boxin’ – I’m just going to let you adore these sweet, precious, squeaking little puppies!

Omigoodness – it’s so adorable to hear ‘em squeaking like that! So cute!! I’ve watched them over and over again – I can’t get enough!

They also have videos of the puppies when they are older and that is where I got the still shot from – I screencapped a part of one of those videos, because, the puppy looked so darn cute in the box!