Ce-Lab-rities

The following is a “pass along” article from Just Labs magazine.

Celabrities
by Nat Almirall

How many famous Labs can you name? Given that they can do pretty much anything, it’s not surprising that they appear pretty much anywhere–on television, in the news, even during the halftime show–and they make quite a name for themselves doing so. Here’s a quick look at some of the superstars of the breed:

Few Labs are more famous than John Grogan’s Marley: destructive, neurotic, and the subject of his own film–where, according to the movie’s website, he’s played by a staggering twenty-two yellow Labs.

Forget Lassie, we want Vincent! This feisty yellow Lab on the phenomenal ABC hit Lost lasted longer than a lot of the human cast–is there any wonder why? Madison, the yellow Lab who played Vincent, was profiled in the May/June 2005 issue along with her trainer Kim Stahl.

There’s also Muttley, Ahmad Rashad’s yellow Lab who appears with his owner on NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad and Tuesday Night with Ahmad (N/D 2007).

And did you know that UBU Productions, Inc.–the company that produced Family Ties and Spin City –was named after founder Gary David Goldberg’s black Lab Ubu Roi?

Zeke the Wonder Dog catches Frisbees during Michigan State’s halftime shows and has been played by two yellow Labs, a black, and a chocolate; while Alien, a black Lab, was famous for retrieving the kickoff tee at Memphis Mad Dogs’ games. (In case you were wondering, the Mad Dogs were a Canadian football team that never quite took off.)

We all know Bill Clinton had Buddy, but did you know Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has Koni? Koni’s a black Lab who was given to Putin in 2000 by General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, and she’s been known to accompany Putin to staff meetings, greet dignitaries, and act as “counsel” to the prime minister.

Yellow Lab Buck and his black-Lab buddy Aggie sniff out smuggled sea cucumbers and shark fins in the Galapagos Islands (J/F 2008); and be on the lookout in the current March/April issue for Tucker, the whale-scat-sniffing black Lab!

Then there’s Endal, the British service dog who’s often referred to as “the most decorated dog in the world” and, “Dog of the Millennium.” The jury may be out on that last title, but this yellow Lab’s still an amazing dog, able to recognize over a hundred commands from wheelchair-bound owner Allen Parten. Among Endal’s many duties include withdrawing cash for Parten from the local ATM.

And of course, there’s Sirius, the bomb-sniffing dog who perished in the Word Trade Center attacks. His story and that of other 9/11 Labs are chronicled in the September/October 2007 issue.

That’s just the tip of the tail; there are lots more Labs out there making names for themselves and proving there’s no end to what the breed can do. And we say, “Let ‘em!” because we already know who the biggest superstar Lab is: the one each of us is petting right now!

Blog restructure

I restructured my blog to make it a little easier to navigate:

1- Links to other blogs were removed from my “Recommended Resources” page and put in my Blogroll;
2- “Recommended Resources” page still contains links to other sites that I recommend;
3- The “Scrapbook” page was renamed to “Scrapbook Photos”;
4- I created a new page, “Scrapbook Videos” which contains all the videos that I’ve posted.

Politics Part 2 of 2

Below are the Democratic and Republican candidates and their positions on gun control and the environment.

Barack Obama:
Endorsing Organizations:
Humane USA PAC
Illinois Planned Parenthood Council
Illinois Sierra Club
Sierra Club

Stance on Gun Control:
Ok for states and cities to determine local gun laws. (Apr 2008)
FactCheck: Yes, Obama endorsed Illinois handgun ban. (Apr 2008)
Respect 2nd Amendment, but local gun bans ok. (Feb 2008)
Provide some common-sense enforcement on gun licensing. (Jan 2008)
2000: cosponsored bill to limit purchases to 1 gun per month. (Oct 2007)
Concealed carry OK for retired police officers. (Aug 2007)
Stop unscrupulous gun dealers dumping guns in cities. (Jul 2007)
Keep guns out of inner cities–but also problem of morality. (Oct 2006)
Bush erred in failing to renew assault weapons ban. (Oct 2004)
Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions. (Jul 1998)
Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)

Stance on the Environment:
Willing to suspend ethanol subsidy to keep food prices down. (May 2008)
Genesis teaches stewardship of earth: sacrifice for future. (Apr 2008)
Regulate animal feeding operations for pollution. (Feb 2008)
Will end the notion of Yucca Mountain nuclear storage. (Jan 2008)
Promote green technologies and fuel efficiency standards. (Dec 2007)
Organized inner-city recycling; fought environmental racism. (Oct 2007)
Reduce mercury and lead to protect community health. (Aug 2007)
Protect the Great Lakes and our National Parks and Forests. (Aug 2007)
1985: Organized asbestos removal in Chicago housing project. (Aug 2007)
Passed lead abatement and 24 other laws in IL Senate. (Aug 2007)
Give Katrina contracts to locals, not to Halliburton. (Jun 2007)
Health Care for Hybrids proposal for fuel efficiency. (Mar 2007)
Scored 60% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007)
Three months working on minority students recycling. (Aug 1996)
Voted YES on including oil and gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)
Tax credit to remove lead-based housepaint. (Nov 2005)
Establish commission to examine Katrina response. (Sep 2005)
Sponsored health impact bill for environmental health. (Apr 2006)
Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting. (Jan 2007)

Joe Biden:
Endorsing Organizations:
None noted by OnTheIssues.org

Stance on Gun Control:
Keep assault weapons ban; close gun show loophole. (Apr 2007)
Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)
Voted NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence. (Mar 2004)
Voted YES on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted NO on more penalties for gun and drug violations. (May 1999)
Voted NO on loosening license and background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record. (Dec 2003)

Stance on the Environment:
America should guarantee Katrina reconstruction. (Jun 2007)
Take away the billions of subsidy to the oil companies. (Jun 2007)
Scored 80% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007)
Voted YES on including oil and gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)
Voted NO on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. (Jan 2001)
Voted NO on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat. (Sep 1999)
Voted YES on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998)
Voted YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
Voted YES on continuing desert protection in California. (Oct 1994)
Voted YES on requiring EPA risk assessments. (May 1994)
End commercial whaling and illegal trade in whale meat. (Jun 2001)
Rated 95% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes. (Dec 2003)
EPA must do better on mercury clean-up. (Apr 2004)
Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting. (Jan 2007)

John McCain:
Endorsing Organizations:
Humane USA PAC
Sportsmen and Animal Owner’s Voting Alliance

Stance on Gun Control:
I know how to use guns; but I don’t own one. (Nov 2007)
Prosecute criminals, not citizens for gun ownership. (Sep 2007)
Don’t hold gun manufacturers liable for crimes. (Sep 2007)
Opposes restrictions on assault weapons and ammunition types. (Sep 2007)
Calls for GOP “tolerance” of closing gun show loopholes. (May 2002)
Ban cheap guns; require safety locks; for gun show checks. (Aug 1999)
Supports ban on certain assault weapons. (Aug 1999)
Voted against Brady Bill and assault weapon ban. (Aug 1999)
Guns are a problem, but so are violent web sites and videos. (Aug 1999)
Punish criminals who abuse 2nd Amendment rights. (May 1999)
Youth Violence Prevention Act restricts guns for kids. (May 1999)
Repeal existing gun restrictions; penalize criminal use. (Jul 1998)
Voted YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)
Voted YES on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence. (Mar 2004)
Voted NO on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted YES on more penalties for gun and drug violations. (May 1999)
Voted YES on loosening license and background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted YES on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
Ban gun registration and trigger lock law in Washington DC. (Mar 2007)
Allow firearms in National Parks. (Feb 2008)

Stance on the Environment:
GovWatch: Voted for one Congressional Katrina investigation. (Jun 2008)
Support much tougher regulations on emission requirements. (Jan 2008)
FactCheck: Criticized $3M “bear DNA” study, but voted for it. (Nov 2007)
Economic and environmental interests not mutually exclusive. (Sep 2007)
Scored 40% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007)
1996: Put 3.5B acres of land into wilderness protection. (Jan 2004)
Preserving wilderness among proudest achievements. (Sep 2002)
Preserve and help our National Parks. (Jan 2000)
Repeal ban on new roads in wilderness due to bad process. (Dec 1999)
Use park visitor fees for park development bonds. (Dec 1999)
Preserve natural resources for future. (Jul 1999)
Voted YES on including oil and gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)
Voted YES on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. (Jan 2001)
Voted YES on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998)
Voted NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
Voted NO on continuing desert protection in California. (Oct 1994)
Voted YES on requiring EPA risk assessments. (May 1994)
End commercial whaling and illegal trade in whale meat. (Jun 2001)
Supports grants for brownfields remediation. (May 2002)
Make EPA into a Cabinet department. (May 2002)
Rated 53% by the LCV, indicating a mixed record on environment. (Dec 2003)
EPA must do better on mercury clean-up. (Apr 2004)
Focus on results, not regulation. (Sep 1998)

Sarah Palin:
Endorsing Organizations:
None noted by OnTheIssues.org

Stance on Gun Control:
Hunts and fishes, as did her father. (Aug 2008)
Hunts as much as she can; freezer-full of wild game. (Aug 2008)
Supports ending D.C.’s 32-year-old ban on handguns. (Jun 2008)
Lifelong NRA member and champion of right to bear arms. (Feb 2008)
Supports Constitutional right to bear arms. (Nov 2006)

Stance on the Environment:
Opposed protections for salmon from mining contamination. (Aug 2008)
Sue US government to stop listing polar bear as endangered. (Aug 2008)
We must encourage timber, mining, drilling, and fishing. (Jan 2008)
Wolf predator control is important for subsistence hunters. (Sep 2007)
Feds shouldn’t list beluga whales as endangered. (Aug 2007)
Provide stability in regulations for developers. (Jan 2007)
Convince the rest of the nation to open ANWR. (Jan 2007)
Fish platform: “Resource First” philosophy. (Nov 2006)
Rail provides critical link for business development. (Nov 2006)
Supports “Roads to Resources”: subsidized access to mines. (Oct 2006)
Don’t duplicate effort in monitoring cruise ship emissions. (Oct 2006)
Don’t amend AK constitution for rural subsistence fishing. (Oct 2006)

Copyright 2008 The Speakout Foundation and OnTheIssues.org

Politics Part 1 of 2

Regardless of what you think about politics and politicians, essentially every aspect of our lives are affected by them. Part 1 of my “politics” series are my observations and part 2 are the “facts”, if you will.

First, the voter (and non-voter) need to accept some of the blame for the mess that Washington is in – after all, we’re the ones responsible for putting them in office and keeping them there. We, the voter, are the politicians’ boss and we are the ones who hired them; we are therefore the ones who should fire them for poor performance, and replace them with someone who will do a better job. It’s no different than hiring a known swindler to work for you and then being surprised and upset when that same swindler steals from you to the point that it runs your business into the ground.

The problem most voters face is not knowing who or what to believe. A couple of guidelines I use are: 1- how do they actually vote on the issues, and 2- what kind of integrity and character do they exhibit in their campaigns.

1- Politicians can run from, hide from, and distort just about everything except their voting record; a politician’s voting record is a testimony of their values and beliefs. Regardless of what political ads say, the best way of knowing what a politician will do in the future is to study what they have done in the past. To access a politician’s actual voting record, go to VoteSmart.org.

2- If you think that a candidate who runs a dirty campaign, refuses to acknowledge or accept responsibility for their past actions (both political and personal), and has shown a general lack of integrity, will suddenly turn into an honest and straightforward representative when they are elected, think again. Our congress and senate are filled with politicians who have proven otherwise. Not only are you paying their salaries, but you are paying for their waste, fraud and abuse as well.

I’m not officially endorsing one candidate or another although my mind is solidly made up for whom I will vote; it’s up to you to do your own research, weigh the issues, and make your own decision.

Since my blog deals primarily with bird dogs, and secondarily with guns, hunting and the outdoors, I’ve included several links that I thought might be relevent. In my next post on politics, I will publish the official position that each of the Democratic and Republican candidates have on guns and the environment.

I’m not going to publish the positions of the other candidates, because it’s a given that either a Democrat or Republican will be moving into the White House and I don’t want to drag this topic out like some political blog. However I strongly encourage you to spend time educating yourself on these lesser party candidates, your own representatives, and the issues.

National Rifle Association
Buckeye firearms association
Us sportsman alliance
Ontheissues.org
VoteSmart.org

The Quotable Lab

I received the following “Pass along” article from Just Labs magazine and was encouraged to share it. Anyone who has owned a Lab will certainly see them reflected in the following quotes.

Pass Along JL
August 08
The Quotable Lab

“Imagine a guardian who never really sleeps, one with the eyes and ears to rival the best security system ever devised, one that knows roads are bad things and will steer your youngster away from them. At the same time, they realize that a short little kid with an ice-cream cone is like a gift from God.” — Steve Smith, Just Labs

“Labs don’t crowd our personal space. We tell them things we’d never share with anyone, at least not with any degree of comfort. They listen and understand. They never expect excuses.” — E. Donnall Thomas Jr., Labs Afield

“I can’t ever imagine being without one or two Labs, nor do I expect to. I need the comfort and companionship they so willingly and amply provide. I have come to absolutely depend on it.” — Gene Hill, A Dog For All Seasons

“Three colors, one breed, countless personalities.” — Steve Smith, Just Labs

“Regardless of the type of Labrador shape and size your dog conforms to, there remains certain characteristics that apply to the Lab across the board. Personality, temperament, and intelligence are three important traits that endear these wonderful dogs to us, their owners; these things make our beloved Labs special.” — Vickie Lamb, Just Labs Magazine

“The Labrador retriever has been America’s favorite dog for so many years now that it’s hard to imagine the breed ever relinquishing its position as tops in the land… and in our hearts.” — D.A. (Don) Young, Labs Afield

“Elaborately constructed of heavy guard hairs and dense underfur, a Lab’s coat offers better protection from the elements than anything money can buy… even when it’s caked in ice.” — E. Donnall Thomas Jr., Labs Afield

“With all that’s been said of their winsome ways and their ability to love, we should stop once in a while to remember that there are few creatures on earth as strong, courageous, committed, and just plain tough as a Labrador retriever.” — Steve Smith, Just Labs

“It is important for any Labrador fancier or judge to recognize and appreciate that the Labrador imported into England and introduced into this country… for one, and only one, purpose — to retrieve upland game and waterfowl.” — Dr. Bernard W. Ziessow, The Labrador Retriever Club of America, The Official Book of the Labrador Retriever

“[T]he Labrador retriever did not see the shores of Labrador until modern times… his name is a fluke, a misnomer derived from the nineteenth century British concept of geography that lumped Labrador and Newfoundland together in the same land mass.” — Richard Wolters, The Labrador Retriever

“I recently had a non-hunting Lab owner ask me how anyone could make dogs jump into icy water to fetch a duck. Had she truly understood the breed, she might have asked how anyone could refuse to let them.” — E. Donnall Thomas Jr., Hunting Labs

“When you watch good Labs work, you get the sense that they are muttering under their breath, “If only I could fly… if only I could fly… if only…’” — Steve Smith, Just Labs

“Labs have always had jobs to do, jobs that require specific skills and hard-wired behaviors but that also require an unusual capacity to adapt and respond creatively.” — Tom Davis, Just Labs Magazine

“Although well-prepared for traversing urban rubble, this particular pile was extremely difficult for several reasons. Foremost was the sheer size of the rubble itself. Tons of loose sheetmetal provided precarious footing, the dogs not knowing its instability until they stepped on it. Exposed mammoth I-beams were slick to both dogs and human rescuers; dogs and human rescue workers were transported via Stokes Litter… over suspended cables and by crane. When a dog would alert, a second dog was directed to the area for confirmation.” — Sandra Kay Miller, Just Labs Magazine, writing about the search and rescue dogs from the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation at the site of the World Trade Center attacks

Subscriptions for soldiers

Last year when I renewed my subscription to Gun Dog Magazine, I purchased an additional magazine subscription for one of our troops overseas. Today I received a notice from Gun Dog Magazine that the project is continuing with “support our troops this Independence Day”.

For $10.00, you can either purchase a gift subscription for one of our troops, or purchase a subscription for a specific individual. At the publishing of this post, there are 8,439 requests for magazine subscriptions.

Rather than sending our troops outdated issues like you find in doctor’s offices, you can provide them with current issues from a variety of magazines. For further information, log on to http://www.subs4soldiers.com/ or call 1-800-673-1289.

New resource

There is another web site with good information on upland game birds titled Upland Feathers. Upland Feathers is written for sporting adventurers who have a passion for grouse, pheasant, quail, woodcock, and wild turkey hunting. Their web site is www.uplandfeathers.com and is posted in my Recommended Resources page.