Davey sent a wmv version of this a couple years ago and I’d posted it on my AFP website. It apparently was shown on Good Morning America in August ‘06 and is due a reprise. If you live in a metered water area as I do, you’ll see this in a whole different light…

Are you ready to kiss - or be kissed? Is there a special someone that you’d like to kiss? If you haven’t yet experienced that first kiss, it can be a daunting challenge! Is it the right time? Is anyone watching? Does your partner even want to? Is your breath fresh? And the big question: Should you use some tongue?

There’s lots of advise available, often conflicting. Many advise that, assuming your prospective kissee is willing, you just “go for it”…

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The last couple days have been emotionally taxing. Unknown to us, “Georgio”, our straight eared Scottish Fold cat, had developed dental problems. Those of you with pets will identify with how you feel when they have health issues.

We noticed a change in his mood a few days earlier but failed to connect the dots. By Sunday, he’d become solitary and lethargic and we knew something was wrong. Our vet agreed to see him right away, determined that he had some dental problems and scheduled him for surgery yesterday.

To make a long story short, he had five teeth extracted - his four canines and one other - a big payoff from the tooth fairy who, it turns out, is a feline herself (but that’s another story). Poor little guy, he must have been miserable. The vet gave us some oral pain medication we’ll squirt in his mouth every morning and some antibiotics we’ll give him for three of four days. Assuming he eats, drinks his water and uses his litter box, he’ll just need a follow-up exam in a week or so.

It’s amazing how these magical, jellicle little creatures, like children, become such a big part of our lives, a part of us, and when they hurt, so do we.

We’ll worry all week.

This would be pretty amazing if real. What we’re apparently seeing is a rather stupid surfer/amateur stunt guy “fishing” for a great white shark off his board, then being “towed” by the hooked shark passed other surfers. Do I believe it? Well, let’s just say I’m dubious. I have to ask myself, if I was a surfer and a great white shark swam right by me towing another surfer, would I just watch as these guys appear to be doing, or would I walk run on water to reach shore as quickly as possible? In addition, it looks like a wake in front of the shark as though it’s (ahem) “chasing” an RTV or jet ski. Hmmmm… And the shark appears to be swimming parallel to the shore in shallow water… and leaving a wake. Hmmmm… Now, I wasn’t there, but…

With the memory of Barbaro’s death after last year’s Preakness still fresh in our minds, Saturday’s Kentucky Derby spectators saw for themselves the sordid truth about what racing really means for the horses involved, as the filly Eight Belles collapsed, her front ankles broken, and had to be euthanised on the track.

Her death may have seemed humane, but the agony she endured running her final race most certainly was not. And while the trainers, jockeys and owners may weep their crocodile tears today over Eight Belles’ euthanasia, they will be back on the track tomorrow, putting other horses at risk.

Although their bones are not yet fully developed, Thoroughbreds begin their racing careers as 2-year-olds. Compounding the risk to their young bones, they are raced on hard dirt surfaces like the one at Churchill Downs. And as Eight Belles’ two broken front legs showed Saturday, the combination is deadly.

Despite the wealth and glamour associated with Thoroughbred racing, there exists a dark underbelly that most of us never see. For the horses, life isn’t much different than it was for the ancient Roman gladiators. Some live, some die, but most end up broken, cast off, or sent to Europe to be killed for the dinner table. It’s a dirty business, not much better than dog fighting.

I hope people finally come to their senses and recognize that Thoroughbred horse racing, as it’s conducted today, is barbaric and in need of immediate and drastic reform. It should be a no-brainer that these magnificent animals should not be trained or raced until age three when their bones are fully formed. Equally obvious should be the need for cushioned tracks like those used in California. And the number of races a horse is allowed to run per season should be limited, another no-brainer. Finally, whipping should be disallowed. If no one is allowed to whip, the playing field remains level.

It’s rare to find me on the same side of an issue as PETA, but that’s exactly where I stand on this one, at least as regards the need for reform. They’re calling for the Kentucky Racing Authority to institute sweeping reforms that would stop much of the suffering. Story

They’ve made it simple. Complete this form email to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority to insist that they take immediate steps to prevent future tragedies. It’s a simple gesture requiring little effort on our parts yet making our voices heard. It’s the right thing to do.

Today marks the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby, affectionately known as the Run For the Roses and considered by many to be “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

The classic American horse race, the Derby is the oldest consecutively run Thoroughbred race in America. It is run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Preceding the Preakness in mid-May and the Belmont in early June, it’s the first jewel of the coveted Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing. Won by only eleven horses since 1919, Triple Crown winners include memorable names like Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Whirlaway and Affirmed.

The first Kentucky Derby was run May 17, 1875, before a crowd of 10,000 from around the city, state and surrounding areas. A field of fifteen three-year-olds ran a one and a half mile course with the race won by H.P. McGrath’s Aristides. The following year, the distance was shortened to the present mile and a quarter…

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My brother, Ken, sent this oldie, but it’s definitely worth another turn, especially now…

John, the farmer, was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called “pullets”, and ten roosters whose job it was to fertilize the eggs.

The farmer kept meticulous records and any rooster that didn’t perform went into the soup pot and was replaced. That took an awful lot of his time, so he bought a set of tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. Each bell had a different tone so John could tell from a distance which roosters were working. He could sit on the porch and fill out efficiency reports simply by listening to the bells.

The farmer’s favorite rooster was old Butch and a very fine specimen he was, too. But on this particular morning, John noticed old Butch’s bell hadn’t rung at all! John went to investigate. The other roosters were chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing. The pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover.

But to Farmer John’s amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak so it couldn’t ring! He’d sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one. John was so proud of old Butch, he entered him in the Renfrew County Fair where the old rooster became an overnight sensation among the judges. As a result, the judges not only awarded him the “No Bell Piece Prize” but the “Pulletsurprise” as well!

Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most highly coveted awards on the planet by being the best at sneaking up on the populace and screwing them when they weren’t paying attention!

The story offers some valuable advise: Vote carefully this year. The bells are not always audible.

As she sometimes does, Dawn gave me some sage advise this morning in the form of a newspaper clipping she’d found in the Sacramento Bee. Given the hectic week I’ve had, it seemed particularly relevant, so much so that I feel compelled share it with my readers in the hope that it sets the tone for the beautiful spring weekend ahead. I plan to follow “Dolly’s” advise to the letter.

“The world is a fascinating place. Stay alert or you might miss something important. If someone says or does something you don’t like, don’t keep it bottled up. Express yourself. Me personally, I spit on them, but you should find whatever works best for you.”

Have a wonderful weekend! If you’re in the Midtown Sacramento area tonight, drop by the Torch Club. Our friends, Larry Gromer and the Ruppert Duncan Band, will be playing. Drop over and say “Hi”; I’ll be the handsome guy in the Hawaiian shirt next to the really cute blonde.

This should come as no surprise to cat owners, but the rest of you may be interested to learn that owning a cat is apparently good for your health. A new study finds that non-cat owners are 30-40 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease or a heart attack than those with a feline friend.

The findings emerged from an analysis of data on nearly 4,500 men and women, ages 30 to 75, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. All were free of cardiovascular disease when they entered the study in the 1970s.

Compared with cat owners, people who never had a pet cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack over the 20-year study period. They were also 30% more likely to die of any cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart failure, and chronic heart disease.

How about dogs? The study found no similar beneficial link. More

This was submitted by Cindy in Schaumburg…

Now, before you start telling me this is a product of photo manipulation, I checked it on snopes and it is, in fact, a breed of rabbit called a German Giant (how appropriate!). “Herman” weighs 22 pounds and stands a little over 3 feet on his hind legs! And look at those feet!

German breeder Hans Wagner, struggling to hold him for a New York Post article, says, “We don’t feed him an unusual diet. He goes through more than his brothers and sisters, but he eats the same food mix. His favorite food is actually lettuce. He can never get enough of it.”

And you thought the Easter Bunny was folklore!

Claire sent this after my post earlier today about the Valentine’s Pig with heart-shaped markings. (Click each thumbnail to enlarge.)

This cute little long-haired Chihuahua, named “Heart-kun”, was born in May in Odate, northern Japan, with this heart shaped pattern in his coat. Shop owner Emiko Sakurada said that, of a thousand she has bred, this was the first marked with a heart. And before you ask, she says she has no plans to sell him.

It must be a sign that this is going to be a very “special” year!

Is this cute or what? The 13-day-old Gloucester Old Spot piglet christened “Valentine” - what else? - is one of a litter of seven born at Byford’s Farm in Taynton, near Newent, Glos. Story

One more before I turn in. Got it from Jamie. Is this scary or what? Looks like an airbrushed kitty, the best animal “costume” I’ve seen this year! But like Jamie says, it’s a good night to keep your animals indoors for their own safety.

Ah, sleeping in on Saturday mornings, waking slowly, maybe a little snuggle time with wifey before starting the day. Wonderful, yes? Of course, that’s all a distant memory for us, something we enjoyed “B.C.” — before cats.

If you have one or more of the little furballs at your house, I’m sure you can relate to this video I received from Carolyn at the office. It’s right on and had us howling! See if you agree…

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Sleep in if you can.

This is clever. Type in commands and the dog does them. (He’s a little dog; complex commands like “Go to the fridge and get me a beer” won’t work.)

Thanks Barb!