The Flying Beagle

Cadbury Dairy Milk - Eyebrow Dance

2009-10-04T03:18:00.001-07:00

Got Marshmallows?

2009-09-16T03:48:00.002-07:00

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

Good Job Again, Fox News

2009-02-28T03:27:00.001-07:00

This is why it's called Fox News. Because the big words are hard for them to spell...

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Fox News Reports Joe Biden's Gaffe

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

In Need of Quality Website Design? Visit Prescott Websites today!

Tribute to Foxy Cleopatra

2009-02-08T09:38:00.001-07:00

First of all, thank you to all of you that helped us financially with donations to help cover the costs of keeping Foxy alive for as long as we did. We really appreciate the support. We had to put Foxy to sleep last Saturday, due to her physical condition being so poor.

I'd like to let you know about how Foxy came to us, and what she meant to us and our family. It's quite a story, so find a comfortable spot and sit down and listen to the story of Foxy Cleopatra, wonder dog. For more pictures, click here...

Foxy came to us by way of a stray dog, that just "happened" to appear when I was working at the Boys and Girls club in Sedona, AZ, about six years or so ago, just after or around the same time that our two Beagles Jake and Lilibeth decided to go under our backyard fence and explore the desert for two weeks. We found Lilibeth, eventually, but Jake was killed by a car.

When Foxy showed up at the club, the kids reported that they had seen her earlier, crossing a busy street (at the crosswalk), and they all immediately liked her. I asked all of the kids to contact their parents and see if they could take Foxy home with them. Many kids were interested, but none of the parents said yes.

One little girl, Stefania, took it upon herself to call my wife and ask if we could take her, since she knew we had dogs, and she wanted to make sure Foxy found a good home. I will never forget that call, nor Stefania, and will always be thankful for her insight and the conversation that followed.

Stefania called my wife and asked her if we could take Foxy. After some hesitation, my wife said that we probably could, even though we were still in the middle of the Jake/Lilibeth saga. As it turns out, that was just what we and our Bassett Hound Lucy needed at the time. Foxy came in and took over caring for everybody during that very difficult time. The universe had sent an angel in doggy form to watch over us. And she did, for many years to follow.

Foxy also, more recently, kept our new Bassett Hound, Emma Lou, in check. Whenever she got even a little "out of control" according to Foxy, she would bark at her, and Emma would cower and stop doing what she was doing. Then she would slink off somewhere away from Foxy. Now, Emma has the run of the house, and she has been being very fresh lately. She keeps all the toys for herself and is constantly taunting her sister, Sarah the Beagle mix.

Foxy, we really miss you, but know that you had to go, and your body could no longer function as it used to. We thank you very much for the short time that you spent with us on this earth, and look forward to seeing you in the afterlife.

Thanks for the Memories, now Disappear

2009-01-20T05:12:00.001-07:00

Here is a little going away present for former president Bush:

I've Been Tagged

2009-01-15T10:23:00.001-07:00

I was tagged by Cashmere, via Tiara Zakaria, and I would like to share with you what it is all about. So without further ado:

A. Attached or single? — Attached

B. Best friend? — Ronni

C. Cake or pie? — Both

D. Day of choice? — Sunday

E. Essential item? — Laptop

F. Favorite color? — Blue

G. Gummy bears or worms? — Gummy bears

H. Hometown? — Prescott Valley

I. Favorite indulgence? — Hazelnut Mocha

J. January or July? — January

K. Kids? — 1 Daughter

L. Life isn’t complete without? — Chocolate

M. Marriage date? — 11/18/1989

N. Number of magazine subscriptions? - 2 or 3

O. Orange or apple? — Apple

P. Phobias? — ?

Q. Quotes? — "Wherever you go, there you are".

R. Reasons to smile? — You need a reason?

S. Season of choice? — Fall

T. Tag 5 people -

- The Pioneer Woman

- Larissa Meek

- Marjie

- Mostly Lisa

- Justine

U. Unknown fact about me? - I can juggle

V. Vegetable? — Eggplant

W. Worst habit? — Procrastination

X. X-ray or ultrasound? - X-ray

Y. Your favorite food(s)? - Lasagna

Z. Zodiac sign — Aquarius

Whatever Happened to Michael Vick's Dogs?

2009-01-04T04:42:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: Be sure to check out the "Dogtown: Saving the Michael Vick Dogs" special today on the National Geographic channel, at 12 p.m. (see your local listings for times in your area).

Have you been wondering what happened to the dogs that survived their stay at Michael Vick's home? Me too. You can see how some of them are doing on CNN's Sports Illustrated site. The photos are great, and it's nice to see that these dogs are doing well. But, I really wonder what message is being sent by having the pictures on Sports Illustrated. Are they implying, "Hey, it's okay to mistreat your animals, they'll be fine"? Or am I reading something into this.

But I do know that I would feel totally different if the photos were posted on, say, the Humane Society of the United States' website. And maybe they are. The point is that you are exposed to Vick's name again, but this time it's more of a positive feeling. Well, guess what? Just because these dogs are doing well does not mean that what Vick did was okay, and I don't think SI should have had anything to do with publishing these pictures.

The real heroes here are the people working behind the scenes to make these photos possible. Let's start with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (donation link) in Kanab Utah. These guys are awesome! By the way, the picture of the dog when you follow that link above may be one of the rescued Vick dogs.

Anyhow, back to the story. The Pit Bulls that survived Vick's horrible abuse were sent to Best Friends, so they would have a fighting chance (in a good way this time). Best Friends is a no kill animal sanctuary, and they rehabilitated these dogs so that they could be adopted out to good homes. They do this with all the animals, though most don't get such great celebrity-related publicity.

Best Friends' staff did a wonderful job, and I'm sure that there were numerous humane societies around the country that were involved in finding homes for all the dogs that found homes. Take a look at the video about this story on the Ellen show.

There is also a National Geographic show, called Dogtown, that chronicles the lives of the dogs that Best Friends takes in. I'm really glad that the sanctuary is getting the publicity that they are now, but I know it's mostly because they took in these dogs. And even though the court order against Vick provided funds to care for the dogs, there are many other dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses, reptiles and other assorted beings that continue to need care on a daily basis.

So, my challenge to you, the readers of this blog, is to figure out a way to help Best Friends in return for doing such great things with animals. Here are some ways you can help:

Donate directly to Best Friends, by giving a cash gift or providing something that they need on their wish list.

Visit Best Friends and help walk somebody or sign up for a volunteer program, or take someone home with you.

Find a local animal rescue organization near you and help them out.

Buy a reading from my animal communicator wife and donate it to an animal at the sanctuary, to help the staff better understand the animals and their history.

If you are a member of Entrecard, I will give each person who donates $25 to Best Friends 500 Entrecard credits. For the rest of my readers, I will give you one free hour of my time, either as computer consulting or web design, in return for any donation to Best Friends. Let me know in the comments who you are and how you helped. Thank you very much.

My Top Ten Posts of 2008 (by comment count)

2009-01-02T05:49:00.001-07:00

Here is a FREE gift for all of my dedicated readers. If you have not been following my blog for very long, this will help you get caught up. My list of top ten posts (listed by number of comments, most to least) is as follows:

Why I am Not Pro Life (9 comments)

Anti-Palin Rally in Alaska (8 comments)

Parenting Teens (7 comments)

Link Love (4 comments)

Christopher Comins is an Animal (4 comments)

New Template Being Added (4 comments)

New Artist Monday (3 comments)

Birthday Math (3 comments)

Help Your Brain Help You (3 comments)

Free Entrecard Credits (3 comments)

Make sure to subscribe to the RSS feed so you can stay up to date on the latest news and information from "The Beagle". Have a happy new year, and feel free to share your top posts with me and my readers. Also, what are some of your favorite blogs to read?

Do You Have Family Movie Night?

2008-12-31T08:37:00.001-07:00

Watching movies as a family is an important part of our weekly schedule. There is nothing better than curling up in front of the wood stove or fireplace, and watching a great family movie with a good messaage. It seems that movies that contain positive messages and encourage healthty values are harder and harder to find. Some of my favorites that have strong postive messages, and that I would recommend are: Antwone Fisher, Secondhand Lions, Stand and Deliver, and Field of Dreams.

I think it is very important to watch movies like that, that convey to our children what types of behavior are appropriate, as opposed to the kinds of behavior they see in most movies, where the kids are in gangs and on drugs, and treating others poorly. They will see enough of that in real life, as they see friends make poor decisions.

A great movie that has come out recently and portrays great family and personal values is All Roads Lead Home The Movie. It is a heartwarming story about a girl that experience the loss of a family member, and ends up living with a grandparent who teaches her a thing or two about life. In the process of grieving her loss, she learns to love others and becomes part of a family. It is also based on a true story. Be sure to go see it with your family.

Fixing the Fox

2008-12-31T04:03:00.001-07:00

Our red dog, Foxy, is suffering from renal failure again. She almost died from it this summer. Now, she is very lethargic and not eating much. But, she is alert and wanting to eat this morning. We took her to the vet yesterday for x-rays, to see what was going on, since she did not exhibit the signs we save last time of the kidney failure.

They didn't find anything on the x-rays, but the blood work showed elevated levels of creatinine and BUN (blood urea nitrogen), and she was very anemic. We were going to have her stay there and get some IV fluids, until we saw the estimate for the overnight visit and supplies. Plus, with the holiday coming up, and the office being closed on Thursday, we decided on home care. Foxy is much happier and home.

Anyway, my wife just found a great resource on the web, and I'm going to check it out right now. It's a yahoo group about Kidney disease in Dogs, and has information on diet, fluid therapy, and charts for figuring out everything you need to know to help your pet through. Stay tuned for updates...

Oh yeah, the group may be found here, or through a search for K9KidneyDiet on Yahoo groups.

Spire Laptop Bags

2008-12-30T11:48:00.002-07:00

I was considering doing a "day in the life" post, where my readers could follow what I do during a normal day. But I decided it would be more interesting to do a post about what my laptop bag goes through in a typical day.

Let's start with what type of laptop bag I have. My laptop bag actually says Canon on it, though I have a Compaq laptop. Anyway, my laptop bag starts the day about 7:00 a.m., and it first gets stuffed with my laptop and power cord. There are also business cards, postcards, pens and a small notebook in the outer pocket of the bag.

The bag is normally stored on the floor, next to my desk. The day for my laptop bag starts with us (me and the bag) leaving the house and going to the local coffee shop. I then unload my computer and place the bag on the floor beside me.

We then travel back home after about an hour, and the bag is put back on the floor beside the desk. Being a laptop bag is not much fun.

Spire laptop bags have a lot more fun, though, since they are virtually indestructible, and will last a lifetime. They are very functional, durable, and come with a lifetime guarantee. If your life with your laptop involves a career that takes you and your laptop bag to dangerous or scary places, you need a laptop bag from Spire. They are very affordable and can withstand whatever life throws your way. Get one today!

Letterman's Top 10 George Bush moments

2008-12-29T03:37:00.001-07:00

Don't worry. Only another 22 days before he is out of office.

Thinking About Getting Engaged?

2008-12-25T06:23:00.003-07:00

If you are considering popping THE question to your girlfriend, improve your chances of getting a "yes" by buying her a platinum engagemet ring.
Platinum is thirty (30) times more rare than gold, and your prospective fiance is a rare find too. So make her feel extra special by making her engagement ring something unique and different that you and your friends and family will be talking about for years to come.

You want your marriage to last a long time, right? Well, a gold ring would probably stand the test of time too. But there are some qualities of Platinum that gold just can't match. Namely,

Platinum is a natural white metal that will maintain its brilliant luster over time.

Platinum's physical density is such that it has that feeling of great quality.

Platinum will hold any precious gems securely, including that huge engagement diamond you just bought.

Platinum loses very little metal over time, making it the perfect choice for long term relationships like yours.

Platinum's color does not fade or tarnish over time.

I have personally been married to my wife for 19 wonderful years. Had I bought her a platinum engagement ring, she probably would not have hesitated to say "yes". As it was, she only hesitated momentarily, but it was long enough for my life to pass before my eyes. My point is that if I had to do it all over again, and we may for our 20th, I would buy her a platinum ring, since platinum is so timeless, valuable, durable, and 90%-95% pure.

Purchasing an engagement ring is a once on a lifetime investment and shows the one you love how dedicated and committed you are to your current and future relationship together. Anybody can buy her a gold engagement ring, but wouldn't she rather have something unique and beautiful like herself? I know she would. And I know that you would like to make her feel extra special too. So, when you finally ask her to marry you, do it with a platinum engagement ring with whatever precious gem you choose, and you will get in immediate "yes"!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T04:52:00.001-07:00

As we celebrate Christmas today, keep in mind that the whole Christian religion is based on the fact that Jesus was a JEW. So, before you go out there and judge others for being gay or lesbian or Jewish or anything different than what you are (as a "Christian"), that your messiah, as a Jew, did not believe in life after death. How does that fit with what you are telling people about your religion?

And, according to the bible, the world has been going to end for about 30 or more years now. Watch the video and let me know what you think about it.
Pretty interesting don't you think? Maybe that's the problem, we don't think.

Technorati Tags: Christmas, religion

Dragon Naturally Speaking Discounts

2008-12-24T09:51:00.003-07:00

Dragon Naturally Speaking is the best speech recognition software on the market. It is great for individuals, such as bloggers, as well as for businesses. Currently, they are offering several discount coupons, as seen below, for 10% - 25% off their software. These specials are only available until the end of this year (12/31/08), but Dragon Naturally Speaking speech recognition software is a bargain at any price.

$50 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred

$25 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Standard

$25 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -MacSpeech Dictate

Take advantage of these special, limited time offers. If you are interested in purchasing this product for your business, be aware that you can still write off the cost for your 2008 taxes if you buy on or before December 31st, 2008. The newest version is 10, and it is available on the website.

Visit the Dragon Naturally Speaking website and check out the latest news, events and press releases for their product. Once you see what you can do with this speech recognition software, you will want to buy it right away.

Holiday Special Offer

2008-12-23T08:00:00.001-07:00

I am offering a special deal to all of the readers of this blog. The deal is that if you need any help with the customization of your blog, or would like to learn how to add things to your blogs, such as banners and other advertising, widgets, or any php code, let me know. I will provide you with one hour of free consulting in exchange for paying referrals to your friends and family. If you would like more information about my web design skills and prices, please visit Prescott Websites, my web design site. And be sure to check out my web design blog. Thanks, and happy holidays to you and yours!

~Bill

Homecity, the Best Real Estate Listing Site for the Austin Texas Area

2008-12-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Are you looking to buy a home or property in the Austin Texas area? Check out the Austin Homes For Sale at homecity.com. You can search for a home in the metro areas of Austin, as well as Dallas/Fort Worth, by minimum and maximum price, number of bedrooms and/or baths, home size (by square feet), or by street address or MLS number.
They also have a section right on the home page, where you can get pre-qualified, see how much home you can qualify for with the use of mortgage calculators, and find out how much your house is worth if you are interested in selling. There is a very helpful section with information about other nearby neighborhoods, which includes demographics, school reports and other very useful information for prospective buyers.
You can learn about the Austin real estate team, take a tour, and ask an advisor about any questions you may have. The site navigation is very intuitive and all the information that you need to know as either a seller or a buyer is easily accessible.
Visit the homecity.com site for all your real estate needs in the Austin, TX area. You'll be glad you did.

Cats Keep Lost Boy Warm

2008-12-21T04:22:00.001-07:00

Argentine police say a destitute 1-year-old boy was kept alive by a colony of stray cats who shared food scraps and kept him warm in the city of Misiones. The boy, who had been missing for several days, was found by Police Officer Lorean Lindgvist, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday

read more | digg story

Happy Hanukkah

2008-12-08T03:48:00.007-07:00

Since we are a mixed religion marriage family (is there such a thing?), I thought I could share this with you. My wife is Jewish and I am christian, and our daughter says she is "Crewish" (a combination of Christian and Jewish). It is true that there are not as many things about being Jewish and Hanukkah. If you like this video, be sure to check out Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song below. Enjoy!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Best Hanukkah Moments

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Technorati Tags: Hanukkah, Jon Stewart, The daily show, Adam Sandler

Wow! But How Do You Really Feel

2008-11-12T04:12:00.002-07:00

I totally agree with Keith on this issue: What business is it of mine what other people do or don't do? I think that those who voted for prop 8 will be judged for not treating others as they would like to be treated. But they get on their high horse and condemn love when it involves someone who thinks differently than they do. We'll see who is "judged".

Watch it and pass it on!

Technorati Tags: gay rights, prop 8, bigotry

And now, for something totally different!

2008-11-03T11:28:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: bassett honds, beat box, humor

Palin Goin' Rogue Video

2008-11-02T05:03:00.002-07:00

I love the Jon Stewart show, since it is very funny, but very intelligent. Also very unlike the McCain/Palin team. Well, I don't know that it was ever a team, what with Palin thinking she is qualified to be president, and talking about running four years from now.

In Need of Quality Website Design? Visit Prescott Websites today!

McCain's Many Faces

2008-10-31T05:33:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: McCain, Youtube

Weathering the Financial Storm

2008-10-23T04:11:00.002-07:00

My wife and I recently went to the local food bank, since we were between paychecks and needed food. This is the first time we have had to do that, but we really needed the help. We are learning that it is okay to ask for help. Both of us are helper types, and find it hard to give to ourselves.

We are both working full time, and yet we are still struggling to earn a living. It is very frustrating to be behind in the rent, owe money to utilities, have a car break down, and wonder where all the money to take care of these things is going to come from.

Most of the problem started over the summer, when I wasn't driving the school bus, and my web design business was dead. Then there are the clients who don't pay you for work you did, but expect you to do things right away. Like it's an emergency that their super ugly site (not my design) be updated.

All this combined created the situation we found ourselves in this week. We had no money, no food, and a car that was broken down and hit while it was parked, waiting for the tow truck to come. Oh yeah, someone rear ended my wife's car while it was parked and couldn't move, then they took off. It really makes it obvious why we like to spend more time with dogs than people. Anyway, the good news is that there were witnesses. The bad news is that the car that hit my wife's car had out of state plates, so they can't track it locally. If anyone knows how to find the owner of that car (we have the license number) please let me know.

So, life has been really rough lately, but rather than just give up we have been very resourceful and we are learning a lot. If there was an easier way to learn these things I think I would prefer that. But we have learned that we are very smart and can find help when needed. Plus, we are no longer afraid to ask. You know all those cans of food that you donate every year? They go to help people, like us, who need food once in a while. There are also local churches and other groups that exist just to provide people in need with gas vouchers, cash and food.

If you are in need of any kind of financial or other help, don't hesitate to ask. I suspect that there are quite a few people in the same situation, especially since the economy is so horrible. In fact, the food bank people told us that they are getting 10 or 11 new sign-ups a day now, compared to 10 or 11 per week not too long ago. Contact your local United Way or similar service for temporary help. In the meantime, here is a link to famous people that have been homeless. It helps me to know that things will get better. homeless celebrities

How many of you know of someone in a similar situation? Are you that person? What resources have you found that really helped you? Let me know.

Technorati Tags: food banks, helpful resources, failing economy

Poverty in the United States

2008-10-15T04:17:00.005-07:00

Today is blog action day, and is an effort to end poverty worldwide, through the power of blogging.

When most people think of poverty, they think of third world countries, and all those ads you see on TV of the children starving. The message is usually "For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can help this child" or something similar. While I do agree that we need to do something if we can, this blog has always focused on the needs of kids in this country, from domestic adoption through foster care, to supporting your local Boys and Girls club.

Most of us don't realize the extent of poverty in this country and how it affects the children here, as well as the parents trying to take care of them. Here are some sobering statistics from last year:

The official poverty rate in 2007 was 12.5 percent, not statistically different from 2006.

In 2007, 37.3 million people were in poverty, up from 36.5 million in 2006.

Poverty rates in 2007 were statistically unchanged for non-Hispanic Whites (8.2 percent), Blacks (24.5 percent), and Asians (10.2 percent) from 2006. The poverty rate increased for Hispanics (21.5 percent in 2007, up from 20.6 percent in 2006).

The poverty rate in 2007 was lower than in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available, while statistically higher than the most recent trough in 2000 (11.3 percent).

The poverty rate increased for children under 18 years old (18.0 percent in 2007, up from 17.4 percent in 2006), while it remained statistically unchanged for people 18 to 64 years old (10.9 percent) and people 65 and over (9.7 percent).

Source

Poverty is determined from money income before taxes, and doesn't include capital gains or noncash benefits, like public housing and food stamps. If the family's income (including all related members' income) is less than their threshold, then they are considered to be in poverty. Basically, if your total income, before taxes, is less than a certain amount (the threshold), you are considered in poverty. You can view a table that represents these levels according to size of the family, at the US Census website.

According to the statistics above, there were 37 million people in poverty in this country as of 2007. That increased by almost one million from 2006. I can only guess that it has increased again this year, due to the high unemployment rate, jobs being shipped overseas, and other related factors.

So what does that do to people, and the children that they are caring for? It adds tremendous stress to people's lives, and would certainly account for some (maybe all) of the neglect and abuse that children are suffering, and would explain why we have so many children in foster care in this country.

So, Bill, what can I do to help? I'm glad you asked. If you are like me, you hate it when someone tells you there is a problem and you feel that you can't do anything about it. In this case, there are some simple things that you can do to help.

If you are in the position to contribute cash, do that. It certainly helps. If, on the other hand, you really want to make a difference and a lasting impression on a child, become a volunteer. The court appointed special advocate program is always in need of volunteers to work directly with children in foster care, and advocate for them in the courts.

Donate or help out with your local Boys and Girls club. These clubs are there to help support children in your area, but always seem to be underfunded.

Find a foster parent in your area, or contact the local department of health and human services and let them know about your desire to help. If you know a foster parent personally, ask them what they could use as far as support from you. Be aware that you will need to be fingerprinted and background checked before you will be allowed to work directly with the children in their care.

If you know someone who just lost their job, offer to babysit their kid(s) while they are out looking for another job. Or help them get their resume updated. How about helping with meal preparations if you are good at cooking, or help clean the house? Anything that helps relieve the stress will probably be appreciated.
By helping each other out in times of need, we can make a real difference in people's lives, and put an end to poverty. It is possible, here and worldwide, if we can all work together.

What I would like to know is how you, personally, have helped put an end to poverty, or how you plan to help? Do you think it is something that is worthwhile (ending poverty)? Do you know of someone who could use a helping hand? Are you that someone? Let me know.

Jessica and Be-bit [Flickr]

2008-07-09T07:08:30-07:00

flyboy86342 posted a photo:

Here is big sis, Jessica, with the baby Beagle

The Baby Beagle [Flickr]

2008-07-09T07:06:58-07:00

flyboy86342 posted a photo:

This is the baby Beagle with a toy.

Baby Bealge at rest [Flickr]

2008-07-09T07:05:57-07:00

flyboy86342 posted a photo:

The baby Beagle is so tired...

Beagle Ball [Flickr]

2008-07-09T07:05:10-07:00

flyboy86342 posted a photo:

Be-bit is resting, again.

I'm Awake! [Flickr]

2008-07-09T07:04:09-07:00

flyboy86342 posted a photo:

The baby Beagle is awake. WOO-HOO!