The Dogs of Hall

At this very moment I am thrilled, content & thoroughly exhausted. Just a couple of hours ago we wrapped up our 2nd Annual "Dogs of Hall" (Hall County, Georgia) dog show to benefit The Humane Society of Hall County. This was a fundraiser I have organized along with my close friend and co-worker CJ. CJ & I have been working on the dog show for almost four months now, and we pulled it off! It was a huge success!!!

Local pet dogs were judged in the following categories: All American Mutts, Precious Pups, Old Faithful & Blue-Blooded Bowsers. Our judges were the local Fire Department Chief, A Georgia State Senator, and a police officer who is also a Master Dog Trainer for police, military & service dogs. We gave awards & prizes for the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners in each category. We also sold tons of hot dogs, snacks & drinks and raffle tickets for many great prizes. I cannot wait to get our total next week! I believe we raised a few thousand dollars total - every penny going to the Humane Society! Another important aspect of this event was to raise awareness for animal cruelty & overpopulation.

Above are some great photos of some of the contestants, including my baby girl, Akira (very top).

P.S. I had to come back & add the following (I was so tired last night I forgot these 2 very important things):

#1) THANK YOU to a team of SUPER, HARD=WORKING volunteers including SILK & Super D, our hot dog chefs & concessions supervisors.
#2) This event was originally created by CRICKET in Denver, CO. She brought the idea to Hall County last year & organized our very 1st Annual Dogs of Hall, which was also a roaring success! Thank you for bringing us this event, Cricket!!!

I bought a new kind of dogfood....

Here's the ad...

ASPCA

The latest ASPCA newsletter is full of great animal goodness, especially the Humane Heroes of 2007. If you aren't aware of this organization or their site, please check it out HERE.
Because Super D is a Firefighter, I have a special place in my heart for all Firefighters, especially the ones who save animal lives as well as humans. The following story is about one of the ASPCA 2007 Heroes, a New York City Firefighter:

ASPCA Firefighter of the Year
William H. Smith III
New York, New York

On June 24, 2007, New York City firefighter William H. Smith III emerged from a burning apartment at 230 East 196th Street with a small, frightened mix-breed dog in one arm and a soot-covered cat in the other. This moment perfectly illustrates his commitment to protecting the people and pets of New York City. In June 2007, Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented Smith with the Edith B. Goldman Medal for his bravery during a house fire in the Bronx. This was only one of ten occasions on which the senior firefighter has been recognized for heroism since he joined Ladder 58 in 1982.

Smith lives in the Bronx with his youngest son, William IV. His eldest son, Lamar, is a Sergeant in the Marine Corps currently stationed in Japan. Affable and well respected, the senior firefighter is considered by his colleagues to be a true gentleman and genuine hero.

Annemarie Lucas is shown in the above photo. She is an ASPCA officer featured prominently on Animal Planet. SHE is truly one of my heroes.

Life....

Damian Lewis as Major Dick Winters



Charlie Crews



Badass Dani Reese

I'm addicted....to a TV SHOW! With the exception of some nightly news and LOTS of football, I rarely watch TV, especially since the last season of 24 went straight down the crapper. My new addiction is LIFE, a quirky new crime drama about a cop named Charlie Crews who spent several years in prison for a crime he did not commit. After he was exhonerated, the state paid him a fat settlement and his job as a detective was reinstated. The actor who portrays Crews is Damian Lewis, whom I absolutely ADORED as Major Dick Winters in Band of Brothers. Damian is so very British and sexy as hell (and I'm really not a huge fan of redheads!), yet he can pull off a yank accent so convincingly.....mmmmmmmmmm.......he's sooooo talented.
And for you guys out there, Crews has a feisty and beautiful partner, Dani Reese, who complements him so well. She is intelligent and quite saucy, and I caught a catty flare of jealousy when Charlie's pretty attorney greeted him with a flirtatious hug last episode...meeeooowwww!!!!! Get him, Dani! He's YOUR man! Dani is portrayed by Sarah Shahi, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. The cheesy fangirl in me hopes that one day the chemistry between Charlie & Dani escalates to biblical proportions and the two unashamedly and forcefully bed each other for about 16 hours straight. However, I love the show for what it offers - excellent writing and damn good entertainment. This is coming from someone who cannot stand 99% of TV shows, so take it to heart. Maybe you'll like this show as well. Oh yeah, there's also K-Ville (yet another cop show about post-Katrina New Orleans with the swaggering, southern-drawling, panty-melting Cole Hauser.....mmmmmm.......that's for another post, however....)
Yeah, I'm boy-crazier than most females, but hey, I'm a red-blooded American chica with enough estrogen pumping through my veins to run a city for ten years. And Damian Lewis just makes me purr...........
Check out LIFE...Wednesday nights at 10:00 ET.

Nasty Neighbors on the Net

Hey Bagheera - here's a place to expose the Screeching Neckbeast! This site, rottenneighbor.com, has only been in existence for about two months but already has had over a quarter of a million visitors. Supposedly it is a public service of sorts - the idea being that prospective home buyers might be able to avoid the misfortune of landing next door to the "neighbor from hell" by checking this site out first. I see it just as a place for people to VENT about the jerks they are stuck living next to.

My Backyard

Little_Eiffel, my U.K. sister, asked me what kind of wildlife I typically see in my backyard. The above photos were taken recently through my kitchen window. The quality isn't great because of the glass, but the creatures are beautiful and wild nonetheless.

...and Saturday nights are also sacred.......

My day is over and now I'm waiting for the night to fall (to quote Depeche Mode).... Saturday nights alone can be such a source of contemplation and creative energy for me, especially when I can light so many candles the house is in danger of burning down and I can crank Nine Inch Nails to a gazillion decibels. Super D - no offense, but these evenings are rare and wonderful for my mental health. I have two adoring pit bulls who love and protect me. I have two of the most loving kitties in the universe to keep me company and watch me type and sketch - especially that little demonic weasel..... And I have the master of all things dark and musical pouring from surround sound. Trent Reznor is most definitely one of my muses...."I am your saviour...I am corruption...I am the angel of your destruction...I am perversion...secret desire...I am your future swallowed up in fiiiiiiire!..." Charming, huh? I can go from T-Rez to Paul Potts in 30 seconds flat.....I'll have Nessun Dorma waking the Screeching NeckBeast before long so she can actually be the one calling the cops this time...hahaha

Ahhhh, life is good. My A.D.D. and mania have flared into code red stage and I'm being the naughty little artist I was born to be. Oh, and Super D....If I accidentally burn the house down, just know in your heart that the furry kids are safe, okay?

XXXOOO,
Bagheera

P.S. Trent's gesture above is pretty much the way I feel about a lot of things at this moment...

Why Saturday Mornings Are Sacred...

...because I can sit at my computer multi-tasking on things I WANT TO FREAKING DO wearing my PJ's instead of a damn suit...

Currently I am: watching PITCH BLACK for the thousandth time (I should commemorate the event)...photoshopping and writing...IM-ing with my girls...holding the demonic weasel (Vladimir) in my lap...listening to Trent Reznor serenade me with "Big Man With a Big Gun".... I'm not too hungover from yet another bout of Friday night activities with Super D, and now he's at the Fire Department so I'm ALL ALONE. Muhahahahahaha......watch out, Bagheera's on the loose!

On the Verge...

As an artist, and a manic depressive one at that, I frequently ride the stages of creative moods much the same as my emotional highs and lows. When the artistic doldrums grip me, my periods of unproductivity affect every aspect of my life. I'm sure my friends and family would rather sit through eight root canals than spend two hours with me when I'm in this state. Then there's the manic side.......

Ah, the manic side of bi-polar.... Truly a dangerous and often thrilling part of my psyche. Manic episodes make me bold, exciting and even more sarcastic and caustic than normal. I'm probably a bit annoying, too, because mania brings on extreme levels of energy, arrogance and rapid thoughts. However, mania unleashes another part of me that is vital to my well-being - vital to the essence of my soul. No, it's not nymphomania or scrapbooking... Mania unwakens the artiste that I am. I want to create more passionately than I want to breathe, whether it be painting, photography, sketching or the mighty mighty pen (or keyboard in my case). At the onset of mania, I feel that I am on the verge of something big - something that proclaims who I am in this world. For those of you who are not artists, creation is a way of giving the world a piece of your heart and soul. I am definitely on the verge......

***Above is one of my recent images of Hermes the crow.

BUTTERFLY..............

Butterfly is here......my little sister from outer space (lol)....
Things can only get more bizarre here now. Is that possible???

Bring it on, Butterfly!

Park Sex and man Caves....

Park sex sting nets 40 - Men targeted in investigations in two city parks

By Kristen Swing
Press Staff Writerkswing@johnsoncitypress.com
Click Here for a Special Photo Gallery
A two-week-long investigation by Johnson City police led to the arrest of 40 men for indecent behavior in city parks.
The undercover investigation, conducted primarily in Winged Deer and Buffalo Mountain parks, is just the beginning for authorities, who say homosexual activities there have become a “serious problem.”
“Our parks are for family use. People should not be exposed to this while they are out there with their family or trying to enjoy the walking trails,” said Johnson City Police Chief John Lowry. “They are not built nor maintained for sexual activity, be it homosexual activity or heterosexual activity.”
After receiving several complaints about illegal acts, undercover investigators spent much of September working to find problem areas within the parks and arrest those committing the crimes.
“Part of this took place off the paved trails. There’s a thing out there (at Winged Deer Park) they’ve evidently termed the ‘Man Cave,’ ” Lowry said. “It’s a good way off the paved trail. It’s underbrush that’s grown up and resembles a cave.”
According to investigators, men frequent the Man Cave at all times of day specifically to take part in sexual activities with other men.
During their investigation, undercover officers often would strike up a conversation with a man who was approaching the trail leading to the Man Cave. The conversation quickly would turn sexual and, many times, led to proposals for sex, police said.
Several men exposed their genitals to the officers, while a few even groped the investigators without being provoked.
Authorities said Monday they fear the two parks have become known, “by word of mouth,” as places for such illegal activity. Those arrested in the recent sting live in various areas of Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. They range in age from 26 to 85.
At least two of the men hold positions of trust within a community. Brent T. Leach, 52, of Johnson City, reportedly works as a teacher within the Johnson City school system while police said Robert E. Riley, 55, of Rogersville, is a pastor at a Rogersville church.
Of the arrests, 31 were made at Winged Deer Park while nine were made at Buffalo Mountain Park. Still, investigators said both facilities are equally infiltrated by the problem.
In an effort to eliminate areas of opportunity within the parks, authorities said they plan to destroy the Man Cave at Winged Deer Park, possibly with a controlled burn.
That comes as good news to Assistant City Manager Charlie Stahl, who complained about the inappropriate activity after witnessing it firsthand while on a tour of city parks in June.
Stahl reportedly walked into a bathroom at Winged Deer Park and saw two men “about to engage in sexual activity.” The men were removed from the park only moments before a child came to use the bathroom.
“I can only imagine if those two men were not removed, what that little boy would have seen,” Stahl said. “Our parks are for families. They’re not for this anti-social behavior. That is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
Some of the men charged in last month’s investigation already have gone through the court system, while others still await hearings.
According to officials, all of the cases will be “vigorously” prosecuted.
The Suspects
The following 40 individuals were charged in the Johnson City Police Department’s recent undercover investigation at Winged Deer and Buffalo Mountain parks:
• Jimmy Jackson, 55, 1415 St. Louis St.
Charged with: unlawful drug paraphernalia, indecent exposure, public intoxication, simple possession/casual exchange
• Jason Eads, 33, 5730 W. Carters Valley Road, Mount Carmel
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Billy Fulton, 29, 1000 Roaring Fork Road, Greeneville
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• James Wright, 53, 2413 Wheeler St.
Charged with: indecent exposure
• Tommy Fleenor, 42, 227 Warren Road, Piney Flats
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Dennis Camp, 54, 2441 Portland St., Kingsport
Charged with: simple assault, indecent exposure
• Louis Meatte, 56, 607 1/2 Beech St., Elizabethton
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Douglas Malone, 58, 361 Railroad St., Bluff City
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Randall Fuller, 36, P.O. Box 607, Honaker, Va.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Joe Trivette, 50, 1997 King Springs Road
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Mark Hodski, 48, 201 E. Gilmer Park
Charged with: simple assault, disorderly conduct
• Euell Little, 85, 2829 Carroll Creek Road, Gray
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Anderson Griffith, 45, 1315 Indian Ridge Road
Charged with: unlawful drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct, indecent exposure, simple possession/casual exchange
• Pascal Rose, 46, 405 Austin Springs Road, Piney Flats
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Carl Sells, 38, 1527 Edgemont Ave., Bristol
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• James Thayer, 53, 401 Redwood Road, Bristol
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Ancil Hoilman, 71, 140 A J Hoilman Road, Erwin
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Jerry McCloud, 55, 108 McCloud Lane, Newland, N.C.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Kenneth Giles, 53, 43 Claremont Circle, Bristol, Va.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Eddie Sims, 55, 184 Miller Road, Jonesborough
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Larry Fellers, 53, 687 Calico Road, Afton
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Brent Leach, 52, 712 Clamar St.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Jeremy Blevins, 29, 2317 Chinquapin Grove Road, Bluff City
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• James Cahow, 62, 1406 Skyline Drive, Building T
Charged with: disorderly conduct, simple assault
• Timothy Shepard, 41, 4001 Sanford Drive
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Joseph Cole, 41, 136 Douglas Lane, Bristol
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• George Shipley, 39, 114 Suncrest St., Gray
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Robert Vaughan, 45, 323 Warren Road, Piney Flats
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Jeffery Gilliam, 47, 2026 Buckhaven Way, Augusta, Ga.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Herbert Frederickson, 60, 205 Lisa Lane, Piney Flats
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Eugene Crain, 68, 15 Andys Lane, Bristol
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Stacey McGee, 37, 125 Honeycutt Road, PO Box, Unicoi
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Walter Wilson, 52, 281 Franklin Drive, Blountville
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Nelson Hall, 61, 304 Parker Lane, Kingsport
Charged with: simple assault, disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Robbie Miller, 43, 239 Old Stage Coach Road, Jonesborough
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Robert Riley, 55, 221 Sharp Ave., Rogersville
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Joseph Smalling, 26, 561 Weaver Branch Road, Bluff City
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure, resisting stop, arrest
• Freddie Boyd, 52, 606 Bristol Caverns Highway, Bristol
Charged with: forcible fondling — sexual battery, disorderly conduct
• Gary Bailey, 43, 204 W. Fourth Ave., Watauga
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Wyatt Benn, 39, 1107 Arney St., Elizabethton
Charged with: forcible fondling — sexual battery, disorderly conduct

Halloween Costume Ideas???

To all my lady friends - especially YOU Dragoncreeper!!!!! This is the best costume website EVER.....for us girlies. Sorry, gents. Actually...I'm not sorry for you gentlemen because once you see anything from this site, you'll thank your significant other PROFUSELY for her expenditures with TRASHY...... Check out the Baroque & Pirate costumes.......ME-OWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blackeri

The above creation, entitled "The Oracle", is by Blackeri at Deviant Art. She is an incredible digital artist from Poland whose work I truly admire. You can see more of her work here. Please take a look!

Michael Vick Takes Empathy Training at PETA

I'm going out of town this weekend and Michael Vick is pet-sitting for me! Glad he has found his new career niche.... Actually, that wouldn't happen in a bloody gazillion years unless I had it in writing that Mikey had been lobotomized. And even then, would a lobotomized person REALLY be a good pet-sitter? I mean....would said person remember to scoop the kitty litter and give daily insulin injections????
Anyway....enough of my A.D.D. rambling. According to PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, Michael Vick has taken an eight hour animal empathy course and even received a certificate of completion! Wow! That's the equivalent of my required annual "Civil Treatment for Employees" exam at my office. I usually fast-forward through most of the courses, take the assinine quizzes that an absolute moronic robot could pass, print my certificate, and TADA!!!!! I'm good to go for another year! Of course, I have never wet down and electrocuted another living creature, so I'm not really considered a threat to society. I guess eight hours of PETA compassion training has given Vick a gold star in the human race.
I sincerely hope he is fo' real and not desperately trying to clean up his image so that he MIGHT play football again. Maybe Mikey will be allowed to participate in one of those prison programs that allow inmates to groom poodles and train homeless puppies so that they have a better chance at adoption. You need all the rehabilitation you can possibly get, Mikey! A PETA piece of paper is nothing compared to what you need to realize the horror you put all those poor dogs through!

My canine kids...

Now that I have a new camera, I have been taking many photos of various subjects, including my furry children. Above are Akira and Achilles, my two WONDERFUL pit bulls that were adopted from our local Humane Society. Akira is our brindle and white girl, and Achilles is our mostly solid white block-head boy.
I will post a photo of Mr. Musashi, our solid black kitty rescued from a housefire as a baby, when he is completely over the cold he caught from Vladimir (most shelter animals come home with a cold or respiratory infection)....Poor Mush has a goopy eye and runny nose right now.
I just wanted to make the connection between names and faces...