Chet The Dog

Archive for July, 2011

Ticking Clock

“Got the random number generator heating up?” says Spence.

“Can’t you hear it?” says Admin. “Today’s the last day to get eligible for August’s Friend of the Month drawing.”

“How come it’s so noisy?”

“Hole in the catalytic converter.”

“The random number generator has a catalytic converter?”

“New EPA regulations,” says Admin. “Soon they’ll be cap-and-trading our lungs.”

Spence gives Admin a look. “Maybe you should go for a quick swim.”

“Grump.”

Welcome Simba, Bella, Pickles, Reading dude, Zeena.

Sunday reading recommendation: Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder.

And an interesting (to us, anyway) piece in Salon.

http://www.salon.com/books/writing/?story=/books/feature/2011/07/30/the_thrill_of_maturity

Good Idea?

“Looks like some Korean scientists have used cloning techniques to make a beagle – name of Tegon – that glows under ultraviolet light when a certain drug is added to her food,” Spence says. “The lead researcher – Byeong-Chun Lee – says this can be a step toward finding cures for some human diseases, dogs and humans having 268 diseases in common. He also seems to say that genes that trigger fatal human diseases can be introduced with or substituted for the substance that causes the glow. What do we think of this?”

“I’m fine with it,” says Admin. “As long as Tegon gave informed consent.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/0729/Glowing-dog-created-by-Korean-scientists

Welcome Flower enthusiast, Shadow, Frank & Lucy, Biscuit & Caddie, Teaka, Sumo.

Americans! Step Up!

“Almost the end of the month,” says Spence.

“Still time to be eligible for August’s Friend of the Month contest,” says Admin. “All you have to do is enter a photo in the Friends of Chet section. Winner gets to have the photo displayed for the month in the special Friend of the Month box, and the winner’s human companion receives a copy of the most recent Chet and Bernie book – in this case, To Fetch A Thief – signed by you.”

“Right,” says Spence. “But is there maybe just a little too much emphasis on winning?”

“Huh?” says Admin. “Winning is as American as apple pie.”

Spence thinks about that. “So,” he says, “if you won an apple pie contest, you’d be … ?”

“The uber American,” says Admin. “More American than … than Bobby Orr!”

“Isn’t he Canadian?”

Admin’s face – not the most pleasant to begin with – gets even more that way. Then all of a sudden he’s laughing. And so’s Spence. Laughing and laughing. These guys! Not so easy to understand.

Welcome Abigail and Zen. Owen and Patch – please retry.

And congratulations to Rosie on her new staff job at the Village Voice. Look for the Rosie Gray byline.

Oh yeah – don’t forget the Simon and Schuster sweepstakes.

Grab Bag

“P.G. Wodehouse came up yesterday?” Spence says. “In the down under part?”

“Yup,” says Admin.

“What’s your favorite?”

“Uncle Fred in the Springtime.”

“Is that the one where Gussie Fink-Nottle gives the speech at the grammar school?”

“Nope, that’s in Right Ho, Jeeves. Also great.”

“The SteelDrivers also came up yesterday,” Spence says.

“Not the same since the lead singer left,” says Admin. “Just my opinion.”

“And finally it looks like To Fetch A Thief is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner.”

“So – a shout-out to Jim Frangione, who does the narration so well.”

Welcome Maroney, Dewey and Boomer.