Chet The Dog

Archive for January, 2012

Uggie Hangs ‘Em Up

“Uggie’s retiring,” Spence says.

“Who’s Uggie?” says Admin.

“We’ve been through this – the Jack Russell star of The Artist and some other movies.”

“So he’s going out on top, huh?” says Admin. “Unlike so many other movie stars I could name.”

“Go on. Name some.”

“That would be malicious gossip.”

“So therefore?”

Admin is silent. No surprise there – Bernie handles the so therefores.

Welcome Sadie.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/26/idUS94563110920120126

Thereby Hangs A Tail Review – From Suspense Magazine

It’s a dog’s life in the desert with plenty of treats to eat, javelinas to chase, fellow pooches to befriend…and don’t forget murder. View the world through a dog’s eyes and watch him get excited about taking on a new case with the smartest human in the room. Spencer Quinn comes out with another winner with the second in the Chet and Bernie series.

Chet and his owner Bernie Little are hired to protect Adelina Borghese’s prizewinning pooch, Princess. After Chet steals Princess’ treat, they are summarily fired. However, soon after both Princess and her owner disappear. Then Bernie’s on-again off-again girlfriend, Suzie Sanchez, a reporter, also disappears after a desperate phone call. The trail leads to an old ghost town where Bernie is arrested and Chet is knocked out.

Chet gets separated from Bernie and begins his own adventure. Discovering first Adelina’s dead body, then finding Princess, he subsequently runs into two hippies who sell him to man bound to take Chet to Alaska. Who killed Adelina? Where is Suzie?

Where did Princess disappear to for the second time? How does a strange-
acting sheriff and his deputy in the next county tie into the case? Chet and Bernie track down the clues.

As with the first book in the series, the POV is first person, or rather, uh, dog. Quinn does an excellent job of unfolding the case while showing both Chet’s intelligence and his lack of knowledge in certain areas such as human language, memory on certain cases, and his inability to realize when he’s done something because it’s instinctual. Apparently, even though this is only the second book in the series, Chet and Bernie are veterans of investigative work with Chet remembering a lot of previous adventures. I
love the humor and Chet’s quirks. I so wanted to read the first book and when I had the chance to buy the second I took it. I will definitely be buying the third and fourth books in this series and hope there will be plenty more.

Reviewed by Stephen L. Brayton author of “Beta” for Suspense Magazine

English Setters: Extinction?

“Here’s something from  the BBC – ” Spence begins.

“The Beeb!” says Admin.

“I’m sorry?”

“That’s what the Brits call it – the Beeb.”

“And do Canadians call the CBC the Ceeb?”

“I don’t know,” Admin says. “Canadians maybe once were sort of Britty but I don’t think they are now.”

“Back to the article. It seems that the English setter and some other native UK breeds are threatened with extinction, surpassed in popularity by other breeds.” He glances at Admin. “Especially breeds favored by celebrities.”

Admin – what’s the human expression? takes the bait? “Celebrities? Just because some vacant botox-face sports something means other people are suddenly panting for  it? I’d want the very opposite!”

Spence thinks that over. “What’s the opposite of Prada?”

“What the hell is Prada?”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16665702

Welcome Tom the church cat.

Hermeneutics of the Red Zone Blitz

“Did you see this quote from Jerod Mayo?” Spence says.

“Better tell the people who he is,” Admin says.

“Jerod Mayo is a linebacker for the New England Patriots,” Spence says. “He’s the defensive captain, the one with the green sticker on the helmet, meaning he hears transmitted instructions from the sidelines. Anyway, here’s what he says about playing in big games, like the one on Sunday: ‘Child-like joy. It’s all about child-like joy. Last night felt like the day before Christmas for me and I haven’t had that feeling in a long time.’

“So you’re going to tell me that it’s the childhood aspect to sports that draws the fans?” Admin says.

“Something like that,” Spence says. “And that’s why so many people envy the players and would like to be them. At some level the players never had to grow up, never had to lose something child-like in them in order to succeed – or simply survive – in life.”

“Uh-huh,” says Admin. “So enough with the deep thoughts. Who you got in the Super Bowl?”

Welcome Remington, hashtag dude (possibly Winston), Marlow & Miley.