What do you think about during your annual pelvic exam?

For a while now, I've been contributing to Heartless Doll, the Village Voice's ladyculture blog. While it's edgy and covers important lady issues, it also provides its fair share of fun. I've been doing Top 10 lists and reality TV recaps for the most part, and I love it. I encourage you to visit the site. We dolls are currently trying to prove our mettle so we can continue to keep the blog up and running.

I'll add that I especially had fun with this 10 list of Things Thought and Talked About During a Pelvic Exam. I hope you enjoy.

In other news, Kenneth the kitten has been neutered but maintains his youthful craziness, so Otto, Jake and I wait patiently for him to calm the eff down.

What's Up Ninjas?

So here's a run down of what's been going on since we've not been paying much attention over here on Alex.

- Jen got a house and graduated from college. Big ups. Huge ups. Especially for the 3.9 GPA. How about a little applause? Yeah, that's right!

- Been working pretty hard and yet hardly working. Dad joke. In honor of John H. Martin's birthday this week, I had to.

- Jake and I got a dog. The handsome Henry. He and Otto are not getting along, but these things take time. He is a rather high energy doggie however, so last night he received his dinner in a snack ball. Roll for kibble, Henry! Otto observed from his roost on top of the refrigerator.

- We have some new blogs to share with you:
Geoff Johnston's The Hanging Brain. This is where Johnston does and says all the stuff you never expect anyone--with the exception of Geoff Johnston--to do or say.
Noah W. Bailey's Tha Juggalizer. After a recent video viewing of Insane Clown Posse fans (aka Juggalos) at the 10th anniversary "Gathering" celebrating all things ICP, Noah has now taken it upon himself to turn unwilling celebrity 8x10s into effing Ninjas up in this piece, yo. It's amazing how horrific "clown" make-up can make Angela Landsbury.

-You can also follow us on Twitter at @nerver or @squee_23 and if you play XBox, you can ask us for our gamer tags. We slay at Peggle!

What's new with you?

UPDATE: Henry was a sweet doggie but we discovered he had a taste for cat tail that couldn't be satisfied even after he unfortunately got a couple of bites of Otto's.
Otto is just fine now. His tail is no worse for the wear and he's calmed down a lot. The animal behaviorist we worked with agreed they could not live together and to return him was the best action, given Otto's traumatic past abuse and having no idea of Henry's early life. We were very emotional about the decision, but it turns out it was for the best because Henry has apparently found an awesome, loving no-kitty home!! I hope he got to take his loofah dog toy with him.

Who Doesn't Love Kittens?

Thanks to Matty for the tweet on this here gem.

Finn 1998-2008

Thanks for all of the well wishes from everyone this past month or so concerning the healthy and recovery of my best friend covered in hair, Finn.

Unfortunately, Monday's surgery found him with a liver riddled with cancer. The vet said he had perhaps a month left with us and because of the surgery two weeks of that time would be spent in a crate healing. We were floored and defeated. Then I received a call to come quickly to the surgery center as he might not make it for another hour. Something happened after the surgery and while he'd been an excellent candidate for it, he'd gone into severe shock and hemorrhage.

God, Buddha, the universe, whatever, heard me and the little guy waited for me to get there. He responded slightly to my touches and thankfully never felt a thing as he was still under some influence from the anesthesia. I (along with Jen and my mom) stayed with him for maybe five minutes until he left. I've never been more grateful to be there for such a sad event.

That kitty was my companion for 10 years. Through hard break-ups, moves, deaths of relatives and friends, and more important, some of the happiest times ever. Unconditional and unassuming. We shared an amazing bond, communication (he came when he was called and would answer specific questions--really very smart) and he comforted me on a daily basis.

I know many folks will say that I'm silly to feel such loss and emotion after this, but I'm not going to discredit those feelings as, like my good friend Matt said, they signify a great unconditional love that some people just aren't capable of, a charity to the innocent and the ability to truly feel something for another (human or not).

Thank you to everyone who has sent messages, cards, flowers, a balloon and in general their love. I love you for it and it really helps. Otto and I are doing better everyday, trying to get used to one less in the house. It's hard to not have Finn wake me everyday like clockwork (just so he could make me stay in bed to cuddle), so if I rise a bit later for a few days, forgive me.

Thanks again.

In the Air Tonight

I don't know how long it's been around or how many people saw this before me, but I am currently obsessed with what I consider one of the best in random commercials.

If you can top that please advise.

Happy Birthday, Finn!

Today we celebrate the 9th year of my beloved kitty, Thomas-Jay Finn Martin. Also known as Steeky, Monkeyfoot, Chi-Chi, Finnjamin and various other nicknames, Finn came to be mine on September 12, 1998. He is a beeb.
Thanks to Jake for the photos!

Puggaballoo - Video of the Day

If you know my pug Rashomon, you know that when he gets excited sometimes he chirps sorta like a parrot. He also has a vendetta against the trash truck and the postman but he has never once done this:

Far Too Serious

Ladies and gents, welcome Rozie over at Far Too Serious to the fold. In honor (and because it's totally made my day repeatedly...like 80 times repeatedly), I present you with this, which she presented previously.

Mmm, Bamboo!

I realize this has been around for quite sometime, however thanks to my awesome Sloth Cam widget on my Mac dashboard, I have fallen in love again with...the...PANDA CAM!


Yesterday Mei Sheng was totally gorging on bamboo before hightailing it up into the tree for an adorably cute nap, during which she balanced herself on a branch by hanging her back off one side and her ample belly off the other. I was practically shrieking.

Last I checked, Bai Yun (pictured) was snoozin' on a rock. Classic Bai Yun. Check it out.

I. Can't. Stop.

Lesson: Don't Mess With a Cape Buffalo's Calf

This is so amazing (cape buffalo, lions and crocodiles):

A Brawl In The Safari - Watch more free videos

And if you're concerned about whether or not the calf makes it, just remember who posted it and relax.

Update in Angel Case

The reward for information concerning the Belmont/McMillan animal abuse case has now increased to $6,000 thanks to contributions from neighborhood citizens and businesses.

Avi over at BarkingDogs.org has also posted the story and forwarded it to more than 1,000 people on his mailing list. Nice work, Dog.

East Dallas Animal Cruelty

This is despicable, as is any abuse to an animal. Let's hope this little one finds a loving home...and those that try to adopt her but are beaten to punch find other adoptable animals to love.

Below is a release from Operation Kindness. A giant cyber-hug to the awesome Garland couple and pets and lovies to Angel.

$2,500 REWARD OFFERED BY OPERATION KINDNESS IN ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE
Found Dog Had Evidence of Wire Wrapped Around Its Muzzle for 6 Weeks

A $2,500 reward is being offered by Operation Kindness in the apparent animal cruelty case involving a small dog that appears to have had wire wrapped around its muzzle for more than a month.
The 9-pound dog, which has been named Angel, was found Friday, March 23, in the intersection of Belmont and McMillan in East Dallas. She was wearing a plastic “E-collar,” which is normally put on an animal’s head to keep it from pawing an incision or wound.
The dog was rescued by Diane and David Leslie of Garland, who saw her attempting to cross the street. They took her to Operation Kindness, where the deep wounds around her muzzle were noticed.
Operation Kindness immediately took the 3-year-old spaniel-terrier mix to a veterinarian for treatment. According to Dr. Paul Keating of Trinity Pet Hospital in Carrollton, it appeared that wire had been wrapped around the dog’s muzzle for about 6 weeks and had been removed 3 weeks before she was found and taken to Operation Kindness.
“The wounds left by the wire completely encircled Angel’s muzzle and were so deep that her teeth were exposed on the side,” said Jonnie England, executive director of Operation Kindness. “The wire must have allowed her to eat, but each time she moved her jaw, it cut even deeper into her skin.”
Dr. Keating did reconstructive mouth surgery on March 29. “Angel has had some minor complications following the surgery, but is now recovering at Operation Kindness,” said England.
The $2,500 reward being offered by Operation Kindness is for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for wrapping the wire around the dog’s muzzle. The case has been reported to Dallas Animal Services and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, and is being investigated as animal cruelty.

Anyone with information should contact Dallas Animal Services at 214-671-0105 or Operation Kindness at 972-418-PAWS (7297), ext. 226.

This is in our 'hood and I hate it.

Oh, and since it's tax season, I'll just add that donations to Operation Kindness are tax-deductible. Woo hoo!

Now, That's Some Grief.

I have never heard of this before. Um, wow.

(Thanks, Sophie, for the link!)

Seriously! OMG.

So last night I attended my very first Mavs game!! After watching my boys, er, I mean, Your Dallas Mavericks for four years now (I was tricked into loving basketball once upon a time), I finally got to see Dirk, J Terry, Devin and Josh (and Barea, who Jake swears is not 6 feet tall). Some slam dunks, some super fast Harris spins, Diop lovingly missing free throws and other greatness. We even got little theater cards of Avery (aka "the General") and mine hangs proudly on my cube wall. Our neighbors were an elderly trash-talking couple (love them). And a row of teens behind us that sang along with me to "SexyBack" and made the funniest comments ever trying to persuade Champ to toss t-shirts our way. I do hope Dirk and J-Ho feel better today...and certainly tomorrow for the Knicks game. 105 to 103. Kick it! I have a post-Mavs glow. ...Oh, and it's nothing new, but I gotta say officially that DartRail to Victory Station so rules.

And in other news, this might be the cutest thing I've ever seen:

Forgive Us!

We've had yet another 30th birthday to celebrate (yay, Jen!!) and laryngitis (or whatever decided to nab my vocal abilities and energy). We'll be back in full effect soon. Promise.

For now, and just in case you haven't seen it, here's the list of recalled dog foods (canned). Eek! We love our fur babies and bubbies and know some of you do too.

Donate, Browse, Buy, Whatever...Just Help Lucy

And kudos to Boca Tinta's Amanda Newman for donating 10% of the door from this Thursday's show at Dada to Lucy's sugery fund. Read more about that (and the details of the sale since the flyer is so dang small) here.