Who’s that you ask?
Check this out:
In the end, Travis and his dog Presley won the top prize. Laurie and Andrew finished 2nd (not bad for an underdog).
A forthnightly rant, FL-S style.
Let’s say local Republicans stage an event and the featured guests are Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, AG Bob McDonnell, Congressman Rob Wittman, and Speaker of the House Wild Bill Howell. Then let’s say a local committee chair calls the FL-S and its political reporter Emily Battle to see if they would be able to cover it.
Unless a bunch of frisky UMW co-eds had already contacted your hometown paper about a nude campus sit-in, to be held at the same date and time, it would be a metaphysical certitude that Emily Battle or another reporter accompanied by a photographer would be present.
Seems reasonable, right?
But join me as we enter the parallel universe. Now, let’s say local Democrats stage an event and the featured guests are Congressman Bobby Scott, Virginia Sen. Creigh Deeds, Democratic House Caucus Chair Del. Brian Moran, AG candidate Steve Shannon, and Virginia Sen. Edd Houck. Then let’s say a local committee chair calls the FL-S and its political reporter Emily Battle to see if they would be able to cover it.
Would Ms. Battle’s response assure FL-S coverage?
The answer to that question is: FAT CHANCE. The Committee Chair was told something akin to: nah, I don’t think so…
Here is what happened : The Fredericksburg Democratic Committee chair, Amy LaMarca, called the FL-S to announce that three candidates for state-wide office in 2009 - two gubernatorial candidates and one attorney general candidate - would be in the ‘Burg to attend the Committee’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. LaMarca assumed - given the Fredericksburg region’s growth and shifting political climate - that the paper would accept.
But alas, your hometown paper, this paragon of Fourth Estate excellence, passed on the opportunity.
“Nah sorry…weeeeeeeee, uh, we got a thing with the guy from the place, uhhhhhhhhh!” (Click.)
Like the sun rising in the East, I count on such contempt eminating from Amelia Street’s Combination Editorial Fun Factory and Bluster Machine. Yet, I am saddened to say the news department is still filtering viable stories through Editorial’s Red State Filter.
Local GOP? Goooooooood. Local Dems. Bad. Bad. Evil. Very bad.
Disappointing but not at all surprising. During my two-year stint as chair of the Stafford Democratic Committee, stories about the Committee appeared maybe once or twice. The only news story that appeared quoting me as chair had my name spelled wrong. To the Committee the absence of news coverage was just part of the caculus, something to be worked-around.
I can assure you the current Stafford chair’s GOP counter-part doesn’t experience such a paucity of news coverage.
F2B has been reporting on the FL-S’s utter contempt for balanced news reporting, hard work, and accuracy since our first post in November, 2007. They still must think that convicted spy Jonathan Pollard ran for State Senate, last year.
There’s nothing resembling balance in the offices at 616 Amelia Street. But, rest assured news junkies, you can count on the FL-S for saturation coverage of George W. Bush’s final visit to that suburban comedy club and tranny bar, before he leaves office…
On Monday Sept. 8 veterans, current members of the military and their families will be converging at the Porter Memorial Library, 2001 Parkway Blvd, Stafford VA 22554 to attend a national security round table discussion with two high ranking former members of the military: Command Sergeant Major Michelle Jones (pictured) who, prior to retirement, was the highest ranking enlisted woman in the Army and Rear Admiral James Arden Barnett, Jr (Ret.).
Doors open at 2.30pm and the event will be over by 4pm. It should be a highly engaging and informative discussion and one not to be missed.If you are interested please RSVP to David James on 571-839-0709.
The link to this event is http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gs7p8q
Fred2Blue is thrilled to have Stafford County’s own Laurie Williams - an acclaimed canine behavior expert, owner of Pup’n'Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center and co-finalist (with her Maltese Andrew) of CBS TV’s The Greatest American Dog - join us today to help answer a very pressing question of national importance: What kind of dog should the Obamas add to their family?
Dan: We’ve heard that once the election is over, Michelle and Barack Obama might be bringing a dog into the home. What is more, we’ve heard that - because their kids have pet-dander allergies - the Obamas might be thinking about getting a Poodle. In your esteemed opinion, what are the upsides and downsides to this breed?
Laurie: Poodles are indeed a very trainable breed! In Stanley Coren’s book, The Intelligence of Dogs, Poodles are ranked #2 (out of 110 breeds) in intelligence according to data gathered from over 200 dog-obedience judges. They were second to none other than Border Collies. Not too shabby!
I consider the Poodle a breed that can be trained to do almost anything from basic obedience to agility, tracking and even water retrieving. A lot of people don’t realize that Poodles were originally bred to be hunting dogs. And one of the best things about Poodles is they come in 3 different sizes (toy, miniature and standard) to fit a family’s specific needs.
However, one thing to consider is that Poodles do require regular grooming to maintain their curly coat and prevent it from growing too long.
Since the Obama family is young and certainly on the go, out of the three sizes I would recommend a Standard Poodle, the largest out of the three.
Dan: Are there other non-shedding breeds they should consider?
Laurie: There are actually quite a few breeds that are considered “hypoallergenic.” Among them is the Maltese, and of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention them! In addition to Andrew, I have two other Maltese and find them to make wonderful family pets. And as Andrew demonstrates they are very trainable, obedient and loyal. Maltese have hair, like humans, rather than fur, so people with allergies do very well with them. They are a toy breed and normally range in size from 4 to 8lbs. Maltese also require regular grooming to maintain their long, luxurious coat. Many opt to get them cut short in a “puppy cut.” Greatest American Dog Judge Wendy Diamond’s dog Lucky is shown in this shorter clip. At first glance you’d never even know that Lucky and Andrew are the same breed!
Dan: What advice would you give them regarding timing? Bringing a doggie into the family, especially if Sen. Obama becomes President and the family moves into The White House, would be a big challenge. Should they wait and if so how long?
Laurie: I would definitely advise the Obamas to wait until they are settled into their new digs before adding a dog to the family. But this will give them adequate time to research the various different hypoallergenic breeds and determine which might best fit in their family. It will also give them an opportunity to visit various breeders should they decide to start out with a puppy. But I do hope they will also consider a shelter dog or rescue. People would be surprised how many purebred dogs are given up each year. Most national breed clubs have rescue divisions all over the country, and many rescues are listed on petfinder.com. How symbolic would it be for the President of Hope who will lead this country into a brand new day to also give hope and a second chance to a rescue or shelter dog by giving him a forever home?
Dan: Thanks, Laurie!
Aside from Andrew, Laurie’s family includes Moet, a Standard Poodle.
By the way, the finale of CBS’s The Greatest American Dog airs next Wednesday Sept. 10 on CBS Television (in the D.C. area on WUSA TV Channel 9 and in Richmond on WTVR Channel 6).
Go Laurie and Andrew!
Laurie Williams, and her dog Andrew, have made it all the way to the top 3 on CBS’ Greatest American Dog show. Next Wednesday at 8pm, on the show’s finale, we’ll find out if Stafford, VA is home to the best dog in America. Stay tuned…
Laurie & Andrew
You’ve seen them and their dogs performing on the CBS summer reality show Greatest American Dog. Now fans can meet them in person on Sunday, August 24, 2008, from 2:00-4:00pm. That’s right, the three bitches of the Canine Academy and their talented, adorable dogs will be appearing at a charity event to be held at Pup ‘N Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center in Fredericksburg, VA.
The contestants will be on hand to sign “pawtographs,” take photos with you and your dogs, meet the public and perform tricks and stunts with their dogs at this charity event. All proceeds to benefit the Friends Fur Life Pet Sanctuary organization.
Greatest American Dog which airs on Wednesday nights at 8:00pm on CBS, premiered on July 10 and centers around 12 dog/owner teams vying to win a $250,000 cash prize and the title of Greatest American Dog! The series features the owners and dogs sharing a house and participating in weekly challenges that showcase the dogs’ talent and the owners’ relationships with their dogs. Each week a team is eliminated until one team is left standing. Needless to say, the fur has definitely been flying and these three contestants in particular have been seen causing quite a stir.
Laurie and Andrew, Teresa and Leroy, and Laura and Preston will mingle with the fans, answer questions and even dish about the other contestants too, all in the name of charity. A small (or large) tax-deductible donation to help Friends Fur Life Pet Sanctuary finance and build their no-kill shelter is requested from all participants.
For information: http://www.pupniron.com
http://friendsfurlifeps.com/index.php
Contact: onesmartpooch@aol.com
Phone: 540-659-7614
The father of Not Larry Sabato was attacked by a dog in Fredericksburg yesterday. Fortunately, it looks like he’s gonna be alright after he spends a few days in the hospital.
Ben twittered that “the owner of the dog saw it attack- and just said sorry and left him there bleeding.”
Amazing. We need more dog owners like Laurie Williams, and less criminally negligent homicidal maniacs like this jerk.
DANCE your way to helping the Spotsylvania County GOP!Expert dance instructors Steve and Katherine Thomas are offering lessons in Salsa, Mambo, Waltz, Tango and other styles in three 2-hour sessions.
Enjoy one class or take all three at a savings!
Classes are Aug 6, 13, 20, 2008 at Colonial Circuits (on Route 17N in South Stafford across from Celebrate Virginia and Geico.)
100% of all proceeds will benefit the Spotsylvania Republican Committee!
Bring a check or pre-pay with credit card or check online at http://www.spotsygop.com/ by donating using our secure PayPal link.
Black Velvet Bruce Li brings our attention to another victim of our porous border, and then makes a very interesting point:
As of July 1st, a new law requires that all jails in Virginia start checking the immigration status of all persons they detain. How many localities are actually complying with this law isn’t known, but no locality in Virginia seems to be talking about how they intend to comply with this law, much less announcing that they are.
That got me wondering: Is the Rappahannock Regional Jail doing this? Do we know if this applies to whatever holding cells local counties have? If so, are local sheriff’s offices actually doing this?
If you have any answers, dear readers, please put them in the comments. Thanks.
Cross-posted to the right-wing liberal
