Put a Bird on It!

We're bird crazy around here!   They start singing early in the morn.   

"Put a Bird on It" comes from a sketch that aired on the IFC show Portlandia, co-starring, co-created, and co-written by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. 

In the bit, the duo is seen entering a home decor store "where nothing has birds on it," and applying bird decals, stenciling birds, and embroidering birds onto lamps, cards, tote bags, tea pots, and other accessories. All the while, "Bryce Shivers" and "Lisa Eversman" make comments like, "What a sad little tote bag. I know! I'll put a bird on it!" The two are super-stoked on birds-- until a real bird appears and they become grossed-out.

Even Lowes is doing it, we picked up our bird pillow there for $11!

Like other sketches on the show, it appears to be a riff on hipster culture; this time, a play on the multiple bird-plastered fashion, accessory,and home items available in popular stores, Etsy artists hawking bird-adorned wares, and a general propensity for designers and artists of all types to add an avian influence to their creations.

Since the sketch's debut in early 2011, fans of fashion, art, and home design have begun using the "Put a Bird on It" phrase to apply to any design trend that has become so popular it's reached it's peak, and is bordering on over-saturation. In other words, if "Put a Bird on It" were in the Urban Dictionary, it would say that when someone proclaims something has become "Put a Bird on It", they mean something has reached the point that it's become "played out".

Of course, "Put a Bird on It" still means just that to many fans of the show. People are still "Putting a Bird on It" because it's become something of a meme, just because they like birds, or simply as a tribute to the hilariousness that is Portlandia.

So what does "Put a Bird on It" mean to you?

The Katy Trail - Dallas

We love the Katy Trail in Dallas.  It runs 3.5 miles just minutes from our front door from the American Airlines arena past West Village through Knox-Henderson and into Highland Park.  We usually walk the entire route up and back every day while we're in Dallas.

Dogs According to The New York Times

We thought you might enjoy this excerpt on dogs from The New York Times.


It is by now generally accepted that the dog is a wolf modified through 15,000 or more years of sometimes intensive breeding to live in human society. In Darwin's terms, the dog is a product of artificial selection, or "selection under domestication," while the wild wolf is subject to the laws of natural selection. Much about the origin and early development of the dog — the first domesticated animal — remains a mystery, with scientists still puzzling over how, when, where and why wolves and people first got together. Was it the dog's prowess in the hunt, its alertness as a camp guard, its companionship or a combination of those and other qualities that made it so valuable? Did the dog have religious significance as a guardian and guide for the dead? Did wolf become dog in the Middle East, East China, Europe or all of them? Was it 15,000 or 40,000 or 135,000 years ago that the transformation occurred?

My dad with schnauzer pups he helped whelp as a kid.
He is now devoted to Tibetan Terriers.

In recent years, scientists around the world have engaged in spirited debate over these questions, their research aided by sequencing of the dog genome in 2005. That has allowed researchers to examine the evolutionary history of the dog and probe the genetic relationships within and between breeds of dogs. Researchers are also able to use purebred dogs with their array of inherited diseases and extensive pedigrees to search for the genetic roots of diseases common to dogs and humans.

Relying on the most comprehensive and largest survey to date of dogs and wolves, the most recent study by an international group of scientists places the origins of the dog in the Middle East, where cats and livestock were later domesticated and where agriculture began. Led by Bridgett M. vonHoldt and Robert K. Wayne of the University of California, Los Angeles, the international team analyzed 48,000 glitches or single letter changes in long stretches of DNA, called single-nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs, and pronounced "sn`populations. They looked for matches in those haplotypes, as they are known, indicating genetic relationships.

The survey showed that dogs were closest genetically to Middle Eastern wolves, but that for a short period of time after domestication, dogs apparently were bred to wolves from other areas, perhaps as they migrated with people into previously unoccupied lands where there were no dogs. Without fixing a date for the transformation of wolf to dog, the researchers observed that their findings were consistent with an archaeological record that locates early dogs in Goyet Cave in Belgium, 31,7000 years ago; western Russia, 15,000 years ago; Germany,14,000 years ago; and the Middle East,12,000 years ago.

The researchers also identified genetic sequences shared by dogs within specific breeds that could be used to examine their development through the formation of modern breeds beginning in the late 18th century. To their surprise, breeds with similar phenotypes and functions grouped together, indicating a shared genetic heritage for herding dogs, mastiff-like dogs, sight hounds, scent hounds, small terriers, spaniels, toy dogs, retrievers, working dogs and a group containing ancient and spitz-like dogs.

The survey by Dr. Wayne, Dr. vonHoldt and their collaborators was published just months after a 2009 study suggesting that dog domestication occurred in Eastern China, south of the Yangtze River, less than 16,000 years ago. These dogs were probably initially raised as food, reported Peter Savolainen of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He argued that the dog resulted from a single domestication event and then quickly spread with people around the world. Dr. Savolainen and his team studied mitochondrial DNA, inherited only from the mother, while Dr. Wayne's team surveyed the entire genome, a more comprehensive approach because it includes contributions from both parents.

More on dogs from The New York Times soon.

Dogs Have Talent

I just love this.  Dad and I are practicing our routine.

On The Road to His Grand Championship

Although beautiful Sherpa hadn't been in the ring in a year, he recently returned and after only a few shows is well on his way to his grand championship.   He already has earned two 5-point majors (you need three majors and a total of 25 points to earn a grand championship) and this weekend in West Springfield he took Best of Breed on one day and Best of Opposite Sex on another.  Way to go Sherpa!!

Paying the Price of a Fat Pet

In the year before she died, Lacey, a white German shepherd, was crippled by a weight problem and hip dysplasia, barely able to walk. Her owner, Myrle Horn, had paid little attention to her diet, feeding Lacey plenty of food because “she always wanted more.” It was only toward the end, when Lacey’s extra weight seemed to worsen her hip condition, that Ms. Horn began to cut back on her food.

“It was a horrible tragedy,” said Ms. Horn, 79, a food writer who lives in Florida. “I had to have a vet come to the house to put Lacey down because I couldn’t get her up and I couldn’t get her out.” Convinced that Lacey’s weight worsened her quality of life, Ms. Horn became more diet-conscious with her next white shepherd, Gypsy, and now is vigilant about keeping the dog’s weight at a lean 60 pounds. Ms. Horn monitors her calorie intake, feeding her things like fish oil, spinach, zucchini and turkey breast. “The last year of Lacey’s life was horrible,” she says, “and I swore to Gypsy that I would never let her end up like that.”

As the number of Americans who are overweight has grown, studies show that they have gained some four-legged company. About half of all dogs and cats in American homes are overweight or obese, up slightly from 2010, according to a recent study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. In a nation of 170 million pets, many of them as beloved as children, that means that roughly 85 million are carrying too much weight. And many pet owners are finding that the extra pounds on a pudgy cat or dog can lead to severe – and costly – health problems.

“Seeing animals suffering from health conditions secondary to their obesity is a common situation,” said Dr. Louise Murray, vice president of the Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, run by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in New York. Just as diabetes and heart disease are more common in people who are obese, these diseases also are more common in overweight animals. The average cost of veterinary care for a diabetic dog or cat in 2011 was more than $900, according to Petplan USA, a pet insurance company.

Treatment for arthritis and cruciate ligament tears, which can be caused by the strain of an overweight frame that weakens joints, especially in dogs, cost pet owners an average of $2,000. In 2011 alone, pet insurance claims for diabetes increased by 253 percent, according to Petplan. Claims for heart disease rose by 32 percent, while claims for arthritis soared by 348 percent. Some of the most popular breeds – golden retrievers, German shepherds, Yorkshire terriers – are susceptible to orthopedic problems for genetic reasons, but these problems occur earlier and more severely with pets that are overweight, said Dr. Jules Benson, vice president of veterinary services at Petplan.

Dr. Benson said it is not uncommon to see dogs that are rendered practically immobile by a combination of weight and joint or bone issues. “The most heartbreaking thing is having to put a pet to sleep just because it can’t mechanically get around anymore,” he said. “They’re otherwise alert and healthy, but their quality of life becomes so low that you have no choice but to put them to sleep.” Many people find their chubby cats and dogs amusing.

But where pet owners see humor in a hefty ball of fur, veterinarians like Dr. Murray of the A.S.P.C.A. see problems that can cause suffering and a shortened life span. “People may have a sense that their pet is overweight but won’t always realize the consequences,” she said. “An owner might say about their cat, ‘I don’t understand why Fluffy’s coat looks so terrible, why she has these mats over her back and has this smell,’ and I have to point out to them that she’s too overweight to groom herself.”

The problem in pets mirrors that in overweight humans, often stemming from lack of exercise and too many snacks and calorie-dense foods – or, in this case, treats and table scraps – between meals. For veterinarians, broaching the subject of an overweight cat or dog with owners can be a delicate task. Some respond defensively or see it as a reflection of their lack of exercise and struggles with the scale. Bringing it up with an owner requires just as much finesse as pointing out someone’s own weight gain.

“It can be a sensitive issue,” Dr. Murray said. “People feel defensive, as though they’ve done something wrong – that their pet is suffering discomfort because of something they did. It’s not something where you can just leap in and be blunt. You have to be very delicate.” But getting a portly pet back into shape can carry risks of its own. Hammering the pavement with an overweight lab or boxer that also happens to be arthritic can worsen the condition and cause cruciate ligament tears, akin to an A.C.L. injury in humans, which can happen all too easily in dogs, said Dr. Carol McConnell, chief veterinary medical officer for VPI Pet Insurance.

Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian before putting a pet on a diet. Putting a cat on a strict diet without medical supervision is risky, because cats’ metabolism cannot handle calorie restriction. Unlike dogs, which evolved to hunt as packs and can go days without eating, “cats are usually single predators,” Dr. McConnell said. “They nibble, they eat whatever they can find. They don’t do too well with starvation.” In cats, severe calorie restriction can signal the body to send stores of fat to the liver, where they can be converted to glucose. But over time, the liver is deluged with fat deposits, crowding out the normal cells of the liver and causing hepatitis. “If you suddenly change something too drastically, they can get into trouble,” said Dr. McConnell. “You want to make sure the pet is healthy either for calorie restriction or for an exercise plan. Whatever you do, you need to do it gradually.”

Tibetan Terrier Helps Campaign Go to the Dogs

President Barack Obama plays with Bo, the Obama family dog, aboard Air Force One during a flight to Hawaii.

In presidential politics, a candidate’s children are off limits. In the 2012 campaign, pets are fair game. Two dogs to be exact: Bo and Seamus.

Bo is the Portuguese water dog and first-pet, with which President Barack Obama rides in his armored limousine to shop for bones and aboard Air Force One for family vacations in Hawaii. Seamus is the Irish setter who belonged to Mitt Romney’s family in the 1980s. He’s famous for being placed by the former Massachusetts governor in a crate on the family car’s roof for a 12-hour ride to Canada for a vacation.

The tale could hound Romney until November. Obama’s aides have used it as a character contrast between the president and his near-certain Republican Party general election opponent.

Now, independent political action committees are spreading the word about the Ontario-bound car ride. The latest, “DogPAC,” opened this week. The organization’s founder has set a fundraising goal of more than $1 million to blanket such swing states as Ohio and Virginia with ads, bumper stickers and T- shirts.

In a new age of micro-targeting messages to a splintered electorate, pet owners represent a growing prospective voting pool. The number of U.S. households that own a pet has increased 2.1 percent to its highest level of 73 million, according to a 2011-2012 national survey by the American Pet Products Association.

Dogs and Presidents

Dogs have played a significant role in presidential culture, helping to humanize the nation’s top executive for people by making him seem more like themselves or their neighbors. They also serve as best buds: former President Harry Truman, who had Feller, a cocker spaniel, stated: “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

George H.W. Bush’s English springer spaniel, Millie, was the first presidential pet to write a book. Richard Nixon had King Timahoe, an Irish setter. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had Fala, a Scottish terrier he defended against a Republican attack in the 1944 “Fala Speech,” saying: “These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or on my wife or on my sons. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala.”

“It creates the picture of the family man who has a pet and is kind and gentle,” said Robert Dallek, a presidential historian. “The contrast being made is that Romney is a rather stiff-back, harsh character, and he made the dog ride on the roof of his car.”

Santorum Attack

Seamus became fodder during the primary fight when Romney’s former rival for the Republican nomination, Rick Santorum, claimed that Seamus’s treatment on the car trip raised “issues of character.”

“We need to look at all of those issues and make a determination as to whether that’s the kind of person you want to be president of the United States,” Santorum said in a March 18 interview on ABC’s “This Week.”

In the general election, timing also may not be Romney’s best friend -- National Dog Day falls on Aug. 26, the day before the opening of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

Bo, meanwhile, is featured on the White House Flickr photo feed roughly as many times as National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling and Chief of Staff Jacob Lew.

During a women’s forum at the White House last week, Obama joked that his “wingman Bo” is usually with him to help balance out his female-dominant household.

Bin Laden Raid

In a 17-minute campaign video released last month, Obama enhanced his pet credentials further when he went out of his way to reference Cairo, the Belgian Malinois from Seal Team Six involved in the raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

“It wasn’t until I knew that they were across the border, they were safe, everybody was accounted for including the dog,” Obama said, pausing with a smile, “that I allowed some satisfaction.”

Romney campaign officials dismissed the criticism, saying economic matters would trump all others.

“Gas prices are above $4 per gallon. Rising costs at the supermarket and at the doctor are causing deep economic unease for so many families,” said Kevin Madden, a campaign adviser. “And the Obama campaign wants to talk about a story involving the Romney family and their pet from 1983? Do they really?”

YouTube parodies of the 1983 car ride include “The Ballad of Mitt and Seamus” and the “Mutt Romney Blues.” A recent Google search for “Seamus the dog roof” brought up an ad to buy a dog t-shirt that says “Woof not Roof.”

Obama Campaign Appeals

The Obama campaign has been advertising its “Pet Lovers for Obama” group on select websites, and there’s a dedicated pet section for shoppers at the campaign store.

“It’s not just the dog story, it relates to other things about the man’s character or personality that allows it to resonate it so effectively,” Dallek said.

Stephanie Cutter, the deputy campaign manager, was given a “Dogs Against Romney” T-shirt -- made by a non-campaign affiliated group -- that sits on a table in her office. Chief strategist David Axelrod, in January, posted on Twitter a picture of Obama and Bo in the presidential limo with the caption, “How loving owners transport their dogs.”

Obama’s aides haven’t noted that the presidential pet is technically transported on taxpayer funded aircraft and vehicles.

Seamus’s Ride

According to the 2007 story in the Boston Globe, Romney built a windshield for the dog carrier to “make the ride more comfortable for the dog.” During the trip, Romney’s son “glimpsed the first sign of trouble” and called out “Gross!”

“A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who’d been riding on the roof in the wind for hours.” After turning into a service station, Romney “borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management,” the Boston Globe reported.

Seamus survived the trip and Romney has said he lived to a “ripe old age.”

The story resonated particularly for Ron Carver, 65, whose Tibetan terrier, Amber, passed away late last year. Carver was especially rabid over Romney’s decision to keep a hosed-down Seamus on the roof after the dog’s nervous accident.

DogPAC Campaign

Carver, a retiree who was a labor organizer for the Teamsters Union, has never donated to Obama’s campaigns. Yet, along with some of his own funds, he hopes to raise more than $1 million through DogPAC to advertise on cable channels in battleground states.

With his “Paws on the Pavement” campaign and a website called GoodDogBadRomney.com that went live this week, he’s also set a goal for recruiting more than one million people to put bumper stickers on their cars, featuring a cartoon logo of Seamus’s ride.

“I would take Amber up to Boston on a 10-hour trip at least once a year in my minivan,” Carver said. “But what we did was we put our luggage on the roof and my kids and the dog in the minivan.”