twitter update!

So I spent some time searching for other twitter users since none of my friends are on it yet! I tried 'Vermont,' 'Burlington,' 'dogs,' and finally 'dogster' - jackpot! (For those of you not in the know, Dogster.com is the social networking site for dogs - yeah, really.)

My profile picture is of Roger, but I'm tweeting as myself. The search results for 'dog' and 'dogster' seemed to be a mix of either that or people actually tweeting from their dog's POV. There were tons of users with their dogster profile listed as their personal website, and Roger and I made friends with a 'houla girl and her mom!

Tweet!

I'm exploring the secret world of Twitter! Are you on it? Find me and 'follow' me, and I'll follow you back. Barack Obama and I are following each other!!
While my use will not be directly work-related, I am interested and just for my own information, will be researching the ways that it has and can be used as a PR/marketing tool.

Sunblock safety concerns

Summer's here and we all want to avoid sunburn and of course skin cancer. So just slather on sunscreen before you head outside, right?

Well, not just any sunscreen. With no mandatory, comprehensive sunscreen standards in place, products vary widely in safety and effectiveness. And did you know that SPF ratings only cover UVB rays, which cause burns, but not UVA rays, which raise skin cancer risk?

After 30 years of debate, the government has failed to set mandatory sunscreen safety standards. Companies are free to make their own decisions on everything from advertising claims to product quality. FDA now stands in direct violation of a Congressional mandate requiring the agency to finalize sunscreen safety standards by May '06, flouting not only Congress but also consumers, who are reliant on sunscreen to protect their health.

Search EWG's sunscreen safety database to find out what's safest and most effective for you and your family. This database is the result of 18 months of research, and they found that 4 out of 5 of 952 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns - leading brands were the worst offenders! Find out what's safest and most effective for you, then go have fun in the sun!

YAY!! Check it out--

Stella!

Paw-Jama Party #3: Stella! What a fun pup!!

Stella’s a 1yo husky (/beagle?) mix. She’s definitely still very much a baby, and had lots of puppy energy!! Stel loved everyone we met, and spent a couple hours at the dog park barking at the big dogs, trying to get them to chase her. What a flirt.

She's got a silly little yelpy bark, but only used it when I cried. Loves her squeaky toys, loves attention, LOVES the car.

Sawyer

Paw-jama partier #2!
I didn't know how old Sawyer was, I didn't know what kind of dog he is. All I knew is he's a total snuggle-bug. We walked Church St this morning, and since he's a smaller dog, lots of little kids wanted to pet him. I held him so he couldn't knock them over, and he was very tolerant of small hands. A little freaked out around people and cars at nighttime walks, and not necessarily a fan of other dogs. When Lindsey visited he was hyper the whole time, but when it's just us he's totally mellow and lovey. I have since found out that he is a 5yo Australian Kelpie. I need to write his report card still, I'm confident he'll quickly find a wonderful forever-home.

Jaxon

My first paw-jama party guest, Jaxon. I just found out this weekend that he's out being fostered-to-adopt!! How exciting for him! A 6yr old lab mix, he was a wonderful house guest. He didn't like my neighbors walking up and down the stairs, and unless I caught it before he did and started talking him down right away, he would run to the door and bark. We walked Church St all morning on Sunday. He loved meeting new people and new dogs!! We went to see Mike's band, Traditional Medicinals, play at the Monroe St block party. There were lots of dogs and kids there, and he was a polite guest. However, he did bark when the sound system had feedback, and when strangers would walk down the street.

Rascal

This precious guy is my favorite. He belongs to my Bolton coworker, Ryan. I take Rascal running, he came to Camp Silver, he stayed with me for a week. He's an angel in the car, loves other dogs, he just wants to be everyone's friend!! When I brought him along to Camp Silver, he slept perfectly in the tent with Dan and me (although Dan thinks he took up too much sleeping mat). He loved playing and swimming with us all day. At night he was dead asleep next to the campfire, but when I got up to pee, he led the way and protected me, awwww. When Ryan was in between apartments, Rascal stayed with me for a week. I absolutely loved it. In the debate over getting a dog of my own, this was a pretty strong argument FOR it.

Then Ryan moved to Milton, and I haven't seen him since.

Why can't people be more like dogs?

Loudog is a 23-year old female Irish/English mix. She is food- and play-motivated, social, mellow, and generally friendly. She is protective of her space and her toys, and can be stubborn. Needs a household committed to using positive reinforcement and patience. She knows "sit," "eat," "hike," and "sleep." May benefit from further training. Loudog wants lots of activity and a sunny yard. She loves attention, but also needs a balance of quiet downtime. A house with no young children or cats would be best, other dogs would be okay. May be gruff or over-excited upon first meeting, but once she is comfortable with you, Loudog will be your best friend.

wag more/bark less

Check out some of the real write-ups on the HSCC website here http://www.chittendenhumane.org/dogs/default.htm

(I finally got to host a Paw-Jama Party! I had Jaxon, 5th from the bottom of the page)