June 25, 2024 - New Uglies, Dog-fighting, Ringers, Roaming

The fulfillment of the Lakota prophecy involving eating lots and lots of ugly dogs is music to my ears.

Nuggets of Information: Return of the Uglies 

Now that we have passed the Summer Solstice, and summer heatwaves delight us all, our minds turn to one thing, and one thing only: Ugly Dogs. Last year, I wrote about Mr. Happy Face, who won the World’s Ugliest Dog contest in Petaluma, California.  

This past Friday, a new champion was named. Wild Thang, from North Bend Oregon, an 8-year old Pekingese, was selected 2024 World’s Ugliest Dog. From the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds & Event Center’s website:  

“Wild Thang contracted distemper as a puppy from a rescue foster.  Sadly, after thousands of dollars later, the other puppy did not make it, but Wild Thang did, barely.  He survived, but not without permanent damage.  His teeth did not grow in, causing his tongue to stay out and his right front leg paddles 24/7.  Other than that, he is a healthy, happy Glugly (glamourous/ugly) guy. 

He loves people, other dogs and especially his toys.  His purpose in life is to promote the necessity of getting your pets vaccinated. 

Wild Thang has an Instagram account (Wildthangofficial) which allows him to keep in touch with all his friends, as well as he has posted a gofundme account to help get his fellow Pekingese, in the war zone in the Ukraine, to safety.  To date, 7 Pekingese have safely made it out of the Ukraine and are now living happily in their adoptive homes in Canada and the US.” 

I think that’s pretty beautiful! 

Enrichment: Clash of the Titans 

Last July 4^th, I wrote about one of my favorite athletic events – the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. For years, Takeru Kobayashi was the champion – but then Joey Chestnut showed up and a rivalry was born. In 2010, Kobayashi announced he would not compete in the Nathan’s contest any longer as they required exclusive contracts. He showed up to that year’s contest, the crowd started chanting his name, he hopped up on stage, and was promptly arrested. (The charges were later dropped.) Chestnut continued to compete, and win - a total of 16 victories.  

This year, there are two huge developments in this story. First, Joey Chestnut was banned from the Nathan’s contest after signing a deal with Impossible Foods to promote their vegan hot dog. This rocked the “people who get really excited about hot dog contests once a year” community.

Then the second development - Netflix announced they will be holding a hot dog eating contest, on Labor Day, live on Netflix – between Chestnut and Kobayashi! Takeru is coming out of retirement! This is the first time they have faced each other since 2009.  

“Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival,” said Chestnut. “Competing against him pushed me to be so much better. I know that fans have waited a long time for another chapter of our rivalry and I can’t wait for our massive showdown live on Netflix! It’s time to give the people what they want!” 

“Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” said Kobayashi. “This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out.” 

The location hasn’t been announced yet, but I will certainly have the Boo’s N.E.W.S. corporate jet on standby for this momentous event.  

Workshop: Ringing in My Ears 

Remember back when we used calculators, cameras and alarm clocks? You know – before we had fancy smart phones clipped to our belts? As much as I love the convenience of having a multitude of cool apps all in one place, in one case I do miss the old-school way of doing things: the alarm clock. 

For the last couple of years, Boo’s N.E.W.S. Muse Lisa has used her iPhone’s alarm feature to wake her up, and the choice of her alarm has caused marital strife: Summit. Oh how I hate thee Summit ringtone! It sounds like a high school basketball scoreboard – loud, harsh, urgent. While it definitely does the job of waking her up, it also takes me from deep REM sleep to immediate heart-pounding panic in about two seconds. I’m pretty sure she has the iPhone 15 Loud++ model too, which doesn’t help. After I repeatedly expressed my displeasure, she gracefully changed it to something less jarring.  

Coincidentally, a recent article on cnn.com discusses another Apple ringtone – By the Seaside. In the article, author Krystal Hur describes this melodic tune as “perhaps Apple’s most polarizing alarm and ringtone, evoking comparisons to nails on a chalkboard, the word ‘moist’ and screaming children on a plane.” Heh – moist... 

The most popular iPhone ringtone is: Marimba. Steve Jobs even used it. The story behind how and why it was developed is covered in this article from SlashGear.com. 

For those of you who live in the green bubble world, the most popular Android ringtone is difficult to determine, but “Over the Horizon” is very popular. This video traces the evolution of this ringtone from 2011 to 2024.  

My personal favorite? Twinkle. Makes me feel like a little baby waking up, happy and warm and loved.  

Selected Content: Congrats - It’s a Son - a Bison!

If you find yourself in West Yellowstone tomorrow, be sure to swing by the Buffalo Field Campaign headquarters for a celebration marking the birth of an extremely rare white buffalo earlier this month. Well - it is a bison, not a buffalo. Bison are found in North America and Europe, while buffalo are native to Africa and Asia. But “Give me a home where the bison roam” doesn’t quite pop the same way.

The significance of this specific baby bison’s birth is not to be understated. According to Lakota tribe prophecy, the arrival of this calf portends better times, but also serves as a signal that more must be done to protect the earth and its animals.

According to an article published on NBC News’s website:

“The birth of this calf is both a blessing and warning. We must do more,” said Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota and the Nakota Oyate in South Dakota, and the 19th keeper of the sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman Pipe and Bundle.

Lakota legend says about 2,000 years ago — when nothing was good, food was running out and bison were disappearing — White Buffalo Calf Woman appeared, presented a bowl pipe and a bundle to a tribal member, taught them how to pray and said that the pipe could be used to bring buffalo to the area for food. As she left, she turned into a white buffalo calf.

“And some day when the times are hard again,” Looking Horse said in relating the legend, “I shall return and stand upon the earth as a white buffalo calf, black nose, black eyes, black hooves.”

Troy Heinert, the executive director of the South Dakota-based InterTribal Buffalo Council, said the calf in Braaten’s photos looks like a true white buffalo because it has a black nose, black hooves and dark eyes.

“From the pictures I’ve seen, that calf seems to have those traits,” said Heinert, who is Lakota. An albino buffalo would have pink eyes.

Other tribes also revere white buffalo.

“Many tribes have their own story of why the white buffalo is so important,” Heinert said. “All stories go back to them being very sacred.”

Welcome to the world Baby Bison! I hope the promise of your prophecy is fulfilled, and you are protected from the “Specials of the Day” menu at Ted’s Montana Grill.