Happy birthday, Seabiscuit!

(referring to Friday, May 23)

Winners!

You got the Molson, eh?

People thought neither of them would race again. But a crippled jockey and a 7-year-old stallion that had had a ruptured ligament won the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap.

Their time would have won the same race last year! With a million-dollar purse! Old? Injured? Don't count us out!

Oh yeah. Also happy birthday to the North West Mounted Police!

On King!   On you Huskies!

I may be the last dog on the internet to play the Japanese name game. But I was tagged by Thor. And by an entire Army of Four.

OOF!  That's a lot of tagging!

If you don't know the game, tag yourself and then visit their blogs!  ☺

Real Name	Game Name	Tease Name
Gremlin	ji-shi-ku-rin-ta-ki-to	Taquito Bandito
Lucy	ta-do-mi-fu	Lucy-fucy
Sinjin	ari-ki-to-zu-ki-to	Ricky Toe
me	chi-do-mi-me-ku-shi	Cushy,  Yak-a-Story

-- photos from Wikipedia

ⓒⓗⓘ-ⓓⓞ ⓜⓞⓢⓠⓤⓘⓣⓞ

Rock band game!

There's a game that's been around a little while. But I haven't been around for a little while! So it's new to me.

An older post by the Zimstigator tells how to form a band, lay down an album, and get the cover art for it. Automagically!

You need to have a computer program that edits images. If you want to see what your first album release looks like with the titles on it! But the game's still fun otherwise.

You go here to get your band name. It stirs up the great big cookie jar of Wikipedia articles and pulls one out. The name of the article is the name of your band!

Then you head here for the name of your album. It throws a bunch of random quotations on your screen. You go to the last quote and take the last four words of it. That's the title!

Your art is here. Use the third picture. Then if you have an image editor, put your band name and the album title on the picture and show it to others!

The Army of Four got the idea from Moxie and Izzy. They got the idea from Butchy and Snickers. They got the meme (dweeb word meaning blog game) from Mimi.

She thrilled "Bud Weiser" when she got it from him and spread it all over. Here's the pedigree for you art historians:

Blogger	Band	Album Title	Album Cover
The Army of Four	Bayside Shakedown	Justified in Silencing Mankind
Moxie and Izzy	Lonely Wonderer's Theory	Humor and Some Bewilderment
Butchy and Snickers	Impersonator	Universe Will Be Simpler
Mimi	A Shi'ite Anthology	Have Very Few Virtues
"Bud Weiser"	Peter Peacock	I Feel Almost Beautiful

Wow! Some really neat packages!  ::scowl::  I hope nodoggy cheats!


EDNE's debut album! Mine?

Yyyeahhh ... here's mine.

Okay, ours.

Band name's at the top.

If you thought it might be four words too.

Which it might be.

What a name, huh?

I didn't like it.

But the Human Assistant found out that Erskineville, which is related, is called Erko for short.

Which is maybe not as bad.

Erko, arvo (afternoon), doco (documentary). I wonder if Australians invented the name for parvo? Or maybe it was the French.

Anyway. We didn't cheat! Here's our sources: band name, album title, cover art.

Fun, huh‽ I'm going to get the H.A. to do some more!  ☺  Tell me if you did one too!

-- my thanks to "Bud Weiser," Mimi, Butchy and Snickers, Moxie and Izzy, and The Army of Four for the material to show how fun this is! If you're one of them and you don't want your work linked to or shown smaller this way, it's the Human Assistant's fault! Leave a comment or send email and I'll bark and growl and make lots of annoying noises so that he can't concentrate on anything until he fixes it!

ⓣⓤⓒⓚⓔⓡ

Apple Slo-Time nonvideo

You may know about QuickTime. It's a format for videos and stuff from the company Apple.

So you get Apple QuickTime videos, for example.

The Human Assistant says he's developed a procedure called Slo-Time nonvideo.

All you need is a regular digital camera.

You wait for the pose you want. Wait while the digital camera gets around to snapping the picture. Wait for the flash to recharge.

Wait for the pose you want. Wait while the digital camera gets around to snapping the picture. Wait for the flash to recharge.....

And if you're taking a Slo-Time nonvideo of an apple, then it's an Apple Slo-Time nonvideo.  ::snort::

I try not to give attention to his ideas. You may remember the "What athlete are you?" game.

But in this case, I'm the star of the very first Apple Slo-Time nonvideo, so I'll mention it.

This is raw, unedited nonvideo. Dog knows how long I'd have to wait for the Human Assistant to make each frame "just right"!

In the first frame I'm getting the apple ready to eat. This is called "food prep" in the restaurant biz.

I applied for a chef job once. First they said I was too short to reach the counters. I showed them!  And I had a nice steak and potatoes while I was at it!

Then they said they didn't have a big-enough hair net. Well, that was a stumper. I didn't get the job.

Anyway, in the second frame the apple is getting away from me. I didn't have the right kind of work surface, one for no thumbs.

So in the third frame I've scooched up to grab the prepped-​and-​slippery thing.

It gets away from me again!

The floor must be tilted. I stand up and grab it and turn a different direction.

I settle in and make sure Gremlin knows not to bother me. And then I gobble up the apple.

Hey, I just had an idea! If anydoggy has a picture or a video of them with an apple, let me know! You can put a link in a comment. Or I can get H.A. to post a link to it here.

If there are three or more, we can say it's the Apple Tag Game!

It doesn't have to show a whole apple. Just a piece is fine. All are welcome, not just dogs! Gerbils and hamsters and little fuzzies like that eat apples sometimes, don't they? And birds?

How about adventurous Tia? Do carnivorous kitties ever play with apple chunks?

Let me know!

Minky's interview

Princess Minky lived for a while at the MaxFund no-kill animal shelter. Her mom does volunteer work there, and her name is Tami. I haven't met Minky, but the Human Assistant knows Tami.

Minky asked me to interview her. And she said it was okay to post the interview here. So here ya go, Punkin! Let the Pomeranian speak!

Tucker:  1. As the shortest member of your family, what do you see that others miss?

Minky:  I see a lot of carpet lint, of course, as well as places where I've stealth-peed that no one has found and OxiCleaned yet.   Dad tries to keep up with me by steam-cleaning the carpet every couple of weeks, but I can outsmart him easily!  I'm not spayed (I was found that way by Maxfund a year ago, and my vet says I'm too old and frail to go through the procedure), so I just haven't been able to break my marking habit, especially around "those times of the year."  I also like to pee in my crate, or on any available dog bed, even though I'm taken outside numerous times daily.  My humans don't like it, but I say, "deal with it!"

Tucker:  2. What will you wear for Halloween?

Minky:  Mom doesn't think I remember this ... but a few weeks ago, she tried a ladybug costume on me.  Horrors!  I think she's going to put me in it for Halloween.  She'll probably take pics this weekend and post them here.  That has been the scene of many a humiliation for me!!

Tucker:  3. Do you like to dance when you're dressed up?

Minky:  I do not like to dance when I'm dressed up. I strike a pose when I'm in costume. I dance when I'm happy or excited, like when I see I'm about to go for a walk. That's when I do the Minky-dance: tilt my pretty little head, play-stance, bark, pirouette, bark, play-stance, bark, pirouette, and bark!

Tucker:  4. It's not well-known that the Siberian Husky breed has a high prey drive. Some of our owners call small dogs "yappetizers," especially when the little one is off-leash in public. Have you had any close calls with big dogs?

Minky:  I'm well aware that some of the attention I draw is not based on my extreme cuteness, but rather, my potential tastiness as a snack. I'm never off-leash in public, though, unless I'm sitting in the kangaroo pouch that dad sometimes slings around his neck. This summer, Slappy/Copper, a 65 lb. lab-shepherd type, came to live with me and my two brothers. He gave me an opportunity to exercise my defensive skills, although he seemed more interested in sniffing me than in eating me, thank dog! Although I was 1/10th his size, I showed him who was boss in our household with growls, hissing, and a few actual attacks. Of course, I only have one tooth, so I'm not able to do any real damage. With Tucker and other smart doggies of the Siberian persuasian, I'm not sure my posturing and bluffing would work. I'll depend on my mom to scoop me up and protect me if I ever meet any of you!

Tucker:  5. If you had to have a celebrity mom, would it be Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie?

Minky:  Well, there's room for only one shallow, self-absorbed celebutante with an eating disorder in this house, and that's me!! But if I had to choose between the two, it would be Nicole Ritchie. I've seen them both on TV, and Paris is like a container made of a cheap, shiny plastic with nothing inside. I read that when she was a kid, she said she wanted to be a veterinarian, but later, said that she could just buy a lot of animals. Grrrrrr, hissss!

Tucker:  H.A., I'm not sure you should have that picture of Minky here. You stole it from her dogster page.

mr_ed:  I didn't steal it! It's still there - go see for yourself!

Tucker:  Okay, well, you borrowed it.

mr_ed:  I linked to it.

Tucker:  Whatever.

mr_ed:  I think it'll be okay. I have Nikki's permission to use pictures she takes for MaxFund.

This one is from Maxfund's Lucky Mutt Strut, like it says on Minky's dogster page. And Nikki used the photo in Denver's Luckiest Mutts calendar contest, and the calendar raises money for MaxFund. (By the way, Minky, I voted for you guys! I think the seniors that get adopted are the luckiest of all!)

But I'll tell you what. I'll let Nikki know that the photo's here, and if she or Minky or Tami don't want it shown, we'll pull it down.

Tucker:  Okay. Then it must be time for supper.

mr_ed:  I'm hungry too. Give me a few minutes to tweak the format here, and I'll get right on that.

-- photos of Copper and Minky by Nicole Howard

Komment ketchup

Minky, the Human Assistant emailed the questions to your mom! We'll watch your dogster page for the answers!

Holly, if I could be taste tester I would be sure to bring some home every day for my dogfriends like you!

Sky, thanks again for the questions! Say woo! to KA for me!

Maddox, please tell Shelby I will come up with some questions and have the H.A. post them on your blog for her!

And thanks for making sure Mystique hasn't come back!

We don't actually know how she's doing. Not that I care. But she was a cute little stinker. Not like in that picture up in the corner where she has her mouth closed. I never saw her with her mouth closed! Maybe she shut it when she was asleep. But that was the only time I could rest, too.

Her family's trial adoption was for around two weeks. It's been close to three weeks, so H.A. emailed them. But he hasn't got a reply. So he asked MaxFund to call them and find out what's up.

H.A. says I've been happier than he's ever seen me. I'm bouncier and more playful and talkative. And I've been here almost a year. Of course, I had a new monia when I got here. So I wasn't very happy then.

[Like Worf, he was not a Merry Man  -- mr_ed]

But this is the first time in all that time that nodoggy is here except who belongs here. So H.A. better not bring home anydoggy else!

Not only that. I have not felt too good the last two days. I hear that it's a bad allergy time. After my new monia and ummm ... [pulmonary eosinophilic infiltration  -- mr_ed] ... yeah, that, sometimes I sneeze and cough and stuff. Probably allergy thingies in the air make it worse.

And when I have this problem, other doggies really, really bug me. Tuesday Gremlin was just lying there. She was about five feet away from where I was lying. She wasn't doing anything, but she bugged me. I barked at her.

The Human Assistant said not to do that, so I waited a minute. Then I barked at her again. He told me to stop it! So I waited and barked again. H.A. got up and went outside to distract me, and it worked.

But one time when we went outside, Gremlin was too close behind me. I turned around and was starting a fight with her. But H.A. said to stop it! I wasn't really in the mood for a fight anyway. So I stopped it and we went outside.

Anyway. I don't want more dogs here. And H.A. thinks it wouldn't be good for them to be here either. He says Gremlin is no bother. If I can't get along with her, then there's no hope.

I know he thinks he may sneak one in here once the cold kills all the allergy thingies. Maybe another older doggie who just lies around all day. But that's pretty much what Gremlin and I do, too. So I don't think so. Unless it stayed in a crate or a closed room all the time. [Or Tucker did  -- mr_ed]

The Human Assistant is sad he can't bring more friends home. But I don't think it would work.

Diane (Kolfinna the Berserker), thanks for visiting! H.A. says Leif Erikson Day snuck up on him this year. But he'll be spreading the word next year! Come visit us again! I love visitors!

Time to rest my new monia. Which is getting pretty old. I hope that H.A. snuck me a pregnazone pill in the treats! I don't like pills, but he can hide it pretty well. And it does make me feel better.

Five questions

The Human Insistant says I have to announce that October 9 is officially Leif Erikson Day in the U.S. (But not because of anything Leif Ericson actually did on October 9.) You can probably read more about it on his blog. (H.A.'s blog, not Leif Erikson's.)

If for some strange reason you want a Viking name for the day, try here. I am Jörund the Clumsy. Hmmpf. I don't have thumbs, you know! Gremlin is Þóra the Comedy Sidekick. (Pronounced like Thora.) That doesn't sound like a Viking name to me.

The Human Assistant cheated and tried different things. The one I like best is Eirík the Berserker (for mr_ed).

I wonder if Vikings had dogs. They must have. Don't you think? But you never hear about them. Something else dog related ... October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. The ASPCA is having a photo contest you can check out.

There are interviews going around! After Sky was interviewed on his blog, he kindly agreed to ask me five questions:

Sky:  1. You recently told us about strange pets that people keep. If you have any pet, what would it be and why?

Tucker:  Oh, that's a hard question! I do like stuffed toys! But I don't think a little furry pet would be as good. I'm sure H.A. would take it away forever after I chewed on it a while. Maybe a monkey that would find the dog food and treats and bring them to me. But it better not try to ride on my back!

Sky:  2. You've mentioned a lot of countries in your blog, i.e. China, Brazil, Egypt, Australia, and Russia to name a few. Have you ever traveled? If so, where and if not, where would you like to go?

Tucker:  I've had six different homes. But I've never traveled otherwise. It would be interesting to see where Siberian Huskies came from! Too bad people don't agree on where that was. Most of all I would like to visit Turkey to see if it tastes as good there as it does here!

Sky:  3. Your profile tells us that 4 poster dogs have lived with you at Mr. Ed's. Which one was yor favorite?

Tucker:  Fooey. Jägermeister, Mystique, Poo-Poo, and Sally. Plus his daughter's dog Zot. They were all nuisances! You can see them on Mystique's dogster page.   [Links to their own dogster pages, and to Gremlin's, added Oct. 14  -- mr_ed]   Well, Poo-Poo the Miniature Poodle mix was okay. She was very quiet and didn't bother me. Maybe Poo-Poo is as old as Gremlin, thirteen years.

She was a stray and got stuck in a crummy shelter all filthy and everything. It took her a while to liven up. Actually she was kinda cute when she started dancing on her hind legs for treats! Just when her personality started to come through, she got adopted to a good home. Good that it wasn't my home so she couldn't bug me!

Sky:  4. If you were human what profession would you choose?

Tucker:  I would be a taste tester in a meat factory! Somebody has to make sure those cans of meat are okay! I'll bet there are lots of people who want those jobs, though. So I could also be a ride checker to make sure that cars ride okay after they're built or fixed.

Sky:  5. With all the grapes in the garden, we can't help but wonder if H. A. will make wine from them. If he does and serves it with cheese--Which will you beg for? Wine or Cheese?

Tucker:  Sometimes H.A. tells Gremlin not to wine. And I like water okay. So it would be cheese for me!

Thank you Sky! If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have thought of these things. Maybe somedoggy would like me to interview them. There are rules. Many of us have trouble with rules. But it's a game! Even Sibe games have rules. And I didn't make them up:

• 1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave me a comment saying, 'interview me.'
• 2. I will respond by posting five questions for you. I get to pick the questions.
• 3. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions.
• 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview somedoggy else in the same post.
• 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

It sounds easier than it is! Try it!

An apple a day

The Human Assistant has been icky-sick for a day. I think he ate a bad apple. He found out from the Army of Four blog that some animals snuggle with their humans to make them feel better (like Sitka and Tia do). Hmmph!

Ignoring that.... A few days ago H.A. picked up all the apples that were on the ground. He kept a few of them for himself. Gremlin and I can get our own because more keep falling down. But we still stare at him while he cuts up his apples until he gives us pieces.

Anyway, H.A. says he forgets that apples from trees don't last as long as apples from stores. So he may not have gotten around to that apple soon enough.

He wishes he had a dog stomach. He says we have tons more acid in our tummies than humans do. So icky things don't make us sick as often.

But dogs shouldn't eat "herbal ecstacy." The athlete drug police say athletes can't have any. But somebody gave some to this greyhound. All you sled dogs out there - don't take BZP!

Here's another tip. Wearing a dog collar can make you get attacked more! It's true! This story only mentions people wearing dog collars. But wouldn't it apply to dogs too? I would think so.

I need to sleep now. I guess it's allergy season. My breathing parts have been stressed the last few days even though H.A. says he's sneaking me my medicine. Happy dreams, everydoggy!

Catching up on comments

Tucker:  Okay, enough games for a while.

Maddox, yes. Mystique found a family that wanted her on Saturday. H.A. says she needs training. And that's what they want to do. Good match, good riddance! It's a trial adoption. For two weeks. But H.A. is certain that they will keep the annoying puppy. Thank dog!

My nemesis, der Jägermeister, was trial-adopted a week ago. The H.A. wasn't sure that one would stick. But it looks good so far. The woman wanted a friend for her Lila. She (the four-legged one) is mostly Treeing Walker Coonhound with longer legs. So his tallness is okay.

A few days after she (the two-legged one) took him, she came home from work and had a bad surprise. Jaeger had pulled down the blinds at one window. Knocked out the screen. Opened the window enough to jump out. "Oh," she thought, "no!"

Then she saw he had found some way to get in the back yard with Lila. The woman was so thrilled that he wanted to be with her dog that she didn't care about the destruction. Or what he took out of the bathroom trash. Sometimes Sibes get that lucky!

Amber, does anyone like mystery books there? H.A. just read one called A Dog About Town. A Labrador Retriever reads, understands conversations, and spells messages with Alpha-Bits. Now that's cerebral! And he solves murders.

Holly, yes. There's something wrong with the What kind of pet would you be? quiz. Maybe northern breeds' personalities are less "doggy" than other breeds'. And some goofus thinks that makes us cats.  ::hisss::  Heh.  ::big husky grin::

In college the Human Assistant met a beautiful young woman. (As Wikipedia points out, "Not to be confused with Lady.") Blonde and nordic. They had one date. Then she said that she wasn't the cold, reserved northlander that her appearance suggested. She grew up in Brazil. She was a hot-blooded Latin American. So don't bother to ask her out again.

He he was being polite. He went home thinking, "Give me a chance!  I could learn!" A story from Lake Wobegon.

Are you going to paint your nails?

Very silly games

Tucker:  Human Assistant decided to do grooming on Sunday. That's okay. He can groom himself all he wants. But why bother the dogs?

This was my first summer here. I didn't blow my coat, and H.A. is kinda lazy. So now I need lots of raking. Probably not 10 hours of it, like he threatened. I gave in and turned on my side. He said I was almost as good about it as the Poodles in Laura Berenson's mysteries.

I don't want to be like a Poodle! People say they're really smart. That means they really obey people. Siberian Huskies are smart! So smart that we hide it from people.

But H.A. was extra happy with my quiet lying there. He said I must have inspired Gremlin to be good too. Usually she tries to wander off while he's raking her. She's no Poodle!

At least H.A. didn't paint our toenails. I thought he might try it when he saw this very silly game at blogthings. I had him change "guy" to "date" in the answer.

What Color Should Your Toenails Be?

Your toe(nail)s should be BLUE

You're a little out there, but that means you take dates to a place that's out of this world! Your ideal date:  Zany, hilarious, and totally unpredictable. Stay away from:  Anyone who has to get up for work in the morning

Tucker:  H.A. says he is supposed to paint his nails white. Which is okay because he wears boots most of the time for ankle support. Gremlin's are supposed to be dark red. Here's another:

The Muppet Personality Test

You Are Rowlf the Dog

Mellow and serious, you enjoy time alone cultivating your talents. You're a cool dog, and you always present a relaxed vibe. A talented pianist, you can play almost anything - especially songs by Beethoven. "My bark is worse than my bite, and my piano playing beats 'em both."

Tucker:  H.A. was also Rowlf. Gremlin was Kermit. Well, maybe.

What Color Blue Are You?

You Are Navy Blue

You're a true adventurer. You constantly find yourself drawn to new experiences, people, and places. Sometimes you feel quite scattered and bored. If something exciting isn't going on, you feel a bit lost.

Tucker:  The guy is indigo, Gremlin is royal blue.

What strange silliness! It's much more fun to dig in the yard. Or chase squirrels. Ride in the car. Stuff like that.

I don't even want to talk about the quiz, What kind of pet would you be?  I changed my answers five times and always got, "You Would Be a Pet Cat."  At least with What's your ideal pet? I got, "Your Ideal Pet is a Big Dog."  Darned tootin'!  Whose isn't?

More on the athlete game

Tucker:  The click-a-number looks different.
mr_ed:  I made the numbers go across instead of up and down.
Tucker:  Why?
mr_ed:  It's more natural unless you're reading the blog in Chinese or Hebrew or something.
Tucker:  So why do it the first way?
mr_ed:  I made the table in a spreadsheet, and there it's more usual for numbers to go down when they go up.
Tucker:  Sure. How did you change it?
mr_ed:  With a spreadsheet.
Tucker:  Then why didn't you do it right the first time?
mr_ed:  Look! Mystique left a treat!
Tucker:  Bey fou buh hoss.  ::crunch crunch crunch crunch::
mr_ed:  Yes, they found good ol' Secretariat.
Tucker:  ::lap, lap, lap    lap, lap, lap    lap, lap, lap::
mr_ed:  There should have been some lead dogs from Iditarod or Yukon Quest.
Tucker:  Another treat?
mr_ed:  Should I tell people that the auto racers are in the 40s line?
Tucker:  No. Another treat.
mr_ed:  You sure look sleepy. Looking at you makes me sleepy!
Tucker:  ::snort::
mr_ed:  G'night, big boy. And I mean that in the nicest way possible!
Tucker:  ::zzzZZZzzz::

A silly game

Tucker:  The Human Assistant found a website with lots of silly "games." For some of them you answer a few questions. Then it tells you what dinosaur you are. For a few others you put in your name and sex. Then it tells you what your Tibetan name is.

mr_ed:  Those are invented examples, by the way.

Tucker:  Many of these games are about your relationship with men. And not in a dog/human way. Not in a dog/human way that I want to think about.

So the Human Assistant has invented a game about sports. It's a little silly. And you don't have to be a guy to play. You don't even have to be human. It's easy! (Especially compared to what he usually thinks up.)

Here's how it works:

• 1.  Think of a number less than 100.
• It has to be a whole number, not a fraction or decimal.
• It can't be a negative number.
• It can be 0 or 00.
• 2.  Click (below) on the link to the number.
• 3.  See what famous athlete you are!
• 4.  Some numbers have other athletes you can be instead.

00
0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39
40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49
50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59
60	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69
70	71	72	73	74	75	76	77	78	79
80	81	82	83	84	85	86	87	88	89
90	91	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99

Tucker:  Many thanks to Sports Illustrated for making this game possible! They were playing a kinda silly game themselves when they created the web pages.

mr_ed:  Yeah ... #33?  What were they thinking? That number could only be Sammy Baugh!

One site has him on their "All-Time 11." They put together a football team with only 11 players. (Not 80 or 75 or 53 or even 45 like NFL teams have, just the 11 that can be on the field all at one time.) The 11 could come from any time in professional football. "Slingin' Sammy" is their quarterback.

Baugh was football's first Triple Crown player. In 1943 he led the league in three different categories - passing, punting, and interceptions.  Not interceptions that he threw as a quarterback ... interceptions that he caught!  One of his punting records still stands more than 60 years later!

And he's called the first modern quarterback in the pros. Let's see some basketball player top that kind of career!

Tucker:  But anyway. Have fun with the game!

mr_ed:  P.S.

• Which one is an animal (four-legged)?
• Which three are humans but not listed for a career in:
• baseball,
• basketball,
• football, or
• hockey?

Vehicle tag

Tucker:  Human Assistant says vehicle tag is not the same as bumper cars at the amusement park. (I don't know what he's talking about.)

There is a game going around in dog circles  [as opposed to just dogs going around in circles  -- Human Assistant]  asking what vehicle are you?

The Human Assistant likes Zim's Jeep. He says he had a 1952 CJ-3A that he liked very much. I didn't get to ride in it because he sold it when he couldn't work clutch pedals anymore. Which was before I got here. But he says on the outside it looked very much like this Jeep on the left. This one in the picture is from World War II. And was made by Ford, not by Willy (whoever that was). The first civilian Jeeps after the war looked almost exactly like this. They were model CJ-2A. The CJ-3A's biggest difference on the outside was a one-piece windshield. And a little vent underneath it.

He says the picture on the right is exactly how the inside of his looked. Under the driver's seat you can see the 10-gallon gas tank. It was easy to take out when he had to patch a leak one time.

Anyway. Zim suggested that I be a Tucker Torpedo. A very cool car! Only made in 1948. But it had three eyes and I don't.

How about a Tucker Sno-Cat? The Human Assistant says it doesn't have anything to do with cats. It's a short word for caterpillar. Like that makes more sense. Wikipedia has pictures of lots of models. I like this 1949 Sno-Cat best.

It would be great to take this to the Iditarod race! Everydoggy could ride inside out of the nasty weather! And you can run on wheels when there isn't enough snow.

The Tucker car company isn't around anymore, but you can visit the Tucker Sno-Cat website.

Now the Human Assistant drives us around in a 1988 Jeep XJ. (Also called a Cherokee.) He says it's driven almost as far as 250 Iditarods. But he didn't drive it as fast as dogs go! That many Iditarods would take around 7 years. Less for the fastest teams. And this Cherokee is almost 20 years old.

So anyway, I will be a Tucker Sno-Cat riding around in a Jeep.

And now for something...

... quite different. And not from The Ministry of Silly Walks.

Tucker:  Can you help me?
mr_ed:  Whatcha got?
Tucker:  A game. Amber got it from Holly. And I want to do it.
mr_ed:  That Amber's pretty cute!
Tucker:  Do the game.
mr_ed:  Is that blushing I see?
Tucker:  No! I'm a red and white Sibe. I'm either white or I'm red. Help me do the game.
mr_ed:  Let's see what we have:

Here are the rules;

Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the questions. They must be real places, names, things ... If you can't think of anything, skip it. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

You take the first letter of your first name, and then answer the questions using only that letter.

What is your name?
4 letter word:
Vehicle:
TV Show:
City:
Boy Name:
Girl Name:
Alcoholic Drink:
Occupation:
Something you wear:
Celebrity:
Food:
Something found in a bathroom:
Reason for being late:
Cartoon Character:
Something You Shout:

Tucker:  My name is Tucker!
mr_ed:  Yes it is. So every answer has to start with a T. Pick a four-letter word. There are tons of them.
Tucker:  I want something like tay, tee, tie, toe, or too. But they're all three letters.
mr_ed:  Ah, following in Mel Blanc's footsteps, huh?
Tucker:  Sí.
mr_ed:  Tigh.
Tucker:  Huh?
mr_ed:  "House," in Irish.
Tucker:  Doesn't it have to be English?
mr_ed:  Well ... Gaelic was spoken in England before English was, so I think it's close enough. We can use tuck as a backup. How about a vehicle?
Tucker:  T.
mr_ed:  T-bird? That's a cool car.
Tucker:  Model T.
mr_ed:  The Tin Lizzy - great! TV show?
Tucker:  You don't have a TV.
mr_ed:  Well, what did you watch with your other family?
Tucker:  I don't remember names. Remind me.
mr_ed:  With my son I used to watch Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TaleSpin, and The Tick.
Tucker:  Eh.
mr_ed:  Before kids, Taxi and Three's Company.
Tucker:  ::snort::
mr_ed:  Well, yeah. Not Don Knott's finest work. How about 3rd Rock from the Sun?
Tucker:  That's spelled with a 3, not a T.
mr_ed:  remember James T. Kirk?
Tucker:  KHAAANNNN !!!
mr_ed:  Right. The same actor starred in T.J. Hooker and TekWar.
Tucker:  ::sigh::
mr_ed:  Got that Mel Blanc thing going, huh?
Tucker:  So?
mr_ed:  Tales from the Crypt? The Twilight Zone? That '70s Show? All quite eerie!
Tucker:  Eh.
mr_ed:  I've got it - T4!
Tucker:  What's that?
mr_ed:  To Tell the Truth!
Tucker:  Good. Telluride for the city.
mr_ed:  Which we remember from Blogathon has the highest commercial airport in North America. But I'm not sure Telluride is big enough to be a city.
Tucker:  Okay, Teeejuana.
mr_ed:  Ciudad de Tijuana, good. How about a state?
Tucker:  That's not on the list.
mr_ed:  Humor me.
Tucker:  There are so many to choose from. I'll take the closest one. Texas.
mr_ed:  State capital?
Tucker:  Trenton.
mr_ed:  Former state capital?
Tucker:  Tucson. Let's get back to the game.
mr_ed:  Country?
Tucker:  Tunisia.
mr_ed:  Island?
Tucker:  Taiwan. Come on. Boy's name. T.
mr_ed:  Okay, I do have a newphew that the family called T when he was a kid. My son called him Tea Bag.
Tucker:  What was his real name?
mr_ed:  Terrence or something. Terry.
Tucker:  Good. "Boy Name" Terry, "Girl Name" Terri. I don't know anything about alcoholic drinks.
mr_ed:  There's good ol' generic tequila. If you go for brand names, there's Tecate and Tanqueray. Mixed drinks like Tom Collins and, I hesitate to mention, the Tucker Death Mix
Tucker:  Works for me. I want to do a non-alcoholic drink.
mr_ed:  Okay.
Tucker:  Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
mr_ed:  Excellent. For occupation, I used to be a telecommunications analyst.
Tucker:  Okay. Now something you wear? All I wear is a collar.
mr_ed:  Tutu, tie, tennies, toque, tights, tank top?
Tucker:  No, no, no, no, no, no.
mr_ed:  How 'bout a tee shirt?
Tucker:  T!
mr_ed:  An amazingly versitile answer! Now for a celebrity.
Tucker:  Alan Turing.
mr_ed:  I think a celebrity has to be known outside computer-geek circles. But apropos of that, how about a computer?
Tucker:  T.
mr_ed:  The Tandy TRS-80 Model 100? Excellent choice! The last computer for which Bill Gates wrote code. So, a celebrity?
Tucker:  Edward Teller. No, wait. Evangelista Torricelli. No, I've got it! Nikola Tesla!
mr_ed:  Scientists and inventors and engineers aren't really on the list of celebrity professions.
Tucker:  Nuh uh! Stephen Hawking!
mr_ed:  True. His hologram appeared on Star Trek, and he's been on lots of episodes of The Simpsons. But still.
Tucker:  J.R.R. Tolkien. Mark Twain.
mr_ed:  Tolkien probably would be a celebrity if he were alive today. Twain ... probably when he was alive, but not now. Sic transit gloria mundi.
Tucker:  The train broke down and Ms. Steinem is delayed a week?
mr_ed:  No. Look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls.
Tucker:  Gene Tunney.
mr_ed:  He might work - top guy in a sport. Eighty years ago. How about Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yaqoob?
Tucker:  Who?
mr_ed:  Danny Thomas.
Tucker:  Still a little before my time. Spencer Tracy. Lana Turner. Billy Bob Thornton.
mr_ed:  Tina Turner. The Three Stooges. Uma Thurman.
Tucker:  Thurman. Model, actress. Should be enough of a celebrity.
mr_ed:  Agreed. U.S. President?
Tucker:  Zachary Taylor.
mr_ed:  Excellent choice. First President who hadn't held another office. Vice President? Let's make it one who didn't hold the office of President.
Tucker:  Daniel D. Tompkins. I'm tired. Let's finish the game. Food?
mr_ed:  Food. Tofu, tomato, turnip, taco, toast...
Tucker:  T-bone. What's in the bathroom?
mr_ed:  We can't use Tucker for an answer, so how about toothbrush?
Tucker:  Reason for being late?
mr_ed:  Too many dogs - couldn't get to the door.
Tucker:  Back to the TV thing. Cartoon character?
mr_ed:  Tinkerbell, Top Cat, Tom Terrific.
Tucker:  Not too many choices.
mr_ed:  There might be others, but these are the only ones I remember.
Tucker:  Not Tinkerbell or a cat. So Tom Terrific. Almost done. Something you shout. Which I don't do.
mr_ed:  TA DAAA !
Tucker:  We're done! That took a long time!
mr_ed:  How about a former republic of the Soviet Union?
Tucker:  No.
mr_ed:  Your choice. Turkmenistan or Tajikstan.
Tucker:  Good night.
mr_ed:  I'll put you down for Turkmenistan. National capital?
Tucker:  ZZZzzzzz
mr_ed:  More than a dozen to choose from! Tokyo, Tashkent, Tripoli....
Tucker:  zzzzzZZZzzzzz
mr_ed:  Okay, Tbilisi it is. Good night, Oh Red One.

Summary

What is your name?  Tucker
4 letter word:  tigh (or tuck)
Vehicle:  Tin Lizzy (Ford Model T)
TV Show:  To Tell the Truth
City:  Tijuana
State:  Texas
State Capital:  Trenton
Former State Capital:  Tucson
Country:  Tunisia
Island:  Taiwan
Boy Name:  Terry
Girl Name:  Terri
Alcoholic Drink:  Tucker Death Mix
Non-Alcoholic Drink:  Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
Occupation:  Telecommunications analyst
Something you wear:  Tee shirt
Computer:  Model T (Tandy TRS-80 Model 100)
Celebrity:  Uma Thurman
U.S. President:  Zachary Taylor
U.S. Vice President:  Daniel D. Tompkins
Food:  T-bone steak
Something found in a bathroom:  toothbrush
Reason for being late:  Too many dogs - couldn't get to the door
Cartoon Character:  Tom Terrific
Something You Shout:  Ta Daaa!
Former Soviet Republic:  Turkmenistan
National Capital:  Tbilisi