Friday, September 30, 2016

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Important Video: Beagle Freedom Project

Several of our friends asked for more info about the "Beagle Freedom Project"  since we posted a blog about the organization. 

Go here to learn more about how to help FREE beagles from laboratory testing:  http://bfp.org

 “There are nearly 70 thousand dogs in US labs right now, and 96% of them are beagles” explains Shannon Keith, President and Founder of BFP

CRUELTY-CUTTER is cruelty-free shopping made simple! Cast-away any doubts when purchasing items by using this app to scan an item and have an immediate response about it's animal-testing status. Cruelty-Cutter has every company in the "Leaping Bunny" and PETA lists and thousands more. It is the most up-to-date and vigilant cruelty-free list on the market. Cruelty-Cutter is your activist app!  Download the app by clicking the buttons below or learn more at Cruelty-Cutter.Org.

Cruelty Cutter Cruelty Cutter



VIDEO: https://youtu.be/sDqN7oOI8NM
 

Beagle Freedom Project, founded in 2010, is a unique program run by the Los Angeles-based non-profit Animal Rescue, Media, and Education (ARME). Beagle Freedom Project negotiates with laboratories across the world to secure the release of dogs and other animals and give them a chance at a normal home life after everything they have endured for vanity and scientific curiosity.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Amazing Music Video: Artists Of Then, Now & Forever - Forever Country

As a big country music fan of the 60s through the 2000s (except the last 6 years) I (Rob) found out about an amazing video created for this year's CMA awards Nov. 2. It features SO many of my favorites, including Dolly Parton, Ronnie Milsap, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Charley Pride, Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, George Strait and many of the newer artists.  - What's even more of a treat is it covers 3 CLASSIC country hits, including one of my all-time favorites: Dolly's "I Will Always Love You," and John Denver's "Country Roads" and Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again." It really choked me up! - Rob

In celebration of “The 50th Annual CMA Awards,” CMA has created the biggest music video in Country Music history. Titled “Forever Country,” the single and accompanying music video features 30 CMA Award-winning acts. This single was produced by CMA Board member and CMA Award winner Shane McAnally and the video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn. Visit http://www.forevercountry50.com for more information.

“The 50th Annual CMA Awards” will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 2 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/s9gAXwYZtfk

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Tom's Gardening Talent

Mums in pots on the front stairs with beds of Ivy around
If it wasn't for Tom's gardening talent, patience, taste in flowers, landscaping abilities, and daily watering we'd never have the house we have. I (Rob) have a "blackened thumb" so everything I plant withers and Tom has the green thumb!

Tyler, Dolly and Franklin taking a brief rest on the grass
FRONT ENTRYWAY - This summer Tom had the front (cement) porch painted along with the walkway. For the fall he put two big arrangements of mums in large pots to welcome visitors after they walk past large beds of ivy.

SUN DOGS AND GRASS - Our three canine kids love the backyard. Fortunately, they don't run through or pee on all the plants and flowers that Tom has planted. Instead they opt to lay on the grass. Of course, since we've had barely any measurable rainfall since the end of JUNE most of the grass is burnt out. We virtually had no rainfall in July, August and September. We're supposed to get 4" a month.

Yellow flowers along the walkway
FLOWER POWER - An earlier blog showed some beautiful Aster flowers that we have on the side of the yard. In the back along the walkway, Tom planted bright yellow flowers (I don't know what they are but he could tell you) that brighten up the walkway.
  Across from there are my 2 tomato plants and we've actually grown about 6 tomatoes! That's unusual, so it's a good year (only because Tom waters them daily). 

So, if you want advice about what to plant, just ask Tom!

Read the Book: "Stronger Together" To find out where Clinton/Kaine stands on issues

Let's face it, many people don't take the time to go to a political candidate's website and find out
everything they stand for. Instead, some Americans vote off of sound bites or who has the better commercials. Some even vote for someone based on how much they can bash the other candidate or bully someone without revealing what they even stand for.
  In this election, we can't afford to be clueless. READ. LEARN. DISCOVER what each candidate stands for. 
  The Clinton/Kaine campaign just published a BOOK addressing where they stand on issues. It's called "Stronger Together" and just came out Sept. 6th.  If you're UNDECIDED, or support Mrs. Clinton or even Mr. Trump, READ IT.  Make an EDUCATED decision. 
Don't vote one way or the other because "your daddy voted that way."  I (Rob) know someone who voted one way because "his daddy does" even though he was against 90% of the policies. Ridiculous. Read, learn and choose what is good for YOU.

   The U.S.A. has always been "Stronger Together"  .

AS FOR WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT: For more than a year, Hillary Clinton has laid out an ambitious agenda to improve the lives of the American people and make our country stronger and safer. Stronger Together presents that agenda in full, relating stories from the American people and outlining the Clinton/Kaine campaign’s plans on everything from apprenticeships to the Zika virus, including:

  1. -Building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top.
  2. -Making the biggest investment in good-paying jobs since World War II, including infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy, and small business.
  3. -Making debt-free college a reality and tackling the student debt crisis.
  4. -Defeating ISIS, strengthening our alliances, and keeping our military strong.
  5. -Breaking down the barriers that hold Americans back by reforming our broken immigration system, ending mass incarceration, protecting voting rights, and fixing our campaign finance system.
  6. -Putting families first through universal, affordable health care; paid family and medical leave, and affordable child care.
  7. Stronger Together offers specific solutions and a bold vision for building a more perfect union



https://smile.amazon.com/Stronger-Together-Blueprint-Americas-Future/dp/1501161733/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474936721&sr=1-1&keywords=stronger+together+hillary+clinton

Monday, September 26, 2016

Family Photo Fun!

Doug, Brian, Rob, Scotty
Rob, Scotty, Doug, Brian at Dunkin' Donuts
When I (Rob) visited New England to go to a Pet Expo the weekend of Sept. 17-18 Tom took care of our kids back home. One of the things I always have to do is visit with my brother Doug and his boys Brian and Scotty. So, they drove up to northern Massachusetts (since I was staying near NH for the event) and we had a fun dinner and took goofy pictures. That's what life is about. Having fun with the ones you love. 
   Of course we had to go to Dunkin' Donuts afterward for coffee. :) 
Scotty, Doug, Brian

Brian

Scotty Close up!


Sunday, September 25, 2016

What is the "Beagle Freedom Project"?

The Beagle Freedom Project is an organization that needs your help and was created in 2010 to make people aware that laboratories USE BEAGLES for product testing!

Every month, 90 beagles that are subject to testing are "discarded" - and the Beagle Freedom Project usually only saves a very few. I was told that these testing facilities actually break the back of the dogs to kill them. PLEASE HELP stop this insanity. 

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beaglefreedom/
Website: http://bfp.org/

Believe it or not, “there are nearly 70 thousand dogs in US labs right now, and 96% of them are beagles” explains Shannon Keith, President and Founder of BFP, adding that they “are the breed of choice because they are so gentle, docile and forgiving.” Aside from rescuing hundreds of dogs so far, the organization has pushed the passing of the Beagle Freedom Bill in four states.

VIDEO: Beagle Freedom Project rescued 40 beagles from a laboratory in Spain
On November 23, 2011, ARME's Beagle Freedom Project rescued 40 beagles from a laboratory in Spain where some had spent their entire lives. Others had come from other labs to the lab in Spain, only to be tested on in there. When we heard the lab was closing and the dogs would be killed, we stepped in and rescued them by flying them to Los Angeles, CA, to BFP Headquarters.

ABOUT THE BEAGLE FREEDOM PROJECT:
Beagle Freedom Project, founded in 2010, is a unique program run by the Los Angeles-based non-profit Animal Rescue, Media, and Education (ARME). Beagle Freedom Project negotiates with laboratories across the world to secure the release of dogs and other animals and give them a chance at a normal home life after everything they have endured for vanity and scientific curiosity.
The organization uses the rescues to draw public attention to the plight of animals languishing in labs and to promote cruelty-free lifestyle choices everyone can make. The beagles act as ambassadors who give faces to animal testing victims and remind the public that these animals are not just furry test-tubes, but dogs no different from their pets.
To date, Beagle Freedom Project has rescued over 500 beagles, mixed-breed hounds, cats, rabbits, ponies, pigs, goats, guinea pigs, rats, and even goldfish from laboratories. Beagle Freedom Project has given hope and homes to these research survivors in 35 states and 6 countries. Their stories of recovery have been covered extensively by local and national media, such as CNN, NBC Nightly News, HLN, The L.A. Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Yahoo! News, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and many more.
Beagle Freedom Project has an ambitious immediate and long-term agenda that is both political and pragmatic. The organization is working toward the release of more animals and an end to animal testing altogether.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Another Great Dixie Hemingway Pet Sitter's Mystery: Cat Sitter's Cradle

Cat Sitter's Cradle, is another great Dixie Hemingway Pet Sitter's Mystery. by Blaize and John Clement.

Since I (Rob) took the Amtrak train to Bridgeport, Connecticut to sell my books at the CT Pet Expo, I had time to read, and finished this great book really quickly. This is the 7th in the series. Unfortunately, Blaize Clement who created and wrote the Dixie Hemingway mysteries passed away either during or before this book was finished, but her son John is also a great writer and is listed as co-author. The characters were vivid and enjoyable.

The mystery was yet another that kept you guessing, and I love the Dixie Hemingway character. She's a 30 something widower, whose husband and young daughter were tragically killed by an elderly driver many years before and she resigned from her position as deputy in the town to become a pet sitter. She lives in an apt. over the house of Michael, her gay firefighter brother and his partner Paco, and undercover agent. She's trying to figure out her relationship with a local lawyer, too. Mix in murder, pets and other personalities and it's a great story.

BOOK SUMMARY: Dixie has built a nice, quiet life for herself in the sleepy town of Siesta Key, a sandy resort island off the coast of Florida. In fact, her pet-sitting business is going so well she's even taken on part-time help: Kenny, a handsome young surfer who lives alone in a rickety old houseboat. But things get a little messy when, on an early morning walk in the park with a client's schnauzer, Dixie makes a shocking discovery. Hidden among the leafy brambles is a homeless girl, alone and afraid, cradling a newborn baby in her arms.
Dixie takes the young girl under her wing, even though she's just been hired by Roy Harwick, the snarky executive of a multi-national oil company, to care for his equally snarky Siamese cat, Charlotte, along with his wife's priceless collection of rare, tropical fish. It's not long before Dixie stumbles upon a dead body in the unlikeliest of places, and soon she's set adrift in a murky and dangerous world in which no one is who they appear to be.

Friday, September 23, 2016

CT Pet Expo: Part 3: The Drunken Hotel Guests

In Part 3 of my (Rob) adventure to the CT Pet Expo, you'll learn about the craziness at the hotel where I stayed.
 
Over the weekend of Sept. 10-11, I went to Bridgeport, CT to give a talk about "Pets and the Afterlife" represent the DC Area Weimaraner Rescue,and sell my books. I stayed at the Holiday Inn on Main Street.

NICE HOTEL - The hotel is really nice. It's clean, comfortable, has a really nice lobby, a pool, a gym, and great staff. One of the front desk staff, and I don't remember his name, was really nice and answered questions and was extremely helpful. He was a younger, well-muscled African-American man. I wish I got his name so I could give him a good write up (It's important to compliment people who do a good job).    They even have a plain clothes security guard in the lobby who was very busy the night I came back from the Pet Expo.

THE CHOKER - As I was returning to the hotel after a great Italian dinner (at Ralph and Rich's where Tom and I got married, btw), there were firetrucks and an ambulance outside. Inside was a 40 year old (big) white guy with beat-red cheeks sitting in a chair surrounded by firemen. He apparently got drunk and choked on a steak (I heard it all standing in line for the front desk to ask where the gym was located). He refused the ambulance and just sat there.
  At the Front desk talking with the clerk was another guy trying to check in who was also watching and listening to that drama. Then MORE DRAMA...

THE SHIRTLESS DRUNK  - Minutes later a 20-something muscular young black man wearing no shirt (who was in really  good shape), and who was clearly drunk walked up to the front desk. He was accompanied by a very large friend (about 250+ pounds). The 20-something interrupted the desk clerk and said someone stole his shirt from the pool area. 
  Fortunately, the lobby security guard caught his attention and took him and his friend back to the pool area to look for the shirt.

THE ELEVATOR - After the two drunks were being attended to, I got in the elevator with the guy who was standing at the desk trying to check in, so we could go up to our respective floors. I said "That was quite a welcome to Bridgeport for you." He replied, "Yes, between the drunk in the chair and the shirtless guy parading around in the lobby..." and the elevator door opened on Floor 2 (where the pool was) and IN walked the shirtless guy (still shirtless) and his friend. The other guy I was talking to at the time turned red and put his head down. Fortunately, the two young drunk guys didn't hear him talking about them and got off on the next floor. 
   I have to wonder if a week later he's still walking around looking for his shirt!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

CT Pet Expo Adventure/ Photos: Part 2 the Expo!

An Australian Shepherd
In Part 2 of my (Rob) adventure to the CT Pet Expo, we'll give you
a bunch of pictures of attendees (well the dogs). 
Rob's table at the Expo
Two Bulldogs
   Over the weekend of Sept. 10-11, I took an Amtrak train up to Bridgeport, CT to the Connecticut Pet Expo to give a talk about "Pets and the Afterlife", represent the DC Area Weimaraner Rescue,and sell my books. 

This guy was a husky mix I was told
A 11 year old Dachshund that reminded me of Franklin
MY TALK- I had about 15 minutes to give an overview of the books from the main stage. I've been doing it so long I don't use notes and it went really well. In fact, most of the chairs were full, which was nice to see. Afterward, several people came over to me to share their stories or ask questions. One young couple, Eric and Emily had what appeared to be the happiest dog ever.


The DC Area Weimaraner part of the table
   There were a lot of great dogs and nice people there. This is a  pictorial of some of the dogs I met!



NEXT: The Craziness at the Hotel




Wednesday, September 21, 2016

CT Pet Expo Adventure: Part 1 - Amtrak

Banners for my book and the Weimaraner Rescue I put up
Over the weekend of Sept. 10-11, I (Rob) took an Amtrak train up to Bridgeport, CT to the Connecticut Pet Expo to give a talk about "Pets and the Afterlife", represent the DC Area Weimaraner Rescue, sell my books, and also pitch my friend Nadine Poper's children's books about Dachshunds (check them on Amazon). Tom stayed home with the kids, so they were in good hands.

A Basset Hound at the Expo
   AMTRAK - If there's a way to travel, Amtrak is a great way to go. Trains are usually on time (within 5 minutes) and are clean. I had no issues with the train rides. Just a couple of notes.
1) CUSHION EXPERIENCE - The seat in the front of the car where I sat (because I had a very heavy suitcase packed with books) was apparently a common seat used by heavy people, because there was ZERO padding left in it.  - When I later moved I found the cushion was supposed to be 3" thick, not 1/2" thick! :)
 2) PACK FOOD AND BOTTLED WATER- I packed crackers and cookies. Getting up when you travel alone is not a good idea because your luggage sits there. Fortunately, I also sat near the restroom end of the car.
3) NICE RIDE- From Baltimore to Bridgeport, Connecticut the ride was about 6 hours.
4) CONVENIENT - What was convenient about the Pet Expo is that it was 3 blocks from the Amtrak Station, so I walked with my suitcases (I had 2). The hotel was just another 4 blocks away, so that was also easy to walk to, and there were both a DUNKIN DONUTS and an Italian Restaurant called "Ralph and Rich's"  (best Italian food!) where Tom and I got married in 2009, btw. So it was all convenient.
Ralph and Rich's in Bridgeport Great Italian Food

- After I got off the train I went right to the expo and set up my booth. I checked in the hotel and then had a nice Italian dinner at Ralph and Rich's restaurant.  The next day was the Pet Expo.

NEXT: THE PET EXPO 

THEN: THE CRAZINESS AT THE HOTEL



 

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

For Dachshund and other dog Parents - A Back Bracer

Our 12 year old red, smooth Dachshund Franklin had back surgery in Sept. 2014 and could have benefited by a back brace to help keep his spine straight. Despite our rehab efforts his back side walks with a slight curve to the right. He still walks and chases squirrels and even runs.
Just recently (thanks to Facebook posts) we learned about something for all dachshunds AND other dogs who endure the back surgery. It's called "Lil Back Bracer."  They can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/LilBackBracer/.  
The Lil Back Bracer is a back brace designed for Dachshunds & other small dogs suffering from IVDD or other back problems. www.lilbackbracer.com
 **I read the reviews and they all rave about it, so after talking with our vet we're getting one for Franklin in hopes that it will help reduce the curvature of his spine near his rear end.
 The company is in Spokane, WA 99228 and can be reached by (855) 364-2225  Website:

Monday, September 19, 2016

Dog Collage Day!

Last week I decided to try and take some good pics of our three kids, Dolly, Franklin and Tyler. Here are all of the photos I took. Let me know which you think is best. 
#1

#3

#2

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8
#9


#10

#11

#12

Sunday, September 18, 2016

A Classic DC Comics Collection of Superman Team Ups

In the 1970s and 80s there were two series of comics I (Rob) loved more than anything- they were
team up comics. One featured Batman and any other superhero (or even a villain) as a guest star. That was called "The Brave and the Bold." The other featured Superman and another superhero. That was called "DC Comics Presents."
   In 2009, DC Comics Presents issues #1 through #26 were collected in one volume called "DC Showcase Presents" and they were reprinted in black and white for a really low price (between 17 and $20). Since I had sold or given away my DC Comics Presents collection somewhere along the last 30 years, I was excited to reclaim those stories and found them in this great issue.
   Some of the heroes Superman had in this include; The Red Tornado (one of my favorites), The Flash, Aquaman, Swamp Thing, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Adam Strange, Mr. Miracle, the Atom, Black Lightning, Firestorm, Batgirl, and many more.
  It's a classic collection with great stories and great characters and I'm looking forward to reading Volume 2 (which I have waiting for me).

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Fun Mystery! The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)

I (Rob) found a series of novels that involve two things I enjoy: Ghosts and mysteries. The series is called "A Haunted Bookshop Mystery" and it's  by Alice Kimberly (also known as Cleo Coyle who writes another fun series called "the Coffee House Mysteries.")
   I just read the first in the series called "The Ghost and Mrs. McClure" and it was really enjoyable. It kept you guessing. The characters were great. You come to love Penelope Thornton-McClure, the widowed young mom of an 8 year old, who co-runs a bookstore with her aunt Sadie. Penelope learns that she can actually hear the ghost of a detective who was murdered in the same shop back in the mid-1940s. The detective, Jack, speaks in 1940-lingo, and helps Penelope solve another murder.
   This was a really enjoyable first book, and I had previously read another in the series called "The Ghost and the Dead Deb" which was equally as enjoyable.
   SO, go get "The Ghost and Mrs. McClure." Since one of our good friends has the last name McClure, we're sending her this book. :)

Friday, September 16, 2016

Baltimore Comic-Con Pt 4: The Suicide Squad

In this final blog about the Baltimore Comic-Con, we're highlighting a group of attendees who made great costumes from the current movie "Suicide Squad."  While dressed as Green Lantern, I (Rob) love getting pics with others in costume. This was a treat.   Suicide Squad is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics antihero team of the same name.

WHAT IS  \THE SUICIDE SQUAD-  In Suicide Squad, a secret government agency led by Amanda Waller recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions and save the world from a powerful threat, in exchange for leaner sentences.

L to R: Green Lantern (Rob), Rick Flag, Katana, Enchantress, Harley Quinn, the Joker
WHO ARE THE SUICIDE SQUAD MEMBERS? - Ther  elite hitman Deadshot, former psychiatrist Harley Quinn, pyrokinetic ex-gangster El Diablo, opportunistic thief Captain Boomerang, genetic mutation Killer Croc, and specialized assassin Slipknot. They are placed under command of Colonel Rick Flag to be used as disposable assets in high-risk missions for the United States government. Each member has a nano bomb implanted in their neck, designed to detonate should any member rebel or try to escape. One of Waller's intended recruits is Flag's girlfriend Dr. June Moone, an archaeologist possessed by a witch-goddess known as the "Enchantress." The Joker was also in the the movie but not a member of the Squad. He's Harley Quinn's boyfriend!   Katana, pictured here in the group is also Not a member of the Squad - she's actually a japanese superhero who was brought in to help keep all the criminals in line. 

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Baltimore Comic-Con Pt 3: Batgirl, Green Lantern, Aquaman

Little Flash and GL
It's the third photo blog from my (Rob) fun at the  Baltimore Comic-con with Stacey and Tom R. (my Tom didn't go). Stacey went as Batgirl and I went as the Green Lantern. - One of the highlights was meeting a little guy dressed as the Flash!  
  We also met a handsome Aquaman who made his own armor.

GL and Aquaman
GREEN LANTERN - This Green Lantern was Hal Jordan, a test pilot who was given a power ring by a dying alien, Abin Sur, and who became a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar organization of police overseen by the Guardians of the Universe.

BATGIRL - Barbara Gordon in 1967, who later came to be identified as the iconic Batgirl. Depicted as the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon, she debuted in Detective Comics #359, titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" (1967) by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino. As Batgirl, the character operates primarily in Gotham City, allying herself with Batman and the original Robin, Dick Grayson
Stacey as Batgirl!





AQUAMAN - Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941. Aquaman was Arthur Curry, the son of Tom Curry, a lighthouse keeper, and Atlanna, a water-breathing outcast from the lost, underwater city of Atlantis. Due to his heritage, Aquaman discovers as a youth that he possesses various superhuman abilities, including the powers of surviving underwater, communication with sea life, and tremendous swimming prowess. Eventually, Arthur decided to use his talents to become the defender of the Earth's oceans

NEXT: the Suicide Squad at Comic-Con
 
GREEN LANTERN Movie Trailer from 2010 (and I loved this movie)  - https://youtu.be/8NWGl_A3b60
 














Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Baltimore Comic-Con Pt 2: A Creative Group of Heroes

This is part 2 of my (Rob) trip to Comic-Con over Labor Day weekend with our friends Stacey and Tom R. Stacey went as Batgirl and I went as the Green Lantern. Tom R. didn't dress up, and my Tom doesn't go. In this blog you'll meet a creative bunch of guys who didn't even mind going in drag as a hero!

LtoR: Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Old man, Aquaman Front), Robin, WonderWoman, Batgirl
GROUP #1:   Green Arrow, Old man, Aquaman, Robin, and Wonder Woman 
Although we didn't know who the guy was dressed as an old man with a white beard and hair, we did know the Green Arrow (check his TV show on the CW network), Aquaman, Robin and Wonder Woman were all on the 1970s/80s Super Friends Cartoon show  -and all appear in DC Comic books. 
We thought the guy that was brave enough to dress up as Wonder Woman deserved a special commendation. :) 


GROUP #2 - Superheroes seen on TV Shows on the CW Network!
L to R: GL, Supergirl, Superman, Green Arrow, Black Canary
SUPERGIRL is Superman's cousin from the Planet Krypton. She's younger that Superman. This series aired on CBS last season and introduced great supporting characters, including Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, Jonn Jonzz (the Martian Manhunter) and Win Schott (son of Superman's enemy the Toyman) and moved to the CW Network. This season it will also introduce Superman. 
Trailer: https://youtu.be/s3fzzslE4S8

ARROW (Green Arrow) - Green Arrow is a vigilante superhero who fights crime using archery, martial arts and technology. In his secret identity he is Oliver Queen, living in Star City as a wealthy playboy and billionaire industrialist turned outspoken socially-progressive politician.
Created by Mortimer Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. Click for his full bio.
BLACK CANARY - (a character on the TV show Arrow)  -
Black Canary is a superhero vigilante who fights crime using martial arts and a sonic scream attack. She is one of the greatest fighters in the DC Universe, and also a strong tactical mind. Her costume is an attractive black outfit with fishnet stockings and blonde hair, and she is usually seen riding her motorcycle. There have been two Canaries to share the legacy. Dinah Drake was the original during World War II and the Golden Age of heroes. Her daughter Dinah Lance would take the position during the Silver Age when she grew old enough. Green Arrow fights alongside her most often as they are romantically involved. She has been a member of the Justice Society, the Justice League, Team Arrow and the Birds of Prey. Black Canary was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, first appearing in Flash Comics #86. (1947) Her more recognizable daughter was introduced by Roy Thomas in Justice League of America #220. (1983)
Trailer: https://youtu.be/vQMwiKQ2EI8

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Baltimore Comic-Con Pt 1: Ghostbusters, Anime, The Flash

Ghostbusters with Stacey as Batgirl and Rob as Green Lantern
On Saturday, September 3, keeping with my (Rob) annual tradition, I went to Comic-Con in Baltimore. This year, my friends Stacey and Tom R. joined me for the fun, and Stacey dressed up as Batgirl, while I went (again) as the Green Lantern (Hal Jordan). This is part 1 of the photos, and I'll explain who the characters are that we posed with.

A creative anime character and rocket bunny


GHOST BUSTERS! - We met a quartet of ghostbusters with some impressive looking mechanical gear).

ANIME CHARACTER- We came across a young woman dressed as an anime character that none of us recognized. She had a cardboard rocket with a big bunny attached to it. If you know who it is, please let me know!  She actually came with a guy dressed as the FLASH, so of course, since the Flash is a superhero I love, I had to get a picture with him.

WHO IS THE FLASH? - If you haven't seen the BEST TV show ever currently on the CW network, get with it! The Flash is now going into season 3. He's been a comic book character since 1940. The first version of the Flash was a man named Jay Garrick who was also a member of the Justice Society of America. In the mid-50s, the character was revised as forensic scientist Barry Allen (1956–1985, 2008–present).
Rob as GL and the Flash!
 (The Flash is one of DC Comics' most popular characters and has been integral to the publisher's many reality-changing "crisis" storylines over the years. The original meeting of the Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick and Silver Age Flash Barry Allen in "Flash of Two Worlds" (1961) introduced the Multiverse storytelling concept to DC readers, which would become the basis for many DC stories in the years to come.)

Here's the trailer to Season 3 of the FLASH on the CW Network- Everything in Barry’s world has changed to become…Flashpoint. The Flash Season 3 premieres Tuesday, October 4th on The CW.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Pz8JSgMERiQ
 

NEXT: A CREATIVE GROUP OF HEROES















Who I am

I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob

A Classic Country Music Station to Enjoy