Hop on pop's bandwagon, and wish him a Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day from your friends at the Dog Denizens of Genesee Park (DDGP)!

Americans first celebrated Father's Day in Fairmont, WV on July 5, 1908. Seven months earlier, 210 men -- all fathers -- perished in a mining disaster in Monongah, WV. Organizer Grace Golden Clayton sought to honor the dead paternal familiaris, and chose a date closest to her own father's birthday. Few, though, paid the event -- too close to Independence Day -- too much attention. Clayton's holiday was "one and done." Two years later, Spokane resident Sonora Dodd created her own Father's-Day-themed celebration. Congress entertained legislation to create a federal holiday honoring fathers. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson came to Spokane to promote a federal Father's Day. However, Congress -- supposedly fearing Hallmark-style commercialization -- demurred. Although President Calvin Coolridge recommended a national holiday in 1924, he did not issue a federal proclamation.

The fathers of America -- unlike the mothers in the country -- went unrecognized and unheralded for another three decades. In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith rebuked her congressional colleagues for failing to honor fathers thereby "(singling) out only one of our two parents." Federal recognition would come almost a decade later when President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a federal proclamation in 1966 that designated the third Sunday in June as a holiday honoring American fathers. In 1972 President Richard M. Nixon signed into law legislation that created Father's Day.

If you're grilling steaks for dad, fix him a cocktail -- provided that a doctor and/or judge hasn't prohibited him from imbibing. The Bourbon Sidecar is a whisky cocktail that will whet Dad's appetite while he snacks on Ruffles and onion dip.

Bourbon Sidecar

2 oz. bourbon

1 oz. triple sec

1½ oz. lemon juice

Combine the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice.

Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.

A three-day weekend generates human stupidity

Maybe it's the relatively warm Seattle weather or the three-day Memorial Day weekend. Or maybe human stupidity runs year-round.

People in town don't seem to understand that the leash law applies to them and their canines. Within a span of five minutes around 12:15 pm, we saw two instances in which people hurriedly leashed up their dogs as they walked along the path in Mount Baker Park. Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 9.25.084(a), Offenses Related to Animal Control says that it is unlawful for an owner to "permit any animal, except cats and pigeons, "to be at large or trespass upon the property of another." SMC 9.25.020(E) defines "at large" as "a dog or other animal inside the city of Seattle, off the premises of the owner, and not under control of a leash of eight feet in length or shorter."

Did you catch the conjunction in the definition of "at large"? It's not enough to maintain your animal under your control if the dog is unleashed.

But the brunt of our disdain will be heaped upon the thoughtless and stupid owner who left two tiny dogs -- a long-haired Chihuahua mix and a miniature Doberman -- "tied" to a sign pole on South McClellan Street between 36th Avenue South and South Mount Baker Boulevard. My own leashed dog and I passed your two pooches as we went for our stroll. The flimsy leash that you used to tether both dogs broke loose, and the Chihuahua mix scampered off in the direction. Although you emerged in a couple of minutes, the time seemed like an eternity. I didn't know if your dog would venture in the path of traffic -- cars, sport utility vehicles, the #14 Metro bus -- on McClellan. You said that you were "watching" and were "in the store"... a place locals call the Mioposto Restaurant.''

Selfish, careless lady, what the hell were you thinking?

I don't care if you were dining on roasted beet salad or picking up a Fungo Straginole pizza to take home. You had no business taking your dogs along on the field trip. Situated in a restaurant, you had no control of your dogs -- and less so than the others who tether their dogs to the bike rack next to the restaurant. Don't think your indiscretion is a big deal? SMC 9.25.081(f) characterizes animal cruelty as to "tether or confine any animal in such a manner or in such a place as to cause injury or pain or not amounting to first degree animal cruelty defined in RCW (Revised Code of Washington) 16.52.205."

They're playing your song, lady.

Remember to tell your mama 'Happy Mother's Day"

Happy Mother's Day from your friends at the Dog Denizens of Genesee Park (DDGP)!

An acquaintance confided that Mother's Day -- celebrated on the second Sunday in May -- caught her by surprise. The confusion is understandable given that we celebrated Easter a couple Sundays ago and the weather is more appropriate for March Madness than the Kentucky Derby.

A brief recap on the history of Mother's Day. In 1914, Congress passed a Joint Resolution establishing the second Sunday in May as "Mother's Day" to acknowledge the roles of American women in nuclear families. Anna Jarvis, who made it her life's work to establish a holiday honoring mothers, opposed the inevitable path to commercialization. "I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit," she said. Jarvis decried the purchase of greeting cards as "a poor excuse for the letter that you are too lazy to write."

If you have invited Mom to brunch, impress her with a Mimosa (provided that neither you nor the maternal familiaris are barred by your doctor and/or attorney from consuming alcohol).

Mimosa

¾ c. sparkling wine (champagne)

¼ c. orange juice

It doesn't get any easier -- three parts sparkling wine to one part orange juice. Pour drink into flute. Garnish with orange twist, strawberry, maraschino cherry, or mint leaves, etc.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day from your friends at the Dog Denizens of Genesee Park (DDGP)!

As holiday aficionados will tell you, Americans celebrate Earth Day to foster awareness and appreciation of our environment and its resources. We could wax about the importance of saving the planet... our we could pay homage to the classic rhythm and blues (R&B) funk band, Earth Wind & Fire (EWF).

Drummer Maurice White named the group for three of the elements of earth, wind and fire. EWF achieved notice when it recorded the soundtrack to Melvin Van Peebles' 1971 movie, Sweet Sweetback's Baadassssss Song. Although EWF became a favorite amongst college campus, all members except White and his brother Verdine left the band.

White retooled the band, which recorded Top-30 hits "Evil" and "Keep Your Head to the Sky". EWF performed at the California Jam, a West Coast jazz festival, in 1974 and played on pianist Ramsey Lewis' Sun Goddess album.

EWF's That's the Way of the World, which Billboard magazine lauded as "a very tightly performed and produced package," generated title hit "That's the Way of the World" and "Shining Star". The group's concerts turned show business on its ear with pyrotechnics, lasers and illusions. EWF spit out hits throughout the late 1970s with "Getaway", "Saturday Night", "Serpentine", "Fantasy", "Got to Get You Into My Life", "September" and "Boogie Wonderland". Released in November 1979, the Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 went quintuple platinum in sales.

EWF went techno in the 1980s and released hits "Let's Groove" and "Wanna Be With You". Although White produced albums for Barbra Streisand, Cher and his own solo endeavor in the 1980s, EWF continued to record albums through the millennium. The band was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Happy Pet Parents Day!

Happy Pet Parents Day from your friends at the Dog Denizens of Genesee Park (DDGP)!

An insurance company selected April 17 as "Pet Parents Day" to honor the contributions of human owners to their animals. If your dog, cat, pygmy goat or hamster hasn't purchased you a gift, flowers or card, here's a chance for you to remedy the situation. You won't want to invest in an iPhone 4 - particularly since the iPhone 5 will be released this summer - but there are plenty of presents that you can still purchase... baubles, bangles and beads. Or a five-iron.

New Mariners season, same tepid bats

The start of the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) doesn't look different from the conclusion of last year's campaign for the feckless Seattle Mariners. Thus far -after last night's embarrassing 12-3 home opener against the Cleveland Indians - the Mariners are tied for last place in the American League (AL) West race with a 2-5 record.

This time last year Mariners expected a lot after Mariners general manager "Trader Jack" Zdruiencik signed Chone Figgins and traded for Cy Young winner Cliff Lee and problematic Milton Bradley. We entered this season with a patchwork team made up of little-known-and-forgotten players (Jack Cust, Miguel Olivo, Adam Kennedy and Josh Bard). Few hold hopes that the Mariners will climb out of the AL West cellar. Is it surprising given that Seattle Mariners Owner Hiroshi Yamauchi hasn't demanded the termination of Chief Executive Officer Howard Lincoln and President Chuck Armstrong? The "Howie and Chuckie Story" continues unfettered despite minimal success and one of the more generous payrolls in MLB.

Regardless of whom you blame - there are so many guilty parties - the Mariners leadership is little more than a, tail-tugged-between-the-legs, hang-dog operation. There's little to celebrate until Big Changes to this chopped-ham-spread organization. What is deviled ham... a combination of ground ham and spices. Perfect for this team.

Deviled ham spread

• 4½ oz. deviled ham
• 1 tbsp. onion
• 1/3 c. mayonnaise
• 1/3 c. mustard
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• ½ salt
• ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ c. finely diced celery
• 6 hard-cooked eggs

Mince the onion and chopped the eggs.

Mix mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and onion into a large bowl.

Stir in salt and lemon juice.

Add celery, eggs, and ham, Blend thoroughly.

Happy Birthday... from the 'hood

Happy Birthday to our friend across the street, aka Biff and Zeke's mom... from your friends at the Dog Denizens of Genesee Park (DDGP)!

As the party planner of the block, you have achieved Pamela Harriman status in our 'hood as the "hostess with the mostest." We toast your birthday with a Pomegranate wine spritzer.

And tell Biff and Zeke that they owe as a column!

Pomegranate wine spritzer

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon Grenadine
• 2 cups Prosecco
• ¾ cup pomegranate juice

Combine lime juice, Grenadine, Prosecco and pomegranate juice in a large pitcher. Serve in large glasses filled with ice. Garnish with mint leaves or citrus slice.

Make your voice heard if you want to keep your dog parks

The City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting two public meetings to gather public input about the future spending on municipal facilities. The Citizens for Off Leash Areas (COLA) is asking people who use the off-leash parks to speak out. The department is drawing up a five-year plan that will determine how city monies will be spent on "preserving and developing public outdoor recreation facilities, including parks, trails, and boating facilities."

The soccer, baseball, pee-wee football, basketball, skateboard, hiking, Ultimate Frisbee, flag football, rowing, community garden, and motor boating lobbies will make their case. Competition for dollars will be tight with the municipal, county, state and federal budget deficits. Here's your opportunity to state your case if you want to see off-leash areas preserved or expanded:

http://seattle.gov/parks/Publications/DevelopmentPlan.htm

Let the March Madness begin

Congratulations to the University of Washington Huskies men's basketball team, which captured the Pacific-10 Conference Championship and earned a seventh-seed in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) tournament!

The Huskies will take on the University of Georgia Bulldogs Friday evening during first-round, March Madness action in Charlotte, NC.

If you want to embrace the cuisine of the host city, you might want to cook up part of a pig for a Carolina pulled pork sandwich. Thought that Carolina barbecue was mustard-based, which seems to run common in South Carolina.

Pulled Pork

• 1½ to 2½ pound pork shoulder roast
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon celery salt
• Pinch of ground cinnamon (about 1/8-tsp)
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup water
• Cider vinegar and Tabasco sauce to taste.

Brown roast in a small amount of fat, then place in large baking or roasting pan.

Add salts, cinnamon, vinegar, ketchup, chili powder, nutmeg, sugar and water in a saucepan, and bring to boil. Pour mixture over pork roast.

Cover pork with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven at 40 minutes per pound. Occasionally baste with drippings.

Transfer pork roast to cutting board. Remove meat - which should be tender - from the bone. Chop or shred the meat into small pieces. Season pork to taste with cider vinegar, Tabasco sauce. Serve hot atop a bun.... brioche, whole-grain, potato, etc.

Woof, woof!

No longer vegan... another reason to celebrate your birthday

Happy Birthday to our friend in Pierce County!

We know that you won't go culinary crazy with Duck Confit or Beef Bourginon. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't celebrate with some form of dairy... a medium cheddar, sour cream or a pint of Breyer's mint chocolate chip.

How about a queso dip... a gooey Mexican concoction of cheese and chiles? Television commercials will tell you merely to combine Velveeta -- a "processed cheese product" -- and a can of Rotel tomatoes zapped in the microwave. You can do better.

Roasted Anaheim Queso

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups milk (cooks will tell you to use whole milk, but you're likely to add 1% or 2% milk. No Soy Joy)
• 12 oz. grated Monterrey Jack cheese
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 large grilled or roasted Anaheim chiles, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper.

Melt butter on medium-sized saucepan at medium heat. Add flour and cook for one minute. Add milk and whisk until the roux is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add chiles. Stir in chiles, cilantro, salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Serve queso with blue, white or yellow tortilla chips.

Plus, a cocktail is definitely in order, perhaps the Lemon Cosmopolitan martini. Like you, it's kinda free, kinda wow.

Lemon Cosmopolitan Martini

• 2 oz. Absolut vodka
• 1 oz. Cointreau
• 1 oz. cranberry juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into martini glass.

Garnish with lemon twist.

A belated Happy Birthday, Jersey... it's not like anybody reads this blog

A belated Happy Birthday to our friend in Jersey. We conveyed our Facebook greetings and sent a gift your way. Yet we neglected to -- in Tony Soprano-speak -- "show our respects" by communicating our best wishes via Dog Denizens of Genesee Park (DDGP). Yes, you'd probably say, Fuggetaboutit.

It's never too late to party, as the pundits tell us that "life is a cabaret, old chum." We scoured the 'net for a cocktail recipe that reflects your 1980s sensibilities, and found the Fuzzy Navel. It's sweet, simple and sublime.

While you sip a Fuzzy Navel, surf the 'net for the latest dish on Brat-Packer-gone-really-wrong Carlo Irwin Estevez (aka Charlie Sheen), the self-described "rock star from Mars." When you think of Charlie -- if you must at all -- remember the promising young actor who starred in Wall Street, Young Guns and Hot Shots! Part Deux -- and not the raving lunatic who earns $1.8 million per episode for Two and a Half Men.

Is life fair? Think of the wisdom imparted by a former podmate, who once opined, "Fair only comes once a year."

Fuzzy Navel

• 1½ oz. Peach Schnapps
• Orange juice

Mix Peach Schnapps and orange juice in a highball glass filled with ice.

Stir.

First in the White House and the heart of a nation...

Happy President's Day from your friends at the Dog Denizens of Genesee Park (DDGP)!

While many Americans today salute the men who have occupied the White House, the DDGP pays homage to the canines who resided at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, was quoted as saying, "IF you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." Given the vitriolic tone of today's political debate, Man's Best Friend is needed in the nation's capital now more than ever.

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), George Washington was "not only the father of our nation, but father of the American foxhound." Washington developed the American foxhound by carefully breeding imported English foxhounds and French foxhounds, which were gifts from the Marquis de Lafayette. The kennel included dogs named Drunkard, Tipsr, Tipier, Scentwell, Sweet Lips and Vulcan.

While occupying the White House Theodore Roosevelt owned a variety of breeds, including a Saint Bernard, Pekingese and terriers of bull, rat and Manchester breeds.

In the 1940s, rumors spread that Fala, a Scottish terrier belonging to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was inadvertently left behind in the Aleutian Islands during a visit by the commander and chief. Rumor had it that Roosevelt -- during World War II -- reportedly sent a ship back to retrieve Fala. When the members of the Fourth Estate howled, Roosevelt shot back: "You can criticize me, my wife and my family, but you can't criticize my dog. He's Scotch and all these allegations about spending all this money has made his little soul furious." The pundits labeled this retort the "Fala speech".

As a vice-presidential candidate, Richard Nixon came under fire for alleged financial proprieties. With his place on the ticket with Dwight D. Eisenhower, Nixon took a page out of the Fala playbook and delivered a 30-minute speech on national television in which he addressed the allegations. Nixon concluded the political ad with an anecdote about a "black and white spotted" cocker spaniel that a supporter shipped from Texas to Washington, D.C. The daughters named the pooch Checkers. "As you know, the kids like all kids love the dog and I just want to say this right now that regardless of what they say we're gonna keep it." The so-called "Checkers speech" saved Nixon's nomination.

Checkers was long gone when Nixon assumed the presidency in 1969. During his tenure in the White House, Nixon had three dogs: Irish setter King Timahoe, poodle Vicki and Pasha the terrier.

A few quick items about Presidential dogs:

• President John F. Kennedy owned several dogs, including Pushinka, the offspring of Soviet dog cosmonaut Steika.
• President Lyndon B. Johnson, Kennedy's Vice President and Oval Office successor, shared the White House with several beagles. Two hounds -- Him and Her -- were featured on the cover of Life magazine in 1964. Johnson generated negative publicity when -- in the presence of reporters and photographers -- he picked up the beagles by their ears.
• President Gerald Ford, the only Commander and Chief not elected by the Electoral College, kept Liberty the golden retriever. Liberty may have proven the most popular aspect of the Ford presidency.
• President Ronald Reagan exiled his Bouvier des Flandres Lucky to the family ranch. Lucky loved to chase members of the alleged biased elite media, and was deemed too large to live in the White House. The Reagans replaced Lucky with a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Rex.
• President George H.W. Bush's Springer spaniel wrote Millie's Book As Dictated to Barbara Bush. (Minimum bids for the book start at 99 cents on eBay.) The Roanoke Times proclaimed Millie "the most famous dog in White House history." In a speech during his 1992 re-election campaign, Bush proclaimed, "My dog Millie knows more about foreign affairs than those two bozos." The "two bozos" Bush referenced were opponents Bill Clinton and Al Gore, who defeated Bush and Dan Quayle in November 1992.
• President Bill Clinton needed a friend in late 1997 when the sex scandal with White House intern Monica Lewsinky broke. Clinton adopted a chocolate lab for whom he named after his great-uncle Henry Orem "Buddy" Grisham.
• President George W. Bush owned Scottish terrier Barney, who generated headlines after he bit a Reuters reporter. In his book State of Denial: Bush at War, author Bob Woodward reported that Bush said, "I will not withdraw (from Iraq) even (First Lady) Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me."
• President Barack Obama kept a campaign promise to his daughters when the family adopted Portuguese water dog named Bo. The family chose the hypo-allergenic breed to accommodate daughter Malia's allergies. Bo was a gift from Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, an aficionado of Portuguese water dogs.

Are you suffering from brain freeze?

It was about 42 degrees outside at 6:45 pm. What better way to observe the mini cold snap than to roll down the back right window of your decade-old Jaguar. We watched with disbelief as your fluffy frou frou dog leaned out of the vehicle as you traveled southbound on 38th Avenue South and crossed South Genesee Street.

Lady, what the hell were you thinking?

If Fluffy flew out of your vehicle, you might not have noticed... until the back right wheel of your so-suburban-chic sedan rolled over your pooch. For somebody who seems bent on making fashionable impressions, you don't seem to realize that bright-red blood stains don't wash out of silky white canine.

For the love of God, people, maintain some sense of restraint when you travel with your dog.

Program alert: Westminster Kennel Club competition

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! Well, not quite.

The Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) dog show returns to Madison Square Garden next week for a competition that draws an elite group of 2,500 canines. With no presumptive favorites this year's competition is rife for an unknown to snag the "Best in Show" title.

One could spend Valentine's Day eating out for one of those overpriced "romantic" meals (scallop carpaccio with squash vinaigrette, beef tenderloin with portobello mushrooms and orzo risotto, chocolate lover's lava cake with raspberry sorbert). Or one could settle down in front of the television with the family Shiba Inu and a bucket of chicken to watch the self-proclaimed "America's dog show":

Monday, February 14

Hound, toy, non-sporting and herding groups

8 pm to 9 pm EST, USA Network

9 pm to 11 pm EST, CNBC

Tuesday, February 15

Sporting, working and terrier groups, Best in Show.

8 pm to 11 pm EST, USA Network

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org

It's February... Happy New Year!

新年快乐 from your friends at the Dog Denizens at Genesee Park (DDGP)!

Chúc mừng năm mới!

New Year? you might be wondering. Didn't we do that last month? It's post-Groundhog Day.

Whether you call it Lunar New Year or Tet, the occasion allows for cleaning out homes of bad luck, paying debts, purchasing new clothes and resolving differences with family and friends. Tet celebrants usher in the New Year with the Le Tru Tich celebration at midnight (Giao Thao) that includes fireworks. The popping sounds that you heard at midnight weren't gunfire in the Rainier Valley.

If you choose to celebrate with a libation, why not go old school with the Singapore Sling? Created in 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boom (嚴崇文), a bartender at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel Singapore, the Sling combines gin, fruit juice, French and Danish liqueurs.

Singapore Sling

• 3 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1½ oz. gin
• ¼ oz. fresh lime juice
• ½ oz. cherry Heering
• ¼ oz. Bénédictine
• ¼ oz. Cointreau
• Dash of bitters
• Pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry

Combine pineapple juice, gin, lime juice, Heering, Bénédictine and biters into a cocktail shaker.

Shake (duh).

Strain ingredients into a highball glass.

Garnish with pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry.

You could watch 300-pound linemen... or you could watch puppies

Maybe you don't want to spend Sunday evening watching glandular cases chasing each other across the artificial turf. Or the accumulation of three hours of advertisements (remember when Super Bowl commercials constituted legitimate entertainment?).

Then, Puppy Bowl VII is for you. In its offering of counter-programming, Animal Planet will air two-hour broadcasts of Puppy Bowl VII. The annual broadcast features a roster of puppies adopted from shelters, water-bowl cams, a referee, rabbit cheerleaders and the dreary Bissell kitty halftime show. This year's innovation includes a "kiss cam".

Puppy Bowl VII airs in two-hour loops on Animal Planet beginning at noon PST.

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl

Collie claims another triumph over NOAA: "He's never wrong"

The thermostat hit 57 degrees, and the meteorologists predict a high of 59 degrees tomorrow. Although it's only late January, it might as well be spring.

Surprised? You shouldn't be... if you had listened to weather prognosticator O'Doul the Weather Collie.

While the experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned of a La Niña winter and record snowfall in the Pacific Northwest, weather prognosticator O'Doul offered a different forecast. As his fans recall, O'Doul predicts the severity of the winter by the shedding of his spring coat. The heavier the shedding, the harsher the winter. Back in November, O'Doul experienced hair loss that contradicted NOAA.

Mount Baker resident Tony, O'Doul's official spokesperson, said the collie has experienced only "average" shedding this winter.

"They were wrong, we were right," Tony said. "(O'Doul)'s never wrong."

Celebrate by washing your car, cleaning out your Smokey Joe barbecue and grilling a few burgers. Or -- if you're a die-hard, Seattle vegan -- some soy patties.