Pedal Pushing Pooches (Dogs can Drive)!

            
-By: Brittany Reid

Dogs have been man’s best friends for centuries.  They have operated as hunters, security guards, and service dogs for those who are handicapped.  So, what’s the next step for our canine companions?  How about seeing these furry, four-legged creatures driving next to us on the highway?  Well, it’s highly possible!  According to recent studies conducted just this week, it has been proven that dogs have the ability to drive! 

            New Zealand’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) recently rescued three abandoned pups and spent two months training them on how to operate buttons and gear shifts similar to that of a car.  Monty (an 18-month-old giant schnauzer), Porter (a 10-month-old beardie cross), and Ginny (a 1-year-old whippets cross), were the lucky pups chosen to take part in this experiment.  After mastering the control of various buttons and levers, the animals were put behind the wheel of a specially designed test vehicle to practice what they had learned during training.  Then, the dogs were taken to a wide field for a rehearsal run.  There, they garnered worldwide recognition when footage of the rehearsal made headline news on renowned networks like CNN.  This Monday, the dogs were taken to the racetracks for their official solo performances.  Monty and Porter’s successful test runs were broadcasted live on New Zealand’s 3 News TV station.  Ginny’s test was not aired.

(Highlights of Porter's test shown below)

            The purpose behind this experiment was to increase promotion for adopting dogs from rescue shelters by showing that they are highly capable of being trained and tamed.  Many people opt to purchase well-bred dogs when the rescued ones are in need of a home too.  All it takes is a lot of Tender Loving Care, along with patience, and they can do anything (like drive a stick-shift)!  But the possibilities of how this could directly affect our society are endless!  Dogs already aid humans by performing duties such as leading the blind and sniffing out drugs for law enforcement.  Could you imagine them driving around the visually impaired or taking part in a high-speed chase alongside their human police-partners? …okay, so maybe that is a stretch.  But hey, after Mishka the Talking Husky went viral showing that dogs can imitate human sound, just about anything is possible!  The world may be “going to the dogs” a lot sooner than we think!
            So the next time you’re training your pooch to “sit,” “speak,” “roll-over,” or “play-dead,” you may want to start adding the phrases “drive,” “turn,” “put it in neutral,” and “park,” to your list of dog-commands!


For more information about the SPCA and their efforts to encourage the adoption of abandoned canines, visit their Facebook page here: DrivingDogs.

DEXTER’S RUDE REMOVAL: THE LOST EPISODE…FOUND!

By: Brittany L. Reid

“Enter at your own peril, past the vaulted door where impossible things may happen that the world’s never seen before!”


            You know this infamous phrase.  This is the first line to the ending theme for Cartoon Network's classic animated series, Dexter's Laboratory.  But, did you know there is an episode of this cartoon that showcases Dexter and his sister, Dee Dee, as you've NEVER seen them before....LITERALLY?!  Recently there has been a bevy of activity online about an unaired, “lost episode” of Dexter’s Laboratory entitled, “Dexter’s Rude Removal.”  But “rude” would be putting it lightly.  Apparently this episode is so vulgar that it would make a sailor blush.
            Research indicates that the episode features Dexter performing an experiment that goes horribly wrong due to Dee-Dee’s interference (so what else is new, right)?  The result is the creation of devilish personalities who cause chaos, and whose language rivals that of South Park!  This particular cartoon was created to be viewed by those who were 18 years of age or older at special events.  There are accounts that the episode once aired at a Californian comic convention in the late 90s.  However, this was the only time that the taboo episode ever went public…until now!
            In October, there was an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit.com that was hosted by Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of Dexter’s Laboratory.  During the session, someone made a post questioning if “Dexter’s Rude Removal would ever see the light of day again.  Mr. Tartakovsky (account name- iamgenndytartakovsky) confirmed its existence, and there was an online movement via Tumblr, Twitter, and a multitude of other social media sites urging for a public release of this episode.  It wasn’t long before Adult Swim, the late night programming block on Cartoon Network, picked up on the fans’ pleas.
            The block went to work updating its viewers on progress with obtaining the episode and somehow getting it to air.  Their hard work paid off!  According to one of the network’s recent late night bumps (title cards shown between commercials), they will be broadcasting Dexter’s “lost” episode on the Internet sometime this week.  The announcement that Adult Swim aired is shown below.

 So adult fans of the show should keep a sharp eye out for this debut!  

…But, make sure you keep your kiddies or little siblings out of the room!  Needless to say, “viewer discretion is advised.”