This ‘N That Thursday, The Video Edition

February 28, 2013 By Jodi

Once again we’re joining 2 Brown Dawgs blog for This ‘N That Thursday.

This ‘N That Thursday is for those times when you want to post about unrelated topics or each topic isn’t quite long enough to make up a whole post. It can be anything you want, so feel free to grab the button and join us!

Courtesy of 2 Brown Dawgs Blog

Rally Class

The Rally class Delilah and I were taking is over. While I would say we are a LONG way from stepping into a Rally ring, I did ask our instructor to record our run.

This was our second run and you’ll notice that all the errors are mine and not Delilah’s at all.

Since Ariane was holding the camera, she was kind enough not to correct me when I made a mistake. 🙂

In a competition Rally Ring competitors are allowed to walk through the course without their dogs. This really helps you get an idea of what’s expected from you.

In the classroom setting, the option wasn’t available so we just had to wing it. Thankfully we weren’t getting scored (or timed) for this.

Sampson

Sampson is an attention ~~whore~~ hog. He love, love, loves getting his rubbies and is always trying new and different ways to get attention.

So when I looked down at him on Tuesday night and noticed the desqueaked squeaker in his mouth,

Well, I couldn’t help it, I just had to take a video.

BlogPaws

Yesterday BlogPaws announced the 2nd Annual Nose to Nose Social Media and Pet Blogging Awards. Until next Friday (March 8th) you can nominate your favorite blogs in 12 different categories, winners will be announced at the BlogPaws Conference in May.

I don’t know about you, but I’m making my list and will be making my nominations this weekend. 🙂

So what did you think? Not too bad for our first Rally run, right?

What’s Yours Is Mine

February 18, 2013 By Jodi

A few weeks back we had quite a discussion about using photos from the internet as well as from fellow bloggers.

I’ll be the first one to tell you that I don’t make the extra effort to protect my photos with a copyright mark. I have a copyright caveat at the bottom of the blog and that’s as far as it goes.

This isn’t a hugely popular blog with tens of thousands of readers so I don’t worry too much about someone stealing my work.

Besides, how easy is it to take a photo and cut a copyright out?

No, this isn’t Delilah, this is Freighter from the 2 Brown Dawgs blog. The blog information was in the grass just below Freighter’s feet. I cut it out. (This photo was used with permission from 2 Brown Dawgs.)

The whole copyright issue dawned on me this past Follow-Up Friday when Beth said, “So if I understand, what you did was just add the copyright line in text on the photo? I get that…in fact, I’ve figured out how to do it with Pixlr, which i think is similar to PicMonkey…So I should just add text to any photos I post on the blog and that will deter unauthorized borrowing.”

Except that I’ve just shown you how easy that is to get around, right?

I think what you need to do to protect your photos, is to add a watermark to it.

Dictionary.com defines watermark as “A figure or design impressed in some paper during manufacture, visible when the paper is held to the light.”

The obvious solution is to add your text to your photo in a place where it can’t be cropped out.

Nobody would want to gank this photo, would they? But it does take the cuteness factor down.

If we manipulate the text, we can add it, but make it so faint, it’s hardly discernible. Can you see the mark? Hint: it’s right across the top of Sampson’s head, between his ears. (I could probably have gone a bit darker.)

Now the question becomes, is it really necessary to take this type of precaution with our photos?

And to go a step farther, what about our words?

During that discussion many weeks back the term “Creative Commons” was mentioned by Lexy from Gone For a Walk and Pamela at Something Wagging This Way Comes.

If you don’t know what Creative Commons is, quite simply it’s your permission for how others can use your work. I took some time yesterday and added a Creative Commons button to my side-bar.

My Creative Commons says any of my photos or words can be used Non-Commercially as long as you give me credit.

Is it too easy? Or am I too trusting? What types of precautions do you take with your precious work?

Co-Hosted Follow-Up Friday

February 15, 2013 By Jodi

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Co-Hosted Follow Up Friday Blog hop, the blog hop that let’s you wrap up your week and leads you right into the weekend.

~~I suckered a new one in~~ My co-hostess this week is new to our FUF blog hop. She’s a frequent commenter on this blog and reminds me in many ways of myself, as she can sometimes be technically challenged. 🙂

She has two mellow pups (Callie and Shadow) and one slightly demonic one (Ducky.)

She’s living the Golden Life in South Carolina.

Any guesses?

It’s Sue from the Golden Life!! Welcome Sue and thanks for co-hosting today!

A Walk in the Blizzard, Doot, Doot, Doot and Monday Mischief – Updates

We sure got a lot of snow, and it took all of Saturday and a good part of Sunday to get us cleared out. But we were back to normal by Sunday evening, with just a lot of extra snow. Other areas of CT were not so lucky.

I’ve heard stories of people who took to the streets with their snow blowers in their neighborhoods just to get cleared out.

I am not complaining about how my town handled the snow removal, they have (IMO) done a wonderful job.

Many schools have been closed for the entire week, because they all have flat roofs and officials are concerned about the roof collapsing, indeed I’ve heard there have been 18 collapsed roofs in the state.

Once the snow has been removed from the roads, the bigger issue becomes where can they put it?

Thankfully we’ve had some decently warm days this week and the snow is melting. I have high hopes of getting into our park this weekend. 🙂

I am however ready for the closed announcements to stop running across the bottom of my TV screen.

Frosty Blog Paws – Update

Well Blogpaws announced it on their website yesterday, I guess I can’t get out of it now. 😉

I just want to let you all know that I will be sharing the presentation after the conference. I would expect most of the information I’ll be presenting will be old hat to you pros, but I will share it anyway.

I did try to respond to every comment, but wanted to single this comment from Leslie out, “PS – any chance you’ll be bringing the pups to BP?”

Please see the photo under Let’s Pretend. 🙂

Hop Along – Update

Here’s the photo with my caption:

Be a love and hold my bone for me, I missed out on the opposable thumbs.

Let’s Pretend – Author’s Note

Beth asked to please share what others are using for photo editing. The free ones mentioned were Pic Monkey and Visualizer Photo downsizer.

I checked both of these programs out. Visualizer looks to be just a photo resizer. I didn’t spend any time with it. (If I’m wrong, please let me know!)

Pic Monkey had lots of cool features to play around with. When I say I quickly did this picture I mean quickly. There was no frustration on my part, it was simple and easy to use. No tears, swearing or anything!

I did this in a matter of minutes.

What I really loved about this is I did not have to open an account, although the option was there. There were all kinds of effects, borders, themes for modifying pictures, the only tool I didn’t see offered was a free style tool to actually draw on the photo. Maybe that’s offered with an account, I don’t know.

Any of you Pic Monkey users know?

Seriously though Leslie, I am planning on bringing Sampson to BlogPaws, although if I can get some likes on my facebook page, that’s a bonus! 😉 I will probably write a post about that, but that’s for another day.

This is the Co-Hosted Follow Up Friday Blog Hop, brought to you by The Golden Life and Heart Like a Dog. Follow-up Friday

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Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

This ‘N That Thursday, The Video Edition

What’s Yours Is Mine

Co-Hosted Follow-Up Friday