Hoagie The Dog

Hoagie The Dog
These are the views of Hoagie The Dog

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Monkey Still at Large

Apparently, all of the animals that escaped from the wildlife refuge in Ohio have been captured or killed up to this point.  All except one - the monkey.  One article suggests that there were 3 monkeys loose in the streets, but the other two have been caught and sent to the zoo.  The monkey remains at large.

By now, I imagine that The Monkey has acquired a disguise and has possibly assumed a new identity.  Perhaps he is now taking on the appearance of a lonely drifter.  I'm sure that The Monkey is following my blog - by sneaking into Internet cafes and logging on - unrecognized because of his shrewd disguise (flannel shirt, baggy pants, non-descript baseball hat pulled down over his eyes, sunglasses, unshaven monkey face).  And thus, I must send The Monkey a message.  My message is simple - "Come to me, you monkey!"  I - Hoagie The Dog - am willing to help. 

Not only will I make my backyard available to you on a temporary basis until you get back on your feet, you see, Monkey, I am very connected and I will be able to make introductions to important people for you.  These people can, in turn, open doors for you and create opportunities for you similar to the ones that have been created for me - Hoagie The Dog.  Your story of escape and triumph could be translated into a book deal, a cable TV movie, and eventually a talk show.  But you have to come forward, you monkey.

Of course, per industry standard, I will retain 20% of all future earnings from deals and endorsements.  Entertainment Agent Hoagie.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Caution: Exotic Animals on Loose in Ohio

Wild animals are on the loose in Zanesville, Ohio after a man who housed more than 50 such animals, including lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, giraffes, camels and bears, set them free before killing himself.  Flashing signs along area highways told motorists, "Caution exotic animals" and "Stay in vehicle."  An official said Wednesday that a mountain lion, grizzly bear and monkey were the only animals still running loose.

You can keep the mountain lion and the bear, but I want the monkey.  If anybody out there happens to come across the monkey, let him know that I - Hoagie The Dog - am willing to offer a safe haven and complete amnesty (if the monkey requires it).  I'm not sure that Chicago has "monkey weather" - or at least I have never heard our weather described that way, but it can't be any worse than Zanesville, Ohio.  I can provide a nice backyard with a swing set, and we have a Jewel nearby that sells nice bananas at reasonable prices.

Also, the Old Man likes to play golf, so if the picture below is an accurate portrayal of common monkey hobbies, we'll have ourselves a match.


However, I'm more of a card player, so according to the picture below, we may be able to get along well on that front.


Either way, my door is open to you - Monkey.  However, you're going to have to sleep outside with the squirrels and other critters.  Monkeys are filthy and I don't want them in the house.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Who is Hoagie The Dog

Hoagie The Dog is:

Loved companion, loyal friend, defender of truth, poet, amateur magician, aspiring door to door saddle salesman, ladies man, international superstar, general troubleshooter, food critic, painter, entrepreneur, life coach, dreamer, man of intrigue, Swagger expert, square dancing competition judge, former minor league pitcher, tax accountant, importer/exporter, regional vice president of various things, social media darling, advocate and protester, inventor, policy maker, professional scratcher, mathematician at large, frequent guest and panelist, and finally – personal advisor to the stars.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Getting My Poetry On Today

Today is a good day for me to stroll outside and sit down beneath the tree in the backyard and write me some poetry.  It's time that I dust off my poetry-writing beret, drape a fashionable scarf around my neck and start to ponder the synergies and imbalances between man and nature.  I don't do a lot of the rhyming type of poems, as I really prefer to be more abstract in my writing.  Cerebral Hoagie.

One thing that has really been eating at me lately, and is the topic that I believe I will focus on with my writing today, is the tragedy of life and love, the lessons one can learn and absorb from such experiences, and how our inner being is constructed by these forces.  Or, I may write a poem about a cheeseburger because, well, I think about those a lot too. 

The good think about my poetry writing beret, is that I am also able to wear it when I set up my easel in the meadow and paint landscapes.  I may do that on Thursday if I have time. 

Friday, October 14, 2011

Top 10 Nude Vacations

Many mornings, I like to put on my robe and read the paper outside as the sun rises.  Many mornings, I don't.  Actually, most mornings, I don't.  It's just not that important to me.  I came across an article this morning in the paper which listed the Top 10 nude vacation spots.  It's like they knew that I would be reading the paper this morning and they published that article specifically for me - Hoagie The Dog!  I've always championed the "cause of the nude" and their undeniable right to unwind at posh resorts worldwide without the restrictions of pants.  It pleases me to no end to know that there are places that nude people can do to be nude while enjoying activities.  Personally, I've been living day to day - vacation or no vacation - in private and in public, in the buff.  And I'm not changing that. 


Below is the list of the vacation spots.  I'm guessing that if there was a #11 on the list, it would be my backyard.  I think that my backyard would be a wonderful gathering spot for the regional nude.  I don't think that I could draw an international clientele, but I think that I could make it inviting for those in the Midwest.  It would be somewhat of a Wisconsin Dells for the nude - only run by a dog, and we wouldn't have duck boat tours.  We would, of course, have trampolines.  Lots of them.


Space is limited.  Call and make your reservations today.




Thursday, October 13, 2011

Golf and Cured/Smoked Meats

Two recent events seem to suggest that there may be a developing and somewhat unorthodox convergence of two previously (seemingly) unrelated interests of mine: Cured/Smoked Meats and Golf.  First - last week at an event in Europe - a golfer was awarded his weight in ham for achieving a hole-in-one.  Then - this past weekend - a (perhaps slightly altered) golf fan ran onto the green and threw a hot dog at Tiger Woods during the final round of a tournament.  The hot dog assassin had this to say about his inspiration:

"I threw the hot dog toward Tiger Woods because I was inspired by the movie 'Drive,'" Kelly said. "As soon as the movie ended, I thought to myself, 'I have to do something courageous and epic. I have to throw a hot dog on the green in front of Tiger.'"

Courageous and epic, he said.

As an amateur conspiracy theorist, I have to think that these two events must be related.  I have read extensively on the statistical correlation between cured/smoked meat and golf and most (if not all) evidence suggests that there is little to no mathematical likelihood of the two subjects intersecting without a conspired and carefully executed plot - most likely funded by a consortium that includes Titleist, Nike, and Oscar Meier.  It's difficult not to think that there may be a commercial angle to these events. 

I will continue to closely follow this storyline.  I enjoy golf - though it is a bit hard for me to play.  And I enjoy meat, because it is food and lots of it tends to get dropped from high chairs in my home.  But I think that there may be inorganic forces here, artificially influencing this flirtation - and that troubles me.  Of course, it also could be the work of Martians.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Lifetime Achievement Award

I was notified this morning by telegram that I will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.  This is very exciting and rewarding news for me, and I feel honored to be recognized.  I do, however, need to apologize for my aggressive behavior toward the Telegram Messenger that I displayed upon his arrival,  as I was out of line.  In my defense though, the Telegram Messenger is a close cousin of the Mailman and therefore, I do have somewhat of a natural instinct to give them a hard time. 

I need to thank the pioneers that have come before me and have influenced and shaped my approach that has led to this well deserved honor.  Specifically, but not limited to, I'd like to recognize and thank the following folks for their mentorship and (direct or indirect) inspiration:  Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs, Santa, Elvis, Love Columnist Smoove B, Alf, the guy who hosted Fear Factor, William "Refrigerator" Perry, and of course my family.

I feel lucky to wake up every day - several times per day - and be able to do what I love to do.  I'm also very surprised that I would receive an award for it.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Protesting

I love a good protest.  Higher wages.  Lower wages.  No war.  More war.  I'm behind it all 100%.  Solidarity Hoagie.  I enjoy everything about the whole protesting scene.  It's outside, full of energy, spirited, and there are generally lots of good signs.  The sign making part, leading up to the protest is good fun for me as well.  Selecting the right stick, and deciding on the right message to write is all part of the creative part of the process that I enjoy. If I get writers block and can't think of a good sign, I have a "go to" sign that I can pretty much use for any protest.  It just says "Shove It!"  It's a versatile message that gets my point across.  One problem is though, I don't always get to actually attend the protest in person - unless the Old Man walks me down there.  If I can't get down to the protest scene, I'll just get my sign and parade around the back yard.  The two dogs on either side of me think that I'm crazy, but they are both passive and resistant to change - no passion for The Movement.  One change that I would make to the whole protest scene would be the inclusion of a buffet at the end of the protest for all involved.  Nothing fancy - just maybe some mostacolli, fried chicken, and perhaps assorted buttered roles.  Brown's Chicken and Pasta could handle this. 

Monday, October 10, 2011

Happy Columbus Day

I - Hoagie The Dog - find that the best way to celebrate some holidays is through historical reenactments. Therefore, to commemorate Columbus Day 2011, I will be exploring the backyard today in search of gold and spices. In particular, I hope to find nutmeg - as I love it in my eggnog over the Holiday season.