This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
The Barking Lot-America's Finest Dog Blog (03/23/13)
The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of this just in…Written by my lovely wife, Jennifer and me. It opens with the weekend dog walking forecast followed by the main blog from dog lover, Jennifer. Then it’s DOGS IN THE NEWS and our close. Enjoy!
THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.
TODAY: Partly cloudy. High of 35. "F"
SUNDAY: Snow showers. A high of 34. "F"
Normally at this point, my lovely wife, Jennifer would offer this week’s main blog.
Jennifer has been very busy planning Kyla’s special 4th birthday party, so she has the week off. I’ll take this opportunity to answer some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about The Barking Lot that might be of interest to regular and new readers alike.
Q. Your blog is dominated by serious issues. What prompted The Barking Lot?
A. Jennifer loves dogs. How do I know this? She constantly talks about dogs and about getting one. Her face literally lights up when she sees one walking by. Several years ago I suggested that if she couldn’t have a dog just yet that she put her passion about dogs into a guest blog. It’s the same advice I’ve given to other bloggers: Write about what you’re interested in.
Q. So it’s been several years. Why haven’t you got a dog yet?
A. First came Kyla. Now Jennifer is saying we’re definitely getting a dog. But I also get asked about more children. My guess is we’ll get a dog someday. It all depends on the timing. I find it interesting that folks in Franklin most often ask me about Kyla and when I'm going to break down and purchase a pooch.
Q. Don’t you like dogs?
A. I love dogs.
Q. Really?
A. Yes, really. Ask Jennifer, my brother or my sister-in-law who’ve seen me interact with dogs.
Q. What’s holding you back?
A. I’ve talked with dog owners about this. While I love the joy and love a dog can bring to a home, I particularly find it unfortunately too temporary. The inevitable letting go would be extremely difficult. I don’t know how dog owners deal with that.
Q. As a rare husband-wife blogging team, how much do you collaborate with one another?
A. The Barking Lot is a 7-day effort. We work every day to some degree on each week’s installment. Jennifer writes her own blog and comes up with her own ideas, though I will make an occasional suggestion. The two of us both work on finding and contributing to the DOGS IN THE NEWS, photo, and video portions. We’ve also had readers submit stories and ideas. Like an editor I can be a nag, harping on Jennifer as the end of the week approaches. “Where’s that blog? How’s it coming along?” I believe the majority of Jennifer’s contributions are written when Kyla naps.
Q. Do you ever argue about the blog?
A. Hello. I repeat. Like an editor I can be a nag, harping on Jennifer as the end of the week approaches. “Where’s that blog? How’s it coming along?” This doesn’t happen all that often, though. Only when there’s an “R” in the month.
Q. How do you decide on content?
A. Since Jennifer has dogs on the mind, she selects her own topics. They can be based on a news story, a trend, an observation, a brewing controversy, you name it. Jennifer is left to her own devices. I must say that if I wrote a dog blog, it might be a bit more edgy (no surprise there). For DOGS IN THE NEWS, the main criteria are that the news story, opinion piece, or helpful advice for dog owners must be interesting. DOGS IN THE NEWS starts out serious and ends with lighter material. The blog has evolved in that a decision was made some time ago that certain stories would be left out. Every week there are news articles about dog abuse. Our feeling is that Barking Lot readers don’t check in to read about those grisly details. We’d include them to relate that these crimes occur and should be dealt with. However, we’ve more or less eliminated them. There will always be exceptions. The photos and videos can be tough because often times there are too many to choose from. We’ve just added ending each week’s blog with a photo of a very cute dog. The idea came after seeing photo after photo of cute dogs. So now we conclude with an AWWW moment.
Q. How do you get the weather details?
A. I won’t divulge my source. You could probably figure it out. I will say that it is very reliable and it’s not Channel 4, 6, 12 or 58. I toyed with the idea of asking a TV meteorologist to make a weekly contribution but decided against because they’re too busy, would probably not do it gratis, or would just send me to their station’s website. The forecast is based on the Franklin area.
Q. What do you base the letter grade for dog walking on?
A. The temperature, is it wet or dry, and sidewalk and street conditions.
Q. The Barking Lot. That’s cute. Who came up with the title?
A. The cute one of the duo. Let me clarify. Jennifer
Q. So are you saying that asking Jennifer to blog about dogs was your way of pacifying her while you keep her waiting on a dog purchase?
A. Very perceptive.
Q. What kind of dog are you thinking about?
A. Me personally? I’m not thinking about it at all.
Q. OK, Jennifer then…
A. She doesn’t want what she calls a Dog McNugget, but she doesn’t want a Guinness Book of World Record holder either. Jennifer would be deliriously content with a Soft-coated Wheaton Terrier.
Q. Let’s say you do get a dog someday. Does that mean Jennifer will write about that dog 95% of the time?
A. Pretty much.
Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week:
Woman desperately searches for stolen service dog.
The new Pope makes a first.
Iditarod dog dies.
PETA is at it again.
Suspicious parents turn to drug-sniffing dog.
A mystery in Oklahoma as dog brings home a newborn baby.
New procedure repairs dog jawbones.
Quite the comeback for these Labs.
Losing weight...where does the dog come in?
First Dog gets a special invite.
THAT’S IT FOR DOGS IN THE NEWS.
HERE’S OUR DOG PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
Four year-old Mia York, left, walks her dog Howie, a Maltese, in the St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown St. Paul, Minn., on March 16. Photo: Chris Polydoroff / AP
We close as we always do with our closing video that can be seen here.
Thanks for stopping by.
See ya next week.
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