New Dog Breeds Will Be Entered in 2012 Westminster Dog Show

The Washington Post is reporting that six new dog breeds will be able to take part in the prestigious Westminster dog show. The new variations of man’s best friend allowed into the competition are: Cesky Terrier, American English Coonhound, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Finnish Lapphund, Norwegian Lundehunnd, and the Xoloitzcuitnli, as reported by Reuters.


Reuters is reporting that 2,000 dogs will be competing in the 136th edition of the famous dog show. The report also mentions that adding new dogs is nothing new to the show because over the past 23 years more than 40 breeds of pooch have been added to the roll call of the competition.

While the Westminster dog show makes for nice family viewing, the exact operation of the competition is something of mystery to normal viewers. Watching the judges poke and prod the dogs trying to figure out which one is the best can look a bit comical, but still just seeing the different types of canines is something of a magical experience.

Sure some of the dogs look downright strange with their finely dressed coats, but at least none of the designer dogs made famous by celebrities in recent years will be making the cut. The shows websites states that the show is scheduled for February 13 and 14, 2012 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and there will be plenty of TV coverage.

Really? Harry Potter Got Snubbed by Oscar?

For anyone who enjoys movies, Oscar season can be a great time of year. However, a lot of times the award show gets bogged down by honoring films that, while good, nobody really cares about. Summer blockbusters with bloated budgets and massive box office receipts rarely translate into Oscar winners.


Sure, there is always an “Avatar,” “Lord of the Rings,” or “The Dark Knight,” exception to the rule, but for the most part fan favorites are a part of the Oscar broadcast as presenters and not nominees. Not to take anything away from the actors and films that are nominated, because there is some fine work there. Check out the list from Yahoo by clicking here.

However, where are the nominations for anybody involved in the Harry Potter movies? Just as “The Return of the King” was honored as a way to recognize the entire LOTR series, a nomination for “Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2” could have been a priority. Even a nomination for Alan Rickman or Daniel Radcliffe for bringing roles to life over the course of a decade in grand fashion would have been welcomed.

Harry Potter got magically snubbed, just like other great films. It happens, and life is not fair, and the Oscars are generally anything but fair as well. Instead of talking about snubs, I suppose I should concentrate on the nominees, but that will come after the furor of the snubs dies down.

A Halloween Light Show to Behold

With nearly three million hits, many of you have already seen this dazzling light show dedicated to Halloween.  The show is set to a song from "The Nightmare Before Christmas," This is Halloween.  While some folks go all out for Christmas, it is nice to see at least one person really gets into the spirit of the fall holiday.  The Halloween Light Show This is Halloween is one of the coolest videos to pop up on the web, and of course, it is just in time for the special night.  Enjoy courtesy of YouTube:

'The Avengers' Trailer at Long Last

When it comes to anticipated movies, "The Avengers" has been on the radar of fans for a few years.  Now the first real trailer for the epic super hero movie has hit with a collective of oohs and aahs.  With Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man, The Hulk, and Thor appearing the same movie screen time will be a competition, and that leaves out Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johanson (now there is an ooh and an ahh).  Still, this is going to be one of the hottest movies of the summer despite the early premiere at the beginning of May.  Fans have been teased by hints at the end of many movies for a few years now, and "The Avengers" is building to a fever pitch. Take a look:

Gordon Ramsay Gets New Show on Fox

When it comes to cooking shows Gordon Ramsay is a name that strikes fear into the hearts of just about every cook in the world. Now, Fox is set to turn the often angry Chef Ramsay loose on another part of the hospitality industry with “Hotel Hell.” The show will probably be more “Kitchen Nightmares,” than “Hell’s Kitchen” or “Master Chef.”


By adding a fourth show to his repertoire Gordon Ramsay seems to be making a play for the record of most televised man in television history. The guy must be one serious workaholic. For those thinking the hot tempered chef doesn’t know a thing about the hotel business: he studied hotels (in his younger years) and has owned and operated hotel based restaurants in the past. So while he may lack the hotel cred of a serious manager/professional, the guy knows a thing or two about the service industry.

The main concern for fans of Gordon Ramsay has to be the danger of overexposure. The guy seems to be on TV every night of the week for long stretches, but to his credit he often takes a backseat on “Master Chef.” Still, tuning in just to see what he can do with a hotel will be just as much fun as watching him breakdown the restaurants on “Kitchen Nightmares.”

Fox must have a lot of confidence in his abilities, because giving him that fourth show is nothing short of an act of faith and appreciation. “Hell’s Kitchen” is easily one of the more entertaining cooking shows in rotation, and the other two shows can be a simple joy to watch as well. Of course, that brutal honesty that Chef Ramsay brings to the table should be trademarked.

He breaks people down to their base level just to build them up higher. While not a new technique, it seems to be quite effective for the folks that have had their lives touched by the man. And it obviously works for Fox who are looking to help Gordon Ramsay become an American television icon. One thing seems absolutely certain, hotel owners looking for a little help in getting their facilities into tip top shape need only give the man a call. If they can handle the heat, they and their facilities will be all the better for it. Not crying along the way is a major plus, but it does get good ratings.

'Hell's Kitchen' & Gordon Ramsay Keep Impressing

I have been a fan of “Hell’s Kitchen” since the show started to air.  As a former restaurant student, I knew the name Gordon Ramsay, but had no idea exactly how cool he was.  Ramsay makes the show enjoyable, which is important since it is HIS show.  But just like any other reality competition based show, you would think that the contestants would have watched at least one prior season before signing up.

Yes, Ramsay rants, raves, and curses (a lot), but this is a guy who knows what he is looking for.  The cool part about the guy is that he really does care.  Anyone who has watched any of his other shows, like “Master Chef,” knows he has as much heart as anyone on television.

Sometimes, though you have to wonder how much of the persona being shown on “Hell’s Kitchen” is just for the cameras and how much is actual Gordon Ramsay.  Yeah, on his other shows he gets just as fired up, and I know how I get when I show someone something ten times and they still get it wrong--or worse.  But, Gordon does not hold it in, he just seems to squeeze harder.

Still, HK is as much fun as any summer show, or any show for that matter, has been in a long time.  Yes, editing makes the contestants look ridiculous and incompetent sometime, but for the most part they are skilled in the kitchen.  But having skills and translating those skills into points with Chef Ramsay are entirely different things.  As many have found out.  The DVDs show a no-holds barred version of the show..

'Star Wars' Still a Work in Progress

Even after all this time “Star Wars” remains a work in progress.  Small or large tweaks have been made to the film franchise almost every time they have been released.  Now, with the Blu-Ray release of the six movie marathon less than a month away, a few more tweaks have been announced.

While most of the changes deal with enhancing colors for the vivid life that high-definition will bring to the Star Wars Universe, the most major change was erasing the Yoda puppet from “Phantom Menace” and replacing it with a computer generated version.  Many fans would probably like “Phantom Menace” replaced with another movie.

Still, the Star Wars saga is also set to fly into theaters one more time with a 3D release starting in 2012.  Of course, the saga is being released in the new format in order, which means Darth Maul and company get first crack at padding the grosses of the entire saga.  Hard to say how the films will do in 3D.

Hey, at least George Lucas has never stopped trying to improve on the films that have brought so much enjoyment to the lives of many.  Plus, “Star Wars” is available for pre-order in a few different formats, which means anyone who loves the originals does not have to buy the prequels, or vice-versa, or fans can just pick up the six movie pack.