PAL OF THE MONTH

Richie (aka Hound)

our pal
of the month

We feature a different Pal every month as a thank you to those special people who have shared their support and friendship not only with us, but with the entire community.

l check your pal status
l update your pal status
l past pals of the month

lYou can also update your pal status at any of our shows. See your host for a "We Don't Wanna Miss A Pal" form.

Happy Birthday to our September Pals! l3 Terry (Coyote) l14 Lisa (STTW Lisa) l15 Christina (Mon waitress)

lAdd your name to the Pals Birthday Calendar

Labour Day Sept. 5
(first Monday of September)
And every Labour Day Monday marks the DOG & PONY Sound Annual BBQ.

The full moon will grace us on Sunday the 18th.
A great night to come out to Swizzles to howl at the moon with Dog.

Sept. 22 - 1st day of Fall

...and now for some unusual observances:

September marks:
lADHD Month
lBaby Safety Month
lBackpack Safety America Month
lBe Kind To Editors & Writers Month
lChildren's Good Manners Month
lChristmas Seal Campaign Kick-off Month (Sept - Dec)
lCollege Savings Month
lFall Hat Month
lIntl Gay Square Dancing Month
lIntl People Skills Month
lIntl Self-Awareness Month
lIntl Strategic Thinking Month
lLibrary Card Sign-up Month
lAlcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month
lMenopause Awareness Month
lMetaphysical Awareness Month
lBiscuit Month
lChicken Month
lCivics Awareness Month
lCoupon Month
l5-A-Day Month
lFood Allergy Awareness Month
lHome School Month
lHoney Month
lLittle League Month
lMushroom Month
lOrganic Harvest Month
lOsteopathic Medicine Month
lOvarian Cancer Awareness Month
lPediculosis Prevention Month
lPiano Month
lPotato Month
lRice Month
lSchool Success Month
lVery Important Parents (VIP) Month
lSkin Care Awareness Month
lSpinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
lOvarian Cancer Awareness Month
lPediatric Cancer Awareness Month
lPleasure Your Mate Month
lSea Cadet Month
lSelf-Improvement Month
lChildhood Cancer Month
l Healthy Aging Month
lShameless Promotion Month
lSouthern Gospel Music Month
lSubliminal Communications Month
lUnited Planet Month
lUpdate Your Resume Month
lHispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct 15)

Weekly Events:
lIntl Enthusiasm 1-7
l Childhood Injury Prevention
lSelf-University 1-7
lSuicide Prevention 4-10
lWaffle 4-10
lPayroll 5-9
lPlay Days 6-10
lBald is Beautiful Days 9-11
l Assisted Living 11-17
lHabitat for Humanity's
lIntl Building on Faith 11-18
lEmerg. Preparedness11-17
lInvisible Chronic Illness Awareness: 12-18
lNo Bully Wk: 12-16
lLove a Mensch Wk: 12-18
lSubstitute Teacher Appreciation 12-16
lConstitution Center Constitution 13-23
lConstitution 17-23
lProstate Cancer Awareness 18-24
lBuild A Better Image 18-24
lDeaf Awareness 18-24
lBalance Awareness 18-24
lDog Wk: 18-24
lFarm Animals Awareness 18-24
lFarm & Ranch Safety 18-24
lHistorically Black Colleges & Universities 18-24
lSingles 18-24
lTolkien 18-24
lBaby Safety 19-25
lLove Your Files 19-28
lLunch Prowl 20-24
lReligious Freedom 23-10/2
lChimney Safety 24-30
lChristian Leadership 25-10/1
lAdult Immunization Awareness 25-10/1

Daily Observances:
lChicken Boy's Day: 1
lEmma M. Nutt Day: 1
lBison-Ten-Yell Day: 2
lNewspaper Carrier Day: 4
lBe Late For Something Day 5
lBuhl Day: 5
lLabor Day: 5
lDo It! Day 6
lGoogle Commemoration 7
lGrandma Moses Day: 7
lFeel The Love Day: 7
lIntl Literacy Day: 8
lWonderful Weirdoes Day: 9
lSew Be It! Day: 10
lSwap Ideas Day: 10
lPatriot Day: 11
lRemember Freedom Day 11
lGrandparent's Day: 11
lBoss/Employee Exchange 12
lVideo Games Day: 12
lFortune Cookie Day: 13
lSomeday: 15
lAnne Bradstreet Day: 16
lConstitution Day & National School Celebration: 16
lIntl Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16
lPOW/MIA Recognition 16
lCitizenship Day: 17
lIntl Eat An Apple Day: 17
lTime's Up Day: 17
lIntl Coastal Cleanup 17
lWife Appreciation Day 17
lIntl Day of Prayer & Action for lHuman Habitat: 18
lWomen's Friendship Day 18
lWorld Priest Day: 18
lTalk Like A Pirate Day 19
lFamily Day- A Day To Eat Dinner With Your Children 20
lIntl Day of Peace/Opening Genl Assembly of UN 20/21
lPause the World Day: 21
lDear Diary Day: 22
lElephant  Appreciation 22
lHobbit Day: 22
lCentenarians Day: 22
lInnergize Day: 23
lFish Amnesty Day: 24
lKiwanis Kids' Day: 24
lSingle Parent Family 24
lGold Star Mother's Day: 25
lGood Neighbor Day: 25
lOne-Hit Wonder Day: 25
lAncestor Appreciation 27
lWorld Maritime Day: 27
lWorld Tourism Day: 27
lWomen's Health & Fitness28
lAttend Your Grandchild's Birthday Day: 29

Now all of the registered users on our message forum can enjoy their own personal BLOG hosted on our site FREE.

You know Heinlein's excellant term "to grok" as in "the grok the fullness of..."? That's the beauty of the blog; musings and daily diaries, personal growth & sharing with others.

i love these blogs. i read all of 'em. i find myself drawn closer to various people. more interested. more captivated. more empathetic. i may not often respond but i see 'em, read 'em and enjoy 'em.

i'm amazed and delighted at how well and differently people express themselves. Some have taken to blogging when they have something to get off their chests. some are blogging regularily...i love 'em all.

i know we started our blogs a little late in life for some of you as you likely have a blog (or six) housed elsewhere...
but...i'd like to encourage all our members to put a little something together here (profile, interests, a few musings, stuff that you'd like to share). Ours is essentially a community that actually meets in the real world. The forum and blogs help to break the ice with people who you regularily see on the periphery but haven't yet gotten to know (or might not have previously known that you'd like to get to know better).

So take a wee bit of time and put a small blog together, maybe copy an entry or two from one of your other blogs here to save you the time.

We'd love to hear and see from you.

Adding your birthday to the Calendar has never been easier. Simply add your birthday to your profile when you join the forum and it will automatically appear on the calendar each year.

You can also add special events such as your birthday party. Let us all know where and when you will be celebrating.

Our message forum is a great way to get to know the people you see at many of the shows. It is also the 1st place to learn about special events, parties, newest songs and what's happening in the community.

Drop us a line when you register so we can grant you access to the special areas for our local singers ...
"the PALS Zone".

We're always adding new photos to all the venue galleries.

Check out the ongoing antics of various friends inspired by our DOG & PONY Sound Logo:
"Living Logo" Series

... And our "Masterpiece Theatre" Dog & Pony Style: where we applaude the creative, the inspired, the wacky and the zany...various singers taking songs quite literally.

Newsletter today!

Karaoke Headlines

If you're planning a trip, check out these DOG & PONY approved
Karaoke Shows Around the World!

---

As summer continues to wind down (Fall begins officially on the 22nd) we find ourselves winding up for another Annual DOG & PONY Pal BBQ. As always, the BBQ takes place on Labour Day Monday. [See special events for more details]. Then, shortly after, the kids go back to school. You'd think that would be good enough, but no, September also marks International Gay Square Dancers Month, Dog Week 18-24, Be late for something Day, Talk Like A Pirate Day, Wife Appreciation Day, Farm Animals Awareness Week 18-24, Fall Hat Month and Elephant Appreciation Day. What fun!

Following on the heels of another successful DOG & PONY Sound Singer Showcase, September marks the upcoming 2nd Annual Pump Idol Competition with special guest host Jon Dore. Not only is this for a great cause but there are loads of fabulous prizes and terrific entertainment too! We're really excited about co-hosting this event with Jon again.
[See special events for more details].

Last month we introduced our new PAL Cards. Wallet sized cards to keep track of the paws you've earned. If you have sung at 2 or more DPS shows, ask your host for a "Pal Card" [see Pal News for more info]

Got Shirt? Got Pawed? Want Shirt?
Now available: 100% cotton, Navy t-shirts with "I got pawed" on the front and DOG & PONY Sound on back. Shirts are available at all venues. S,M,L,XL -$20 and XXL-$25

We've added another feature to our monthly newsletter: "What's The Deal With..?" . Each month we explain various conventions like our "Palvelopes", what they are and how to use them effectively, understanding our rotation system, libraries, disk numbering system, how our song request system works and various other FAQs.

Our message forum is a great way to get to know the people you see at many of the shows. Currently we have over 200 registered members.

The forum is the 1st place to learn about special events, parties, newest songs and what's happening in the community the same day we do. I post the newest songs on the forum the day they arrive (although it may take several more days to get the information on the website or printed in the new additions songbooks).

Some areas of the forum are specifically for local patrons and are only accessible to registered users. Drop me a PM when you register so I can adjust your access.

...live from the stables:
Pet the Dog Sundays at Swizzles, Wednesdays at The LookOut, Thursdays at The Brig Pub and Fridays & Saturdays at O'Brien's.

Bay with the Hound Thursdays at Royal Britannia Pub, Fridays at The Brig Pub and Mondays at Biddy Mulligan's

Tickle Kitty behind the ears Tuesdays & Fridays at Swizzles and the 3rd Monday of every month with Hound at Biddy Mulligan's

Catch Coyote howling with Hound the 2nd Monday of every month, Gator with Hound the 4th Monday of every month, Cougar and Hound the 1st Monday of every month, and Beaver and Hound the 5th Monday of the month at Biddy Mulligan's

Puppy Paw Pals have sung at 2 (or more) of our venues and have earned the paws for each venue

Pony Paw Pals support our singers by coming out to 2 or more venues to enjoy the show.

check your own pal status online
update your pal status

NEW Pocket Pal Paw Cards now available at all venues      All our hosts are equiped with: Pal cards for 1-20 paws, 11-20 paws and 21-30 paws Paw punches to punch your cards (for the paws you've earned) Pal list (in case you forget how many paws you've earned) What is a DOG & PONY Pal? Update Your Pal Status (collect the whole set) New 100% cotton, silk-screened T-Shirts "I Got Pawed" front breast/DPS logo back         Available at all venues S,M,L,XL -$20       XXL-$25

Special Thanks to all of you for supporting our shows, our hosts and our company. We're proud to have been named Ottawa's Best Karaoke 4 years in a row! But we couldn't have done it without your support! 

PAL STORIES

Personal Story Submission Via Website:

Biny the Beaver Shares
I remember clearly the first time becoming a musician appealed to me. I was in Grade 2, and I was visiting a friend who had just started taking accordion lessons. Cool. It wasn't long before I hit my first musical hurdle - how to play both hands together - the left pumping out a basic pattern and the right holding simple notes. My Mother sat with me for (what seemed like) hours counting and coaching while I sweated through "Over the Waves. She had taken piano when a child, and understood that sometime you just need to work at it. I went on to plunge headlong into music - guitar, keyboards and composition. I started singing, and my family cheerfully bore the brunt of yet another learning curve inflicted on the household. They thoughtfully provided blunt constructive kitchen criticism. It helped me improve.

I first became committed to the central tenant of my musical philosophy, "music is not a spectator sport!" when I was running my first church choir. People wouldn't join because they "couldn't sing." My comeback became a mantra - "You show up. Getting you to sing is my problem.” I think everyone should sing, and sing often. Singing somehow connects us to ourselves, each other and our collective journey. Ultimately, it isn't about how you sing, it's about how you live - and singing makes you feel more alive. Last and least, of course, singing is how you get to be a better singer.

I remember how I found Karaoke. My first wife and I had split - and pretending neon signs were interesting while I looked awkward in a single's bar was just wrong. Hanging out at Karaoke was the cure. I had something to do - I could read the song book. Cheer people on. Show off sometimes, and laugh at myself when I bombed. It was fun, and friendships formed almost automatically.

My daughters loved to sing, and it became a favorite outing, and a source of fond memories. My oldest, Beth, bringing down the house at eleven years old nailing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." Beth and Rachael winning a duet contest singing "Goodbye Earl."My daughter Brenda, who has cerebral palsy and faces many daily challenges, singing her favorite Shania Twain tunes at a kids afternoon hosted at Obrien's, grinning with delight and oblivious to all else.

On our first date, Wendy wanted to hear me sing, so I sang my heart out and we danced the late night away. Somehow, through a long line of Karaoke outings, we got married. Go figure.

Finding Dog and Pony was like Jim Belushi hearing James Brown in the Blues Brothers. They weren't my first Karaoke venue - far from it. By February 2002 I had 'done' Karaoke worldwide on business trips, not to mention taking in plenty of local shows. I had observed a wide range of quality and fun factor in Karaoke - so I decided to search out the best. Google turned up a review that gave them top marks, so I headed out to Obrien's to check them out, and have never looked back. I've admired their professionalism and wit, fun loving charm and enjoyed their genuine ability to make an honest connection. Years ago I wrote this testimonial:

"Simply put, the most fun, professional, put together Karaoke service I have ever encountered. Great sound. Professional handling of the rotation. Great selection. Warm relations with the patrons. Willing to go the extra mile. Best kit packaging of their 'book' for the singers. Great online support in their web page. 10.0 from six judges, and no media second guessing."

They're even better now! Being asked to be a Dog and Pony host is a wonderful compliment, and a challenging responsibility. It means I need to be as good at serving up a good time as they are. Man, do I have my work cut out for me!

~The Beav.

Submit Your Personal Story for Publication. Let us know what karaoke and community has meant to you.