While I give a big, major WOOF! to Michael Phelps for his astonishing 8 Gold Medal achievement at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, I would not give the United States media any medal for their overall coverage of the games.

Phelps' achievement is incredibly dog gone good, but there are many other stories unfolding with little or no coverage at the games. So being the Bloodhound that I am, I tracked down a few other pieces of info about the games:

• 63 countries have now won medals, including Togo, Viet Nam, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgistan. Do you know where these countries are?

• As of this writing only 12 countries have won more than 10 medals total

• How about the Jamaicans in track? Usain Bolt's 100m record breaking run was fantastic. And Jamaica SWEPT the women's 100m with Shelly-Ann Fraser taking the gold while her fellow Jamaicans cleaned up the rest of the medals. Pretty good for a laid-back country. IRIE!

• Will China continue its dominance in table tennis?

• France took gold in men's saber!

• Venus and Serena Williams took gold in women's doubles.

• Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson took gold and silver respectively in the women's Individual All-Around gymnastics. That got some attention, but not enough.

• Did you know the U.S's Michael Emmons was one shot away from gold in the 50m Rifle Prone, and he shot the wrong target on his final shot? He finished with a silver.

• While it was big news in Athens when the Men's USA Basketball team lost, have you heard much about how they're slammin' their way through the 2008 Olympics in Beijing? Members from the '04 team LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony are leading the USA team, making up for the last team's poor showing.

If you want to know a lot more about the 2008 Beijing Olympics, go to their official site, http://en.beijing2008.cn/ .

Even a dog knows there's a lot more to these Olympics than we're hearing or seeing here in the U.S.

I've loved the Olympics ever since I was a pup. There's so much magic to them. All the countries coming together to compete, the athlete's preparation, the athlete's commitment to a goal, the stories behind some of the athletes, the surprise victories, the opening ceremonies, and all the different competitions are just so intriguing.

So I was pretty excited Friday, pacing around and scratching a lot in anticipation of watching the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Summer Olympics. And when the ceremonies were over all I could say is...dawg!

The opening ceremony was just incredible. China earns a gold medal in my book for their spectacular ceremony. The work that must have gone into creating and coordinating that event is just mind-boggling. So congrats to them on that.

And once the events got started, I just couldn't leave the living room floor except for an occasional break in the backyard. I do probably like swimming the best, even if they don't have a dog-paddle event. Watching Michael Phelps go for the gold medal record is pretty exciting.

Of course gymnastics was good (you go United States women fighting through adversity and injuries). Synchronized diving was pretty neat too...such talent. I even watched clay shooting for a little bit. Its funny the things we will watch when they're in the Olympics that we wouldn't under other circumstances. Beach volleyball is fun too.

Oh yes, and I got my fill of seeing President George W. there too. I think if they gave a gold medal for awkwardness he'd be a serious contender. Okay, got to get a little rest now so I can plop myself in front of the tv soon and get back into the 2008 Summer Olympics.

I'm generally a pretty easy-going dog, and try to love everybody, but when I see dog shows on TV like Nashville Star, it just makes me want to puke and lick it up.

Before I go further I would like to congratulate Melissa Lawson on winning the competition. She did seem to be one of the few contestants who had some marketable talent. And anyone who has a litter of 5 boys and still has their sanity gets my vote.

But the thing that makes me scratch so much about Nashville Star is the skankiness of it all. Being a Nashvillian and BIG Country Music fan I'm pretty sensitive to these things.

So here's my bones of contention:
• Katie Cook - On that outfit you had on last night. I mean, Woof!, yeah, but is that any way to dress for a family show? Where I come from unless you're feeding a litter, keep them breasts to yourself why don't you.

• John Rich - All I can say is "awesome". No wait, that's about all he can say in between hitting on female contestants. Awesome this, awesome that. Get you a Thesaurus or something man.

• Jewel - First she's from Alaska, then she's a Texan. One sentence she speaks with a drawl, then she's got this northern-like accent. I thought it was Carrie for a minute last night. I think it was her preaching to one of the contestants to just be yourself. Somebody get Jewel a mirror please.

• Jeffrey Steele - This dog was best of show. He's the only one that seemed real and sincere, and didn't rub me the wrong way.

• Billy Ray Cyrus - Some things just never cease to amaze me. Nuff said.

Besides these points, the overall talent of the show just doesn't seem to be on par with other talent shows. In fact, it doesn't seem to be on par with what you hear in venues around Nashville.

Maybe it's the dog days of summer making me irritable, getting my hackles up; but to the producers of Nashville Star...if that's the best you got, you need to high tail it out of Nashville. Its just not right how you represent our great city....even a dog knows that. Woof!

While I pretty much am a meat and meat kind of dog, we at CountryHound are joining together with Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who Country Music artist Brad Paisley has the good fortune of being married to, in promoting her new book and a campaign to encourage children to eat more nutritious food.

Kimberly (woof!) and her father co-authored a book, Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden, about a little boy named Henry who after a visit to some relatives farm, and a little coaxing from his cousin Huck (a tribute to Kimberly and Brad's son - Huck), grows to appreciate vegetables more.

The book ties in to a program underwritten by a national salad dressing company (who's name we won't mention unless they want to buy an ad) that is called The Love Your Veggies Nationwide School Lunch Campaign.

You can find out more about the book and the campaign at LoveYourVeggiesGrants.org.

Anyway, CountryHound is giving away 5 free copies of the book that Kimberly Williams-Paisley (woof!) autographed herself. Its so simple to do even a dog could register. Just go to the entry page and answer the question about what is the name of Kimberly's dog Holler. Get it? The dog's name is Holler. They just told you the answer! Makes me wonder how bright some of my co-workers at CountryHound are sometimes. Wonder if they even know how to sit or fetch.

Good luck to you fetching a free copy of Kimberly Williams-Paisley's (woof!) book! And eat your veggies, but I'll pass on those scraps.

I am just a simple dog with a pretty simple approach to life. Feed me, pet me, give me a comfortable place to sleep, and I'm your best friend. If there's one thing I don't understand about humans, it's all their meanness.

A great recent example of this is how the media treats Jessica Simpson and her decision to focus on a Country Music career. Sure she's had her issues in the past. Her reality show with then-husband Nick Lachey didn't do a lot to improve her image as a highly intelligent person. Her flubbed performance at the Dolly Parton tribute at Kennedy Center was very embarrassing. But hey, what dog hasn't had their fair share of mishaps?

So recently when she performed at Country Thunder USA all the media reports the next day said she was booed heavily during her performance, and gave her bad reviews as well. Day after that, thankfully, other media reports said that though there were some boos, she was well-received by the crowd.

It reminds me of the recent Tim McGraw incident where he and security jerked a "rowdy" fan out of the audience. The media hailed McGraw as a hero. But wait, hold the presses, next day there's news the man was not all that rowdy, meant no harm, and he still was a big Tim McGraw fan.

Okay, so trying to get back on the trail here. The media loves to pick on Jessica Simpson. Yes she probably hasn't helped her cause in some instances. But hey, like my pa used to say, "Every dog has his (her) day."

So if you want to dog Jessica and her attempts to try a new career path, be sure you check out her music first yourself and do not let your opinion be swayed by the media. Woof!

VOTING IS OVER AND OUR CONTEST HAS ENDED.
YOU CAN STILL LEAVE A COMMENT,
BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ENTERED INTO THE DRAWING.

Thank you to all who participated! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

Winning Dog in Webb's Paw of Fame and a PetSmart giftcard:
 #15 Timber, faithful friend of proud owner, Regina Vick

Randomly drawn winner of a CountryHound t-shirt:
Anne Thomas-Palmer

Winners will receive their prizes soon.  Woof!

------------------- 

Thanks to all of you Country Music fans who entered Webb's Paw of Fame contest, by sending us very cute and adorable photos of your beloved dogs.  We asked you to send up to two pics of your "best friend" and many of you did with very charming photos. 

Now it's time for our CountryHound fans to choose the dog that they think is the best pup in the pack.  Just leave a comment on this blog post with the dog name and corresponding dog number that is your favorite.  You need not reveal your real name if you'd rather not, but please be sure to provide your correct email address.  'Cuz don't forget, all those who vote will be entered into a random drawing to win a free gift from CountryHound!

The last day for voting is Thursday, July 24th. The pet pic with the most votes will win a PetSmart giftcard from Webb! 

And the nominees are:
(We will add the pics here soon; in the meantime, refer to the original Paw of Fame promotion page to remember who's who.)

#1 - Dixie 

#3 - Cinders

#5 - Angus

#7 - Princess Abby

#8 - Buddy

#9 - Gibson

#11 - Snickers

#12 - Teddy

#14 - Darcy

Thanks again to all of our Country Music and dog-loving fans who have participated in the Webb Paw of Fame contest!  Best of luck to the nominees -- may the best dog win!

Woof! 

You know a lot of people think that since I'm top dawg around here all I do is lay around and let everyone else do all the work.

But I think that's a little unfair criticism. Sure I like the occasional nap, but typically I'm conjuring up the next good idea for how to make CountryHound better.

You've hopefully seen many of these ideas implemented on the site, like our Hot Pics, fan polls, etc. You will also see many more when Webb 2.0 rolls out here in the near future.

Of course, like any good boss with too much time on his hands, I do come up with the occasional boner idea.  I thought you might like to see some of the ideas that didn't quite make it to the editor's to-do-list:

• The Toby Keith - Mr. Nice Guy feature.

• The Chris Cagle Peace prize.

• The Kellie Pickler Chair of Excellence at Harvard.

• The John Rich Height of Humility Grant

• The Tim McGraw Rowdy Fan Appreciation Day

• The Miley Cyrus Photography Contest

• The Kenny Chesney Fan-Voted Awards

• The Shania Twain Marriage Manual - Forward by Sara Evans

• A Carrie Underwood "Eat Beef" Campaign

• Taylor's Tips on How it's Gay to be Politically Correct

• The Willie Nelson Duetaholic Support Group

• Snoop Dogg's Classic Country Medications

• Faith Hill's Hands-Off Approach

• The Mindy McCready Good Citizenship Award.

So maybe you can help a dog out? Maybe you have a bright idea but are unsure if its appropriate or not. Post it below here and let us and the fans decide!

As usual, thanks for supporting CountryHound!

Excuse me for doggin' you on this one, but if you haven't entered your pet into my new Paw of Fame, well what kind of best friend are you?

Entering is easy, just visit my Paw of Fame promotion page, no hunting or searching for it...you'll see how we tried to make it easier for you to enter too.

If I had opposable thumbs I'd sure do it for you, but I don't so I can't.

Just think of all the love your special pet has shown you. There for you all the time. Never asking for much, maybe a belly rub or a treat, maybe to go outside for some serious business. They've given you a bunch of unconditionable love, so return the love to them.

Best of all, if your pet's pic is voted to be the best by our loyal fans, you'll get some free bucks to spoil your dog with at PetSmart. Now just think how happy your dog would be strolling the aisles at PetSmart looking for a special treat!

On the other hand, think of how they'd be getting their hackles up if they found out you didn't even enter their pic in the Paw of Fame. It'd be a dog-gone shame I'm tellin' ya.

So go to CountryHound's Paw of Fame page and follow the easy instructions for entering your pet, like a good dog. Otherwise you might come up short a nice leather shoe or two.

Now for something more serious... Please remember this during this holiday weekend, and when you are enjoying the dog days of summer... This really stops my tail from wagging. Last month 1,100 dogs were put to death at the Metropolitan Nashville dog pound. More disturbing than that is that the majority of these dogs were not strays. These were people's pets that the owners had to give up because they could not afford to feed them. 1,100 dogs, and that's in just one city. If ever something was a dog-gone shame, this is.

My good friends at CountryHound.com are presently putting together a program to  help these people keep their dogs during this not-so-great economy, and get assistance in purchasing their food. Some Country Music stars are going to participate too.  The program should be up and running very soon, and we thank you in advance for all of the love and support you give, not just to your dog, but all dogs and animals on this planet. 

I saw a sticker on a car the other day (yes I wanted to chase the car but resisted...gotta be a good role model to other dogs out there) that read "wag more bark less" and I thought how true that is.  Then later I received the email at the end of this blog, so I got to thinking, while I was laying around chewing a bone, about how true these things are.  If people could be more like dogs this world would be a better place.  Maybe a little more messy, but definitely more loving.

Anybody that knows me knows that besides being a CountryHound, I'm also a love hound.  I've got a few other nicknames related to some of my bad habits but we won't go into that here. 

You come around me though, and I'm gonna show you some loving.  I'll give you big wet kisses, sniff you from head to toe, and be right by your side.  You may not like the slime my mouth leaves on you, but it just shows you've been loved by Webb. I'll follow you anywhere you go too, cause I just want to be with my friends and doing whatever they're doing. Just being there man, that's where its at.

I took a quick poll from a few dogs running around the neighborhood and they all pretty well felt the same.  Give 'em a place to sleep and adequate food, and they'll show you good, unconditional lovin'.

But I'm curious why humans can't be that way.  Why is there so much hate, unrest, selfishness, war, greed, hunger, unhappiness and evil in the world; and why can't there be more peace and harmony?   Like Big Kenny says, why can't we all just "love everybody".

You know, I'll take fleas, dry dog food,and having to go outside to use the bathroom any day over all the dilemmas my human friends put themselves through.  I ain't got much in the way of material possessions, but I got what  I need.  My tails wagging first thing when I get up every morning.

Maybe that's it.  Maybe if all these humans didn't care so much about what they own, about their material things, their lives would be easier.  Maybe if they took more time to be thankful for what they've got, their lives would be easier.  Maybe if they didn't think their opinion was the only right one; maybe if they'd take a little time to appreciate other's opinions, their lives would be easier.  

Maybe if they quit thinking about all their problems, and started showing more love to those around them, their lives would be easier.  Maybe if they spent more time helping others (like homeless pets especially) and less focusing on themselves, their lives would be easier; and they'd be happier.  That's how us dogs do it, and it works pretty well for the most part.

I realize "every dog has his day", so every day can't be perfect.  But my advice is for you to be more like me and my mutt friends.  Love everybody, human and animal.  Appreciate everybody.  Treat your fellow dogs with respect.  Do what you can to make someone else's day better.  Always be in peace and harmony with one another.  Then you would wag more, and bark less too.  Now check out this great story below, and at the end tell us if you have a good story about someone spreading some love and kindness:

The pictures say it all

After the tornado ( Greensburg, Ks.)

THIS IS SUCH A NEAT STORY 

The story begins with the rescuers finding this poor little guy they named Ralphie. Someone had already taken him under their wing but weren't equipped to adopt; 

Ralphie, scared and starved, joined his rescuers..

I wouldn't think anything could live thru this... but we were wrong. 

This little lady also survived that wreckage.

Here she is just placed in the car - scared, but safe.

and then..they are no longer alone!

Instant friends, they comforted
each other while in the car.

Add two more beagles found after that...

the more, the merrier!

Oh boy, a new traveler to add to the mix...

(Note: the cat coming over the seat needing shelter...)

Now just how is this going to work? (and remember they are all strange to one another )

It's going to work just fine, thank you very much!

Wow! The things we learn from our animal friends...

If only all of mankind could learn such valuable lessons as this. Lessons of instant friendship. Of peace and harmony by way of respect for one another -- no matter one's color or creed.

These animals tell you... 'It's just good to be alive and with others.'

Yes, it surely is..

So...Live, love, laugh.

Did you get a chance to make it to the 2008 CMA Music Festival?  If not, here's what some of this year's attendees had to say about their great experience, and if you did, give us your highlights too!

"best thing about the festival....going to THE FUEL and being in Gretchen Wilson's new video...so neat!!!!can't wait til next year..always an unforgettable time...thanks again. your website was very helpful in planning our extra activites.....thanks, chris"

Chris
Bay Head, N.J.

"This was our first trip to CMA Fest, and it was amazing. We're already planning to come back next year (tickets purchased and hotel reserved). Just about the whole thing was a highlight -- it's great to have so many options for entertainment, and so many excellent artists to see. The heat was a bit much, especially when waiting in line (or sitting without shade at the riverfront stage), but we were happy to finally get some warm weather since it's been around 50 in Seattle lately...

I wrote up a blog with some photos and personal thoughts, but that's probably not really what you're looking for. In any case, it's at http://sharding.org/blog/2008/06/12/cma-fest-2008/"

Sean
Bothell, WA

"CMA Fest was a blast. We had a wonderful time. The weather was hot but the concerts were cool. It was a real treat to meet and greet with the bigger name artists...Alan Jackson, Sara Evans, etc. We are already looking forward to next year!"

Nancy
Murphysboro IL

"My favorite part of the CMA Music Fest was being able to see Dwight Yoakam in Nashville again.. Had a great time."

Johnny
Nashville, TN

"we had a great time at the CMA MusicFest and my husband's band played at the Cadillac Ranch. It was a great experience and my daughter and her boyfriend had a great time too. The concerts were fantastic and just walking the streets and taking in the atmosphere was great."

Lynn
Pittsburgh, PA

"And for the CMA MusicFest was great!! First time there and will love to go again.

We love Luke Byran. Last year we seen him about 4 times in Iowa. And we are also big fans of Jason Brown. We saw him at the Hard Rock Cafe at the CMA MusicFest. And he has done show with Luke in Iowa. Would be nice to see Jason at a big venue.

For the lows it was way to HOT. Coming for Iowa the warmest we had was 78 and then right to the 90's. Man that was hot way to start of the summer.

Thanks again for the t-shirts. And hope to see you around."

Sue
Des Moines, IA

"I loved Music Fest. My wife got a ticket to see Gretchen Wilson, and we both got to see Wynona. We also hung out back behind Titan Stadium and saw a lot of the artist. Would you like to know some of them?

Well we saw Wynona, Danielle Peck, Neal McCoy, Brad Cotter, Jason Matthews, Trace Atkins, Darryl Worrelly, Rodney Atkins(fan club), Luke Bryant, and Jeff Owens to mention a few. Jimmy Wayne and Gretchen Wilson too. At the concerts we stood behind the stadium and Fri. night Billy Ray, Miranda, Jack Ingram, Lady Antebellum came over. On Sat. Craig Morgan, Little Big Town and even Gary Chapman came over. Sunday, Jack Ingram, Phil Stacey, and James Otto came over. The only regrets, and if you can somehow help us I would be eternally grateful, is that Terrie, my wife, wanted to meet Denise Jackson and get her two books signed. As you are aware, I used to teach Special Education there, and I know my way around. I am trying to reach them and see if they would consent to meeting Terrie somewhere to get her books signed. As you are aware we are in Jackson,Tn. What would you suggest , because I love doing things for her to surprise her. K eeps the marriage fresh. I can give you my phone number or whatever you need if you can somehow make this come true. I don't have a way of scanning pics yet but we could make you copies somehow of all that we saw and you can see the fun we had too. Regardless thanks for everything."

Jeff
Humboldt, TN