**WE INTERRUPT THIS BROADCAST...**

For those of you trapped in Hel-LA with me you know it's gotten surface-of-the-sun hot out here. At this point, anyone who doubts we are in a period of Global Warming is nuttier than G-Dub. That said, I bowed to the corporate conspiracy and installed an a/c to save my little pooch from certain death since I can't drag him on all my little errands and meetings, or into Starbucks with me, and wouldn't ever ever ever leave him SURVIVOR-style to suffer through the heat. Now with these rolling blackouts in effect and knowing that my a/c will just shut down, I'm thinking of installing a doggy pool in the kitchen....

For those of you with pets, I found this article with suggestions on how to keep your dog from dying. From the folks in Phoenix:

Heatstroke
Pets can also can get heat stroke in the summer. The signs of heatstroke
include:
1. Heavy panting, rapid heartbeat and glazed eyes.
2. Dark or bright red tongue and gums
3. Excessive thirst
4. Staggering or dizziness
5. Vomiting and bloody diarrhea

What to do:
1. Lower body temperature by applying ice packs or cold towels to the head,
neck and chest.
2. Immerse in cool but not cold water, since very cold water constricts the
blood vessels and slows cooling.
3. Give your pet small amounts of cool water or have it lick ice
cubes.
4. Take your pet to the veterinarian even if the animal seems better.
Internal organs can be affected by heatstroke.

http://www.sdshelters.com/health_education/HotSummer.html

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_hotweathertips