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Meet William Howard Taft… The Pug-Chihuahua

When Stacia Kuceyeski of the Ohio Historical Society reached out regarding Taft 2012 campaign materials, she included photos of her adorable pug-chihuahua mix… President William Howard Taft, or just "Taft" to his friends.

These, of course, had to be posted on the blog immediately.

The photos are of Taft posing at the McKinley Memorial in Canton, Ohio. Please take note of the sassy Taft tag on his collar and the scarlet carnation, which is Ohio's state flower. According to Stacia, McKinley always wore one.

There are a few more photos below after the jump. Take a look. Thanks for sending these in, Stacia! Taft sure is cute.

 

Posted by Eric Smith

Celebrating National Rabbit Week: Top 10 Bunnies in Literature

Did you know that we’re in the middle of National Rabbit Week? It’s true. And I should know, proud owner of a bun that I am. My darling bun, Rory, is featured in Quirk’s upcoming craft book, Microcrafts. That’s her tail at the end of the book. Squee!

Ahem, but I digress.

According to Petwork, National Rabbit Week is “dedicated to education and the promotion of responsible ownership, as well as showing people what great pets bunnies can be.” So in honor of the week that pays tribute to my favorite cute and fluffy animal, I’ve pooled together a list of my top 10 literary bunnies. From comic books to classic literature, baby books to newspaper strips, these buns adorably appear in all wakes of print. If I missed a favorite of yours, let me know!

Bunnicula: Attempting a Google image search for an actual illustration of Bunnicula is a study in patience. Rabbit owners all over post photos of their bunnies, red eyes blazing from camera flashes, labeled as Bunnicula. A favorite pick of Quirk’s own Doogie Horner (he recommends the Celery Stalks at Midnight and the Howliday Inn), it’s hard not to love James Howe’s vampiric bunny who sucks juice out of veggies with his tiny fangs. “Today, vegetables. Tomorrow… the world!”

Peter Rabbit: Even though the story is over 100 years old, Beatrix Potter’s tale of Peter Rabbit and his sisters Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail continues to sell a fantastic amount of copies. Peter’s rebellious nature makes him all the more endearing. Really, who can blame him for going to town in the vegetable garden? As a child, any one of us let loose in a candy store would do the same thing, and maybe that’s why we love him so much.

Posted by Eric Smith