Ed Carpenter & Friends

First, a congratulations is in order for fellow Butler Bulldog, 2003 grad and IndyCar Series driver, Ed Carpenter for his fifth place finish in the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 driving for Vision Racing!

Ed had a great month after starting 10th (a best for him at Indy) and finishing fifth (also a best at Indy and matches his best IndyCar Series finish). He also picked up his first lead laps in an Indy car during the race. Ed also earned the AAA Safe Driver Award for his safe and clean driving all month long in the No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone machine.

Ed showed great determination during the race. After starting 10th, he dropped to 12th and then began his charge to the lead pack. He was running steadily between 4th and 6th when on his next to last pit stop, the car failed to engage into neutral and he stalled the engine coming into the pits. Ed’s crew ran a routine stop, got the car restarted and back into the race. However, he was relegated to 23rd.

Thanks to Ed’s grace under pressure, his perseverance, a great race strategy and some divine intervention, Ed was able to get back with the lead pack again and take fifth place on the day. It truly was a remarkable run for Ed and Vision Racing. Way to be a Bulldog out there, Ed!

Ed represented Butler well and we should be proud. His performance was the essence of The Butler Way.

Of course, I was cheering from Grandma and Grandpa Kaltenmark’s house in Wabash, Ind. where I will again cheer for him this weekend when he heads to The Milwaukee Mile (4 p.m. ET on ABC).

Yep, I’m headed north for the weekend again…my mom gets to join my dad for this race so that leaves me the odd dog out, thus, I needed a place to go and once again, my grandparents come to my aid.

I hope grandpa takes me to the hardware store again! That was fun.

Speaking of fun, I had the opportunity to make some new friends yesterday. Louis, a nearly two year-old basset hound came to campus to visit me and we went outside and had a great time. We were joined by Hoops, a year and a half year-old pit bull owned by former Butler guard, Mike Green (pictured).

Louis and Hoops did most of the running around while I observed, barked orders and guarded my bone, but it was still fun. Here’s a video of the adventure and a couple more can be found at BlueTube as well.

Running around on the campus mall with Louis and Hoops reminded me of the good old days with my best bud, Kirby. You may remember Kirby moved away to Minnesota with his mom, Jessica Butler, after she graduated earlier this month.

Well, Kirby’s aunt had taken some pictures of us playing before he left and I had received them the night before I met Louis. So I was glad to see Louis and Hoops because by that point I was really missing Kirby.

Below are the pictures that Kirby’s aunt took of us...

Well, I think that's about all I know for the time being. I've been loving this great spring weather and lush green grass. It's a great time to be a dog in Indiana!

Blue II

P.S. Do you know what Ed Carpenter and I have in common? We'll both be featured on a DVD from Butler that could be coming to a mailbox near you sometime very soon. If you receive the Butler Magazine or Butler materials, then chances are you'll bet getting this DVD. Be sure to pop it open and throw it in the DVD player and give it a view. I think you are really going to like it. I'll have more about this little project in the near future.

Vote Green in 2008!

Vote Green in 2008!

And no, I'm not talking about all of those environmentally friendly initiatives that seem to be so in vogue. Nor am I referencing the up and coming presidential election. I've got nothing against saving the planet, but Blue doesn't do politics.

What I am referencing, however, is Butler Men's Basketball player, Mike Green, (pictured) and his place as a finalist for The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford.

Now he needs your vote! The fan voting section is now open, so vote for Mike at http://www.cousyaward.com/. And just like the former Chicago mayor, Richard J. Daley once said, "vote early, and vote often!"

The Bob Cousy (no relation to the koozie [pictured]) Award presented by The Hartford is given to the top collegiate male basketball point guard annually spanning across all divisions within the game by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to Mike for even being considered and best of luck with the rest of the season!

Speaking of the rest of the season, the Bulldogs are currently ranked 10th in the AP Poll and will take on conference foe, Valparaiso, this evening at 9 p.m. (EST) on ESPN2. Butler currently holds a two game lead in the Horizon League. Go Dawgs!

For some other great Butler Basketball related announcements and info, click here.

Also, stay up on Butler Basketball via these links as well...

BUbeat: http://www.bubeat.com/

Indy Star: http://www.indystar.com/

Indy Star's David Woods: http://blogs.indystar.com/butler/

Message Board: http://p214.ezboard.com/fbuhoopsfrm1

Remember, Mike needs your votes, so do your part!

Blue II


(Hey Mike, you think I can get a date with your daughter, Hoops, now?)

Girls, Girls, Girls

My good friends, newly weds, and Butler grads Noelle & Daniel recently posted,

"Sounds like the dream life of every Butler Bulldog! Do you have a girlfriend Blue??"

Not only do I live the dream life of every Butler Bulldog, I pretty much live the dream life. Period.

Living the dream, baby. Living-the-dream!

Now, on to your question...

It’s been said that a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell. Good news for you, I’m a dog, I do whatever I want. In the words of George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic, "Why must I feel like that? Why must I chase the cat? Nothin' but the dog in me." In other words, I've been known to like the ladies. Ya dig?

But, about those "girlfriends." Officially, I’ve never really had a girlfriend. Technically, I’ve had a lot of ladies in my life.

I’m cute, I’m cuddly, I’m a mascot and I’m a BMOC. Ladies love me.


My main lady in my life, besides my birth mother, Margie, (pictured below) is my adopted mother, Tiffany.

Tiffany taught me how to treat a lady and she said it was okay for me to date, but I’ve still yet to find “the one.”

I used to have a “relationship” with Kristen Nichols when she was on the cheerleading squad. Unofficially, she was my “girlfriend,” but we’ve since moved on. It was a mutual break-up, and we’re still good friends though. Besides, it was all fun and games…she is a human after all!

So when it comes the humans, I just enjoy the love from everyone. It’s platonic. But, I don’t really have a girlfriend on the K9 side either.

A good friend and Dawg Pound cohort, Loren Snyder, adopted a nice female English Bulldog recently. Her name is Bella. We went on a first date, but that didn’t go so well. We found that two Type A personalities don’t necessarily mix. She’s a nice lady, and we can be friends, but she’s too much woman for this man to handle.

I have an ongoing crush on Hoops Green. Hoops belongs to Butler men’s basketball guard, Mike Green. I haven’t seen her since Mike was playing ball in Alaska and Hoops was walking through campus with her sitter. We hit off right away. She’s hot, no question. And I think she was in to me, but we just don’t get to see each other very much. Distance just seems to make the heart grow fonder.

Ah well, I’m not giving up on love, but I’m still just three! I'll wait until I'm longer in the tooth to be settling down. That’s a big commitment…all those expectations, demands, emotions, etc.

Like the late Christopher George Latore Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, i.e. Notorious B.I.G. once said, “mo money, mo problems.” True. So true.

So I guess it’s best that I just kick it as a one-man-band for the time being. I am most definitely single and ready to mingle, but you just can’t force true love. I know that "Mrs. Right" is just going to find me when I least expect it.

Sleepless in Indianapolis,

Blue II