Dog of the Week

Dog of the week lovers, meet Vanian. His humans work at University Book Store. They were house-sitting on the beach, and Vanian strolled into the place looking a little tired and a little beaten up. And then he looked up and informed them that he was, from that moment on, their dog.

Vanian is named for Dave Vanian, lead singer of the band The Damned. They both have widow's peaks.

Folks interested in a comprehensive history of the music played by bands like The Damned might want to check out Babylon's Burning by Clinton Heylin. It looks to be pretty exhaustive. You might compliment it with Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil (aka the guy who smokes in your bookstore). So after you've read one researched piece by a rock journalist, and one compilation of anecdotes and memories, you could finish off with a biography of one of the key players in the genre. How about Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer by Chris Salewicz?

But don't do it for me. Do it for Vanian.

Good boy, Vanian. That's a very good hand sell.