I am headed to dinner with a friend, so here are some pet pics and a clean thread for you. First, a snapshot of Tunch from about five minutes ago:
And now some of your kids:
Claim your kids.
Two quick things, though. I was watching the Dog Show again last night, and even though I love Jack Russell’s, I have decided I just like bigger dogs. I loved the standard and giant schnauzer in the show (was Spirit something, or what?), I always like Boxers (I just love how emotional they are), and having had a friend with a mastiff, I just adore them. Sadie the Mastiff was the sweetest dog ever, although a total pain in the rear end to sleep with.
Second, I gave Tunch wet food this morning (some high protein low carb stuff by Wellness), and he made a liar out of me. He inhaled it. I swear he has always turned up his nose at it before. I guess I might make the transition to wet food. We need shots, so maybe I will get him on that M/D stuff.
Comrade Stuck
She just wants to be respected in the morning.
MikeL
Poor Alan Keyes. No one wants to pay attention to him. No one is beating a path to his door to hear his insights. There must be something Alan Keyes to can do to change that!
daryljfontaine
Seriously, John, that cat is faaawwwwww who’s a fuzzy snuggle-wuggums bbbbbbbbbb.
Damn. Something just kinda took over my brain there.
He’s like the photo-negative of my boy Zorro, who is almost solid black, "solidly built," and imminently cuddleable.
D
AhabTRuler
@MikeL: Oh, Alan. You started out wacky, and you are just getting wackier! Your trip round the bend couldn’t have happened to a more deserving or entertaining person.
Too late! Job’s been done!
Michael D.
Hrmmmmmm…. I don’t think wet food is a good idea. Dry food is SO much better for your cat or dog’s teeth.
You can get higher protein/lower carb dry foods. Try something like Orijen. Not sure if you can get it in West VA, but you can probably find something similar.
headpan
Thanks for the pet pics.
I just lost my job today. Hug a republican.
(pets Tunch’s little pink nose)
Michael D.
@headpan: Sorry to hear that. You and a whole lot of other people. That sucks.
Comrade Scrutinizer
Make a total break and feed raw food. We grind up rabbit, bones and all, add some supplements, and the cats go wild. Much better than the stuff pet stores sell for dogs and cats, and WAY better than dry, which is evil. Cats are obligate carnivores, so forget about grains and glutens.
headpan
Indeed, Micheal D, indeed. Such are the times. It wasn’t a huge surprise, but thanks.
Comrade Stuck
@headpan:
Sorry to hear that headpan. No hugs for wingut. My mood today with them is more like a right hook followed by boot/ass bipartisanship/
headpan
Thanks one and all. I appreciate it. But I’m not really thinking of myself today. I’m feeling especially down for my guv Mark Sanford that he is being forced to take some of the stimulus package money against his will.
valdivia
@headpan:
sorry to hear that headpan.
Tunch is just adorable.
Jennifer
What Michael D. said, with caveats: cats are carnivores (rather than omnivores, which dogs are) and left to their own devices would eat a staple diet of raw meat and insects. On such a diet, they get most of their water requirements from their food. Canned food is a natural for cats and it’s not harmful but they also need a dry food in their diet, to help clean the teeth.
Roonieroo
@Michael D.: Mike, every vet I know has finally accepted that the myth that dry food is better for their teeth is just that a myth. The dried kibble shatters and serves no cleaning purposes for the teeth.
Granted ONLY eating wet food can have deliterious affects on their teeth but that is easily remedied with specific treats if you are feeding commercial like C.A.T. chews.
Zifnab
The Friday Song!
I am pleased that it is almost the weekend.
Indylib
Tunch looks like he could take the cute red doggy.
cleek
because we take no advice from anyone, our cats get both wet and dry. 1.5oz of wet per cat, AM and PM. dry is always out.
and they can drink out of the faucet any time they can catch us in the bathroom.
bvac
Fun thing to do: inserting pictures of your pet into wikipedia articles.
Incertus
@cleek: We have to limit the dry food especially for ours because one of them had a urinary tract blockage and nearly died as a result–weekend at the vet with a catheter, and strong dope for the week after that so he could pee without discomfort.
And can someone explain to me why having no CEOs in the Cabinet is a bad thing? Because I don’t see it.
Kevin K.
As someone who recently had to switch to wet food because of my cat’s diabetes, I pity you, Mr. Cole. Foul smelling, sloppy, and just a pain in the ass to deal with in general. Dry was sooooo much easier. Plus using this cat food lid makes me feel like a dork.
The Populist
I have two picky dogs. I switched to Wellness on a recommendation from a friend and they LOVE it.
It’s all natural stuff that does what is advertised (the type we use has ingredients to help skin and scratching…they haven’t scratched in months).
headpan
Tuna is a p-u mess. But I have two addicts in the house, so it’s easier to give in than to listen to them having the DT’s.
Just Some Fuckhead
Pets ain’t kids.
Sorry about your job loss, headpan.
valdivia
@Incertus:
my two cats have this problem and one went from being a boy to being, um, something else, ungendered maybe?
Anyway they both need to eat that special food for urinary tract crystals and they hate wet food, because all other dry food lands them in the hospital.
devopsych
Rx for type2 diabetes kitteh: take two mice and call me in the morning. Seriously, canned food is generally better than kibble, especially for at risk fat cats. Just saying.
Comrade Stuck
I swear, if wingnuts get any wingnuttier, I’m going to write my congresscritter and propose a national leash law for these idiots. Captain Ed seems to be feeding from the bottom of the wingnut cesspool to bash the 80+ years old Helen Thomas as a terrorist loving traitor. I didn’t see anything in the video supporting his claim, but he wants 500 comments from his Hot Air bloodsucking denizens, apparently to join him in some senior bashing fun.
satby
And now Hershey gets his 15 minutes of fame.
He’s a very sweet Choc. lab-pit bull mix that was pulled from death row in an animal control facility and I took to foster when no one else could. The people who were going to adopt him also lost their jobs, so he’s one of my "permanent" foster dogs now.
Sorry to hear about your job loss, headpan. This economy has all of us shelter rescue folks overwhelmed too, there are animals every day that are abandoned by families who can no longer care for them; some people leave their pets behind when they flee their foreclosed properties. Collateral damage.
D-Chance.
Those Pittsburgh Steelers… what thugs!
Comrade Stuck
Socks the Cat has passed to that big Kittly Litter in the sky. A moment of silence please.
Litlebritdifrnt
Sorry to hear that headpan, will things look up in the Spring when the summer tourist season arrives? I hope so. Until then hang in there.
Cute furbabies! And speaking of which twenty tenth in the series of "cats are generally smart but can be really dumb sometimes" Max (male, tabby, six months old) was just lying on his back clawing at a table runner, he was pulling said runner toward him off the dining table, WHEN HE KNOWS that on top of said table and said table runner is a computer CPU waiting to go in for repair! I know cats are quick but I am not sure that he would have been that quick! What part of "squashed cat" doesn’t he understand?
headpan
It’s not so terrible. Not right now anyway. I’m in a big boat with lots of other people. But I’ll find something.
aNd i haz 3 kAtz so whut mo duz i nead
wUrld kompleet
jnfr
That bottom picture is our boy Jamey. He’s not a full-blood Maine Coon, but he sure looks like he is, right down to the tufts of hair between his toes. He’s a sweetheart and a coward, and he chirps and cries for attention all the time. At night if I’m on the couch, he’ll lay down next to me and roll over on his back, then push out one paw for me to hold. He likes to hold hands.
Anyway, my sympathies to headpan and of course to all the sad Republican governors being forced to take stimulus money against their will.
Howard Appel
I have two big dogs now, "Berkeley" the Great Dane and "Bruin" the English Mastiff (one guess where I went to undergrad and law school). As to your comment about difficulty sleeping with big dogs, years ago, when we had "Peaches," another Great Dane, I found my younger sister (who was in her early teens at that time), sleeping on the floor while Peaches was curled up on her bed with a giant stuffed animal dinosaur.
coolgeek
If a dog isn’t big enough to wrestle in the yard with, there’s just no point in having a dog.
headpan
frakkin cats on the keyboard again, dangit
TrishB
Standard schnauzers are absolutely wonderful dogs. They have just enough terrier-like attitude, but it’s balanced by a slightly more sedate personality. Just keep the Thanksgiving turkey away from the edge of the counter top if anyone is counting on having leftovers.
CaliMatt
just adopted a kitty. the lady told me the same thing…some dry food is fine, but they need wet for dietary moisture, and dry can ruin their urinary tracts (esp males), and she then went out of her way to ask me to think about being subjected to that. it was convincing…..
thanks cat-lady!!
headpan
I think the most honest thing I can say is, at least it’s over, the inevitable "pack your shit" scene. And I don’t mean to sound bitter, because I’m not. I never knew if this thing was gonna work out anyway, so it’s good, it’s done. Now I know.
satby
Hershey doesn’t look big in the picture, but he’s about 90 lbs of pure muscle. He used to sleep in the bed with me, but I banished him to the kitchen because he snores worse than any human I’ve ever heard.
And he used to hog the covers.
John Cole
@headpan: Sorry to hear about the job. What were you doing?
Dinner was uneventful. We went to the Americanized Japanese place.
Litlebritdifrnt
Boxers John? I got your boxers right here!
Cueball
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v641/MsNick40/Pets%20and%20miscellaneous/April192007010ps-2.jpg
Judy Pooch
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v641/MsNick40/Pets%20and%20miscellaneous/Feb202005046.jpg
The two of them "rassling"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v641/MsNick40/Pets%20and%20miscellaneous/April172005074.jpg
I really want another one, but Boxer rescue tells me that they will not place a female in a home that already has a female nor will they place a male in a home that already has a male so I am screwed.
Litlebritdifrnt
My cats have two "continuous" feeders which have dry food in them (Purina cat chow) one on the bookcase in the dining area and one at the front door for the two cats that refuse to come into the house (and also for my adopted possums and every other cat in the neighborhood which takes a fancy to cat chow) they also get canned food every evening which sometimes they will eat and sometimes they turn their nose up at. The dogs are the same, they have a continuous feeder with dry kibble and get canned food for dinner at night. So far I have had no problems with weight with any of my dogs and cats other than one cat Cadbury, who looks for all the world as if she is about to give birth to 13 kittens and perhaps a few puppies for good measure. She is fixed however so unless the vet is incompentent she is just "big boned"
Mike in NC
More like slug a Republican. Most of the people on my team got the ax a few weeks ago, myself included. Brother got laid off the very next day.
South of I-10
Happy Mardi Gras y’all! It’s a beautiful night in S. La. We have about two hours to go before the parade gets down to my neck of the woods. Little South may come unglued before then. It’s gonna be a long and fun 5 days.
Dennis-SGMM
Pet food? I just throw my dog into the dumpster behind Taco Bell every couple of days.
Martin
I don’t even want to think about what gets passed off as Japanese food in West Virginia.
Dennis-SGMM
@Martin:
Deep-fried sashimi, ya’ll.
Comrade Stuck
@Martin:
Crawdad Sushi
Though across the holler in bohemian E. Kentucky, we just called em Creek Shrimp/
John Cole
@Martin: This. My friend really likes it, and it is close. Plus, she never finishes anything she orders anyway.
Apsalar
@Comrade Stuck
Unless you’re a lefty, a left hook is better because it doesn’t have to go so far. Follow it up with a straight right, and then another left hook, and possibly a right kick to the leg, and you’ve got yourself a very nice Muay Thai combo. My coach would be so proud of me. Real life application and everything!
Litlebritdifrnt
@John Cole:
Ooooh I love Hibachi, we have a place here called "Tokyo Express" which is take out hibachi, I usually get the chicken and mushrooms with a side of zucchini and onions, which I just eat the onions cause I can’t stand zucchini, but I love the sauce that they cook them in. I usually get this for lunch about once every couple of weeks cause I am like a snake, if I eat a meal that big I don’t have to eat again for a while. (Maybe there is something about this being a reptilian after all)
Martin
Hey, that looks pretty decent. Sure doesn’t look like the WV I last spent time in 20ish years ago.
And I should add, if she likes it, that’s all that really matters.
AnneLaurie
You’re a braver lady than I, LitleBrit — much as we sympathize with hungry strays, the rabies epidemics that periodically decimate the raccoon/skunk/fox population in our tattered old working-class suburb would discourage me from leaving kibble outdoors. Of course, it probably helps when you’ve got Boxers instead of Papillons sharing the yard with the feral cats… we haven’t actually spotted coyotes in the neighborhood, yet, but there are documented packs in the adjacent towns who have attacked & killed small dogs. Our cats don’t go outside (we live between a busy offramp, a gun club, and a truck-intensive road to the industrial parks down the street) but I don’t relish the idea of having to patrol the fenced section of the yard every time the dogs wanted to "go".
John Cole
@Litlebritdifrnt: I love Judy’s look.
I just don’t know how they are with cats, but if I were to get a dog, a Boxer would be up on my list.
Blue Raven
@South of I-10:
Laissez les bon temps rouler! My employer’s legal beagle brought in king cakes, Bi-Rite ice cream and chicory coffee today (his wife is from La). I did not get the baby, but my, that was some lovely eating.
Napoleon
Awesome.
Olbermann just ran an extended clip of Alan Keyes in complete unhinged wingnut mode. Among other things he said was Obama is a communist and is not president since he was not born in this country, etc., etc.
Napoleon
@MikeL:
Whoops, this is the interview I think I just saw of Keyes.
Just Some Fuckhead
OT but I’m really fucking sick of bullshit stories claiming the stock markets are reacting badly to (insert democratic idea here) or positively to (insert Republican BS here). Everyone knows the stock market is tied to my bowel movements. Sorry about today, salmon and broccoli last night.
Lando
@John Cole:
Boxers are really hyper and not very smart in my experience. I saw one fall into a pool and instead of swimming to the side, started swimming down. Owner has to dive in a rescue him.
I’ll take a lab or retriever
Litlebritdifrnt
It is funny about ethnic food, best chinese food I ever tasted was plain old veggie rice noodles at a roadside "diner" type of place in Hong Kong, I went to the finest restaurants they had there but the best chinese food I ever ate was at the equivalent of a greasy spoon, run by mom and pop and a gaggle of kids and grandkids.
Best Indian food I have ever tasted was also in Hong Kong, a nasty, twenty third floor restaurant called "Deep Mess" which was basically the living room of someone’s flat, their chicken korma was to die for provided you could stomach getting into the elevator and passed the stairwells full of people living in them (and bodily functions).
TenguPhule
I thought it was tied to Tunch’s weight?
Comrade Stuck
Keyes on Obama = He’s a radical communist and we either have to stop him or cease to exist as the the United States/wingnuttiest comment of day/or Allan needs Thorazine co-pilot.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
oh fuck. what seems like acute bursitis episode in right shoulder (long genesis – boring – except 13 pound burmese sleeping in right armpit last night may be proximate cause. )
can’t see sports dr and get lovely cortisone shot until mon or tue. local emerg won’t give shot. am icing and adviling and is getting worse. have stopped using right hand as much as possible.
what to do to get through weekend? srsly, need help.
TenguPhule
Where the fish is as fresh as the jokes.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
aw shit, now reading. sorry to hear, headpan and mike, re your jobs. hope things get better.
Comrade Stuck
@Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse:
Dr. Jack Daniels is on call.
Litlebritdifrnt
@John Cole:
They are fine with "their" cats when the cats stay in "their area", ie I open the front door, cat walks in, boxers immediately do the serious butt sniffing thing, "sniff, yup one of mine, no problem" (which is why whenever I get a new cat for whatever reason birth, adoption whatever, first thing I do is stuff cats butt up boxer’s nose). However, if the cats DARE to venture into the back yard (dog land) they are immediately chased up a tree, because the back yard is DOG LAND GODDAMNIT! By the same token, one of their cats could wander across the front yard and the boxers will not care a jot, however should the neighbour’s cat (not one of "their" cats) chance to wander across the front yard they go at the windows barking as if the devil himself was standing in their front yard giving them the finger. I will never quite understand the entire thing, however once a cat is "their" cat then it is so….. hence
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v641/MsNick40/Pets%20and%20miscellaneous/May282007005.jpg
Dennis-SGMM
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Considering that there are now any number of "Blue Chip" stocks that can now be purchased for less than five bucks a share and considering that many of the biggest traders are the ones who created this bitchin’ economy, why does anyone pay a lot of attention to how the stock market reacts?
Carrie
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Jeezus Fuckhead, would it kill you to eat a 1/2 pound of cheese for a while?
Indylib
@satby: I was pretty sure that your Hersey lab was quite a bit bigger than Tunch, but the sizing of the pics makes it looks like they take up about the same amount of space.
Cudos for doing the pet rescue thing. I’d love to be able to do either cats or dogs but my landlords would freak. Not to mention that I’m afraid I’d get too attached to them and I know my kids would.
Litlebritdifrnt
@John Cole:
PS) Judy is the most beautiful of boxers, I honestly regret getting her fixed (and I never thought I would hear myself saying that) because she has such perfect form (in that photo you see that is a perfect "show" stance) she was never taught it, she just knew it, I think it would have produced champions had we bred her, however, I was more concerned about her than I was about fame, so fixed it was, however I never fail to glory at how beautiful she really is. Add that to the fact that her personality is second to none and you have basically a perfect dog. Now Cueball on the other hand……..lets just not go anywhere near there okay?
MazeDancer
Stick with the Wellness. As noted by many wise commenters above, other than make your own raw food — or roast a lot of turkeys for you both — a high-quality, grain-free wet food is the best for cats. They are carnivores. They only need meat. And for male cats, dry food, especially commercial store brands, leads to kidney problems. Wellness makes a variety of grain free dry food for treats, if Tunch won’t go without.
Most of those Science Diet kind of things sold by vets are garbage. By-product full, preservative-ridden junk. Stick with the Wellness. It’s as good as commercially made canned food gets.
valdivia
@MazeDancer:
so if my cats have already had serious problems with urinary tract obstructions will feeding them Wellness (even dry) prevent that like the vet recommended stuff?
Keith
Jeez, that FURminator is causing some pseudo chaos in the social hierarchy among my cats. Young one doesn’t get involved, but grooming either of my big med/long-hairs causes my super-protective (but super-attached to me) cat to dive-bomb the back of the neck of the cat I’m grooming. Hit him up with some FURminator, and *he* loved it, too, which set off this crowding of 3 trying to get optimum position (in front of my keyboard) for grooming.
So far, it’s been the lardo (18 lbs) – who is being INCREDIBLY affectionate since I started grooming him – but I’m gonna be doing this every night for several days, I suspect.
Phoenix Woman
@headpan: (((hug)))
@Comrade Stuck:
Poor Socks – he was such a handsome boy-kitty! And huge. There’s a pic of him circa 2003 where Betty Currie (who absolutely adored him) was holding him up for the camera; he looks like he’s about three-quarters her size.
@John: See if Tunch will eat cooked hamburger and rice sometime. It’s pretty close to what’s in the can, a lot cheaper, and you have more control over what goes into his body.
kommrade reproductive vigor
Sorry to hear that headpan. Here, lemme fix your quote for you:
There.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Carrie: Ya know, it might.
eyeball
Jesus H. … would you furminate that white cat already …
Carrie
@Just Some Fuckhead:
pussy.
Brick Oven Bill
Tonight was potatoes, onions, and hamburger. It was a very good meal on its own. But I like it with hot sauce. A great hot sauce is Marie Sharp’s, made in Dangriga, Belize. Marie started off as a waitress, made the sauce up for the restaurant, and then started bottling it. She is a real success story.
It is carrot-based, which gives it a really nice body. Originally there were mild, medium, hot, and extra hot versions. Now she’s hired some marketing person who came up with a whole bunch of cutesy flavors, but you can still get the original flavors, which I’d stick with.
She now reportedly sells product at grocery stores in Florida, Alabama, and New Orleans. Marie now has a web page and has apparently won an award in Germany.
Comrade Stuck
@Phoenix Woman:
I’m also glad they published the cause of death as Cancer. Hopefully, that will nix any calls for an investigation.
RIP Socks
John O
Rich Lowry is the stupidest human being on the planet with a high profile job.
Anyone who missed what I like to call The Greatest Evisceration Of All Time Even On The Internets, HTML Mencken’s classic 3-part series on ol’ Rich, has led an empty life.
Rich Lowry, and the biggest number of like-minded assholes I’ve ever wanted to pay for an assault charge on (to? for?) in my 50 years on the planet, need to be reminded of their youths 24/7/365, that point in their lives where they got pantsed and humiliated during most of their waking hours.
It’s pitchfork and torch time for sure. So, with that, I fucking hate with a hot poker Rich Lowry. And Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity, and Satan Coulter, and a dozen or two others to whom history will Not Be Kind.
It’s one thing to be an asshole provoking hate and failure. It’s quite another to get rich from it.
You all know how to get to and search Sadly, No! But here is a link to my tribute to the beauty of S,N!’s treatment of Rich Lowry.
John O
LOL.
Was at an Professional Irish Wake tonight with my colleagues and pals.
Posted one, if it clears the moderation filter, on the wrong thread. Shoulda been on the Lowry The Moron thread. Musta got too excited. Or pissed off by the very mention of Rich the Napoleonic Moron Lowry.
I’m very sorry.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Carrie: I ain’t afraid to kill myself with cheese. I just other shit going right now.
Laura W
@Just Some Fuckhead: Would you please ask Tina Brown to STFU so the two relevant, intelligent women on Maher’s panel can speak?
Christ.
Lando
@John Cole (from a prior thread)
I was surfing around earlier today and I found a picture of Tunch after a bath.
Here
Just Some Fuckhead
@Laura W: Oh lord, she’s hideous. How about when she interrupted John’s "How fucked up are things..?" segment.
I coulda told ’em it woulda be a mistake to put three women on the panel at the same time.
Comrade Stuck
@Carrie:
Cat blogging – unsafe at any speed/
Laura W
I am ambivalent about this whole post now.
Taking it all back.
John O
Lando, that was very funny.
I literally laughed out loud. An official LOL.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Laura W: That’s pure comment editor abuse.
Laura W
@Just Some Fuckhead: Tina Brown wants me to remind you (again) that she just returned from India.
She’s relevant that way.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Laura W: Nope, still hurting.
Laura W
@headpan: I’m really sorry to hear about your recent unemployed status, headpan.
But you’ve certainly got a good sense of priorities in terms of knowing those kitties will see you through it all and out the other end. Mine sure as hell have over many challenging years.
wUrld kompleet indeed.
Jess
I switched to high quality dry (Pet Promise) and canned (Avoderm) food for my kitty recently, and she went from only eating when really, really hungry to snarfing it down like a Doberman. And immediately went from slim to solid. Not overweight yet, but I can envision the possibility. I’ve slightly cut back the wet food (the dry kibble is out all the time), but if anyone has better advice, I would love to hear it. Maybe give her more wet food and pick up the kibble during the day?
Just Some Fuckhead
@Laura W: I thought headpan’s point was the cats could be eaten if things get really bad.
Laura W
@Just Some Fuckhead: and you called Bill Maher "John", so consider your source.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Laura W: Yeah, I get Bill Maher and John Mayer mixed up sometimes.
Tattoosydney
I can’t be bothered making some smart link between fat cats and pet shops and whatever, so way OT…
I can’t be the only one who likes Pet Shop Boys…
Anyway… hey Laura. Hey Fuckhead…
JGabriel
I keep expecting to see a LOLCat of Socks that says: I Can Haz Hevvin Now?
.
Just Some Fuckhead
Hiya Tattoosydney.
Edit: Andrew Sullivan loves ’em but you prolly know that.
Laura W
@Tattoosydney: Tina Brown LOVES the PSBs! She saw them in India.
Hey TattooSydney!
As usual, our time zones are keeping us apart. Fuckhead will do song link battle with you, I’m sure. (Careful…he’s got a vintage cheeseball repertoire that will blow your mind.)
Night night.
Brandon T.
@Jess
That’s funny, because we’ve had the exact opposite experience. We have a 5-year old Persian that has been big-boned from birth and would eat ad libitum throughout the day. He never liked canned food very much, but suddenly he went to preferring it over dry food–and when that happened, he went to normal cat weight. We don’t keep the dry food out in the dispenser anymore and he stays that way. Guess you can never predict these things.
JGabriel
@kommrade reproductive vigor:
Eyes don’t shoot out of heads, they shoot death rays.
Out of heads, eyes: POP.
.
gbear
@Comrade Scrutinizer:
The benefit of rabbit is that their screams are quieter than the food processor’s motor.
I’m sorry, but I had to extract some kind of payback for the Dan Akroyd eye/earworm that got stuck in my head after reading your comment.
Tattoosydney
@Just Some Fuckhead:
It’s all about the gay, but liking the same thing as Sully is a little disturbing.
@Laura W:
Goodnight. Tina Brown can fuck right off.
Comrade Stuck
I guess Obama is going to give a State of the Union like address to both houses of Congress this coming Tuesday. Should be interesting.
TenguPhule
Only if you’re really hungry.
And if it can be basted in its own fat like Tunch.
AnneLaurie
Boxers, with all due respect, have a reputation for two less-than-desirable traits: high pain thresholds, and steep learning curves. Several vets I’ve known said the only dogs they’ve ever had to de-quill more than once were Boxers… one Boxer attacked porcupines four different times during the same summer, before his people gave up & refused to let him outside the vacation cabin unless he was on-leash. I’ve also heard American Pit Bull breeders insist, bitterly, that much of the APB’s bad rep is based on Boxer/APB crossbreds with ‘Boxer temperaments’. I’ll admit the only dog I’ve ever met who had absolutely *no* bite inhibition around humans was a Boxer puppy in an obedience class, so I’m kinda prejudiced. But if you *do* decide to live with a Boxer, John, I’d make darn sure you pre-tested his cat-proofing… preferably not with Tunch, or any other cat you cared about personally.
Apsalar
Back in 1996, some of my high school classmates and I went on a White House tour, and we met Socks. A Secret Service agent caught up with him and said that he wasn’t supposed to be in the public areas during tour times, but he was hard to contain. RIP.
burnspbesq
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Best Chinese: a tie between Flower Drum in Melbourne, Australia and Ocean Star in Monterey Park, California.
burnspbesq
Gee, thanks, Brad. I could have done without that image rattling around in my head.
http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2009/02/national-review-has-removed-the-ball-gag-from-jerry-taylors-mouth.html
Comrade Stuck
Obama turns Virginia blue, then this.
Wingnut heads explode across the Commonwealth. Hee hee!
Ninerdave
@Lando:
HA! Wow, that’s messed up. Funny as hell but messed up.
Ninerdave
@burnspbesq:
Seriously? No props for Chinatown in SF?
My favorite out of San Francisco is Golden Willow in Concord. Not only is their Hunan Chicken and Hot and Sour soup to die for, the owner’s wife Vance, has a freakish memory and will remember you once like you were a cherished everyday customer.
see here:
http://mayorofconcord.com/2008/the-best-chinese-food-in-concord/
Seriously, if you are in SF and have some time to spare, like Chinese Food, and can figure out BART, Golden Willow is a great place. Check it out.
Mako
Mericans love their gimmicky maki.
http://www.morgantownhibachi.com/special.htm
Mako
Fried asparagus roll? Cream cheese?
Oh man, that is a disturbing raping of japanese cuisine.
But i guess you got to have those high fat products to attract the customer.
Believe I’ll stick to Little Sandy’s next time I’m in the area, at least they don’t pretend.
John Cole's Big Toe
@Brick Oven Bill:
Interesting, I don’t think I’ve ever had a carrot based hot sauce. Mostly fruit based for the good shit (e/g/ Dave’s Insanity.
Funny, the most of the extreme hot sauces…have a nice flavor before they rip you taste buds out.
John Cole's Big Toe
@Mako:
Ya! Welcome to American fast food!
JohnCole'sBigToe
@Mako:
That’s American fast food!! Fry it, stick cheese on it, completely dilute the flavor so it’ll appeal to the most people and reference it’s country of origin!!
Woo hoo!
JohnColesBigToe
Word Press ate my posts
L. Ron Obama
@Mako:
A couple items with cream cheese is hardly a big offender; it could be far, far worse. Even the good Japanese restaurants in Chicago do it on a small scale. Save your ire for the real fusion places or the Chinese/sushi combos, now that is blasphemy.
Mako
I disagree. Cream cheese has no place in japanese cuisine. Twisting cream cheese into a maki is evil and there is no way that can be called "japanese" food. Whatever they may do in Chicago, which I’m sure is much closer to Japan than WVa, is irrelevant.
Of course, when John hits up the latest chinese/sushi combo fusion place in Morgantown and links to a menu, i will happily tell you what crap that is too.
mannemalon
@Incertus:
Because there are no CEOs in the Cabinet.
Mako
heh. Might want to lay of the fried foods, them chubby fingers sometimes misshit the keys.
But, yeah, of course you are right. slather it in cheese and grease. Yum. No wonder even the cats are overweight.
Lurker
For a "neutral" view of feline (and human!) obesity … Moxie is "morbidly obese", dunno about Tunch. Moxie isn’t all-white, so that visual slimming effect is kicking in. The slide show of Body Mass Index (BMI) labels makes me even more aware that some of those labels are pretty far off-base.
Lesley
Low carb, high protein
bahahaha, is Tunch on the Atkins diet?
I suggest getting him a treadmill and a date with Jillian Michaels.
But seriously, Tunch looks like quite a character, I think I would like him.
Michael D.
@Comrade Stuck:
I hate drag shows, but that story was all kinds of awesome. I’m glad they made him homecoming queen. He seems like a terrific guy.
Mako
Lot of fun rationalization going on there. Of course, this isn’t rocket scientery; if you look in the mirror and see a big fatso, you are fat.
Probably has something to do with the fried asparagus and cream cheese.
Mercins are such victims.
Jill
Have I got a (spayed) girl for your Tunch!
Wellness is great cat food, though it’s too rich for some kittehs. Maggie (the cat in the video) loves it, but our other cat can’t eat it; it’s too rich and she just pukes it up. A holistic vet wanted us to put them on a raw diet, but I draw the line there. So I have them on a no-grain diet of Wellness canned and B.G. (Before Grain) kibble, and they’re doing well on it.
headpan
Hey, hi. I just recently re-joined this thread from last night. Thanks for all the kind words of support. I feel strangely calm and empowered. Of course, it’s only Saturday. Perhaps I will start an unemployment blog. heh
Anyway, I was talking to my mom last night and my niece just graduated from college with a degree in hotel/restaurant management. Of course, for a time, I thought that wasn’t a bad choice since we are a consumerist society now. Who knew, of course. Now that industry is in sad shape as well.
So anyway, she’s trying to get a job at a luxury dog spa/boarding place. My mom said they made her clean out the dog pens as part of her interview. The lady that ran the place said business was booming. So my mom and I speculated about the rich still being rich because who else can afford to send their dog to a spa with teevees and such.
To answer John’s kind inquiry, I was a paralegal. I can honestly say that after years of dealing with problematic personalities and navigating dysfunctional working relationships, scooping out dog pens sounds pretty relaxing and a lot more fun. At least I’d get to play with the dogs.
AhabTRuler
Hmmm…lawyers or dog shit, lawyers or dog shit?
Tough choice!
headpan
Jill, dammit, stop that! I’ve been trying to get Tunch together with my daphne, John hasn’t taken the bait and now *this*!
I love the video – she really is an amazing looking cat and she really looks like she’s listening to everything they are saying. Hilarious. Those eyes. I’ve never seen such eyes on a cat, is she part lemur? She’s beautiful.
And I LOVE Sam Seder, love him, love him.
That said, John, don’t let Tunch see the video. I can tell she is not his type. He needs an older, big-boned gal in his life. Trust me.
headpan
AhabTRuler – Ding, ding, ding!!
opium4themasses
Holistic Vet? Yay America.
headpan
Those of us who have not yet been humbled enough, shall be humbled more and more until there is no ego left. I left another piece of ego back at the office as I was leaving. It might not necessarily be a bad thing. At least I don’t have kids to worry about, unless you count the cats. And yeah, I really cannot afford to take them to the vet for their yearlies now, but they are strictly indoorsies.
AhabTRuler
@headpan: Seriously, good luck. I have been unemployed for almost a year, mostly due to medical and school reasons. I have been trying to get a job lately and it is grim. Even more fun, I graduate in May!!
Great time to start a career. Since I live in DC, maybe I can get a job cleaning out the Congresscritters’ cages. Only problem: it’s hard to tell where the shit ends and the politician begins.
satby
@AnneLaurie:
AnneLaurie, I don’t have stats on Boxers as a breed, but from what I’ve observered over the years of pet rescue is the general decline of quality in most pure-bred dogs. It’s not totally anecdotal, there are sites where the rise in genetic problems in some pure breds has been documented, but you’d have to google, I don’t remember where I read that, could have been the HSUS website.
I have to say I prefer mixed breed dogs, and I like large dogs too. I wish people would stop breeding animals, we have too many that get destroyed, and that includes a LOT of pure-bred dogs and cats. Again, after years of pet rescue and fostering both puppies and adult dogs, for me the perfect adoptable animal is mixed breed, and over a year old. They tend to adapt quickly to a household routine, their personalities are pretty well set so you know what you’re getting temperment-wise, and if they’re rescues, they seem to appreciate that you’ve given them a second chance. The same applies to cats and kittens, though I’m a sucker for puppies and kittens like everybody else.
WereBear
No-grain is the way to go with cats; a proper dry diet can work, but add a pet fountain or offer water often; in the wild, cats get their water mostly from their food, and thirst signals can vary in their strength. The cat might not be able to keep up their hydration without wet food.
Feeding a cat grains is the number one cause of obesity and diabetes; cats actually lack the enzyme that would let them digest carbs; it turns to fat and stresses their pancreas.
Off my soapbox now.
Just to say that Alan Keyes has really lost it. My favorite part was when he was saying, "Oh, you keep smiling at me, you’re laughing at me…"
Well, yeah. Thank goodness for a rational response from the press corpse.
Montysano
@headpan:
Sorry about your bad luck. There’s a lot of that going around these days.
I bailed out on a backpacking trip this weekend. I really wanted to go, but it was a 3 day trip, which meant taking Monday off. A year ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it (I’ve worked there for 18 years). The owner of our small company is in such angst about our prospects that taking time off just doesn’t feel like the thing to do.
It sucks. 55 degrees and sunny today, perfect for a trip to the Enchanted Forest.
AhabTRuler
When haven’t we been smiling and laughing at Alan Keyes?
South of I-10
@headpan: I am sorry to hear about your job. Did you have a specialty? I’m a paralegal too, I can let you know if I hear of any openings.
Jennifer
headpan – I got laid off (well, actually, my contract was broken) back in December (at a job where I almost quit in July because the boss is such an asshole) and while that’s a story in itself…here it is 2 months later, I had a really good interview yesterday for a job that pays just enough to pay the bills if I’m careful, so at least in these parts it is possible to find employment. My case may be a little different since I have the blessed good fortune to have done a lot of different stuff over the course of the career – lobbying, non-profit management, sales, construction project management…the downside being of course that I get a lot of "you’re overqualified" and "but you don’t have X degree and how can you possibly write our newsletter if you didn’t go to J-school?" I’ve just been applying for anything that looked remotely like my qualifications might fit, because the plan is to 1)find a full-time job after 15 years of full-time self-employment, 2)go to work and do my job and 3)keep my head down till all this shit blows over, which will probably be several years. I think anyone looking for work right now should probably do the same. I tried riding out the last GW Bush recession without going back into a full-time job (just didn’t want to let go of being self-employed) and I don’t want to spend the next 5 or 10 years paying off the massive debt that goes along with it – so I’m on board with becoming someone’s full-time bitch.
The other issue is that when you’re self-employed, even though you’re required to pay into unemployment, you aren’t allowed to draw it. So there’s nothing coming in at all until you find work.
So just hit the bricks and unless things are a lot worse where you live than they are here right now, you should be able to find something you can do even if it’s not your dream job.
Oh, and as for that asshole boss? The whole company is going down. I figure they’ll be out of business within the next couple of months, given that they’re already several months behind on tax deposits, and the IRS don’t play that shit. I hate that my former co-workers are about to find themselves out in the cold, but as for the ex-boss – it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Everyone’s been telling him for years now that he has a choice of either making money or running his business as an ego trip – he continued to make the wrong choice. I can point out at least $100K in profit he pissed away over the last year, and as much or more in the other years I worked there…well, now the chickens are coming home to roost. And with this guy being the huge asshole that he is, I predict he’ll be unemployed for a long, long time, because he’s too big of an asshole to hold down a job working for anyone else.
burnspbesq
@AhabTRuler:
That’s a no-brainer. Dog poop, all day every day, says the man with not one but two law degrees.
Unlike most legal arguments, dog poop doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not.
AhabTRuler
You magnificent bastard! It is quite possible that you embody both sadism and masochism at the same time!
D-Chance.
Don’t let this story pass by unnoticed.
US Soldier Convicted of Murder in Iraq
Hopefully, we’ll string him up with the same zeal that we wish to string up all murdering scum. Uniform, or not, he deserves nothing but the worst that we can dish out.
BTW, I notice total silence in Conservative Bloghistan and very little linkage on the Lefty side. I gather that Americans will take a "if we don’t mention it, it didn’t happen" stance? Screw that. If so, it makes them equally culpable.
Dennis-SGMM
Here we go again:
Reports: Arrest close in Chandra Levy slaying
News readers nationwide are breathing a sigh of relief at not having to cover any actual news. Even now, satellite trucks are beelining to Modesto to place Gary Condit’s home under siege.
headpan
AhabT, Jennifer – best of luck to you as well. Hey, I really ought to start an unemployment blog and we can all swap stories, huh? ;^D
Everyone has a story and I really do find each one of them interesting and special. My situation is certainly not as bad as some. I’m just going to go out there and get something. At least now you don’t have to go through all that interview bullshit where you have to make up this very thoughtful, insightful, beautifully parsed excuse for why you are looking for a job, because everyone’s looking.
Jennifer, I got let go because the business was struggling also. I listened to bitching about finances for the entire 9 months I was there so I wasn’t real surprised (although a "thank you" or "good job" comment would have been nice). And indeed, I saw much that was wrong with the way things were being run, but no one was interested in my opinion, despite the fact I had a lot more experience working in law firms than anyone else (15+ years) .
Anyway, they are hurting in their own way so they did what they had to do but I do see, as you did, more pissing away of money and resources in the future, the way things were going. You’ve got to really have your shit together in these times to keep a small business afloat so good luck to them is all I can say.
South of I-10: I did mostly litigation. This last job, I was doing pretty much nothing but serving mechanic’s liens all over the place. It was very stressful, especially with the work environment being what it was (less than ideal is the kindest way I can put it).
Considering how things are, maybe they actually will be able to pull things off with that kind of business. I dunno. I’m not limiting myself to legal, however, b/c there’s nothing out there. Zero.
headpan
Oh, I switched on msnbc for a few seconds and Pat Buchanan was humping a Sarah Palin calendar. That is considered news.
What kind of country are we living in?
Brick Oven Bill
Perhaps Sadie the Mastiff went ape last night, incapacitating John. I hope not, as this is a very good blog.
headpan
BOB: Pets and unemployment!
Serious, I think I could be happier working with animals for minimum wage and after everything that’s happened, I would be honored to shovel their shit. At least they’re honest creatures.
Dennis-SGMM
@headpan:
On first scan I read "..Pat Boone was humping a Sarah Palin calendar."
Now that’s entertainment!
Bootlegger
@Brick Oven Bill:
The fact that you say this after all the abuse heaped on you here (some deserved, much not) tells my something I always suspected about your character. Despite your sometimes bizarre missives I’ve only seen you turn the other cheek. I’m not sure BJ would be the same without you.
burnspbesq
@AhabTRuler:
It’s definitely masochism. I ran cross-country and the 800 in high school.
burnspbesq
@headpan:
If you like paralegal work, think tax. For the next several years, people who know how to do offers in compromise and handle collection due process hearings will not lack for work.
MazeDancer
@valdivia
Urinary tract troubles means no dry food. Dry food causes urinary tract problems in cats. Especially the cheap store brands. They’re like feeding children only McDonald’s and thinking the obesity problem is a media conspiracy.
Many people – and vets – confused because dry food good for dogs. Many large pet food companies like that confusion. And many vets make money selling specialized foods, which are often not good products. Cats are supposed to exist on only meat. Any kind of all meat, raw diet is the best. If that proves impossible, Wellness, or any grain-free, dry better. You can consider raw, organic chicken livers — or at least anti-biotic free – mixed with the wet food to encourage transition. Though organ meats should be limited eventually. But there are many grain-free, dry foods, not just Wellness. Alas, none of them cheap. But all cheaper than the vet bills for urinary problems. For that matter, so is organic raw chicken and turkey. Also you can Google search any cat condition and find zillions of forums.
Wini
A "friend’s" facebook status this morning: "Rick Santelli is my hero".
I wish it was possible to feed every BJ comment thread onto my wall..
The Grand Panjandrum
Must be a friend with benefits if the last post was 19 hours ago. Good for you Cole. Just don’t come back all touchy-feely and shit.
valdivia
@MazeDancer:
thank you so much for that reply. we are already planning the transition and going shopping today for wellness.
Bootlegger
My vet just called and said our Dood has food allergies. His ears have had a constant yeast infection that is driving him nuts and making him stink something fierce. The vet recommends either ZD or Royal Canin. Anyone have experience with labradoodle allergies and/or these products? They are very expensive, anyone know a cheaper source for these?
@The Grand Panjandrum: That’s the most I’ve ever heard about our host’s personal life.
valdivia
sorry guys but John posted last night after dinner. just saying.
kay
@Wini:
Your friend lives in world where responsible people are insulated from the impact of decisions made by irresponsible people. A "fair" world, where you operate in isolation.
I myself figured out there was no such place by 6th grade, but it would be great, if it existed. In theory.
p.a.
anyone else like Spanish Celtic music?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzIXZdtPeeQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YtYPDGbJU0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E-EpHWG6g0&feature=related
tofubo
an update to a year-old story
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2009-02-05/news/indicted-miami-beach-weapons-dealer-efraim-diveroli-is-still-making-millions-of-dollars
he got his money and car back
headpan
Wow, this "A Father’s Promise" on msnbc is pretty good/sad.
Laura W
@Bootlegger: Re: Brick Oven Bill:
I agree.
As a matter of fact, I’ve started to look forward to BOB’s missives and usually laugh out loud quite raucously at least once. (I’ve even secretly started to compile a list of my very favorite quips, along the lines of The Fat Tunch Chronicles.)
Let this inspire you on to even greater heights of artistry, Bill.
Wini
kay,
surprise, surprise – my friend also works in investment banking
WereBear
First step; check his food & treats for corn. Most common allergen, and they put it in so much food.
Second step, consider this food supplement:
http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=1926&bhcd2=1235238089
It can balance their system with extra nutrition. I’ve used it for years with my cats, who have wonderful fur.
Third step: calm down the immune system. It’s overreacting (causing the itching) which prevents it from acting properly (opening the door to yeast infections.) And while yeast infections aren’t pretty, they are a vital clue to what is going on. They feed on sugar in the system.
Low carb the dog, and you’ll lower the inflammation, which calms the immune system, and removes the "food" the yeast feeds upon. You also take the stress off the dog’s pancreas. They are omnivores, but aren’t designed for the huge load of non-nutritive carbohydrates the pet food companies bulk out the food with.
Most vets will just put them on a prednisone schedule and/or try to get you to buy their overpriced foods. The steroids are good short term, but disastrous long term. And you can feed them better, for less, by getting them a high quality food that is heavy on the protein and fat.
Good food means you pay up front for a healthier pet, rather than down the road with vet bills.
kay
@Wini:
Hah!
I’ve lost about 20% of the value of real estate I’ve been paying on for 15 years. A commercial piece and a residential piece. I’d like Mr. Obama to do what he has to do to stop the slide. I don’t know what to do, and none of these screamers do either.
D-Chance.
Hey, a cat post on a cat thread!
But… it’s a sad post.
RIP, Socks. What an adorable cat.
Bootlegger
@WereBear: The ‘roids didn’t work. I’ll look into your thoughtful advice.@Laura W: "The Fat Tunch Chronicles"? Love the title.
Gatsby
Tunch is such a handsome boy! More pictures please!
I assume that he let you know from the beginning that you were living in HIS house, and therefore had to behave like a good tenant…
As for getting a new kitty into HIS house, especially a grown-up one, well… Get ready for months of spitting and fury. The lovely creatures do take exception to "strange" cats.
Comrade Nikolita
@Gatsby:
I agree! More Tunch pictures please!
My boyfriend and I got a kitten last year, about 10 months ago. Cat, the cat I’d gotten a couple of years earlier, didn’t and still doesn’t like him. He’s learned to leave her alone more often, but she’ll still hiss and swat at him if he gets too close when she wants to be left alone.
Gay Veteran
Paging Captain Ahab, paging Captain Ahab…..your whale has been sighted.
LOL, pretty kittie.