Got home from work, opened the door to my bedroom to get Lily out of her crate, but there is no doggie there. I look up, and this what I found lounging on my bed:
I’ve taken the liberty of airbrushing out the naughty bits so we don’t have any NSFW problems. It looks like Lily is starting to get comfortable around here. That look on her face is one that Irie used to get all the time that I called the “woebegone doggie” look, and usually followed him doing something he knew he shouldn’t be doing.
We’ll just use this as an open thread with some quick hits:
1.) Game 7 of Pens v. Wings tonight. Set your clocks.
2.) According to NPR, it is the 50th anniversary of Time Out
3.) Also via NPR, I heard a piece about Magos Herrera’s album Distancia
4.) This is going to be one of those things I write that causes people to write in the comments- “OMG COLE, YOU WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING.” And, to be honest, that is true. But this still needs to be said- the last five toothbrushes I have purchased have inexplicably exploded in my mouth, leaving bristles all over the place. I have never had that happen before the past month and a half. And no, I have not changed how I brush. Why am I telling you this? Because it is my blog, damnit.
5.) Any suggestions for gum that is not bad for your teeth but tastes good now that I have to cut the xylitol out of my life?
6.) Also, does anyone know of a water bottle that comes with a bowl like attachment for a dog to drink out of. I’d like to be able to take Lily for longer walks once I get her strength up, but I need to be able to water her. Thanks in advance. And no, my google is not broken, I just know that you guys always have some sort of experience with what I am looking for and it saves me from making a purchasing mistake to learn from your experiences.
7.) What on earth is going on with David Brooks? Sometimes he seems completely and totally insane and writing from another universe, and other times I read him and he sounds like he is actually writing about the same planet that I call home. I just heard him with EJ Dionne on NPR, and he seemed thoughtful, reasonable, and sane. Any clues.
You are on your own. I’m going outside to get some air.
AhabTRuler
But they are doggie bits. I mean, I know we are a prudish country, but please.
To that I have to say only this.
Also, that’s not photoshopping, and isn’t obscuring dog nipple going to extremes?
Quicksand
I think you should probably throw out the other seven toothbrushes in that Sam’s Club twelve-pack.
MikeJ
I often meet people with dogs on the longer mountain trails around here with backpacks full of water on the dogs. Like a camelback for dogs (although I don’t think they drink out of a tube like we humans do.)
Max
Most dogs will drink out of a regular bottle if you pour it like a faucet. They’ll lap it up mid-air. I have a camelback thing that I use on long hikes and the pooch drinks from the hose with no problem.
REI and others have collapseable bowls that will easily clip on your belt, if you think the above option is not ladylike enough for the fair Lily.
SarahLoving
@AhabTRuler: I think it was a joke…l took it to mean he was highlighting the absurd nature of teh Prudez with the blur job.
grimc
4) SonicCare. Yes, with its purchase price, cost of replacement brushheads and dentists urging you to buy one, it smells like a scam. But it’s not.
6) http://www.backcountryk9.com/109/0/Products.aspx
AhabTRuler
@SarahLoving: This time I’m gonna put my money on John doing the best job that he could.
Delia
Aww . . . . Lily’s going Galt already. John’s a wonderful Dad.
John Cole
@grimc: I already have one. I have a very elaborate tooth brushing routine worked out. I brush with a soft toothbrush. I then floss. I then use the sonic care. I then use the water pick, and then mouthwash. I do that in the morning and before bed. In between, I use a good old soft toothbrush.
Common Sense
The illusion of the year.
This is why failing 2/3 of the time is considered a crowning achievement in baseball.
jnfr
We love our Sonicare.
Poor Lily! Leave her nipples alooooone!
blahblahblah
That photo of the dog reminds me of that scene in Brazil where a woman is walking a dog with criss-crossing strips of tape over her animal’s anus. I don’t think my employer would censure me for loading a photo of an unclothed dog. OTOH: they would censure me for loading a non-work related website, so it all evens out.
HumboldtBlue
Or to put it more simply — two of the greatest musical albums ever recorded. Both make my Top 10.
Brachiator
And the 60th anniversary of George Orwell’s 1984 (great tribute at the Daily Mail):
And 1984 is also known as The Official GOP Playbook of Doublespeak and Dirty Tricks.
Today is also what I call “Digital Doomsday,” as we officially transition from analog to digital over the air broadcast. Out here in Southern California, procrastinators are busting down the doors at Best Buy stores to get their hands on a converter box.
It’s kinda interesting watching my Casio portable TV turn into a useless brick.
Dogs have it so easy.
Bad Horse's Filly
@Max: What Max said, collapsible bowls – get them at PetSmart or other. Works great.
Also – I do believe Lily now feels at home. But I think we need a Tunch picture to balance.
Punchy
Anyone know why the line in the Pens/Wangs game has exploded upward in favor of the Wangs? Is Malkin hurt? Crosby sprain his vagina?
I’m going to take the Pens anyway (in Vegas, of course), so this’ll just increase my winnings, but methinks something is going on behind the scenes that the heavy hitters know about and we dont. It’s clear the Wangs should be the favs, but -210? Seriously? Yikes.
AhabTRuler
@John Cole: I fixed your picture fer ya.
greynoldsct00
Obviously she’s more relaxed!!
grimc
@John Cole:
Geez, as if I didn’t feel guilty enough about my dental hygiene.
Trollhattan
Awww. She’s turning into a li’l canine slut! That’s a “Rub my cute belly” command.
You need a Gulpy:
http://www.rei.com/product/753131
Got one, it works once the dog figures out the tray is to drink from and not bite. Very handy during triple-digit season, and vastly better than keeping fido from the gutter water.
linda
just got home and had to check in to see if there were any lily updates. … and am delighted to see one up.
uh, i’d hazard a guess she’s settling in….lol.
gex
As we complete our drive into California, where Obama’s voice stating that he is opposed to same sex marriage was used in robocalls to help Prop 8 pass, and on the anniversary of Loving v. Virginian in which the Supreme Court declared marriage to be a fundamental right, I feel gut-punched by what Obama did today.
During the campaign he suggested he supported federal civil unions for gays that would provide all the rights and protections of marriage. Today he defended DOMA. Compared gay marriage to incest, justified denying us marriage so that governments could save some money, and suggested that we aren’t really being discriminated against because, after all, we can enter traditional marriage too.
I should have voted for McCain. If the country insists on repeatedly fucking me over, I should have returned the damn favor.
Death By Mosquito Truck
Prolly the fucking Chinese screwing up our toothbrushes now. In other news, rare West Virginian describes elaborate teeth-brushing routine, met with skepticism, disbelief.
Kate
http://www.sahalie.com/jump.jsp?itemID=2989&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C7%2C1586&iProductID=2989
I am told these work really well.
Common Sense
Bittersweet Beatles story (I can’t blockquote so the following is pulled from the link):
————
They were childhood chums. Then they drifted apart, lost touch completely, and only renewed their friendship decades later, when illness struck.
Not so unusual, really.
Except she is Lucy Vodden — the girl who was the inspiration for the Beatles’ 1967 psychedelic classic “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” — and he is Julian Lennon, the musician son of John Lennon.
They are linked together by something that happened more than 40 years ago when Julian brought home a drawing from school and told his father, “That’s Lucy in the sky with diamonds.”
Just the sort of cute phrase lots of 3- or 4-year-olds produce — but not many have a father like John Lennon, who used it as a springboard for a legendary song that became a centerpiece on the landmark album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
“Julian got in touch with me out of the blue, when he heard how ill I was, and he said he wanted to do something for me,” said the 46-year-old Vodden, who has lupus, a chronic disease where the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue.
Lennon, who lives in France, sent his old friend flowers and vouchers she could use to buy plants at a local gardening center, since working in her garden is one of the few activities she is still occasionally well enough to enjoy. More importantly, he has offered her friendship and a connection to more carefree days. They communicate mostly by text message.
…
Vodden was diagnosed with lupus about five years ago after suffering other serious health problems. She has been struggling extreme fatigue, joint pain, and other ailments.
gex
Okay, now that I’ve got that off my chest (raving comment in moderation currently) I must say how please I am to see Lily coming around so quickly. I am so happy for her that she found herself a good home.
I plan on purchasing a doggy canteen for Casey as soon as I get home from vacation. Fancier than needed, for sure, as I just bring a Gladware and a bottle of water whenever we go for extended walks.
KRK
Collapsible bowl sounds like maybe the way to go. An empty plastic tub would be the cheapest/easiest. Or I don’t know, Army guy, maybe a tin cup?
So is the xylitol thing just about Lily? The dog poisonings I’ve heard of usually involve a dog getting into or being fed human food made with xylitol. Haven’t heard about gum being a problem. Even so, can’t you come up with a Lily-proof place to store your gum? I assume there are lots of other things in your apartment that would be hazardous for her to get into as well. As obsessed as you seem to be with oral hygiene, it’d be a shame to give up the xylitol gum.
AhabTRuler
I think I have discovered the secret that Lily has been hiding from John.
Jim
I think REI makes a good collapsable bowl. She may be too old to learn to drink from the stream of a camelback or bottle.
Is she letting you rub her belly?
gex
John, I think that sugar-free gum that uses sorbitol or sucralose are safe for the pup. Google it to be sure, because I’m not 100% if I remember right from Casey’s scare. I just don’t keep gum in the house anymore.
Crashman06
John, that thing about the toothbrush is really weird. I have never heard of that happening. Ever. Perhaps you’re just cosmically unlucky when it comes to dental hygiene products.
Duncan Watson
I use a bowl from REI – http://www.rei.com/product/759618
it fits easily in my pocket and on hikes and such I often end up giving water to other dogs as well as mine with it. Good luck with Lily.
REN
I have also noticed Brooks tendency to be somewhat reasonable depending on the company he is in. He seems to act almost sane around Jim Lehrer too.
His problems begin when he is alone at the keyboard. Then there is no moderation or filter for all his Reagan fantasies.
slag
Looks like your bed won’t be yours for long.
Confused: Are you cutting xylitol because it’s not safe for dogs or for other reasons? If because it’s unsafe, can’t you just keep her away from your gum?
Screamin' Demon
Yes, Kind of Blue is a landmark of modal jazz. And yet not even one-tenth as challenging to the senses as A Love Supreme, or even Miles Smiles.
Kennedy
Yes, thanks for that. It more than makes up for the ubiquitous, giant-ass Pam Anderson eyesore.
J.
Dog porn.
Dog water bowl. Also this.
Death By Mosquito Truck
@slag:
Haven’t you been reading the updates? The dog it out of control, in to everything. One day John is going to come home from wherever Johns go when they ain’t cruisin the dog buffet anymore and his bitch is gonna be laying back on the bed watching animal planet blowing big fat bubbles with his poison gum.
Lesley
get a “Gulpy” for Lilly. It has a trough attached to the bottle. The trough snaps back to the bottle after use. Very convenient. That way you don’t waste water or have to bring a separate water source. perfect for hiking.
AhabTRuler
She really is a bad dog!
Punchy
john, the xylitol thing for dogs is bunk. chocolate, however, shud never be fed to them
R-Jud
Wait, are those satin sheets your dog is doing the come-hither pose on? Eeek.
Also this:
Currently, I have a cat draped across my neck and a baby snoozing on my lap (I also have long arms). Tomorrow I will run my first 10-miler in a year. Life is good.
gex
@Punchy: Bullshit, you don’t know what you are talking about. My dog almost died due to Xylitol ingestion.
GeneJockey
Awwwwww……..
That’s what we Greyhound owners call “roaching” – legs in the air like a dead roach. A sure sign of canine contentment.
cs
For the dog, you don’t need anything special. I take my beasts daily on this 3 mile, 1,000 foot elevation gain trail on the mountain by my house. For watering, I take 4 bottles, of the standard commercial water bottle size though filled with tap water to avoid the obvious waste, and I have this cheap small plastic bowl thats just barely big enough for both dogs to drink from simultaneously.
The backpack is just a standard tiny, camelbak ripoff, and everything fits inside, snugly, with just enough room left over to fit two leashes for those rare times when the dogs get too happy and excited about finding a person on the trail and I have to hook them up.
Jon H
John: for the water bowl, how about a baseball cap? (If possible, without any vent holes).
Some of the water will soak in, but probably enough would remain in the hat to provide plenty of drinking water. Then you just pop it on your head and it’d be nice and cool for the walk home.
Or rub beeswax or chapstick on the inside and it should be waterproof.
Death By Mosquito Truck
Xylitol just makes my dog run faster.
Karatist Preacher
Get used to the sight of the dog on your bed.
John Cole
@R-Jud: No, egyptian cotton.
Blue Raven
John, I asked this in the morning open thread but realize it’d be better to ask where you’re probably still looking:
How do you pronounce Tunch? Toonch (granting it’s a shorter sound than “oo” might indicate) or “rhymes with lunch”?
John Cole
@Blue Raven: Rhymes with lunch, but the person he is named after, Tunch Ilkin, pronounces it TOONCH.
Anne Laurie
The smiling/but-looking-away/belly-up posture is Lily’s way of saying “I really LIKE being here on the Alpha Bed, the heart of the heart of my new home, but I’ll understand if you want me to go back to my own den instead, only please don’t get angry, just tell me gently. And if you don’t *mind* my climbing on the bed, I promise to be a very very humble goooood little doggie pleeeese?”
She’s totally adopted you as the Ruler of Her Universe. Good for you, Mr. Cole!
P.S. Our dogs all learned very quickly to drink from a ziplock full of water held in a “bowl” shape for them. Another reason we always carry a clean baggie or two. Lily’s not too big to do the same thing, at least in an emergency.
Jager
I used to take my dog backpacking (when we were both more energetic) after the 2nd or third 3 day trip to the White Mountains, I had a brief burst of intellect and bought him his own custom fitted backpack at EMS. He carried his own food and water after that! Loaded him up big time for a 5 day trip in the San Juans, he kept looking over his shoulder at me with contempt! I told him if he didn’t shape up he’d have to carry his sleeping pad, too! He also has a lifejacket for days on the boat, he loves the damn thing!
Fulcanelli
John, you photoshopped out your dog’s nipples and genitalia… Oh, never mind.
Looks like she’s takin’ a liking to you and trusts you. She is such a sweet thing. She’s wanting a belly skritch… You’ll get the hang of the doggie daddy thing, yet. It’s addictive.
DS
As others have said, collapsible water bowl. Get a couple so you can throw one in the car as well.
For longer hikes and camping. we have the dogs carry their own water and food in packs. Just use a couple small PE bottles for the H2O.
Adolphus
John,
I am a bit late to this thread and someone might have already mentioned this or solved your problems.
But for all your mobile doggy needs you can’t go wrong with Outward Hound products. They are the REI of puppy products.
And a clever name to boot. I don’t think you can buy directly from them, but many online stores carry their products. They gave all kinds of portable water solutions.
We swear by their leash backpack.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/dog-bowls-feeders/515041/outward-hound-designer-bottle-n-bowl-bag.html
josefina
My dog is okay with the Gulpy but she really prefers to drink from the bottle (or the hose, or the faucet…) so this gizmo works better for us.
Lily is going to be the boss of you within, oh, a week.
Stacy
Yeah, go to REI. They have some neat stuff for you pet, like saddlebags (what, like I’m going to carry your water? Carry it yourself, pup). I use a soft water bowl I got from there that you can crush up and carry with you.
I read somewhere that it’s conditioning. Essentially, owner will come home, dog will have gotten into the garbage, and owner will flip out. This happens for a week. Being that the bad behavior is already past, the dog can’t connect the yelling to the getting into the garbage (if you don’t catch them in the act, you can’t correct them on the behavior. There’s no use, their mind just doesn’t work that way), so they start to learn “Oh shit, the car’s pulling into the driveway and I hear keys in the door. That means that crazy dude is going to walk in the door and yell at me for no reason again”. So they react to it, with fear or submission right when you walk in the door, bracing for the crazy yelling that follows that pattern, and that’s where the “guilty” look comes from.
I thought it was interesting dog behavior. I also always liked how car chasers are constantly reinforced because the car always “runs away” from them in their mind, like they are big old bad-asses that chased the metal monsters off.
Dogs are so awesome.
wagonjak
Gosh John, I’ve not read all the posts here, but my first thought was that you sounded like an old British maid who watches Benny Hill and Monty Python routines on her telly.
Nobody in the US worries anymore if we see doggy “naughty bits”…otherwise we’d have our dogs wear doggie diapers!
And all those black smears on your dog’s underside alarmed me at first…I thought she might have some terrible disease!
Richard Wang
on dog watering.
Hey baloon juice. Do what I do. get 2 qt size freezer ziploc bags, put one inside the other and roll the topsso half way down so openings are almost to the bottom. then just pour water in. The bags stay upright and is just the right size for a dog snout. much cheaper than a fancy dog waterer. and you can just carry one bottle for both of you.
Johnny B. Guud
More of a Birth Of The Cool man myself. But I won’t argue with the post.
Two of the most signficant jazz records in the same year is astounding, but Miles definitely made the biggest impact on the genre. If I remember correctly, in Ken Burns’ “Jazz” documentary, Miles was none too happy that Brubeck made the cover of Time magazine, implying racism, which, most likely was the case. Interesting story, that.
CynDee
Friends, those of you defacing photos of Lily, stop it now. Neither the innocent and beautiful Lily nor her generous daddy John deserve this. Nor do the other bloggers scrolling and clicking in hopes of seeing the sweet doggie. Everywhere you go on the net you are presented with the Face of Evil, the nasty visage of that mega-meany, life-destroying Criminal Cheney. Please, not here.
Phoebe
I love this picture. Except for the bullet-hole-looking black things.
JS
Hi John,
Long time reader, first time commenter.
Congratulations on adopting Lily. I’m commenting because it occurred to me when you said you found Lily in your bed, that this is odd dog behavior. If a dog hears you come in they generally will run to the door… to see what is up.
I was wondering if you were sure Lily isn’t deaf?
You mentioned she doesn’t bark, doesn’t respond to her name and apparently didn’t hear you come in.
Have you tried making a loud noise while she isn’t looking to see if it startles her… maybe clapping your hands behind her?
I hope it’s not the case… but it might explain everything.
Ked
Yeah, well, it’s also (roughly) the 50th anniversary of The Shape of Jazz to Come. I can take or leave Time Out, Kind of Blue is classic classic classic, but Ornette Coleman’s 1959 effort gets my vote for most worthy album from that pivotal year.
AhabTRuler
@CynDee: OK, I fixed it for you and it still looks better than the original black smears.
Tiparillo
Exploding toothbrushes, hmmmm. Someone playing pranks on you? Exploding toothbrushes or explosive toothpaste? Of cource, Occam’s Razor requires me to suggest it could be dragon breath…..
AhabTRuler
Finally, a version suitable for framing!
Notorious P.A.T.
Awwwwwwww! what a cute pooch!
Svensker
@John Cole:
John, are you OCD? You brush and floss BEFORE you Sonicare?
Re: gum. If you chew sugared gum for 10 or so minutes, your mouth produces enough saliva to wash away the sugar that was in the gum. You only get into problems if you chew just until the sweet starts to go, then pop in a fresh chunk, thereby keeping the mouth awash in sugar. Per my dentist.
Earl Hathaway
+1 for the collapsible bowls. Just make sure to flip them inside out after using or they get a really rank smell to them.
Violet
I use Colgate brand toothbrushes and haven’t had any problems with them exploding. Maybe your brand changed manufacturers?
I thought something was wrong with Lily’s lady bits when I looked at that photo. Scary black marks in all the wrong places. Yikes! Frightening fake doggie pvbic hair aside, she looks very much at home. I think Tunch better watch out. She may decide she’s in charge.
moe99
Best chewing gum ever is Altoids cinnamon. It has xylitol in it. And it comes in a tin that dogs cannot open.
Ed Drone
That’s three votes, minimum. The plastic cup and ziplock are fallbacks, but you need a Gulpy.
Ed
conumbdrum
Two other classics, issued in the same year: Miles Davis’ immortal Sketches of Spain, and Charles Mingus’ magnificent Mingus Ah Um.
The kicker is that Sony (owner of Columbia, who released all four of these albums) has just issued new 2-disc editions of every one, crammed with bonus tracks, rare photos and other useful arcana.
And being a music store buyer, I got free promo copies of all four. Boo-ya, bitches.
LeaningTowardUndecided
Holy return of the yuppies! Water bottles for dogs? Dogs find water and drink it. How many “dog follows family to new home 300 miles away after five years” stories are needed to understand a dog is not a four legged child?
oh really
Maybe if you spent more than $0.38 for a toothbrush you’d have better luck. (That’s what the local, now defunct, Big Lots charged. I bought them to scrub bicycle parts and to get into tight places around sinks and stuff.) I’ve never had any trouble with Oral-B brushes. Even the brushes for their battery operated units, though expensive, last for the advertised and recommended time period.
I don’t know anything about water bottle/bowl combinations for dogs and I wish nothing but the best for Lily, but this request must violate all kinds of “misuse of blog for personal convenience” guidelines in the latest Blogger Manual of Style.
Poor Tunch. It’s only a matter of time before he goes on a hunger strike. (Then again, that probably won’t be Tunch’s chosen form of protest.) Talk about being ignored. I sure hope he didn’t see that comment about getting Lily being the “best decision” you’ve ever made in your entire life. Really incredibly insensitive!
Betsy
My first thought upon seeing that picture was, “Dear God, the poor dog has a lot more health problems than Cole told us about!” Glad it’s just photoshop, not leprosy.
Trollhattan
@Ahab
You are one twisted individual. I have to now clean out my keyboard upon having reached the Cheney versions. Also.
beabea
@John Cole
I am rather in awe of John’s time-management skills. How does one human being go to work, run this blog, write those political posts, clean his apartment, walk Lily for an hour, brush Tunch every day, do that level of housecleaning, cook fancy meals, read and/or monitor/mock all those other blogs, watch all the games, and still have the wherewithal to do that tooth-brushing routine ??
At least that twitchy airbrushing job (unless Lily has a very unusual arrangement of nipples) allows me to maintain a modicum of pride in my photoshopping skills .
Bad Horse's Filly
@LeaningTowardUndecided: My dogs used to drink this sludge I grew my cattails in, so I thought just like you. That was until after a mountain hike my dogs came down with giardia – three Great Danes on expensive medicine and with horrible diarrhea. Ugh.
John Cole
I have no idea how this rumor about my impeccable housecleaning got started. Just because I talk about my occasional cleaning does not turn me into Martha Stewart.
Shorter John Cole- I’m not a neat freak.
ninerdave
Seriously, have we in this country gotten so uptight that people are offended by a dog’s anatomy?
And yes Punchy, Xylitol is toxic to dogs. Snopes. I had no clue either.
John Cole
@wagonjak: I was sort of just playing around making fun of the Bozell appalled by nudity crowd.
Or so I thought.
Nicole
Maybe a different color next time you photoshop? It just made her look like she had a lot of pubes and hairy nipples. ‘Cause that won’t make her feel more insecure at all.
Our apartment building doesn’t allow pets, so there is no such thing as too many Lily posts, by the way. I need to live vicariously.
ninerdave
@Nicole:
Volunteer at your local shelter!!
ninerdave
@John Cole:
Totally went over my head, but it’s late on a Friday after a long week. So, that’s probably not surprising.
Betsy
BTW, don’t know if anyone who was reading the earlier thread cares, but I emailed a very politely worded message to the restaurant’s email address about the lawn jockey. In what will be a shocking surprise to everyone here, it turns out people are a mite touchy about issues of race. Shorter restaurant owner:
Sigh. I responded by sending her some links about the history, and in the process discovered this museum, which looks kind of interesting.
AhabTRuler
Hey, I am very offended by bad photoshopping (plus, I thought the Redskins collar was a nice touch).
Bvac
What’s wrong with xylitol? I chew trident xtra care with recaldent. Peppermint.
Litlebritdifrnt
That is exactly how I find my aging(13) black lab/who knows what cross on the bed when I get home from work. He has been with us since he was twelve weeks old when we adopted him from the neighbor. She is home John, and she knows it, it does my heart good to see it. PS) you will be sharing your bed with her within a week, and don’t lie and say you won’t cause you will, so you know just admit it now and get used to it.
spudgun
Ventured forth from lurking land ‘cos I couldn’t resist a couple of comments…your “airbrushed” pic of Lily freaked me out at first – I thought she had some kind of horrible skin disease! It’s just dog nips; it’s really okay! Sheesh.
Also, I really like Eclipse gum – it contains aspartame, not xylitol, and it comes in minty and fruity flavors. Lasts quite a while too.
Okay, back to lurking land.
P.S. More Lily and Tunch pix, please. Thank you.
shelley matheis
Air-brushed? For a second I thought Lily had rolled around in a bunch of dried prunes! LOL
And as everyone has asked me when I’ve gotten a new dog….”Has she barked yet?’
beabea
@John Cole
Even if you only clean occasionally, I still wonder how you fit all that other stuff into your day. Seriously.
I love how here at BJ, I get insightful political commentary, music and food ideas, dog advice, and motivation to get off my lazy a**, all in one place.
Krista
BTW John, that is some seriously impressive dental hygiene. Your chompers must be blinding! Keep it up, I say.
(I’m a bit fussy when it comes to teeth — I once went on a blind date with a fellow who was perfectly nice, but spit strings kept forming, stretching and breaking on his teeth while he was talking, and I was so grossed out that I couldn’t bear it.)
TenguPhule
Yes.
SATSQ.
Next thing you know, we’ll be trying to ban sexually explicit games in other countries that will never come to the USA…oh wait, too late.
shelley matheis
Ah, memories. Remember when my dog, Clemmie contracted that , from drinking standing rain water and/or eating god knows what critter-remains she found in the back yard. Ditto to the very nasty diarrhea. When I got her to the vet, was charmed to hear that I should be careful, it’s very communicable to humans.
CaptMaggie
I came here for the excellent political commentary but I stay for Lily.
JL
After scanning the comments, it appears that lily no longer needs to be photo shopped. She’s perfectly fine, nipples and all. The black dots are scary.
Tunch is named after a football player who immigrated to this country when he was two. I’m not even going to make a comment about naming a cat after an immigrant. (whoops! guess I did) Tunch actually does look like a football player though.
Peter J
I’ve taken the liberty to improve it further so that it blends in with the nice ad on the left.
HyperIon
TBogg shows pics with Bassett penis.
And tells people to get over it.
auntieeminaz
@AhabTRuler:
I’m not the only one who laughed hysterically at this revised version of the picture am I? The Redskins collar was a nice touch, also.
Bad Horse's Filly
@spudgun: Don’t lurk. Join the party, the more the merrier!
@Betsy: Nice customer service there. Chalk it up to Live Free or Die mentality and wish them well. Though I’m questioning how many black employees they actually have.
beabea
@spudgun
I unlurked for the first time yesterday, and here I am again…now that I lost my fear of it, it’s hard to resist.
I like Eclipse too, although I like it less when I contemplate Rummy’s involvement with aspartame. OTOH, the magnolia bark extract does give the gum a certain je ne sais quoi.
Betsy
@Bad Horse’s Filly:
I love the idea that the best way to evaluate whether it’s racist is to ask your own employees, the ones that depend on you for their paycheck and working conditions. It’s like a prof I know who asked his seminar students (before the grades were in) how they liked the class, and then reported, in total seriousness, that they all loved it. The evaluations told a slightly different story.
ETA: Oh, and also, I loved in the email where she said that everyone else who complained about it was also white, so as to imply that this made our complaints somehow less legitimate. That it might indicate that it’s pretty DAMN racist if all the white people are noticing seems not to have occurred to her.
AhabTRuler
@Betsy: Yeah, I regularly tell my employer that I think that her idea of goofy is highly offensive and callous.
@auntieeminaz:
God I hope not, otherwise I’m slipping! I did have inspiration.
Betsy
Am I going crazy? I thought I read a comment or two that followed my last one, and now they’re gone…Perhaps it’s time for me to get a glass of wine.
AhabTRuler
@Betsy: No, I edited in a link which had a certain word for cat in it, which then sucked my comment into moderation warp.
Betsy
OOOHHHH, ok. Glad I’m not totally losing it. One can never be too sure.
That’s probably how you got your new job, amirite? (Congrats, BTW.)
jl
Brooks: That is his gig, dude, it is part of his act. Put a reasonable face on whatever GOP hackery is requested for the day, but from a supposedly “reasonable” perspective. I think he very carefully keeps track of his ‘reasonable days” and “wingnut days” in order maximizes his effectiveness.
Toothbrush quality crisis: I have noticed this too. When will the worthless corporate media get on top of this scandal?
Tattoosydney
@AhabTRuler:
I was expecting pasties, but yours was better….
Tattoosydney
@Anne Laurie:
Yep, that’s the one.
Deborah
My father got our dog a pony pack (130 lb great pyrenees, so dog packs didn’t fit) and would pack a water dish in one side and a canteen in the other.
Camping and hiking stores sell little collapsible water dishes, which is probably more what you need–you can shake it out and put it in a pocket or small pack. Check REI. This page has a few.
Oooh, page 2 has exactly what you describe, a bottle with a fold-on dish.
OriGuy
Ralph Nader’s not doing anything right now. Unsafe At Any Stroke
Skepticat
Looks as though Lily has figured out that she’s home.
You had me a tad confused with the John Ashcroft action on the photos. Next time please use black rectangles so it’s obviously censorship rather than leprosy.
I hope Tunch is getting short shrift only on the blog.
BC
Toothbrushes are probably being made in a fireworks factory in China, John. You are just getting the ones closest to the gunpowder in the manufacturing process.
asiangrrlMN
Sniff sniff, precious Lily has come so far in such a short time! It is great to see.
P.S. You can do the blurred out thing instead. I find it more disturbing to see dog sans bits than dog mit genitalia.
tcolberg
I have also noticed the duplicity of Brooks. I watched him on Jim Lehrer’s show long before I read anything from him and it’s like night and day.
apikoros
John,
[email protected] mentions it, but today is also the 42nd anniversary of the issuance of the decision in Loving vs. Virginia
AhabTRuler
@Tattoosydney:
@asiangrrlMN:
For music tonight I can finally provide you with an example of Themroc, as I have constructed a video.
Anne
Another Gulpy recommendation. And that picture is way cute.
Ella in NM
It’s not real?
Thank Jeebus Frickin’ Christ!
At first it looked like she has some freaky, east-cost killer fungal infection.
Tattoosydney
@AhabTRuler:
Nice.
AhabTRuler
@Tattoosydney: The only new Japanese thing I have is Chara, not really dance & I still don’t know how I feel about her.
OTOH, I have been listening to Goldfrapp lately, especially this.
AhabTRuler
And also this. The video is terrible, but the beats are vicious.
Mister Colorful Analogy
@Trollhattan:
Seconded; the Gulpy is a good option. My ex gf’s dog loved drinking out of it, and it fits everywhere a standard hoomun drink container fits.
noncarborundum
@tcolberg:
He actually sounds reasonable in print from time to time. I find myself nodding along as I read and wondering whether Brooks has finally come over from the dark side. But he always throws in at least one “but I’m really a wingnut” sentence, as if to reassure his right-wing readers that deep down he’s still one of them.