Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I also would like a pony to improve my balloon juice experience.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

‘Museums aren’t America’s attic for its racist shit.’

FFS people, this was a good thing. take the win.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

The jury literally has a bell they can ring to force Trump to show up on command. Greatest thing ever!

Republicans in disarray!

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

ha ha ha! Nice try weird people.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

“That’s what the insurrection act is for!”

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Fuck that bum, let’s go Joe!

The choice is between normal and crazy.

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Reader Interactions

119Comments

  1. 1.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    Yah know Laura is going to begin believing that I have some unholy scoop on you that I am about to reveal if I don’t get my way cause no sooner than I asked for an OT that I get one! People will say I’m blackmailing you! Anyhoo John what was the question? Oh and check out my freshly picked maters today! (Clicky the linky at the siggy thingy)

  2. 2.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    PS) what can I say about cats and boxes other than “see a box get in it” failure to do so will result in said cat being drummed out of the cat union or something.

  3. 3.

    Third Eye Open

    After Schrodinger opened the box, he realized the cat was both alive and really pissed off at the same time.

  6. 6.

    Krista

    PS) what can I say about cats and boxes other than “see a box get in it” failure to do so will result in said cat being drummed out of the cat union or something.

    Yep. Cute Overload has even named the phenomenon — when the cat cannot control the urge to climb into a box, it needs “boxhab”.

  7. 7.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    Update I went to Myrtle Beach this weekend for a batchelor party (yes I know I am a girly but I am somehow considered to be “one of the boyz” I got that alot in the RN) anyhoo we were doing quite well and pacing ourselves until a boatload of DH’s former students showed up at the same bar (what are the odds of that?) and insisted on buying us more rounds and shots of tequila (which I never drink) which resulted in groom and attending old people (me and DH and another band directors) just about crawling back to our condo along the beach on our knees. I woke at 7:30 this morning while the rest of the group slept until about 10am at which point I was banging pots around the place in an attempt to get people up so we could go and eat breakfast. He He Life is good.

  8. 8.

    demkat620

    I have an exhausted JRT next to me. He will sleep for 10 minutes and then be ready to play again. The life of a terrier.

  10. 10.

    demimondian

    Pandora wasn’t in the box. Pandora *opened* the box.

    Hope was in the box. Hope looks like a cute kitteh.

  11. 11.

    eemom

    wasn’t there a new DOG on this blog a few days ago?? I swear you people are trying to gaslight me…..

  13. 13.

    Yutsano

    Picked raspberries this morning. Also terrorized my baby chickens who are having the time of their lives exploring the universe. Now sitting at work pretty much doing nothing (calls coming in about one every ten minutes or so) and eating crappy pizza. I suppose life could suck more but at this point but this will pretty much be my life until I get to go play with cowboys in Wyoming in about a month.

  14. 14.

    robertdsc

    Cat in the box is the greatest thing ever. Love to watch my KC practice kitty yoga and wedge herself into the myriad boxes we use at my print shop.

  15. 15.

    Tom Crawford

    If catnip is the equivalent of amphetamines for felines, then boxes are the equivalent of heroin. I’ve never seen a cat yet that could “kick the habit” once they got hooked on boxes.

  16. 16.

    Punchy

    So help me Bob, if Carpenter blows up my WHIP and ERA to the point that I lose those fantasy cats this week, I will poop on my computer in a fit of rage.

    That 6-4-2 just saved me a broken remote.

  17. 17.

    Cain

    While grilling last night, there was a quick thunderstorm and a little finch fell off a tree and it’s wings were wet so it couldn’t fly. We managed to capture the fella, and get its wings dried out. Unfortunately, we had to hide the little thing from our cats who sensed that something was not right.

    We hid the fella in a drawer, and my wife could barely sleep thinking that somehow the birds going to get out and be made easy food by our cats who were prowling around.

    Managed to make it through the night, and in the morning the finch took off. No doubt, a feather raising experience for the little guy. It was trying really hard to make itself look small when cornered. Anyways, all is well. :-)

    cain

  18. 18.

    Jennifer

    @Yutsano: Just because I saw it today on Netflix: there was a PBS show called “History of the Chicken” which gave me a whole new respect for the birds.

  19. 19.

    Anne Laurie

    Dang, LitlBrit, your bragging photos could almost make me wish I lived in Florida. Here in New England it’s been in the low 60s and raining for most of June, the first fruits on my tomato plants are twin not-quite-golfball-sized Rose de Bernes, and we can’t have either Asian or Oriental lilies because the red-spotted lily beetles eat them down to bare stems.

    Then I remember the only two times I’ve visited Florida (Miami in November, Orlando in January) it felt like I was trying to breathe someone else’s bathwater. And the lilacs were outstanding this year, once the daffodils finished showing off. Our Zepherine and Don Juan roses are now competing with the perennial geraniums for glorious color, and the daylilies are setting fat buds already. And I’ve planted half-a-dozen blueberry bushes and two lingonberries this year, which should have some wonderful fall color this year even though they won’t fruit.

  21. 21.

    Yutsano

    Just because I saw it today on Netflix: there was a PBS show called “History of the Chicken” which gave me a whole new respect for the birds.

    I used to have a cookbook (I probably still do) that had a quotation from a 17th Century poet about how the egg is mightier than the pen. It’s probably why I have a huge amount of respect for ovolactovegetarians, they at least acknowledge you can use an animal product that is good for the human body that also doesn’t directly or indirectly harm the animal. But yeah, chickens are really neat birds. I think more municipalities should allow yard chickens honestly. They are much cleaner than most livestock, are very easy to care for, and they will yield the BEST eggs you will ever eat in your life.

  22. 22.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I had a long delay this morning because the ducks that inhabit the lake/lagoon in front of my house decided that it was a fine day to take their adolescent ducklings exploring, all in a line. Some of the youngsters tried to strike out on their own, but the grown-ups quickly showed them the error of their ways. I really wanted my camera but it would have been disruptive to back up and park my car and go back inside for it, so I just enjoyed the parade. I counted 19 ducks altogether.

  23. 23.

    Drive By Wisdom

    A certifiable wackjob, soon to have nukes, steals an election in front of the world while his jackbooted thugs drive though crowds beating the agents of real change.

    The world awaits a leader…

    Perhaps the teleprompter is broken.

  24. 24.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Cain: meanwhile puttings sparrows back in nests, and rescuing mocking birds from cats and whatever. I admire you, and I understand your wife’s sleepless nights. “What if I forgot to close the gate last night and the dogs can get out to the bird feeders” type of waking up at 2 am to check on the gate. Your wife and I are kindred spirits methinks.

  25. 25.

    Yutsano

    I had a long delay this morning because the ducks that inhabit the lake/lagoon in front of my house decided that it was a fine day to take their adolescent ducklings exploring, all in a line. Some of the youngsters tried to strike out on their own, but the grown-ups quickly showed them the error of their ways. I really wanted my camera but it would have been disruptive to back up and park my car and go back inside for it, so I just enjoyed the parade. I counted 19 ducks altogether.

    What species Siubhan? I know sometimes mallards will spread mothering duties amongst their broods.

  26. 26.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Anne Laurie:

    I am in NC, and I wish, I wish I could grow Lilacs, but alas I cannot, I have spent a goodly 17 years trying to grow things here that the climate will not let me, lilacs, lupines, and various other things, I try (cause I am not a quitter dammnit) but as usual I fail. I think as someone over at HGTV once said “grow where you are planted” you have to know what you can grow where you are, unfortunately for me I keep trying to grow what my Daddy did in England and it is not working out for me.

  27. 27.

    Third Eye Open

    fun factoid I learned today while preparing for a day trip to Torreya State Park: Spanish Moss is in the pineapple family.

    Spanish Moss has chiggers–>chiggers suck–>don’t pick up spanish moss and use it as an impromptu wig while trying to show how funny you are during a first-date.

  30. 30.

    Comrade Stuck

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    meanwhile puttings sparrows back in nests, and rescuing mocking birds from cats and whatever

    I guess we all have our summer critter wars. Mine are with the Deer and feral cats that abound here. I have to build barriers around all the bird feeders, especially for the Hummers, usually made of strategically placed wired chicken wire. I have to watch them constantly cause they (feral cats) spend all day figuring ways around it. And for the deer, it’s pretty much a fortified compound with fencing layers to keep them from making the garden their personal salad bar.

    Last year when the Fawns came, The little delinquents snuck in between the layers and ate what they could. It’s a war of wits on a daily basis.

  31. 31.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Yutsano: We were at Broadway at the Beach this weekend and there were several mother ducks with various size broods, while we were playing mini golf we saw one particular Mum with seven chicks, who were obviously right out of the eggs, they were so tiny, yet the rest of the ducks didn’t want to have anything to do with them, they were almost a pariah. Not sure about this “other ducks will help out” thing.

  32. 32.

    shelley matheis

    Whoa. I thought that was the containment box for the Medusan ambassador in that old Star Trek episode.

  37. 37.

    Comrade Stuck

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    Yeh, me too. I like having them around. They are just hungry critters trying to make a living. I do hate it when the cats get a bird that I attracted with food, especially the beloved Hummingbirds, though that very rarely happens anymore. I know the cats are just being cats.

  38. 38.

    Karatist Preacher

    My cat Floyd has a turned-over wine case he loves to crawl into – something about thinking he’s hiding.

  39. 39.

    Cain

    awww.. looks like I have another bird story to tell. No sooner did I finish the last comment, when I hear this big racket outside and my wife thought perhaps our cat caught another bird.

    I walk out and I see my cat sitting in the grass, facing a (female) robin, looking very confused. I see two male robins sweeping in and out around the area chattering as loud as they can in an attempt to chase my cat off. Apparently it was enough to confuse my cat who wasn’t sure what the hell was going on with the birds sweeping to and fro.

    Looks like my cat broke the lady robin’s wing so it can only run around in the ground. Poor thing is in a shoe box so scared that it crapped in a napkin. The very shoe box that recently held the finch in the previous story.

    As we speak the two male birds are still chattering their guts outside, quite agitated. Must have been mates or something. (or maybe the cat interrupted sex.. :-)

    Second bird rescue in 24 hours. Sheesh. Looks like it’s a visit to the audobon society tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I can get them to re-release in the same area.

    cain

    cain

  40. 40.

    burnspbesq

    One of our Great Pyrenees has about six months to go before her back hips give out completely and we have to put her down.

    I should not have spent the last hour looking at the websites of breeders of Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. There are Chessie pups galore in SoCal, and after rescuing four adult Pyrs over the last decade, the idea of getting a puppy that I can raise and train to be MY dog is close to irresistible.

    I am in need of an intervention, y’all. Talk me out of this.

  42. 42.

    Anne Laurie

    Whoops, sorry for mislocating you, LitleBrit! Lilacs are one of the strongest arguments in favor of a New England winter.

    On the other hand, I curse the (southern) seed catalog that sold me two philadelphus (mock orange) bushes that were supposed to top out at 6-8 feet. They want to be 12-14 feet, so they can crowd out the lilacs & hang over our neighbor’s driveway, and of course when I cut them back they sulk & don’t bloom for the next couple years. I should dig them up & throw them away, but the very thought of extracting their flourishing root systems from our rocky clay construction fill makes my back hurt…

  46. 46.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    WTF is John Cole? I am sat here (semi) sober willing and ready to answer a question and he is awol, I mean WTF? Next I know he will be asking said question at 11pm and my ass will be so snozzled that the best he will get out of me is DJDLJDLSIEOUDDDNSLDIUREOINDND. I mean damn!

  49. 49.

    John Cole

    I just learned that Lily does not understand physics at all, as she went #1 on the road on the hill with her business end elevated and the stream running between her front paws.

    We’ll have to work on that. No idea why she went in the road since there was grass everywhere.

  51. 51.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @ Yutsano/24 — All mallards, I think. The youngsters are large enough now that it isn’t always easy to tell the adults from the ducklings, but I assumed all along it was at least a couple of families. I’ve counted 30-40 ducks in the lake in previous years.

    @ Linkmeister/28 — I love the Peabody ducks and try to visit them every time I go to Memphis, whether I’m staying there or not. I’ll be in Memphis in about a week and am already planning a little quality duck time.

    @ litlebritdifrnt/30 — my lake (well, lake-ette, in front of my apartment/townhouse) has had great numbers of ducks and Canada geese, not to mention snapping turtles, for years. I love them all, although I know a lot of people view the geese as little more than vermin. But I think they’re gorgeous, magnificent creatures, and the little goslings are always adorable. One year a pair decided to nest under the box hedge right smack outside my front door. That was a lovely spring!

    I’m slightly ambivalent about the turtles in the lake. They are a hoot to look at on a hot summer day, all treading water and tilted toward the sun at exactly the same angle — but I know they make meals off some of the tiny ducklings and goslings, and that makes me sad :-(

  52. 52.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    John you said you had a question for me yesterday with regards to vegetable gardening, did you forget, jeeze even in my drunken state I remembered that.

  54. 54.

    Steeplejack

    @John Cole:

    I used to drink a lot of La Croix, still drink it now and then. Especially useful when I was breaking my Coke addiction. A 50-50 blend of Coke and La Croix would satisfy the Coke jones while reducing actual consumption.

  56. 56.

    DemonDem

    I’m new to this site, but reading somebody other then me making a schroedinger’s cat reference just made my day.

    Funny aside – while visiting my parents, their cat (whose name is schroedinger) was lacking a box, and so curled up in my dad’s empty laptop case. When I flipped the top closed, he stuck his head out and looked at me as if to say “I dare you to zip it up,” and promptly curled up such that he fit entirely inside the case. Needless to say I didn’t actually zip it – I think he was disappointed,because it would have given him an excellent excuse to be pissed off – which he is wont to do.

    BTW – am I too new here to put in a request for a Lily pic?

  57. 57.

    Laura W

    @John Cole:

    as she went #1 on the road on the hill with her business end elevated and the stream running between her front paws.

    I hate it when that happens, and it happens to me all the damn time when I am out in nature and have to go. Grass, dirt, leaves…doesn’t matter the surface. I am destined to have the stream running all over my New Balance shoes.

    Almost grabbed this for you today, but didn’t know if primitive folk art was your thang. I like this guy’s stuff a lot, and was walking around the back of his booth and this dragged my eye right down to the ground. Only $80.
    Dogwoodfolkart.com
    Nice site. Very nice couple.

    Edit: It’s really a Doxie and I guess it doesn’t really look like her so much when I see her face again, but it sorta did in that moment.

  58. 58.

    John Cole

    @DemonDem: Camera battery is dead. She is lying here between my legs on the couch watching Rescue Me and at ten, Entourage. Tunch is on the spine of the couch purring.

  59. 59.

    Steeplejack

    @Laura W:

    A nice, restrained version of that song. Almost makes me forget that I consider the Stones the poster children for the phrase “Dead at 30, buried at 70 80.” They’ve been running on their rep for years.

    Oh, the way it used to be . . . (my favorite Stones song).

  60. 60.

    smiley

    @The Grand Panjandrum: Cool. I’ve had Armatrading on almost all evening. I don’t know where I was turned on to her but her syncopated singing style really appeals to me. BTW, you’ve probably noticed but there’s a lot of overlap across channels. Young on Prine. Mitchell on Armatrading, etc (now Colvin! – is the algorithm just great female singer/songwriters?) . It’s really a great site for discovering new artists that you might enjoy.

  62. 62.

    John Cole

    Also, I was driving around today running errands and I had a thought I was a little bit embarrassed about it was so dorky. NPR was talking about the Iranian revolution, and I had a Civ IV flashback and thought “the anarchy should be over in a couple turns. I hope they don’t decide to research fusion.”

    /dork

  63. 63.

    Steeplejack

    @John Cole:

    She is lying here between my legs on the couch [. . .]. Tunch is on the spine of the couch purring.

    That is good news for feline/canine relations!

  64. 64.

    Comrade Stuck

    @John Cole:

    We’ll have to work on that.

    That’s OK! Lily. It took me years to figure that out, mostly on foggy weekends.

  66. 66.

    Cain

    @John Cole:

    @DemonDem: Camera battery is dead. She is lying here between my legs on the couch watching Rescue Me and at ten, Entourage. Tunch is on the spine of the couch purring.

    Good times at the Cole household. Looks like one happy place now.

    cain

  67. 67.

    Laura W

    @smiley:

    now Colvin!

    Oh, I met the guy who does sound for Colvin, Emmylou and Patty Griffin today (they are touring now with Buddy Miller.)
    He does sound for Alison Krauss. Also. My big brush with fame today.

    Rosali: re. video, you are so correct. And my Canon camera does it, but have I ever once tried it? No. Because I am ascared of anything electronic that stretches my brain and takes me out of my comatose comfort zone of rote.

  68. 68.

    steve s

    My tomato plants seem to be doing fine. 4 of em, two Brandwine and two Black Krims. The Brandywine are starting to fruit but the Krims haven’t even flowered yet. One of the brandywine maters is now about the size of an espresso cup. It’s green. But there appears to be a black spot on the bottom about the size of a nickel. Anyone know what that is?

  69. 69.

    Steeplejack

    Any recommendations on software to play DVDs (movies) on my computer (Windows XP, possibly moving to Windows 7)? After my recent repairs/forcible upgrade I found myself at a loss. I fired up Windows Media Player 11, thinking, “Hey, what could go wrong?,” but it wants a codec. I found one for my new (to me and my aging motherboard) nVidia GeForce 6200 graphics card, but nVidia wants $20 to download it. Is that a good way to go? Or is there something else better–preferably freeware, shareware or cheapware? I don’t watch DVDs much on my computer, but I do occasionally have the need.

  70. 70.

    Laura W

    I did not realize Entourage is back new tonight! I’ve had a few women tell me I need to watch True Blood, but just don’t have the energy to commit to such an intense series right now. So I was oogling Lakers.

    I do love Entourage.
    Turtle totally loves this post at #69.
    I totally love Johnny Drama. mmmmmmm….
    Oh. Not new. Never mind?

  71. 71.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Litlebritdifrnt: I am jealous of your ‘maters. They look so ripe and juicy.

    @Cain: Aw, you’re the bird whisperer. Good for you for taking care of our feathered friends.

    @DemonDem: Hey, we even have a commenter named schroedinger’s cat, so how cool are we? And, you are never too new to demand pictures of John’s menagerie.

    @Laura W: Awwww, there’s your beautiful Annie. She is so pretty. I gotta say, I’m not a Stones’ fan, but I love the version you posted. Almost bluesy.

  72. 72.

    DemonDem

    @John Cole: Sounds like everyone’s settled and happy after a busy weekend… From your description, I’m guessing we’re about three days away from the oft-discussed spooning picture….

    Balloon-Juice: come for the politics, stay for the pets…

  78. 78.

    Jackie

    I noticed the ad for the wnc film festival. Do you know much about it? I don’t think I’ll be around those dates but my husband hangs out near Waynesville for most of the summer. Should I harass him to check it out or will I get accused of making him see chick flicks as a dirty trick?

  80. 80.

    Yutsano

    We were at Broadway at the Beach this weekend and there were several mother ducks with various size broods, while we were playing mini golf we saw one particular Mum with seven chicks, who were obviously right out of the eggs, they were so tiny, yet the rest of the ducks didn’t want to have anything to do with them, they were almost a pariah. Not sure about this “other ducks will help out” thing.

    That’s why. Hatching timing matters. If they’re more than two weeks apart they will be treated more as enemies than as flockmates. If they had come out of their shells sooner they would have been adopted right away.

  82. 82.

    Indylib

    I need house buying advice.

    I want to make an offer on a house. The asking price $187,000, which is low for the market we are looking in. The sellers already have one offer. How low do I go, knowing that I don’t want to underbid the first offer? And any advice for a first time homebuyer would be appreciated.

  83. 83.

    Steeplejack

    @BethanyAnne:

    Yes, I used to do typography, among many other (semi-)outdated things.

    Edit: I guess typography is not outdated, but typesetting is.

  85. 85.

    Yutsano

    I want to make an offer on a house. The asking price $187,000, which is low for the market we are looking in. The sellers already have one offer. How low do I go, knowing that I don’t want to underbid the first offer? And any advice for a first time homebuyer would be appreciated.

    You could try making a comparison of recent sales in that neigborhood and seeing what those houses went for and basing your offer around that. Don’t assume just because there’s another offer that means the seller will automatically take it just because it’s lower. I have a friend who sold a house in Long Beach and took a slightly lower offer just because he knew the deal was more likely to go through with that buyer. If you have an agent see what their recommendation is. They should also have recent sales information for the neighborhood too. Good Luck!

  87. 87.

    Indylib

    @Yutsano: Thanks.

    I will check on how much the area houses have been selling for. I have a very good idea what they are being listed for, but not what the sellers are getting for them. We do have one advantage, we will be paying cash, so we don’t have anything hinging on financing.

    Can anyone tell me what the average time between an offer acceptance and closing is? And how long it takes for a report to be returned from an inspection?

    I have already checked out a lot of info on the intertubes for buying a house, now I’m looking for real life experiences from people to gain added info.

  88. 88.

    Yutsano

    Buying from a cash position puts you at a HUGE advantage, especially in this day and age. The other offer might not have the financing lined up yet and could fall through. Inspection shouldn’t take more than two weeks, has your agent scheduled one yet? Also, do one to compete with the seller’s just to make sure they aren’t making shit up. Offer acceptance to closing should be fairly quick.

    Am I reading too much into this or are you looking to move rather quickly?

  89. 89.

    Cain

    @asiangrrlMN:

    @Cain: Aw, you’re the bird whisperer. Good for you for taking care of our feathered friends.

    What was wierd was the stand off between the cat and the two male robins. Crazy! Girl robin has a broken wing I think. I have no idea how to take care of such a thing. Cat lying peacefully but he looks ashamed.

    My wife is the bird whisperer, she keeps picking them up. hehe.

    cain

  90. 90.

    demimondian

    @Steeplejack: In fact, typography is still very much alive.

    And it’s a lot more fun when you aren’t constrained by the vagueries of hot lead.

  91. 91.

    Indylib

    @Yutsano:

    We just saw the house for the first time today, but it is exactly what we’ve been looking for, except for the location, which could be better. On a scale of 1 being crappy location and 10 being perfect it is a 5.5, so my husband and I are still debating that. We don’t have a contracted agent yet, I’ve been doing this all on my own so far. If we do make an offer we will get an agent, because being first time buyers I don’t want to fuck anything up that ends up costing us a bundle. I know we will need to do our own inspection because the house is old enough to possibly have lead paint and asbestos and I’m not willing to accept just one opinion.

    As far as moving quickly we have until August to decide whether to sign another years lease for our rental, and if we decline we would need to be out by Oct 9, so not a huge hurry, but we don’t have all the time in the world either. We live in southern Wisconsin and I sure as hell don’t want to move during the winter. I was under the impression that closing usually took 60-90 days, but maybe not if you’re not waiting on the bank.

  93. 93.

    Yutsano

    What was wierd was the stand off between the cat and the two male robins. Crazy! Girl robin has a broken wing I think. I have no idea how to take care of such a thing. Cat lying peacefully but he looks ashamed.

    My orange beast (who is the killer in the household) has gotten into the habit of not killing his prey, just setting it loose in the house. You don’t know terror until a sparrow decides to move from its hiding spot at 3 AM in your bedroom curtains!

  94. 94.

    Yutsano

    If we do make an offer we will get an agent, because being first time buyers I don’t want to fuck anything up that ends up costing us a bundle.

    Another point that might be researching is if you’re eligible for the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers. I’m not entirely certain if that is tied to having the house financed, again you may want to look into it. Also do a lot of background search on agents, make sure you get one that is going to go to the mat for you. Shouldn’t be too complicated since most of them are desperate for any kind of work.

  95. 95.

    Indylib

    My cat does not go after birds at all , and the 4 legged critters here is S. Wisconsin seem to be a bit too intimidating as opposed to the ones that lived in San Diego.

    Our 17 lb, pure black kitty used to bring evicerated, but still living, gophers and mice into the house in Cali all the time, but here nothing, no bunnies, not even mice. Of course when he does go outside he’s potentially prey because we have foxes and coyote in the neighborhood. I don’t particularly like letting him outside here, but if I didn’t, at least once a night, he’d shred the door frames in my rental. He stays outside about 20 minutes and scratches (I wish he’d meow) to be let back in.

  96. 96.

    Yutsano

    I don’t particularly like letting him outside here, but if I didn’t, at least once a night, he’d shred the door frames in my rental. He stays outside about 20 minutes and scratches (I wish he’d meow) to be let back in.

    Pet doors are your friend. Trust me. Especially in the new house, your life and sleep will be greatly improved with one.

  97. 97.

    Indylib

    @Yutsano:
    We’re getting an agent recommendation from a work colleague of my husband’s who is about to get out of the Navy to do into property development full time, he’s been a good source of info, but he looks at everything from an investment perspective. He’s trying to talk us into buying several properties and renting them, but I’m just looking for a house to buy in a good market, live in it for the next year and then rent it out for the 3 yrs we have to go back to sea duty and then have a house to come back to when we retire, in a place I actually choose to live. I like the thought of buying for cash and then getting 3 years of rental income with no mortgage to worry about, but I’m more concerned about buying a house I actually want to live in eventually.

  98. 98.

    Steeplejack

    @Delia:

    I need to check that. I got Nero with the DVD/RW drive I bought as part of the involuntary computer upgrade, but I haven’t installed it yet, and I forgot whether it came with a player.

    The subtext of my original question was whether the nVidia codec would give me super duper quality or some other benefit because it’s specific to my graphics card.

  100. 100.

    Jackie

    @Laura W: Yup, that was me. I’m just back ,the weather was fabulous while I was there and we flickered a few times but at least no long blackouts. Thanks for the info, I’ll pass it on. It’s a little hard to convince him to go to these things without me but he may be a little starved for non doggy entertainment by then.

  101. 101.

    Anne Laurie

    My tomato plants seem to be doing fine. 4 of em, two Brandwine and two Black Krims… But there appears to be a black spot on the bottom about the size of a nickel. Anyone know what that is?

    It’s called “blossom end rot”. Technically it’s a calcium deficiency — who knew tomatoes needed calcium? — and you can buy a liquid supplement to combat it. But if you’re growing your tomatoes in planters full of potting soil, like we do, I’m told it’s usually caused by irregular watering. I’d never had a problem in almost 20 years of growing container tomatoes until last summer, when we went out of town for the only 10-day stretch during which it didn’t rain, and came back to find a bunch of fat new green tomatoes disfigured by those ugly black blotches! The good news is, it’s only cosmetic damage — once the tomatoes ripen, just cut off the base & the rest will still be fine eating.

    I’d be curious to hear your opinion of the Brandywines… I know they’re supposed to be the “best tasting” but after 3 years of vine failures interspersed with a bare handful of small, misshapen, not-very-flavorful Brandwines I gave up & decided that they just don’t like New England summers. I know heirlooms aren’t always as uniformly productive as the hybrids, but there are plenty of old-fashioned varieties that DO produce well in our containers, and since we’ve only got sun/space for a couple dozen plants I have to be pretty selective.

  102. 102.

    Yutsano

    We’re getting an agent recommendation from a work colleague of my husband’s who is about to get out of the Navy to do into property development full time, he’s been a good source of info, but he looks at everything from an investment perspective. He’s trying to talk us into buying several properties and renting them, but I’m just looking for a house to buy in a good market, live in it for the next year and then rent it out for the 3 yrs we have to go back to sea duty and then have a house to come back to when we retire, in a place I actually choose to live. I like the thought of buying for cash and then getting 3 years of rental income with no mortgage to worry about, but I’m more concerned about buying a house I actually want to live in eventually.

    Wow been there done that! Dad was a submariner for 21 years. Mom ended up buying a house in Bremerton and told my dad he could get re-assigned wherever but she wasn’t moving period. I ended up finally going to semi-stable schools for junior high and high school. Do you know where you’re shipping off to yet?

  103. 103.

    Indylib

    @Yutsano:

    Navy life, gotta love it or retire.

    We don’t know where we’re headed next, my husband won’t contact the detailer until Oct. We aren’t looking to go overseas again and I don’t really want to go back to San Diego. That only leaves us so many choices.

    We’ve never been to Bremerton, did you like it there? It’s probably there or Virginia this next go around and then out unless my husband makes Master Chief and decides to go for Command Master Chief.

  104. 104.

    Linkmeister

    @Yutsano: That sounds familiar, sorta. Dad was still in ‘Nam when Mom bought a house in Hawai’i, but we knew his next duty station was going to be in that state, so it wasn’t quite the over-the-top decision it might have seemed to an outsider.

  105. 105.

    Yutsano

    We’ve never been to Bremerton, did you like it there? It’s probably there or Virginia this next go around and then out unless my husband makes Master Chief and decides to go for Command Master Chief.

    That’s the level my dad retired at. Bremerton is actually a great town, if you can manage it aim for the sub base over PSNS as the base is MUCH better (although of course you’ll have access to both, the exchange at Bangor is to die for!) but being a boatride from Seattle, which is nothing short of fantastic, plus you’re about three hours from Vancouver/Victoria in B.C. which is a totally different flavor of Canada than you’d get in Toronto. I could go on and on and on, but yeah, I’m pretty biased about the Northwest. In fact, you might just want to change your retirement plans after living here!

  106. 106.

    Indylib

    @Yutsano:

    I’ve always heard good things about Bremerton. Not much chance of getting orders to the sub base as my husband is not a bubblehead. He’s an FC. He’s probably going to be put back on a carrier or an amphib.

    I would love to see a decent commissary and exchange, you can not believe how bad the ones here at Great Lakes are. The base actually has a small number of active duty personnel on it. When you take away the students and the civilians working at the schools there’s not much left.

    The thing we like best out here is the cost of living. And it’s a beautiful place to live if you don’t mind the winters, which I don’t. We don’t have the idea of retiring here set in stone, my husband still leans toward going back to Colorado, but I’m iffy on that for a number of reasons. I’m pretty flexible about where we end up, this is just my first choice for now. I’d be willing to amend it if I found a place I like better.

  107. 107.

    abo gato

    Steve @ 67….blossom end rot on your tomato. Get some epsom salts at the store and you can either put the granules around the plant and then water them in, or mix up some in water and then water the plant. It is due to a mineral deficiency and the ES will help.

  108. 108.

    Krista

    The things you see when you wake up in the morning…I was getting dressed, looked out my window, and saw a doe at the edge of our neighbour’s yard. Looked again, and there she was swimming placidly across the river. “Noo-nee-noo…don’t mind me, just goin’ for a swim.” I’ve never seen one swimming before, so I didn’t know they could do that.

  109. 109.

    Punchy

    Yes, I used to do typography, among many other (semi-)outdated things.

    For some reason, I read that initially as “I used to do pornography”….

    Yikes.

  111. 111.

    Krista

    @Dork: I know! I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. They’ve got such spindly little legs. But, she was swimming easily, and was making pretty darned good progress across the river too, no less. I managed to get a photo, but she was far away, and I just have a dinky camera, so it didn’t turn out great, but you can definitely tell it’s a deer.

  115. 115.

    Steeplejack

    @BethanyAnne:
    @Delia:

    Thanks for your pointers to VLC. Installed it this morning and have been watching an Extras DVD that a coworker loaned me way too long ago. Works really well.

    Also found a 30-day trial of the nVidia codec for Windows Media Player, so I will download that and check it out to see if it is somehow spectacularly better. But I am well satisfied with VLC.

  116. 116.

    yet another jeff

    @Third Eye Open: Hehe…true enough, but the Springs are a different world, doncha know. But, moving to the DC area at the end of the month…gonna miss Mickee Faust, St. Marks, and Wakulla Springs…and those tent billboard things in Crawfordville that say Just Say “No” to Drugs.

    I reckon there will still be stuff to make fun of in DC….

  117. 117.

    CalD

    Calicos are so weird. I’ve had three of them. They were all weird. Fierce, but weird.

  118. 118.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @IndyLib

    We’ve never been to Bremerton, did you like it there? It’s probably there or Virginia this next go around and then out unless my husband makes Master Chief and decides to go for Command Master Chief.

    I’m a big fan of Kitsap County, but then again I grew up there. There’s not much to do in Bremerton, it’s a small town that got bypassed by much of the development in Kitsap County due to the founding father of the town, Joe Bremer, locking up the downtown area so that no one could build there. So everyone went and built up in Silverdale a few miles from the submarine base and Bremerton went downhill for a while.

    Things are improving in Bremerton though, but the downtown area is pretty much just office buildings for PSNS. East Bremerton is a nice place though and things are much nicer out at Bangor. Bremerton is an hour by ferry from downtown Seattle or about a 90 minute drive. You can also get to Portland in three hours, Vancouver, B.C. in about 3.5 hours and during the winter several ski areas within 2.5 to 4 hours.

    Kitsap County is a pretty nice place to live if you’re in the Navy or married to someone who is because most of the working population in the county is either in the Navy or working for the Navy. Despite that it doesn’t have the same oppressive feel as some other military towns, probably because things are so spread out.

  119. 119.

    passerby

    I have a sister (I have three sisters, two brothers) whose birthday is June 15th. She was there to witness my mother transition on May 22nd and was the coordinator of the funeral and burial. She is the youngest of 6 and a most capable mechanical engineer.

    Her name is Eva. But the Home Health Nurses all called her Ava. So, now we call her Ava.

    She is 46 today. Happy Birthday beloved Ava.

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