Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Be a wild strawberry.

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

The world has changed, and neither one recognizes it.

People are weird.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

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

Petty moves from a petty man.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Large and In Charge

Large and In Charge

by | 252 Comments

This post is in: 

By popular request:

illshowyouwhothegooddogiswhenyoufallasleep

Got so tired of all the complaints about the blanket on the futon that I decided to replace it with something more seasonal. I also put up all the Steelers stuff in the tv room. I am so ready for this to start.

*** Update ***

New blanket- the Steelers stuff was too much for even me:

furminatethis

I love that I put a new blanket on the futon and he is on it within three minutes to test drive it.

Reader Interactions

252Comments

  4. 4.

    Zifnab

    Football Season! Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

  7. 7.

    ihop

    tunch ponders the idea of a matured lawrence timmons added to the linebacking corps of his biped’s favorite football team.

    and how to humiliate the dog. also.

  8. 8.

    dmsilev

    @Laura W:

    How much does that fucking cat weigh??

    Rumor has it that he’ll be a substitute defensive lineman for the Steelers come November.

    -dms

  12. 12.

    JenJen

    I could’ve done without the Terrible Towel, but then again, it’s not my blog.

    I think I might be drafting Tunch next Sunday, though.

  13. 13.

    John Cole

    So I am thinking about changing “Consistently wrong since 2002” in the new design this week. All I can come up with is:

    “We Eat Arugula. And Dijon. Also, too.”

  15. 15.

    Rosali

    You wanna see large and in charge?! Here is Hillary Clinton giving a smackdown to a Congolese questioner who asked about Bill Clinton’s opinion.

    (It turns out that the translator may have messed up the question. But I liked how quickly Hillary stood up for herself.)

  16. 16.

    asiangrrlMN

    Tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunch! It’s about damn time, Cole.

    How about, “We read the morans so you don’t have to wash your eyes out with lye”?

    Tunchinator is looking so regal and handsome!

  17. 17.

    dmsilev

    @John Cole:

    “We Eat Arugula. And Dijon. Also, too.”

    I like the idea, but that version doesn’t read quite right to me. How about “We put Dijon on our Arugula”?

    -dms

  18. 18.

    Roger Moore

    I think you need to use about +1 EV of exposure compensation when shooting a white cat on a light colored background. Also, you might want to check your white balance, since I’m pretty sure Tunch is supposed to be white.

  19. 19.

    asiangrrlMN

    “Turning tricks one Republican at a time”?

    “Skewering teh Stupid”?

    “Fuck you. Also”?

    “Come for the politics. Stay for the animal pictures”?

    “Win free sex”?

  21. 21.

    RedKitten

    That patented Tunch glare is beyond awesome.

    Thank you for posting that, John — I really needed some cheering up, and Tunch never fails.

  22. 22.

    donovong

    I fully intend to report you to the ASPCA and PETA for making our buddy Tunch sit in front of that ugly fucking towel or blanket or whatever it is. “One for the thumb”? Sounds like a lyric from a Britney Spears song.

    (I keed, I keed, senor.)

  23. 23.

    Keith G

    When I first clicked on, I thought Tunch had been kidnapped and was appearing before a copy of a daily news paper.

    Ok, so I hit the Pilsner Urquell a bit early today. Big deal.

  26. 26.

    Violet

    @SGEW:

    Lulz. At first I thought it said, “who ate the dog.” It seemed kind of appropriate.

    @John Cole:
    “Eating arugula with dijon since 2002. Also, too.” ??

  28. 28.

    JoshA

    Did Tunch give you permission to replace the blanket? I think we need video evidence to be sure he’s OK with the changes to his domain.

  29. 29.

    Irony Abounds

    @JK: The Yankee sweep of the Red Sox was a thing of beauty. Loved it, absolutely loved it.

    As for the Steelers blanket: I hope Tunch urinates on the damn thing (or Lily takes a dump on it – that would work as well). I’m almost as sick of the Steelers as I was of the Cowboys back when were so obnoxious. Time for a miracle to happen, like TO leading the Bills to a history making Super Bowl victory.

  30. 30.

    shelley matheis

    Tunch looks like he could be posing in front the main branch of the New York Public Library.

  34. 34.

    Tax Analyst

    “Off the Kool-Aid since_____(whenever it was)”

    or something like that.

    Jeezus, that’s a monstrous cat!

    When I was a kid back in Connecticut we had a 20 lb. orange-marmalade tomcat (“Mittens”). Twenty lbs of near-solid and plenty mean cat-muscle. He liked to perch in this tree branch that hung over the sidewalk in front of our yard, then pounce on unsuspecting dogs that happened by. Being much less evolved at the time I thought it was great fun (I was only about 6 or 7).

  35. 35.

    winguts to iraq

    I think you should keep the tag line the way it is.

    Keep John Cole away from my Balloon Juice logo!

  37. 37.

    The next-to-last samurai

    President for life Tunch of the Republic of Tunchany ponders whether to eat John now, or save him for later. Now I know why Lily rolls in vile goo: to render herself unappetizing.

  40. 40.

    AlanDean

    I think the only real improvements that can be made to this site are getting rid of Pam Plastic and Sarah Sad-Sack.

    Done!

    Now for Coultergeist…

    I’m actually quite fond of “Consistently wrong since 2002”, but it could be reworded to “Consistently wrong before 2002.” Isn’t that when reality hit your dogma and you changed political persuasions? Looking back on my own life, “Consistently wrong” works just fine. No date needed.

  41. 41.

    JK

    Possible slogans

    “We’re all part of the same hypocrisy.” –
    Michael Corleone in the Godfather Part II

    “Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see.” — Mark Twain

    “It is better to be hated for what one is, than loved for what one is not.” — André Gide

  45. 45.

    Demo Woman

    @John Cole: Arguinging withsignposts was on the Pelosi blog and mom anon checked in earlier today.
    You’re a sweet person at times.

  47. 47.

    Linkmeister

    Steeplejack (when you turn up), was it you who’d been reading Larsson’s The Girl Who Played With Fire? I finished it this morning before its due date at the library (where it has 165 people waiting for it).

    Wonderful book. I reviewed it here.

    Shouldn’t that be 49ers paraphernalia? The white cat would go much better with scarlet and gold. (I keed, I keed!)

  48. 48.

    AnotherBruce

    How about Einstein’s qoute, “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.”

  49. 49.

    Warren Terra

    @ Roger Moore, #18

    Also, you might want to check your white balance, since I’m pretty sure Tunch is supposed to be white.

    Racist.

  52. 52.

    MikeJ

    Today I actually did buy both arugula and dijon mustard.

    And I bought pectin. I will have my revenge on the blackberries.

  56. 56.

    geg6

    John Cole: I talked to A Mom Anon this weekend here. Hubby is home and properly chastened regarding his health. She’s a little frazzled what with his heart attack and a tax audit. But she’s hanging in. And I’d like to compliment you on that lovely Tunch photo. Something about it really grabs me. I’m not sure what it is…maybe that beautiful color scheme or perhaps the pleasant outlines of that logo you can’t quite see on the throw or perhaps it’s that the one for the thumb is already covered with one to spare? Or perhaps all of those things. I know they make me happy.

  57. 57.

    D-Chance.

    Hilarious.

    a) A demonstrator basically admits it’s Limbaugh’s astroturfing that’s producing the numbers, and
    b) The poor “victim” schmuck admits he has no health insurance because he’s been laid off.

    As much as all of this has bored the shit out of me (colonic politics), the continued idiocy on display never ceases to amaze. Maher is right… we are a stupid country.

  58. 58.

    gbear

    Also, too.

    NO NO NO Palin references!! Huge mistake! I’d rather see you stay wrong since 2002.

    As for site updates, could you add a ‘Did you remember to fill in your name and address, moron?’ prompt next to the ‘submit’ button? Thanx

  61. 61.

    RedKitten

    Oh, and my post was in response to Tunch’s photo, by the way.

    Goddamn, I am just NOT on my game tonight.

  62. 62.

    geg6

    demkat620: I’m not nuts aboutr KO’s new glasses either. But handsome Lawrence O’Donnell makes up for them.

  64. 64.

    Warren Terra

    (1) I’d hate to see the “Consistently Wrong” disappear – though I can think of some alternatives, such as adding a second line, or just adding “also” (though gbear obviously disagrees), or setting it up to rotate among a list of aphorisms that includes “Consistently Wrong”.

    On the other hand, I am rather fond of what John Scalzi does at his blog, where he comes up with an entirely new catchphrase and an entirely new piece of art for his top banner whenever he feels like it (unless it’s a regular, scheduled thing; I don’t pay enough attention to know).

    (2) Not topical to the post, but interesting: I caught a trailer for an upcoming episode of a good BBC Radio 4 program, not to be broadcast until next week, that I thought might be relevant to actual substance of the amendment being traduced in the “Death Panels” debate:

    when Langer and Rodin returned to the home, they were astonished to discover that twice as many of the elderly residents in this ‘choices’ group were alive, compared with the control group on the second floor, who had been given plants that the staff tended, and were told which was their film night. It appeared that taking control made you live longer.

    It occurs to me that a doctor taking the time to discuss with an elderly patient their options for how the eventual end of their life will proceed may be just such an example of helping them to take control of their life.

  66. 66.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @John Cole:

    So I am thinking about changing “Consistently wrong since 2002” in the new design this week. All I can come up with is: “We Eat Arugula. And Dijon. Also, too.”

    Tantalizingly Single Since Forever

  71. 71.

    JK

    More possible slogans

    I ain’t often right but I’ve never been wrong
    Grateful Dead

    It seldom turns out the way it does in the song
    Grateful Dead

    Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places
    Grateful Dead

    If you plant ice you’re gonna harvest wind
    Grateful Dead

  72. 72.

    gbear

    @Warren Terra:

    I just think that Palin’s 15 minutes are so closed to over that a Palin reference would quickly become dated.

    So…I’m heading up to the Rx to pick up my cholesterol med refill. Right next to the Rx is the best ice cream shop in town. Should I multi-task the trip?

  74. 74.

    Demo Woman

    From what I can find online, Hank Johnson’s town hall filled up quickly. They also have an area outside where you can protest. He set up rules for the discussion

    Rep. Hank Johnson wants to avoid the incivility and rancor that has disrupted forums on proposed health care reform across the country. Here are the rules he’s set for conducting the meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston.
    Related
    * Security quadrupled for meeting
    * Video: Health care discussions heated in U.S.
    * Backlash
    Related Metro stories »
    * John Pugmire, 89, founded car dealership
    * Some local schools going greener
    * Grace Rollins, 98, longtime Emory benefactor
    * Hundreds turn out for DeKalb forum
    1. Each speaker gets two minutes.
    2. Fourth District residents speak first.
    3. No abusive, profane or derogatory language.
    4. The room holds 500 people, but there is also a live feed to a gym that holds up to 1,000.
    5. No signs inside the room. There will be a “protest area” outside.
    6. About 15 campus police on site.

    Johnson is doing a great job, and without fear of attack, he is a 1000 times better than Cynthia McKinney.

  83. 83.

    Svensker

    @John Cole:

    So I am thinking about changing “Consistently wrong since 2002” in the new design this week. All I can come up with is:
    “We Eat Arugula. And Dijon. Also, too.”

    I’m a natural conservative: stick with the old. It’s got a hubristic humility that I find very pleasing.

  84. 84.

    Calming Influence

    @Warren Terra: [blockquote]…or setting it up to rotate among a list of aphorisms that includes “Consistently Wrong”.[/blockquote]

    Also add a way to vote thumbs up/down for each and let the market decide too, as well.

  86. 86.

    DonkeyKong

    “We must kill them. We must incinerate them. Pig after pig. Cow after cow. Village after village. Army after army. And they call me an assassin. What do you call it when the assassins accuse the assassin? They lie. They lie, and we have to be merciful, for those who lie. Those nabobs. I hate them. I do hate them.” -Col. Tunch

  88. 88.

    lotus

    Agree with the anti-Also.Too. contingent. It’s already wearing out.

    I’ll mull replacement ideas a bit mo’ . . . hmmm.

  89. 89.

    Ash Can

    Yay, big mushy kitty! :) And I gotta say, that’s a “go to hell” look if I’ve ever seen one.

  92. 92.

    Demo Woman

    Gee, living without direct tv is hard. No Keith, no Rachel and only one PBS station. I think that I can pick up the other PBS station with a different antenna. I should add that there is no monthly bill.

    No more copy and paste since I’m not good at it, but from what I am reading on the local news, Johnson’s town hall is going okay with a majority wanting some type of reform.

  93. 93.

    DonkeyKong

    ‘Never get out of the boat. Absolutely goddamn right. Unless you were goin’ all the way. Tunch got off the boat. He split from the whole fuckin’ program.” -John Cole

  94. 94.

    robertdsc

    Slogan: “It’s like these people take pride in being ignorant”

    I wish that guy was President.

    Count me in the minority as someone who wants the old futon blanket back. Not because of the Stillers design, I just liked the old blanket better.

  95. 95.

    Redshirt

    Balloon Juice = Hot Air, am I right?

    Thus, logically following:

    Dispatches from the Wingularity

    Also, Steelers colors ARE aesthetically ugly. It’s intended, so I mean no insult, but it does leave for tragic fashion consequences. Now, proper Patriot Red, White, and Blue, now those are nice colors. Patriotic colors, if you follow….

  97. 97.

    DonkeyKong

    (Apologizing for severed heads adorning Tunch’s headquarters) “The heads. You’re looking at the heads. I, uh – sometimes he goes too far, you know – he’s the first one to admit it!”- DougJ

  98. 98.

    Jason Bylinowski

    @gbear: I agree regarding the Palin slogan. I know it seems like she’s here to stay but she’s really not. I think of her as the political equivalent of Milli Vanilli. Once everyone figures out how fully phoney she is, and once the left gets bored of hating on her (since this only makes cons like her more, apparently) she’ll be done like dinner. In 2010 people are going to be asking “what’s the deal with also, too?”

    Well a man can hope anyway.

  99. 99.

    wasabi gasp

    My girlfriend just got a glimpse of Tunch on the lappy and said “hey, Marshmallow lost some weight.” I know she has a cat whisperer kind of thing going on, but it amazed me how she could see that. No offense, Marshmallow.

  101. 101.

    MikeJ

    @DonkeyKong:
    What are they gonna say about him? What are they gonna say? That he was a kind man? That he was a wise man? That he had plans? That he had wisdom? Bullshit man!

  104. 104.

    GReynoldsCT00

    “Starting New Internet Traditions Since 2002” or something like that.

    Thanks for the Tunch pic, we needed the furry dude today…

  107. 107.

    lamh31

    Don’t know if this has been posted, but:

    Greg Sargent over at The PlumLine has a pic of the fax that was sent to that Dem Rep that the Secret Service was gonna ivestigate.

    ya’ll gotta check it out. It will downright make you shake ur head, be angry & scared all at the same time.

    This shit ain’t no joke.

    Here’s a link to the picture: theplumline.whorunsgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/jokerdeaththreat.jpg

    Here’s a link to Sargent’s post:
    Take A Look: Here’s The Threat To Obama Dem Congressman Received

  108. 108.

    steve s

    My mission is to make it up into West Virginia. There’s a kitty cat up there who’s gone insane. I’m supposed to kill him.

  109. 109.

    Jason Bylinowski

    Cool BJ slogan for Cool Hand Luke fans:

    John Cole: Grins like a baby but bites like a gator.

    or for the City Slickers aficionado:

    Our commentariat is happier than a puppy with two peters!

  111. 111.

    JackieBinAZ

    it’s apparently easier to change the entire environment around that cat than to move him to a different one.

  112. 112.

    gwangung

    @gbear: I agree regarding the Palin slogan. I know it seems like she’s here to stay but she’s really not. I think of her as the political equivalent of Milli Vanilli. Once everyone figures out how fully phoney she is, and once the left gets bored of hating on her (since this only makes cons like her more, apparently) she’ll be done like dinner. In 2010 people are going to be asking “what’s the deal with also, too?”

    That is NEVER going to happen.

    The appeal of Palin to liberals and progressives is that she appeals to the secret sadists within us–the ones who enjoy having battles of wits with unarmed opponents. She’s someone where it’s totally OK and intellectually correct to unload on, all barrels, without feeling guilty afterwards.

    In other words, she’s the political equivalent of creationism, providing eternal amusement to the PZ Myers of the world, allowing us to be as elitist as we want to someone who really is not up to our caliber.

  113. 113.

    Warren Terra

    @ DemoWoman, #76

    What does one for the thumb mean?

    I just assumed it was a threat from Tunch to the only member of the household possessing an opposable thumb.

  115. 115.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    @John Cole:

    So I am thinking about changing “Consistently wrong since 2002” in the new design this week.

    Advanced Institute of Wingularity Physics [on the cutting edge since 2002]

  116. 116.

    steve s

    @lamh31: I emailed a friend about that a few days ago. The link between Obama and Heath Ledger’s joker completely eludes me. Anybody got any ideas?

  118. 118.

    General Winfield Stuck

    I love that I put a new blanket on the futon and he is on it within three minutes to test drive it.

    First time I can remember seeing Tunch without the glare of doom.

  119. 119.

    Jason Bylinowski

    @gwangung: I don’t know if I wanna buy what yer sellin there, but it’s interesting. Anyway, it doesn’t matter: once she starts getting a neck waddle, the Pubs are gonna drop her like a hot rock. I’ll probably end up feeling bad for her.

  120. 120.

    ZIRGAR

    I know this is a totally irrelevant ramble but as a Steeler fan, John, I hope that you cheer for WVU over Pitt when it comes to college ball. Go ‘Eers! lol

    I went to Marshall, so when it comes to WVU going head to head with M.U. I go with M.U., but if they aren’t playing each other I cheer for them both.

  121. 121.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Demo Woman: It means that the Steelers won their fifth Super Bowl ring. You know, one for the thumb.

    Oh, and TROY POLAMALU!

    Anyway, I haz a happy gazing upon the pulchritude that is Tunchie.

  124. 124.

    steve s

    How about a script that generaties a random “Adjective Noun is adjective” sentence? That shit _never_ gets old.

  125. 125.

    Comrade Darkness

    @John Cole: “We Eat Arugula. And Dijon. Also, too.”

    _Makin’ shit up since 2002_

    _Democracy IN YOUR FACE since 2002_

    _Convosashun, we haz it_

    How about a different one every day? Something to toss the extra $$ raised at the programmer for.

  128. 128.

    schrodinger's cat

    Nice blanket on Tunch’s futon, the bright yellow clashed with his fur, I think.

    I am too sexy for my fur, so sexy I purr.

  129. 129.

    srv

    Surely there are some great one-liners from the archives for a new banner:

    “You can prove any thesis to be true if you make up your own definitions of words.” (the Goldberg Principle)

    “It’s sort of like an obituary for Ted Bundy that doesn’t mention the serial killing.”

    “We’re lucky if we get GOP candidates who believe in post-Ptolemaic celestial mechanics.” (said before Palin!)

  131. 131.

    schrodinger's cat

    Nice blanket on Tunch’s futon, the bright yellow clashed with his fur, I think.

  134. 134.

    Comrade Darkness

    @John Cole: Just FYI, most all the rest of the world *starts* counting with the thumb. Yes, weird, I know. But this knowledge will help you understand some day why you get handed three of something when you held up an order for two.

  136. 136.

    Tim (The Oher One)

    Funny but I was just laughing at “Consistently wrong…..” when I punched in for a dose of the Juice this morning.

  137. 137.

    schrodinger's cat

    Oops sorry for the comment spam, I need the preview button.
    Please delete comment 131.

  138. 138.

    RandomChick

    Tropic Thunder is on HBO this week. I cannot tell you how pleasantly surprised I was by this movie. I saved it on the DVR and now I’m watching for the 2nd time.

    Hilarious!

  140. 140.

    MikeJ

    But this knowledge will help you understand some day why you get handed three of something when you held up an order for two.

    It could be worse. Be careful how you order two at the pub in Engerland. I’ve seen people turfed for it.

  141. 141.

    YellowJournalism

    “Come for the banter, stay for the pie.”

    Although I’m quite fond of “Furminate this.”

  145. 145.

    Comrade Darkness

    @MikeJ: Yeah, remarkable difference whether your hand faces forward or backward.

    Fortunately, in that case I can order in the only language I know. It’s the rest of the world where I have to resort to sign language and pantomime.

  146. 146.

    mai naem

    The black blanket is very slimming on Tunch. The black shirt on Rush Limbaugh – not so much.

  149. 149.

    Left Coast Tom

    @gwangung:

    The appeal of Palin to liberals and progressives is that she appeals to the secret sadists within us—the ones who enjoy having battles of wits with unarmed opponents.

    While I enjoy watching the GOP pretend her moronic blatherings are Serious Ideas…put me down for no “Also. Too.” slogan. It’s come to the point where the mere sound of her voice has a “nails on chalkboard” effect on me. She’s long since had her 15 minutes, she should have her 15 hours as far away from my sense of hearing as possible. Like Russia, since she can see it from her home.

    I’m generally willing to say that John should pick whatever slogan he wants since it’s his blog, but enshrining the twisdom of someone as nuts as Palin would only make sense if the GOP wraps itself around her so tightly it can’t disengage itself for decades.

  150. 150.

    JK

    Slogans Cont’d

    “He not busy being born is busy dying” – Bob Dylan

    “Let America Be America Again” – Langston Hughes

    “Ask the questions that have no answers” – Wendell Berry

  155. 155.

    Anne Laurie

    @RedKitten: I’m still in for the eleventh, and a girl. Hope you’re feeling better… soon!

    Also, I think part of Tunch’s problem is that he’s got what the cat fanciers call “Oriental” genes, and he’s actually quite fine-boned. Every extra ounce his efficient “easy keeper” metabolism stores looks a lot… weightier… than it would on your average “British” or Persian-style feline with a naturally more robust musculoskelatal structure. Just as a human gymnast worries about every extra ounce, while a human linebacker can sweat off five pounds during an afternoon at pre-season training.

  157. 157.

    Linkmeister

    You could steal from Yeats’ “The Second Coming,” but it’s probably been done, even for taglines.

    “the center cannot hold”

    “Slouching toward Bethlehem”

    I kinda like this, though:

    “The best lack all conviction, while the worst
    Are full of passionate intensity.”

  158. 158.

    MikeJ

    How about, “God damn the fucking Red Sox.”

    Something the haters and the fans can both agree on.

  163. 163.

    gbear

    MnPR announced that it’s Andrew Sullivan’s birthday today. Fourty something. Hope he got a spanking.

  164. 164.

    John Cole

    @gbear: What is MnPR?

    What is everyone listening to? I’m in a music rut. I’m listening to Po’ Lazarus after flipping through 100 albums on itunes, and I can not find the sweet spot.

    I might need to try the JB’s.

  165. 165.

    Comrade Luke

    I think the tag line should be a Schaivo reference, since that was the last straw for you.

  166. 166.

    RedKitten

    Yeah, the second blanket is better. Tunch looked rather tense in the first setup.

    Over 160 comments, most pertaining to the blanket on which your cat parks his ass…you’ve got yourself quite a dedicated readership, John.

  170. 170.

    Rosali

    Do you think Sully took your friendly advice to heart when you suggested that he go back on vacation?

  173. 173.

    farmette

    The second photo – definitely Tunch colors – cool and complimentary. Don’t know nothin’ about football but about cats…and colors…yes.

  176. 176.

    RedKitten

    @John Cole:

    Done like dinner, kiddo.

    And yeah, I can’t even imagine this place without the comments. I would think it would be weird, putting one’s thoughts out there, and knowing via the site meter that people are reading, but deliberately keeping your audience muted…it just seems kind of bizarre to not want any feedback or back-and-forth on what you post.

  179. 179.

    gbear

    I’ve been listening to a new LP by Phoenix which is kind of a breezy summer pop thing. Just bought the Jayhawks retrospective and I’m going to get the new Wailin’ Jennys CD tomorrow. Also, Robyn Hitchcock (as in ‘anything by’) is always close by.

  180. 180.

    lost in GA

    @John Cole: John, look up 89.3 the Current at MN public radio. Not good with links but you can find it on itunes or a simple google search. well worth the effort.

  182. 182.

    Betsy

    I am so, so glad to see Tunch’s Rubenesque form again.

    @RedKitten:
    Sorry to hear that – I hope you’re feeling better!!

    @John Cole:

    What is everyone listening to? I’m in a music rut.

    Neko Case, primarily. Also the Dry Branch Fire Squad, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops (both bluegrass). Also the Magnetic Fields.

  184. 184.

    Betsy

    @Betsy:
    Though I should add that the Chocolate Drops were far, far, better in concert than on their studio albums. Their performing chops are simply unparalleled, IMO.

  187. 187.

    John Cole

    Tunch is out of food and screaming at me. I gave him the same amount he always has had the last two months, I know Lily is not eating it since it is 6ft off the ground in a place only Tunch can get to, and I’m afraid for my life.

  189. 189.

    asiangrrlMN

    @lost in GA: Yes. The Current is good, too. Our public radio is excellent. I am justifiably proud to be a sustaining member.

    I am listening to whatever I feel like listening to on Youtube. In other words, random songs that aren’t so random. k.d. lang singing Hallelujah at the moment.

  190. 190.

    lamh31

    Is this what they mean when they say “mad days of summer”??? Does it seem like the blogosphere, and the political climate in this country has gone mad?

    Cause man, today alone, I have read a diary on DKOS, some post on other sites, and a longtime member of another blog family I read, are all tallking about leaving the blogophere. Ya got libs saying Obama just like Bush, ya got Repubs saying Obama’s gonna kill grandma/grandpa/& down syndrome babies

    Seriously, has the world gone mad!!!!

    I’ll admit to ya, on days like these, I kinda wish I had never started reading the damn blogs, now, I’m kinda hooked. So even when I want to chuck the lot of ya, I still can’t resist checking in to see what’s new.

    I’ll admit that I can’t wait til I start school later this month, maybe I’ll have more things to do with my time. Still, its like a drug in my system , I’m gonna have to eventually try to wean myself offa the blogs, cause man, It’s like that scene from “Brokeback Mountain” (without all the gay stuff…LOL).

    “I Wish I Knew How To Quit You”

  191. 191.

    RedKitten

    k.d. lang singing Hallelujah at the moment.

    the live performance at the Grammys? That’s one of my favourite YouTube videos. I was watching it on TV that night, and I swear the goosebumps on my arms had goosebumps of their own.

  193. 193.

    You Don't Say

    Tunch is such a handsome little man.

    And, yes, my cats scare me too when they get hungry.

  194. 194.

    Fulcanelli

    @John Cole: Beware of a blanket party whilst you sleep, John. Did you destroy his old one? Hide any bars of soap, too. Cats are devious.

    So there’s a new BJ slogan quest?

    How about one from the master, Mr. Cole… When Dylan jumps in your shit…

    “Idiot Wind” (actually the whole damn song might be apropos)

    Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
    Blowing down the back roads headin’ South.

    Or maybe an existential touch…

    “I blog, therefore, I am.”

  195. 195.

    gbear

    Tunch’s second pose looks like something out of a 60’s cigarette advertisement. So smooth and sophisticated. And not at all cancerous.

    lost in GA: Bill DeVille is my fave. I’ve made lots of trips to the record store because of his show.

  198. 198.

    Cat Lady

    Tag line for those in despair:

    The falcon cannot hear the falconer.

    Tag line for those who love pet pix and Tunch:

    I IZ IN UR BASE KEEPIN U SANE

    (what color is Tunch anyway – not white, not peach, not tan, but what? He’s like a melted creamsicle, heavy on the vanilla.)

    No Sarah Palin quotes – she’s the new Orly Taitz. Srsly.

    Music: Paul Simon, Sufjian Stevens, Peter Gabriel, and world music.

  199. 199.

    lamh31

    @John cole,

    I’m an R&B girl. I don’t know if you like R&B, so telling ya what I’m listengin to, will probably not make much sense.

    But, I really into neo-soul artist right now like Maxwell.

    Not sure if you know who that is though.

  200. 200.

    JK

    Correction
    Joe’s Garage – Frank Zappa

    Can’t Wait for the Return of the Comments Preview function

  203. 203.

    2th&nayle

    Caption for Tunch’s ‘Glare of Death’ aimed at John:
    “Just try and stay out of my way. Just try! I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!”

  205. 205.

    Fulcanelli

    @John Cole: “What is everyone listening to? I’m in a music rut. I’m listening to Po’ Lazarus after flipping through 100 albums on itunes, and I can not find the sweet spot.”

    Lately…

    ZZ Top Box Set: Chrome, Smoke & Bar-B-Que.

    Conjure One: Redemption. Turn it up and dance, bitches… Good for cleaning bathrooms.

    Jeff Beck: Guitar Shop.

    For starters…

  206. 206.

    Ash Can

    @John Cole: If he suddenly gets quiet, looks at you, then at the salt and pepper shakers on the table, then at you again, head for the hills.

  211. 211.

    Cat Lady

    @Rosali:

    Hillary has found her happy place, and it’s in charge of the State Department. FSM help the person who doesn’t understand that. I believe that Bill was under very strict orders – not from Barack, but from Hillary – to keep his goddamn mouth shut, get those women from NoKo, and come home. He’ll get his marching orders from her, and he’s going to like it, or he can just shut the fuck up and sit down. It’s her time now.

  213. 213.

    Gus

    @JK:
    Whoa, Court of the Crimson King! That brings back some memories. Listening to the Band’s Music from Big Pink and Chris Smither’s Another Way to Find You.

  216. 216.

    Betsy

    Bill Frisell and Ron Carter:
    youtube.com/watch?v=AVWwX7rBS8k&feature=related

    Carolina Chocolate Drops:
    youtube.com/watch?v=1xOxHyTP91c
    I saw them only once. They were opening for another group, and goddamn if they didn’t steal the whole fucking show. It was the first time in my life I ever saw an opening group called back for an encore. This clip is good, but really doesn’t capture their energy and prodigiosity. (Word?) I want to see them again, but they haven’t come my way in awhile.

    Neko Case
    youtube.com/watch?v=om58QtEsP-4
    youtube.com/watch?v=NhyF6gUzNjY

  219. 219.

    gbear

    @Gus:

    Izzy’s is good too but I like Grand Creamery better. I recommend ‘Black Hills Gold’. Vanilla ice cream with loads of caramel and nuts and chocolate in a gooey/crunchy mix. Yum. I should have gotten in line.

  221. 221.

    General Winfield Stuck

    . k.d. lang singing Hallelujah at the moment.

    This is my favorite rendition of this great song. K.D. nails it and then some.

    Goose Bumps indeed RK.

  222. 222.

    geg6

    asiangrrlMN: Hey, wait a minute! “Crazy Bitch” is MY stripper song. And the guitar player for Buckcherry is a local guy. And John? Ever listened to any Clarks? Can’t link from the mobile, but a ‘Burgh legend with some really great lyrics. It is said that Letterman is a big fan. They playing the start of the semester concert at our amphitheater on campus. I’m really looking forward to it.

  223. 223.

    Calming Influence

    @John Cole: When nothing in my current library seems interesting anymore, I go back to the classics (Miles Davis – Kind of Blue) or the basics (John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers).

    They cleanse the pallete.

  224. 224.

    steve s

    @DonkeyKong:

    August 10th, 2009 at 10:11 pm Reply to this comment
    DonkeyKong
    How bout “HomoDome”- Two men enter!……………. Ross Douthat cry’s!

    With apostrophes like that, you could guest-blog for Matt Yglesias.

  226. 226.

    Steeplejack

    @Linkmeister:

    Yeah, I read both over the last few weeks–in order, damn it, unlike your mule-headed commenter.

    I didn’t think the second book was markedly better than the first one. They were very different, though. Played with Fire is definitely a thrill ride, while <Dragon Tattoo is more of a “locked room mystery in the form of an island,” as one of the characters said. I liked them both, and I’m looking forward to the third one–alas, the final one. Stieg Larsson died of a heart attack in 2004.

  228. 228.

    wasabi gasp

    The Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman album Song X is something of a palate cleanser for me. Also, for past bouts of insomnia I’d throw that on and it would lullaby me right to sleep. I think it makes my mind relinquish control.

  230. 230.

    Steeplejack

    @John Cole:

    Can’t go wrong with the JB’s. I have only one of their albums, but it’s a pretty good two-disc overview: Funky Good Time. I like their slow, silky stuff, e.g., “Dirty Harri.” Ooh, gotta listen to that right now.

    Slightly surprised to see that Amazon pairs that with another excellent anthology, the Meters’ Funkify Your Life. Both highly recommended.

    That said, what I was actually listening to earlier today was Fleet Foxes. (Amazon link embedded in title.) Sort of weirdly trippy, with slight overtones of Buffalo Springfield’s trippier songs (“Broken Arrow”) colliding with something like the Cranberries. Does that even make sense? Anyway, good album.

  231. 231.

    Steeplejack

    @Linkmeister:

    I didn’t like Sugar Mountain nearly as much as Live at Massey Hall, 1971. That is teh awesome. They either caught Neil on his best singing night ever or spent the intervening 36 years really working on the audio technology. Just him and guitar or him and piano.

  233. 233.

    Steeplejack

    @lamh31:

    Cole is all about the R&B. He is a major James Brown fan.

    Maxwell’s new album is pretty good; I am teetering on the edge of buying it. Raphael Saadiq, too.

  235. 235.

    srv

    @Betsy:

    Bill Frisell and Ron Carter

    Some of Bill’s music doesn’t do it for me, but there’s a lot that just rocks.

    He brought a quartet here on the Unspeakable tour. The violinist jumped the rails with White Fang (a very aggressive, funky tune) and went after Bill’s electrics.

    Hank Roberts (seated also, but he’s like 9 feet tall), rolls his large cello (almost an upright bass) onto his lap starts a banjo duel.

  238. 238.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Nice to see you, too. My weekend from the part-time gig (health insurance!) is usually Sunday-Monday, so I was off today. Didn’t do any software work either, just suffered in the heat (96°, the wall-unit air conditioner is not keeping up–it needs a recharge or something). Went to dinner with my brother and then to see Julie and Julia, which was excellent. Better than I was expecting. I get resistant when something is really hyped. And I usually have a bit of an issue with Meryl Streep. But she was great in this, as was the rest of the cast.

    Having said all that, I don’t know how much longer I’ll hang on tonight. I’m feeling like sleep could be easy, and I need to take it when I can get it. Plus I have a couple of things I want to do relatively early tomorrow.

    Thanks again for the Texas link(s). I find myself going back to several of their songs again and again. Still freaked out by the resemblance between the lead singer and my ex. Brr-hrr-hrr!

    My final link for the night, precipitated by Cole’s question about what we’ve been listening to: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth’s “They Reminisce over You.” I found myself in an R&B mood, then got to this.

  239. 239.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Steeplejack: That’s way too freaking hot. Ugh. Texas is great, aren’t they? I gotta say, the lead singer is hawt, so your ex musta been quite the looker.

    Sigh. I don’t want to see Julia and Julia, but I keep hearing good things about it, so I might have to suffer through it.

    P.S. I like the last link you provided quite a bit. (They Reminisce Over You). Thanks!

  242. 242.

    Linkmeister

    @Steeplejack: I’ve got both; Sugar Mountain just happened to be up at that moment. I like ’em both too. SM has interesting versions of Springfield songs that I’d never thought of as solo pieces.

  244. 244.

    celiadexter

    Great blanket — know where I can get one? Our cats have been shredding their guitar blanket for a couple of years to the point that it’s ready for retirement. They could use a nonfood treat since each now outweighs Tunch.

  245. 245.

    Steeplejack

    @Linkmeister:

    Point taken. I really liked the solo version of “Expecting to Fly” on Sugar Mountain. Not so much “Nowadays Clancey Can’t Even Sing,” which was a disappointment, because that is one of my favorite Springfield songs.

  246. 246.

    RedKitten

    @asiangrrl: Shit, my bad. It was the Juno awards (Canada’s version of the Grammys), not the Grammy awards. I was just going off of memory. I’m sure you’ve seen it, but here’s the link anyway:

    youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE

    The emotion she brings to it is phenomenal. From about 3:25 on, you just get the sense that the power she brings to the song is almost tearing her humble frame apart.

    Sigh — Leonard Cohen went on tour here last year, but was only playing really small venues. I tried so desperately to get tickets, but they sold out faster than anything I’ve ever seen.

  247. 247.

    MazeDancer

    @John Cole:

    Your tagline is well-established. No reason to change. But if variety desired, some possibilities:

    “Late to the Party. Ahead of the Game.”

    “Persistently Perceptive. Kind to Animals.”

    “Intermittently Insightful Since 2002. Ill-informed Before That.”

    “Political Zoo. Free Animals.”

    “Leading Politics and Animals Since 2002”

    “Serving the Delicious Since 2002.”

    “Because Animals Are Smarter Than Politicians.”

    “Food. Football. Felines. Ferociously Cute Doggies. Plus Saving the Republic.”

    “Saving the Republic from Republicans. Plus Recipes.”

    “Floating Free Since 2002”

    “It’s Got a Good Backbeat. And You Can Dance to It.”

    And, under no circumstances use “also”. It feeds Mrs. Palin. And makes your large vision seem small.

  250. 250.

    CynDee

    @John Cole:

    1. Tunch Blankie: The original and the kitty blankies both work, but the Steelers has written messages, and on Tunch’s blanket, Tunch IS the message.

    2. Music: Bach’s French Suites.

    3. Tagline: Your original is best, but if you add anything on, perhaps
    “The Dogs and Cats Know the Truth.”

    4. Three-part tagline:
    “(Some adjective here) Thought, Creatures, and Recipes Since 2002.”

    5. About Sarah: I think she will loose appeal to the rethugs as soon as she ages a bit more. Their true fantasy is not only clueless, but very young and firm-bodied. That’s who they see themselves “with.”

  251. 251.

    Of Bugs and Books

    Just one more view of your present tagline from a relatively new reader, but I can remember the impression it made when I first checked here, and in the sometimes blowhard atmosphere of the Interrants, it should always sound like a little breath of fresh air (as others have noted). Sounds original, re-states the blog title, and humility never becomes dated. Whatever the new expressions of your blog, the old one sets a pretty good standard.

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