Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

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

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

No one could have predicted…

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Come on, man.

We’re not going back!

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Everyone is in a bubble, but some bubbles model reality far better than others!

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Another Open Thread

Reader Interactions

95Comments

  1. 1.

    Ty Lookwell

    Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of God type stuff.
    Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly.
    Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
    Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes…
    Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave!
    Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!

  6. 6.

    Max

    OT – did anyone see Perseus tonight? I can’t figure out when and where to look out on the west coast. Can we even see it from the US?

  9. 9.

    PurpleGirl

    Oh how cute.

    Earlier this evening (around 9:30) I lost internet when Time-Warner cable service also went down. I came back on to check my e-mail about 11:30. I’m glad I came over here to Balloon Juice…

    That’s a great picture. Tunch! Lily!

  10. 10.

    dlw

    Dang, just how big is that cat? Lily looks like she should be a spokesdog for Taco Bell when she’s next to Tunch.

  11. 11.

    asiangrrlMN

    OhthatissodamnfreakingadorableIcan’tstandit!

    This is the best blog entry of the day!!!!!!

    The Tunchinator almost snuggling with Lily. ‘Tis a thing of beauty.

  12. 12.

    gbear

    Awwww, that’s pretty sweet. I just stopped in on the way to order some books at Amazon but that’s a nice photo to see before calling it a night.

    However, I give it another 20 minutes before Lily gets slapped. Cats have to do that just to be cats.

  13. 13.

    ellaesther

    First of all, I will join in the well-deserved AWWW chorus! So sweet! I rarely comment on these threads, because that’s pretty much all I can say about either animal: AWWW – so sweet!!

    But I do have to ask: I mean, I am well aware of the “Tunch is fat” meme (and find it a trifle cruel, I mean really, people, do you not know big-boned when you see it?), and I know that Lily is not exactly the biggest dog. And I know that one, early picture had a weird perspective issue. But this does not seem to be a perspective issue…. Are they, ahem, really that close in size? That is… surprising!

    And hey, fab new blanket! But I liked the old one, too.

  15. 15.

    trollhattan

    Holy crap, I had no idea the Tunchinator was as big as 2.5 Lilys. Let’s hear it for disarmament ‘n good times for all.

    Peace, out.

  16. 16.

    John Cole

    Tunch is 15.5 lbs, Lily is now 17.7 lbs. She is much taller, and very dainty, but can wrap herself up into a tiny ball.

    Damn you Tunch haters. So tired of defending my cat’s weight. We’ve lost a half pound in 4months. What more do you want?

    Go pick on Oprah.

  17. 17.

    Pavlov's Dog

    A cold day in hell, pig’s flying, dogs and cats living together – The world is good.

  21. 21.

    Anne Laurie

    Awwwww!….

    (Well, I’m not gonna start another thread tonight, fer sure. Leftcoasters, insomniacs & tomorrow’s early risers want to see Tunch & Lily much more Katy Abrams.

    I love that Tunch is being Visibly Forebearing, while Lily has a word-balloon hanging over her head saying, “Humble! I am humble! So humble and submissive, also! And yet — Futon! — Futon is GOOD!”

  23. 23.

    gnomedad

    @Max:

    OT – did anyone see Perseus tonight? I can’t figure out when and where to look out on the west coast. Can we even see it from the US?

    I spent 20 minutes or so last night (in the midwest) at around 11 looking high in the northeast and saw one nice bright streak. That was all, though. Light pollution didn’t help. But if you care about such things, gather some patience and go outside for a while. You might get lucky.

  24. 24.

    superfly

    @John Cole: I was just teasing John. Tunch ROOLZ, and my first cat was very similar to him, big and fat, tiny feet, tons of attitude, they would have been boyfriend and girlfriend had they met, or sneered at each other for hours at a time.

    And it’s great to see how well your Lily rescue has turned out, she seems like a great dog, and now even Tunch is digging her.

  25. 25.

    BettyPageisaBlonde

    On my way to bed and a quick run through the blogroll gives me this lovely photo. Sometimes it’s actually worth it to do that last gasp intertubes run.

    Thanks Tunch & Lily!

  26. 26.

    Lesley

    Given the proximity of their feet I’d say you’re not far from posting a pic like this or this, and eventually this.

    You may need a hidden camera though.

  27. 27.

    steve s

    “Dang, just how big is that cat?”

    It’s no coincidence that Tunch rhymes with Lunch.

    “But I do have to ask: I mean, I am well aware of the “Tunch is fat” meme (and find it a trifle cruel, I mean really, people, do you not know big-boned when you see it?),”

    To paraphrase South Park, “well, then, he must have a really huge bone in his ass.”

  28. 28.

    xyzzy

    Okay, Lily is definitely smaller than Tunch. That picture just does not lie. For the next one, John, stick a ruler in there; we need to know if Lily is small or Tunch is fat!

  30. 30.

    gbear

    @Anne Laurie:

    I love that Tunch is being Visibly Forebearing, while Lily has a word-balloon hanging over her head saying, “Humble! I am humble! So humble and submissive, also!

    Penetant…The Penatant Dog… what does the Penetant Dog do??…HE BOWS DOWN!!….

    Let’s hope Lily remembers that Futon is spelled with a ‘u’.

  31. 31.

    gbear

    @Max:

    I remember hearing that the best time to view meteors was in the late night hours before dawn, like around 3-4am. I got up a few years ago and drove out of the city to view them. It was cool but I was only half awake for it.

  33. 33.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    Awwwwww. Look at there little paws touching. They’re like Amish or something.

    15.5 lbs….pfffsh, that’s nothing for a boy cat.

    When my calico was a wee kitten, I found her curled up somewhere between the three Great Danes, all snug. I was terrified, she knew she’d simply found her ‘subjects.’

  35. 35.

    Ash Can

    Cuties!

    And Lily is keeping a safe and sensible distance so that Tunch doesn’t roll over onto her in his sleep and iron her flat.

  38. 38.

    Ash Can

    @JK: LOLZ! I love the sub-head: “‘Statute of Limitations Has Expired’ on Many Secrets, Former Vice President Says”

    Great. Tune up the band, sit his fat ass down in front of a House committee or three, and let him sing away — on record.

  40. 40.

    Irony Abounds

    It’s just a guess, but Tunch may have been a Sumo wrestler in an earlier life. Hell, for that matter, he could be one in this life.

  42. 42.

    Mark S.

    @Bad Horse’s Filly:

    15.5 lbs….pfffsh, that’s nothing for a boy cat.

    My Maine Coons just clocked in at 15 and 13. The 15 pounder doesn’t have an ounce of fat on him. So enough of the playa-hatin’.

    And having owned some real overweight cats, I can attest to how hard it is to get cats to lose weight. You can’t take them for walks like dogs.

  43. 43.

    MBSS

    tunch in a sumo wrestler outfit….

    or would that offend his innate sense of feline dignity?

  45. 45.

    Thalia

    @Ash Can:

    The part that made me want to fucking puke was that he feels that it’s his duty to protect us from the terrorist threat that we don’t understand. Look asshole. We get it. I rode underneath the Pentagon while it was on fire, you evil fuck. The election that took place last November was us telling you that we don’t want your so-called “protection”. The only reason I want to see you in public again is if you are in handcuffs. Just. Go. Away. No one here is interested.

    I will say this, though. He’s a fascinating character study for a historian. Or will be in about 500 years when people can look at him dispassionately…sort of like Henry VIII now.

  49. 49.

    Steeplejack

    Holy shnikeys! Forget peak wingnut or the wingnut singularity–this is epochal. Homeric. Balloon Juice nation has been waiting for this historic moment.

    I was about to go to bed, but I think I’ll have another beer and just marvel at the kozmic-ness of it all.

  50. 50.

    asiangrrlMN

    Tunchie is NOT fat! He is cute and cuddle and stop picking on him already. Sheesh. Don’t listen to them, Tunch. You’re juuuuust fine the way you are.

  53. 53.

    mai naem

    I used to know a lady who had two huuuggge cats(definitely a lot bigger than deal ole Tunch) and one died at 20 and the other one was still living last time I saw her, about 9 mos. ago. These two were over 20lbs. So, y’all just need to leave Tunch alone.

  54. 54.

    JK

    @Ash Can: @Thalia:

    My favorite quotes about Dick Cheney

    Those who have known him [Dick Cheney] over the years remain astounded by what they describe as his almost autistic indifference to the thoughts and feelings of others. “He has the least interest in human beings of anyone I have ever met,” says John Perry Barlow, his former supporter. Cheney’s freshman-year roommate, Steve Billings, agrees: “If I could ask Dick one question, I’d ask him how he could be so unempathetic.”

    h/t http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/6450422/the_curse_of_dick_cheney

  55. 55.

    MBSS

    my moms friend used to have a cat named sam who was much larger than tunch. he was probably rocking a good 20-25 lbs.

    sidenote: this lady named all her cats after men she was attracted to or dated. so they had names like sam and bob. it was kind of creepy.

    we lived with my mom’s friend for almost a year. my brother and i would play with sam all the time. but when we talked to him, and pet him, we would do so in a cat voice, and his name sounded like “cham.”

    we would roll “cham” over on his belly and he would almost struggle to right himself. he was also a white cat. i had a lot of fun petting his belly.

    r.i.p. sam. i will never forget you.

  56. 56.

    Stooleo

    OMG, I thought Lilly was about 35lb dog. I had no idea.. we need yard sticks in teh pictures.

  59. 59.

    Johnny Pez

    Mind you, Lily was raised in a house full of cats. She’s used to having them around.

    Tunch, of course, having observed that Lily is too big to eat, just ignores her.

  60. 60.

    Blue Raven

    “You gonna pee on me?”

    “No. You gonna try to chew on me?”

    “No.”

    “Good. Let’s plot how to kill John in his sleep.”

  62. 62.

    linda

    oh my, what a sweet picture to see first thing in the morning…

    even tunch can’t resist lily’s charms. lol.

  64. 64.

    schrodinger's cat

    Aawww, so sweet. Thanks for sharing. Wonderful way to start the morning.

    Tunch to Lily:
    It is my futon, you are just sitting on it.

  66. 66.

    Grumpy Code Monkey

    We have one cat that’s much like Tunch; he’s built like a linebacker (no neck) and eats like one too (it is possible for a cat to get fat on a raw diet).

    However, the raw diet has brought everyone else’s weight down to a normal level; the girls were morbidly obese (at least 4 or 5 lbs overweight) on the kibble, but since switching over they’re back to normal kitty size.

  67. 67.

    Morbo

    Longer Tunch: Hey. Hey you. Yeah, you. Get off my futon. Don’t make me get up. No really, don’t, because I’m not getting up. Alright, fine, make yourself at home.

    Longer Lily: Oh, did that cat statue just move?

  68. 68.

    schrodinger's cat

    grumpy code monkey @66
    I am curious about the raw food diet, what do you use? I am thinking of switching, since I too have a Tunch sized orange cat.

  69. 69.

    CaseyL

    Too tired last night to visit (I’m helping build performance stages at a farm) but have to say that photo of Tunch’N’Lily is soooo heartwarming. And I need heartwarming, since the healthcare debate is putting me into a deep blue funk anytime I think about it very much.

    So: Thanks, John! I luvs me some cat and dog living together hysteria!

    And that “2 months to spooning” – is that an actual prediction? Should we, like, do a pool?

    Pencil me in for Sept 22, about a week longer than 2 months, and the equinox (is it me, or do autumnal equinocti seem to be running a bit late the last couple years?).

  71. 71.

    Redshirt

    My FSM, I had no idea.

    That is an adorable photo.

    Kudos on the latest batch of photos John — they seem much clearer and crisper. The blanket helps I think.

    We should have a “spooning pic” lottery — I’m saying by Labor Day weekend.

  73. 73.

    Pixie

    God I love that cat…seriously. When I see pics of Tunch, I just want to grab my own little fat cat, Lysistrata, and just squeeze the hell out of her <3

  74. 74.

    Tattoosydney

    @Morbo:

    “who will spoon whom?”

    I bet on big cat spooning little dog – which will lead, of course, to endless jokes about Tunch sneakily positioning himself to grab a dog snack when Lily least expects it.

  75. 75.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Morbo: Lily will spoon Tunchie. There can be no other solution because Tunchie, my gorgeous little man, does not move. I am gonna be bold and say that they will be spooning within two weeks. Yes, that’s right, two weeks from now. You heard it (read it) here first!

  76. 76.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Tattoosydney: Hi, fake hubby! How you doin’?

    I missed a comma in my last post. Please, Cole, get that edit button back as fast as possible.

    Oh, and more Tunchie pics.

    Kthxbai!

  77. 77.

    Erika Froh

    I love Tunch! Also wet food (with no corn/gluten/rice fillers)–>weight loss: Catkins Diet.

    The only problem is if Tunch is a carb lover (and aren’t we all?) he will drive you nuts (at least initially) plaguing you to put out the yummy kibble. It took about a week before my two stopped turning up their noses at the wet food, but now they gobble it down.

  79. 79.

    oh really

    I know Tunch is the Giant Behemoth, but I’m still surprised by Lily’s tinyness.

    When JC announced the impending addition of a canine to the household, I feared Tunch might react negatively in part because a dog could scare him. Seeing them side by side, it’s obvious someone should be afraid, but it isn’t Tunch.

    (Unless JC is using the special camera techniques developed by Peter Jackson et al. to make Hobbits appear small next to humans.)

    Isn’t dogs and cats spooning a sure sign that the End Times are upon us?

  80. 80.

    Grumpy Code Monkey

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    You can buy prepared raw food from companies such as Nature’s Variety and Feline’s Pride at smaller, independent pet stores, or order online from different vendors and have it delivered (although that’s a little scary, not to mention messy, in the summer). We’ve used both, although the Feline’s Pride is packaged more conveniently IMO. If you’re willing to put in some effort, you can prepare your own.

    We mostly prepare our own raw food. We order pre-ground whole rabbit, whole turkey, and whole duck, as well as unground rabbit pieces, turkey pieces, and chicken leg quarters from trusted suppliers such as Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow (do not use meat from your local grocery store). We cut the meat from the whole pieces into small chunks, the run the bones through the grinder along with the pre-ground meat and bone, additional organ meat (chicken or turkey hearts and livers), and cooked egg white, then mix in the meat chunks along with raw egg yolk, some supplements (taurine, vitamin B, vitamin E) and a little water. In cases where we don’t have the whole animal (such as the chicken leg quarters), we also add iodized salt or ground-up kelp; the oldest cat started showing signs of thyroid problems because he wasn’t getting enough iodine. The resulting mix is stored in pint or half-pint mason jars and frozen. Occasionally we’ll reserve some jars to cook in the pressure canner and make our own “canned” food, although that’s enough of a pain in the ass that we don’t do it very often.

    Some things to watch out for:

    1. A distressingly high number of raw feeders are New Age fruit loops, and their ideas of what constitutes proper pet nutrition is grounded in woo rather than scientific research. They’re useful as part of a coop, but when it comes to nutritional advice, find a vet;
    2. A lot of vets are hostile towards raw feeding, some because they’re not well-informed about it, some because they’ve seen pets with food poisoning or perforated bowels because their owners don’t know what the hell they’re doing;
    3. Shipping costs can be murder; the most economical way to do this is as part of a coop, where you can place large orders and split the cost of shipping;

    That was probably more than you wanted, wasn’t it?

  81. 81.

    Grumpy Code Monkey

    Forgot to add:

    The things that we noticed after placing the cats on the raw diet after a lifetime of kibble:

    1. Weight loss occurred almost immediately, especially with the girls;
    2. Everybody’s energy level went way up, and they all went through a kind of second kittenhood for a while;
    3. They poop less, and the poop is less stinky;
    4. They drink less, since they get a fair amount of water from the food itself

    Milo (our version of Tunch) has been raw fed since we got him as a kitten, and is living proof that it’s possible for a cat to get fat on a raw diet. He eats everyone else’s leftovers and doesn’t move much.

  82. 82.

    koszmic

    I love the picture, but I am having trouble deciding who is bigger . . . heh, heh, no offense Tunch!

  85. 85.

    CaseyL

    Morbo – Lily will spoon Tunch, because Tunch would rather die than let anyone see him actively seek affection.

  88. 88.

    CynDee

    We knew that such a picture would occur sometime.

    It’s a great one–the two SleepyKins comfortable in their home at bedtime fading . . . out . . . for . . . the . . . night . . zzzzzzzzzzz.

  89. 89.

    ET

    I didn’t realize Lilly was so small. Or is it that Tunch is that large? OK maybe it was a bad angle.

    Are Lilly’s ears always like that and I just didn’t notice or is she just scared of twitch wrong for fear of a Tunch attack.

  93. 93.

    Steeplejack

    @Gus:

    Wow, that pup is adorable. What’s the breed?

    When he was a kid my little brother had a dog that is a dead ringer for Lily. Down South the breed is “trash hound.”

  95. 95.

    Anne Laurie

    The next raw, chilly, overcast morning and Lily becomes a cat mattress. As the old saying goes, There is nothing so affectionate as a cat with cold feet!

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