Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

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

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

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

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

You would normally have to try pretty hard to self-incriminate this badly.

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

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

No Kings: Americans standing in the way of bad history saying “Oh, Fuck No!”

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

People are weird.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

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

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

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

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Open Thread (Song for Lily)

Reader Interactions

142Comments

  1. 1.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    Just be sure to give that doggy the R-E-S-P-E-C-T she deserves!

    I think Greyson went too far in calling that Fed lobbyist a “whore” and I hope everyone calls for him to apologize to whores for comparing them to a former Enron lobbyist.

    That is just a bit too much Congressman, apologize!

  3. 3.

    arguingwithsignposts

    w00t. so early in the thread. I too am traveling again this weekend. Leaving tomorrow morning for a loooooonnnnnggg drive.

    Cutest dog my ass! F Joe Lieberman! The helicopters aren’t joking, also. :) I am aware of all BJ traditions!

    +4

  5. 5.

    The Bearded Blogger

    If a democratic senator’s sole goal was to maximaly infuriate progressives and such a senator were extremely smart at achieving his goal, how would such a senator’s actions differ from those of Joe Lieberman?

  7. 7.

    ellaesther

    @ellaesther: Ok, so I’m kind of an idiot, and thought that this was posted BY John. And just now realized that no. Hmm.

    Well, I’m guessing that Anne Laurie likely also loved Lily — for who could not?

  8. 8.

    Irrelevant,YetPoignant

    @ellaesther:

    I’m guessing that Anne Laurie likely also loved Lily—for who could not?

    If people stop loving Lily, the terrorists have won.

  10. 10.

    Mark S.

    I doubt anyone cares, but David Frum and Hugh Hewitt are having a spat. This rejoinder from Hewitt cracked me up:

    Frum accused me of narcissism because I treat the references to me in both of them as attacks on me. You read them and decide for yourself. The transcript will be posted here later. The audio will be available at the Hughniverse

    I don’t know, but people who call their websites the Hughniverse probably are a bit narcissistic.

  11. 11.

    Anne Laurie

    @ellaesther:

    Well, I’m guessing that Anne Laurie likely also loved Lily—for who could not?

    True fact!

    I also love our own three rescue Papillons — Zevon, Sydney, and new girl Gloria — but I’ve yet to get a good enough photo/video of them to inspire me (or the Spousal Unit) to figure out WP’s embedding system. Someday.

  14. 14.

    Demo Woman

    The few times that Moxie has been farmed out before the howling incident, she would paw (touch) my face every hour during the night just to make sure I was there. Good luck to John on his return. After the howling incident, there are many friends that will take her.

  15. 15.

    Anne Laurie

    @Mark S.:

    I doubt anyone cares, but David Frum and Hugh Hewitt are having a spat.

    Anything that makes either or both of those two miserable is a force for good in the Cosmos. Now if only some of the Cornerites at KLo’s House of Crazy could get sucked into the feud…

  16. 16.

    Anne Laurie

    @jeffreyw: It’s not lying if they really, really believe it. If he had two dead chickens, he would totally give you one. Retrieve it right to your hand, even… (Love your redheads!)

  17. 17.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Mark S.:

    Well, at least Hugh doesn’t refer to himself in the third person, which would mean his sentences would be all:

    “Frum accused me the dickish asshole of narcissism because I the dickish asshole treat the references to me the dickish asshole in both of them as attacks on me this dickish asshole.

  18. 18.

    Demo Woman

    @jeffreyw: lol.. Moxie thought I was cooking up goodies the other day and wanted some drippings. It was spinach and I thought well fine and poured the juice on her food, her reaction was different.

  22. 22.

    ellaesther

    @Demo Woman: May I tell you about one of my cat’s most favorite of all favorite additions to her dry cat food? I may? Thank you!

    The liquid from a can of chickpeas. Hand to God.

    Now, it had to be a particular brand of chickpeas — she wasn’t a chickpea whore, or anything — but still. She would go crazy over it.

    And I once had a cat literally climb up my body to get to a piece of baklava. Again: Hand to God.

  24. 24.

    demkat620

    @RedKitten: Blondie? Lucky woman. She will always be one of my favorites. I am old enough to remember the splash she made when Blondie hit it big with Heart of Glass.

    Scared the old peoples down to their socks.

  25. 25.

    Anne Laurie

    @ellaesther: I have known three different cats, in three different states, in three different decades, who would draw blood to get the jelly out of a jelly donut. Even though scientists assure us that cats can’t even taste sweet. Maybe it was something in the chemical additives?

    There are also quite a few cats who like tomato sauce (and yeah, I know tomatoes aren’t good for cats), usually the kind of cheap chemical-laden stuff that gets put in canned spaghetti. And avocadoes… mostly they don’t eat avocadoes, but a lot of cats will do their best to steal a chunk, no matter how often they’ve been puzzled & disappointed. I think this lends credence to the theory that avocado trees survived post-ground-sloth and pre-human-cultivation because jaguars ate them for the fat content.

  26. 26.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    Comment in moderation with three good “moody” lonely songs. Damn.

    Bob Mould’s “I’m Sorry Baby,” Ani DiFranco’s “You Had Time” and Kris Delmhorst’s “Since You Went Away.”

  27. 27.

    Demo Woman

    @Anne Laurie: Not a cat or dog story but a squirrel story.. The little thieves started stealing my tomatoes which is pretty bad but then they had to sit on the fence and peel off the skin before taking their prize to their nest.

  28. 28.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @ellaesther/9:11 pm

    I once had a cat who passionately loved asparagus. He would steal stalks off our dinner plates, carry them off to a corner like a dead bird, and feast.

  29. 29.

    burnspbesq

    My kid has revealed himself to be a hippie.

    On his list of colleges he wants to check out are, among others, Hampshire, Bennington, and Manhattanville.

  30. 30.

    ellaesther

    Earlier today, we were talking about earworms, and I allowed as how my earworm was (at the time) a Backstreet Boys song (suffice it to say that Israeli radio, which I listen to a lot, is a remarkably catholic listening experience).

    However, that has changed in the course of the day, and right now I can’t escape is “The Question Song,” a very funny ditty sung by Tom Wilson, the guy who played Biff in Back to the Future (again I feel a need to say: Hand to God). “Very funny,” and dang catchy, too! It’s well and truly stuck.

  34. 34.

    valdivia

    ellaesther–maybe you can answer this for me (or maybe not!). I am looking for the israeli version of InTreatment with Gila Almagor. Is that even available on DVD. I loved the US version but want to see the original. Any ideas?

  35. 35.

    Linkmeister

    @Anne Laurie: Sometimes we see mongoose in our back yard, and one of the funnier instances was the time one was flat on its back on the brick walkway, holding an avocado between its paws and burying its nose all the way inside the shell.

    You know those cute pictures of otters cracking clamshells open on rocks they hold on their tummies? It looked just like that.

  36. 36.

    AhabTRuler

    @burnspbesq: The old gray mare just ain’t what she used to be when it comes to the hippie credentials of Camp Hamp & Bennington. Sort of earnest, slightly odd yuppie larvae really. Still and all, you can get a really good education at either of those two if you put your mind to it.

    Amherst is gorgeous (and Ithaca is gorges, but that’s a different story), as is Bennington. The latter is a little isolated, ‘tho. It’s in Vermont, but Albany (festering pimple) is really more accessible (w00t! Crossgates), and, frankly, is a little disappointing as a city. It actually reminds me of Allentown, PA, and not in the good times.

  38. 38.

    Brick Oven Bill

    Aretha Franklin should have ended her career when she dropped her apron at the soul food place after Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy dumped her.

    People need to know when to quit.

  41. 41.

    Ash Can

    @ellaesther: “And I once had a cat literally climb up my body to get to a piece of baklava.”

    LOL! It must have been the butter.

    @Demo Woman: Little brats. Once in a while in the early to mid-fall I’ll walk out the front door and see a pile of walnut or chestnut rind fragments on the ledge next to the stairs. And I had to laugh a couple of years ago. One of my neighbor friends took her car to the mechanic because the front axle was making a funny noise. The mechanic checked it out and found a walnut wedged into the works, courtesy of one of the neighborhood squirrels. At least it was a cheap repair.

  44. 44.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    Eating cold french fries after a hairy, rain-soaked drive home. Waiting for the 3 to 6 to 12 inches (no one can decide) of snow to fall. Does anyone have any requests for Thursday Menu (this Thursday or future Thursdays?). I’m thinking of Garlic, Garlic Chicken this week, but I’m open.

    Odd dog treat requests: one of my great danes would shell peanuts, eat the nut and spit out the shell, still almost whole. She also loved almond M & M’s – and would suck the chocolate shell off before eating the almond. These were limited treats, obviously, but boy was she happy whenever I let her have one.

  45. 45.

    Brick Oven Bill

    Aritha was cool in the Blues Brothers. This is when she should have stopped. Here is Aritha-2008.

    Why should taxpayers be compelled to pay for Aritha’s Liberty Medical diabetes packages, shipped free to her door, while she eats more Cheetos at the TV?

  47. 47.

    arguingwithsignposts

    I’m going into the deep dark well. anyone care to pull me out? I feel like shit. I’m traveling tomorrow. I feel like grabbing a rope. Damn, I’m pitiful. Why? Why? Why? I don’t want to be this fucked up.

  48. 48.

    ellaesther

    @valdivia: Well, actually, they were both Israeli cats! Mine was partial to a particular brand of Israeli chickpeas, and the other cat was a random cat on a kibbutz I stayed at one night. So indeed!

  52. 52.

    ellaesther

    @valdivia: Not sure, because Israeli TV and American TV broadcast on different, um, thingamajigies. Can’t remember what the technical phrase is, but America is NTSC and Israel is PAL.

    You might look at Steimatsky online, they might have something (certain very popular movies/TV shows get DVDs produced in both systems).

  60. 60.

    Ash Can

    @Bad Horse’s Filly: For my bachelorette party years ago, my cousin made chicken marsala that was extra heavy on the garlic. It was out of this world. I don’t know the exact recipe, but it might give you some ideas, at least.

  63. 63.

    JGabriel

    Brick Oven Bill:

    Why should taxpayers be compelled to pay for Aretha’s Liberty Medical diabetes packages … ?

    Because she’s 69 and on Medicare, you freaking jackass.

    .

  67. 67.

    Skepticat

    @Bad Horse’s Filly: My Great Dane did the same thing with peanuts. He’d do the patooie thing and spit the shell like a watermelon seed. He also would whack his head into the wall turning around quickly if you called him whilst he was walking down the (narrow) hall, and liked to sit in the rocker and rock whilst watching television. Okay, so I had a Mediocre Dane.

    One of my cats has his very own (unsalted) butter supply, and considers it not a treat but a routine part of his menu. He’ll sit sit and stare fixedly at the dish until he’s served.

  68. 68.

    Violet

    @arguingwithsignposts:
    Keep posting. We’re here for you. You’re not going down.

    I know you’ve been struggling for awhile, but it can, does, and will get better, really. The usual suspects – eat right, exercise, get enough sun, take your meds, go see a counselor, etc. – just keep doing them. One foot in front of the other. Some days are better than others, and there will be dips downward, but it does get better.

    Hugs.

  70. 70.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @asiangrrlMN:

    i’m tired. i’m wishing i was miles away from where i am, and yet wishing something stopped, like my heart, and i just ceased to exist. i think that would be easier but i know better. too hard to describe at the moment.

  71. 71.

    Fulcanelli

    @JGabriel: I’m sure she’s pretty well off financially. Doesn’t income or assets factor in on whether or not you can be on Medicare?

  73. 73.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Violet:

    thanks, violet. just wanted to acknowledge. I don’t feel like there’s anyone I can talk to at work, so it’s funny that my little online community is where I can garner real strength.

  74. 74.

    valdivia

    @ellaesther:

    Thanks for the suggestion of Steimatsky. I will look into it and see if my DVD can handle the zoning difference thingy. I have used some of the music stores online from Israel to get some music directly from there (ie Shalom Hanoch, Mashiach Lo Ba and Gazoz) and had good results with the mailing and all so maybe the dvd thing will work well too.

    Re your cats–the chickpeas were the dead giveaway I think.
    :-)

  80. 80.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @ellaesther:

    thanks, ellaesther. I feel like I’ve let down the BJ community by dumping this shit in the comments. I really don’t want to be this way. I hate the way I feel.

  85. 85.

    Svensker

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    You are not pitiful. A habit of mind that you still need to work on. And did you get that inosotol?

    You seem to get really down when you get tired — or is it the downness making you tired? If the first, that’s something concrete you can work on…work out ways not to get so tired and if you DO get tired and DO get down as a consequence, forgive yourself for having a brain reaction to fatigue.

    Hang in, and get back out of that well, dammit.

  88. 88.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @asiangrrlMN:

    The really odd thing is I’m an “expert” in my field, and sought out for my thoughts on the “field,” and yet I feel like such a poser, like a fake. It’s hard to muster that “expertise” when I don’t feel well. I don’t know if that makes much sense, but that’s part of what’s going on.

  90. 90.

    Fulcanelli

    @arguingwithsignposts: You can stop there with the let down shit. Not necessary.

    Now about that Charlize Theron movie…

    You could try a little ritual (Buddhist, I believe) to purge the bad thoughts if you’re into it…

  91. 91.

    ellaesther

    @arguingwithsignposts: You know, I have known a lot of people with depression in my day — family, friends, myself after baby #1, internet pals — and the thing that strikes me is how powerfully people want something else, and just can’t seem to get it. Someone famous (maybe Dick Cavett?) once wrote in the NY Times about his depression, saying that when you’re really there, you could be sitting 8 feet from a table on which sits a bottle of anti-depressant magic that would cure you for all time — and it would feel too hard to get up and get it.

    I think the fact that you “dump” (as you say) is a sign of your powerful urge to get up and get across the 8 feet, and that is a powerful, lifesaving urge. Are you getting help? Are you seeing someone/taking something?

  92. 92.

    Violet

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    I’m glad we can help. We’re here when you need us. Do you have anyone else around you in RL that you can talk to? A counselor is a good option, if you don’t have someone you can confide in. A lot of counselors will work on a sliding scale if money is an issue.

    Don’t know if you are trying any meds for your depression, but they can work wonders. Someone I’m close to struggled with it forever, but finally found the right medication. Today this person is really doing well.

    Oh, and I’m not sure if you have had your thyroid checked, but please do that. I’m a bit of a pain in the rear end about thyroid problems because I was misdiagnosed for what was probably years. Thyroid problems can lead to depression, or at least exacerbate it. The stereotype is that thyroid issues are more of a female problem, but they do affect men too. And women who have thyroid problems are often brushed aside with “it’s just your hormones – deal with it” when in fact it’s your untreated thyroid problem that is the source of your symptoms.

    Let me know if you have any other questions about thyroid. I’ve become something of a lay expert on the subject out of necessity. It turns out that the multiple problems my doctor wanted to prescribe multiple drugs for were actually a thyroid problem. A person on the internet on a message board diagnosed me. I had to argue for half an hour with my doctor – just to get him to run the tests. He swore up and down I didn’t have a thyroid problem but finally caved because I refused to leave his office. My thyroid was so out of whack when the bloodwork came back I shouldn’t have been able to walk. Little wonder I was almost non-functional. So these days I always encourage people to get the bloodwork done for thyroid. It’s just a blood draw and your insurance, if you have any, should cover it.

    Hang in there.

  94. 94.

    asiangrrlMN

    @arguingwithsignposts: I know that feeling, too. You know what, though? If that many people think you know something, they’re right.

    And, I agree with Fulcanelli, actually. Watch a movie you really like (a comedy) with a hot babe. Anything to make you feel better.

  96. 96.

    gwangung

    @arguingwithsignposts: Hah. That sounds like “imposter syndrome.” Which afflicts the competent to uber-competent.

    Hard to shake when the measuring sticks are fuzzy or not very prominent. In one area, I felt that way…until I realized I was the ONLY person in the whole country who was doing what I was doing.

    Maybe talk with some peers and get some reinforcement?

  98. 98.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @Ash Can: I am scanning for a good chicken marsala recipe, because at some point in my Food In Fiction series, I’m tackling Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me, in which much of the plot line revolves around chicken marsala. I may have to test out a few first. Yummy.

  102. 102.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @asiangrrlMN:

    hah! hot babe noted.

    @gwangung:

    I’m going to a conference this weekend where people will be extolling my expertise, but that’s when I will feel least “hero-like,” but the people at the conf. will look at me differently, like i know more than I do. W00t, right? But I’m dying inside.

  107. 107.

    Fulcanelli

    @Bad Horse’s Filly: BHF, I’ve traveled around the US a bit in my time and there is no place like NYC and the North East for Italian food.

    I’ve got about 5 restaurants within a 3 minute ride from Casa Fulcanelli that all serve a chicken Marsala to die for. The best one serves a piping hot mini loaf of fresh baked, Sicilian style thick crust Italian bread with their entrees that’s about the size of a large grapefruit that is almost better than sex. Well, almost.

    And I wonder why I can’t lose weight. Le Sigh.

  108. 108.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @asiangrrlMN: I like snow, really I do. I just kind of like it on the mountain peaks. Then I can cycle here or go up there and snow shoe. I haven’t had enough good cycling days this year, was hoping for a few more before the real cold arrived.

  109. 109.

    jeffreyw

    @Bad Horse’s Filly: Well, I don’t have any family recipes, or an interesting life story. I just enjoy doing the standard anyone can do em meals and taking pics of the operation. If you think I can contribute I’d be happy to, but I really can’t pass off any recipes as my own.

  110. 110.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @Fulcanelli: I got back to Boston this summer and spent some time in the North End. You are right, there is nothing like east coast Italian food. I’m not even sure where to begin with this recipe, because I don’t think I’ve ever had an authentic chicken marsala. Feel free to send tips.

  112. 112.

    Fulcanelli

    @Bad Horse’s Filly: I like snow too! In those little things filled with water and a little landscape or miniature town that you shake up to make the flakes swim around.

    I also like seeing the snow on the Weather channel when they do the regional reports on other parts of the country. Yup, I really like the snow.

    The only problem is that I don’t get to stay home from school anymore.

  113. 113.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @jeffreyw: It’s not about being your own recipe as much as it is about enjoying cooking. Besides, I always feel once you’ve made a dish a couple of times, you usually put your own twist on it. That’s my way of saying, hell yes, come on over and contribute. If you click on the men who cook in that last comment, it will give you my email address.

  115. 115.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @Fulcanelli: I know I shouldn’t complain, because the big secret here is that the weather is so nice most of the time. Everyone always says, don’t pack your shorts in the winter, because you’ll have days you can wear them in January. But still the idea of driving in this stuff tomorrow….ugh.

  116. 116.

    Betsy

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    Oh, that’s not odd. That is all-too-common. I struggle with it all the time. I always find reasons why people giving me compliments on my work (when it happens) are mistaken, don’t really understand, or are fooled.

    I’m actually in that place now – I’m having a meeting tomorrow with a v. respected prof who writes about EXACTLY the same topic I do, and I’m terrified that he will see right through me. And/or think that I didn’t cite his work enough, or misunderstood it, or something. You see, no one on my committee specializes in *exactly* the same subject as me, so I’ve convinced myself that the only reason they like what I’ve produced so far is that they don’t know how much I’ve got wrong.

    And I can even know that this is a common phenomenon, but that still doesn’t make me stop feeling it.

  125. 125.

    Betsy

    @Fulcanelli:
    Dude, you are making me hungry. I just went and looked at their menu.

    I do live in the greater Boston area, but I don’t often get to the North End. I will put this place on my list for the next time I do.

  129. 129.

    Betsy

    @asiangrrlMN:
    We do indeed. And often, it’s enough.

    Sending good vibes and smiles your way. I should get to bed now, but have a lovely evening. I hope you get some good sleep.

  130. 130.

    jeffreyw

    @jeffreyw: WANT! YUM! DROOL!

    No! Don’t edit that out! Jeez louise, I think it looks just fine.

  134. 134.

    Ash Can

    Speaking of food, @Bad Horse’s Filly, I tried your crockpot beef stew recipe on Sunday. It was the first actual, standard beef stew recipe I tried in my brand new, er, well, estate-sale crock pot. (OK, it’s used, but it’s in excellent condition.) It turned out very tasty, and I’ll likely use it as my base recipe for years to come. But I’ll be doing a fair amount of tinkering — for example, I found that four cups of water, rather than six, were more than enough. It must be just the way my pot works. Also, I love potatoes, so I’ll be adding more next time around. Of course, this is what makes cooking fun — learning the basic techniques, learning what your own equipment can and can’t do, and reinventing recipes from there. Hooray for playing with food!

  138. 138.

    gwangung

    @Ash Can: Um. I’m changing my mind on what I’m cooking this weekend.

    But, right now. Hard at work on Act II of a play I’m writing. Woulda helped if this was 14 days ago, since I’m writing on a deadline….

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