Every time I say this, I go on a blogging spree, but this time I really mean it. I don’t remember the last time I went a couple days without blogging (it has to have been years), and I need a week off. Not to mention, I can’t even look at memeorandum or any of the “professional blogs,” because they are all pimping the new gossip column from Heilman and Halperin. I don’t care about the Clintons- she seems to be doing a good job as SoS and Obama seems to really have a lot of confidence in her- that is all I need to know. I don’t care about how reckless McCain was with Palin- every time she opens her damned mouth, we know. I don’t care about any of the crap, and I’m worn down from the constant drumbeat of false equivalence and outright bullshit. I’m exasperated that the drama queens in the beltway media still run the show- has anyone found out what Meghan McCain thinks about Harry Reid? Did someone make sure to ask Bill Cosby what he thinks about Reid’s remarks? Ben Smith- there is a scoop for you.
I’ll be back next week.
*** Update ***
This makes me happy: Starcraft II, Starwars, the Old Republic, and Bioshock II are in my wheelhouse.
Dreggas
have a good one John!
for those interested live blogging of prop 8 trial
Bhall35
I say take that break, even though we’ll miss you…we’ll be here when you get back.
valdivia
Go recharge John. We will miss you, but can Tunch post his own picture every day?
Frank Chow
I understand your reasoning and wish you a happy brain break.
Chow!
Zifnab
Maybe DougJ can finally start pulling his weight around here. :-p
But yeah, you weren’t on blogging vacation even when you were on regular vacation. Take a load off, dude. We’re not going anywhere.
Spadizzly
Mr. Cole, that’s how I’ve felt for the past 8 years or so. Take care and we’ll look forward to your return.
Crashman06
I sure know what this feels like. Good luck, John. Recharge those batteries.
taylormattd
Get your toons transfered to the new guild, and play a bunch of WoW. That should do the trick. :)
Jim
One of the things I find I enjoy about travel in the last few years is disconnecting from politics/blogs (but here I am– I guess that’s why they call us “political junkies”). I’ve also stopped watching Olbermann. The relentless stentorian outrage just got exhausting, even when I agreed with him. Still watch Rachel. She keeps and communicates perspective.
But what pisses me off is they still don’t make the connection between Palin and Senator SundayShow’s fitness for office and commentary (see? I just can’t stop!)
jeffreyw
Tunch is a bad influence on my Toby.
donnah
Best wishes for a nice break away from the nuts.
Hug the dog, pet the cat, rinse, repeat.
HRA
I am sure everything will be fine here and we are certainly not going anywhere. Have a good rest, John.
flukebucket
You can’t do it. You wish you could but you can’t. It is in your blood. It is in your brain. It is who and what you are.
It is a long, long time until next week. So much can happen.
But good luck with your vacation.
Punchy
oy fucking vey
kommrade reproductive vigor
Is he gone? Woohoo, break out the beer, silly string and links to TMZ!
licensed to kill time
I know traditionally when you say stuff like this you follow it up with a record number of posts…but you know what? If you need a break, take it! and know that your loyal minions will be waiting for you upon your return.
Totally snark free. John, we all love this place and what you do, so get outa Dodge if you have to!
Mark S.
Too much of this stuff can drive anyone crazy.
But there are sometimes glimmers of light. Like, say, Brian Williams finally showing some serious outrage about torture:
Oh, wait, that was about some baseball player taking steroids.
Cat Lady
Wish I could come with. I’m sick of everyone and everything too, except this place and the sanity found here. We’ll keep the fires going.
Billy K
Sigh…. John gets more and more like Sullivan every day.
I keed! Enjoy your time off! Thanks for running my favorite political/pet blog on the web!
BombIranForChrist
I think this is a terrific idea. I do it from time to time, and it does wonders for my sanity. Good luck. My advice: Eat biscuits and gravy while watching some old A-Team re-runs. It’s a great system flush.
valdivia
@Punchy:
love that formulation! It adds a certain special ring to it. Can I steal it?
beltane
This is probably a good time to take a break. Cenk Uygher now has a diary up urging progressives to join with the teabaggers to fight Wall Street. What part of the word “lunatic” doesn’t he understand?
Gus
go on a drinking spree of at least two days. Enjoy the week off.
Skepticat
I’m told that it feels really good when you stop hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. Though most of us simply have to take others’ word for it.
My frustration level is so high that I’m lower than whale poo on the bottom of Yokohama Bay, so when you return please let us know if the sabbatical helps.
Leelee for Obama
Enjoy your time off, John. You are getting ready to move house also, am I right? Catch your breath, sniff a rose, kiss your puppeh and kitteh, eat excellent food and get deliciously blitzed. You will feel sooooo much better!
Dork
Methinks Cole needs to spend at least a few days seting up a Match.com webpage, or whatever it takes to get himself some ladyfriend who enjoys cats, dogs, blogs, and McBeam.
Cassidy
wussy
SpotWeld
Get a notebook. One of those cheap student workbooks with the carboard covers.
Instead of blogging scribble down your thoughts in there.. then, when you think you’ve gotten it out of your system (and the book is filled) *burn it*
Watching that vitrol go up in literal flames will be sooooo worth it.
Notorious P.A.T.
See you when we see you, John C.
slag
I don’t know about this whole “break” situation. I mean, you always hear how a down economy is the best time to expand your business. Well, we’ve reached a new low in our political discourse. Seems somebody should be around to capitalize on it by providing interesting/informative political discourse.
DougJ, it seems the task is up to you. But are you up to the task?
Enjoy your vacation, John Cole!
GReynoldsCT00
A whole week?!
Okay, I understand, but the separation anxiety might get a little rough toward the end.
Dracula
Whoa whoa whoa. First things first. We still havent seen the still-pic promos for asiangrl and geg6’s topless political fireside chat/pillowfight they dreamt up (and I dreamt about) the other day….
Alan
I’ve been waiting since Sunday for a pet thread. My little baby cat of 20 years–Sammy–died Sunday morning. I’ve been crying ever since. I haven’t been able to eat, much less read anything political. There was nothing I could do, yet I’m riddled with guilt. It was horrible watching his little body shut down and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.
Steve V
I don’t believe it. Look forward to the flurry of posts later today!
meh
to quoteth Top Gun – “Mother Goose you pussy!”
schrodinger's cat
@Alan: Sending you hugs Alan, kittehs are so special. I don’t know what else to write.
GReynoldsCT00
@Alan:
I’m so sorry!! Many of us have been there, we know how you feel to lose such a special friend.
schrodinger's cat
@Steve V: That’s what I was going to say!
J.
But before you go… PLEASE POST SOME PET PIX!!! Don’t cut off your pets to spite your fans. ;-)
Aw, just saw Alan’s comment. Sooooo sorry. :-(
Mark Gisleson
Smart move. Instead of taking vacations I just kill my blog every two years and then restart it after the novelty of not posting wears off.
Joe L.
Forget the BS for awhile John. Get rid of the toxins! Come back clean and strong!
bemused
@Alan:
I feel for you. 1 & 1/2 yrs ago our 19 yr old sweetest kitty ever died. We still miss that cuddly girl.
ellaesther
Oh John, good luck and breathe deep. I seem to hit that wall more often than you do — indeed, I would likely jump off a tall building if I blogged as you do — and when I recently expressed my bleakness, one of the lovely people who occasionally comments on my own wee little blog said something very wise:
“We sometimes have to put aside the mantel of reason, logic, and passion for humanity, and simply be ourselves, lest we forget what we are really striving for. It is too easy to become disconnected from the very humanity and world we are attempting to save, when we put our heads down and plow ahead, into the fray” – Nefarious Newt. (That’s a link to Newt’s place — he’s a smart guy, and I suggest you visit him!)
schrodinger's cat
@J.: Yes we need more Tunch photos and Tunch action cams, may be Tunch’s Navi Avatar
Mumphrey
Go play with your dogs for a week. It’s amazing how much better life is when you’re hanging out with dogs. There will still be all kinds of crazy shit going on when you get back, but somehow, it won’t seem as hopeless. Maybe I’ll do the same thing…
Face
@GReynoldsCT00: JC doesn’t even make it till Friday. Guaranteed. Matalin will claim that libruls drink their urine, or Malkin will rip Obama for “looking foreign”, and Cole will essplode in apoplectic rage and reach for the keyboard.
Just you watch.
Mumphrey
Oh, also, Flor de Caña. That makes everything better, too…
Demo Woman
Take a few days to regroup. We’ll miss your wit, wisdom and the pics of Lily and Tunch.
In case this has not been mentioned the lady who won the All American cutest dog contest donated the money to dog shelters.
tamied
@Alan: Guilt? 20 years old? They just don’t live that long honey. You did good and your good kitteh got to leave before the party was over.
bystander
R.I.P. Alan’s Sammy. Hugs to you Alan. 20 years is a great life for a kitty. You must have been an extra special human. Sammy couldn’t have hoped for a better one. Condolences.
As for Cole… Lily is going to love, love, love the extra attention. YAY for Lily and Tunch!
freelancer
Go kill some Geth, Cole. Recharge for Mass Effect 2. That game is gonna be fucking sick.
valdivia
@Alan:
sorry Alan.
Sly
I’m also eagerly awaiting God of War 3 (simply because ripping off the head of a Sun god will fulfill my blasphemy quota for a week) and Mass Effect 2.
Malron
In all this nontroversy about Harry Reid’s comments from “Game Change”, the beltway bobbleheads seem to have selective amnesia about an except that comes even earlier in the book that shows Harry Reid Was Chief Encourager Of Obama’s Presidential Run:
Short Bus Bully
This recession has brought on some serious personal setbacks for me (about to lose business, have no idea how I’ll be avoiding personal bankruptcy, feed my family, etc., et al) and you should know that this site and the vast numbers of people who contribute is one of the few good parts of my increasingly depressing days, along with my beautiful children.
I love what you guys do here, so keep going. If you need a break to get your wind back by all means take it! We’ll still be here when you get back.
freelancer
@schrodinger’s cat:
AWS had a brilliant photoshop of Smudge’s Avatar. I saved it to my iPod, but I don’t have it in link form.
Leelee for Obama
@Alan: I am so sad for you, Alan. Twenty years is such a long time, you think it will never end. But, always remember Sammy and the joy you had with him, and let go of the painful time. He wouldn’t want you to be sad.
licensed to kill time
@Alan: It’s so sad when a beloved animal companion dies, it’s like a piece of your heart dies too. Take the time you need to grieve and remember all the good things you shared together. It sounds like you helped him have a wonderful long life.
gbear
Umm, you forgot Liz Cheney on your dis list.
Trinity
Godspeed John.
You’ve done a stellar job with this blog the last years. BJ is my first internet stop of each day.
Paul W.
Not so long time lurker here, I feel your exasperation at all this shit. Only a few blogs leave me with the same sense of being plugged in to a real, productive, community that happened in 2008. Computer games, and specifically the ones you reference (plus Dragon Age and Mass Effect) are sweet sweet release. Happy gaming to you!
Leelee for Obama
@Malron: This makes many of my episodes of holding back when Reid was making me crazy in the health care effort seen prescient. He obviously has more political acumen than people give him credit for. Maybe all those years of backroom politics are the training ground for getting it right? There are many times that I have my hair in my hand, ready to rip it out over Democratic strategy(?)-and then I try to talk myself off the ledge, because I figure maybe they know a thing or three that I don’t.
Elizabelle
Understood, John, and enjoy the time off.
So much stupid in our political culture takes a toll on all of us. It’s tiring to hear the outrage du jour from any side, day after day after day.
Lily and Tunch will fill any downtime. But your readers will miss you! (A little like Jon Stewart going on hiatus during a heavy news cycle.)
Trinity
@Alan: Man I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.
asiangrrlMN
@Alan: Alan, my deepest condolences to you and your family on the loss of your beloved Sammy. You were there for him in his last moments, loving him with all your heart. That is all any of us can wish for when our time comes. Grieve as you must, but please try not to feel guilty. I send you and Sammy a white light on his journey to the other side. I hope he makes his presence known to you so you can know comfort.
Cole, take all the time you need. We will be here
tearing shit upholding down the fort when you return (though I have my doubts you can last a week, too).@Dracula: You’re right! Now is the perfect time to stage those photo stills. geg6, where are you, girl? Are you ready for your close-up?
schrodinger's cat
@freelancer: Yes I think I have seen it and it is great.
Eric U.
It’s hard blogging when the Dems are in power, no doubt about that. Outrage is so much easier. Of course, they are fairly good at pissing me off, but I’d rather not blog about it.
The only question I’m interested in is how long it’s going to take before Palin quits Fox.
asiangrrlMN
@Short Bus Bully: Damn. That fucking sucks. I really hope things get better for you, and fast. I ditto your comments about this being a place for teh good. Y’all make me laugh several times every fucking day. I really appreciate it.
licensed to kill time
Jeez, I just went to MM to check out the link in the post below and learned : Rush says ’08 Dem primary was full of nothing but racism and bigotry; Beck says progressives, like Satan, are supplanting God and taking away choice, and also gov’t is going to return to Prohibition; someone on Fox says Obama admin only concerned with civil rights for terrorists…
This was just from a quick glance at the sidebar. No wonder you need to take a break from the insanity, John!
bemused
Drama queens in the beltway media & dramas queens in congress. We’re bombarded with the histrionics 24/7. It’s exhausting…like living with a bunch of 2 year olds with no hope of them ever growing up. We all need a break from that noise periodically to hang on to our sanity.
schrodinger's cat
@licensed to kill time: That’s why most minorities vote Republican, right?
Leelee for Obama
@Short Bus Bully: Man, I’m sorry things are so sucky for you. Knowing you’re not alone ain’t much comfort, either. Hope you can find your way out of the bog and get things back on track-glad the blog is here for you. I don’t know how I’d have survived this last year and a half without BJ.
schrodinger's cat
@Short Bus Bully: Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Hope things get better.
schrodinger's cat
@freelancer: I had an epiphany, the Tunch we see is the Navi avatar, real Tunch is teenee tiny
A Mom Anon
The country has lost it’s damned mind.It’s a freak show. For a nation that has so much,there seem to be an awful lot of miserable,mean,spiteful asshats wondering about. Shouldn’t we be Happy,Happy,Happy with all our advantages and stuff? I guess I’m trying to say that I am dubious about the future of humanity at the moment,I understand the need to take leave for awhile. Have some fun.
I think this is part of why I am adopting a puppy tommorrow. There is nothing I can think of that is a better idea at the moment. So There. Take That Powers of Mean. HA. Teh Cuteness Shall Prevail.
Phoebe
I’m really surprised it took you this long. The whole “we read these things so you don’t have to” burden would probably put me in the hospital after a week. Go out somewhere and skip around with puppies and butterflies and rainbows or something. Whatever makes life worth living.
JenJen
Remember the David Plouffe mantra: “If Halperin and Politico say we’re winning, we’re losing.”
This is also a good quote to point to as people wonder why nobody trashed Barack and Michelle in the gossipy little Heathers book. Plouffe set a good example for his staff, and when you go into a campaign having zero respect for the game Politico and Mark Halperin play, you exit the campaign the same way. Oh, and you win.
bago
Taking some time out for Mass Effect 2 eh?
Alan
Thank you all for your condolences and kind words. It really does help. The guilt is partly for not believing the signs and taking him to the vet before his death.
About two years ago he started to have epileptic type seizures. But afterwards he would fully recover. He would be fine for many weeks before it happened again. Because he recovered so quickly and because of his age I didn’t feel he needed any medical intervention, like medication, that might interfere with his quality of life. Well, last week he didn’t eat much and by Friday he quit eating completely–nor did he have a seizure in recent weeks. I think due to his weakness of not eating and possibly having a seizure Sunday morning (he was too weak to tell if he was having a seizure) cumulated into a recipe for no recovery. His body went completely limp. He couldn’t stand. And when I held him, he curled into a limp ball against my chest. When he roused he was trying to find a different position to lay so he could catch a breath. He never closed his eyes and he quit breathing with two moaning meows. Not like the last breath leaving him. I should have took him to the vet on Saturday.
Currently, I’m having him cremated and placed in an urn.
Here’s a picture of him with green glowing eyes–lounging like he usually did.
licensed to kill time
@Alan: OH, Alan – what a gorgeous kitty he was!
ETA: It’s very possible that there was nothing to BE done, at his age. Such a beautiful boy.
General Winfield Stuck
Okee dokee, meantime don’t take no wooden nickels and remember, it will only get worse before it never gets better.
edit- Oh! and GO CATS!!
schrodinger's cat
@Alan: He was a beautiful cat.
WaterGirl
@Alan: Alan, I am so sorry. I lost my sweet kitty nearly a month ago. It still breaks my heart, so I really feel for you. So much of what you wrote resonates with me. Feeling helpless. Riddled with guilt. Horrible watching it happen. Crying and crying. Watching for pet threads because you can’t take even the political stuff that usually distracts you.
It really seemed unbearable at first. I couldn’t bear the thought of how horrible it had been and that it was my fault. (The vet had come out to put him down but things did not go smoothly.) For me it was not the “horrible” of bad bosses or a lost job, of terrible weather or even a bad breakup. The word horrible was an expression of the horror I had witnessed and experienced.
After a couple of days I came to realize that it had been horrible for me, but not horrible for him. Not great for him by any means. But not horrible. I realized that the horror came from my knowledge of what was happening and my helplessness in not being able to help my boy, feeling that somehow I had betrayed him in his final moments. Feeling that I should have protected him somehow, even though there was nothing I could do.
Once I realized that it was horrible for me, but not for him, the feeling that it was unbearable passed and I was left with a terrible grief, but less guilt. I hope you will be able to come to a place something like that, too.
One last thing… I found comfort in a quote by Washington Irving that was on Criminal Minds of all places, as I was staring at TV trying to find some distraction from how I felt:
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They are messengers of overwhelming grief, and of unspeakable love.”
– Washington Irving
There is no shortcut through grief. We just have to hang on and cling to whatever lifeboats we find to help get us through. All the best to you, Alan.
eastriver
Enjoy the time off. If you can, I would recommend the Osa in southern-most Costa Rica. You can really, REALLY get off the grid there.
asiangrrlMN
@Alan: Ohhhhh, Sammy is beautiful. Look at that sleek, shiny black fur and those green eyes! What a little love.
Alan, please don’t beat yourself up with ‘should haves’ and ‘could haves’. You did your best for Sammy because of your love for him. He knows that. So, again, grieve as you must, but try to not feel guilty–he wouldn’t want that. Comfort and sympathy to you in this difficult time.
Max
@JenJen: The Obama-haters (nee, PUMA’s) are having a hard time grasping the fact that there isn’t much negative about the Obama camp in the book because they don’t run their mouths. It was omerta with the Obama crew.
Historically, the Clinton entourage runs off at the mouth like a drunk girl, the campaign was no different.
It’s funny to watch the usual PUMA blogs.
ETA – @JohnCole – A new Project Runway Season starts on Thursday and while I understand that you will be on a break like Ross on Friends, can you make sure your Connors get the message that we would like a Project Runway Open Thread on the 14th @ 10pm Eastern?
FormerSwingVoter
So this means that Tim, Doug, and Anne Laurie will be picking up the slack in your absence, right? ;)
drew42
Hmm, I don’t know… I bought Dragon Age Origins partly based on John’s raving over it.
After about five hours of gameplay, I find it to be excruciatingly dull, and have no desire to play it anymore. Which really bugs me, because I’ve always loved medieval fantasy games (from Atari 2600’s Adventure, through all The Elder Scrolls sequels) and that it’s $60 + tax down the drain.
So I’m no longer taking his advice on games. I’ll still listen to his political views, though.
jeffreyw
@Alan: I second the notion that it was just his time, but I know that this won’t help. Beautiful cat. When our Reuben, aged 19, died last year we jumped right back into it with Bea and Toby.
Noonan
Definitely a time for political detoxing. (And betting on NFL playoff games.) Just when you think it can’t get any dumber, Mark Halperin releases a book.
RSR
Atrios just went five days off the grid…but then he got sick.
JasonF
Alan, losing a pet sucks more than just about anything, but it sounds like you were a great owner and Sammy was a lucky cat. It’s cliche, but over time the pain will fade leaving you with the happy memories.
Leelee for Obama
@Alan: He was beautiful, and I love black cats most especially. Those eyes, so amazing. Don’t beat yourself up too much Alan, there may have been things at work with Sammy for a very long time, and maybe nothing a vet could have done to change that. When the end comes, it comes, no matter what we do. It’s weird to say this, but it was similar when my Mom started down the road to leaving. Stuff was already underway before I knew she’d had a stroke, and there was nothing to do about that. I could have kept her here a bit longer, for me, for my Brother, but it wouldn’t have been for her-she was already leaving, if I’m making any sense?
matoko_chan
See you on Eitrigg?
I just bought Avatar for the WII.
review soon.
mellowjohn
if it hasn’t been said already (or enough):
Bluto: [thrusting six-pack into Flounder’s hands] My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.
Otter: Better listen to him, Flounder, he’s in pre-med.
MysticalChick
Alan: Sending a big hug from one kitteh lover to another. No matter how long they are with you, it’s never long enough, is it?
Short Bus Billy: Sending you a hug too … I can only imagine what you must be feeling. Wishing you much luck in the coming months.
Oh, and JohnCole – enjoy your time off. We all need a break once in a while. It’s reaching unbearable proportions, I think. See you in a week!
Bad Horse's Filly
@Alan: So sorry about your Sammy. He was beautiful. And 20 years is wonderful, but no matter how long they are with us, it’s never long enough and always, always, hard to see them go. But he was loved until the very end and that is the best gift you could have given him.
gnomedad
That didn’t take long. :)
Morbo
@Punchy: wat?
It really is a shame that the only other person at work who seems to follow politics is a teabagging wingnut. I’ve heard the office he works in is cursed to be inhabited by one. This Harry Reid stuff is like catnip for him; I just roll my eyes.
JenJen
@Alan: Oh, Alan. I am so very sorry to hear about your loss, and what you had to go through. It brought back painful memories for me… my precious Australian Shepherd Stu became very suddenly ill in 2006. I took him to the vet in the morning, she did some bloodwork, thought he’d be fine. It turned out that Stu was suffering from massive internal bleeding, something that was immediately apparent to the vet when his bloodwork came back, but by then, it was too late. Later that night, my precious boy died in my arms like your kitty did. It was traumatic, and such a brutal shock, and I’ll never forget it. But we were together at the end.
There’s a tear in my eye as I type this. I feel for you! Hang in there, OK?
@Max: Exactly right. “No-Drama Obama” was for real, not a media creation, and he had a loyal and tight-lipped staff. Oh, and I cracked up that you asked John to “ask your Connors.” Ha!!
chrome agnomen
if any important decisions need to be made, which section of the trail will you be hiking?
Cat Lady
@JenJen:
This is true, but perhaps Barack and Michele haven’t been trashed because they have the kind of relationship that apparently no one in Heatherville has, or has seen in power couples. Maybe, just maybe they’ve actually been loving and faithful to each other, and there is nothing to hide. He shot her a look at the state dinner when the Indian PM was thanking his hosts that I won’t ever forget. There have been other times too when you just know they’re still hot for each other.
Bite me PUMAs.
machine
The new guild is up, with free greens in the bank. The resident healer is looking for work.
Anu belore del’anaa, baby.
Tattoosydney
Great – a week of brainless minions pretending to be Sully and posting bullshit articles about the future of conservatism, while he goes and gets mindlessly stoned.
Wait… No, sorry – wrong blog.
ETA: photos – http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/45957530@N02/
Chat Noir
@Alan: Alan, I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. Grieve as much as you have to for Sammy and don’t feel guilt. Try to remember he’s in kitty heaven now chasing all the things he loved to chase when he was on earth. And also remember he’s still watching you only from a different (and better) place.
WaterGirl
Good for you, John! It may take you less than a week or it may take more, just take whatever time you need. And I say that as somehow who is down to two blogs now (but mostly this one) because I don’t have the heart for much else right now.
But maybe you could automate some threads before you go?
– A thread for A Mom Anon (getting her new dog tomorrow)
– Maybe another thread for tips on choosing & raising puppies?
– Maybe another one for tips on choosing & raising kitties?
– And maybe a generic automated pet open thread every day?
Edit: Too much to ask?
JenJen
@Morbo: Tell me about it. I had to spend the morning in the office I freelance for listening to the resident wingnut tell me that “Avatar” is a treasonous film intended to humiliate the US Army, because trashing the military is what America-Hating Liberal Hollywood Elites live for. He’s absolutely sickened that his fellow Americans are “falling for that liberal piece of crap Army-hating movie. Welcome to the Age of Obama!”
He was never in the Army, by the way. Oh, and he’s not seen “Avatar,” either.
@Cat Lady: I do believe that about the First Couple, I really do. But I also am having a hard time believing the absolute hit job the Heatherettes have unleashed upon Elizabeth Edwards. I’m not a fangirl or anything, but I find it just disgusting and distasteful, you know?
GReynoldsCT00
Okay, let’s all remember our departed friends together:
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they miss someone very special to them; who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. YOU have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
asiangrrlMN
@Tattoosydney: Honey! I’ve miiiiiisssed you! Are you back home yet?
@Cat Lady: Agreed. When I saw the interview with the two of them on…whatever show, I could tell that they truly loved each other. In addition, he actually listened when she talked. Refreshing, indeed!
@arguingwithsignposts: Moar Smudgey, please?
arguingwithsignposts
Since I’m taking this as an open thread (have a nice break, Cole), can I just say I have never been happier to “unsubscribe” from an e-mail list than when I just unsubscribed from FDL’s action alert after the latest Jane Hamsher e-mail about that economist and his consulting fee (or whatever).
licensed to kill time
@JenJen: So, what is he basing his “opinions” on then, hmm? Would it be irresponsible to speculate? I think not!
Keith G
@Alan: Alan, I am so sad for you, but I imagine there is a bit of relief that the “shutting down” is over.
matoko_chan
@machine: I’ll move a cuple of reformed twinks.
I think its time to give up my 19 bracket holy priest an lvl her as horde.
Sheesh….she cost me a thousand gold just for chants back in the day.
But that is nothing now :)
The Grand Panjandrum
I with you brother. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT watch any cable news. I’ve been off of it for about 8-9 months now and I can tell the difference it has made in my outlook. Going through the few cable news clips I see at TPM or other blogs is about all I can take these days.
Chat Noir
@Alan: What a gorgeous kitteh. He looks like my Hobbes. Cats are magic.
danimal
I think I get it. JC had the humbling experience of watching the NFL playoffs last weekend without his beloved Stillers and it was enough to run him off the grid.
Take all the time you need, JC, as long as you’re back next week. HCR should be rearing its ugly head about then, especially if MA gets uncomfortably close. We’ll need some sanity in the intertubes by then.
Morbo
Oh, and as for Wired, they leave Final Fantasy XIII out of that list? It’s simply not credible.
Chat Noir
@WaterGirl:
OK, your post and this quote is making me cry. I dread the day when I lose one of my beloved kitties so I try not to think of it. I cherish every day with them.
I’m sorry for your kitteh loss. Just remember that there’s catnip in heaven too.
JasonF
Speaking of video games, does anyone have any recommendations (pro or con) about Divinity 2? I’m particularly interested in hearing from those of you who have played the XBox version, but I’ll take any feedback on the game. Is it worth picking up if I enjoyed the demo?
wasabi gasp
Sounds like you could use a Kit Kat bar, my friend.
jeffreyw
@Tattoosydney: LOL-I was clicking through those pics and came to the “dessert reindeer” and I was all WTF? you mean like camels? and then the pic loaded.
eemom
@GReynoldsCT00:
I’ve read Rainbow Bridge many times, and it still makes me cry every time.
Tax Analyst
Enjoy, John. Don’t worry, all that crap will still be around when you get back.
mcc
This is actually a pretty good time to be disconnecting from the blogosphere.
Basically nothing substantial is going to happen until the State of the Union speech, except the completion and passage of the health care bill, and basically every part of that until the very end is going to happen behind closed doors.
Cat Lady
Word. I haven’t read anything about the Edwards’, and won’t. They don’t each have enough on their plates to deal with right now, and now they’re subject to the faux moralistic preening of a bunch of mean girls? Halperin and his wannabe sidekick Haldeman or whatever his name is should be shamed, neck punched, and left for coyote bait.
ETA: Cindy’s affair and John McCain’s shame though I couldn’t hear enough about, especially if it drove him out of sight. Fuck him with asiangrrls rusty pitchforks.
JenJen
Maybe this has already been mentioned, but Ben Smith says that Halperin’s book claims Hillary was obsessed with The Whitey Tape. Now, that just blows my mind if even remotely true. The Whitey Tape!! Seriously? I haven’t thought about that Flowbee crap in a year and a half.
@Cat Lady: Thank you! Yes, I realize in modern politics, spouses seem to be fair game, but their attacks on her (rending her garments in an airport? come the fuck on now) are beyond the pale. This is where you really get into trouble, with out-and-out character assassination in an unsourced book. It’s disgusting, and comes off as though the authors want the reader to believe Elizabeth was such a shrill elitist harpy, she drove her husband into the arms of another woman. It’s crap. It’s nauseating.
Chat Noir
@Cat Lady: Barack and Michelle Obama seem to interact with one another like an Aaron Sorkin-written episode on “The West Wing.” I really enjoy their interviews together — they bust each other’s chops and look like they are really in love and respect one another.
After reading “Renegade” and “The Audacity to Win,” you understood how disciplined the Obama campaign was. Kudos to David Plouffe and team for running such a tight ship but the candidate himself lead by example.
GReynoldsCT00
@eemom:
me too
licensed to kill time
A bit of levity from this TPM post about Bush, Liz Cheney to speak at Hunter’s Convention:
What does Tom DeLay know about beaver and women and how did he acquire that knowledge? Inquiring minds want to know…
maus
Oh Starcraft 2, you kill the pain of politics more than booze.
Booze and Starcraft, however…
GReynoldsCT00
@licensed to kill time:
Delay and beaver in that context is just positively nauseating
donovong
Okay, I am opening the betting window, ala Las Vegas bookie style. I have $20 that says that JC is back before Noon EST on Sunday.
Any takers?
eemom
@FormerSwingVoter:
Pleeez, they GOTTA. BJ can’t just turn us out into the blogosphere with all those maniacs running around.
Chat Noir
@licensed to kill time: Tom DeLay is one of the biggest scumbags in the history of scumbagdom.
RedKitten
@GReynoldsCT00: There’s one quibble that I’ve always had with the idea of the Rainbow Bridge — what if you weren’t the dog’s only hooman? Dreyfus was with my husband’s aunt for 12 years, and was very well-loved and spoiled rotten. We had him for two years after the aunt passed away suddenly, and he was also very well-loved and spoiled rotten (I took money out of my retirement fund to pay for his dental surgery, for pete’s sake). So who gets dibs on the dog in the afterlife? :)
John, enjoy your time off — you deserve it! We’ll muddle through somehow.
Cassidy
@Short Bus Bully: There is too much money being made by civilians working for the military as contractors right now, for you not to look into it.
Be careful with that sentiment. Using it around here makes you an elitist.
Can’t wait to play ME2, once this deployment is over. Had the better half pre-order it so I could get the really cool singularity gun (Game Stop).
asiangrrlMN
@Tattoosydney: Nice photos. I commented on a few. Want to see moar.
@RedKitten: You share him! My quibble is what about all the people-less animals out there? Who do they wait for?
maus
Wrong Cheney, Tom.
licensed to kill time
@GReynoldsCT00: Agreed. I just think his cluelessness is funny. Ya gotta laugh!
@Chat Noir: Teascumbaggery?
GReynoldsCT00
@RedKitten:
One big reunion?
kindness
Read a book. I had 2 Jet Blue experiences last week/end and tore through Paul of Dune. For the record, Frank Herbert is gifted. His son is not. But I will admit this retread by Frank’s son (god rest his soul every time his son publishes another rip off) isn’t nearly as shitty as his previous ones. It was actually entertaining. Still, no Frank Herbert though. Apparently that apple fell from the tree & rolled down the hill, fell into the ocean & floated to China….
RedKitten
@Morbo: They mention that they’re only including games that haven’t been released yet in ANY countries, which DQs FFXII, so they reviewed it separately.
twiffer
@drew42: dragon age is tons of fun. except for the dwarf political intrigue, that does get a bit dull. if you were expecting something along the lines of the elder scrolls though, i can see how there might be disappointment. dragon age is closer to a planned d&d campaign. talking to people is necessary, your party is necessary. i love morrowind and oblivion: great RPGs, but because they are open ended, you can just fuck around and kill shit untill you become an indestructable demi-god. dragon age game play is tightly constrained by your class and the game has a definate plot that must be followed.
Alan
I’m sorry my post spurred memories in some of you of your own pet’s death. But you all have been very helpful to me. I just popped a chicken roast into the microwave I bought Saturday to feed Sammy something that might be more appetizing than his regular cat food. He perked up but didn’t eat any. But now, it’s time I ate some.
I should mention I have another cat–Autumn–who’s been keeping me company. She’s half Sammy’s age. She ended up eating what Sammy didn’t. Sammy will always be my number one. But now Autumn has my complete attention.
GReynoldsCT00
@Alan:
Don’t be sorry, those thoughts spur lots of good memories too. Nothing can take those away. Give Autumn some more smoochies.
bob h
I know the feeling- how is it that after 40 years of intense interest in politics I find the whole business nauseating and beneath contempt.
Elizabelle
Alan: condolences on losing a longtime, true pet friend.
OT, but Conan O’Brien has just said “nyet” to getting moved to 12:05. Ball’s in NBC’s court again.
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/conan-obrien-says-he-wont-do-tonight-show-following-leno/?hp#preview
daryljfontaine
@Alan: He was a gorgeous boy. Looks a lot like my Zorro, who’s turning 11 this spring. My condolences for your loss.
D
Seanly
This game is full of win for me. Got my pre-order on.
Otherwise I need to watch my gaming. Wife & I trying to reduce spending (aka life within our means). It’s pathetic when I alone make more than my recently retired parents combined ever did and we’re constantly broke. Yeah for America and my own stupid consumerism!
Oh, and also need to watch the gaming so I can stay married…
EDIT: Alan – sorry for your loss. Sammy lived 20 long years so you must’ve been one hell of a caretaker. Let yourself grieve – there is no wrong way (though you should eat).
JenJen
@licensed to kill time: Who knows what he’s basing his opinions on? I can only guess he reads Breitbart and if Breitbart tells him not to see a movie, he doesn’t see it.
The guy is a raging idiot, and that’s being kind. I seriously do not understand how he dresses himself in the morning, he really is that dense.
RedKitten
@GReynoldsCT00: Maybe we can arrange joint custody.
It’s funny — I don’t know if I believe in heaven or not, but about two weeks after Dreyfus died, I had a dream. Brenda (his previous owner) and Mac (her husband, who had died of cancer 10 years earlier) were sitting in a warm, cozy, sun-filled little cottage, drinking coffee, and suddenly there is this “URK!” at the door, and they open it up and there’s Dreyf. Brenda picked him up laughing with tears in her eyes and they went back inside. It was probably my subconscious trying to force a “happy ending” onto his life, but it was still a nice dream.
Nellcote
@Chat Noir:
I like the way they acknowledge that they had some rocky times when he was away in Springfield all week and they had to really figure out how to keep their relationship balanced. Marriage takes work, and they set a good example by talking about it.
Ash Can
@Alan: So good that you have another kitty to help you through this difficult time. And I agree with those folks here who are saying please, please don’t feel guilty. You obviously were an extremely good owner for Sammy to have reached such an advanced age. Years ago, my parents and I had a cat who lived to the age of 22. When she finally went, she went very quickly. Her whole system shut down within a week. When she started to go, we took her to the vet. The vet just shook his head, and said, “The problem is, you just have an aging kitty cat.” He knew there was nothing that he or anyone else could do. So don’t second-guess yourself for not taking Sammy to the vet. You could very well have simply gotten the exact same reply that we did.
@Short Bus Bully: You hang in there too. Things always get better, and I hope they do for you soon.
As for Cole up there, I dunno, you guys. I think Tunch sent Lily to Tammy’s, killed and ate John, and wrote and posted the above message himself, so that no one would get suspicious and call the cops until he was well on his way to Tahiti.
Pasquinade
@Alan, condolences on the loss of your beautiful Sammy.
After I lost my 15 year old girl, then my 19 year old big boy the next year, I swore no more cats…no more heartbreak.
Two years later and I began my journey as the cat rescuer in my new neighborhood. 22* feral/free-roaming cats/kittens spayed/neutered in the past 2 years. Found homes for most of them; a few have been placed through local no-kill shelters.
*2 more going in this week
Elie
I totally understand…could use a “getaway” myself —
Have a great time and relax your mind and body — extremely important.
HRA
@Alan:
My condolences to you on your loss of your pet. That was one gorgeous cat.
As I read your account of what happened to her above, I was reminded of the scenario when we lost our dog, Trapper (18 Yrs old) Yes, you do go through the litany of blaming yourself. Then think of how great an age your pet and my pet attained if they had been humans. Think of the good times and of the comic times. It really does help.
WaterGirl
@Alan: Alan, don’t be sorry. Heartbreaking as it was to know how you are hurting, it helps me to feel that we shared some of the same experience. I shared my thoughts with you in the hope that you might find some bit of comfort or understanding in what I wrote. I’m glad you have Autumn to hang with.
Leelee for Obama
@RedKitten: Kitten-those dreams must reflect our subconscious effort to make something good come of sadness. Back when JFK, Jr. and his wife and sister-in-law were killed, I had a dream that I heard Jackie say: “Jack, wake up! John’s here, and he’s brought friends.” It gave me such a feeling of peace, I’ve never forgotten it.
ETA-yeah, I’m Irish!
Chat Noir
@Nellcote: Exactly. And it’s clear Obama’s daughters love him. In almost every picture you see of Sasha, she’s holding her dad’s hand.
meh
@kindness – yeah no kidding – quite the dropoff between Frank and his dipshit kid. I swear the kid would dig the old man up if he could make a buck of selling pictures with his pop’s corpse at ComicCon…Although in fairness, while the last couple of have been shite, the prequel’s I thought were decent (especially the House Corrino/Atreides/Harkonen trilogy)
asiangrrlMN
@Alan: Don’t apologize. That’s what we are here for (besides the incisive, snarky political commentary). And, yes, eat something and allow Autumn to help soothe your pain.
Elie
@Alan:
My deepest, kind and warm thoughts to you Alan…a big hug too
I look at having my fine feline friend/s, Buddy and Bill as a blessing…Bill is 18 years old and a bit rickety (bad arthritis and failing kidneys), but each day that he lays on my chest in bed as I read, or as he still greets me at the door once in a while — I am happy for one more day and for the gift of both of them in my life
Atlliberal
Take a cruise. It’s really the only way to completely get away. No phone, no internet (too expensive, unless you sneak your laptop on board, don’t do it! ) Not a care in the world except what you will see that day and what to eat for dinner. It really puts things in perspective when you can get away for a whole week. I don’t think you’ll really do it otherwise.
ruemara
@Alan: My condolences Alan. 20 years is a long and lovely time for a kitteh.
@machine: What’s the guild name? I may not be able to join since I’m an officer in one, but I’m free to pug.
machine
@matoko_chan
Enchants are free to guildies. See Bokeh for deets.
@ruemara
“Also Too”, Eitrigg server. Mazog is resident That One.
drew42
@twiffer: It must be personal preference. Many of the popular RPG/fantasy games over the years (various real-time battle games, the D&D games, etc.) use that style of combat. I don’t what it’s called, but it’s not quite real-time, not quite turn-based. It doesn’t feel like I’m doing anything, just nudging them in the right direction and watching them fight. But apparently, a lot of people people like this.
In The Elder Scrolls (or the Gothic series was pretty cool) it feels like I’m in full control of the character, which I find addictive. On the other extreme, like Heroes of Might & Magic, is more a combination of Risk and chess — I liked those games a lot, too.
Ruckus
@Alan:
It’s never easy to lose someone. I know that it gets easier to accept as time goes on. Just remember how good a kitty Sammy was and that if he lived 20 years you had to have been a good friend to him. A solid deal if there ever was one.
@Short Bus Bully:
I understand your predicament, being in about the same one myself. All I know is that I have to keep trying and hoping that I can last through the hard times myself. Good luck to you and yours.
And so because I keep trying to move on I just got a rescue dog on Sunday. Bud
Cain
Alan, I’m so sorry for your loss. Thanks to everyone with their own stories as well. They made me weep a little.
John – dude, I hope you have steam. get Left4dead and we can take on some zombies man!
cain
Sentient Puddle
When I get off work tonight, I need to remember to log on and officer a few more of you. This week in the office (and maybe next) are going to make me want to come home, curl up into a fetal position, and bawl my eyes out until the neighbors come by to see what’s wrong (and then upon finding out, tell me to quit being so melodramatic).
Oh yes, and I don’t think I saw it mentioned, but it’s horde side Eitirigg.
Chat Noir
@Ruckus: Good for you! Bud is beautiful.
Cain
@Cassidy:
I find that strangely comforting since you’re stuck in a theater of hostiles (well even if youre not) and life carries on and you still want your damn games. :)
cain
asiangrrlMN
@Ruckus: Awwwww, puppeh! Bud is cuuuuute! Good for you.
Josh E.
A little worried Bioshock II might suck since Levine’s not working on it. If you like Starcraft you should check out Dawn of War II.
Sentient Puddle
Oh yeah, and since everybody has something to say about Game Change, a recommendation from me. If you feel the need to sit down and read a book about this insidery bullshit, make it The Audacity To Win, not Game Change. After reading that, you’ll probably have a better sense of why shit like Game Change just doesn’t matter.
SiubhanDuinne
@Alan:
I’m so sorry. Your kitteh had a good long life but dammit, it’s never quite long enough. Many of us (especially on this blog) have been there and know the size of the hole in your heart right now. Hugs.
SiubhanDuinne
@Demo Woman:
This is very good to hear. Makes me a little less bitter about the results of that competition. Thanks for catching the news and sharing it.
SiubhanDuinne
@Short Bus Bully: I am so sorry to hear that you’re going through this tough time in such a personal way, SBB. The headlines and analyses and statistics are one thing, but when they hit home like this it’s a very different situation. You sound like a strong person and I’m sure you and your family and colleagues will come out on the other side just fine, but I know it’s scary and difficult while it’s actually going on. As an occasional commenter here, I’m glad to know (and definitely share your view) that the site helps.
scarshapedstar
Hey, maybe Bioshock II won’t suck!
Sarah
have a nice break, but you’d better come back!
SiubhanDuinne
@Alan: After posting my message to you a few minutes ago, I kept moving through the thread and saw this beautiful photo of your Sammy. Gorgeous cat. I’m crazy about black cats and especially with those illuminated-from-within jade eyes. Thank you for sharing him with us.
Little Dreamer
Ya know, when you make threats like this and then come back less than three hours later, people are going to stop taking you seriously.
Go away, take your time and get as far from this shit as you can for a while. I have to do that from time to time too. The level of bullshit in our political discourse these days requires us to take sabbaticals away from all the craziness. You’re no different.
See ya when you get back.
SiubhanDuinne
@A Mom Anon: I’m so happy for you, and of course very happy for the luckeh puppeh. Others have said, and I will repeat: post pictures!
Comrade Luke
On Sunday I took all my political sites and moved them to a group called “Taking a Break”, with the intent of taking at least a week off. This is the only one I’ve bothered to sneak a peek in.
In two days that group has almost 150 posts, which explains where all my times goes.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl: Water Girl, I’m afraid I never sent condolences to you (I think I was a day or so late reading the thread where you told us of your loss and the thread had gone cold) but please know that I felt, and feel, for you as I do for Alan and indeed for anyone who has loved and lost a beloved pet. A dear friend of mine had to say goodbye to her cat also 20 years old just before Christmas, and here’s some of what I wrote to her:
Jim
@JenJen:
Maybe this has already been mentioned, but Ben Smith says that Halperin’s book claims Hillary was obsessed with The Whitey Tape. Now, that just blows my mind if even remotely true.
I’m not a big Hillary Clinton fan–which is not to say I’m a Hillary hater– but I find this really hard to believe. Bill I’d believe it about, not because I think he’s a racist, but I do think he’s an egotistical SOB who got very vindictive when the Democratic Party didn’t hand his wife the nomination out of the gratitude he thinks he we owe him.
Something Fabulous
@Ruckus: Aww, kudos to you. Not everyone goes for the “mature” dog! Excellent!
And condolences to Alan, if you are still on this thread. For what it’s worth, I think cats are like humans in this way: they want to spare their families the pain when they can and try to go in the least obtrusive way. IOW, there is very likely a reason it seemed best not to rush him to the vet one more time, and so he was able to go at home, with you, quietly. A last blessing from him to you? I like to think so…
ETA: not meant as a judgment against going to the vet, of course, for those who do! We all respond to the situation as it happens in the moment, as best we can. Just a plea to not beat yourself up for that decision, if you can.
CynDee
@Alan: Dear Alan,
When our beloved Gracie Dog died in 2008 at 12 years old, we berated ourselves afterward for taking her to the vet when she wanted to be home. Yet, we couldn’t know this would be her last time at the vet. Just yesterday we were saying that If we had brought her home and she died there, we would have berated ourselves for not leaving her under professional care.
We can control the end of life only to a certain degree. It sounds like your love gave Sammy more natural life to enjoy, and kept him from having to endure unnatural efforts to keep things going.
I hope you can find peace knowing that you did all that love can do for another creature. I firmly believe that our wonderful animals will be waiting for us when our turn comes, and that there will literally be all the time in the world to spend with every loved one; no one will go wanting.
When our sweet little Jack Russel/Beagle died in August, the next day our gardenia put out a single perfect white blossom. That plant had NEVER bloomed in August before. “The world is more than we know . . .”
Sammy lived his life, and you will live yours until you are together again. I’m sure that he wants you to put your head on a pillow each night and breathe peacefully, just like he did during his very long lifetime being safe with you.
SiubhanDuinne
@eemom: At the very least, I hope John or one of the other front-pagers will set up two or three automated open threads to load two or three times a day so we can all still talk to each other.
SiubhanDuinne
@Ruckus: I think I said this the other day, but Bud is just adorable. Please post lots of pictures of him, mmkay?
WaterGirl
@Ruckus: Is Ruckus the 10-year old cocker spaniel that someone posted about choosing a couple of days ago? His name was something else, but you changed it to Bud? I didn’t make the connection until someone posted below about your talking about this a couple of days ago… At the time I wondered how someone could give up a 10-year old cocker spaniel. Do you know what happened?
jeffreyw
@Ruckus: Such a nice lookin dog, congrats!
HRA
@Ruckus: Congratulations – Bud is a beautiful dog.
maus
@Jim:
Sounds like a whole heap of bullshit PUMA fantasy sessions. I can’t imagine someone as smart as her believing that it existed, especially from such dubious sources.
Jenn
@Alan:
I’m so sorry!
Watergirl, thank you for this:
Alan
I’ve read every post on this thread–some a few times. And I plan to read it over and over again. It’s been very helpful to me. I no longer feel so alone in my grief.
@Pasquinade: You’re a real life angel.
@CynDee: Sammy was a snorer. :)
Tomorrow I’m going to spend some time replying to some of the many very kind posts.
JSD
@ John Cole,
You have good taste in games.
Alan
John,
I’m so glad you made your blog a home to so many pet lovers. I cannot emphasize enough what great comfort this thread has given me. The outpouring of sympathy for the loss of my precious Sammy, the many who emphasized how grateful I should be for his long life, the understanding that any amount of time is never enough, encouraging me not to carry any guilt, and the empathy from their own losses.
I’ve dealt with loss and grief before. My mother died a year and a half ago, my father over 30 years ago. Both died in front of me. But unlike for Sammy, there’s a whole emergency infrastructure–everything that could possibly be done, was. Even so I still suffered from guilt questioning if I could have done things differently. But having emergency services a phone call away helped relieve some of that burden. I was alone with Sammy and it was horrible. As WaterGirl emphasized, a horror.
You have some great people who frequent this blog–even fellow black cat owners and adorers. Again, I’m so glad it’s here.
Alan