Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

If America since Jan 2025 hasn’t broken your heart, you haven’t loved her enough.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

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

Good lord, these people are nuts.

He really is that stupid.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

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

Consistently wrong since 2002

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

When I was faster i was always behind.

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

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

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

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91Comments

  4. 4.

    mr. whipple

    Why watch the doggies when you can have Lebron lighting up the Nicks for 35 in the first half?

    Heehee.

  5. 5.

    LuciaMia

    And tomorrow….Puppy Bowl!

    As for now. Oy, definately a three-dog-night. And I’ve only Katie, my short haired terrier to supplement my crazy quilt.

    Honestly, if that damn Hostgator doesn’t die soon…..I’m gonna find out who designed this blasted animation and come after them.

  7. 7.

    Stooleo

    The wire hair fox terriers are really cute. Its cool that this is an international event, cause there are bunch of breeds I’ve never seen before like the Bracco Italiano.

  9. 9.

    Chief

    Ah, Newfs. First, I lived in Newfoundland for 2-1/2 years. Bought our first Newf from Megan Nutbeem of Harbour Grace, Nfld. Her registered name was Harbourbeem Tinkerbelle. I showed her to her Canadian championship.

    A very long time ago, I must say.

  10. 10.

    demkat620

    My Jack is beside me watching the dogs on tv. The snow kicked his ass today.

    He is only about 10″ tall at the shoulder and we got 27″.

    Oh and I want a Besengi.

  12. 12.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @demcat620:

    Besenjis are lovely dogs. They don’t shed, they don’t bark, and they look like fawns.

  17. 17.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @Mike G: I have been checking on them regularly, but they are always asleep, though once were suckling mom. When they get some bigger is when the fun starts, and their antics get going.

  19. 19.

    madmommy

    I’ll take one each from the working group, the hound group, and the non-sporting group please!

    Every time I watch one of these shows I am again amazed how much my AKC registered Lab looks nothing at all like the Labs in the shows. She’s long-legged and tall, not blocky and stout.

    Is there anything on earth sillier than the poodle cut? All the other breeds point and snicker at them, I’m sure of it. It’s like doggy topiary.

  23. 23.

    Martin

    @madmommy: I don’t know – my corgi is pretty silly looking all by his lonesome. Ears longer than legs, and he’s about 3′ long. And he’s a show quality dog so they’re supposed to look like that.

  26. 26.

    Max

    @John Cole: Thanks. I love the terriers, but the Wheaten never wins.

    BTW – is this site slow loading for anyone else this evening? The google ads are hanging up my computer.

  27. 27.

    madmommy

    @Martin:

    Corgis are cute! That redonkulous haircut on the poodles just gives me the snickers, they look silly. And I know there’s a reasoning for the cut, but still…

  28. 28.

    WaterGirl

    @LuciaMia: I posted earlier about the obnoxious gator, too, so I understand. It made the site almost unreadable.

    But I followed Jeffreyw’s advice and downloaded a free ad blocker, and now there’s almost nothing on the left hand side at all. Yah!

    Edit: @jeffreyw: Not sure if you saw my thank you for your advice on this in the other thread, but thank you so much!

  29. 29.

    WaterGirl

    @Max: I had that problem quite often here earlier this week. Today I installed an ad blocker and now I am not having that problem. Coincidence?

  31. 31.

    dr. bloor

    Getting serious heat from mrs. dr. bloor and jr. bloor to add a dog to the family after we close on our new place next month, and this Adorable-Dogs-On-Parade shit does nothing for my cats-only case.

  35. 35.

    jl

    @SiubhanDuinne: I thought it was ‘basenji’, but whatever. My family had a basenji once and it was a great dog. Very smart, interesting personality. Cooperative dog you could have fun with, but took awhile to warm up to you.

    I feel out of my grubby farm dawg mutt league saying that, since most of my experience was with farm dawg mutts. I feel like I am putting on airs “ooooh yahs, the Basenji, excellent dog for taking exercise in the Hamptons, don’t you know? My staff just love exercising her.” Harumph.

    Some fancy people in my family insisted on having pedigreed dachsunds. They were nice dogs too.

    I saw a picture, I think on wikipedia, of an old style work dachsund, before they were bread into semi-ornamental dogs. Still recognizably a dachsund, but somewhat shorter back and longer legs. Except in German they are called Treckels, or Teckels or something like that.

    Does anyone know whether there these old fashioned dachsunds still around, or is wikipedia pulling my leg?

    Other than mutts, my favorite dogs have been basenjis and dachsunds.

    If I ever have sufficient time for a dog again, it would be interesting to have one of those English or Scots Shepherds, which is still bred as a working dog. Except, in the city, what would the poor thing do all day? Probably not feasible.

    I guess, they way I grew up with work dogs, they suit me best, but I do not live in places any more where such a dog would have any work to do.

    Anyone have any recommendations for me, for in my, perhaps fanciful, more leisured, future, when I have time for a dog again?

  36. 36.

    wonkie

    I hate dog shows for the same reason I hate people beauty pageants. Looks shouldn’t matter. All that show quality standard crap measures the wrong attributes in a dog. One of my neighbors has a champion mini chichuahua, a retired stud dog that she was given by a breeder who is supposed to be very reputable and has a huge list of awards for his kennel, and the little chihuahua is insane. Literally. Poor miserable little mite. My sister-in-law’s sister has a champion stud horse and it’s insane, too. She’s a millionaire from selling the horse’s sperm. The horse stands in a stall 24/7 because he’s too valuable to allow out into a pasture. He gets no kind of normal horse life. That whole obsession with producing some kind of people-pleasing attribute in an animal and then measuring the animal’s worth by that attribute leads to belittling the animal’s value as a living creature. I had an AKC registered pug ( a rescue) who died of being a pug. He got respiratory failure from his flattened face and bent windpipe.

    I’m sorry to poop on the parade but behind that dog show is so much misery–over breeding, exploitation, excess throwaway “pet quality” babies…and the whole myth that a good dog is one that conforms to a standard of appearance.

    I love Animal Planet but the dog shows really creep me out.

  37. 37.

    Laura W

    @wonkie: Nice.

    Not to mention how important it is to continually, intentionally breed more dogs to our most biased and preferred specs because our kill shelters aren’t already full enough of unwanted dogs, pure or mixed breed.

  42. 42.

    WaterGirl

    @jeffreyw: I never click on ads anyway, so it’s not like he will be losing any money. My one exception is buying from Amazon through the link here, and that link is still there! As is the paypal link for contributions to BJ. So it’s all good.

  45. 45.

    dr. bloor

    @jeffreyw:

    You can’t keep them out of the bathtub, they float there on their backs and bang dog food cans together until they open.

    I should think a dog that stays off the upholstery and feeds itself would be very popular.

    Heh. Lebron torching the Knicks was more competitive than Sadie v. the field.

  47. 47.

    madmommy

    And the Scottie wins! The terriers are cute, but I don’t know that I’d want that much energy around all the time.

    It appears that NOLA has a new Mayor in Mitch Landrieu. The race was called less than an hour after the polls closed. Normally this would be bigger news, but we’re kinda preoccupied this weekend!

  48. 48.

    comrade scott's agenda of rage

    Two true dog stories:

    Six years ago, the Lewis and Clark reenactors came up the Missouri and stayed at our B&B. They had their Newfie with them. They hosted a big party down by the river and a ton of kids came. I’ve *never* seen a dog that good with kids. He just rolled over on his side and let a squad of 4-6 year olds just hug and pummel the bejeesus outta him and he loved every minute of it.

    15 years ago, good friends of ours in DC had a Brittany, stooopidest fucking dog ever (okay, as stooopid as Irish Setters and Dalmatians). Hyper as all get out, impossible to deal with. They were visiting one set of parents on said parents’ farm. They let the dog out of the car so he could shoot up the short road to the house. They ended up hitting the dog, crushing one side of his head. It didn’t kill him. In fact, much of his head uncrushed after a couple of months although he still had a big dent in it.

    Best thing that ever happened to that dog. He calmed down, actually paid attention and generally behaved in such a way as to not make you want to throttle him. Yeah, I spent much of one canoe trip along the C&O canal trail trying to find that bastard after he ran off into the woods. I’m still pulling ticks off from that 18 hour ordeal (pre-head crushed daze).

  49. 49.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    Nice game, MSU. In the words of John McCain “Fuck you! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!”

  50. 50.

    Dr. Morpheus

    What the hell made you think anyone would be interested in reading about a dog that suffered that horribly?

    God damn, think before you post!

  52. 52.

    RedKitten

    @John Cole:

    I want an Ottrhound for my couch.

    I swear, you and my husband were separated at birth. He’s been wanting to get an Otterhound for years now. They’re bloody expensive, though, as they’re still relatively rare. Plus there’s the fact that they are a BIG dog.

    I’d love to get another Lhasa someday, or a Wheaten, or mutts that are comprised largely of Lhasa or Wheaten. In fact, I think I’d prefer the Lhasa or Wheaten mixes, as they’d a) be rescue dogs and b) likely be a hell of a lot healthier. I’m starting to get turned off of purebreds. No matter how careful and ethical the breeders are, there is still only so much lineage there, and it’s starting to catch up with them.

  53. 53.

    comrade scott's agenda of rage

    What the hell made you think anyone would be interested in reading about a dog that suffered that horribly?

    He didn’t suffer any more than my three-legged dog did with his previous owner when he lost his leg. He suffered no long term damage, pain, etc. It was an unfortunate accident and they were very happy they didn’t end up running over and killing their own dog.

    He lived another 6 happy years. He was dumb enough, I’m not sure he ever really knew what happened to him.

    Don’t preach to me about this shit. I have 8 cats, all strays or rescues (one came up from NOLA after Katrina), the aforementioned three-legged dog and foster cats. I got two sick fosters in the next room not doing so well. I volunteer at the shelter on Thanksgiving and Xmas day cleaning cat cages so the staff can have the day off with family. If I wanna tell a story about my good friend’s dog that could have been tragic for the family but had a happy ending, I sure as fuck will.

  54. 54.

    Jackie

    @John Cole: If you like the look consider a Spinone. Not a hound so more bidable and less likely to be a recreational barker. Big, sweet and fun. Very messy though. Your housekeeping standards might be in for a shock. Big feet, long ears and beards. They love water and like to drink from the bottom of the bowl. My floors are continually awash.

  55. 55.

    jl

    @John Cole: Oh, so this is where the Otterhound business started. I missed this comment before.

    Look, people, this is a sad fantastical delusion on poor Mr Cole’s part. Like, Tunch would let some gallumphing ungainly Otterhound ON the couch? Really?

    But what the heck, give it a try. I would like to see attempts to explain away why Tunch just ‘looks’ bigger than the Otterhound in all the pics.

    I want me an Otterhound too, when I have the time and space to give an Otterhound the attention it would need.

    edit: No one here knows whether you can get an old stype working dachshund like they were before they were leg-compressed and back-stretched? Do they still exist?

  56. 56.

    RedKitten

    I would also love a Dandie Dinmont Terrier, but holy shit, are they rare. The breed is at serious risk of going extinct, which is an awful shame, as they’re a lovely little dog.

  57. 57.

    dww44

    @comrade scott’s agenda of rage:

    I agree with your assessment of Brittany Spaniels. Our niece bought one a few years ago for her kids. Although she’s a she, even now she is super-hyper and not very bright. Belle is her name, but a beauty she is not. Unlike Dr. Morpheus, I didn’t think your comments were disrepectful to the injuries suffered by the Brittany of your acquaintance and can believe that it contributed to a calmer dog.

    All those hyper little dogs, like the Scotty that won, are generally cute, but I’ll take a laid-back dog any time. Best dog we ever had was over 30 years ago: an English bulldog who was wonderful with kids and lots of fun, in spite of the breathing and skin allergy problems all too prevalent in the species. Since then, we’ve only owned mixed breed types. Also shared your comments with the spouse, who made much the same comment about Dalmatians tonight while watching the dog show.

  58. 58.

    MikeJ

    Forget the dog show. Bonnie and Clyde is on. Warren Beatty is incredible, and if a 25 year old Faye Dunaway would have let a 25 year old me near her I would have done her until one of us couldn’t remember our names.

  59. 59.

    Anne Laurie

    @John Cole:

    I want an Ottrhound for my couch.

    Not necessarily. The few I’ve met have been nice enough dogs, but their people called them “hardheaded”, and they have the same oily (stinky) coat as a Labrador only longer and more luxuriant. They might not fit in very well with your cleanliness fetish fastidious housekeeping.

    The late Kurt Unkelbach, a dog writer who could find something nice to say about almost any breed, said “The Otterhound is for the man who has everything, but is troubled by otters.”

    If I had unlimited wealth, and could afford both property and a dedicated staff of groundskeepers and dog handlers, I’d have Miniature Bull Terriers, Kooikerhonds, and Long-Haired Whippets. Since that’s not gonna happen, I’m glad I discovered Papillons.

  60. 60.

    Mike G

    They had their Newfie with them. I’ve never seen a dog that good with kids. He just rolled over on his side and let a squad of 4-6 year olds just hug and pummel the bejeesus outta him and he loved every minute of it.

    The Newfie breed is an offshoot of the Great Pyrenees, and they’re the same way — sweet, gentle giants. Bred to guard sheep, so I guess they see kids as sheep to be guarded and cared for. Wonderful personalities around people, though kind of dumb and barky. Their natural range in the wild is five square miles, so if you leave a gate open that’s how far they’ll wander.

  61. 61.

    Anne Laurie

    @John Cole:

    I don’t like the shape of the head of bull terriers.

    They’re an acquired taste, for sure. But at least you don’t get the no-room-left-for-brains issue that some of the pointy-nosed breeds have run into. Literally. Borzois and Collies, among others, ran into serious problems where dogs were dying of epilepsy because their skulls had been “refined” too far. Compared to that, egg-shaped clown faces are just a question of taste.

  63. 63.

    Citizen_X

    @Mike G: Ain’t no sheep in Newfoundland. (Well, not many.) Newfs are rescue dogs: heroic swimmers, with big webbed (seriously) paws.

    And for Chief:
    Me wife she got no better, she turned a sickly green
    I fed her cake and candy, fat pork and kerosene
    Castor Oil and sugar of candy, I rubbed pure oil on her face
    And I said she’ll be a dandy when we reaches Harbour Grace!

    Oh me, oh my, I heard me old wife cry
    Oh me, oh my, I think I’m gonna die!
    Oh me, oh my, I heard me old wife say,
    “I wish I’d never taken this excursion around the bay”

    This is what that sounds like.

  65. 65.

    MattR

    I hope some of you just saw Andy Samberg do Rahm Emmanuel offering an even tempered apology on SNL. F’in hilarious.

  67. 67.

    burnspbesq

    Newfies are awesome, except for one thing: they drool like crazy.

    I’ll stick with Pyrs until my lifestyle changes enough to make a Chessie possible. They need a ton of exercise.

  69. 69.

    Michael D.

    @burnspbesq: Wrong. Newfoundlands don’t drool any more than any large dog. SOME NFers drool a lot. It’s not normal to the breed. They DO drool. But it’s not a problem like, say Saint Bernard.

    And no one calls them Newfies.

  72. 72.

    Chuck Butcher

    Newfoundlands and St Bernards are both bred out of Pyrs. Whatever you may think of sheep belonging where ever, the Pyrennese Mts aren’t for lightweight dogs, especially not as old as this breed is. Think wolves, bears, etc and damn near invulnerable to cold. (there are other theories of descent)

    As for rescue, the dogs started as working dogs pulling sledges and other weighty objects.

  74. 74.

    Anne Laurie

    @jl:

    Does anyone know whether there these old fashioned dachsunds still around, or is wikipedia pulling my leg?
    __
    Other than mutts, my favorite dogs have been basenjis and dachsunds…
    __
    Anyone have any recommendations for me, for in my, perhaps fanciful, more leisured, future, when I have time for a dog again?

    The old-fashioned “working” doxies are still around, even in America, but if you wanted one you’d have to be patient, do a lot of homework, and be prepared to negotiate the politics within the doxie-breeder community.

    Since you seem to like dogs with “drive”, one place to start looking for your perfect dog might be an earthdog trial, which are open to dachshunds and many of the terrier breeds. Because the people competing in these trials are more interested in performance than “beauty” (although many of them also show their dogs in conformation/beauty shows), you might have a better chance of finding a working-type doxie or a terrier you’d enjoy living with. To be perfectly honest, today’s “miniature” dachshunds (under 30lbs, i.e., most of the ones you see around) have a lot of terrier in their genetic background, and vice versa… working people looking for a dog small enough to heft up & carry, with enough ‘prey drive’ to go down a dark tunnel after a fear-crazed small predator, were not so fussy about geneological purity or matching a pretty picture as they were about getting dogs who reliably did what they were supposed to. If you can’t find a doxie who reminds you enough of the ones you remember fondly, you might decide that a Manchester Terrier, a Fox Terrier, or even a Cairn or Welsh Terrier might be a good choice.

    As for the working sheepdogs… Australian Shepherds (who are an all-American breed) and English Shepherds (ditto) are great dogs but very high-intensity, much like the Border Collies to whom they are close kin. The North American Shepherd, aka Miniature Aussie, is becoming more popular with city-dwellers, but my friend who’s been involved in herding-dog rescue for the past 25 years says they still require lots of regular exercise to keep them healthy & their owners sane. And there are lots of ‘working-type’ shelties (Shetland Sheepdogs) and sheltie-crosses available, too often from shelters and breed rescue groups taking over from impulse buyers who didn’t realize that they’re high-energy dogs who need to use their brains. If you’re looking for a dog like this, an agility or flyball trial might be a good place to start.

  75. 75.

    Yutsano

    @burnspbesq: My first dog evah was a Newfie named Sasha. I remember when she was taller than me, she stayed that way until I was about eight. She was a big gentle sweet dog that loved just about everyone. She died of cancer when I was 12, she was the only dog whose ashes my parents kept. Newfoundlands are great dogs unless you live in the desert.

  76. 76.

    cs

    Did someone say newfie?

    I have to share pictures of the newfie, namely my newfie-mix-with-the-cast-iron-skull, Shady, in her natural environments: snow, water, flowers.

    http://i.imgur.com/XhbsB.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/PWlua.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/4p1uR.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/BsBlL.jpg

    With bonus video of chasing the elusive and tasty australian shepherd:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ5hmtEJXAI

    Yes, the burrs from the lake took hours to get out and we were still finding more days later.

    She’s amazingly sweet, not too bright while in the house but when she’s on the mountain, she can act like she’s always lived there with this great natural intelligence. Well, almost intelligence. Can stalk prey well, but thinks coyotes are perfectly fine for playtime. Absolutely waterproof and completely resistant to any sort of cold. Thinks there hasn’t been enough snow here this year and has offered to switch places with Lily. Promises diligently not to eat Tunch and not to bark much. Probably is lying about both.

  77. 77.

    Josie

    I have an Akbash – a Turkish dog similar to the Great Pyranees and talk about your gentle giants. Most of the time, she is 150 lbs of sweetness and relaxation. Just let someone who doesn’t belong come into her yard or house, however, and it’s a jekyll and hyde transformation. She doesn’t attack, but she warns vociferously and nobody wants to challenge her.

  78. 78.

    Lennox

    I have a 3 year old Newfoundland/Pitt Bull mix… he looks like a Giant Pitt with long hair and a more elongated body. His personality is the friendliness and loyalty of a Newfoundland mixed with the exuberance of a Pitt. He’s a handful but I wouldn’t trade him for anything.

    His new ‘sister’ is a pure-bred Great Pyrenees.

  79. 79.

    Anne Laurie

    @wonkie:

    I’m sorry to poop on the parade but behind that dog show is so much misery—over breeding, exploitation, excess throwaway “pet quality” babies…and the whole myth that a good dog is one that conforms to a standard of appearance.

    Moderation is everything. I understand your outrage, but dogs are immensely successful symbionts because their genetic plasticity has allowed them to adapt to all our human needs, not least our need for “beauty” however defined. Yes, there are greedy, short-sighted, and plain crazy breeders who commit grave cruelty in the pursuit of profit or a vision of unearthly “perfection”, but there are many, many more breeders who genuinely love their dogs and “their” special breed. I have had seven Papillons over the past 30 years — two “pet quality babies”, one retired show girl, and four rescues — all acquired with the help of long-time Papillon breeders who care about all the little butterflies, not just the ones they can make money. And we may not “need” purebreds, but of course rational economists would tell you we don’t “need” pandas or platypuses or pangolins, either — they’re just overspecialized “genetic dead ends” who happen to be beautiful and irreplaceable, like Rembrandts or Picassos.

  83. 83.

    RedKitten

    @burnspbesq: Wrong. Newfoundlands don’t drool any more than any large dog. SOME NFers drool a lot. It’s not normal to the breed. They DO drool. But it’s not a problem like, say Saint Bernard.
    And no one calls them Newfies.

    True. Up here we call them Newfs. And Mike’s right about the pronunciation. I always LOL when I hear someone from away pronouncing it “New-FOUND-land”. I suppose if you look at it, the pronunciation does sort of make sense, but it still makes me chuckle.

    It’s still not as funny as the first time I tried to pronounce Musquodoboit, though (which is near Halifax.) I thought my husband was going to spit out his coffee when I pronounced it “Musk-OH-doh-boyt”. (It’s Musk-ah-DAH-bit.)

    Getting back to the dogs, though, Newfs are a lovely, lovely dog. Don’t go swimming with one, though — it’ll insist upon rescuing you.

  84. 84.

    Toast

    We watched the Ugliest Dog Competition last night. Can’t believe Pabst won. That evil looking underbite was awesome looking, and really doesn’t qualify as “ugly” in my book. The hairless Chinese whatever-it’s-called, on the other hand… (shudder).

  86. 86.

    WereBear

    @Randy Paul: I am a huge Kuvasz fan, just from meeting a few and the subsequent research.

    But another dream dog, the Newfoundland, came in the form of a Newfie/Chow puppy that I found a forever home for when he was a year old. He was a doll and a delight.

    Newfies have the temperament of our better angels.

  89. 89.

    Ruckus

    @MikeJ:
    if a 25 year old Faye Dunaway would have let a 25 year old me near her I would have done her until one of us couldn’t remember our names.
    I’m thinking that if she had even said maybe you would have forgotten your name.

  90. 90.

    BeccaM

    My last dog was a Newfie — big old girl with an even bigger heart, named ‘Ursa’.

    I adore ’em. And yes, some of us DO call them that: “Newfies”.

  91. 91.

    Amaliada

    Our wonderful Newfie, Mario, died four years ago this week at our home in Greece (we also live in Seattle). One of the nice things was that we were able to bury Mario on the front yard (we have an acre and a half) and I have the most wonderful plants on his grave.

    Mario was a Landseer Newfoundland with the most beautiful black and white marking. We were able to buy him because one of his testicles didn’t descend; he was bred to be a show dog.

    Mario was something else, in fact the breeder described him as having “personality.” A trainer described him as “ambitious.” But he was a great friend and a true love.

    Thanks for giving me a chance to write about him.

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