You have no idea how hard it is to work at the desk with this in your lap:
I love him, but I’m ready for Huck to go home. He’s more work than Rosie, and he isn’t subtle. When he is bored (which is all day) he comes, puts his head in your lap, and then deeply and melodramatically sighs to let you know just how much you are letting him down.
Violet
Oh, what a sweet face. I’d be putty in his paws.
licensed to kill time
Huck: whywhywhytwolegssitalldaystareatbox
istheresomethingtoeatinthereno
wellletswalkchaseballeat
sighhumanfailmeagainihazsad
Chat Noir
It’s all in the eyes with both cats and dawgs.
smiley
I was wondering when the mosque issue would finally make it into the letters to the editor here. There you go.
Mark S.
It’s just we’re putting new coversheets on all the TPS reports before they go out now. So if you could go ahead and try to remember to do that from now on, that’d be great.
harlana
Awwwww! *melts*
Roger Moore
But have you let him down more than Obama has let us all down? That’s the key question.
beltane
My dog does this all the time. They say that dogs do not deliberately try to make you feel guilty, but I don’t believe it for a second.
jl
“then deeply and melodramatically sighs to let you know just how much you are letting him down.”
As a reader of this blog, I know how Cole feels. But it is worse, since we cannot entertain Cole by taking him out for a walk.
Beautiful HickPic. Thanks.
Jebediah
Maybe the sigh is an expression of overwhelming contentment. Otto does that sometimes, laying in the living room after a long, fun walk. Anyway, if you interpret it that way instead, guilt-be-gone!
FlipYrWhig
Huck is a firebagger!
Shinobi
Buster cube?
This is what we give my dog when he’s being high maintenance. And then whatever treats he gets are deducted from his dinner.
Also I would totally prefer this dog’s method of letting you know he is bored, over my dog’s method. Vlad just finds ways to amuse himself, for example, chewing on underwear, going through the garbage, sneaking “treats” from the cat box and then licking the humans on the arm, burying meaty chews in the bedclothes for the humans to find at bedtime, howling at cats.
Guster
@smiley: I love that! Without Christianity there would be no Islam so why did Jesus fly those planes into the towers?
Josie
Oh my – I used to have a golden retriever that I thought was the world’s greatest con artist, but this face may have taken the title away from him.
jeffreyw
My dogs have the grace to go into the bedroom and lay down when bored. Out of earshot. All but Jack. He lays behind the couch and watches me. He ignored me when I called to him to come in last night, made me come after him. He’s on my list now. No meatballs for Jack.
Catsy
@smiley:
Ooh ooh ooh! It’s religious atrocity mad libs! Can I play too? Let’s fill in the blanks:
Without Christianity there would be no: [crime or atrocity here]
Without Catholocism there would be no: [crime or atrocity here]
Without Islam there would be no: ah, who am I kidding. If there were no Islam, then bigoted jackholes like this would just find some other demographic that’s insufficiently white and Christian to dehumanize.
The most alarming thing about this kind of shit isn’t that people like this make up a nontrivial portion of Americans–it has always been thus. The most alarming thing is that so many of them now feel free to openly broadcast their racism and bigotry without fear of social consequences.
Only fools declare checkmate after placing themselves in check.
kideni
I know the feeling from dogsitting for friends. One dog, Max is particularly insistent, and since he’s a lab-pitbull mix, that makes for a rather large head working its way into your space, especially onto your keyboard, with sweet, pleading eyes defying you to do anything but cuddle, and little groans, sighs, and whimpers in case you’re not getting the message. My dog then gets jealous of the attention Max is getting and wants to get between me and him, and I can forget getting any work done and just must take them outside for a romp.
Keith G
My two kitties can get like that, usually about the time I am dressing for work.
A tech question:
I have two laptops used for different purposes. I use Firefox on both and lately I have been getting a sh*tload unresponsive script windows. Have others had this issue? Is there a remedy?
quaint irene
That’s the downside of working at home. Your dogs consider you their 24-hour activities director.
KG
@jl: dammit! I was going to make a comment about how he sounds like the commenters here. Oh well, back to work…
MikeJ
@Shinobi:
I had one, but GLaDOS made me euthanize it. :(
Alwhite
I wish everyone would read greg sargent’s plum line today (link to the right)
He does a masterful job of explaining why they left is unhappy with Obama. I know we have screamed back-and-forth here in comments but Greg does a very nice job of explaining it.
You Don't Say
Oh, my god, but what a face. And remember he’s a little lonely for your sister.
stuckinred
@quaint irene: You got that right! Mine are so uded to me I can’t go to the corner store without them looking at me like the world is coming to an end.
jl
@KG: Go ahead and make your comment about the commenters here. What Cole said about Huck reminds me of Cole, who always lets us know how badly we let him down.
And unlike Cole, who can easily please the handsome and very delightful Huck, we can do nothing. Cole won’t anyone come by to take him for a walk, throw a ball for him to fetch, scratch him, nor nothing.
CanadaGoose
Just reinterpret the sigh as a sigh of contentment from a pup so happy to have his head in your lap.
licensed to kill time
@Keith G:
Install AdBlockPlus and NoScript and those problems will go away.
TaMara (BHF)
Hahahahahahaha!
That quite literally made my afternoon.
Persia
This is what my 8-year-old does sometimes too.
jl
@Alwhite: Thanks. I took a look at the Sargent piece. I agree with some of it.
On other hand, there are some issues where I think the problems are due to the simple fact that Obama and his closes advisers simply have disagreed with the left.
Macroeconomics is an example. Summers, Geithner and the Rubin caucus were wrong. Obama trusted them, and now has to live with that mistake.
On some issues, I think it is better to simply argue the merits of different policies and not spend as much time trying to get inside the administration’s head to diagnose some fundamental flaw which they should correct, as if changing that would make a big difference.
I think economics is one of those cases.
cleek
@jl:
he should fire them.
gnomedad
Clearly a Chinese sleeper agent.
scav
oh dear, the proud and groud TeaSwellers might even be losing the ChiTrib: Terror babies, anchor babies and Beanie Babies. Oh my!
Corner Stone
Color me sadfaced for you.
CynDee
Are you sure he’s not a little person in a dog suit?
bemused
Very familiar with that look.
Our two year old dog met a skunk for the first time with the usual result. We gave her a bath with Dawn dish soap and vinegar which worked pretty well. She’s huggable but still has a light skunk aroma. I don’t know if there is a surefire way to eliminate the smell completely but if there is, I’m sure someone here will have a remedy.
Corner Stone
@jl:
This is silly. I never expect a President to be an expert in multi-fields, but I do expect him/her to hire people who reflect his general take on life.
President Obama is the boss. That’s the end of the story.
Punchy
John, just wait for yo sis to return the favor, and she’s knee-deep in Crazy Rosie, Deer Crap Lily, and Fat Whitey. I bet you can just taste the schaudenfraudgermanword.
Corner Stone
When was the last time Huck met with Jane Hamsher?
KG
@jl: agreed, especially on something like economics where there is simply no way of knowing what the alternatives would have brought. We have estimates and projects and all that stuff, but it’s not like we can run a test in a lab and say, “let’s see what happens when we do this; ok, now let’s see if we try this.” We’ve got one economy and we get one shot at it. But then again, I think as a general rule it’s better to engage in policy debates/discussions than to try and get into someone’s heart/mind and criticize based on pseudo-psychology from a distance. Of course, I have a degree in political science, so that might have something to do with it.
Corner Stone
@MikeJ: I haven’t quite put it together yet, but eventually you will receive an entire internets for this.
You may want to tip your mailperson a batch of cookies this year. Or maybe cake?
Cat Lady
Bored pets? Sad eyed dogs who want to “go somewhere, anywhere, now!” and cats who want to “help” you on the computer? This is the answer to the question, “how do you clean your house and keep the animals amused and or terrified while working?”
It’s not cheap, but it’s my new best friend and now I’m thinking of changing my screen name to Jane Jetson.
Corner Stone
@KG: Except in this given scenario “doing way too much” would be reconciled by normal measures.
“Doing too little”? Well, we’re all going to find out.
TaMara (BHF)
I just posted Dad Cole’s Cabbage Roll recipe. Thanks to John and Dad for sharing it. It looks delicious. Also, bonus Tunch photo.
WereBear
Roscoe the Mostly Malamute used to worm his considerable nose under my hand, then toss the hand into the air.
If you ignored that, it was the dreaded nose jab to the ribs.
WereBear
@bemused: Tomato juice. In the big cans. Liberally.
When her white areas turn pink, yer done.
tbogg
Welcome to my world. Fenway and Wembley take turns.
mattt
Is anybody here interested in a B-J Fantasy Football League?
I’ve been commissioner of leagues for years and could run one for the B-J community, though I’ve mostly lurked here over the years and would be happy to step aside and just play in a league run by someone more regular. I’ve used Yahoo to run my leagues recently so it’d be free to join, all you’d need is a Yahoo ID. FWIW I take a very small government, classical liberal approach to commissionering.
I’m kind of surprised there isn’t one already. Maybe there is and I missed it – I don’t jump in every open thread. If I’m late to the party, please show me where to sign up!
MikeJ
@bemused: Mythbusters says Hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, liquid dish soap. Googling mythbusters skunk should get more info.
Betsy
@smiley:
Without planes there would be no Ground Zero. Perhaps we should ban all aircraft from the tri-state area.
gelfling545
@Guster: Well, you know Jesus is suspicious because he wasn’t a Christian!
Dork
I stopped after “Is anybody here interested in a BJ Fantasy”. What’s the rest of it say? Dont really care. How do I join?
mattt
Nice cabbage roll recipe!
I missed John’s original post, but cabbage rolls bring back memories. My Polish grandmother used to call them something that sounded like “gah-WUMP-key”…..unfortunately the language passed out of the family along with her.
She used straight Campbell’s tomato soup for the sauce, and cooked them low and slow on the stovetop. Another recipe those enameled iron dutch ovens and casseroles are great for.
mattt
@ Dork
LOL….I missed the reference but that’s not a bad name for the league.
ChrisS
@jeffreyw:
We named our brittany Jack. Lost was part of the deal, but Jack is much easier to say as a training aid than a two-syllable name.
He’s been at the house for about 24 hours now and is getting used to it. We need to change some things up, but I think he’ll adapt well.
Whether the kitties adapt, that might take a little longer. They are not pleased.
Tlazolteotl
@4
I’m sure the people in OKC who survived the Murrah Building bombing are comforted by that thought.
LanceThruster
@quaint irene:
And dammit, don’t you feel derelict when you don’t take a moment to provide something that would virtually be 100% successful with minimal effort because their wants and needs cannot be your entire focus?
This ignores the fact that those many, many, previous moments are so short-lived as far as the dog is concerned – like a junkie’s high.
Motto of most pets – “Constant affection – keep it comin’!”
(Your mileage may vary with cats as you’ll get an occasional “What the hell do you want?”)
LanceThruster
@smiley: And without testicles your uncle would be your aunt.
Violet
@Cat Lady:
How well does that vacuum cleaner work? Is it loud?
KG
@Corner Stone: I guess it depends on how much you do at a time. If you do way too much all at the same time, it could actually make things worse. The temperamentally conservative thing to do (and I think Obama is the classic temperamental conservative) is to do things in phases. So, three aspects: what you do; how much you do it; and how you do it. I didn’t vote for Obama (voted third party, actually), but I can’t say I’m disappointed in how he’s handled those three aspects. I’m not sure I’d have done exactly the same things he’s done, but I do think that given the political/economic restraints he faces, he’s done a decent job thus far.
numbskull
No kidding. I can’t imagine trying to get work done with a dog’s head in my lap. Almost as bad as trying to get a good night’s sleep with a horse’s head in the bead.
Ewww!
PaulW
any Mad Men threads?
kommrade reproductive vigor
And if the Dutch hadn’t bought that big island on the Hudson …
No wait, let’s tune this to Radio Teabag: If the damn foreigners from Europe had just stayed where they belong, there wouldn’t have been any WTC buildings.
Ooo, burn!
Tlazolteotl
@mattt:
golabky
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/maincourses/r/StuffedCabbage.htm
mattt
@Tlazolteotl: Thanks!
Forgot to add a tip from grandma: Don’t boil the cabbage. Core it with a paring knife, then put it uncovered in the freezer until it wilts. Remove it though, before it freezes hard. Then it’ll be easy to separate the leaves and fold the rolls. (Deveining is still required)
AxelFoley
To John and any others who have pets: What do you get someone who’s dog died?
My ex-boss’ dog died over the weekend. His name was Raleigh and he was her baby. I believe she got him as a puppy in 1996, so that would have made him 98 in dog years.
I’ve never had a dog over two years, so I’ve, thankfully, never had to experience the loss of a pet. But I do know for most pet owners, their pets are family to them.
Any ideas what I can get for her or do for her?
TaMara (BHF)
@AxelFoley: You know, best thing is a nice card (you can actually find pet loss cards, but if not, one with a puppy on it works, too) and maybe a small donation to the local animal shelter in the pet’s name.
When my vet was too sick to take care of the final days of my two danes that passed within weeks of each other, the vet who took care of them sent me cards for both losses, but what really got to me was that his entire staff signed separate cards for me, too. It meant a lot.
Rosalita
@AxelFoley:
a nice card… I’ve received them when I’ve lost a couple of my furry friends and they touch my heart
JGabriel
John Cole:
Weird. I do the same thing.
(Uh oh. Now everyone on the internet knows I’m a dog.)
.
Mike in NC
@Corner Stone:
My copy of “Over the Cliff: How Obama’s Election Drove the American Right Insane” just arrived. Should be a fun read.
WereBear
Halp! I got an eye round roast, and no oven. Can I roast it in the crockpot like a chicken? Any tips?
Mary G
Aw, puppy! Fantastic picture. He’s making you appreciate Rosie a little bit more.
Betsy
@AxelFoley:
First of all, that’s a really sweet impulse.
Second, I agree with the other folks who suggest a card, possibly accompanied by a small donation to a shelter/rescue group. Ideally the one where she got the pup in the first place, if possible.
stuckinred
@WereBear: Brown it and braise it.
http://forums.chef2chef.net/viewtopic.php?t=490638
WereBear
@stuckinred: Awesome, thanks. My google fu was turning up all sorts of contradictory info.
stuckinred
@WereBear: If you want ot get fancy poke slits in it and put little slivers of garlic in them, adds a nice touch.
Original Lee
@WereBear: Brown it quickly in the broiler and then you can cook it nicely in the crockpot. I do this with pork loin all the time, too.
Mary G
@TaMara (BHF): Can we get John’s dad’s recipe for the coffee, anise and chi1i meat rub? I think it was the 4th of July. I’ve been looking.
Mary G
@PaulW: That was the best Mad Men episode last night!
bemused
@WereBear:
I thought tomato juice had lost it’s reputation as the primo skunk odor buster. Tomato juice and vinegar are both acidic so shouldn’t they both work about the same? We did have some discussion about using tomato juice but thought vinegar was cheaper. Plus, our dog is totally white so there was laughing about ending up with a 60# pink Samoyed…
stuckinred
@Mary G: Quiet goddamn it, some people had to record it!
TuttiHitTheFan
Damn, Huck is a sad sack – same as me today. Here’s my open thread addition full of … nothin’
Dear Employers,
Please stop telling the ’55 and up’ non-professional unemployed work force job applicants that we are overqualified. It’s your lie, it’s insulting and we know you think we’re too old.
Sincerely,
The “We Still Got Game” Older People
jeffreyw
@ChrisS: Yay! Mrs J sends an “awww”. for him. You must post pictures.
General Stuck
No complaints with Charlie being overly needy. Occasionally, he will hop up into my lap for a pet, but doesn’t stay long and hops down to go do his thing, which is mostly napping or watching purl the parakeet do his thing.
Only in the late afternoon when he wants his walk does he get persistent with the gawd awful moans and wails. Sometimes I can buy myself an hour or so if we go for a ride in the truck, buts that about it.
asiangrrlMN
Huck is a cutie, but yeah, that stare would be unnerving in three seconds.
@TaMara (BHF): Aw, TUNCHIE! Moar Tunchie, plz!
LanceThruster
@AxelFoley:
Not an afterlife believer but the sentiments in this are thoughtful.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When a pet dies – one that’s 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, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable, fear and worry free.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and the vigor of youth. Those who were abused, hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again just as we want to remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them – someone who had to be left behind. That someone who was kind, gentle and loving. That someone who took the extra step, stayed the extra minute, reached out and touched with love, even once.
The animals all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent, his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run 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 into the big, trusting eyes of your special love, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Author Unknown
Dork
Ruh roh. Cant wait to see on what legal basis this was ajudicated. Legally you can destroy a fetus, but not a embryo? Wha?
AxelFoley
Thanks, all. I’ll definitely get her the card, and in memory of Raleigh, I’ll try to make the donation. And, Lance, thanks for the poem. Mind if I use it in her card?
TaMara (BHF)
@Mary G: I don’t have John’s exact recipe, but coffee rubs are pretty easy. Try this one. It doesn’t have anise in it, but I would substitute anise for the coriander and I think that would work great.
Jebediah
@AxelFoley:
We always give the book “Dog Heaven*” by Cynthia Rylant. It is a kids book, and it was given to us when we lost Daisy. A bit of a tearjerker (at least for a sap like me) but I liked it.
Also a regular old sympathy card, written like you would for any other loss. I think mostly what dog people want is acknowledgement of a very serious loss, that it was not “just a dog,” and that the dog is not replaceable. The next dog will be loved, yes, but it is not a replacement. Also, my condolences to your ex-boss.
*There is a cat version also.
Cat Lady
@Violet:
The thing is not as robust as my vacuum, but you can program it to run around as often as you want, and it goes EVERYWHERE – under the bed, the dresser, the chairs, etc., and since it can go every day if you want, it doesn’t need to be a sucking monster. It isn’t loud at all. I’m in love with a robot!
@Mary G:
Mad Men was awesome last night – it was eerily contemporary to the mosque kerfuffle, even though the show was filmed months ago. Weird.
WaterGirl
@Violet: I have a Roomba, which I love. The dogs and the cat just ignore it as it slides around on the floor, doing its thing. Works great on my hardwood floors and on my carpet.
LanceThruster
@AxelFoley:
It’s yours free and clear as it is public domain (looked it up here: http://www.townandcountryanimalhospital.com/pages.aspx?pageID=22 )
Glad you liked it. Hope it helps show this person your sincere condolences.
andrea
@TuttiHitTheFan:
I’m not 55 but I was getting this earlier in the decade at 40-45. Of course, in tech, if you’re over 40 it’s like being ready for the nursing home.
Huck is a handsome guy. Is he part JRT/terrier of some type?
HyperIon
@mattt wrote: My Polish grandmother used to call them something that sounded like “gah-WUMP-key”…..unfortunately the language passed out of the family along with her.
Hey, maybe that’s what these friends of my parents used to serve. They were Polish and my parents (Florida crackers) always referred to the dish as “gah-LUMP-key”.
This was before my time so I never actually observed the dish in question but it has always reminded me of how narrow my parents’ food experience was/is. Basically I ate cracker food growing up and they still do.
AxelFoley
You guys are the best. I know she’ll appreciate the condolences.
Lee B.
I know exactly how you feel with Huck. My husband and I, both writers, have the same problem with our Pharaoh Hounds. We call it the Death Ray Of Guilt.
LanceThruster
@Jebediah:
You are so right. Years ago an old GF had to put down her aging female dobe who starting losing use of her rear legs and bowels. Her other dobe was its father and he was traumatized the moment she came home without Scarlett. Willy suffered a a fatal heart attack less than a week later. She had these dogs through her first marriage and divorce and they moved up to the bay area with her.
She said I was the only one who really even acknowledged her loss, let alone send a card. It is a very appreciated gesture, small as it might appear to the giver.
Huck
Ah come on Johnny, take me for a walk. We can do a mile in 20 minutes. You needs a break and a walk will do you good. Come on Johnny, we’re pals you-n-me. Sigh, your pal, Huck.