From commentor Bill D (wmd):
Here’s a picture of RC (Rodent Control) Gizmo. He’s a year older now, still likes to sleep on the seat of my motorcycle, but alas the economy will take it away as soon as I find a buyer for the bike.
***********
Let me state for the record that I’m glad Beck’s “I Have A Scam” gathering was a giant snoozefest.
Also, that the burgers from the Blue Ox in Lynn are every bit as good as their reputation.
And finally, this gets my vote for headline of the week:
When John McCain Comes Riding on His Flying Unicorn to Save America,
David Broder Will Have a Bag of Carrots for the Unicorn
joe from Lowell
Glenn Beck (artist’s rendering)
Laugh at them, John.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
mmmm……. burger……
Do I have to start looking at Slate again? That column by Broder was hilarious, or would be if the old fool weren’t treated as some kind of demigod in the Beltway
Violet
What a cute kitty! Is he yawning or mewling for dinner? He looks so happy on the motorcycle. Sorry you have to sell it. :(
asiangrrlMN
RC Gizmo is very cute! So sorry to hear he’s losing his perch.
General Stuck
Since I did some major apartment cleaning today, including Purl the Parakeets cage, here is a pic of the little loud mouth after a fruitful day of counting mirror beads.
And somewhere, Candy Crowley is perplexed that Glenn Beck is the next MLK,
Anne Laurie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I really enjoy Scocca’ blog at Slate, for the sci/tech stuff as much as the political snark. And I still find Dave Weigel’s work interesting, even though he’s pulled his horns in a bit since the Great Journolist Non-troversy. Also, Dahlia Lithwick.
WereBear (itouch)
Sorry to hear you are losing the bike. Glad the cat still has a home!
Yutsano
KITTEH!!
It’s a wee bit long for a headline. Accurate, but lengthy. I thought we were going for no longer than a bumper sticker here.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Anne Laurie: They do have some good writers, I just got out of the habit of reading it because so much of what they published, Saletan and Weisberg especially, was knee-jerk neo-lib contrarianism. I remember one of them did some kind of “campaign diary” in ’04, the theme of which was “Dems are in trouble because Lieberman isn’t winning”. And why does anyone publish Mickey Kaus?
kommrade reproductive vigor
The pain of losing your bike will be doubled every time that critter glares at you when he can’t find his bed.
More like a buzzfest. As in, unless you were really close and directly in front of the speakers, it was all a shrill buzzing.
ChrisS
I love tabbies with that diamond necklace marking. Cute cat, looks like he’s got a bit of ‘tude, too.
jeffreyw
Yay! Pet thread! Gonna repost these, neighbor selling all, taking up RVing full time, no room for dogs and a cat.
Rex, the border collie.
Blackie, a lab mix.
And a kitty-“Tallie”
Tallie is an inside kitty, has been declawed. The two adult dogs are both neutered males, about 8 years old. Good with kids, and team up to kill snakes. Shots are up to date, heartworm negative.
MeDrewNotYou
What magnificent whiskers! He must be the envy of pubescent boys everywhere! (I, for one, could never quite get a mustache. Every male on both sides of my family looked like Sasquatch, and I had a face like a 13yr old for years.)
wmd
@kommrade reproductive vigor:
He’s going to be OK with it – there are old redwood stumps he likes to sleep upon when bike is in garage.
Nice to see that picture here. I snapped it with a cell phone and caught him in mid yawn – almost looks like he’s roaring. He’s sleeping on the bed at the moment.
John Cole
That Broder headline rocks.
General Stuck
I don’t plan to underestimate the virus being spread by Mr. Beck and his fellow hucksters and bloodsuckers, especially with a badly broken economy that will not be fixed for some time and I believe with a rather large contraction of living standard, relative, at least, for this country. This shit can be contagious in a country with too high an opinion of itself from real and perceived past glory.
The sheer insanity of Beck’s rally attempting to piggy back a real and vaunted chapter in America’s nasty racial history can morph into some pretty bizarre notions that have the potential to cultify a significant portion of the white ruling majority seeing that majority slipping away with demographics a little more each year. It is hard to be half crazy, but easier to embrace total crazy when the future looks dim. Because reference no longer applies.
wmd
Also, he has very little attitude. When he was under a year old he’d come when called, made me wonder about whether he was a cat.
He’s at least got a bit of disdain for what his human wants now. Still a love magnet, likes to have humans acknowledge that he deserves to be stroked and scratched.
He’s also determined that even though he’s a smaller cat (about 7 pounds) he’s going to defend territory. Mostly minor ear injuries. I’m a bit perplexed as he was fixed before I got him at about 3 months old, so his testosterone levels are low.
jeffreyw
And let’s have a hand for Mrs J, handyma’am extraordinaire.
bemused
I didn’t see any of Beck’s big day. Why was it a snoozfest? Low attendance? Disappointed Beck groupies? If his groupies felt underwhelmed, what were they expecting or hoping for?
Linda Featheringill
@General Stuck:
Purl is lovely!
As Mr. Rogers used to say, “Some of us are fancy on the outside.”
debit
@jeffreyw: I hope the critters find a nice landing spot.
Linda Featheringill
Who is the Democrat for Senator from Arizona?
No me gusta Juan McCain.
jeffreyw
@debit: Me too.
Hawes
Well, we just put down our 12 year old Lab today. Congestive heart failure. We always knew Garp had a big heart, we just never feared it would kill him.
Why is it that the death of a pet often destroys us more than the death of a person? At least in the short run…
There’s not a single eye in this house that’s not red and sore.
He was a great dog. Always cheerful, even to the end. Big expressive, soulful eyes…
Via con Dios, my very good friend.
arguingwithsignposts
I got two new coffee tables today – from a garage sale next door. $3 total, I didn’t have to drive. Win/Win. Oh, and fuck Glenn Beck with a rusty farm implement ™
skippy
my friend amy gives us her pitch for glenn beck u: “the best education $9.95 can buy!”
Omnes Omnibus
@Hawes: Shit. My condolences.
wmd
I’m a bit concerned that if foreclosure goes through then my rental options will be limited a little by RC. He’s car savvy enough that I think he’d be OK in a more urban environment – a residential neighborhood in SJC or thereabouts could work. I don’t see him becoming an indoor only cat.
WereBear (itouch)
@wmd: Aw crap, sorry to hear about the possible foreclosure. If worst comes to it, keep him inside for at least three weeks to reset his homing devices. They get lost easily unless they are recalibrated.
PurpleGirl
@Hawes: Condolences. When my friends had to put down their Doberman pinscher, I cried for days. We all cried but I’d never had a pet before and Hugo was my pet too (rather, I was one of Hugo’s humans).
wmd
@Hawes:
Condolences. My previous cat Zena had congestive heart failure at age 19. Went to veterinary ER for oxygen overnight, when I went back the next day she rallied long enough to show she knew I loved her… and I made the decision to let her die quickly. Still hurts 5 years later.
Cat Lady
@jeffreyw:
Can you ship Tallie east? I’ll take her. One of my indoor cats was born with deformed feet/paws, and has no claws. My other indoor/outdoor cat is a lover who wouldn’t give her a hard time. Tallie is beautiful.
Josie
@Hawes: I’m so sorry for your loss, It’s good that you have others in the house for company in your sadness. Just try to remember the good times.
WereBear (itouch)
This article might be of use to those movng with cats:
http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/cats-and-landlords/8146
Yutsano
@wmd: I’m running into a similar situation. My little orange furball has always been an indoor/outdoor cat. Fortunately the street I’m moving to isn’t all that busy, and he couldn’t get out of my new building unless he either got creative or possibly suicidal. I’m hoping he’ll be content to swat at birds from my balcony.
Linda Featheringill
@Linda Featheringill:
Rodney Glassman is the Democrat for US Senate in Arizona.
It took me much too long to find out that answer. I think his publicity team is made up of amateurs. His web site is not offensive or anything but is quite ineffective IMHO and was probably designed by an amateur. His Wikipedia bio was definitely written by an amateur.
Does this guy want to be Senator? Or is he just playing at politics? Putting his name out in hopes of building some name recognition?
And no, I don’t live in Arizona. But I think John McCain offended a lot of people during the course of his primary and might be vulnerable.
But Glassman needs to get on the ball.
Pancake
As someone has already noted, if Al Sharpton and the whole Dem apparatus at his disposal can’t scrape up more than 3,000 in Washington, DC to “counter” 300,000-500,000 racist teabaggers, someone has developed big time branding issues.
wmd
@WereBear (itouch):
I’ve been getting a lot of employer interest recently – on site interviews, follow up on sites, phone screens. 4 on sites in past month, 5 other employers have called me to talk about positions and my suitability and some will lead to 2-4 hour on site interviews.
I think if I get work I can get the 6 months I owe added to principle of loan and stay in this house. Mortgage holder should prefer that to owning house and dealing with what it will bring at auction.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Linda Featheringill: I hope you’re right, but I think it would take a teabagger challenger from the right to make John McCain seriously vulnerable, even with a stronger Dem.
Yutsano
@Pancake:
Stop. You already reached your FAIL point. The rest of your post is pure nonsense.
SIA
Can’t we do a RC money bomb to keep teh kitteh’s bike? I’m in.
Linda Featheringill
@wmd:
I think you need to secure a rental before the foreclosure hits the courts and becomes public information. Your new landlord will run a credit check and that foreclosure will probably be a bigger problem than the animal you are worried about.
[at least I did that and we do have a place to live.]
wmd
Well, I’m going to go trade fresh eggs for beer and sell some music CDs. Very pleased to see RC here tonight.
He’s outside catting now.
wmd
@SIA:
It’s forsale on ebay. Buy it now price of $7K.
Go for it!
Cat Lady
@Hawes:
It’s the worst feeling in the world. I know when I leave this mortal coil Bert the dog, Tetley and Razz the cats, Annis and Bart Simpson the gerbils, Cocoa, Beanie and Velvet the goats, Nelson the parrot and Strider the parakeet will also be there helping me on my path. I probably forgot a few too, but I believe in the animal spirits that will guide us on the other side, as we guided them here. RIP, all you gentle souls. See you all later.
SIA
@wmd: I caught our Angel in a yawn (or something) with my camera phone. RC is a fine looking feline.
skippy
strange, i’ve actually been thinking a lot lately about my dear little cockatiel squiggles, who shuffled off this mortal coil more than 3 years ago, but she’s been in my mind lately.
we’ve had other birds also pass (all hens, they usually get mortal complications from egg laying) and still have a healthy flock of 5, but squiggles has been in my thoughts this last week…
good to know she’s still in my heart.
skippy
@Pancake: actually, cbs puts the attendance at the “take back our victimhood” rally closer to 87,000.
MeDrewNotYou
Anyone watching Dallas at Houston? Pre-season caveats and all, but the way the Texans are playing makes me a teensy bit nervous for my Colts.
SIA
@Hawes: I teared up when I read about your Lab. We lost our beautiful Chloe (black Lab, Highland Chloe, my only purebred pet) to congestive heart failure at 14. And we’re coming up on the anniversary of Maggie’s death in 3 weeks. My heart still aches for them, and Zipper, Romeo, Jones. I can’t live without my animal friends, and it’s so fucking devastating when they go. Hope you find some peace with it before too long.
jeffreyw
@Cat Lady: I’ll check with the owner, no one at home right now.
Hawes
Thanks for the kind words everybody.
asiangrrlMN
@Hawes: I’m so sorry for your loss. My deepest condolences to you and your family. May Garp run swiftly to the other side.
@jeffreyw: I like this pic much better than the stories of your neighbors. Harrumph.
Oh, and note to Vikings announcers: Please stop fluffing Favre on national TV. It’s really quite embarrassing.
Cat Lady
@jeffreyw:
OK. I’m just outside Boston, so I’m not sure what travel is involved, but we can discuss offline through AL.
jeffreyw
@SIA:
Toby wants to play in this game.
jeffreyw
@Cat Lady: AL?
SIA
@jeffreyw:
R O A R getmesomefoodyouhairlessmonkey R O A R
/Toby
Cat Lady
@jeffreyw:
Anne Laurie’s contact email at the top of the page.
debit
@Hawes: I am so sorry.
jeffreyw
@SIA:
Kitty see…kitty do.
jeffreyw
@Cat Lady: Ah, ok. I’ll send Anne my gmail addy.
SIA
@jeffreyw: Haha! I saw that when I looked at Toby. That little white one looks fierce!
asiangrrlMN
@SIA: Angel is adorable!
@jeffreyw: I love Bea and Toby. They are so full of personality. And, I would do a leg of kitty transport, but I don’t think I’m en route.
Pancake
@skippy:
Baloney. Actually, the Mother of the Loony Left, NBC, has estimated the crowd at 300,000. Other media have put an even higher estimate on the crowd size.
schrodinger's cat
@jeffreyw: But does your kitteh beat you at Scrabble?
jeffreyw
@schrodinger’s cat:
Sadly, no. Toby, you see, has a drinking problem.
The Populist
87K showed up. Supposedly millions tuned in via the news nets.
Question: How many stopped watching after 20 minutes? How many were people like us watching to be educated as to what these tards are up to?
These would be useful tools to determine the success or failure of this “event”. 87K is not all that impressive when you hold it up to the Dr King speech, Million Man March, even the Promise Keeper events.
schrodinger's cat
@jeffreyw: Yogi kitteh doesn’t have a drinking problem but he does like his nip.
Mnemosyne
Keaton has a fierce, too.
asiangrrlMN
@Mnemosyne: Keaton has a ‘way too fucking cute’.
wmd
@Linda Featheringill:
The notice of default has been filed. Mid October they can file to sell at auction. Sometime around November 1 is the earliest the sheriff can order me out of the house.
My credit isn’t completely hosed, but it missing payments have been reported. I’ll need a landlord that understands that lack of work is the reason for the credit blemishes, and that I’m working and a good risk going forward.
Until I’ve got income there’s not much I can do. One of the jobs I’ve interviewed for has to come in or I’ll be moving in with my son in Indiana. If I’m working in CA again and getting pay similar to previous work it can all work out… even if I have to move due to foreclosure.