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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Austerity Starts at Home

Austerity Starts at Home

by John Cole|  February 20, 20117:04 pm| 166 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging

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Tunch is on a diet because he, like his owner, is a disgusting fatbody on his way to an early grave if he does not lose some weight. As such, his favorite new perch is in the doorway to my office, so he can get a running start down the hallway and bitch at me from the kitchen if I so much as move:

Wouldn’t want to miss out on the possibility that I might feed him. Here he is looking quite pissed off at me because I am in the kitchen, but I am not giving him any food:

There is murderous intent in those eyes.

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Reader Interactions

166Comments

  1. 1.

    Corner Stone

    February 20, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    I’m sure having several men with questionable mustaches hog tie you for a few days will resolve your issues.

  2. 2.

    Arclite

    February 20, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    Your Galtian overlord is speaking to you, JC. Best feed Tunch, or productivity will be withheld!

  3. 3.

    Corner Stone

    February 20, 2011 at 7:09 pm

    That is one fat motherfucking cat. Shame on you.

  4. 4.

    Lesley

    February 20, 2011 at 7:11 pm

    “a running start…”

    Hahaha.

    Just kidding. I loves me some Tunch.

  5. 5.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 7:12 pm

    Just remember that Tunch must give up any future collective bargaining rights as well as his steak diet.

  6. 6.

    Phoenician in a time of Romans

    February 20, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    An automatic feeder might be an idea, as long as you can persuade Tunch that it, not you, is the evil master limiting the goodies.

  7. 7.

    dr. bloor

    February 20, 2011 at 7:14 pm

    Wow. I hope you’re keeping all your firearms and sharp objects stashed in containers that require opposable thumbs to open.

  8. 8.

    JGabriel

    February 20, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    John Cole @ Top:

    There is murderous intent in those eyes.

    That’s not murderous intent; it’s exasperated disgust.

    You’ll never see murderous intent on Tunch’s face, because cats only wear that expression when they’re sneaking up on you from behind, pouncing, or taking a swing at you with an extended claw.

    .

  9. 9.

    losingtehplot

    February 20, 2011 at 7:17 pm

    Galtian overloads, and hog-tying former friends aside, do you actually play (ahem) with the Tunchinator? Like, dangle a string or a catnip-stuffed fake mouse in front of his gorgeous nose? If yur answer is yes, then accept my apologies, but if not, then get teh Tunch moving (think Mrs O’s Let’s Move campaign – it’s not just for humans, but for their fat [size-challenged] animal companions). Flicking strings and catnip-filled socks is prob the equivalent to gym adverts for felids …

  10. 10.

    Jack

    February 20, 2011 at 7:18 pm

    I think “disgusting fatboy” is overly harsh for both you and Tunch. Please don’t be that way with yourself.

    We all have our faults, but we are all human, and ALL humans have faults.

    Be human, and allow yourself (and your friends, like Tunch) have their faults.

    I’m not saying, “Don’t worry, be happy,” but at least “forgive yourself as much as you forgive others.”

  11. 11.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    @losingtehplot:

    Perhaps we could combine ideas and have Tunch chase Cole round the house? Just tie a steak to Cole and let Tunch loose. I reckon Cole would get about 30 yards before Tunch appeared in the rear-view mirror.

  12. 12.

    tesslibrarian

    February 20, 2011 at 7:20 pm

    Hey, I know that expression! It’s the “Idiot…revenge will be mine” look! We also get it when we are not forthcoming with treats.

    Does Tunch like fish-flavored treats? There’s this freeze-dried fish treat called PureBites that Jack really loves. They’re sort of like fish puffs, and reek to high heaven, but average out to about a calorie per puff. As they crack up a bit, you can actually spread a few out on a plate or the floor and not give more about 3 calories worth of treat. It’s helped a lot with Jack’s weight (though he’s still has some to lose.)

  13. 13.

    Valdivia

    February 20, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    Tunch!!!

  14. 14.

    South of I-10

    February 20, 2011 at 7:23 pm

    A cute little grey tabby just appeared at my door crying for food. Of course I fed the cat. I am such a sucker!

  15. 15.

    Mark S.

    February 20, 2011 at 7:23 pm

    Are you sure Tunch isn’t just hungover? You don’t know what he did last night.

  16. 16.

    West of the Cascades

    February 20, 2011 at 7:24 pm

    The mouse-over title of the second photo is priceless. But Tunch as deficit-cutting House GOP member is not a metaphor that has staying power … because he seems to be very, very serious when he decides to cut something.

    Also, too that cat needs to get moving on a regular basis. I started chasing my cat around the condo and we’ve made quite a game out of it (not to mention that I’ve been working much more at home the last six weeks, so it’s an awesome way to take breaks from work, i.e. procrastinate). Now she comes to the dining room table where I have my laptop set up and mewls to get the game going.

  17. 17.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    @Jack:

    So how are the PureBites tonight? Are you comfortable with tesslibrarian sharing this much information about you?

  18. 18.

    cmorenc

    February 20, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    John:
    Tunch puts on a mean act with that murderous-eyed look, but he’s a smart enough kitty to know that no John == no food. So it’s really a guilt-trip he’s trying to lay on you to manipulate you into doing what he wishes (give him food), not a threat of either food-ransom or harm.

  19. 19.

    West of the Cascades

    February 20, 2011 at 7:30 pm

    @cmorenc:

    it’s really a guilt-trip he’s trying to lay on you to manipulate you into doing what he wishes

    maybe Tunch IS like a House republican …

  20. 20.

    demkat620

    February 20, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    How do you plan to sleep John? Will Lily protect you?

    Cause that cat is plotting revenge.

  21. 21.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 20, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    I think we need proof of life for both Lily and Rosie; that cat looks like he swallowed both of them whole.

  22. 22.

    eemom

    February 20, 2011 at 7:36 pm

    the kitty doesn’t know what a “diet” is. He doesn’t even know what “fat” is, much less why he shouldn’t be it.

    Within the logic of his kitty-mind, he has a perfect right to be pissed if he wants to eat and you won’t feed him.

  23. 23.

    Gatsby

    February 20, 2011 at 7:36 pm

    All right! All right! Tunch is portly. In fact, he is a bit large. What does the vet say diet-wise?

  24. 24.

    gbear

    February 20, 2011 at 7:38 pm

    @JGabriel:

    That’s not murderous intent; it’s exasperated disgust.

    Actually, it IS murder.

  25. 25.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 7:38 pm

    @eemom:

    Are you going to lead a rousing chorus of “kumbaya”, dearest? I have to tell you, when two persons of iron will collide, there can be only one winner. My money’s on the big, fat, white one. With the whiskers. And the tail*.

    *Yes, I know Cole might have a tail to go with the horns, but I am provisionally discounting this possibility.

  26. 26.

    Mnemosyne

    February 20, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    Have you read what Werebear has to say about most cat foods on her website? She has a whole series of posts that are listed on the right-hand side of her blog. Switching him to a low-carb food could get you halfway there.

    For the exercise portion, you need one of these.

  27. 27.

    ellie

    February 20, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    Wow, that cat looks pissed.

  28. 28.

    Jack

    February 20, 2011 at 7:41 pm

    @morzer: Ummm… I’m not the “Jack” referred to there…

    I have my own cat, Shadow, who sleeps all day and wakes me up at 3AM for petting. He may not be overweight (although I am), but he has his own foibles I try to forgive since he is my friend.

  29. 29.

    Mark S.

    February 20, 2011 at 7:42 pm

    Out of curiosity, does Tunch eat mostly wet food or dry food? The cats I’ve had who have had weight problems were all big on dry food.

  30. 30.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 20, 2011 at 7:42 pm

    @morzer:

    *Yes, I know Cole might have a tail to go with the horns, but I am provisionally discounting this possibility.

    Any chance of an explanation of this?

  31. 31.

    Jim, Once

    February 20, 2011 at 7:42 pm

    I’m sure you already know that you have be careful putting the
    Big Fella on a diet – too much weight loss too fast can cause liver failure. I don’t know if that’s what caused our kitty’s liver to give out, but it was a terrible, terrible way for him to go.

  32. 32.

    MikeJ

    February 20, 2011 at 7:43 pm

    @gbear: Murder, he says.

  33. 33.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Well, you surely know that Cole is regarded as Satan by some….

    Or were you confused about my provisional discounting of said rumors?

  34. 34.

    Maude

    February 20, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    Too bad Tunch can’t go out for walks.
    Maybe in spring he’ll be more active. Maybe not.

  35. 35.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 20, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    @morzer:What was the middle part again?

  36. 36.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 7:46 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I am afraid I need a credit card number and your social security number to process that transaction, sir. Which credit card would you like to use?

  37. 37.

    quaint irene

    February 20, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    Wow, in that second photo, I’d swear his eyes are almost glowing red.

    He’s such a big white meringue; it’s always fun to see those little tan patches on his fur.

  38. 38.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    @Maude:

    Can’t or won’t? I always assumed he was carried round the property in a palanquin by four husky young members of the Steelers’ practice squad as part of their off-season conditioning.

  39. 39.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 20, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    @morzer: Yours.

  40. 40.

    BGinCHI

    February 20, 2011 at 7:56 pm

    Running start?

    How the hell does he stop?

  41. 41.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 7:58 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    Like a cannon-ball?

  42. 42.

    bkny

    February 20, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    he’s contemplating how he can make it look like an accident … ;-)

    did you see klepto kat — who burgles the neighbors’ yards and brings the bootie back home. the nighttime surveillance video of him coming up the driveway with his nightly prize(s) is hysterical:

    http://tv.gawker.com/#!5760286/kleptomaniac-cat-steals-belongings-from-his-neighbors

  43. 43.

    BGinCHI

    February 20, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    @morzer: Cole’s ankles must be scarred like hell.

  44. 44.

    Violet

    February 20, 2011 at 8:03 pm

    As usual, LOVE the mouseover text for the photos. Especially the second one.

    Tunch is so cute, but that tail, man, are you sure he didn’t get caught in a game of “pin the tail on the cat”? ‘Cause it sure doesn’t look like it belongs to him.

  45. 45.

    Comrade Mary

    February 20, 2011 at 8:04 pm

    Tunch! I don’t care if that cat has his own event horizon. It just makes me so happy to see him.

  46. 46.

    gbear

    February 20, 2011 at 8:06 pm

    @MikeJ: I had as much trouble understanding what that song was about as I do with the hippity-hoppity music that the young kids listen to these days.

  47. 47.

    Catzmaw

    February 20, 2011 at 8:09 pm

    That is one massive and pissed off fatcat ya got there.

  48. 48.

    scav

    February 20, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    I want to take that bottom photo, paste it next to my bathroom mirror and practice so that I can unleash that on the next person who says something stupid to me in person.

    (and my family’s already got a pretty decent armory of Looks already but that one’s a keeper.)

  49. 49.

    BGinCHI

    February 20, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    Cat food, how the fuck does it work?

  50. 50.

    parsimon

    February 20, 2011 at 8:15 pm

    John,

    You don’t say what Tunch’s ‘diet’ consists in, but just cutting down the quantity of food is going to piss him off, so it should be a change in the kind of food. There are diet foods for cats that are are also nutritionally decent. No doubt others have mentioned that. Actually, switching to diet food is going to piss him off too, though.

    He’ll get over it after a while — I had a portly male cat for many years who just really, for the sake of his health, had to shed the pounds. On the low-fat diet, he did, and a year later he was a much happier, more active cat.

    Keep it up. And I’ll join you in losing the human pounds. I know how to do it. Spring is coming: the perfect time to get out there and move.

  51. 51.

    Faux News

    February 20, 2011 at 8:16 pm

    I look forward to seeing Tunch on the new A&E series “Heavy” on Monday nights. I can imagine the veiled contempt in his eyes as the hot male personal trainer (David Richardson) digs through Tunch’s suitcase looking for catnip or kitty treats.

  52. 52.

    RossInDetroit

    February 20, 2011 at 8:20 pm

    Those are such unflattering angles for photos. Are there any angles that flatter him? Funhouse mirror, maybe?

  53. 53.

    JPL

    February 20, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    The NYTimes has an article about the Sons of the Confederate celebration commemorating Pres. Davis. link
    The new victim

    “I really wish we didn’t have to defend what we do,” Chuck Rand, an engineer from Monroe, La., who is the adjutant in chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said in an interview on Friday night. “This doesn’t have to be a fight.”Mr. Dupree, who was sitting with Mr. Rand, agreed.
    “What is it in a man,” he asked, repeating the question for emphasis, “that would cause him to deny his fellow man the pride and dignity of his heritage?”

  54. 54.

    scav

    February 20, 2011 at 8:27 pm

    @RossInDetroit: 180°? Tunch is revered, mere flattery is not enough.

  55. 55.

    Comrade Mary

    February 20, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    @MikeJ: Oh God, I LOVE Betty Hutton! Did you know that she and Kristin Hersh hung out when they were both undergrads at university? (Hersh sounds a little too self-involved at that time to have actually been her friend. If I read her blog right, she didn’t even see any of Hutton’s movies until she died.)

  56. 56.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    @JPL:

    What is it in a man that would cause him to deny his fellow man freedom, and then have the shamelessness to talk about the pride and dignity of his heritage?

  57. 57.

    Tim

    February 20, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    JC, all this talk of how fat you are is putting a serious harsh on my Cole-Crush.

    Not really into chubs.

  58. 58.

    Richard Fox

    February 20, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    Apropos of nothing: Looking at that beautiful but pissed cat, the first non-related thought that pops into my head is the moment from Planet of the Apes when Chuck Heston is caught in a net, those tinny horns blaring, and he looks at them in disgust, about to shout his guttural ‘Take your hands off me you damn dirty..” etc. etc. etc.
    Go figure.

  59. 59.

    Carrie

    February 20, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    Tunch wouldn’t look so fat if his legs were a little thicker.
    I think i’m gonna knit him some leg warmers.

  60. 60.

    opie jeanne, formerly known as Jeanne Ringland

    February 20, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    @JPL: The irony in that last sentence is mind-boggling.

  61. 61.

    Katie5

    February 20, 2011 at 8:48 pm

    We got our cat down from 18 lbs to 12lb in 6 months with 1/2 can 5.5 oz wet food (2x per day) and 2/3 cup of Science Diet Light (every other day). He hated the dry stuff and didn’t like us so much but it is possible.

  62. 62.

    Carla

    February 20, 2011 at 8:51 pm

    John, not much helpful advice so far in these comments.

    I’m slightly over 50, pretty active in my job (luckily) but battling an aging body. Lost 10 pounds since New Year’s (one reason is that my son and his friends cleaned me out of booze at our snow-enhanced bonfire and I decided I couldn’t afford the dollars nor the calories, etc.)

    But: This is something I’ve heard and like, “If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple you’re not hungry.” Put apples (good ones, crispy, tart) on your table as the first snack you reach for. And the advice: “eat fruits and vegetables” is so true. Fill up on these. Let the bread go (this is the hardest part). Make salsa from canned tomatoes and scoop it with celery. Discover Greek yogurt which can act like sour cream but with 1/3 of the calories and twice the protein. Just don’t buy the crap. And I love potato chips and sour cream, pizza, chocolate like everyone else. Slide into healthy eating and let yourself indulge on weekends, maybe. Popcorn popped in oil in the skillet becomes a treat. Decaf. coffee (God, I never thought I’d go there) with a sugar-free creamer is pretty good. Good luck. Not easy.

    Surely others out there have their own tricks?? Fess up. Please.

  63. 63.

    karen marie

    February 20, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    @parsimon: Our Gracie was declared fat by the vet last October. We were told she had to go from 13 pounds to 10. She went from having free access to all the dry food she wanted to one can of wet food a day, split into two meals.

    She’s a little grumpy about the empty bowl sometimes but quite enjoys the wet food diet.

    I’m glad to have her slimming down because our Mr. Mittens died at the young age of seven from a thrown clot. His weight may have been a contributing factor. He was 27 pounds.

  64. 64.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 20, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    Honey? Does this doorway make my cat look fat?

  65. 65.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    @Carla:

    Don’t keep fattening stuff around.

    No soda, diet or otherwise. Drink water.

    Orange juice tends to have a lot of sugars, so drink sparingly.

    Alcohol has lots of empty calories – avoid if possible.

    Cut down carbohydrates, although total eradication is not wise.

    Take a reasonably long walk every day (weather permitting).

    Eat things you enjoy, but in small portions.

  66. 66.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 8:57 pm

    Don’t Even Think About Fucking With Texas

    Texas is preparing to give college students and professors the right to carry guns on campus, adding momentum to a national campaign to open this part of society to firearms. More than half the members of the Texas House have signed on as co-authors of a measure directing universities to allow concealed handguns… Supporters of the legislation argue that gun violence on campuses, such as the mass shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Northern Illinois in 2008, show that the best defense against a gunman is students who can shoot back.

    h/t http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/texas-poised-to-pass-bill-allowing-guns-on-1269411.html

  67. 67.

    BGinCHI

    February 20, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    @morzer:

    Alcohol has lots of empty calories – avoid if possible.

    I think it was Sartre who said “Emptiness never tasted so good.”

  68. 68.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:01 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    That was said after Simone de Beauvoir moved out….

  69. 69.

    parsimon

    February 20, 2011 at 9:01 pm

    @Carla:

    Surely others out there have their own tricks??

    All good on what you say about the food, but otherwise? Exercise. Get the metabolism burning. It will do that, kick up a notch or three, if you incorporate a couple of miles of brisk walking, speed or power walking — which should take under an hour — after work. Start with that and work up.

  70. 70.

    BGinCHI

    February 20, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    @hilts: Reminds me of the part of Woody Allen’s “Take the Money and Run,” where he is robbing the bank and writes “gun” on the note to the teller and she insists that it says “gub.”

    Hermeneutics.

  71. 71.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    @parsimon:

    Of course, there’s always beating yourself with birch twigs and rolling in the snow….

  72. 72.

    BGinCHI

    February 20, 2011 at 9:04 pm

    @morzer: You mean when she moved to Chicago to, um, hang out with Nelson Algren?

    I bet she saw some drinks then.

  73. 73.

    cathyx

    February 20, 2011 at 9:07 pm

    I had to put my 2 indoor cats on a diet and they were not happy either. After 6 months, they still think every can I open, every bowl I get out of the cupboard, every trip into the pantry, is me getting them food. They are very persistent. It’s only good I’m more persistent than them.

  74. 74.

    slag

    February 20, 2011 at 9:08 pm

    Hmmm….this all sounds familiar. What are you feeding that cat? If it’s dry food, you may strongly consider switching to wet.

    Ours get a quarter of a can of wet food each twice a day. And with that amount, we are free to be generous with the treats (cat version Greenies). The benefit of that is the treats are where they get their exercise. Either we make them do tricks for them (twirl, sit up, etc) or we chuck them across the room and the cats haul ass chasing them. And not only do they get good exercise this way, we get some good entertainment out of the deal as well. Both are healthy weights and you would never ever guess that they were going on 13 and 14 years old.

    Just a thought.

  75. 75.

    MikeJ

    February 20, 2011 at 9:08 pm

    @Comrade Mary: That’s incredible. I remember seeing Throwing Muses at the Blue Note in hohumbia. No idea that hanging with the band put me one degree from from one of the greats.

  76. 76.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 9:09 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    I love that scene too, but this Texas story is just totally fucked up to me. I don’t like the idea of turning a college campus into the O.K. Corral.

  77. 77.

    Comrade Mary

    February 20, 2011 at 9:10 pm

    I had no idea either, until I followed your link today, puttered around MeFi a bit, and found some appropriate links, so, really, thanks for getting me started on one of my librarian jags.

  78. 78.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    February 20, 2011 at 9:11 pm

    We had to put our Sammy on a diet as he was stealing the food from the two other cats and by the time we figured it out he had bloated considerably. He’s nice and slender now but that damned cat drives me nuts with his obsession for food, that’s all he wants now. He yowls about it, waits in the hallway for one of us to pass so he can run to his bowl, bitching all the way, to show us that he is being starved to death. I have to split his food into three daily portions because he will eat it all at once if given the chance (in less than five minutes).

    He has been given a clean bill of health by the vet (twice now, even checked for diabetes) and he looks great but the way he acts is like he is constantly starving. The other two cats like to nibble all day and night so I have to put up their food between nibbles or he will wipe it out in nothing flat. Our neighbor had to put their dog food up because he was going over there and stealing it.

    If I catch him in one of the other cats bowl and snap my fingers, he grabs a mouthful and carries it away to drop elsewhere and munch up. He was a rescue and was damned thin when we got him, so this may be a result of his past hunger and his wanting to avoid it.

    Good luck with Tunch…lol! These kittehs know how to drive you nuts when they are unhappy and have no qualms about doing it.

  79. 79.

    parsimon

    February 20, 2011 at 9:12 pm

    @karen marie:

    Gracie looks beautiful judging from the first picture in your link (apparently I have to install something in order to view the rest of the slide show, which I decline to do).

    Yep. As long as the reduction in cat foodstuffs isn’t too radical, the resultant weight loss makes the beloved cat happier and healthier.

    A thinner Tunch will be interesting to see. He’ll probably surprise himself.

  80. 80.

    stuckinred

    February 20, 2011 at 9:12 pm

    @BGinCHI:
    You walk on the wild side, the Devil is waitin’
    He’s waitin’ to take your hand
    You walk on the wild side, you’re walkin’ with Satan
    Away from the Promised Land
    One day of prayin’ and six nights of fun
    The odds against going to heaven, six-to-one

  81. 81.

    JPL

    February 20, 2011 at 9:13 pm

    @karen marie: Mr. Mittens looked quite content. Even though his life was short, he seemed to enjoy every moment. Tunch does look like the same size but unless he gained weight he’s less than 18lbs. John was mentioned that Tunch was smaller than Lily. Gracie is quite a cutie.

  82. 82.

    Joy

    February 20, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    One of my cats, Agatha, used to be very overweight. She was sedentary and wasn’t going to change. I moved her from her regular dry Iams to diet Iams. Fortunately, she accepted it, and in a year was a normal weight.

    BTW, I got her at a local shelter when she was about 4 months old. She just died in Sept at the age of 20 years and 5 months. She was/is a very sweet cat and I’m so glad I had her for over 2 decades.

    just saying that to encourage you. and Tunch.

  83. 83.

    muddy

    February 20, 2011 at 9:16 pm

    One of my cats could give Tunch a run for his money. He was 17# last time at the vet. When I tried to reduce the quantity of food he would come and do some midnight bloodletting on me. Reaching under the bedclothes to get me under the toes was favorite. Long story about how I can’t shut him out I will spare you. Recently I tried a new cat food and he absolutely hates it. He went 3 days before he ate any. He will only eat a tiny bit when he gets desperate. The great thing is, he doesn’t attack me because there is food in the bowl. New cat rule! I had no idea.

    The funniest part is that if I take the bad kibble out of the bowl right in front of them and scatter it on the floor, saying “treats!” the cats all dash around and gobble them up as though they are super tasty treats. Idiots. 17# idiot is now 16#, it has been a month.

  84. 84.

    robertdsc-PowerBook

    February 20, 2011 at 9:17 pm

    Love the big guy. Thanks, John.

  85. 85.

    Shoemaker-Levy 9

    February 20, 2011 at 9:18 pm

    Anybody else notice what didn’t happen the past few days? Congress takes off on vacation and will only have a few days to resolve the budget crisis, and the Dems didn’t pre-capitulate? No, “doggone it, my dear friends from across the aisle are holding us hostage, we’ll give them whatever they want and try to reason with them on our next golf outing”? No, “we’ll do anything you say, just don’t shoot the puppy”? No, “oh, God, cum in my face”? Are the Dems feeling alright? I mean, giving themselves a mere four days to surrender is flirting with disaster.

  86. 86.

    Tattoosydney

    February 20, 2011 at 9:24 pm

    OT, but Sullivan is really trying to outdo himself on the “dumb shit Sully says” stakes:

    This gets to the core of the nagging question: was the Iraq war waged in good faith? We still don’t really know, but put this in the evidence pile that suggests it wasn’t.

  87. 87.

    opie jeanne, formerly known as Jeanne Ringland

    February 20, 2011 at 9:24 pm

    We have a large-ish cat, 12 pounds of fluffy ex-tomcat with puppy-sized feet and forearms reminiscent of Popeye. He’s 14 now but he used to weigh 15 pounds at his healthiest.

    The vet’s tech once tried to tell us that he needed to lose weight but was otherwise remarkably healthy. Lose weight? He’s a Maine Coon, and 15 pounds is the bottom of their normal weight range.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowwhite/2424279046/

  88. 88.

    Carla

    February 20, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    @parsimon. @morzer
    Got it. Exercise vital. I’m building a house, am a cabinet maker in NE MN and at the age where everything hurts! Have an 87 year old mother who could be the poster child for moderation, so understand the drill. Honestly, it’s the heart-pumping exercise when one has aching joints that becomes the problem.

    I could walk up my gravel road (scarf necessary when it’s below 0 degrees F) every day. What do you folks do?? Religiously? That means at least 5 days/week. (Well, really it means inherently inculcated into your soul.)

    Cheers. It’s the journey. And the companionship.

  89. 89.

    stuckinred

    February 20, 2011 at 9:28 pm

    @Carla: Swim. . .every day. Played hoops until I was 45, ran another 6 years, now at 61 I hit the pool.

  90. 90.

    JPL

    February 20, 2011 at 9:33 pm

    @Shoemaker-Levy 9: Boehner boxed himself in by agreeing to introduce 400 amendments. It took a lot of time introducing bills that would cut expenses for such things as teleprompters. Pelosi is trying to convince Boehner to pass an extension but as we all know the house repubs are a strange bunch. From everything I read the house bill won’t be introduced in the Senate.

  91. 91.

    BGinCHI

    February 20, 2011 at 9:33 pm

    @hilts: Or vice versa.

  92. 92.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:33 pm

    @Carla:

    I go for a roughly four mile walk with my wife, through the streets of Somerville. We pause along the way to do things like looking in the pet shop window and seeing whether the very small orange-colored python is now allowed to become part of the tangled knot of snakes that curl up together in their tank. If we are out and about at sunrise, we stop and look out over the city and watch how the skyscrapers take color from the rising sun.
    I don’t think you have to push it too hard. Better to do a solid amount every day and not burn out trying to do too much.

    I’ve also switched from butter to extra-virgin olive oil on my bread, and that seems to help.

  93. 93.

    Shoemaker-Levy 9

    February 20, 2011 at 9:43 pm

    @Tattoosydney:

    Sullivan: “was the Iraq war waged in good faith?”

    What difference does it make? The Nazis really, honestly believed that the Jews and Bolsheviks were ruining everything.

  94. 94.

    Spaghetti Lee

    February 20, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Hate to ruin the happy cat thread, but I’ve got another legal question about Wisconsin. Same friend of mine from last night, saying that at this point, the government is legally required to sit down with the unions anytime they want to talk, and he’s just trying to get rid of that, as opposed to trying to get rid of collective bargaining altogether. So is Walker trying to get rid of collective bargaining completely or just this requirement that he talk to the unions any time they want to talk?

    Thanks, guys, I don’t want to be a burden, but this is a really great place to find the answers to such questions.

  95. 95.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:45 pm

    @Shoemaker-Levy 9:

    And the Socialists. Plenty of Sozis and Kozis in the concentration camps.

  96. 96.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:46 pm

    @Shoemaker-Levy 9:

    And the Soc.ialists. Plenty of Sozis and Kozis in the concentration camps.

  97. 97.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    @Spaghetti Lee:

    This might help:

    http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/feb/18/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-his-budget-repair-/

    Basically, Walker is a lying weasel on this one.

  98. 98.

    Ana Gama

    February 20, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    @Tattoosydney: Speaking of dumb shit Sully says, he’s got a new post up confessing he hadn’t done his homework on Wisconsin. But he will do it NOW! Jesus.

  99. 99.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:52 pm

    @Ana Gama:

    I wonder whether that means a spanking for Under-blogger Conor, or just suspension of his chocolate ration for the day?

  100. 100.

    parsimon

    February 20, 2011 at 9:52 pm

    @Carla:

    Honestly, it’s the heart-pumping exercise when one has aching joints that becomes the problem.

    I have a bad back myself, which is why walking, at a good pace, works for me — very low-impact, and I can up the speed, or slow it down, as needed.

    Take it as slowly as necessary to begin with; your pace will pick up naturally, and don’t push it if you have pain, obviously, since it’s not a competition. I do think it’s important and incredibly helpful and enspiriting to do this — say 4 times a week?

  101. 101.

    Martha

    February 20, 2011 at 9:53 pm

    @morzer: Correct, he is lying, based on all available evidence I’ve read.

  102. 102.

    Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen

    February 20, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    Christ Cole, what are you feeding him? Neighborhood kids from the looks of it.

    Seriously, he’s even fatter than the first time I observed he was fatter than my fat-assed cat.

  103. 103.

    Martha

    February 20, 2011 at 9:55 pm

    @Ana Gama: Jesus is right. Just hand me the knitting needle so I can drive it into my eye. But the video he links to of state assemblyman Hintze’s rant is an absolute thing of righteous beauty. And tells you a lot of what we are up against.

  104. 104.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:56 pm

    @Carla:

    One other thing about walking – don’t rush to do too much. Your knees and ankles will take time to adjust, and you are putting a lot of pressure on them when you walk. Try and get some good, well-cushioned shoes to absorb a bit of the shock.

  105. 105.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 9:57 pm

    @Tattoosydney:

    Speaking of seriously dumb shit,

    Before a cheering crowd of several hundred men and women, some in period costume and others in crisp suits, an amateur actor playing Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederacy on the steps of the Alabama Capitol on Saturday, an event framed by the firing of artillery, the delivery of defiant speeches and the singing of “Dixie.”… The Sons of Confederate Veterans principal message was that the Confederacy was a just exercise in self-determination that had been maligned by “the politically correct crowd” through years of historical distortions. It is the right of secession that they emphasize, not the cause, which they often describe as a complicated mix of tariff and tax disputes and Northern attempts to politically subjugate the South. The other matter of subjugation — that is, slavery — went unmentioned on Saturday.

    h/t http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/us/21davis.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

  106. 106.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    @Ana Gama:

    Judging by the self-righteous tone of the post, and the Thatcherite version of “history” he presents, Sullivan’s research is more likely to be aimed at confirming his prejudices than anything else. But then, what’s new?

  107. 107.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    February 20, 2011 at 9:59 pm

    @Ana Gama:

    Shorter Sully: /open mouth, insert both feet, mumble unintelligibly around them, repeat ad nauseam.

  108. 108.

    Shoemaker-Levy 9

    February 20, 2011 at 9:59 pm

    @JPL:

    So what you’re telling me is that the Dems will capitulate to incompetent morons. That explains it, they don’t want to embarrass themselves by capitulating too soon. Savvy move.

  109. 109.

    Martin

    February 20, 2011 at 10:00 pm

    Well, I know the libertarians think that the new law that requires calories on restaurant menus is some kind of horrible plot, but in the 6 weeks since I’ve had to face the calorie count of items I order, my eating habits have changed massively.

    Off the top of my head I now know the calorie counts of everything I usually order. The #1 at In-N-Out, with a shake instead of a soda, is 1660 calories, or 83% of the recommended daily intake.

    Pretty much every burger at Carl’s Jr. clocks in at about 1,000 calories. Quite a few items at Baja Fresh come in at 2,000 calories. I’ve dialed my restaurant ordering waaaaaay back, or shifted it fairly substantially.

  110. 110.

    Ana Gama

    February 20, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    @Martha: I sent this photo to Sully yesterday as a “Face of the Day” suggestion…he didn’t take it.

    http://twitpic.com/419nfm

  111. 111.

    Mary G

    February 20, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    @Joy: My Sophie is over 20 too, I’m not sure on the months – I got her Feb. 1 1991 and she was full grown but not filled out, I called her my problem teenager.

    Now my problem is keeping weight on her. She throws up a lot of things right away and eats a lot at times and very little at other times. She’s at 9.4 pounds now but with a lot of hair looks much fatter.

    Cole, thanks for the Tunch photos. Knock off the fatbody talk.

  112. 112.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    @Ana Gama:

    Probably afraid of losing his Applebee’s salad bar privileges.

  113. 113.

    Martin

    February 20, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    @Ana Gama: Yeah, right, like he’s any better versed on the situation in Bahrain than the situation in Wisconsin. Does he even realize that Bahrain is a sectarian issue, not a basic democracy one?

  114. 114.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    February 20, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    @hilts:

    I see the Klan is into period-correct costumes and enjoying that they can be in the news without that burdensome KKK baggage now that it’s time to celebrate…

    losing.

    I am heartened that the participants outnumbered the spectators, much like KKK rallies in the recent past. At least that’s something good to see.

  115. 115.

    Ash Can

    February 20, 2011 at 10:06 pm

    Every time I see pictures of Tunch, I want to give him huggies and snuggles and cuddles. But I wouldn’t dare actually do that, because he’d eat me in no time flat, and there would go his diet.

  116. 116.

    morzer

    February 20, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    @Ash Can:

    Are your arms long enough to embrace the mighty globulosity that is The Tunch?

  117. 117.

    Ana Gama

    February 20, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    @Martin: Doubtful. But then he has had a cold for a few weeks. ;o)

  118. 118.

    slag

    February 20, 2011 at 10:14 pm

    @Martin: I got really excited about that law until I realized that it doesn’t apply to a single place I eat.

  119. 119.

    Martha

    February 20, 2011 at 10:19 pm

    @Ana Gama: I’m just shocked…ummm, I can’t even muster snark. He’s so congenitally against public sector labor unions he cannot open his mind enough to see the historical, social, and political impacts. He’ll just be concerned.

  120. 120.

    freelancer

    February 20, 2011 at 10:19 pm

    @Martin:

    Or that the Saudis will invade if they even suspect the Shia of coming close to taking power.

  121. 121.

    WyldPirate

    February 20, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    @Carla:

    I could walk up my gravel road (scarf necessary when it’s below 0 degrees F) every day. What do you folks do?? Religiously? That means at least 5 days/week. (Well, really it means inherently inculcated into your soul.)

    Exercise has saved my life and my sanity during the bleakest 1.5 years of my life (losing my job and having a heart attack within two months of job loss).

    Religious exercise? I do 1 hour, six days a week on an elliptical as hard as I can go. Lift weights 2-3 times a week for 45 minutes. A walk around town when I’m anxious or bored (about 5-6 miles) usually a couple of times a week.

    So far, I’ve dropped 65 pounds since the MI and weigh what I did when I was in the military and 15 lbs less than when I graduated from high school 35 years ago. I did a two mile run in 15:38 last week, but I only run about once every two to three weeks as it is too hard on the joints. I probably won’t run for a while because my goal was to crack 16 minutes.

    Our bodies have amazing recuperative powers. My resting pulse rate has dropped from about 96 prior to the MI and it is 60 now (I do take a beta-blocker so that helps a lot). My only regret is that my pancreas is toast and doesn’t make enough insulin any more because I spent too many years as a drunken, depressed dumbass in denial about my diabetes and cooked the poor little thing. trust me folks, you definitely do not want to have to check your blood and give yourself an injection 4x’s per day. It sucks. Trust me.

    Hang in their John. Take care of the weight now before something like diabetes sets in from sitting on your ass too much. I was lucky–no detectable heart muscle damage despite rolling into ER with a tombstone STEMI in from a complete blockage from a fresh thrombus in my RCA (nothing cooler than watching as the cardiologist busted through the clot when putting stent in and seeing the muscle reperfuse), 95% blockage in LDCA and 65% in the circumflex artery. The diabetes (13.9 HbA1C), 500+ mg/dl triglycerides, and 340 total cholesterol level at MI time almost did a number on me.

    I was one lucky motherfucker to live through that shit. Every day is a gift. The best part about it is that no matter how bad a whape you are in when you start, almost anything you do physically–if it is within reason–is going to help. The key to remember is that it isn’t a bout going on a diet and/or getting back into shape–it’s about making your a life-long commitment to a healthier lifestyle.

  122. 122.

    Tommy

    February 20, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    I’ve read this site here for many, many years. I am a far left liberal. My parents not so much. Sane folks. You could not pay my folks to watch Beck. They mock him. I might give them this site ….

  123. 123.

    Davis X. Machina

    February 20, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    @Martha: In his head, every union worker’s a coal miner, and it’s always Britain ’84.

    Next to the Falklands, it was Maggie’s finest hour, so I’m sure he’s squinting to make Madison look like Rotherham.

  124. 124.

    Mark S.

    February 20, 2011 at 10:34 pm

    Is Libya next?

  125. 125.

    parsimon

    February 20, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    @WyldPirate:

    Bravo.

  126. 126.

    WyldPirate

    February 20, 2011 at 10:37 pm

    @parsimon:

    Nothing whips you into a laser-like focus like nearly dying. It gets your attention–big time.

  127. 127.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    @Ana Gama:

    Andrew Sullivan should STFU for the next year and not blog a single word until he has done all of his homework.

  128. 128.

    Yutsano

    February 20, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    @hilts:

    Andrew Sullivan should STFU for the next year and not blog a single word until he has done all of his homework.

    HAHAHAHA!! You funny. Like that is ever going to happen. Andrew has way too many vapid opinions to get out into the world, he doesn’t have time to be bothered with menial tasks like research. Why else does he have that crop of interns hanging about?

  129. 129.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 10:59 pm

    Former aide rips Palin in leaked book manuscript
    http://www.adn.com/2011/02/18/1711185/ex-aide-rips-palin-in-leaked-manuscript.html

  130. 130.

    Anne Laurie

    February 20, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    @Carla:

    “If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple you’re not hungry.”

    Cat version of this, no lie: Shaved/chopped carrots or lightly steamed green beans in the Tunch bowl. If he’s reeeeeeeeally hungry, he’ll eat them. But if he’s like 99% of dieting cats, he’ll glare at them, glare at you, John, and then stomp off to sulk.

    After a few days, he follows you into the kitchen whinging, you pick up the veggie peeler… he stomps off to sulk. Efficiency!

  131. 131.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 11:01 pm

    @Yutsano:

    Hey, hope springs eternal. Don’t deny me my dream.

  132. 132.

    Ana Gama

    February 20, 2011 at 11:09 pm

    @hilts: Yeah, but a year wouldn’t do it. He’s lived here for 25 already. You’d think in that amount of time he’d have some sense about the labor movement, the history, the politics, if only by osmosis. You’d think he’d have picked up a clue or two.

  133. 133.

    Yutsano

    February 20, 2011 at 11:12 pm

    @hilts: Your hope will only happen if Andrew has a true epiphany, the cause of which I can’t even begin to speculate about at this point. But I bet the FSM is cooking something up.

  134. 134.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 11:15 pm

    @Mark S.:

    Speaking of Libya,
    Libyan Wild Card: The Qaddafi-Berlusconi Pact
    http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/libyan-wild-card-qaddafi-berlusconi-pact

    @Yutsano:
    @Ana Gama:

    I’ll just have to skip reading Sully for a year because I can’t take any more of his bullshit right now.

  135. 135.

    Yutsano

    February 20, 2011 at 11:17 pm

    @hilts:

    I’ll just have to skip reading Sully for a year because I can’t take any more of his bullshit right now.

    Improved for your mental well-being. I don’t read him and I think I’m happier for it.

  136. 136.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 11:24 pm

    @Yutsano:

    I’m open to your suggestion. I appreciated his documentation of Sarah Palin’s lies, but I think his blog has outlived its usefulness for me.

  137. 137.

    Dee Loralei

    February 20, 2011 at 11:27 pm

    @hilts: You’ll have to quit reading here for a year also, since it seems every third post is about something Sully or one of his minions said :-/

  138. 138.

    Yutsano

    February 20, 2011 at 11:28 pm

    @hilts: He did indeed have a great moment covering the Green Revolution in Iran. Now he seems to have retrograded into just another rightwing hack who doesn’t have the decency to label himself as such. One would think he would be rather proud of his return to his Thatcherite beliefs.

  139. 139.

    LiberalTarian

    February 20, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    Dammit. New computer ate my post.

    If you really want to lose weight and feel good, read up on how our default diet in this country is wrecking our hormones. I am a recent convert to Jillian Michaels, believe me, no one is more surprised than I am, but I really found her Boost Your Metabolism book to be (pardon the pun) very meaty regarding how hormones out of balance (and men’s too) contribute to obesity and poor physical performance.

    A good book about the value of exercise is Younger Next Year, by Chris Crowley and Dr. Harry Lodge.

    I don’t like to sit down and read large tomes, I listened to these books while I cleaned house. I got mine from Audible, using my monthly credit. I’m glad I did. I have been losing weight steadily for the last few months, and I feel a whole lot better. It was hard to do before my kidney disease went into remission–impossible even–but if you want to feel good as an old guy, you’ll want to start changing your behavior now.

    Of course, both of these books presuppose you believe in evolution and how our bodies functioned before the advent of the industrial American diet.

    Oh, and one last little downer re alcohol, and one that bummed me out, but like I said, I want to feel better:

    … Alcohol releases estrogen into
    your bloodstream, promotes fat storage,
    and decreases muscle growth.
    As soon as you have a drink, your
    body gobbles up all the glycogen in
    your liver, makes you hungry, and reduces
    your inhibitions, so you’re more
    likely to grab that chicken wing or
    stuffed potato skin at happy hour.
    You also burn way less fat, and burn
    it more slowly, than normal—Prevention
    magazine estimates that just
    two drinks can cut your fat- burning
    ability by 73 percent.”

    Yes John, too much alcohol will give you man boobs. ;o)

    Crap. Ignorance *was* bliss.
    And it’s bad for your skin.

  140. 140.

    Comrade Nikolita

    February 20, 2011 at 11:31 pm

    @Comrade Mary: Me too! :D

    Thanks John for the new Tunch pictures!

    Wish Werebear was here, I could show off my kitten who was the Kitten of the Day on the 18th, at Daily Kitten.com.

  141. 141.

    Dee Loralei

    February 20, 2011 at 11:33 pm

    @hilts: Go read AKMuckraker at Mudflats she is a great source of Sarah bashing and she is an unabashed progressive who talks a great deal about all of Alaska, not just its most infamous resident. She also sources all her material, so it isn’t just opinion.And she’s the co-writer of the insider book that you linked to upthread. See, now you no longer need Sullivan except to view from someone else’s window or for a “break”.

  142. 142.

    trixie larue

    February 20, 2011 at 11:41 pm

    One of our cats is overweight, mostly from trying to keep weight on the underweight cat.

    There is a bowl – I got it at the vet’s office – it’s called “Slow-em-down.” So, you give the cat a portion and they have to work at getting the food out. Niki has learned to pick up one kibble at a time. It takes her 30 minutes to empty her bowl.

    Good luck.

  143. 143.

    hilts

    February 20, 2011 at 11:43 pm

    @Yutsano:

    Yes, I’ll grant he did a good job covering the Green revolution.

    @Dee Loralei:

    Thanks, I’ve been reading Mudflats for some time. I think Palin is too gutless to run for President. I think she just loves giving speeches and being the center of attention but she can’t handle the heavy lifting required of a presidential candidate.

  144. 144.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 20, 2011 at 11:44 pm

    @Yutsano: Right there with you. I don’t read Sully, and I am much improved for it. Hell, my dander rises just by reading the shorter over here. Why the hell do I want to subject myself to the longer?

    And TUUUUUUUUNCHIE! He is NOT fat. He’s a sweet, cuddly ball o’ squishy goodness. Harrumph.

    @hilts: I think she MAY try to run, but then quit when she realizes it’s actual work.

  145. 145.

    opie jeanne, formerly known as Jeanne Ringland

    February 20, 2011 at 11:48 pm

    @trixie larue: Ice cube trays work too.

  146. 146.

    Yutsano

    February 20, 2011 at 11:50 pm

    @asiangrrlMN: She has to run. Her true believers will accept nothing less and will be VERY active in the primaries. This will be her eventual downfall, as true believers usually don’t infect the caucuses. But there is no telling how the tea will work in 2012. I think it’s already starting to lose steam by virtue of the failed counterprotest in Wisconsin.

    And I did ferget the obligatory KITTEH!! But I shall make up for that now. And there is chocolate cake that is tempting me like an evil siren.

  147. 147.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 20, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    @Yutsano: I don’t think she has what it takes to even last a month. There will be no coddling or speaking only to FOX. She’ll crumble like a MJ nosejob.

    Eat the cake. Chocolate is good for you.

    ETA: What chance of ebil gubmint shutdown?

  148. 148.

    Yutsano

    February 20, 2011 at 11:57 pm

    @asiangrrlMN: Looking decent honestly. Both sides seem to be digging in with no talk of sense coming through (though Pelosi is practically begging Boehner to pass a continuting resolution) so I might indeed have a forced vacation coming up. Couple that with the fact that the Senate is off for a week (they come back into session the 28th, they say that won’t be enough time to get everything negotiated and done) and that Friday I could be temporarily jobless. I’ll watch for e-mails at work determining what we will need to do. Even if I do get let off I get back pay and my portion of my health care paid for so it’ll all be good.

  149. 149.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 20, 2011 at 11:59 pm

    @Yutsano: That’s because you’re sucking off the teat of the American taxpayer, you lazy, shiftless ebil gubmint worker, you.

    Sigh. That was NOT what I wanted to hear.

  150. 150.

    gbear

    February 21, 2011 at 12:08 am

    asiangrrlMN, I’m glad you’re here. How much snow did you get in your neighborhood? I just came in from shoveling snow for the last two hours. There was at least a foot of snow here, maybe 14″. I’m not happy. There is no traffic moving in my neighborhood except for 4wd trucks and one moron in a Taurus who got stuck.

  151. 151.

    hilts

    February 21, 2011 at 12:08 am

    @asiangrrlMN:

    She’ll crumble like a MJ nosejob.

    My favorite line of the night. While I don’t think Palin will run, I wish she would get into the race because she needs to experience the agony of defeat one more time.

  152. 152.

    Yutsano

    February 21, 2011 at 12:11 am

    @asiangrrlMN: I’m lucky in that I’m a massive savings bug. I have enough money to survive for awhile should it become necessary. Some of my co-workers won’t be so lucky, and those are the folks I’m really worried about. I got enough cash to make it for a spell though. This of course will mean no rings or trinkets for awhile.

  153. 153.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 21, 2011 at 12:27 am

    @gbear: We got four-six inches. Sorry to hear you got so much when I know you didn’t want it. Unfortunately, there is a chance we’ll get more tomorrow.

    @hilts: Thanks. I was rather proud of it myself. I’m the opposite of you. I don’t want her to run, but I fear she will.

    @Yutsano: WHAT? You can’t buy me my ring? Forget you!

    All kidding aside, I also worry about the federal workers who aren’t as thrifty/careful/fortunate as you.

  154. 154.

    Joseph Nobles

    February 21, 2011 at 12:29 am

    @Anne Laurie:

    Cat version of this, no lie: Shaved/chopped carrots or lightly steamed green beans in the Tunch bowl. If he’s reeeeeeeeally hungry, he’ll eat them. But if he’s like 99% of dieting cats, he’ll glare at them, glare at you, John, and then stomp off to sulk.
    __
    After a few days, he follows you into the kitchen whinging, you pick up the veggie peeler… he stomps off to sulk. Efficiency!

    Oh, my, how I’m laughing at this. A fat cat looking at a green bean in its bowl, thinking, “Has the whole world gone crazy?!”

  155. 155.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 21, 2011 at 12:35 am

    @Joseph Nobles: “What fresh hell is this? It’s bad enough he brought that second yappy dog home!”

  156. 156.

    Yutsano

    February 21, 2011 at 12:41 am

    @asiangrrlMN: Sigh. I’ll call the divorce lawyers and hang the shame curtains as soon as I get back home.

    Totally unrelated note, but has anyone heard of this movie? I just stumbled across it tonight, and if it’s all a farce (possible considering the director) then it’s quite a masterful one.

  157. 157.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 21, 2011 at 12:43 am

    @Yutsano: No. You’re just on the virtual couch for the next couple of nights. It’s handy to have a fed in the family.

    I have not heard of that movie.

  158. 158.

    Yutsano

    February 21, 2011 at 12:47 am

    @asiangrrlMN: Oh sure. The Republicans pretend to be fiscally responsible and go about it in the worst way possible and somehow that’s my fault. Fine, I see how it is. I’mma gonna pout now.

    I let Lexie out of the guest room, I think she bounced around a bit then ran back in. Or else she’s quietly exploring my parents’ bedroom.

  159. 159.

    Cliff

    February 21, 2011 at 12:49 am

    I put up a few more pics on Mollys blog, the thaw and rain helped solidify the packed snow into ice, Finally can get out on the bike (snowmobile) trails again – maybe I’ll record a vid tomorrow as well.

    Happy doggie gets to run even more now:

    http://mollymaesden.blogspot.com/

  160. 160.

    Yutsano

    February 21, 2011 at 1:07 am

    @Cliff: Obligatory PUPPEH!! And remember, both sides do it too!

    Since we’re still more or less open threadless, a little something from FH #1’s side of the planet. Kevin Clash gets a touch wild Down Under. It’s a riot.

  161. 161.

    Church Lady

    February 21, 2011 at 1:12 am

    Tunch looks like a pear with fur in these pics. Of course, they do say that the camera adds 10 pounds…..

  162. 162.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 21, 2011 at 1:22 am

    @Yutsano: You work for the feds. EVERYTHING is your fault, doncha know.

    @Cliff: Aw! Molly is so purty, and she looks very happy.

  163. 163.

    Phoebe

    February 21, 2011 at 10:21 am

    @Carla: Everything that Carla said, plus exercise, and the exercise that my brothers did that really worked was walking their dogs. Maybe you could walk Tunch too.

    @Yutsano: Eeee. I don’t think it’s a farce. I thought for sure yes when I saw the dramatization of him falling off a bike on flat ground, but after the whole thing, uh, no. I really wish it were.

  164. 164.

    RossInDetroit

    February 21, 2011 at 10:30 am

    I was sound asleep when my wife woke me up to go outdoors and do manual labor. Just finished shoveling 6″ of snow for an hour so she could get to work. She arrived and called me in tears to say she couldn’t get her car anywhere near the building and all of the doors are locked.
    Okay, winter. You win. Enough, already.

  165. 165.

    karen

    February 21, 2011 at 11:54 am

    lol i never seen a more upset looking cat.

  166. 166.

    kc

    February 21, 2011 at 12:01 pm

    Aw, Tunch is not disgusting. He’s huggable. But he does need to lose some weight. Get him a kitten to play with!

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