Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

“Cheese and Kraken paired together for the appetizer trial.”

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Everyone is in a bubble, but some bubbles model reality far better than others!

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

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

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about it’s history.”

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

It’s a new day. Light all those Biden polls of young people on fire and throw away the ashes.

Days Since JD Vance Insulted Women Across America: Zero

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What does everyone have planned for the evening? Soon as I hop out of the shower, I’m going to grill and open a bottle of wine (Nobilo Sav. Blanc) and I think the Ills are coming over. Should be fun.

And since I have been accused of slacking on the Tunch photos, there was a sighting as he migrated with the sun from the east side of the house to the west side of the house. Here is the majestic beast in the wild, luxuriating on the cedar chest in the bedroom:

I would pay to have an hour long special like the BBC’s Earth chronicling a day in the life of Tunch, complete with the voiceovers. Although it would probably be the most boring hour in the history of tv.

Reader Interactions

139Comments

  4. 4.

    Zam

    I’m waiting to find out if I work tonight, if not then I’m finishing all the extra beer in the fridge.

  5. 5.

    moe99

    watching episode 7 of GOT. Had a thyroplasty Tues and am on limited voice orders from my doc until the swelling goes down….

  6. 6.

    jl

    Cole blogs from the shower?

    No wonder he keeps hurting himself, if he pulls stunts like that.

  7. 7.

    Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther

    For your reading enjoyment this weekend:

    Beyonce – revolutionary, or reactionary? I’m going with the latter. http://emilylhauserinmyhead.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/beyonce-revolutionary-or-reactionary/

    Extremely adorable little boy is very proud of his bike riding success – and he believes in you, too! http://emilylhauserinmyhead.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/good-stuff-parental-heartbreak-of-a-sort/

    and finally

    Israel’s Jews. They’re not all this crazy and loathsome, but this lot? Phew boy! http://emilylhauserinmyhead.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/jews-teach-hate-too/

  8. 8.

    Brachiator

    James Arness died. I suppose most you don’t know who he was.

    The Thing. And Marshall Dillon. His brother was Peter Graves, of Mission Impossible and Airplane! fame.

    What does everyone have planned for the evening?

    Might try to check out the new X-Men movie.

  10. 10.

    Tom Levenson

    Off to bro/sis-in-laws to celebrate (belatedly) my wife’s b-day.

    Bottle of good red in prospect, probably some good scotch too.

    Beautiful day here in the Athens of America, so a walk through the Great Blue Hills might play a role too.

    PS — got to watch grads and undergrads I’ve taught walk through the MIT commencement. A very good feeling. All in all, not everything is terrible in this world today.

  12. 12.

    Violet

    @stuckinred:
    I know who he was. Didn’t watch much Gunsmoke, though. RIP.

    Does anyone know anything about the plant/flower Portulaca? I planted them on the recommendation of my garden center because they’re drought tolerant and we’re in a helluva drought. They’re doing fine, but what’s fascinating is that the mockingbirds keep eating them!

    I can’t tell if they’re eating the flowers or the stems, but the birds keep showing up and pulling at them. Doesn’t seem to bother the plants much; they seem pretty happy. And it’s fun to watch the mockingbirds. It’s just a completely unexpected issue with the portulaca. Wondered if anyone had any experience.

  13. 13.

    metalgirl

    My evening: a little work in the garden, packing my tools for a jewelry forging workshop this weekend (hammering, earplugs), looking up squash & zucchini recipes in anticipation of getting a bunch tomorrow night from my friend, Lee’s, farm :) It would only be better if it were a longer weekend, like last week :) Happy weekend to all you BJers!

  14. 14.

    Redshift

    I’ve got a 2-for-1 coupon for the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, the local second-run movie theater and comedy club. They’re still showing “Atlas Shrugged” and I keep having a perverse desire to go point and laugh, but I don’t really want to give them any money. From everything I’ve read, though, even seeing it in a place where you can drink heavily wouldn’t be enough to make it a fun experience. (For the record, alcohol did make Star Trek V watchable, since I remember mercifully little of it.)

    I still may go there, but if I do, I’ll see something else instead.

  15. 15.

    beltane

    @Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: The video from that march is awful. It reminds me of the Ulster Unionists marching through Catholic areas of Belfast. Religion really doesn’t bring out the best in people most of the time.

  16. 16.

    SiubhanDuinne

    As for plans for the evening, still unsettled but will almost certainly involve several glasses of Apothic Red. I want to see “Tree of Life” but might wait until tomorrow for that. I do know that Sunday afternoon I’m going to catch the all-Brahms LA Philharmonic with Gustavo Dudamel.

  17. 17.

    aimai

    I’m going to an evening presentation about an international women’s group and their plans then mr. aimai is picking me up and we are going out to Bergamot–for all you MA people. I’ve had a few meals there recently that were as good or better than Craigie on Main, equivalent but slightly more interesting than Hungry Mother. For me that’s a very busy evening. Also, laundry.

    aimai

  18. 18.

    Amanda in the South Bay

    Wow, everyone is in a drinking mood (but isn’t that always the case here?).

    Need to finish a VB.Net program, work on learning python…I dunno, probably dick around on the internet too much as well.

  19. 19.

    Handsome Stranger

    Tonight: “Star Wars in Concert” at the Hollywood Bowl. Tomorrow night: “Harold and Maude” at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. I love summer!

  20. 20.

    kideni

    It’s my dog’s birthday (4 years old!), so it’s off to the dog park on the lake that has piers that she can jump off. Yay, wet, happy doggie!

  22. 22.

    Uncle Clarence Thomas

    .
    .
    Once again, President Obama has proved me right – he finally tipped his hand that he’s quote “executing an existing plan” unquote, all you sceptical Brothas and cynical Sistas of little faith. Unemployment is up only a teensy weensy l’il bit of a skoshe to 9.1 percent, but it’s all part of the plan. So cry when you’re happy, laugh when you’re sad – if you feel you must, it’s part of the plan.
    .
    .

  27. 27.

    Brachiator

    How far we’ve come. How far we have to go.

    In the early 1940s, Rosalyn Yalow had to deal with crap like this (from why evolution is true):

    After she applied to Purdue University for a graduate assistantship to study physics, the university wrote back to her professor: “She is from New York. She is Jewish. She is a woman. If you can guarantee her a job afterward, we’ll give her an assistantship.” No guarantee was possible….

    Dr Yalow went on to become only the second woman to earn a Nobel Prize in Medicine, and died on Monday in the Bronx, where she had lived most of her life. She was 89.

    Every now and then I get to hang out at CalTech. There are quite a number of women scientists getting ready to take names and kick ass. I look forward to a time when the majority of Nobel prize winners are women. Meanwhile, there is this bit of wisdom from Dr Yalow:

    Five years after she received the Nobel, Dr. Yalow spoke to a group of schoolchildren about the challenges and opportunities of a life in science. “Initially, new ideas are rejected,” she told the youngsters. “Later they become dogma, if you’re right. And if you’re really lucky you can publish your rejections as part of your Nobel presentation.”

  28. 28.

    Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther

    @beltane: My theory is that religion can act to change us and make us better, or not. It’s not the religion that’s the problem – it’s the us. If you see what I mean! It’s not like Stalin needed religion, or the Tamil Tigers.

    But, yeah, I see your point. I want to leap through the screen and rip the yarmulke off of every single fucking head, and revoke their damn Judaism.

  31. 31.

    Violet

    I’ll be making pasta sauce with tomatoes from my garden. I think a little ground turkey might work well in it. We’ll see. Not very exciting evening otherwise. Laundry, sorting mail, bills. Whee.

  33. 33.

    jl

    Only thing I know about Gunsmoke is a few minutes from an old rerun I saw as a kid. I vaguely remember Chester (who limped, right?). Chester was kind of excitable in that clip, so I always thought of him as a kind of TV cowboy serious drama version of Barney Fife.

    That is all I know about Gunsmoke.

    Edit: Oh yeah, since Cole was so nice to put up a pic of Tunch, I take back my bad joke about blogging from the shower.

    My plans tonight are to do my monthly budget to see how much I can chip into the BJ Wisconsin recall election fund!

  34. 34.

    Chat Noir

    @kideni: Happy birthday to your dog. My cat, Hobbes, is three years old sometime this week or next. We don’t know his exact birthday but the vet guessed him to be three or four weeks old when Hobbes found me on June 30, 2008. Tiniest kitten I’ve ever seen. He’s now a healthy 9.5 lbs. and runs the household.

  35. 35.

    lojasmo

    Walking home from work in the 93 degree heat.

    At least four pints of Surly Furious tonight.

    Work tomorrow, then to see the X men movie. Yard work.

  36. 36.

    comrade scott's agenda of rage

    My wife turns 50 today. We’re going out for dinner.

    Tomorrow we’re opening a 1987, really, Barolo.

  37. 37.

    bobbo

    Watching Nadal/Murray and Federer/Djokovic semi-finals at the French Open. Tennis, anyone?

  38. 38.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Oh, and I have a bird question, for any of you avian behaviorists (or behavioral ornithologists). For the last two or three months I’ve noticed that a lot of birds are flying really close to the ground — sometimes solo, sometimes in pairs or small flocks — close enough that I’ve nearly hit them with my car on a few occasions. Just common, smallish or mediumish-sized birds as far as I can tell: sparrows, starlings, jays, I think a robin or two, maybe a grackle, maybe a junco.

    The birds don’t appear to be injured, and it doesn’t seem to be the typical occasional “let-me-distract-you-away-from-my-nest-so-you-don’t-hurt-my-chicks” they sometimes do. It’s just a lot of low-flying swoops.

    I mentioned this to a friend and he said that last fall he was driving on a highway near the Talladega National Forest in Alabama and saw what he at first thought was a big whirlwind of dried leaves close to the ground but when he got closer he realized it was a couple of hundred birds just flying around a foot or so off the ground.

    As far as I can recall, I’ve never seen this kind of behavior until this year. It’s very strange and disconcerting, and I wonder if it’s something to worry about. Any thoughts from the wonderful B-J hive mind?

  40. 40.

    R-Jud

    We’re off to a 1940s-themed garden party tomorrow. I was going to go as Rosie the Riveter, but I own a big floppy hat and some high-waisted shorts, and the weather’s going to be amazing. So I’m going to try to pull off something more like this.

    The Mr was going to go as a ration book, but he found a straw hat and a cheap linen suit at a thrift shop, so he’ll do that, plus a gas mask.

  41. 41.

    jl

    Endless commenter whining department: Also, too. Been a dearth of Cole food experiment pics lately. Let’s see some evidence about how the grill went tonight, so we can keep him honest about it, should Mr. Cole be so kind.

  42. 42.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @wobblybits: Oh, I’m not in LA. I’m in Atlanta. But there’s a series of Dudamel/LAPhil concerts Live in HD, this is the third of three this season. First program (which I missed because of blizzard) was all Beethoven; second, which I saw and loved, was all Tchaikovsky/Shakespeare; and this Sunday to conclude the season is all Brahms.

    I’m also a huge fan of the Met Opera Live in HD and try to catch every one of those broadcasts. Check movie theatre listings near you; whatever theatre screens all the one-off Fathom events will likely be showing the LAPhil concert.

  44. 44.

    BethanyAnne

    Warcrack! I’m leveling an Alliance alt. First time in a looong time I’ve played on that side.

  45. 45.

    schrodinger's cat

    Tunch photo, FTW! He looks so plush and soft. Thanks John, you made my Friday.

  46. 46.

    Montysano

    We have a free Friday night concert series at our local arts center, tonight featuring a band call Hymn For Her. We’re going, never mind that it’s about 136 degrees here in north Alabama, with humidity at the “you need gills” level.

  47. 47.

    David Brooks (not that one) is a dickhead.

    Old friends over for dinner: wife is going to reprise the chicken cordon bleu. I like it when she cooks and I don’t have to drive.

    Meanwhile, the hummingbirds (two female and one rather happy-looking male) are getting through a cup of sugar water every 2 days. I tried to photograph one, but although the females let me get pretty close (the male is scaredypants as well as bigamous) she’s just a blur.

    But right now I’m struggling with the second (of many) stage of the annual performance review process. It’s like having wisdom teeth done, but without the pretty dental assistant.

  48. 48.

    bemused

    I’m happy to see nice fat bumblebees in the yard. They seem to be hanging around the Bee Balm which won’t bloom for awhile yet. I love bumblebees and toads that startle me by popping out of the dirt in front of me when I digging in the gardens.

  49. 49.

    Gravenstone

    @SiubhanDuinne: I know birds will tend to fly low (or as little as possible) when there’s low barometric pressure (eg. an incoming storm). But as far as a general cause outside of that, I don’t know. I will say I’ve seen some similar behavior here in the upper midwest as well.

  50. 50.

    wobblybits

    @SiubhanDuinne: Gotcha. I saw him (Dudamel) when I was back home over spring break. We caught a Sunday performance of TCHAIKOVSKY & SHAKESPEARE (With Malcolm McDowell, Orlando bloom and Anika Noni Rose) that was being broadcast across the U.S. Dinner aftwerward at Yangchow in Chinatown was icing on the cake.

  51. 51.

    Gravenstone

    May see if we can get the dregs of our WoW guild to run some Cata instances tonight (we’re down to about 7 active players, and I’m wavering). If that falls through (anticipated) then either some Rift (rogue is 48.5) or a bit of DA2.

  53. 53.

    JPL

    Pizza and salad for me. It was California Pizza from the local supermarket on sale but quite good, imo.
    @SiubhanDuinne: We definitely need to meet up at some point. We could share the wine and pizza and just bitch about the state of GA.

  55. 55.

    trollhattan

    @Handsome Stranger:

    Tomorrow night: “Harold and Maude” at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary

    Srsly? What a hoot!

    Still workin’, so “Get thee behind me” the lot of you!

  57. 57.

    Sammi

    You can make a “Tunch Don’t Give a Shit” video like the honey badger documentary.

  60. 60.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Looking for jobs. Anyone know of someone in Wisconsin who wants to hire a lawyer with 14 years of litigation and regulatory compliance experience?

    ETA: I will check back later and see if anyone has ideas. Got to keep busy.

  62. 62.

    PurpleGirl

    @Brachiator: I knew Dr. Yalow’s son Ben from science fiction fandom in NYC. Haven’t spoken to him in years, though. I was once in their house in the Bronx — book shelves everywhere. Dr. Yalow did remarkable work. May she RIP.

  64. 64.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’ve been thinking about getting a job myself. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of fuckheads in the career fields.

  65. 65.

    Cat Lady

    Perfect 65 degree sunny weather in the Sports Hub of the Universe. The Red Sox will be on in 15 minutes, and tomorrow they’re playing at 1:00 so as not to conflict with the STANLEY CUP FINALS suckas! Winning!

    I found out today that one of my clients wants more of my time starting next week, so I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this one lovely day with a glass of something alcoholic. Cheers!

  66. 66.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @JPL:

    We definitely need to meet up at some point. We could share the wine and pizza and just bitch about the state of GA.

    I’m up for that. SIA, too. Srsly, we need to make this happen.

  67. 67.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I’m up for that. SIA, too. Srsly, we need to make this happen.

    There are a ton of Atlanta Juicers. I have a list if you wanna send invitations out.

  69. 69.

    HyperIon

    Wow. Tunch’s head looks really small compared to his body. Portion control has not worked.

  71. 71.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Just Some Fuckhead: You have a LIST?? How very enterprising of you. I didn’t mean to leave Atl Juicers out but (a) I’m sure there are some I don’t know about, and (b) JPL and SIA and I have been making occasional noises about getting together for a couple of years now.

    We should just arbitrarily name the place, date and time, and all show up in our Tunch/Lily gear.

  72. 72.

    HyperIon

    @Jenny:

    his brother was a far superior actor, especially in Stalag 17

    Remember Fury?
    No great acting but…

  73. 73.

    merrinc

    @Violet:

    Does anyone know anything about the plant/flower Portulaca? I planted them on the recommendation of my garden center because they’re drought tolerant and we’re in a helluva drought. They’re doing fine, but what’s fascinating is that the mockingbirds keep eating them!

    Hhmm. Now you have me wanting to plant some portulacas! I love me some mockingbirds. One of the sassiest members of the songbird family and just absolutely fearless. The resident mockingbird at my old house used to dive bomb me if I didn’t keep his mealworm and raisin feeder sufficiently full.

  75. 75.

    grillo

    This is my birthday weekend, when I begin being permanently 49. Plan to eat cake and thoroughly enjoy myself.

  76. 76.

    HyperIon

    @Gin & Tonic:

    How’d the Bruins do in Game 1, eh?

    Exactly.
    I’m rooting for the Canucks. A set of very talented skaters and stick handlers.

  77. 77.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    We should just arbitrarily name the place, date and time, and all show up in our Tunch/Lily gear.

    Hell, I’d prolly make the 7 hour drive just to meet El Cid.

  78. 78.

    Skepticat

    In close-up mode for the winter house, leaving for another island in another country, and thus trying to accomplish in two weeks what I didn’t do over the past seven months. You can tell I’m not at full speed yet, because the cat hasn’t picked up the vibes and started hiding.

    There are very few people on this desert island, but I’m trying to con someone into caring for “my” feral cat until my return. Crossing my fingers for a light hurricane season, though everyone tells me that it’s supposed to be a humdinger.

  79. 79.

    gogol's wife

    Husband has dinner on the table so no time to read other comments, but TUNCH! I love that beautiful cat. He is so full of grace and dignity.

    Sorry about James Arness.

  80. 80.

    James K. Polk, Esq.

    Great choice on the Sav Blanc! Next time, spring for the “Icon”, it’s worth the extra scrilla.

    Marlborogh is the best region in the world for Sav Blancs, IMHO (don’t tell the Frenchies).

  81. 81.

    Jay

    “I would pay to have an hour long special like the BBC’s Earth chronicling a day in the life of Tunch, complete with the voiceovers.”

    As a cat fan and voiceover performer in training, I’d SO help, John, but I think you’d be better served by that guy from “Frontline.”

  82. 82.

    merrinc

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Robins always fly close to the ground because it’s where they find most of their food. Like most birds, they also get stupid during breeding season so I see a lot of dead ones on the road this time of year because their judgment is lacking.

    Obligatory linky.

  84. 84.

    CaseyL

    I’m home sick on what is, so far, one of the prettiest days of the year. Tonight, depending on how I’m feeling, I may go out to the Neptune to see “Our Home,” a Portuguese movie which is an afterlife fantasy taking place just before WW1.

    Really, it’s so gorgeous outside I’m genuinely pissed that my head feels like it’s been poured full of cement.

    The good news is I got to play with my kitties today, which I haven’t been able to do for a couple weeks.

  85. 85.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Violet:

    Apologies if someone else has answered, I have not had a chance to go through the comments yet. They are a succulent, which means they store water in their leaves and stems. It may well be that the Mocking birds are getting their water intake from them. Do you have a birdbath or two? If not get one, at this time of year, in a drought and no rain birds often suffer terribly due to the lack of available water. I live next to a swamp so there is never a problem with a lack of water (and I have three birdbaths). Luckily the plants are hardy little suckers, if a stem snaps off you can stick it in the ground and it will root. Also they are prolific self seeders, I have them coming up in almost all of my containers out front after having them in there last year.

  86. 86.

    geg6

    Beautiful day and evening here. Had the day off and spent it getting the kitchen into a shape I can deal with (John can cook but his organization and cleanup skills need work), cutting roses from the massive abundance we have this year, and hanging with the pups. We’re headed to the Riverside Saloon where they have an outdoor patio with real palm trees, great food, and lots of libations. Don’t go back to work until Tuesday and I’m reliably informed that the weather should hold. All in all, I am a happy and content woman.

  87. 87.

    JPL

    @geg6: omg..does he have an older brother who loves dogs and lives closer to Atlanta? It would help if he liked yard word also.

  88. 88.

    jeffreyw

    I’m pooped. Moved 30 tons of rock around the place today, from one pile to another. Just boiled some rigatoni and have it in the oven with a bunch of cheeses and Italian sausage. Gonna soak in a hot tub, listen to some podcasts. Buddy has some kind of tick fever, he’s been moping around all stiff looking and not all that happy to run with the quad. He’s getting penicillin, be a long course. Mutter mutter.

  89. 89.

    Violet

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    It may well be that the Mocking birds are getting their water intake from them. Do you have a birdbath or two?

    That’s what’s so interesting. I do have two birdbaths, one of which is very near the portulucas. I’m keeping the birdbaths filled with fresh water every day because it’s so dry and the birds are suffering. The birds definitely know where the birdbaths are because they’re in them all the time.

    It’s fascinating to me that the mockingbirds are going for the portulucas when the fresh water birdbath is about three feet away. That’s what makes me think it’s not just about the water. Maybe there’s something else there they like?

  90. 90.

    Cat Lady

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Just fine, thanks. They totally held their own, but they need to get a power play obviously. It’s just such a joy to watch a hockey game to care about in June – it’s been a long long time.

  91. 91.

    wobblybits

    @CaseyL: Hope you feel better. By the way, Our Home (Nosso Lar) is actually Brazilian and not Portuguese and is a wonderful film.

  92. 92.

    JPL

    geg6, one more thing..I tend to use potty language or swear during games so that would have to acceptable, also, too.

  94. 94.

    harlana

    My weekend has been entirely made by a glimpse of His Sunlit Royal Gloriousness Tunch Supreme.

  95. 95.

    schrodinger's cat

    I just made some shrimp with dill and cilantro coconut chutney, broccoli with chickpeas and tomatoes.

  96. 96.

    Bex

    @Chat Noir: My cat, Camilla Parker Bowles, aka Millie, will be 12 on the fourth of July. I don’t know her real birthday either, so we picked the fourth. She is a red tabby. Her mother was rescued by my vet at the time because someone had informed her that a pregnant cat was hanging out behind a local pizza restaurant. The vet took the mom home and Millie was one of the litter born the next day. The vet made sure all of them got adopted.

  97. 97.

    lamh34

    Just saw. X-Men: First Class. It was awesome. IMHO!!!! Dude who played Magneto….HOT. I honestly didn’t want to get up to go to bathroom!!!!!

  98. 98.

    flukebucket

    I just made the great mistake of watching Elliot Spitzer and David Gergen on CNN.

    God it was awful.

    I’m going back outside.

  100. 100.

    Kristine

    Sitting out on the deck. The breeze is a little cool, but the sky is clear and temps today hit the 80s. Early summer arrived in NE IL this week, and I hope it stays for a while.

    Just had broiled salmon on a bed of greens with grapefruit vinaigrette. It was delish.

    There’s currently a quintet of small birds perched on the TV aerial, way up high. They’re not exactly over my head, but given the wind direction…I swear, if they bomb me I’m digging out the air rifle.

    Or maybe I’ll just move my chair.

  101. 101.

    wesindc

    Oh get Randall to do the voice over! The Honey Badger is bad ass guy if you don’t know.

  103. 103.

    robertdsc-PowerBook

    Exercising to make up for pigging out at lunch today.

    Thank you for the photo of our glorious leader.

  104. 104.

    lamh34

    @Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther:

    I’m a big fan, but I’m not a crazed one where if every little thing in the Movie doesn’t match up to the comic book, I don’t mind that. It’s about the action and in particular how well the actors are in their portrayals. And IMHO the guys who played Professor X & especially the guy who played Magneto were great!

  105. 105.

    dwgregory

    Tunch came to see me today … honest. I saw a big, fat, white cat at the end of my yard and thought … Jesus, he gets around …

    okay, so it was Tunch’s doppelganger … still, a beautiful animal …

  106. 106.

    CaseyL

    @wobblybits: Thanks for the correction. It looks like an amazing film – but I’ve decided I’m not feeling well enough to go. Not only for my own sake, but because people who are sneezing and blowing their nose should stay the hell out of movie theaters!

    I’m very sad that I can’t go. I’ve wanted to see this since I saw the trailer for it. Wonder if it’ll be available to rent… Scarecrow video has just about everything else; I’ll check to see if they have this one.

  107. 107.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @eemom: In short, to sum up, without too much detail… Mme Omnibus has decided that the PhD program she was in is not for her. She has also decided that she needs to find a job in New York. These plans involve bunking with a friend until she finds something. How does this affect me, you ask? Well, my little safety net under my fledging solo practice is gone and I need to find gainful employment quickly. In a down economy. Oh yeah, we will revisit our situation in a few months; in the meantime, we are making separate plans. No, I did not see this coming at all.

    ETA: On the good news side, I have an interview on the 15th.

  108. 108.

    John Weiss

    @stuckinred: I’m going to boil some pasta, John, and eat it with homemade marinara and homemade meatballs, with plenty of Parmesan cheese. And some rum.

    I don’t mean to be rude, but you’ve got a fat cat to go with your fat dog. Not that my cats are exactly skinny.

  109. 109.

    FlipYrWhig

    Another night at home, tending to our aging cat. About a week ago there was some kind of commotion downstairs in our house overnight between our two cats (which we didn’t see, only heard) and the next morning and ever since she’s been fishtailing when she walks. Some days are worse than others. Today it was kind of like 3 good steps followed by a misstep. She isn’t limping or anything, just swaying to one side. We’ve been to the vet, who prescribed a low dose of a steroid but hasn’t been giving us much advice other than to keep an eye on her. Cat folks: anyone else had anything like this?

  110. 110.

    John Weiss

    Not only do I know who James Arness is, I worked with his brother. One of the most professional actors I ever worked with. Do you know who that is?

  114. 114.

    John Weiss

    @FlipYrWhig: Oh, yes. This behavior is typical of an old cat.

    It’s a bitch, but you probably need to get used to the idea of putting her down. Gods, I hate that. All of our cats are pretty old. We lost two in the last four years. It’s the downside to having cats around, though I cannot imagine a life without cats.

  115. 115.

    kideni

    My dog had a great time at the park. Many sticks were retrieved, carried back, and destroyed. Then we went out for ice cream: choc chip for me, doggie custard for her. Her mentor-dog (he helped raise her & taught her how to be a good dog) gave her a couple of toys, so now it’s squeaky time!

    (I don’t actually know that this is her b-day; I picked the day by counting back from her approx age when she came to live with me.)

  116. 116.

    John Weiss

    John@Omnes Omnibus: Well you’re right. We did a segment of some health show for PBS, featuring Peter Graves and Farrah Fawcett as spokespersons. Farra, bless her, hardly had the horsepower to run a woman, much less the ability to give her lines. Over and over. Graves, on the other hand, had memorized the entire script. Farrah’s lines as well as hers. He’d stand against the wall, quiet, relaxed until he was ‘on’. Didn’t flub a line. I remain impressed.

  118. 118.

    lamh34

    @schrodinger’s cat: Yep. I remember him from this show on BBC America called “Hex” about this chick who is a witch or something and has a baby by a “fallen angel” named Azazeal! I thought he was HOT then and he was like a demon or something.

    He was perfect IMHO as Magneto.

  119. 119.

    John Weiss

    @Omnes Omnibus: Cool? I guess. The film bid’ness is not what it’s cracked up to be, but it was mostly pretty fun.

    My favorite spokesperson of all is Leslie Neilson. We did a spot for the Dallas Morning News in Texarkana, all about how the DMN gave out free newspapers after the devastating tornado. This is a year after the fact. There was still a swath of absolute destruction carved through the city.

    Lame, I know, but everyone got paid.

    Anyhow, LN was the spokesperson. He brought an entourage, of sorts, one of his neighbors and the neighbor’s wife. The neighbor had made a bladder, which, concealed in a hand and squeezed, made loud farting noises. Leslie N. was most amused. He would clown around, convincing several that he had some sort of horrid condition. It was amazing. One second he was laughing, joking, making fart noises and so on. The director, a man of intelligence and infinite patience would say, “action!” and LN would instantly go into the gut-rattling sincere baritone thing. I was amazed.

    It was hot. LN was dressed in sober bid’ness from the waist up, from the waste down it was flowered boxers.

  120. 120.

    burnspbesq

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I’m also a huge fan of the Met Opera Live in HD

    This. I’ve also bought three DVDs of Live in HD performances I missed: Carmen with Garanca and Alagna, Armida with Renee Fleming, and Simon Boccanegra with Domingo. Will buy Rheingold when it comes out; that was teh awesome.

  121. 121.

    eemom

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    jeez Omnes. I’m sorry.

    You’re a good man — and yes, I can tell that from our limited acquaintance as fellow inmates in Cole’s asylum.

  122. 122.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @eemom: I’ll be okay. Being an incurable optimist, I still figure we will work things out. I am also expecting a pony. Or a unicorn.

  124. 124.

    RossInDetroit

    I’m still ill (bronchitis) but mobile. I need to get through the next 72 hours at work, then I’ll be allowed to die from it if I choose to.

    A conversation from this afternoon:
    customer: “You should get paid a lot more for what you do!”
    me: “This job is a shit sandwich. Even with more bread you’re going to eat a lot of shit every day.”

  125. 125.

    metalgirl

    On the screened porch, fountains flowing, lights & candles glowing, and no humidity (unlike the last few days). Life. Is. Good. :)

  126. 126.

    lamh34

    So I’ve been on Weight Watchers for about 2 weeks and I’ve lost 7 lbs (well more like lbs since I was wearing my tennis shoes when I initially weighed in) and I haven’t even started exercising yet. Woo hoo!

  127. 127.

    aimai

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    I’m just really sorry. I hope things work out. I know they will. One door closes and another one opens. Just try to stay calm.

    aimai

  130. 130.

    eemom

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    it is good to be an optimist.

    also too, look on the bright side — you could be Joanne Kloppenburg! Imagine coming THAT close to tipping the balance of the Supreme Court in a neo-batshit-crazy state…..and then…..well, I heard she conceded the other day not with a bang but with a whimper. Damn, that must have sucked.

    anyhow, sending hopeful thoughts your way. Ya got friends here. Granted, most of us are deranged cyberpaths who a sane world would have institutionalized by now…..but at least we mean well. At least most of us do. Sorta. Some of the time.

  135. 135.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Omnes Omnibus: Well, fuck. I’m really sorry to hear this, Omnes. I hope like hell you get something toot sweet. You’re one of the good ones, and I’m sending you massive good vibes. If I hear of any opportunities in WI, I’ll let you know.

    Cole, about damn time! TUUUUUUUUUNCH! I would love for David Attenborough to do a documentary on the natural habitat of Tunch. He’s such a handsome, magnificent cat!

  136. 136.

    FlipYrWhig

    @John Weiss: Not what I was hoping to hear, but we’ve been through a lot with her in the past year and a half, and she’s resilient. She’s having a pretty good relaxed night tonight — and was almost kittenish chasing moths in the backyard this afternoon.

  139. 139.

    Gatsby

    I, for one, would not mind the following videos: a day in the life of Lily, a day in the life of Rosie, and a day in the life of Tunch (not necessarily in that order, I alphabetized their names out of politeness).

    Waddya say, John? One half-hour each?

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