Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Books are my comfort food!

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Text STOP to opt out of updates on war plans.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

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

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

Giving up is unforgivable.

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Reader Interactions

58Comments

  2. 2.

    Corner Stone

    @ranchandsyrup: “Tim Whatley was one of my students, and if this wasn’t my son’s wedding day, I’d knock your teeth out, you anti-dentite bastard.”

  3. 3.

    Roger Moore

    So now we can say FYWP to a whole new set of bizarre misbehavior? Or will it be the old misbehavior but with some extra mistakes thrown in? I guess we’ll find out.

  4. 4.

    MikeJ

    @Roger Moore: People like to slag on WP, but they’re pioneers in the field of non-deterministic programming. I understand the NSA is looking into throwing out their random number generators and just looking at how WP responds from one request to the next.

  5. 5.

    scav

    @MikeJ: The Schrödinger’s Comment experiment, The Trolling Test . . . You’re right. This is a series of Test Tubes!

  6. 6.

    Cris (without an H)

    The article’s tone is fairly level on its face, but I can’t help but read a lot of entitled journalistic whining in this Boston Globe article: If it’s in a Senate hallway, Elizabeth Warren rarely answers

    And look, there’s freshman Senator Elizabeth Warren. A question for you, Senator? Senator! Senator?

    And just like that, she is gone.
    […]
    Warren’s office has said the senator has a general policy of not responding to questions in the halls of the Senate, a decision that has put her at odds with the vast majority of her more senior colleagues, and one that has come to oddly color a celebrity newcomer who was once the Oklahoma state debating champion, a Harvard professor who has challenged the nation’s most prominent bankers, and traded quips and jabs on the late-night television circuit.

  7. 7.

    Belafon

    On wednesday, my oldest had all four of his wisdom teeth pulled out. He just turned 18 and all four broke through at the same time, so we all (except the oldest really) decided that it would be better to get them out now than to wait, and have the roots grow long and mess up the work that had been done with invisalign.

    3 were easy, but one took a while to get out.

  8. 8.

    Michele C.

    @Belafon: Having my wisdom teeth out was harder than having my gallbladder out. Dental pain and redheads apparently don’t mix. I couldn’t eat anything for 11 days, so I lived on Ensure, and I only managed to not crack my head open passing out one day because my dad happened to walk by as I started to fall and caught me. I shudder thinking about it.

  9. 9.

    WereBear

    Happy Belated Lughnasadh to everyone!

    And if anyone can tell me the difference between Skype & Google Voice, I’d appreciate it. The Chip In site has gone dark, my fundraising has suffered, and I haven’t found a good substitute.

    So my plan is to set up a consultation service, and I’d like to video chat with anyone, anywhere, though most likely North America.

    Thoughts and expertise and advice gratefully appreciated.

  10. 10.

    wesindc

    Hmm WordPress upgrade or root canal…kind of tough to pick between the lesser evil of the two.

  16. 16.

    Belafon

    @Michele C.: My wife made spaghetti with meatballs. The meatballs were so soft that he could chew them with his front teeth. Made it a lot easier on him.

  17. 17.

    Woodrow/asim Jarvis Hill

    @WereBear:

    And if anyone can tell me the difference between Skype & Google Voice, I’d appreciate it.

    Hmmm. Let me re-work this a little.

    Google Voice is primarily a service to manage phone calls with a web interface. You can a lot with it — get a number that will call your other numbers, record calls, do some calling over Internet, etc. — but it’s primarily a way to manage your phone calls and SMS texts via a web app.

    Skype is primarily a chat service that allows you to call or video conf. people over the Internet. You can also get a number with it, send SMS texts, etc., but it’s not designed to cover the wealth of options a phone manager like Google Voice does.

    That said, there’s Google Talk/Hangouts (the 2 services recently quasi-merged), which is very close to a direct competitor to Skype. Google Voice has some ties to Google Talk/Hangouts, but they are different Google services; if you’re looking to do video conf., you’re looking for Google Hangouts, not Voice (although it’s easy, if you sign up for one service as well as Google Plus, to sign up for the other).

    If I was you, I’d use “google hangouts” and “skype” as searches in, say, Google, and do some research. Both have very good features, and are used, along with other tools you can find out about in those searches, pretty extensively in a wide various of fields.

    Here’s links to the official Features pages for both services:

    Google Hangouts Features

    Skype Features

  18. 18.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.)

    I have two teachers who are set to go down to Honduras to teach for a year through my non profit. They’ll be leaving in a few days, and I’m trying to raise money to pay their way there and back, and for their wages. The non profit is Bilingual Schooling for Tela, Atlántida (BiSTA). the e.i.d. is 20-1131824 if anybody wants to check. Anyway, I have a fundraiser I set up here, so if anybody has a few dollars lying around gathering dust, it would be a great help to send them my way. Gracias.

  19. 19.

    Violet

    @WereBear: Have you set up the Amazon affiliate deal? Seems like there would be plenty of Way-of-Cats-approved cat stuff that you could make a few cents from when people purchase through a link on your site. Not sure how that works, but lots of people have it.

    The consultation service sounds great. I use Skype all the time and have mixed results with it. It depends on the internet speeds available of each of the two people calling. You can also do Skype with just voice and not video, which uses less bandwidth and sometimes is the only option that works. I’ve got no experience with Google Voice.

  21. 21.

    WereBear

    @Woodrow/asim Jarvis Hill: Thanks! I googled some but just wasn’t sure about some of it; your explanation really helped.

    @Violet: I do have an Amazon link and some items I recommend; this does help.

    I do get asked about consultations, and I know if people could show me their cat, chat with me in person, show me the cat’s places, etc; they would get much more comprehensive help than possible with email, and I think it could do well.

  22. 22.

    Violet

    @WereBear: I think it sounds like a great idea. You could structure it in various ways–15 minutes for $X amount, 30 minutes for $Y amount, an hour for another. Maybe people could pre-pay and buy a block of consultations, like if they’re having a problem with a cat they could consult with you once a week as they gradually implement your suggestions.

    Make sure your insurance is up to date, because if you start diagnosing things you could veer into vet territory and I don’t know if that’s as liability-filled as veering into doctor territory with humans, but you might cross a line. Maybe look into that before you start?

  23. 23.

    WereBear

    @Violet: Maybe people could pre-pay and buy a block of consultations, like if they’re having a problem with a cat they could consult with you once a week as they gradually implement your suggestions.

    What a great idea!

    I don’t intend to give medical advice; I’m not qualified for any of that. But as a behaviorist, I do think I have a lot to offer.

  24. 24.

    lamh36

    Sitting at lunch eating catfish. Ive eaten catfish every fri seen ive mived back home. Something I honestly was never able to do in DFW unless I wanted tilapia…blah

    I’m reading on da twitter that the Smithsonian would like to get Trayvon Martin’s hoodie to display…I get it, but im not quite sure how to feel about it though I feel kinda creepy about it.

  25. 25.

    Roger Moore

    @Belafon:
    I am so glad the most dental work I’ve ever had done was having two of my baby teeth pulled because they didn’t come out when my permanent teeth grew in. I had a few years of intermittent misery when my wisdom teeth were growing in, but no orthodontics, dental surgery, or even fillings.

  26. 26.

    Ruckus

    @lamh36:
    That sounds a little weird. But the Smithsonian is an american history museum and they should and do show the bright and dark moments in our history.

  27. 27.

    Violet

    @WereBear: I wasn’t suggesting you were going to give medical advice, but behavior is sometimes tied to medical issues and so sometimes the lines can get blurry. You as an expert might recognize a sign of some nutritional problem in a cat when you see it. Should you say something? How much should you say? What exactly can you say? Diet recommendations? Supplements? Nothing?

    Just something to think about and maybe look into prior to offering advice. You’d rather know up front where the lines are and if there are any legal issues (disclaimers, etc.) that need to be addressed beforehand than find out if someone gets upset and decides to sue you.

    @lamh36: The Smithsonian denies that claim.

  30. 30.

    WereBear

    @Violet: You’d rather know up front where the lines are and if there are any legal issues (disclaimers, etc.) that need to be addressed beforehand than find out if someone gets upset and decides to sue you.

    Oh, I get it. That is excellent advice, thanks. I will look into it.

  32. 32.

    Amir Khalid

    @Cris (without an H):
    You’re right: there’s nothing to this story but reportorial whining. Senator Warren isn’t completely refusing to take reporters’ questions, only in the hallways. And she is quite right to prefer to speak in depth rather than in soundbites.

    And the story doesn’t seem all that evenhanded to me. Ending the story with this description of how Ed Markey does it invites the reader to conclude that maybe, by comparison, Warren doesn’t have the chops or the confidence to handle a Q&A in the hallway:

    Fledgling Senator Edward J. Markey frequently assented to hallway interviews as a member of the House of Representatives, and appears to be sticking with that policy in his new role. On the day Markey was sworn in last month, his wife and press secretary tried to hustle him away from reporters.

    “No,” he interrupted them. “I can handle this.”

  35. 35.

    Violet

    @WereBear: Glad if it’s helpful. I read a lot of health blogs (for people) and have run across this issue a lot and most sites have disclaimers and the people who run them are careful with how they dispense advice. So that’s why I’m aware of it and as pets become more and more members of our families, and things like pet health insurance are more widely available, I can see similar legal issues coming where pets are concerned, if they’re not already here.

    There are lots of ways to be clear in print–“I am not a vet/doctor”, “Please refer to your vet for proper medical advice”, “Many cats have had success with ____, but as always, check with your vet for your cat’s specific issue.” Etc.

    However, in video chat I can see how you saying some of the above as a disclaimer before any advice might be misinterpreted by the client as you telling them to do something. So to protect yourself, I think it’s a good idea to look into any legal issues and make sure everyone is clear. You can also record the video chat and save it in case there is any problem down the road. This could be done under the guise of “reviewing our chat to send you a follow up of our discussion” (which is also a good idea, just from a building-your-business point of view because it reminds them they talked to you and helps cement your brand and thorough and responsible). But you can save the video and archive it in case there is ever any issue.

    IANAL, so consult your lawyer for real legal advice. Just things I’ve run across in my perusal of health blogs across the web.

  38. 38.

    wasabi gasp

    For anybody interested in music making apps for android devices, Amazon’s free app of the day is NodeBeat. Musical know-how is not required to dig in and have fun with this app.

  40. 40.

    Roger Moore

    @Ruckus:
    People are way too eager to get orthodontics these days. They spend thousands of dollars and years of their life for what are essentially cosmetic procedures, and then it guarantees that they’ll need to have additional surgery to get their wisdom teeth out. It’s a gigantic scam, and most people would be better off without.

  44. 44.

    WereBear

    @Violet: Thank you so much, Violet, this is very useful info.

    I will get what my COO FIL calls “errors and omissions insurance” to protect us going forward; this will be pertinent to a few of my plans, did not realize how much it might also apply to this kind of consulting. So thanks so much for sharing your observations. It’s part of our plan to incorporate.

    But I promise not to become evil :)

  46. 46.

    Violet

    @WereBear: That sounds like a good plan! I think personal video consulting puts you at more risk than putting it out there on the blog and having a blog-wide disclaimer. If people are paying you for your expertise, that puts you in a new category. So it’s important that you are sure you are covered and have any necessary legalese and disclaimers.

    It’s exciting that you are expanding your business! Best of luck with all of it.

    Oh, one last thing–I was poking around your website and under the “Mission” tab, there are two choices–Talking about Cats and Choosing the right cat. To me, neither of those options really explained your mission. What is your mission? To educate people about cats? To help cats and people? To make people happier with their cats? Any and all of the above or something else entirely?

    I really like the two sections under “Mission” and think they’re very helpful but I think you might make your brand stronger by coming up with a short mission statement that is clear so everyone knows what your blog is for and what you want to do. Those two posts could go under a different tab like “Cat Info 101” or something.

  47. 47.

    Randy P

    Anyone have thoughts on green tomatoes? One of our plants died so we had to harvest a bunch of immature tomatoes in various states of greenness.

    I had fried green tomatoes once (after the movie of that name came out. I was curious). I thought they tasted kind of lemony, like tomatillos. So I’m leaning toward a green-tomato chili.

  48. 48.

    Roger Moore

    @WereBear:
    The problem is that a lot of kids are getting orthodontics to “correct” things that are so minor only a dentist or orthodontist would notice them. There may be some benefit because it reduces the risk of food particles getting trapped and causing cavities, but they’re doing it before the kids’ wisdom teeth have had a chance to come in, which essentially guarantees that the wisdom teeth will have to come out.

    It just looks like interventionist medicine at its very worst. Kids wind up with years of orthodontics and inevitable wisdom tooth surgery to solve things that may not be real problems. At the very least, they should wait until the kids’ teeth are all in, or their wisdom teeth come in wrong of their own accord and need to be taken out for legitimate reasons, before messing around with their mouths. I just get the feeling that this is really about extracting as much money as possible from the parents rather than doing stuff that’s really in the patients’ best interests.

  49. 49.

    WereBear

    @Violet: You can click on the “Mission” tab… the other two are sub-pages.

    But thanks for confirming what I was wondering… if the format made it not clear. Obviously, my hunch was right!

  50. 50.

    Violet

    @WereBear: Ah, I see what you mean. I didn’t actually click on the top link–just saw the drop-downs and looked at those. That sort of thing is confusing and I see it fairly often.

    If I might make another recommendation–I don’t think you need the “Our” on most of those tabs. It’s superfluous and repetitive and visually people may see the “Our” and not the other words (shop, cats, etc.) because the Our is repeated. If something is repeated like that, the eye goes to it first. You might need it on “Our Cats” because they are your cats and that would clarify it, but Shop, Videos, etc. don’t really need the Our.

    It’s always tough to decide what tabs make the top level. That’s what people see first and what you want them to see. Whatever gets you the most clicks and money is what needs to be there.

    Is there a reason that when you click the “Our Blog” link you have to click again on the image or on the right to get to the blog? Two clicks means it’s much less likely people will click. People are lazy and they will do whatever is easiest. Making it easy for them means more clicks/money for you.

    Edit: I’ve edited some unclear grammar and spelling. Edit 2: And again.

  51. 51.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @Skerry: Eep. Warm thoughts heading your kitty’s way.

    I have a question to put generally to the pet people here. I fired my long-time vet about a year ago and am now faced with what will likely be several procedures that will require anaesthesia. (A dental cleaning and at least one, possibly two neuterings.) While I am convinced that my old vet had moved from good, if on the expensive end of the scale, to all-out gouging, I find myself very nervous about trusting a stranger with this. Too many horror stories about dangerous drugs being used by cut-rate vets, I guess.

    The things that I managed to catch and hold from a conversation about their dental procedures this morning were: valium is one of the drugs used for the initial sedation, isoflurane as the actual anaesthesia, a butterfly catheter installed in case intervention is needed. I’m going to call and see if I can get written procedures from them.

    Any ideas of what red flags I should look for, or questions I should ask, in light of what I already know? The only things I learned from googling the subject is that the drug cocktails used vary a LOT and that the isoflurane/sevoflurane debate is not settled.

  52. 52.

    WereBear

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism: Things I fuss over:

    *Weigh the animal. That morning. Guessing the weight means guessing the dose.

    *What is their procedure for turning them loose? My vet kept Tristan overnight, for free, because they were worried he wasn’t coming out fast enough. I liked that.

    *It may not mean anything, but when they fuss over the animal, it means they should be treated right while they are there, at least.

  54. 54.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @WereBear: Thanks. We’ve just drawn blood for the pre-op bloodwork. I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far, and we boarded the pride with them a few months ago without mishap. I’m having serious anxiety, I suspect exacerbated by the utter disaster we would have if we lost one of the kittens, they’re so attached to each other.

    Gah. Need distraction.

  58. 58.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @WereBear: Actually, they’re almost 2 years old now. Time flies when you’re having fun.

    @Scamp Dog: Hee!

    Three different cats, actually. I have a tuxedo with chronic tooth/gum issues, a “cow cat” with control issues (hence the nickname “Gunny”), and two un-neutered orange boys. The gingers didn’t have testicles when they went in for their routine neutering when we adopted them, and we suspected they might be cryptorchid, but someone in the pride has started producing some really pungent urine within the last few weeks.Oh, and they’ve both become just fascinated with the sole female cat in the house. I think we finally have a full tom on our hands, though I still can’t actually see any testicles.

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