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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by Tim F|  February 3, 20148:39 pm| 56 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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I have taken more action-packed pics of Max. However, if you captured the median of my dog’s day in one photo then this is it. Consider it representative of his Dickensian existence.

Chat about whatever.

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Reader Interactions

56Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    February 3, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    That’s a GOOD photo.

  2. 2.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 3, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    Way to go, Tim F. You just bigfooted your own thread.

  3. 3.

    rea

    February 3, 2014 at 8:42 pm

    Looks just like a gigantic version of our little girl Abby . . .

  4. 4.

    The Dangerman

    February 3, 2014 at 8:44 pm

    Caught in a moment of Zen or Deep Thought (“Where, or where, is that mustard?”).

  5. 5.

    Gravenstone

    February 3, 2014 at 8:44 pm

    Much like my cats. Critters excel at energy conservation. Right up until the frenzied few moments that they don’t.

  6. 6.

    Mnemosyne

    February 3, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    Max obviously needs some help from the First Lady.

  7. 7.

    lamh36

    February 3, 2014 at 8:48 pm

    No more elections…so has Obama joined Team NMFTG?

    @markknoller

    In additional few minutes of interview with O’Reilly taped yesterday, Pres Obama says criticism of him has made Fox News “very successful.”

    Does Pres Obama think Bill O’Reilly is unfair to him? “Absolutely . Of course you are, Bill, But I like you anyway.”

    In additional few minutes of interview with O’Reilly taped yesterday, Pres Obama says criticism of him has made Fox News “very successful.”

    “What are you going to do when I’m gone.” Pres Obama asks O’Reilly when invited to critique his fairness.

    Pres Obama doubts he’s the most liberal pres ever. He cites Nixon’s establishment of the EPA and other regulatory agencies. Also LBJ & FDR.

  8. 8.

    IowaOldLady

    February 3, 2014 at 8:49 pm

    Today is the 55th anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper. Mr IOL and I once visited the crash site, which is along a fence row in a soybean field. At the time, it wasn’t marked at all from the road, though there was a little monument at the site. We had to get a map at the Surf and follow it on some county roads.

  9. 9.

    Tim F.

    February 3, 2014 at 8:51 pm

    @Baud: John might take good photos as well, but he posts these tiny thumbnails on the blog. Most photos look better when you post them at a size where you can see what’s in it.

  10. 10.

    raven

    February 3, 2014 at 8:56 pm

    @IowaOldLady: And Waylon gave up his seat on the plane.

    http://ultimateclassicrock.com/buddy-holly-richie-valens-big-bopper-killed-in-plane-crash/

  11. 11.

    Belafon

    February 3, 2014 at 8:58 pm

    @lamh36: OK, I’m not getting NMFTG.

  12. 12.

    lamh36

    February 3, 2014 at 8:59 pm

    Alright then. It’s official. Looks like I’ll be moving back to NOLA. I accepted a new position at a local hospital in NOLA. All that’s left now is the paperwork and deciding when to hand in my resignation.

    Fats Domino – Walking To New Orleans

    BTW, this has been my ringtone for the last 3 years…lol.

    Now ain’t that-a shame?
    I’m leavin’ here today
    Yes, I’m goin’ back home to stay
    Yes, I’m walkin’ to New Orleans

  13. 13.

    raven

    February 3, 2014 at 9:01 pm

    @lamh36:
    Do you know what it means
    To Miss New Orleans. . .

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    February 3, 2014 at 9:01 pm

    Hi Max. What a great photo, it feels like I could just lean over and give him a smooch on the cheek. Love the dog bed – it looks huge, if Max can sleep on it sideways, and with a fun pattern – do you recall where you got it?

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    February 3, 2014 at 9:02 pm

    @lamh36: Congratulations! (Did you end up asking for the money you wanted?)

  16. 16.

    Tommy

    February 3, 2014 at 9:03 pm

    @Gravenstone: They rock. Looking to get a dog. I want what you have Tim want him or her laying near me.

  17. 17.

    burnspbesq

    February 3, 2014 at 9:05 pm

    Mah kitteh is revealed to have Tea Party leanings. She is shredding correspondence from the IRS and Covered California.

  18. 18.

    gbear

    February 3, 2014 at 9:06 pm

    A neighborhood woman that I follow and talk with on Facebook brought over an incredible bag full of cat toys this evening. The cats were so upset with a stanger in the house that they hid under the bed for hours and are incredibly suspicious of the toys. I put them all away until things get back to normal. I have a feeling I’m going to wind up trying to give most of them to cat-owning friends.

  19. 19.

    IowaOldLady

    February 3, 2014 at 9:06 pm

    @raven: Yeah, he did. How eerie is that?

  20. 20.

    JIm, Foolish Literalist

    February 3, 2014 at 9:07 pm

    Bridget Ann Kelly the third Christie insider to plead the fifth. I’m kind of surprised that, especially as public officials, they can claim fifth amendment protection for their documents

    Christie: I know all I need to know from BAK, I fired her… We’ve asked questions, if people answer us, great, but if they don’t, we have to remember they have rights (rough paraphrase of what he said on the radio). I don’t think that’s gonna fly as an answer.

  21. 21.

    Ahasuerus

    February 3, 2014 at 9:09 pm

    @Belafon: I’m guessing “No More F*cks To Give”

  22. 22.

    Tim F.

    February 3, 2014 at 9:09 pm

    @WaterGirl: We got the bed at Costco. Really it is not a big deal. The stuffing gets lumpy or he chews a hole in the cover and we get another one.

    @Tommy: If you get a doberman, do not worry about him or her laying near you. They always lay near you, or lean on you, or rest their head on your leg. Most people with dobes give up ever closing the bathroom door.

  23. 23.

    raven

    February 3, 2014 at 9:10 pm

    @IowaOldLady: Brought on by a simple twist of fate. . .

  24. 24.

    Howard Beale IV

    February 3, 2014 at 9:13 pm

    @JIm, Foolish Literalist: Next thing you know a ham sandwich will claim the Fifth….

  25. 25.

    tybee

    February 3, 2014 at 9:14 pm

    I got the ways and means
    To New Orleans
    I’m goin’ down by the river
    Where it’s warm and green
    I’m gonna have a drink and walk around
    I got a lot to think about

  26. 26.

    WaterGirl

    February 3, 2014 at 9:14 pm

    @Tim F.: Okay, no more bed lust. Better make that no more dog bed lust. Hmm, maybe I had better quit now. Big hug for Max.

  27. 27.

    IowaOldLady

    February 3, 2014 at 9:14 pm

    @lamh36: Congrats on the new job!

  28. 28.

    Baud

    February 3, 2014 at 9:14 pm

    @JIm, Foolish Literalist:

    Bridget Ann Kelly the third Christie insider to plead the fifth. I’m kind of surprised that, especially as public officials, they can claim fifth amendment protection for their documents

    The 5th doesn’t cover documents. It’s a delaying tactic.

  29. 29.

    Yatsuno

    February 3, 2014 at 9:15 pm

    MAXPUPPEH!!!

    @Tommy: Good friend breed Dobies in CA. He watches his lines very carefully for genetic defects and all of his dogs are healthy as horses. (Because why not.) When I went to visit him they barked their heads off at me when I was outside. Once I was in I was the new guy to get skritches from. The aggression has really been bred out of the breed for the most part, and they’re great athletic dogs.

  30. 30.

    Cassidy

    February 3, 2014 at 9:15 pm

    I hate people:11-yr-old Boy Bullied for Being A Brony Fighting for Life After Suicide Attempt

  31. 31.

    lamh36

    February 3, 2014 at 9:15 pm

    @WaterGirl: yes. I asked for a reevaluation of my experience and re-evaulate the spoken rate. She called me today and she had good things to say to me.

    They called me back last Thursday with the initial offer. I told her I wanted to think on it and I’d call her on Friday. I used the extra day to clear my head. The first thing I did was email the lab mgr to lock down what the proposed schedule was.

    Clarified with lab mgr the schedule I would be under and the shift diff would average my hourly to include the increase I wanted. I was already cool with the hours. I will actually be able to sleep a full 8hr! With a more “Big Easy” start time, my sleep schedule would improve. My current 6 am schedule is brutal. I’m always tired. I just can’t seem to get to sleep before 10pm on most days. Actually of late if I get to sleep by 10pm it’s a good night! Plus weekend schedule more regulated than this one, Only 1 wknd a month .

  32. 32.

    raven

    February 3, 2014 at 9:16 pm

    @Yatsuno: Buncha knuckleads!

  33. 33.

    lamh36

    February 3, 2014 at 9:17 pm

    @Ahasuerus: exact-amundo!

    No More F***k to Give

  34. 34.

    koalaholik

    February 3, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    @Tim F.: Tim – love Max. And you do not get to close the bathroom door with cats, either. It is like a parade until everyone is satisfied I am not trying to escape the house through some secret exit in the bathroom.

  35. 35.

    WaterGirl

    February 3, 2014 at 9:19 pm

    @lamh36: Good for you! And sleep is good, so congratulations are definitely in order!

  36. 36.

    Elizabelle

    February 3, 2014 at 9:26 pm

    @tybee:

    love that song

  37. 37.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    February 3, 2014 at 9:27 pm

    Thank heavens I have a computer that allows me to read different posts from Balloon Juice at different times. More people should have such devices. It’s remarkable.

  38. 38.

    Mnemosyne

    February 3, 2014 at 9:28 pm

    @koalaholik:

    Yep. G tries to keep the bathroom door closed, but it’s hung slightly crooked, so if Keaton wants in, he knows exactly the spot to hit on the door to open it.

    The only thing that saves us is that Keaton is afraid of the shower, so he doesn’t want to stay inside the room once you turn it on. My late great cat Boris would always perch on the toilet while I was in the shower to make sure I got out of the tiny room filled with water — we called him Safety Officer Boris.

  39. 39.

    Elizabelle

    February 3, 2014 at 9:29 pm

    @lamh36:

    Great to hear.

    More sleep and New Orleans to boot.

  40. 40.

    Mnemosyne

    February 3, 2014 at 9:29 pm

    @lamh36:

    Yaaaay! I know you’ve been working towards that since Katrina, so congrats!

  41. 41.

    Belafon

    February 3, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    @Ahasuerus:
    @lamh36:
    Thanks. I don’t have that phrase in my memory banks, and google wasn’t any help.

  42. 42.

    CaseyL

    February 3, 2014 at 9:39 pm

    @lamh36: Congrats! Hope the new job is even better than you thought it would be!

    @Mnemosyne: My dear departed Ariel used to sit on the toilet seat waiting for me to get out of the shower. It never occurred to me that she might be anxious that I was trapped in a small room filling with water; I always thought she just wanted to get skritches the instant I stepped out (and she always did).

    My current kitties aren’t the slightest bit interested in watching me bathe, but Oscar does like to investigate the tub afterwards.

  43. 43.

    gogol's wife

    February 3, 2014 at 9:52 pm

    Boy, Judy Garland and James Mason are great in A Star Is Born. I guess that’s been noted before.

    I wuv Max. That’s been noted before too.

  44. 44.

    Mnemosyne

    February 3, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    @gogol’s wife:

    You wouldn’t think of them as having chemistry, but they sure as hell do.

    If you like James Mason, have you seen Bigger Than Life? One of his best performances. He is scary as hell.

  45. 45.

    MikeJ

    February 3, 2014 at 10:13 pm

    @Mnemosyne: I would watch Nick Ray direct the phone book.

  46. 46.

    burnspbesq

    February 3, 2014 at 10:19 pm

    @Baud:

    The 5th doesn’t cover documents.

    Well, there is the act-of-production doctrine, but that’s a pretty narrow exception.

  47. 47.

    Mnemosyne

    February 3, 2014 at 10:28 pm

    @MikeJ:

    That’s how I feel about Samuel Fuller. I like Ray, but he’s not a favorite-favorite like Fuller or Lubitsch or Wilder.

  48. 48.

    Violet

    February 3, 2014 at 10:44 pm

    @lamh36: Congrats on the new job! Good for you for making sure it was what you wanted and needed.

  49. 49.

    danielx

    February 3, 2014 at 10:54 pm

    I want y’all to know that Ben Shapiro (formerly known as the Virgin Ben) thinks you – you personally, as representatives of a “broken leftist culture” – are responsible for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death. Yes, you are.

    But then what can you expect? This is a person who took Andrew Breitbart (who is still dead) seriously and is Editor at Large for Breitbart.com.

    Earlier this month, Shapiro wrote a Townhall article about the need for more seductive “lectures about personal responsibility.” Conservatives, he claimed, can’t convince people that they are accountable for their own actions.

    Always with the projection.

  50. 50.

    PurpleGirl

    February 3, 2014 at 11:12 pm

    Tommy: A further note about Dobermans — they have hearts of marshmellow. At least my friend’s Hugo did. Hugo liked me — and he was very particular about who he liked — and he would follow me and stay by me. When I slept on the couch, he’d try to sleep on a 3-inch strip, and end up on the floor where he was perfectly positioned for when my arm and hand fell on him during the night. Hugo was an old-style Dobie, tall and long and about 85 lbs. The one thing you have to watch for is Doberman neck syndrome — essentially a slipped disk.

    If you do get a Doberman, enjoy him/her.

  51. 51.

    catclub

    February 3, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    @CaseyL: “My dear departed Ariel used to sit on the toilet seat waiting for me to get out of the shower. ”
    Mine is waiting to drink the water on the bottom of the shower.

  52. 52.

    koalaholik

    February 4, 2014 at 12:06 am

    @Mnemosyne: Spookers used to sit on the side of the tub and watch me shower UNTIL he slid down the side of the tub and got wet. I shower alone these days

  53. 53.

    cmorenc

    February 4, 2014 at 12:18 am

    My dog “Florence” (an Italian Greyhound)’s snapshot of her median daily activity would look just about the same as Max, except some of the time she’d be snuggled under a throw-blanket, preferably in someone’s lap who was willing to let her lay there.

  54. 54.

    Fred

    February 4, 2014 at 6:06 am

    Can I be reincarnated as one of your dogs?
    Great photos too.

  55. 55.

    Paul in KY

    February 4, 2014 at 9:10 am

    @lamh36: Hope to see you at this year’s Voodoo Music festival at end of October. Last year’s was great!

  56. 56.

    Paul in KY

    February 4, 2014 at 9:12 am

    @koalaholik: So that’s what they are checking out!

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