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Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Monday Morning Open Thread (with cats!)

Monday Morning Open Thread (with cats!)

by Betty Cracker|  September 21, 20159:31 am| 94 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Pet Rescue

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Anne Laurie is still locked out of the blog due to the vagaries of Verizon, but she asked me to share this update from heroic cat rescuer Marc:

Per the prediction, the barriers did not last a sustained assault by the Kitten Kommandos. I came home last night to find that Miri [the mama cat — ed.] had not attended to one or two of her kitts – you can note in the picture that a litter box has replaced the cardboard box against the wall, and the other cat bed is missing – off drying (hand wash cold, don’t wring, air dry) after being blessed with orange poo. (I know, TMI, but I couldn’t explain it more…delicately.)

So, the litter box is in place, and I’m hoping they get the idea. Otherwise, I’ll have to watch them like a hawk and rush each into the box before feces occur. They are adorable, and I’ll try to get individual head shots to show off their superpowered cuteness. I hope they get the concept of the litter box before they go on a grand tour of the condo, since all my carpet is the same color…and I want to keep it that way.

You can’t spell homeowner without a ‘meow’.

– Marc

Here they are breaching the barrier:

cats1

And here’s a further update from Marc:

I was at the other end of the condo, and Miri started calling to me. It was similar to her ‘play’ meow, but not quite. I got up from the computer, and found the first picture scene in progress. I quickly scooped up the runners, and put them back into the area I’d set up as kitten corral/playpen. I turned around to make sure I’d caught them all, when the second picture scene happened. I now know who lead the jailbreak. I’ve fortified the defenses, but I know it is only temporary. I fear I will soon have free range kittens. Pray for my white carpet…it may not survive the onslaught.

At least they won’t chew the shoes up like a pup would:

cats2

This is a cute little guy / gal, but I foresee a visit from Stanley Steemer in Marc’s future:

cats3

Open thread!

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Reader Interactions

94Comments

  1. 1.

    Germy Shoemangler

    September 21, 2015 at 9:35 am

    I’m seeing an ad on this balloon-juice page: a photo of Glenn Beck holding a small electronic device in his hand. The caption says “It’s a compact power breakthrough that you almost have to see to believe.”

    I wonder what on earth he’s hawking now!

  2. 2.

    Woodrowfan

    September 21, 2015 at 9:36 am

    that made my day, thanks.

  3. 3.

    Betty Cracker

    September 21, 2015 at 9:37 am

    @Germy Shoemangler: I haven’t seen that particular ad, but Beck is all about supplying doomsday preppers for a profit. It’s probably a gizmo that allegedly repels starving urchins with an electrical force field.

  4. 4.

    Germy Shoemangler

    September 21, 2015 at 9:42 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    It’s probably a gizmo that allegedly repels starving urchins with an electrical force field.

    Perhaps it amplifies his voice.

    Cats! What a dramatic prison break. Also, I like how Marc can distinguish between the different meows. The “play” meow, the “feed” meow. Learning cat is like learning Latin or Mandarin.

  5. 5.

    Betty Cracker

    September 21, 2015 at 9:45 am

    @Germy Shoemangler: I’ve become pretty fluent in dog over the years. One of my dogs has an amazing vocalization range. She clearly has so much to say and sometimes seems frustrated when we don’t get it. I’d love to put one of those collars from the animation flick “Up” on her.

  6. 6.

    OzarkHillbilly

    September 21, 2015 at 9:48 am

    @Germy Shoemangler: Bomb Triggers.

  7. 7.

    Tinare

    September 21, 2015 at 9:50 am

    Aww. I know litters that I fostered understood the litterbox pretty quickly. Mom does it, so they follow. And they were pretty much the size of Marc’s crew when they started to use it. So hopefully the carpet will be largely spared. They are some seriously cute kitties!

  8. 8.

    MattF

    September 21, 2015 at 9:52 am

    @Germy Shoemangler: I saw that a couple of days ago. If there was ever any question about Beck’s completely shameless grifting, we have the answer. Next up, I’m guessing, is perpetual motion: “Scientists just can’t figure it out.” Because…

  9. 9.

    PurpleGirl

    September 21, 2015 at 9:53 am

    The kittens are adorable. I love pictures of them at this stage — walking on their sturdy little legs, learning to climb (and succeeding), interpreting their world, watching each other in preparation of play. Wait until these scamps start having their itty, bitty kitty committee meetings to plan mayhem. Then watch out…

  10. 10.

    OzarkHillbilly

    September 21, 2015 at 9:53 am

    @Betty Cracker: My lab is the same. He even purrs.

  11. 11.

    Amir Khalid

    September 21, 2015 at 9:53 am

    @Germy Shoemangler:
    Anyone who lives with a cat can learn to understand their different vocalisations. If the stupid human gets it wrong, the cat won’t hesitate to correct him/her.

  12. 12.

    debbie

    September 21, 2015 at 9:54 am

    First, pillows will never hold anything or anyone in for long. Second, Miri’s up on the bed. The kittens are imprinting that there’s a world beyond that tiny space.

  13. 13.

    benw

    September 21, 2015 at 9:56 am

    Marc is a brave person to corral kittens on carpet! My experience with foster kittens has always been in a room with tile flooring. That said, we’ve never had to do anything about kitten litterbox training. At most one or two messes on the floor, and then mama cat takes over and they’re flawless after that. 4 (or 5 or 6) little poops in the box, every morning. As for washing up bedding, carpets, etc. I can’t recommend Nature’s Miracle enzyme cleaner highly enough. It’s the only thing I’ve ever tried that really took the smell and stain out of the offended surface.

  14. 14.

    debbie

    September 21, 2015 at 9:57 am

    @Germy Shoemangler:

    Beck is all about supplying doomsday preppers for a profit

    He’s even hawking solar-powered refrigerators for his emergency food supply. Ironic, considering his constant making fun of anything remotely green-related.

  15. 15.

    ruemara

    September 21, 2015 at 9:57 am

    It could be my current catless state but those could be the world’s cutest kittens. Thank you for sharing stories, Marc. Um, good luck with the white carpets.

  16. 16.

    jeffreyw

    September 21, 2015 at 9:58 am

    @Germy Shoemangler:
    It’s a wireless pizza ordering device.

  17. 17.

    Major Major Major Major

    September 21, 2015 at 10:03 am

    Kittehs!

    I woke up at 5 and couldn’t get back to sleep so now I know what it’s like to live on the east coast.

    I think I’m getting a tattoo tomorrow, though, that should be… fun.

  18. 18.

    MomSense

    September 21, 2015 at 10:04 am

    Want all the kittehs. They will have no trouble finding loving homes.

  19. 19.

    Bobby Thomson

    September 21, 2015 at 10:07 am

    British politics has certainly gotten . . . interesting in the last 24 hours. #Hameron #piggate

  20. 20.

    Roger Moore

    September 21, 2015 at 10:08 am

    @Germy Shoemangler:

    Learning cat is like learning Latin or Mandarin.

    It’s actually very different because there is no “cat”. Adult cats rarely communicate with each other using meows; they basically do it only for humans. Because of that, there’s no standard set of meows that have established meanings. Each cat more or less makes up its own set of calls to communicate with its humans. When researchers play back cat meows to test subjects, only the cat’s human can reliably recognize their meaning. Other cat people who are unfamiliar with the individual cat are stumped.

  21. 21.

    Elizabelle

    September 21, 2015 at 10:10 am

    Miri Monday.

    Any day is a good day to start out with Miri and the kitten escape artists. Good luck, Marc.

  22. 22.

    PurpleGirl

    September 21, 2015 at 10:10 am

    @MomSense: The cat rescuer I know in CT has helped a shelter in northern Alabama by taking kittens and cats from the shelter. She can find homes for them in CT and the surrounding areas.

  23. 23.

    scav

    September 21, 2015 at 10:12 am

    @Germy Shoemangler: A clock?

  24. 24.

    elmo

    September 21, 2015 at 10:15 am

    @Roger Moore: Interesting. I have two littermate cats, though, who definitely communicate with each other vocally. They’re mostly inseparable, and when they’ve been apart too long they call to each other until they’re together. And I can tell the difference between the “Sister where are you” meow and chirp and the “oh hai where’s the canned food” meow and chirp that I get.

    In 25 years of rescue, I’ve never seen a pair of animals this bonded, though, so maybe there’s something unique about them.

  25. 25.

    elmo

    September 21, 2015 at 10:17 am

    Oh and also plus and besides which, carpet in general is of the Devil. White carpet is an abomination and must be destroyed by any means, so that it can be removed and God’s own hard flooring can take its place.

    Anyone who has personally demo’d carpet in a rental apartment knows whereof I speak.

  26. 26.

    TaMara (BHF)

    September 21, 2015 at 10:22 am

    I concur with Tinare, my foster litter caught on almost immediately with the litter box, so I think you’ll be ok. My biggest concern was losing them in the big house. Those tiny things could and did hide in the most ingenious places.

    Thanks for the pictures and the story, started my Monday off right.

  27. 27.

    Major Major Major Major

    September 21, 2015 at 10:22 am

    @elmo: My cat has a neighbor cat that hangs out by one of the screened-in windows and they definitely meow at each other. Not the same sort of meow that he gives to humans, more of a yowl, but still, cat noises.

  28. 28.

    Roger Moore

    September 21, 2015 at 10:23 am

    @Bobby Thomson:
    #BaeOfPigs

  29. 29.

    TaMara (BHF)

    September 21, 2015 at 10:28 am

    @elmo: Hmm, my cats all talk to each other. But my momma and son combo had the most interesting vocal range.

    For the rest it seems to be a simple come play call and a you’re annoying me meow, that soon turns into a hiss if it’s ignored.

    But I agree with Roger Moore, most of their more complicated calling is for me.

  30. 30.

    PurpleGirl

    September 21, 2015 at 10:28 am

    @Major Major Major Major: How are you? Maybe it’s me but you’ve missing for a few days, right? Hope things are going well for you.

  31. 31.

    Patricia Kayden

    September 21, 2015 at 10:32 am

    Orange poo is a small price to pay for those feline cuties.

  32. 32.

    Major Major Major Major

    September 21, 2015 at 10:33 am

    @PurpleGirl: Another meds adjustment. Slept most of yesterday. Not legally allowed to drive or ride my bike for six months so life is a bit slow… I’ll make it through.

  33. 33.

    OzarkHillbilly

    September 21, 2015 at 10:33 am

    @scav: I already said Bomb Triggers.

  34. 34.

    Mike J

    September 21, 2015 at 10:35 am

    I can’t believe we haven’t had a post about the bae of pigs.

    Colm Tobin ‏@colmtobin 16h16 hours ago
    Actually, it’s about ethics in pig necrophilia. #PigGate

  35. 35.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 10:36 am

    SQUEE!

    I love the scampering with their tiny tails making exclamation points.

    I agree that litterbox training with Mom on the premises proceeds smoothly. It’s an outgrowth of their instincts, and so providing the right setup is 90% of the job, done.

    White carpet? That’s just asking for trouble, from any source. And I’m not a fan of any carpet, but, we live in the third floor apartment, so it’s practically the law.

    Some tips:

    Kittens and efficiency

    It’s an ironic title :)

  36. 36.

    Calouste

    September 21, 2015 at 10:44 am

    @Mike J: It turns out the only thing that was wrong about Balloon-Juice’s signature phrase was the species of animal.

  37. 37.

    SFAW

    September 21, 2015 at 10:48 am

    I imagine this has been mentioned on one of the 273 other Marc-and-kittens posts, but since I’m TL:DS (Too Lazy: Didn’t Search): in what part of the country is Marc located?

    This is just an idle “what-if” type question, because our three other cats would be less-than-welcoming to a new arrival. But I really like the coloring on that dark orange one.

    Of course, I also really like the look of the Ford GT, but I probably ain’t gettin’ one of those, either.

    It would probably be best (for me) if Marc is in SoCal. But I gotta ask. (Not that anyone else in this joint has thought of that already)

  38. 38.

    JPL

    September 21, 2015 at 10:48 am

    Cute overload. I think Cole should foster a litter of kittens.

  39. 39.

    Randy P

    September 21, 2015 at 10:51 am

    @Betty Cracker: No need. Dogs use body language extensively, and I’ll bet you are already reading it unconsciously (ears, posture, tail, how they move).
    @TaMara (BHF): somebody actually did research on that. Apparently meowing is a language they use for us, not each other. As a result, every household develops a different private language. Owners can understand their own cats’ meows but not others.

  40. 40.

    Amir Khalid

    September 21, 2015 at 10:52 am

    I have a query re tomcats.

    I came home tonight and found one of the cats from next door apparently trying to woo Bianca. She was spayed a decade ago, long before he was born, so there’s no chance of him getting any joy. Needless to say, Bianca doesn’t care for the attention, and she reckons he’s trespassing on her home space. He thinks — well, he’s being a guy, and you know where some guys keep their brains.

    So anyway, my question is: generally, does a tomcat know if a female’s been spayed, and avoid wasting his time on her? Or does lust triumph over all?

  41. 41.

    MomSense

    September 21, 2015 at 10:54 am

    @PurpleGirl:

    The dog rescue group where we found our pup does the same thing. They find puppies and adult strays, too in Alabama and find homes for them up here.

  42. 42.

    Shana

    September 21, 2015 at 10:59 am

    A couple of suggestions for Marc until the kittens are litter trained:

    Incredible! cleaner. I can only get it at my local Bed Bath & Beyonds but it works really well for stains and deodorizing.

    Have you considered putting down a clear plastic sheet like for painting over the carpet in that room until they’re trained?

    Free advice and worth every penny.

  43. 43.

    D58826

    September 21, 2015 at 11:01 am

    Needed the kitty pictures after reading this on KOS

    Specialists in infectious disease are protesting a gigantic overnight increase in the price of a 62-year-old drug that is the standard of care for treating a life-threatening parasitic infection.

    The drug, called Daraprim, was acquired in August by Turing Pharmaceuticals, a start-up run by a former hedge fund manager. Turing immediately raised the price to $750 a tablet from $13.50, bringing the annual cost of treatment for some patients to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

    Doxycycline, an antibiotic, went from $20 a bottle in October 2013 to $1,849 by April 2014, according to the two lawmakers.

    While some price increases have been caused by shortages, others have resulted from a business strategy of buying old neglected drugs and turning them into high-priced “specialty drugs.”

    Every time I think this country has hit rock bottom there is a new story such as this to prove me wrong. Then of course you can read about all the cheery things that the GOP clown card riders are saying. What a way to start a Monday. I think I run for president with a platform of more Friday’s and fewer Mondays.

  44. 44.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:03 am

    @Amir Khalid: He might be going by visuals, though they have incredible sense of smell and that’s what usually “draws all the boys to the yard.”

    During mating they are very attuned to driving off rivals, and so it might be that, too. Which would also get Bianca upset.

  45. 45.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:05 am

    @D58826: Doxycycline, an antibiotic, went from $20 a bottle in October 2013 to $1,849 by April 2014, according to the two lawmakers.

    And this is my husband’s drug of choice to help the poor effects of his auto-immune disease in check. We need to invent new words, because I object to the epithet “bastards,” “rats” are at least efficient scavengers, and I’m sure “slime molds” are vital to the eco-system somewhere.

  46. 46.

    Roger Moore

    September 21, 2015 at 11:05 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    So anyway, my question is: generally, does a tomcat know if a female’s been spayed, and avoid wasting his time on her?

    Generally yes. Females release pheromones when they’re receptive, which they shouldn’t do after being spayed. I think some toms are either so randy they don’t care or possibly are fooled by some other female’s pheromones in the same general vicinity.

    Interestingly, some trap/neuter/release groups have recommended modifying their fixing procedures for feral cats, so that males would only get vasectomies and females would only get tubal ligations. That would give them normal sexual responses but prevent them from having kittens. The idea is that some of the fixed cats would wind up having unproductive sex with non-fixed ones, reducing the overall fertility rate more than they would if they were fixed so they no longer had interest in sex.

  47. 47.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:06 am

    My carpet cleaner of choice is Zout. Quick and amazing… not just getting stains out of carpet, but lifting out any … detritus… that may be a part of the problem.

  48. 48.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:07 am

    @Roger Moore: Doesn’t solve the hormone/fighting problem, though. They might wind up with higher vet bills… or higher suffering rates.

  49. 49.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    September 21, 2015 at 11:09 am

    I came home tonight and found one of the cats from next door apparently trying to woo Bianca. She was spayed a decade ago, long before he was born, so there’s no chance of him getting any joy. Needless to say, Bianca doesn’t care for the attention, and she reckons he’s trespassing on her home space. He thinks — well, he’s being a guy, and you know where some guys keep their brains.

    So anyway, my question is: generally, does a tomcat know if a female’s been spayed, and avoid wasting his time on her? Or does lust triumph over all?

    @Amir Khalid: I had a similar experience about a decade ago. Semi-feral unaltered stray. ALL MAN. He was hilarious in his over-the-top testosterone way. I was probably the only male human he ever let touch him.

    At any rate, he knew my girls were girls, but they weren’t receptive. They, much to my surprise, didn’t really seem to have a problem with him hanging out in the yard just so long as he wasn’t trying to mount them or anything – and I never saw him do so, so I think he probably never tried.

    He liked the company and so did they. He vanished a few months later, coyotes likely got him. This is a bad place to be a feral cat.

    So, to answer your question, they know, and so far as I could tell they don’t try unless the female is giving off that special smell.

  50. 50.

    Amir Khalid

    September 21, 2015 at 11:11 am

    @WereBear:
    The thing is, he’s not the only tomcat in the neighbourhood, but he’s the only one who shows up here. I remember that before Bianca was spayed, lots of boys showed up. A few enterprising ones even sneaked into the house to look for her.

  51. 51.

    Roger Moore

    September 21, 2015 at 11:12 am

    @WereBear:
    I think Cole got it about right on Twitter by calling them human filth. There ought to be some kind of regulatory response that can prevent this noxious behavior.

  52. 52.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:14 am

    @Amir Khalid: He might be looking for something else then… food, friendship.

    Something more than what he has now; a life that’s nasty, brutish, and short.

  53. 53.

    Amir Khalid

    September 21, 2015 at 11:17 am

    @WereBear:
    He’s not feral, actually. He has a home next door.

  54. 54.

    gene108

    September 21, 2015 at 11:19 am

    A couple of summers ago, I was lying on my sofa one afternoon reading a book, which is by the windows in my living room. The windows were open, as the weather was pleasant outside.

    Through the window, nearest to my head, I hear a scratching and clattering noise and shortly thereafter a white cat’s head has poked its way through the window screen and was looking at me, wondering – what I cannot say, for the mind of a cat is its own to know – but clearly it was not expecting a human so close to where it had planned whatever daring deed it had in mind, when it boldly pushed through my window screen.

    For it swiftly disengaged itself from my window and started to roam in the open spaces for a less human infested target of its daring plans.

  55. 55.

    rikyrah

    September 21, 2015 at 11:24 am

    Obama’s citizenship push stokes conservative fears

    The administration is accelerating naturalization for millions of legal residents — many of whom will probably vote Democratic.
    By Sarah Wheaton

    09/21/15, 05:09 AM EDT

    .
    The Obama administration and its allies are holding scores of events this week as part of a sweeping new initiative to nudge 8.8 million legal residents who are eligible for naturalization to become full-fledged citizens — and therefore, eligible to vote.

    The not-so-secret expectation is that most of them would probably register as Democrats, given the demographics heavy on Hispanics and Asians — a fact that has not been lost on many conservatives.

    “We’re getting lower-income people who are coming in and taking more services, and they’re drawn to the Democrats,” said Ed Martin, president of the right-wing Eagle Forum, which raised the alarm last year in a report titled “How Mass (Legal) Immigration Dooms a Conservative Republican Party.” “That’s what Obama knows, and that’s what the Democrats know, and that’s what Republicans should know and should be fighting back against it,” Martin said.

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/obama-citizenship-immigrants-naturalization-democrats-213810#ixzz3mO3QAQHi

  56. 56.

    NotMax

    September 21, 2015 at 11:26 am

    Will the last one to leave Russia please turn out the lights?

  57. 57.

    D58826

    September 21, 2015 at 11:26 am

    @Roger Moore: Maybe a stake and a good roaring fire????

  58. 58.

    gelfling545

    September 21, 2015 at 11:27 am

    That reminds me that I need to get on the phone to Stanley Steemer. Between an elderly & ailing dog last fall & a new puppy in January the living room carpet has seen some rough treatment.

  59. 59.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:28 am

    @Roger Moore: Mmmm. Like.

  60. 60.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:30 am

    @Amir Khalid: Oh! Then he’s looking for companionship, no doubt. Human, feline; I had cats who loved our rabbit.

  61. 61.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:31 am

    @WereBear: I wrote:

    How to tell if our cat is cheating

    It’s an affectionate cat’s nature to find more.

  62. 62.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 11:32 am

    @rikyrah: Funny how anything humanitarian and right and good dooms a Conservative Republican Party.

  63. 63.

    SFAW

    September 21, 2015 at 11:33 am

    @D58826:

    Two stakes: one vertical, eight feet tall, the other a bit smaller and pointier, but used to ensure that the “test subject” doesn’t squirm around too much IYKWIMAITYD.

  64. 64.

    rikyrah

    September 21, 2015 at 11:35 am

    Will they ask Jeb about this, or pretend that it’s not happening?
    PS- did you know that the Son had a Mexican Middle Name too that he has since ‘dropped’?

    George P. Bush ‘reboot’ of land office has campaign, family ties
    Many of agency’s top jobs weren’t publicly posted

    By Brian M. Rosenthal
    September 18, 2015 Updated: September 20, 2015 4:35pm

    AUSTIN – Less than a year after being elected to lead the oldest state agency in Texas, Land Commissioner George P. Bush has dramatically remade the General Land Office by ousting a majority of its longtime leaders and replacing many of them with people with ties to his campaign and family.

    http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Bush-reboot-of-land-office-has-campaign-family-6515179.php

  65. 65.

    PurpleGirl

    September 21, 2015 at 11:42 am

    @SFAW: IIRC, Marc is somewhere in Colorado. If Anne Laurie was able to access the internet, I’d say send her an email and ask about where Marc lives. I also think he will be trying to find homes for the kittens and Miri because he has other cats and a limit to animals in his housing development. He kept her (temporarily) because all the local shelters were full.

  66. 66.

    PaulW

    September 21, 2015 at 11:47 am

    @rikyrah:

    This needs to be investigated by the DoJ. The whole thing reeks of nepotism, corruption, under-the-table stuff. Wouldn’t be surprised to find kickbacks and bribery happening behind closed doors.

  67. 67.

    Roger Moore

    September 21, 2015 at 11:47 am

    @WereBear:

    Doesn’t solve the hormone/fighting problem, though.

    No, but I think they’re placing the highest priority on reducing the number of unwanted feral kittens, which seems reasonable. Secondary problems like marking aren’t a huge concern for ferals, either.

  68. 68.

    SFAW

    September 21, 2015 at 11:47 am

    @rikyrah:

    I’m shocked, SHOCKED to hear that there’s wingnut welfare going on in that establishment.

    And what was George P. Bush’s “Mexican Middle Name” — Pendejo? Puto? Pinche?

  69. 69.

    SFAW

    September 21, 2015 at 11:50 am

    @PurpleGirl:

    Colorado is “close enough” re: knowing what part of the country. (Un)Fortunately, I’m near Anne Laurie (geographically), so I don;’t have to figure out how to get one of Marc’s cats here. Which is probably all for the best.

    Thanks!

  70. 70.

    Amir Khalid

    September 21, 2015 at 11:58 am

    @SFAW:
    The P is for Prescott. He still uses that middle name. The expunged middle name is his mother’s maiden name, I think, which would be Gallo. But I can’t confirm it from George P’s Wikipedia entry; it is expunged there too.

  71. 71.

    SFAW

    September 21, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    The P is for Prescott.

    You know who else had an American supporter named Prescott Bush?

    Be that as it may, I think Pinche Pendejo is more suitable for most, if not all, of that family.

    ETA: The males of course. And Babs, too.

  72. 72.

    lurker dean

    September 21, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    @D58826: all hail the free market sociopaths.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/business/a-huge-overnight-increase-in-a-drugs-price-raises-protests.html

  73. 73.

    rikyrah

    September 21, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    Carson backs religious test for presidency, despite Constitution
    09/21/15 08:40 AM
    By Steve Benen
    Article VI of the U.S. Constitution is unambiguously clear: “[N]o religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

    As of yesterday, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson either doesn’t know what the Constitution says or he simply doesn’t care.
    Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson said he would not support a Muslim as President of the United States. Responding to a question on “Meet the Press,” the retired neurosurgeon said, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.”

    He also said that Islam, as a religion, is incompatible with the Constitution.
    It was a bizarre exchange to watch. “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd asked Carson, currently a top-tier GOP contender, if a president’s faith matters. “Well, I guess it depends on what that faith is,” he replied. “If it’s inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter. But if it fits within the realm of America and consistent with the Constitution, no problem.”

    Following up, Todd asked, “So do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?” Carson replied, “No, I don’t, I do not…. I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.”

    http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/carson-backs-religious-test-presidency-despite-constitution

  74. 74.

    D58826

    September 21, 2015 at 12:15 pm

    @rikyrah: With an absolutely straight face and his usual moronic stare Bobby Jindhl said he has no problem with a Muslim as president as long as he takes the oath of office on the Bible.

    How did any of these clowns get elected to pull the mike and cookies wagon in kindergarten let alone a real political office. (sigh)

  75. 75.

    rikyrah

    September 21, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    Fiorina went to the Mitt Romney Candidate School.
    Will remind people that Benen is the one who wrote the Weekly Lies of Willard Romney Column during the 2012 election season.
    ………………..

    Caught in a fib, Fiorina refuses to acknowledge misstep
    09/21/15 10:00 AM—UPDATED 09/21/15 11:02 AM
    By Steve Benen
    At last week’s Republican debate, Carly Fiorina described a Planned Parenthood video showing “a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says, ‘We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.’”

    There is no such video. It does not exist. This pesky detail has since touched off a striking series of events.

    http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/caught-fib-fiorina-refuses-acknowledge-misstep

  76. 76.

    SFAW

    September 21, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    @rikyrah:

    Did Chuckles Todd bother to ask the World-Renowned Pediatric Psychopath Neurosurgeon exactly WHY or HOW Islam is incompatible with the US Constitution? And, if he DID ask that question, did he ask how that same reasoning would not apply to our own Talibangelicals (of all flavors)?

    Seems like some pretty basic questions, but I don’t have the intestinal fortitude to watch Chuckles to see if he asked either of them.

  77. 77.

    SFAW

    September 21, 2015 at 12:24 pm

    @rikyrah:

    Caught in a fib,

    It wasn’t a fib. She’s a fucking liar, not a “fibber.”

  78. 78.

    Thoughtful Today

    September 21, 2015 at 12:24 pm

    As of yesterday, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson either doesn’t know what the Constitution says or he simply doesn’t care.

    You’ve discovered the essence of conservatism: Fiction.

  79. 79.

    Ella in New Mexico

    September 21, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler:

    I’m seeing an ad on this balloon-juice page: a photo of Glenn Beck holding a small electronic device in his hand.

    Ad-Block Plus. Save yourself the retinal damage.

  80. 80.

    Germy Shoemangler

    September 21, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    From the AP:

    VASHON ISLAND, Wash. — A Washington state animal shelter says a dog dutifully stood guard for a nearly a week on Vashon Island to protect another dog that had fallen in a cistern.

    Tillie, a setter mix, only left Phoebe’s side to try to alert people of her trapped friend.

    Amy Carey of Vashon Island Pet Protectors says the two were found Tuesday after they were reported missing by their owners last week. Vashon Island Pet Protectors says volunteers looking for the pair received a call about a reddish dog being seen on someone’s property a few times before promptly heading back into the ravine.

    Carey says the Pet Protectors followed the tip and found Tillie lying beside an old cistern. Inside rescuers found Phoebe, a basset hound, on a pile of stones above the water.

    The dogs were cold and hungry but otherwise unharmed.

    “It’s really quite remarkable,” Carey said.

  81. 81.

    Shakezula

    September 21, 2015 at 12:30 pm

    Mr. S. works for a place that sells all sorts of organic, animal-safe cleaning supplies and since we have cats, we’ve tested a few.

    I’d be happy to donate a few bottles of carpet stain remover if you can figure out a way for me to send it.

  82. 82.

    kc

    September 21, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    Omg, the cuteness!

  83. 83.

    Germy Shoemangler

    September 21, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    Photo of dog standing guard over dog trapped in cistern:
    http://www.usnews.com/news/offbeat/articles/2015/09/18/dog-stands-guard-for-week-protecting-trapped-friend

  84. 84.

    Elizabelle

    September 21, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    @SFAW: I think Marc’s in Arizona, one of the big cities (Phoenix or Tucson?), but don’t quote me.

  85. 85.

    WereBear

    September 21, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    @PurpleGirl: Marc is somewhere in Colorado

    Durn it. I’m safe, then.

  86. 86.

    Daffodil's Mom

    September 21, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    Oh gosh….

    Also, those white kittens are already showing signs of their Siamese-ish father. They will have some VERY interesting markings as they mature, and darken, probably in stripes and splotches just like one of ours.

    ENJOY!!! ;~)

  87. 87.

    Tenar Darell

    September 21, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    Thanks! I need the cute kitties today. Going to my father’s doctor with him, and it’s just one more of the many signs that things are changing. I really don’t like these changes.

    Here, have a Betty Davis song. Funk out to this. ;-)

  88. 88.

    Tom

    September 21, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: For me, the important part of understanding ‘Cat’ is the body language. I’ve gotten pretty good at interpreting the non-verbal signals (ear, tail, eyes, etc.).

    As a bonus, it helps you be more observant with humans.

  89. 89.

    rikyrah

    September 21, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    the kitties are cute.

  90. 90.

    rikyrah

    September 21, 2015 at 12:58 pm

    I really can’t wait for Pope Frankie and watch the GOP try and clown him.

  91. 91.

    kc

    September 21, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    @Roger Moore:

    Adult cats rarely communicate with each other using meows; they basically do it only for humans.

    I’ve read that a lot lately, but I swear my cats vocalize to one another more than rarely. Not as frequently as they talk to me, but still …

  92. 92.

    rikyrah

    September 21, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    I still think Jeb is the Establishment Candidate, and he still has over $100 million dollars….so, I don’t count him out, even if he is pitiful.

    ……………………

    Put a Fork in Him
    ByJOSH MARSHALL
    Published SEPTEMBER 21, 2015, 10:16 AM EDT

    Jeb Bush says a new TV ad attacking his brother, put together by an outside Democratic group, is “disgraceful.” This comes after Jeb himself put out a meme after last week’s debate embracing his “he kept us” safe line from his exchange with celebrity businessman Donald Trump. It’s hard to see what exactly is “disgraceful” about criticizing the record of a former president just because he happens to be another candidate’s brother. Indeed, as Amanda Marcotte notes here, the “he kept us safe” line is problematic on the merits, unless you consider the catastrophic 9/11 attacks the world’s most epic presidential mulligan. Even post-9/11, which of course is what the defenders want to focus on, getting the country embroiled in the catastrophic and terrorism irrelevant Iraq War doesn’t look like such a great idea in retrospect either.

    But for the purposes of 2016, I’d argue that all these substantive points are borderline irrelevant.

    As I noted in yesterday’s post, Jeb Bush has a respectable presidential resume, vast sums of campaign money and at least some remaining powerbase in the critical state of Florida. Basically the one, single and only thing that he needed to focus on in this campaign was banking all the money and establishment support that went with his name while basically never mentioning his father and brother and finding a way to convince people he was, as he put it once, “his own man” rather than the warmed over ‘younger brother’ who now, painfully, happens to be almost exactly the same age his dad was when he ran for President in 1988. (Yes, Bush would be just a few days shy of 64 if he was sworn in in January 2017. His dad was 64.)

    …………………………………

    The Americans United for Change’s ad, which Jeb calls “disgraceful” is a rather transparent and, it would seem, extremely effective effort to pull Jeb into focusing even more of his campaign on talking about his brother and his generally discredited foreign policy.

    And of course, Jeb’s falling for it totally.

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/put-a-fork-in-him–2

  93. 93.

    schrodinger's cat

    September 21, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    Cute kittehs! Want!

  94. 94.

    J R in WV

    September 21, 2015 at 9:17 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Hi Major^4 !

    I often have that kind of problem, awake at a stupid time of night. If there are B-J regulars commenting, that helps a little.

    How’s your brain? Hope you’re feeling OK, not as fantastic visions and all. I haven’t seen any comments by you lately, so do let us know how you’re doing.

    Best of luck!

    JR back East

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