Steve just feels so much better and is so much happier I am beginning to feel guilty I have not had him shaved every summer:
He’s on his perch next to my chair (and he just knocked everything I had on it off to get there and then just sat his fat ass down on a bunch of paperwork), and right now I think he is tracking a bug.
Season 2 of Marco Polo for me tonight. You all?
La Caterina (Mrs. Johannes)
He’s floofy even with a crew cut!
Mnemosyne
So apparently when Dave Grohl shows up at your hit Broadway play and asks if he can try out the drum kit afterward, you let him, because he’s Dave Grohl.
Also, too, I just spent $650 on glasses and sunglasses … and the frames were 100 percent covered by insurance. I am still an ideal candidate for LASIK, so this may be the year.
Adam L Silverman
I’m watching your neighbors track Bigfoot throughout the Appalachians. Destination America is having a Mountain Monsters: Uncaged (extra footage, interviews with West Virginia’s Native Sons…, special text box explanations of what happened in the episode) marathon this afternoon and evening.
http://www.destinationamerica.com/tv-shows/mountain-monsters/
MomSense
Season 2 of Marco Polo for me as well.
Mezz
Cole – yes you should shave him every summer. I do it with my big hairy long-hair. But next time ask for the “puff-ball” tail – it will provide endless entertainment for like 3 months. Steve’s “boots” look very smart though.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: One question: did you see the link to the Italian horror film I posted for you earlier?
One comment: I had it done before I deployed to Iraq in 2007 as you can’t safely wear contacts in Iraq, especially in the great sea of sand that we were deployed to. I have been exceedingly pleased with the results.
geg6
How would you like going about in a super floofy fur coat all summer? Of course Steve feels better!
Just finished a lovely dinner of lemon/garlic/herb grilled wings with salad and sweet potatoes. John made an orange pound cake and we had that with some fresh raspberries from our bushes. So good. Now going to settle down to watch the last three episodes of Outlander Season 2 and finish up the bottle of Dreaming Tree Everyday white.
Mike in NC
Would rather watch Season 2 of Marco Rubio, whore of Miami used car salesman.
debbie
I’m trying to binge on Luther, but I can’t watch more than one episode at a time. So dark.
MomSense
@debbie:
So dark and so good. Same with The Fall.
phoebes from highland park
Steve’s a beauty and you should groom him every summer. Bet he feels better.
Adam L Silverman
@Mike in NC: My understanding is he really started just phoning it in that season. Like he really couldn’t be bothered showing up to work and doing his job.
Mnemosyne
@Adam L Silverman:
I probably missed the link since I was out and about — which thread is it in?
Everyone who’s had it done that comments here said it worked out for them, so I’m seriously considering it. I would still have to wear reading glasses, but that’s no big deal. I’ve been wearing glasses since first grade, so it’s very weird to contemplate.
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
As it happens the U of Chicago Press free book of the month is about Bigfoot. Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend by Joshua Blu Buhs.
Corner Stone
I swear I have hunted bobcats smaller than that fucking beast.
Corner Stone
I could barely chew through Season 1. Not going to bother with S2.
Anyone else wasted time on the Curtis Jackson series on Encore, “Power” ?
I’ve seen maybe 5 episodes now and just can’t even give a shit about any of the characters. None of this makes any sense.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: Here you go:
http://io9.gizmodo.com/descend-into-weirdness-with-the-new-blu-ray-of-italian-1782972506
As to Lasiks: I had a very mild correction that needed to be made. The only concern is I have thin corneas, but I got a second opinion from my previous eye doctor (I had it done in KC because we were in training isolation at Leavenworth and my most recent eye doctor was in Little Rock) who had seen me within 18 months or so and his take was, given the reputation of the doctor that was doing it, and after speaking to him about how he approached it and why he cleared me for it, my previous eye doctor said I was good to go. I do get halos around headlights and street lamps and have considered getting yellow, glare reducing night driving glasses, which I’m likely to do. But other than that, no negative effects at all.
Adam L Silverman
@MomSense: Can I get it free for kindle or ibooks?
seaboogie
Steve is some cat – this pic makes me want to pick him up for the inevitable exclamation of “Oooof!”
Tenar Darell
Been a while since I wanted to watch tv. So put on PBS Mystery. Saturday night re-broadcast. Endevour & caught show after called The Tunnel (which on first viewing appears to be a French/British adaptation of the Danish/Swedish version of The Bridge). Absorbing enough that I hope to find the season premiers of both online; hopefully PBS app to the rescue.
Mnemosyne
@Adam L Silverman:
I just can’t get into Fulci. He’s a terrible filmmaker who really only gets attention because of the insane amount of gore in his movies. Bava’s films usually at least have decent mysteries. Twitch of the Death Nerve aka Bay of Blood is incredibly gory, but also has an Agatha Christie-like plot that’s interesting even beyond the gore. Apparently they stole a lot of the murders for the second Friday the 13th movie.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: Okay, I just saw Italian horror move and thought I know who might be interested.
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
You get to choose.
Here is the link Bigfoot
Adam L Silverman
@MomSense: Thanks, just snagged it.
Mnemosyne
@Adam L Silverman:
Hey, if I didn’t love Italian horror, I wouldn’t have strong opinions about it, would I? ?
Mobil RoonieRoo
Catching up on our DVRd stuff. Steve really looks good. Seriously John I think one of the best things of this shaving is that we can see that he is not as fat as his fur made him look.
The only thing I caution is to manage the amount of time he is in the sun as sunburn is a real possibility.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: True.
ruemara
Been burning the same footage over and over, trying to get a dvd compatible & fitable show. I have to stop working for free for people. This project is has taken over 40 hours, post shooting. AND what madmen dropped basic dvd authoring software off the standards for Mac & PC?
On the plus side, I tried using aquafaba for vegan meringues and it worked very well. Still working the bugs out of making them right, but they are delicious. So if any vegans were wondering, yes, you can make a delicious meringue topping. I should have just made it into a pavlova. Use the good parchment paper.
J R in WV
Here in West Virginia, I know no one who actually believes in bigfoot, as in here in WV bigfoot.
And I know people who have seen UFOs. Had UFOs stop their engines on the road, actually – but no bigfoot.
Regarding getting Steve clipped in the spring…
We once had a very long haired black dog named Step-Aside Clyde. In the winter, Clyde didn’t want to come inside, especially if it was below zero out. He would sleep on the back porch, and snow would accumulate on him until he was a drift on the deck, with two button eyes peeking out of the snow.
The first big snow, he would rub his face in the snow, and slowly roll over and wriggle his back into the 3 or 4 inches of snow. He was really not comfortable indoors at 68 F at all. And in the spring we would take him to the same groomer, and they would shave him closely except for his lower legs, around his ears and out his tail. And then he would love spring, rains included. The only time water could touch his skin was the few months after a close trim.
He was the smartest dog we’ve ever had. Just a black holler dog. He walked down off the ridge one December evening, it was flurrying snow and he was a sphere of black about 12 inches in diameter. I went out with a dish of dog chow, and he wagged his whole body, and we were like brothers the rest of his life. And Bro and sister with Mrs J.
I could go on for a whole book, just on Clyde. Take care of Steve, he is a rare gem!
geg6
This is not meant to be critical of military veterans in any way, but why are so many people interviewed in a local news story about 4th of July celebrations saying it’s all about honoring the vets? WTF? No, it’s not about the vets. At all. In any way. It’s about the fucking Declaration of Independence, you mouth-breathing, inbred half wits.
I love America but I simply can’t tolerate a rather large percentage of Americans.
madmommy
@Mnemosyne:
I had it done in 1998, was very nearsighted to the point that I couldn’t see the big E on the eye chart without my glasses/contacts. I’ve loved it, though I’ve developed a slight astigmatism. I can still pass the eye test to drive without correction but since I need readers now I just got bifocals that correct the slight distance issues and let me read what I need to. Highly recommended.
Olivia
We had 2 neurotic white long haired cats that would shed like crazy all summer. One summer, I finally decided to get them shaved and they LOVED it. They loved all the attention they got at the groomers and when they came home they would sashay around like they were in some beauty pageant. They looked so damn ugly with their hair shaved off but we did it every summer because it was obviously the best thing that happened to them all year.
Virginia (fka Abo Gato)
@Mnemosyne: I had it back in 99 and have been very happy since. My contact prescription was a -10 and I was truly blind without correction. What a joy it has been since then to be able to travel without toting all the stuff, plus extras, in case something happens. It is great to be at the beach or swimming and to be able to see. Best thing I ever did and I highly recommend it.
Prescott Cactus
Starting “In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing” by Lee and Bob Woodruff.
Bride recommendation. She’s a good book picker !
Prescott Cactus
@geg6:
Canadian, eh?
ETA: lots
geg6
I remember when we used to get our dear departed Otis shaved every May. He was groomed semi-regularly since he was a golden retriever and you pretty much have to with all their long, easily tangled fur, we only shaved him once a year in preparation for summer. He would literally prance around and pose and show off for days afterward, convinced he was the handsomest dog that ever lived. Which he was. I so miss that sweet, vain boy!!!
eclare
As for LASIK, the only comment I have heard from people is that they wished they had done it sooner. Don’t think I am a good candidate, otherwise I would have looked into it.
seaboogie
@J R in WV: I hear you J R on your wonderful Clyde. A great dog is really sort of the best thing ever. Still miss my Seamus after 3 years. He was my onliest ever dog, and the love of my life. Seamus used to go to work in retail in Tiburon, CA with my ex named Tom who became a sort of pal of Tom Snyder – that Tom Snyder. Snyder’s great love was his sheepdog, and even Snyder said “Seamus is the coolest dog I’ve ever met!” A beautiful pale, aquiline Golden who was Joe Soul – and just loved people. One of his commands was “Go say Hi”, and there are pictures of him all around the world. We’d see tourists taking photos on the waterfront in Tiburon and I’d offer to take a picture of the couple or the gang when I was walking my buddy. I’d ask him to sit while I did it, and everyone said “No, we want Seamus in the photo!”. Feel a little weepy in the remembering, and so grateful for his constant, steadfast and loving companionship through so much of life’s ups and downs.
redshirt
Dat Ass!
PurpleGirl
@Adam L Silverman: I’ve been watching all the Vet shows on Animal Planet — Dr. Dee: Alaska Vet, Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet, and The Vet Life — A Vet Practice of 3 friends in Houston. (My Cat from Hell is in rotation right now. I love these shows.
John Cole
@Mobil RoonieRoo:
As I just said on twitter, Steve and Tunch weighed the same, but the difference was picking up Steve is like picking up a medicine ball and picking up Tunch was like picking up a water balloon stuffed with pudding.
It’s the difference between a 350 lb man in the world’s strongest man competition and Chris Farley.
seaboogie
I thought of shaving Seamus for the summer more than once, but he had such beautiful deep feathering, and his singular beauty drew people in, and then his sweet and gentle nature won their hearts, so I couldn’t get in the way of his currency with “his public”.
Adam L Silverman
@John Cole: Would the world’s strongest man be trying to pick up Chris Farley?
Also, this guy:
http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/news/a46264/iranian-hulk-sajad-gharibi-photos/
Mnemosyne
@madmommy:
@Virginia (fka Abo Gato):
Yeah, this year will probably be the year. I’m nervous about the surgery, but I’m pretty tolerant of people messing with my eyes since I’ve been wearing glasses and/or contacts for so long. I’m a -6.5 in one eye and -8.0 in the other, but those numbers have been rock-solid for about 5 years now, which is part of what makes me an ideal candidate.
(I’ve worn contacts a few times, but i just couldn’t deal with the regimen necessary.)
geg6
@seaboogie:
When we got our Otis shaved, we always kept the feathers on his legs and tail. Golden feathers are so lovely.
rikyrah
@Corner Stone:
I love Power. Can’t stand Ghost, though.
rikyrah
LOL at Steve.
redshirt
@Adam L Silverman: Iranian Hulk vs. Egyptian Hulk
Adam L Silverman
@redshirt: I think the Iranian guy is significantly bigger.
pseudonymous in nc
@geg6:
Silly geg6, every American holiday is about the troops BECAUSE FREEDOM apart from Halloween, and they’re working on that one.
John: we get our black fuzzy beast shaved in May, to his disgruntlement — the groomer gets a big tip — but he benefits from it in the high summer. Keep an eye on Steve during sunny days until it starts growing back. And the full lion cut will just make a long-haired cat neurotically lick the tail-poof for a few weeks, which is sort of hilarious, but we don’t do that any more.
redshirt
@Adam L Silverman: Yeah but did he fight a lion? No, I doubt it.
Aleta
@seaboogie: I bet your Seamus was a kid magnet, too. I love that in a dog. The gentle ones draw the gentle kids like butterflies to milkweed.
Aleta
@J R in WV: That’s a beautiful piece of writing and it moved me very much.
madmommy
@Mnemosyne: Even with all the drops they put in for the procedure when you sit up afterward you’ll be able to see better than you did when they started. By the next morning you’ll be amazed. I had it done on a Friday and before I went for my follow-up appointment the next morning I was watching TV. I could see the ticker at the bottom of the screen legibly for the first time in my life without correction. Amazing.
gbear
My kitty got shaved like that last summer and I’m thinking I may make it a habit. She HATES being touched with a brush or comb and she has hair almost as long as Steve’s.
Steve’s tail is going to look like a bottle brush for at least 10 months. I was amazed at how slowly their hair grows back.
Villago Delenda Est
@geg6: It’s this damned cult of militarism that has grown up over the past few decades. I don’t recall it being like this when I was a kid, when the “Greatest Generation” was large and fully in charge. I’m a vet, and I hate it.
redshirt
@Villago Delenda Est: It’s in response to Vietnam and has successfully co-opted energy spent spitting on soldiers into energy praising soldiers. The military is now untouchable and above reproach and we civilians are a little less, aren’t we?
Villago Delenda Est
@redshirt: The military should NEVER be untouchable and above reproach. Those of us who have seen it from the inside know this. Perhaps the problem is that there are fewer and fewer of us around to issue corrections.
Villago Delenda Est
@efgoldman: If any Vietnam-era soldiers were spat on, it was by WWII REMF types down at the Legion hall.
seaboogie
@geg6: I get that. Seamus also had the most silky long belly-feathers, they were the ones that made it not possible to shave him.
Juju
@Mnemosyne: Do it. I had LASIK done in January, and I needed a revision in May. I now have 19/20 in both eyes, when all I could see before was the big E at the top of the chart. I love it. It was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I can wear cheap sunglasses and cheap readers that are even cute. My last pair of glasses was $450 and that was without bells and whistles. I needed highest density plastic and frames that could hold thick lenses, even with highest density plastic. I couldn’t wear contacts any longer because I over used extended wear lenses. My glasses made me look like an older than I am. I can’t tell you enough how much I love my LASIK. I danced after my evaluation for LASIK and I danced the day after my surgeries. I had no problems at all with after care, and the surgery itself was not scary or bad at all. You get drugs to calm you down (Valium ), but I was so ready I could have done it without Valium. Anyhoo, do it if you can. You’ll love it.
Technocrat
@Villago Delenda Est:
Is it a recent phenomenon?. I was a teen in ’75, and I had a poster of an F-4 Phantom on my wall. The one with all the munitions laid out. I never really thought much about what the munitions did, it was just a cool machine. I think I also had a picture of a Nike missile and maybe an F-104 Starfighter.
If a kid today had a poster of a Predator drone, I would think it kind of weird. Of course my parents may have thought the same thing!
Juju
@Virginia (fka Abo Gato): Holy cow!! I was -8:00 in both eyes and I thought I was bad.
Juju
@eclare: get an evaluation. It’s usually no charge, especially if you don’t qualify. I didn’t think I’d quality because I was very nearsighted and had a big astigmatism in my left eye, and I did qualify. It’s the best thing I’ve done in a while.
trollhattan
In general it’s not a good look for Steeeeve but if it makes him happy then by all means, make the Giant Guy happy. Cats for the most don’t do mirrors. “Yeah, I already know I look good. The fuck you looking at?”
Do cats sunburn?
trollhattan
@eclare:
REALLY wanted to do it but don’t have enough cornea to work with. Sigh.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@efgoldman: There was a 2005 discussion thread about it at Snopes and a 2011 discussion on the topic at TheStraightDope.
It apparently happened, but it was extremely rare.
Cheers,
Scott.
Gemina13
Steve looks much more comfortable. His coat shavings probably could have made another cat.
Lucky, my tuxedo, has been gone for 3 years, but he was another large cat with a thick coat. I considered getting him shaved when I lived in Phoenix, but he absolutely loved the sun and heat. Washington fascinated him, but he hated being cold – I’d wake up most mornings to find him curled up tight against me under the blankets, even in summer.
The housemate’s Siamese has the coat typical of the breed – short, sleek, and easy to care for. If I shaved her, she’d look like a Sphynx.
mohagan
We had a long-haired tuxedo female who loved to be outside in the summer and would get covered in burrs and foxtails. Impossible for her to maintain. Being feisty and very clear on her boundaries, she wouldn’t let me comb or brush her, so finally in desperation we had her shaved one summer. I had thought it would be short hair, but she got the full lion cut (head, booties and tip of the tail left, everything else was suede kitty). Very cute, but I was scared about what she’d think. When we brought her home I thought she would be very pissed, but she LOVED it. She was cool outside in the summer heat, the burrs just rolled off her, and her fur grew back in by the time November arrived. Highly recommended!
Cat48
Steve is much cuter from the front. I love his face, he has gorgeous eyes. I’m glad he’s feeling much better.
gogol's wife
I just want to pet and snuggle him.
Gvg
@efgoldman: oh yes it did. Just like your favorite team having a few regrettable fans, America is a big population country with it’s stupid % not mention some mean, some bigots etc. it was exaggerated and grew in the telling I am sure. My Uncle had one instance with a bank teller, with my Aunt witnessing. One. It logically must have happened to other people in our large country. Don’t forget the 27% are always out there.
Now the political mythology was always unfair and reprehensible.
Theodore Wirth
JC,
Our two active 4-5 y/o girls with luxurious fur appear anorexic when compared to a shaven Steve and one of them can jump atop a door in a single bound. They subsist on a diet of double-filtered tap water and all-you-can-eat corn-minimized dry food and nightly treats with brewer’s rice as the top ingredient. They have no interest in eating human food and I feel that they may be beautiful and healthy because of this. Regardless, thank you for your hard work.