Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

The lights are all blinking red.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

Text STOP to opt out of updates on war plans.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

In my day, never was longer.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

T R E 4 5 O N

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / In Barkest Night!

Reader Interactions

219Comments

  2. 2.

    lollipopguild

    Before I retired I would drive to work in the dark in the morning and I was VERY glad to see people walking their dogs with these kind of leashes. I lost track of all of the bike riders, joggers and people walking their dogs who I could not see until I was Right on top of them.

  3. 3.

    BlueDWarrior

    I dunno it seems like an idea that would have popped up before, then again LEDs are inexpensive to the point to where you can make leashes like this for super cheap.

  7. 7.

    amk

    a sound and light show. yeah, that’ll get ya the skewrils. stupid dogs. no wonder cats rule.

  8. 8.

    Adam L Silverman

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: The dogs or the light up collars and leashes?
    The collars and leashes are made by Blazin Bison and come in a variety of colors. They are USB rechargeable and since I do walk my dogs at night and there’s not a lot of lighting around here and one of them is black (and therefore hard to see in the dark), they are very useful.
    The collars:
    https://www.amazon.com/Blazin-Bison-Rechargeable-Waterproof-Flashing/dp/B01F6O4SUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490146247&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=blazin+bison+collar&psc=1
    The leashes:
    https://www.amazon.com/Blazin-Safety-LED-Dog-Leash/dp/B01F6O4P0U/ref=pd_sim_199_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01F6O4P0U&pd_rd_r=T9AY6J95CRYRY3DH6DSB&pd_rd_w=ozkAc&pd_rd_wg=Fg9aO&psc=1&refRID=T9AY6J95CRYRY3DH6DSB

    The harnesses are the Best Front Range and the ones I ordered are sold by a Navy vet in central Florida. They are very reflective, fit well, easily adjustable.
    https://www.amazon.com/Chais-Choice-Products-No-Pull-Harness/dp/B00URW5D4E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490146540&sr=8-1&keywords=best+front+range+no+pull+dog+harness

    As for the dogs: get your own!

  10. 10.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Omnes Omnibus: Nope, had a long day and didn’t feel like doing anything serious and also didn’t want to go hunting for something for an open thread. I had this pick to hand, so it was easy way out.

  12. 12.

    raven

    Really? Wow. So now what?” Collins said. “The government shouldn’t take it away. This place is below the poverty level. There is nothing here, and people need something to stay out of drugs.”

    Collins, 45, who draws disability benefits, became emotional as she spoke about her own involvement with drugs; she estimates she has known about 30 people who have died from opioid abuse. A Trump supporter, Collins said she could not vote for him because she has a felony drug conviction. She thinks Trump should visit the area to see the impact of his budget for himself.

    Xin Loi genius.

  15. 15.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Bill: The other oaths aren’t as easy to adapt. I tried to do the Red Lantern oath, but wasn’t sure what would work in place of

    “With blood and rage of crimson red,

    Ripped from a corpse so freshly dead,

    Together with our hellish hate,

    We’ll burn you all–that is your fate!”

  19. 19.

    debit

    Yay, a dog thread. Dog experts, please weigh in on something. Kelpie was always an outdoor dog, so I’ve been working on house training her. She’s doing pretty well, but tonight she peed inside and while I was cleaning it up, she peed again. I let her out, she peed one more time, I let her back in, bam, more pee. And then again. I’m thinking UTI. Her appetite is okay, she’s cheerful and active, she just can’t seem to stop peeing. I have an appointment for her on Saturday and will move it up if her appetite/attitude change, but for now I’m thinking no cause for alarm. Thoughts?

  29. 29.

    PaulW

    Open Thread consideration:

    I still worry enough Republicans will vote for the House bill to kill off healthcare in spite of their utter realization that doing so is political suicide, only because to NOT vote on it would admit failure… and the Republicans haven’t admitted failure in 40 years. They always blamed Democrats, and Clinton, then Obama, then more Democrats, then women, then Blacks, then Latinos, then the media, then moderates who betrayed the party, and so on. But this time, they can’t blame anybody but themselves if RyantrumpCare passes, AND they can’t blame anybody but themselves if it fails to pass. This is insane, but this is the hill they put themselves on. And we’re all still screwed.

  36. 36.

    efgoldman

    @lollipopguild:

    She knows 30 people who have died from overdoses and she supports trump.

    Yeah, these are the stupid fucks who we’re supposed to try to understand and be sympathetic toward. Most of them can’t dress themselves, tie their own shoes, or know where the sun rises. They are too stupid, bigoted, and willfully ignorant to live in society. But the Villagers will keep writing think pieces (actually, one think piece over and over) patronizing the fucking shit out of them, and pretend we’re supposed to care, when the Village doesn’t.

    Fuckem

  39. 39.

    Adam L Silverman

    @debit: Sounds possible. Do you limit the amount of water you put out? Ruby (the green collar and leash) likes to pee a lot. So I make sure the water bowls are not more than a 1/4 full and if I’m home I make sure she goes out on a regular basis. She’s usually really good at getting my attention to let her out, but if she’s running around and playing with her big sister (Rosie – red collar and leash), and I’m not around she has a spot and she’ll just go because exertion. Fortunately I have tile floors, so clean up is fairly easy, but it still happens occasionally. So it may just be that Kelpie has taken in too much water and isn’t, yet, with your program.

  43. 43.

    BlueDWarrior

    @efgoldman: The problem is that these crazy people are spread out enough to completely and utterly paralyze the federal government; unless they get the chance to implement their fatally-flawed, internally contradictory policies into place.

    And of course when they do fail, it will be because the liberals sabotaged them, and we need to make it even MORE conservative next time.

    I am not sure how the fever breaks unless some external event forces it.

  45. 45.

    efgoldman

    @PaulW:

    I still worry enough Republicans will vote for the House bill to kill off healthcare

    You underestimate the kkkraziness of the kkkrazy kkkaukus. To them, the bill is a piece of shit compromise (which it is) that doesn’t go far enough. They (correctly) have no fear of Granny Starver, probably the most feckless speaker ever. Nor do they fear Orange Shitgibbon, who’s numbers are cratering and going down faster than the elevator to Filene’s Basement.

  46. 46.

    Mnemosyne

    I’m really tired of this goddamned cough. I know it’s mostly from postnasal drip, but it’s still annoying the shit out of me.

  49. 49.

    JeanneT

    @debit: Is she squatting to pee indoors, or just dribbling as she moves around? Or leaking as she lays around? Can you take your vet a urine sample to analyze before Saturday? If it’s an infection, you can start treatment ASAP. If it’s not an infection, she might have developed spay urinary incontinence, or even something like Cushing’s disease, so I’m glad you already plan to take her in to the vet!

  50. 50.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @efgoldman: There are people whose views are left of center out there. Some of them didn’t vote for “reasons;” others weren’t able to vote because of suppression or work/life scheduling. We need to address the “reasons” and fix the other stuff. We don’t need to chase Trumpies.

  52. 52.

    debit

    @Adam L Silverman: I don’t limit her water. She did a lot of nervous panting when she first came home, so I left out full bowls and she peed as expected. Maybe tonight was just an anomaly. I’m restricting her water until morning and then I guess we’ll see what she does. On the advice of the Humane Society, I bought her a crate, which she refuses to enter, despite encouragement and treats. On the other hand, Ellie loves it and hangs out in it while I’m in the kitchen.

  56. 56.

    efgoldman

    @BlueDWarrior:

    when they do fail, it will be because the liberals sabotaged them

    I’m fine with that. Whether they really think so (probably – can only be failed, etc) or they use it as an excuse for the knuckle dragging, drooling, flying monkeys, it imputes power to our side.

  64. 64.

    debit

    @JeanneT: Actually squatting to pee. And I’m so proud of her, because she asked to go out after the first pee but I missed her signal.

  66. 66.

    Lyrebird

    @Omnes Omnibus: Snort. There goes the Midwestern Nice(tm) out the window, huh? (just teasing)

    @efgoldman: No interest in standup, actually, but I worked for a dude who was moonlighting as a comic. After the office crew came to see one of his gigs, he offered to bring me to all of them, bc so long as the humor’s not too mean, I will laugh at most any joke, and he said that getting that first person to laugh out loud was KEY. We both left Boston, so it didn’t lead to much, but hey, a talent!

  72. 72.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Lyrebird:

    There goes the Midwestern Nice(tm) out the window, huh?

    That was Midwestern Nice. You just need the right perspective.

  73. 73.

    Adam L Silverman

    @lamh36: They are mine. Rosie is a five year old black lab/German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois mix. She’s the solid black one in the red collar with matching leash. Ruby is a three year old chocolate lab/boxer/Catahula Leopard Dog or chocolate lab/rottweiler/Catahula Leopard Dog mix (we know her mom was either a lab/boxer or lab/rottweiler mix, we don’t know about her dad, but she scent tracks and has crystal eyes and some of the patching that Catahula’s have). She’s the chocolate brown, caramel brindle, cream, with chocolate and brindle spots and marking with the green collar and matching leash. They are just about the same weight – Ruby weighs a pound or two more than Rosie, but Rosie has a slightly longer torso and longer legs. Ruby is also a Daddy’s girl. And no one get’s to her Daddy without her approval!

  74. 74.

    Pogonip

    @debit: My thought is you are truly good to the least of these, and should be blessed for it.

    And take the least of these to the vet.

    Do you also take in kids? I’ve met a couple of couples (grin) who do both.

  77. 77.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Gin & Tonic: Yep, once I saw the reporting and the conflicting stories of a) pushed off the roof of his five story building or b) something something lifting a bathtub with a winch fell off the building something something, I agree. Though he did crack his skull so it may just be that he was meant to die and he landed wrong – as in they didn’t kill him.

  89. 89.

    Mnemosyne

    @lamh36:

    Be prepared that even if it looks good on paper, you may end up wanting to switch everything around. G and I had one layout for our living room, put all the furniture in that configuration, and then a week later he decided he wanted everything mirror image of the way we had it. (And, TBH, he was right.)

  91. 91.

    catclub

    @efgoldman:

    Nor do they fear Orange Shitgibbon, who’s numbers are cratering and going down faster than the elevator to Filene’s Basement.

    But they are not (yet) cratering among Republicans. So I am surprised so far, at the Freedom Caucus hanging on.

    OTOH: KocH orgs and Club for Growth are agin the bill. So that is a backstop for the Freedom Crazies.

  93. 93.

    Jeffro

    @amk: Lieu has his most basic of facts wrong; there are no more GOP moderates.

    If he’s talking to GOP congressmen, he’s also off-base: it’s not possible for any of them to be primaried from the right anymore.

    It’s time for Dems to start walking around Capitol Hill with life preservers at the ready for their friends across the aisle: “Whenever you’re ready, whenever you rediscover your principles, we’ll be glad to throw you a line back to the land of actual. governance. and sanity!”

  96. 96.

    randy khan

    A friend reports that a new version of RyanTrumpDon’tCare is coming tomorrow, meaning (a) they don’t have the votes now; and (b) presumably no CBO score before the scheduled vote.

    So keep calling and emailing!

  103. 103.

    Jeffro

    @randy khan: You just KNOW that version’s going to be weighed down with bribes for red states…I agree, keep calling and emailing (and mocking)

    Don’t forget to email and Tweet at some of our media peeps about this, too – some of them iz learning how the Rs operate. Strange times!

  110. 110.

    efgoldman

    @catclub:

    I am surprised so far, at the Freedom Caucus hanging on.

    We keep making the mistake of thinking “normal” political calculus applies to these kkklowns. It does not. They don’t think like you and I do. They were not sent to congress to govern or legislate, they were sent to DC to break things. They come from deep, deep red districts in red states. It takes fewer than two dozen of them, plus blue state/district Republiklowns like Issa the car thief (who’ll retire if he has any sense at all) who really ARE in danger if they vote for this piece of shit, and it dies.

  112. 112.

    StringOnAStick

    @Gin & Tonic: Your surgery is Thursday, correct? Since they weren’t able to reduce (realign the bones properly) your fracture, I guarantee that the pain will be much more tolerable once the bones are lined up and pinned back together. The post surgery pain will moderate fairly quickly and be a whole lot better than the signals your brain is currently getting about the situation.

    Best of luck on your surgery, and be assured that things get better quickly. The best advice I got from a PT who specialized iin hands/lower arms is to “dance with your hand” once you are cleared for PT. Do lots of highly varied movement, with music if needed to get the dance going…..

  114. 114.

    Jeffro

    @Mnemosyne: Or he’s trying to get them to deny they’re moderate, and/or to over-react, or to keep them right in line with Trumpov as he drives the party right over a cliff.

    Either way, he really goes for their weak spots and I love him for it. He strikes me as the kind of Dem who forgets he’s supposed to bring a knife to a gun fight, and brings a Striker or something instead.

  120. 120.

    Gvg

    @lollipopguild: I think we can assume a certain amount of brain damage. I doubt she knows that many deceased without having also done a significant amount. That truly sounds pitiful.

  122. 122.

    efgoldman

    @Mnemosyne:

    I actually feel somewhat better

    Oh, have you been feeling poorly? And did you travel somewhere? How would your friends at Balloon Juice ever have known?

  123. 123.

    Mnemosyne

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I need to start doing my critiques for the writer’s conference this weekend. I have three sets of 10 pages each to read and critique. A hot toddy will only hamper that attempt.

    But it did seem to help me sleep last night, so there may be one pre-bedtime.

  125. 125.

    Mnemosyne

    @efgoldman:

    If you want to hear about today’s mucus production, I’m happy to oblige.

    ETA: Also, really, I’m not supposed to respond when my blog partner asks how I’m feeling? Really?

  129. 129.

    Lizzy L

    @Jeffro:

    it’s not possible for any of them to be primaried from the right anymore.

    Serious question: why not? I see why the Freedom KKKaucus folks are safe, but what about the few who have actually said they want to protect Medicaid because there are a lot of people in their districts on Medicaid? Or do you think they are just making noise and when it comes to a vote, if it does, they’ll cave. That would not surprise me.

  130. 130.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Mnemosyne:

    I have three sets of 10 pages each to read and critique. A hot toddy will only hamper that attempt.

    Would it? Would it really?

  135. 135.

    lamh36

    Russian attorney involved in US money-laundering case reportedly ‘thrown’ from 4th story apartment ow.ly/KGD930a8rgp

  137. 137.

    debit

    @mai naem mobile: Yeah, that’s my thought too. Seeing as how she got the full work up at the Humane Society (spayed, tumor removal, blood work, etc) diabetes seems out there.

  138. 138.

    Jeffro

    Before I go (early start to a very long day tomorrow) I have to give some props to Adam for getting the GL sector # for Earth right. My brain always wants to transpose it as 2418 or 2148.

  141. 141.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Omnes Omnibus: There is $1.2 trillion in play for Putin with part of that going to Exxon if the sanctions are lifted and the Russian/Exxon oil deal can actually be started. That’s why.

    Zee money, follow zee money!

  143. 143.

    efgoldman

    @Lizzy L:

    what about the few who have actually said they want to protect Medicaid because there are a lot of people in their districts on Medicaid?

    They can count. There are several posts in the last thread pointing out that Peach Pustule’s margin of victory in each of several states was a fraction of the number of people in each state receiving medicaid.

  146. 146.

    Jeffro

    @Lizzy L: I should have clarified…anyone could be primaried from further and further right…but there’s a limit to how far right they can go and win, and I think that’s where we’re at. Sure there are some red and ruby-red districts, but in anything less than that, for this, people – even R primary voters – aren’t going to stand for it (meaning, a far-right challenger will actually lose).

  148. 148.

    Gin & Tonic

    @StringOnAStick: Thanks. The only unknown until the event on Thursday is whether bone grafting will be needed. There are a lot of small pieces in there right now.

  151. 151.

    Jeffro

    @Adam L Silverman: Right? This is not rocket surgery here. Tillerson probably feels like he’s working for the first time in…some time…but he knows full well what he’s working towards.

  153. 153.

    Patricia Kayden

    @PaulW: To be frank, people voted for Republicans knowing that they had attempted to repeal the ACA scores of times. Elections have consequences so yes, Republicans may successfully repeal the ACA. It’s to be expected.

  159. 159.

    lamh36

    Tillerson, who says he didn’t want @StateDept job, saved at least $33 million in taxes by taking it. nydailynews.com/news/politics/… @stephenWalt

  160. 160.

    amk

    twitler – bow before my yuuugge 30’s approval ratings.

    Not sure which to root for. fail to pass = a slap in the collective faces of twitler, zegs, mcturtle and the corrupt caucus. pass to fail = a slap in the collective faces of oh, he doesn’t mean that trump curious voters.

  162. 162.

    randy khan

    @efgoldman:

    Exactly – the Freedom Caucus is even less like a bunch of normal legislators than the rest of the Republicans. And on top of it they don’t like Ryan, so humiliating him would be an extra bonus.

  163. 163.

    Steve in the ATL

    @raven:

    It’s been rainin like a mofo for hours. Hail all over the southeast.

    Good thing I’m in Colorado!

  164. 164.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Jeffro: If you scrub everything else away, its all about the money. On the Putin side and on the President’s side. I have a slightly different take from Josh Marshall’s, but there’s significant overlap. My take is that I have no doubt that someone in Russia is claiming there’s one or more sex tape and that this info has been caught in the Intel collection of the Eastern European NATO states. But I think its more likely that these are dupes – as in fabrications by Russian Intel. They have Trump on tape from when he was in Russia and they’ve got actors done up to look like him doing things on tape. This is a standard Putin play and he’s used it to great success before. Doesn’t matter that the important stuff on the tape is faked footage. But the real story is the money!

    Zee money, follow zee money (also, tell me about your mother?)! From what I’ve seen Trump has been refloated multiple times by Russian money. It may have been almost legit when it got to his pockets, but it was definitely not clean at its origin: Bratva, Russian Intel, combination of the two. And that he used his casinos to launder money for them. There is a history of allegations that he laundered money for the mob through his properties. Both David Cay Johnston and the now, late, Wayne Barrett have been documenting this for years. Including the latter’s documentation of Guiliani burying this when he was US Attorney because Trump gave him a million for his mayoral campaign and became his primary fundraiser/bundler.

    This is where the action is going to be. My guess is that Trump doesn’t even realize he’s compromised – this is just business and how its done in NY real estate and development. The money’s green right? It’s legal tender? The bills aren’t fake? We’re good to go! While that may not be 100% legal in the private sector, and its certainly not ethical – not that I believe there’s anything to the concept of business ethics other than I got mine, fuck you! – it’s really not a big deal in the larger scheme of things. It is when you’re an elected or appointed official and the guy at the center of the web that’s provided all the money is Putin or those in his orbit and who he’s protecting as the krysha (roof/ceiling). These folks know exactly where the money has come from. They know what was and was not clean. And no one on the President’s side probably has a full accounting, hence the responses.

  166. 166.

    Lizzy L

    @debit: Could be a UTI. It’s not uncommon for shelter animals to get adopted out with infections — sometimes with even more serious conditions.

  169. 169.

    CaseyL

    Good evening, everyone! I had to chime in and say how much I like “In Barkest Night.”

    I would now like an entire comic of Adam’s dogs and Tim’s dogs being sparkly and glittery and heroic.

  170. 170.

    debit

    @Lizzy L: Yep. Ellie left the shelter with kennel cough, which turned into pneumonia and nearly killed her. However, they were really upfront about Kelpie;s condition (blind, cancer) so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt that it’s something new.

  176. 176.

    West of the Rockies (been a while)

    @CaseyL:

    Have you seen the “If my dogs were two middle-aged men” comic over at The Oatmeal? I love it.

  181. 181.

    Adam L Silverman

    @amk: When you have the US Attorney in NY burying things for you because you’re his premier fundraiser and financial bundler, let’s just say bidness is booming.

  185. 185.

    danielx

    @lamh36:

    What, you were expecting consistency? Can’t say if they’re real or not; doesn’t seem to be enough spittle involved.

  186. 186.

    TriassicSands

    @debit:

    …but for now I’m thinking no cause for alarm. Thoughts?

    Debit, no cause for alarm? You could drown.

    I wish I could offer advice, but I’m under the spell of feline mind control, so no dogs allowed. It sounds like the dog lovers here have offered worthwhile suggestions. I’ll just hope it is the simplest, easiest to treat cause. Good luck.

  187. 187.

    Yarrow

    I whacked my foot when I caught it on a chair leg. I don’t know if I broke anything. I have it elevated and am icing it. So dumb! Arrrgh.

  188. 188.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Omnes Omnibus: That too. And they respond to Congressional pressure. As a result they audit fewer and fewer of the wealthiest and more and more of those with modest means because the latter don’t have Senators and members of the House on speed dial. Even though the former is where the tax code shenanigans are occurring.

  191. 191.

    Yarrow

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: And apparently to Mnem as well.

    It was just dumb. The chair has been in the same place for a long time. Not quite sure how I caught it, but owwww did it hurt. It was one of those that hurt at first, rather than one that didn’t hurt right away but hurt a lot a minute later, so I’m hoping it’s not that bad. How do you know if you break a toe? Is it really obvious?

  193. 193.

    danielx

    Speaking of ER trips, be advised: never buy a home that has a silver maple tree, a locust tree, and a river birch in close proximity to your house. All three put out enormous amounts of….stuff besides leaves, helicopters being the least of it. I think I’m past where I am comfortable being on the room of a two story with a gas blower clearing out gutters.

  194. 194.

    debit

    @Yarrow: OUCH. If you did break it, one would assume it would swell tremendously and be painful to bend. Ice is good and if it’s still swollen tomorrow, go to the doctor. Meanwhile, keep it iced and elevated.

  195. 195.

    Yarrow

    @debit: Thanks. I just finished round two of icing. I might get one more in, but it got really cold so I’m not sure. I don’t want my skin to get frostbite! I can bend all the toes but when I walked on it they hurt. I can’t quite isolate where it hurts, but that might be because the whole thing seemed to hurt and now it’s very cold.

  196. 196.

    NotMax

    (slaps forehead)

    Dogs and comic books thread and totally spaced out putting up a link to this, found a while back on the intertoobz.

  197. 197.

    danielx

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I can’t wait for Cole’s recounting of whatever catastrophe occurs while ABC and her spawn are visiting over spring break. It’s been a while since there have been any serious disasters at Chez Cole, so we’re overdue. Something along the lines of a spilled gallon of paint, stove fire….like that.

    None of which I would wish on Cole, mind, although there are a few candidates….

  198. 198.

    Lizzy L

    @Yarrow: If you broke (as opposed to smashed) a toe, there’s not much to be done. If you smashed it that’s more serious. Elevate it, ice it but not too much — no more than 20 minutes per hour, don’t put too much pressure on it, i.e. minimize walking. Don’t wear a shoe. (Soft slipper, or heavy sock.) It will swell, and hurt, and then the swelling will subside. Sprains and dislocations can mimic a simple break, and only an x-ray can tell for sure which it is. For a simple fx, the treatment is much the same. They don’t cast broken toes. Feet, yeah, but not toes. Good luck.

    I have had multiple broken toes They hurt but it’s usually not a big deal.

  200. 200.

    Mnemosyne

    @Yarrow:

    That’s how I broke my little toe a few years ago — I was trying to step around the ottoman so I wouldn’t trip over a cat and my toe got caught on the ottoman’s leg. It hurt like hell and bruised up really impressively.

    If it’s the smallest toe, you can stick a small piece of cotton between it and the neighbor toe and then tape them together. That way, the injured toe gets a bit of support while it heals.

  201. 201.

    danielx

    @amk:

    The FBI is never starved of funds. Nor is DHS or any other agency where the majority of personnel are entitled to carry or do carry firearms, regardless of what they say at budget time. Although their definition of starvation is probably different than yours or mine.

  202. 202.

    dww44

    @Pogonip: Second your endorsement of debit and her genuine kindnesses to the weak, the lame, and the sick in the animal kingdom.

  203. 203.

    Adam L Silverman

    @amk: According to Wayne Barrett’s reporting Giuliani buried it.
    http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/wayne-barrett-donald-trump-rudy-giuliani-peas-pod-article-1.2776357

    Rudy and Donald first got together in the late 1980s shortly before Donald became a co-chair of Giuliani’s first fundraiser for his 1989 mayoral campaign, sitting on the Waldorf dais and steering $41,000 to the campaign. A year earlier, Tony Lombardi, the federal agent closest to then-U.S. Attorney Giuliani, opened a probe of Trump’s role in the suspect sale of two Trump Tower apartments to Robert Hopkins, the mob-connected head of the city’s largest gambling ring.

    Trump attended the closing himself and Hopkins arrived with a briefcase loaded with up to $200,000 in cash, a deposit the soon-to-felon counted at the table. Despite Hopkins’ wholesale lack of verifiable income or assets, he got a loan from a Jersey bank that did business with Trump’s casino. A Trump limo delivered the cash to the bank.

    The government subsequently nailed Hopkins’ mortgage broker, Frank LaMagra, on an unrelated charge and he offered to give up Donald, claiming Trump “participated” in the money-laundering — and volunteering to wear a wire on him.

    Instead, Lombardi, who discussed the case with Giuliani personally (and with me for a 1993 Village Voice piece called “The Case of the Missing Case”), went straight to Donald for two hour-long interviews with him. Within weeks of the interviews, Donald announced he’d raise $2 million in a half hour if Rudy ran for mayor. Lamagra got no deal and was convicted, as was his mob associate, Louis (Louie HaHa) Attanasio, who was later also nailed for seven underworld murders. Hopkins was convicted of running his gambling operation partly out of the Trump Tower apartment, where he was arrested.

    Lombardi — who expected a top appointment in a Giuliani mayoralty, conducted several other probes directly tied to Giuliani political opponents, and testified later that “every day I came to work I went to Mr. Giuliani to seek out what duties I needed to perform” — closed the Trump investigation without even giving it a case number. That meant that New Jersey gaming authorities would never know it existed.

    It’s hard to watch Giuliani invoke his 14-year history as a federal prosecutor when he calls for Clinton’s prosecution and square it with the seedy launch of his own relationship with Trump.

    Giuliani still has significant influence with the senior supervisory agents in the NY Field Office. They came up under the senior supervisory officers who were there when Giuliani was the US Attorney and are just now finishing their careers. They inherited their mentors/bosses biases and connections.

  204. 204.

    Yarrow

    @Lizzy L: Thanks. I’m on round three of icing it, but I need to go do things before bed so I’m not sure I’ll get another one in.

    @Mnemosyne: Thanks for the info. I think it’s the second from smallest toe. When my foot warmed up a bit between icing sessions I moved them around and that’s the one that hurt. I hope I just kind of jammed it, but I guess I’ll see when i get up. Right now I’m elevating it. Thanks for the tip on taping them together. I’ll do that tomorrow if it’s bad in the morning.

  205. 205.

    Adam L Silverman

    @danielx: This is true. My favorite was a paper presented at the American Society of Criminology back in the late 80s or early 90s. It was an analysis of budgetary requests for BATF. It looked at two year cycles as the budgets were being prepared. If there was a major screw up – say the Branch Davidians, then BATF asked for a significant increase to improve training and personnel performance. If there was a major success, then BATF asked for a significant increase to continue doing such good work and to maintain personnel performance through the excellent, ongoing training they were receiving. Heads I win, tails I also win!

  211. 211.

    jonas

    @Adam L Silverman:

    These folks know exactly where the money has come from. They know what was and was not clean. And no one on the President’s side probably has a full accounting, hence the responses.

    And hence no tax returns.

  212. 212.

    Miss Bianca

    @Steve in the ATL: where in CO?

    You know we’re supposed to be getting some precipitation here in the next couple days…

    Dang…my Stella Bear is *snoring*! Glad one of us is able to crash out!

  214. 214.

    Ruckus

    @debit:
    My only thought, which will not help in any way, shape or form. Dogs are all bladder and they never pee till empty. Can’t mark enough territory that way.

  215. 215.

    Ruckus

    @Mnemosyne:
    Tea with honey did more for mine than anything else. I think the honey soothes the throat, while the hot tea weakens/dilutes all those nasty things running down the back of the throat.

  218. 218.

    seaboogie

    I haz a very constipated and equally elder kitty…she does not have a happy right now – poor little one…

    Happened to me once while traveling to a friend’s wedding – like to be like the world wants to kill you via your own ass…very not fun. Giving her massage and offering canned pumpkin and water. She’s pretty stuck and doesn’t want to ingest anything.

Comments are closed.