I didn’t feel like blogging today.
But here I am.
When Amazon delivers dog treats, everyone wins:
A touch cramped but she’s holding steady and we are not letting it have an effect on our style.
by John Cole| 57 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Comments are closed.
Mike J
Have you ever tried the “masking tape a square on the floor” trick?
Mnemosyne
I don’t see it on that box, but we’ve started receiving cat-sized boxes from Amazon that say things like “rocket ship” on the inside flaps so you can see the words when the flaps are standing up.
It makes for some fun kitty photo ops, as (presumably) intended.
lahke
Steve is a “she” now? That was some operation.
Question from a dead thread below: is the Amazon dot echo thingy that Betty mentioned below of concern? I was given one and tried to pass it on, but most people declined it as an eavesdropping ear from the cloud that they didn’t want broadcasting their business. Is that valid?
Omnes Omnibus
@lahke: I think that she is the box. I may be wrong.
Cheryl Rofer
Zooey figured out the other day that The Red Spot comes from that thing I hold in my hand. He now refuses to play with The Red Spot and wants to play with the laser pointer itself.
MikeInOly
He is just magnificent.
Laura
Big Kiki remains big despite the not big enough box Big Kiki has shoehorned his self into. Dignitude acheived!
Olivia
@lahke: You don’t need to let it eavesdrop. I yank the cord and continue with my evil plans for world domination. So far I mostly use it as a speaker for my laptop or to listen to mpr.
Elizabelle
Steve’s summer cut has really grown out.
Please: pics of pups with treats, when you have a moment. Readership capture, and all that.
Elizabelle
In moderation. Haven’t been gone that long!
TriassicSands
A certain cat needs to take instruction from Maru on proper “box management.” All cats may be fascinated by boxes (or almost all), but not all cats are as skilled at dealing with them the world famous Box Whisperer, Maru.
Yutsano
It’s not like I wanted to sleep tonight.
Yutsano
And sudden moderation hell.
Mnemosyne
@Cheryl Rofer:
Keaton figured that out the very first day I brought out the laser pointer, but he’s kind of a kitty genius. It took the other two cats a lot longer.
He’s still willing to play with the red dot, but I suspect he does it ironically. ?
Mnemosyne
I’m in moderation for unknown reasons. I don’t see any bad words?
opiejeanne
@Mike J: I need to try that. Right now Annie is a bit peeved because we took her produce box away. Filled it with tomatoes and gave them to our older daughter for her booth tomorrow at So Bazaar in Redmond.
opiejeanne
@Mnemosyne: I didn’t notice that the last time I got a delivery from them. I’ll check next time. Annie loves their boxes.
maeve
Pretty kitty – would pet cautiously.
Mnemosyne
Can I get unmoderated, please? I think I had an error in my email or website address that caused it.
rikyrah
Evening Cole.
Good to see that Steve is still in command.??
Mnemosyne
@opiejeanne:
It seems to be pretty new, and only on certain size boxes. It was fun to see, though.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@opiejeanne: I owe you an apology, you commented on one of my pics(it was a pic of a glacier) on Flickr and I nuked the pic and replaced it; then I noticed that you’d commented on it(I got a notification on my watch).
Redshift
@lahke: We had an Amazon guy at our company before the Echo came out (trying to get us to develop software for it), and one of their selling points is that recognition of the activation word is done entirely on the device, so it doesn’t constantly stream audio of your house to a server (which was the big problem with the Samsung voice activated smart TVs a couple of years ago.)
In theory that makes it less of an eavesdropping device, as long as you trust them about that.
Of course, everyone with a smartphone is carrying around an equivalent eavesdropping device these days, so I suppose you could argue the horse has left the barn anyway.
lahke
@Omnes Omnibus: Ah, that makes sense. Sorry to question the King.
Redshift
@Mnemosyne: Our smartest cat when I was growing up figured out the source of the action for “toy on a string,” and after playing along for as bit would go for the hand instead.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Mnemosyne: I was in moderation on the last thread for no reason.
frosty
A confirmed dog owner here, and in the past allergic to cats … I’m starting to realize that there’s this “thing” about cats and boxes. I blame the internet.
No, no I blame Obama. Sorry for the brain fade.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@frosty: I blame Baud!
Major Major Major Major
I hope my cat’s ok! He got a new butterfly toy but then I left for vacation. I have to trust my husband to take care of him.
Wahh, I miss my cat!
Mnemosyne
@Major Major Major Major:
Will you feel better or worse if I tell you that Samwise is probably all snuggled up with your husband right now saying, This will be our little secret, right?
opiejeanne
@Mnemosyne: Did you see that I’m trying to get in touch with you? I want to gossip with you in private. I asked Anne Laurie to pass along my email to you. Or do you already have it from the meet up in Burbank? I don’t remember.
opiejeanne
@?BillinGlendaleCA: That’s ok. You posted another one that had the information with it. Gorgeous photos.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@opiejeanne: Thanks, I felt bad about it.
ETA: It’s the same picture, the first one was too noisey.
Major Major Major Major
@opiejeanne: You never gossip with me in private. ?
@Mnemosyne: He’s probably on his box in the corner tbh. But d’aww, I just want him to be happy!
Mnemosyne
@opiejeanne:
I don’t think I have your email address. Adam and TaMara both have my email address as well, if you don’t hear back from Anne Laurie.
ETA: I use an old, fake email address on here, so AL may not be able to locate me.
opiejeanne
@Major Major Major Major: I read your chapters for you, didn’t I? You want to gossip? I can probably figure out some gossip to share with you.
Major Major Major Major
@opiejeanne: You did! And I super mega appreciate it!
opiejeanne
@Mnemosyne: Good. I’ll do that if she missed my message to her.
opiejeanne
@Major Major Major Major: (I want some more, dammit!)
Major Major Major Major
@opiejeanne: Part 3 needs severe tightening up before it’s ready, but I should be started on that in the coming weeks!
Mnemosyne
@opiejeanne:
If you have Major^4’s email address, he has mine as well. But I need sleep right now since I’m still getting over my cold. ?
GregB
Just back from a Billy Joel concert at Fenway Park. Outstanding. No opening act. 2 hours and ten minutes with a five song encore.
Good times, highly recommended.
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
@Major Major Major Major: I was backing out of my parking spot yesterday and saw that our younger cat, who had nipped outside, was several feet behind the car and refusing to move. I got out and discovered he had captured an actual butterfly and was so enthralled with his new toy/object of kitty sadism that he couldn’t be bothered with mere cars. Events like this are why we realized his name is “Scoot,” not the original “Scout” – because we so often have to tell him to scoot! I fear for him.
opiejeanne
@Mnemosyne: I do. I will ask him to give it me when he has a chance.
bemused
@Mnemosyne:
We have one of those boxes too. It was an instant kitty magnet. Of course, they got bored with it after awhile but I did keep it for those kitty what-was-old-is-new-again play options.
I also saved a hard hardboard box that held Target sheet set that measures 7-3/4 x 9-3/4 x 5-1/2 high with no cover. The 8 lb very fluffy kitty carefully arranges herself and her fur in it with her head resting on top edge, the rest of her body squished to depth level. Doesn’t look all that comfortable to us but she loves it.
Just one more canuck
We were selling flowers as a fundraiser for my daughter’s soccer team and had a bunch of boxes left over of different sizes. I cut some holes in them, taped them together and made a 2 room house with a garage for our cat, Elsa the wonder nut
PaulWartenberg
Steve: MARU AIN’T GOT SH-T ON ME
Manyakitty
@Major Major Major Major: I miss the heck out of my cats when I’m at work. Vacation is so much worse!
Manyakitty
@bemused: Sounds like a great opportunity for a Pets of Balloon Juice Calendar picture.
Patricia Kayden
@Redshift: LOL!! Cats are the best.
zhena gogolia
@Omnes Omnibus:
That was my analysis too.
zhena gogolia
@PaulWartenberg:
lol
Maru’s owner is a better photographer
TomatoQueen
@Manyakitty: I would pay actual money for one of these.
randy khan
More proof that boxes are the natural habitat of cats.
Rugosa
@Cheryl Rofer: My smarter cat took only a few minutes to figure out that the red dot was uncatchable. She sat upright in the middle of the floor with her tail around her front paws, ears just a bit flattened, and looking back and forth between me and the evil dot, clearly disgusted with both of us. The dumber cat took a while longer, then just mewed piteously, sounding like a 4 year old who just found out Santa isn’t real.
asiangrrlMN
I got the usual cat-signal (thanks, Yutsy!) and came to see the magnificent beast myself. Sir Willie Whiskerton III looks as hale and hearty as ever. Wish I could say the same for the box….
J R in WV
@lahke:
Yes, it is. People can be hacked by “smart” thermostats, light bulbs and switches, anything with an IP address, really. Your TV, for sure.