Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Not all heroes wear capes.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

A dilettante blog from the great progressive state of West Virginia.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

“More of this”, i said to the dog.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / No-Politics Open Thread

Reader Interactions

152Comments

  4. 4.

    Teddys Person

    Sweet kitties are sweet!! Thank you kitties (can’t remember their names) for putting a smile on my face.

  5. 5.

    satby

    Thanks for this. Everything else feels like a trainwreck, and I’m an unwilling passenger.
    It was a perfect day here today, sunny and 70° with a light breeze. I had to mow my lawn, but the best part of having a cordless electric mower is you’re required to take an occasional break to recharge the battery. Lovely reason to sit and rock on the porch!

  8. 8.

    Mary G

    My cats were sold to me as incredibly bonded, but they fight like well, cats and dogs, most of the time. But they have learned that if they are sweetly cleaning each other on the ledge where the evening snacks are served, they get more, so the battle always stops at 6:55 p.m. and they groom each other like little sweethearts. By bedtime, it’s back to hissing, growling, caterwauling and running.

    Thanks for the no-politics thread. I had just decided to get off Balloon Juice and watch the arrivals to the Met Gala. Nothing like astronomically expensive ridiculous clothing to cheer me up. It’s a Catholic theme, too, so hilarity is sure to ensue. Katy Perry had a six-foot span of wings, and arrived standing in the back of a vintage convertible. Priyanka Chopra solved the “limousine is wrinkling my dress” problem by riding in a NYC bus, hanging onto the strap, probably for one whole stop, and probably enraging the normal passengers who just want to get home from work. I will be in the lonely minority and say that I don’t love Riyannah’s more Madonna than Madonna miniskirt.

  9. 9.

    zhena gogolia

    Wow, Agnes Moorehead is acting up a storm. A little too much of one. Orson, tell her to dial it back.

  10. 10.

    zhena gogolia

    @Mary G:

    My dear departed Masha and Sasha were incredibly bonded for their first 3 years or so, and then decided they didn’t really like each other.

  12. 12.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    A few days ago Steve in the ATL asked me what gender I was, since it was apparently a debate topic at a meet-up he was at. It got me thinking that it could be fun to find out what other commenters thought I was based solely on what I’ve written here since I started commenting. What say you BJ?

  13. 13.

    Yarrow

    Awww…your kitties are cute.

    @Mary G: I love the Met Gala outfits. They’re always so crazy.

    My fridge seems to be working okay. After having it unplugged and in the middle of the kitchen all last week, this is an improvement. I’m still a bit wary.

  15. 15.

    TenguPhule

    I can see today is going to be one of those days demanding a good hard drink.

    Suggestions?

  18. 18.

    Cheryl Rofer

    Here are some #MetGala photos!

  20. 20.

    hitchhiker

    The expressions on those women’s faces are just … wth, ladies? Did someone kidnap you and force you into these bizarre outfits?

  23. 23.

    Mary G

    Oops, if a front pager is around, I put two tweets in my last comment and there are too many links, so it’s in moderation limbo.

  27. 27.

    Al

    We have two brothers who love to engage in passive-aggressive licking. Nine times out of ten it devolves into bickering, wrestling, sprinting around the house until one of them reaches the high ground (cat tower). I swear one day we’ll wake up and there will be two “pinocchio” real boys.

  28. 28.

    Mnemosyne

    @Mary G:

    I did not realize that was Chadwick Boseman, but the full-length photo was from pretty far away. I love when guys are willing to dress up and give the ladies some competition. ?

  34. 34.

    No Drought No More

    Why not pets and politics?

    Someone told me it’s all happening at the zoo
    I do believe it
    I do believe it’s true
    It’s a light and tumble journey
    From the East Side to the park
    Just a fine and fancy ramble
    To the zoo
    But you can take the crosstown bus
    If it’s raining or it’s cold
    And the animals will love it if you do
    If you do, now
    Somethin’ tells me it’s all happening at the zoo
    I do believe it
    I do believe it’s true
    The monkeys stand for honesty
    Giraffes are insincere
    And the elephants are kindly but they’re dumb
    Orangutans are skeptical
    Of changes in their cages
    And the zookeeper is very fond of rum
    Zebras are reactionaries
    Antelopes are missionaries
    Pigeons plot in secrecy
    And hamsters turn on frequently
    What a gas, you gotta come and see
    At the zoo

  37. 37.

    randy khan

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:

    What say you BJ?

    It never occurred to me to think about it one way or the other. (When I read I hear nearly everyone in my head in the same voice, which I don’t think of as having a gender. I don’t know if that’s common or not.) Also, to hearken back to one of the oldest Internet jokes, for all I know you’re a dog.

  39. 39.

    Mnemosyne

    @Roger Moore:

    Ah. That explains why, when Keaton has been in group boarding situations, he’s known for grooming all of the other cats. And why he gets annoyed if Charlotte grooms him too persistently.

  41. 41.

    daize

    @Mary G: Are you a fan of Tom and Lorenzo? They’re *fabulous* and *opinionated*! I just love their blog. They have kitties for editorial assistants. (Pixie Jesus is one of their nicknames for Jared…) :-)

  42. 42.

    randy khan

    Back to the cats. We have a pair of orange tabbies who came to us within a couple of months of each other and have been at varying places on the frenemy scale ever since. (Right now they seem to be closer to the friend side, and have been for a while, but they have gone back and forth over the years.) They will start off washing each other and then end up fighting each other, but without making any sounds other than the ones caused by them whacking each other or falling down to the floor. It’s like they’ve hit the mute button. And it can go on for a couple of minutes before they stop.

  45. 45.

    Mary G

    @daize: Oh, yes I am a full bore Bitter Kitten going back to Project Rungay days. I stole the name from them.

  47. 47.

    Shana

    @TenguPhule: One of my personal fave manhattans:

    2 parts Makers Mark
    1/2 part sweet vermouth
    1/2 part either Aperol or amaretto
    a dash or two of orange bitters if using Aperol

  48. 48.

    Peale

    Since this is a no politics thread, I want to take a moment to call attention to Netflix subscribers here to the Thai TV series Hormones, which became available this month. I’ll write more about it if we ever have a “what’s worth watching” Thread again.

    Netflix has signed an agreement with Thai media company GMM for 700 hours of content. Hormones is, thankfully, the first installment. Back in 2014, after we got destroyed in the mid terms, our politics was awful and I was sick, I escaped to this show. It was probably the most influential show to come out of Thailand in the past five years.

    Thai TV tends to be known for its overdramtic and rather raunchy lakhorns. It’s teen dramas were limited by censorship rules, however, and were really kind of non descript first romances. Hormones broke so many boundaries about what could be shown candidly while maintaining its family friendly time slot, made stars of many cast members, and was to say the least massively popular inside and outside of Thailand. Yeah, it’s high school, and full of dozens of characters, but it certainly worth a peak if you’ve not grown too stodgy to enjoy teen shows.

  50. 50.

    Yarrow

    @efgoldman: Had to throw a bunch of stuff out. Such a waste but I wasn’t very confident it was okay. Some things I was able to salvage. I’ve got a thermometer in the fridge now and am keeping an eye on it. I check it every time I open it and the temp had held in at a safe temp since Saturday night when it all got put back together, so I’m a little less concerned now. It was a long week dealing with it, though.

  51. 51.

    Mnemosyne

    @randy khan:

    As a longtime cat owner, I don’t worry about any hitting or chasing until they start hissing or growling. It generally seems like silent wrestling is play and it doesn’t get serious until they start vocalizing.

  52. 52.

    Ruckus

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
    People thought I was black because of my handle, Ruckus/Uncle Ruckus……..
    Surprise, Surprise……..
    I am supposed to have a great grandmother who was supposed to be purebred Blackfoot Indian but there is no conformation of any kind, simply a family story. And even then that’s not quite the same as actually being Uncle Ruckus.

  53. 53.

    CarolDuhart2

    Black Panther is On Demand on Spectrum-one of the reasons I decided to go to cable.

    I go back and forth on a project-I want to do civics flashcards. Good idea or not? Not the world’s greatest artist, but I want to teach in a way that’s easy and tactile.

    Is there a non-cat food that helps cat gain weight?

  56. 56.

    mainmata

    Panda, our stray cat who wandered into our house as an orphan in Jakarta, two months before the revolution in Jakarta turned 20 years old in April. He has lived on three continents at various times. He now mostly just sleeps, eats and poops but still has all his faculties and still socializes a little bit grouchily. In his heyday, he really behaved like a dog actively running after and playing with our children (when they were children) like a dog would do. He’s always been different.

    He’s called Panda because our small child (now successful adult) thought his black and white patterning reminded him of a panda (kid was 5 so figure).

  58. 58.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Hey, I could be an early 20s homosexual female, you wouldn’t know the difference unless I told you ?

    I used to think you were a woman until I found out you were male, alley based on the fact that you mentioned from time to time that you had a husband. That was many years ago before I stopped lurking.

  59. 59.

    Steeplejack

    @Mary G:

    I love Priyanka Chopra, but, my God, that show Quantico is unwatchably bad. I hung on as long as I could but gave up sometime last year.

    On the other hand, there’s a new episode of Elementary in about an hour. That show has been consistently good (after an admittedly shaky start), and Lucy Liu does good work. I’m sad to see that the show is always in jeopardy at renewal time, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

  61. 61.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Steeplejack:

    That’s how I feel about Timeless. It’s probably not going to be renewed for a third season; it was almost canceled after its first. It was actually starting to go somewhere interesting too.

    ETA: I also really liked Elementary, aside from Demographics Unit episodes in season 2, since it was blatantly racially profiling. I also hate Chicago PD; complete police brutality apologia.

  63. 63.

    raven

    I’ve seen some dopey-ass threads here in the last decade but this takes the cake.

  64. 64.

    FlyingToaster

    I’m sad to see that the show is always in jeopardy at renewal time, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

    The problem on Broadcast (versus PBS or shallow cable or deep cable) is that they have to sell X ad dollars, more than Y cost to purchase/produce. It’s a much higher number than reality TV or the other venues.

    Deep cable has the problem of over-spending on quality series where they can’t sell enough DVDs or use it to attract subscribers. “Rome” fell into that hole; GoT managed to attract a LOT of people to buy in.

    CBS is trying that now with whatever they’re calling their streaming service; using “ST:Discovery” to try to attract subscribers. I’m waiting for the DVD. (This from the owner of all Babylon 5, and Crusade episodes.)

  70. 70.

    Steeplejack

    @Baud:

    The only one I can think of is gex (?), and I haven’t seen her around in a while. She was the one who went through a troubled relationship and the death of her partner a few years ago.

    Hope I got the nym right.

    I used to be surprised at how old the demographic of this blog skews. Now I worry sometimes that we’re out of touch with the yoots.

  73. 73.

    efgoldman

    @raven:

    I’ve seen some dopey-ass threads here in the last decade but this takes the cake.

    Could be worse. We could be discussing hockey, or UGA football.

  74. 74.

    TenguPhule

    @Steeplejack:

    I used to be surprised at how old the demographic of this blog skews.

    I remember 12 years that this blog was already full of cranky old people. Who only got crankier as time passed.

  78. 78.

    raven

    @efgoldman: Yea well you can quit all that silly shit about Kirby getting fired.

    Kirby Smart has agreed to a six-year contract that will pay him approximately $3.75 million per season, according to a memorandum of understanding released by UGA on Sunday.

  83. 83.

    Steeplejack

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:

    Hey, I could be an early 20s homosexual female, you wouldn’t know the difference unless I told you.

    You are surprisingly oblivious to how much personal information you leak in the course of commenting on this blog over a period of time. Like most people, I note. Hell, I think a review of my comments over the years would allow one to pinpoint the exact location of my modest rooms in Threadkill Lane.

  84. 84.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Steeplejack: I have never watched a single episode. She is gorgeous, and enterprising. She has produced critically acclaimed and award winning movies under her production banner. A movie she produced won the National Award in India last year.
    Ventilator
    She was awesome in Bajirao Mastani as the wronged wife.

  88. 88.

    TenguPhule

    @raven:

    There hasn’t been a football thread here in years.

    What the hell do you call the Steeler’s threads?

  97. 97.

    TenguPhule

    @raven:

    A joke, just like the team.

    i can see you’re spoiling for a fight here.

    What’s got you so wound up?

  99. 99.

    FlyingToaster

    @TenguPhule: Looking at my Mr. Boston’s:

    Black Russian
    Creole Lady
    Grasshopper
    Irish & Soda
    Robson

    What’s in stock to work with?

  100. 100.

    Mary G

    @Steeplejack: I’ve never seen her act, but she is gorgeous and has great taste in red carpet clothes. I must apologize – I had bookmarked your advice on no-knead bread making on my old computer, and thought I had put it on the backup hard drives. Then last night I couldn’t find it, and being embarrassed to ask again, went through evening posts in March until I hit the one where you asked if I had seen your response. I hadn’t seen that one until now! Sorry! I have everything lined up now and hope to bake tomorrow. Thank you for responding; I had tried another one with half a cup of sugar in it and it was awful.

    I don’t know if it was here, but I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for the Great British Baking Show and have just started streaming it. It is British Empire porn on steroids, but very enjoyable.

  104. 104.

    Steeplejack

    @raven:

    ABL also hasn’t commented here in years (that I know of).

    ETA: Some of the sisters (e.g., rikyrah, lamhXX) seem young-ish (under 40).

  109. 109.

    Gravenstone

    My bonded siblings will do that. Grooming turns to mayhem in the blink of an eye. 10 minutes later, they’re sleeping together.

  114. 114.

    efgoldman

    @raven:

    you can quit all that silly shit about Kirby getting fired.

    Right. Like they never bought out a guy they want to get rid of.

    @Mary G:

    I feel that way about football threads, but don’t say so.

    Because you’re much too nice, and much too old

  118. 118.

    Mnemosyne

    @Mary G:

    It is British Empire porn on steroids, but very enjoyable.

    I like that they make a point of showing a very diverse Britain — you don’t get a cast like that season after season unless the producers are making an effort to be inclusive.

  119. 119.

    Steeplejack

    @Peale:

    She was a one-time phenomenon, like a comet, not really what I would call a blog regular.

  120. 120.

    FlyingToaster

    @TenguPhule:

    Robson:
    2 t Lemon Juice
    1 T OJ
    1 1/2 t Grenadine
    1 oz Rum
    shake w/ ice, strain (optional)

    Bourbon Highball (also works for Brandy & Rum)
    2 oz Bourbon
    ice
    fill Ginger ale, seltzer, carbonated water
    stir

    Gotta go put WarriorGirl to bed; back in a bit.

  122. 122.

    daize

    @Mary G: Thanks for your response. You are a true fan! I love that TLo are local to me (Philadelphia). I think another of our valued Balloon Juice commenters may also be a “kitten” if I remember correctly.

  123. 123.

    Steeplejack

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Yes, I have seen her in other things. But her prime exposure in America now is Quantico, and did I mention that it is dreadful? What a waste of her talent and screen presence.

  126. 126.

    Steeplejack

    @raven:

    Bullshit. Cracker used to put up threads last fall that even included a graphic of the top Saturday match-ups.

  132. 132.

    Steeplejack

    @Mary G:

    I have everything lined up now and hope to bake tomorrow.

    Good luck! I’m telling you, if you follow that guy’s method (and I’m blanking on his name right now) you cannot fail. I have proved it myself and even proved it with a friend who is a fantastic cook but a horrible baker because she considers “recipes” almost an insult to her freewheeling ways in the kitchen.

  134. 134.

    Steeplejack

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I hadn’t seen his comment when I replied, but I guess.

    In an office or out in the world, I might put the line at 30 (with 30-40 in sort of a gray zone depending on the individual’s demeanor), but on this blog? Under 40 is a spring chicken.

  135. 135.

    J R in WV

    @Mnemosyne:

    Last night bigger kitty Punkin was sitting on my lap, I was in bed reading about midnight. More slender cat Spike crept up onto my shoulder to purr and be happy.

    Punkin smacked Spike on the butt without making a sound, except for Spike spinning around and going for Pun’kin. But I had already smacked Punkin, hard, so she was on the run when Spike spun around to grab her.

    Cats! We sleep with a heavy quilt, we call it our “Cat Armor” to allow us to have cats on us in bed. Punkin sleeps on my hip often, and if she isn’t around Spike sleeps on my side. I sleep on my side mostly, it helps my joints not hurt so bad.

    This time of year Spike spends a lot of time outdoors, last night it was raining, so she wanted to be inside and on my hip or shoulder.

  137. 137.

    Steeplejack

    @MomSense:

    I was put off by the premise—autistic Doogie Howser (or so it seemed)—and gave it a miss. Probably unfair, because I thought the premise of Bull was awful when I first heard it, and that turned out to be about the best network show I have picked up recently.

    Maybe I’ll give The Resident a shot, although I have to admit that I don’t generally like doctor/​medical shows.

  139. 139.

    FlyingToaster

    @TenguPhule:

    Gin Buck:
    1 oz Lemon Juice
    1 1/2 oz Gin
    Ginger Ale
    Pour ingredients over ice and stir.

    Rickeys (works for most everything)
    1/2 oz Lime Juice
    1 1/2 oz pick your poison
    pour ingredients over ice, add selzer/carbonated water and stir

    Hopefully that will get you by for the evening.

  140. 140.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    Maybe I’ll give The Resident a shot, although I have to admit that I don’t generally like doctor/​medical shows.

    I used to be a bit of a fan of some medical shows. I watched ER, but not House or Grey’s Anatomy.

    I recently queued up one of the Dr Kildare movies on TCM, for future viewing, just to see what the hubbub was all about. I think my mother used to watch a Dr Kildare TV series.

  144. 144.

    Ella in New Mexico

    As you might guess, after the second picture, the licking turned to biting, and then there were squeaks, and now the kittehs are off the desk. But they can be sweet about grooming each other.

    LOL This is exactly how my brother kitty boys act.

  145. 145.

    Steeplejack

    @Brachiator:

    The Dr. Kildare TV series was very different from the old movies. Shiny ’60s technology with appealing characters and emotional drama.

    The old movies have appealing characters and emotional drama too, but there is a weird (to the modern eye) undercurrent about the scope of medical science at the time. The doctors perform these miraculous operations, and some of them are like “Wait, that was a big deal back then?” And patients occasionally die from diseases that we just laugh at now.

    I guess my point is that the medicine in ’60s Kildare feels closer to where we are now than ’30s-40s Kildare medicine does to even ’60s medicine.

  146. 146.

    J R in WV

    @FlyingToaster:

    One of my favorites is what I call a Margarita Tonic:

    Tall glass filled with ice, add:

    Shot brown tequila
    shot orange liquor, better than Triple Sec
    Juice of at least 1/2 a lime
    Top with tonic water, stir gently

    I also like a gin & tonic, or just straight brown liquor in a glass. Or Calvados…

  147. 147.

    Jager

    When Mrs J and I moved in together, she had a white Persian. The cat had never been around a dog, my German Shepherd had never been exposed to a cat, I talked with a good trainer, he said, “Make sure the cat has a place where she can get away from the dog and they’ll work it out.” Tense in the beginning, after about a month the dog would be zonked on the floor and the kitty would sneak up and bat his ears, he’d look at her and go back to sleep and she’d curl up next to him. One day she pissed him off with her irritating ways, he jumped up, gave her a loud bark and she took off. Five minutes later she was back, he barked again and she arched her back and hissed at him. The dog said to hell with it, laid back down and kitty girl crawled on his back, slid down and curled up next to him. They got along perfectly after that. The dog was really sad when our kitty girl passed at 20.

  149. 149.

    Steeplejack

    @Mnemosyne:

    Yeah. Plus we spent a lot of money and learned a lot about medical care during World War II. And the government continued to spend a lot of money in the 1950s on everything, but especially science.

  150. 150.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    I guess my point is that the medicine in ’60s Kildare feels closer to where we are now than ’30s-40s Kildare medicine does to even ’60s medicine.

    Thanks. I will keep this in mind when I see the movie. Most of the time, I can adjust for differences in sensibility and attitudes. But every now and then,I will just be pulled out of a movie.

  151. 151.

    FlyingToaster

    @J R in WV: Saved. That sounds really good, though I’m out of stock on damn near everything, and low on rum. At Chez Toaster, I’m the only one who drinks, and most of what I have time for right now is beer or hard cider. After the girl is in bed / laundry is folded / bills are paid / dishwasher is cycled / you get the drift. HerrDoktor is spending all day at work and much of the evening logging in. So he’ll make dinner, as that’s relaxing, but the rest is all mine.

    I’d love the Calvados, but it’d knock me out.

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