Because they can:

The story:

From left to right in photo: Bucky, Riot and Puck, grooming themselves obsessively.

When my husband and I first got married, we wanted a pet. He had had a dog when he was very little; I had never had pets of any kind, but I used to live with my aunt who had a fantastic pet rabbit, so naturally I wanted a bunny. We went to a pet expo in the area to look for a bunny, and my husband wandered over to the ferret table, run by the Greater Chicago Ferret Association.

Long story short, I lost the eventual bunny-ferret argument, and began a lifelong obsession with ferrets. Right now we have three: Puck, a great big white ball of lazy; Bucky, a goofy, affectionate dust mop of a critter; and Riot.

Riot’s a, well, riot. When we brought him home from the shelter he was seven months old, all feet and tail and whiskers, and he got into EVERYTHING. He jumped every gate we put up to confine him, knocked over anything left on any surface whatsoever, and learned his name just from hearing it shouted at him from across the room. He once made a four-foot leap from the dining room table to the top of the piano. Yesterday he pushed a cardboard box over to the gate that’s too high for him to climb on his own, and used the box as a step-stool to hoist his way to freedom. He’s ruined every sweater I have with his tiny little claws and has saved me thousands of dollars in therapy bills by making me laugh every day.

I got sucked into volunteering at the ferret shelter, and the rescue is the only one of its kind in the country in that it operates a stand-alone shelter out of a storefront facility and not out of someone’s house. The rescue takes in more than 250 ferrets every year and places them in adoptive or foster homes. They’re operated solely by contributions and some small grant monies, and this year will move into a brand-new facility with room to care for more of these funny, inquisitive little guys. People buy them from stores thinking they’re cage pets and they’re not, they’re very active, playful, interactive pets. Their vet care can also be pricey and so people give them up when they get sick which means the rescue bears the cost of caring for them.

It’s a great organization and I’m incredibly grateful to it for giving me three little monsters who chew my shoes and hide my car keys every day. You can see more shelter ferrets, as well as pics of our new facility, at www.gcfa.com .

I’m off to go ice my shoulder and my knees. I’ll throw up a shiny open thread in a little bit for the return of White Collar and other prime time shows.

I’d really like Sullivan to explain how Reason magazine has been functionally any different from FNC the past few months regarding health care reform (or, for that matter, any number of issues). Reason has been right there with Fox with the take our country back rhetoric, the fluffing of the tea partiers (including live coverage and nausea inducing videos with the Fonzi of Freedom Nick Gillespie), and their “expert” on Health Care reform, Suderman, got his start at… FreedomWorks.

The Koch Foundation and other Wingnut Welfare dispensers are getting what they want from Reason- it is just a different arm of the same PR machine that Fox belongs to, and Sullivan should know that by now.

Mystery writer Robert Parker died yesterday. I used to like “Spenser For Hire” on tv when I was a kid—are his books worth reading? I’m a huge Chandler-Hammett fan, but haven’t found anything else in the genre I consistently liked as much (I loved the “LA Confidential” books by James Elroy but found his other books tough to get through, was disappointed by Ross Macdonald, and like Elmore Leonard but not to quite the same degree). Any other stuff along these lines I should check out? Nothing with serial killers, please, that stuff creeps me out.

There’s nothing better than a great Chandler book on an airplane ride, but I’ve read them all!

Update. Hey, how about that guy wrote the book that became Ne le dis à personne. I loved that movie, though partly because of the great use of “Lilac Wine” (and I don’t even usually like Jeff Buckley).

Could someone please send TBOGG this story:

A minor incident in a barber’s shop last week has helped me to realise that I may no longer be gay. Not a fully fledged homo, anyway; perhaps not even a part-timer who helps the team out when it’s busy. It appears I may be going straight.

I was in Tenterden, the Kentish village where I was brought up and to which I have lately returned, working at a nearby aerodrome as a helicopter pilot. I was waiting my turn for a chatty Latvian to apply the hot towels and razor.

A handsome young dad entered with a small, fair-haired boy at his side. The man took a seat and hoisted the wide-eyed child proudly on to his knee. The first haircut, I speculated inwardly, as an unfamiliar fatherly glow and feeling of mild envy swept over me. I could not tear my attention away from the mirrored reflections.

From time to time, the dad leant forward as they waited and whispered close to his son’s ear, tenderly kissing his fair head. Touching stuff.

But then my eyes lowered and I became transfixed by the sight of the boy’s tiny pink fingers gripping his father’s huge, workman-like fist. And I almost wanted to burst into song.

I feel gay after having read about his tender incident in a barbershop with a handsome young father with a huge, workman like-fist. You couldn’t fit more double entendres in that piece if you tried.

I always get a kick out Andy Borowitz:

BOSTON (The Borowitz Report) – Firing up voters on the eve of the special election to fill the late Edward M. Kennedy’s Senate seat, Republican candidate Scott Brown spoke at a campaign rally today, proclaiming, “With your help, our dream of depriving millions of health care is within reach.”

“Let’s send a message, Massachusetts!” Mr. Brown exhorted the crowd. “Let’s tell people across the country that if they want health coverage, they are shit out of luck!”

An aide to Mr. Brown said that internal polling reveals that the Republican’s anti-healthcare message may be catching on: “Right now, Scott is showing a double-digit lead among people who describe themselves as douchebags.”

When I was at the polls in Weymouth today, all the people with iPods had Coakley bumper-stickers and all the people with Red Sox caps had Brown bumper-stickers. This means we’re screwed.
/Typical TPM reader report

I am enjoying Wonkette’s on-the-ground reports from the Globe comments section though.

You all know I am not a fan of the Mac v. PC flame wars, but I can honestly say I have never been more satisfied with a piece of hardware than I am with this MacBook Pro 17”.

Also, American cars aren’t that bad and have an unfair rep.

Did I miss any of the big ones, Laura?

I’m off to bed. I’ve turned into a 70 year old man- napping 4 times a day since I broke my shoulder. I’m still not as angry as Mean old John McCain Walnuts:

Just finally finished reading this depressing piece by Scott Horton detailing how we tortured people to death at Gitmo and then lied for years, insisting they were suicides.

Last year, I understood why, politically, the Obama administration chose to behave the way they did with the former administration, choosing to look forward rather than backwards. I didn’t like it at all, but I understood it.

I don’t know how that is a tenable position anymore (and it was always a bad moral compromise). This must be investigated, publicly and thoroughly, and people need to be brought to justice.

I realize John touched on this earlier, but since we only had 500 comments, I don’t think it’s been fully discussed. If Coakley loses today, in what way will it be Obama’s fault?

Showing up too late to support her? Crappy health care bill that pisses voters off? Pissing off the base?

What am I leaving out?

(This is not entirely facetious, it’s possible that there is something that the WH could have done differently in this race.)

Feel free to speculate on Village narratives too: too cold and aloof, misreading the mandate (I expect to hear that one a lot)....

Update. If you could pick just one philosopher with whom to rebuke Obama, who would it be?

Some days it really feels like we have lost control of not only the national security apparatus and the financial institutions in this country, but also the judicial system:

New Orleans city police and the district attorney’s office are using a state law written for child molesters to charge hundreds of sex workers like Tabitha as sex offenders. The law, which dates back to 1805, makes it a crime against nature to engage in “unnatural copulation”—a term New Orleans cops and the district attorney’s office have interpreted to mean anal or oral sex. Sex workers convicted of breaking this law are charged with felonies, issued longer jail sentences and forced to register as sex offenders. They must also carry a driver’s license with the label “sex offender” printed on it.

I forwarded this to Radley Balko, so hopefully he will be able to spread the word on this insanity. It really does feel like we are a third world nation some days. Our entire country just seems broken beyond repair, we have all gone so damned crazy.

Since every post turns into the same argument in the end, with a few people trolling each other, here is a blank one to continue the fun.

Why does everything Bobo writes sound pornographic to me?

In times of crisis, Americans rally around their government, but most of the time they have treated it as a supporting actor in national life. Americans are an unusual people, with less deference to central authority and an unparalleled faith in themselves. They seem to want a government that is helpful but not imperious, strong but subordinate.

And why do I read this stuff? I wish I knew how to quit you, Bobo.

If there is a God, He will not allow this column to develop into an extended discussion of Hobbes involving Sully, Chunky David Brooks, and Daniel Larison.

I’ve done something different today. Other than the Weather Channel for a few minutes this morning and about ten minutes of the Andy Griffith Show in the waiting room at the physician’s office, I have not had my tv on once today. I also have kept blog surfing to a minimum. I gotta admit I’m in a pretty good mood.

And because if for no other reason than as an apology for that 900 comment abomination regarding Gruber yesterday, here is a pet rescue story:

The story:

We found Max on petfinder.com, a great way to search multiple adoption sources in a particular area. His name at the Queen Anne’s County shelter was Fletcher, which was the name of the deaf, epileptic (pedigreed) Dalmation we lost the previous year – kismet! Fletcher had been a classic high-maintenance dog, out the door at the crack of dawn or spend some cleanup time on your hands and knees, meds every several hours to keep him from spinning around like a rodeo bull, resting his head on your feet to be sure if you tried to move. So of course we loved him like a special needs child and his loss left a big hole in our lives.

Max turned out to be the best, lowest maintenance dog I’ve ever had. Disposition of a saint (a good one), patience of a shepherd, bladder like a camel’s, healthy for his first seven years (only non-manifested Lyme Disease so far). We adopted Max as our son was entering high school so, for my wife, he’s been the perfect pseudo-replacement for our now-living-on-his-own professional firefighter. She can still dote.

When we flew the empty nest on the Eastern Shore to the mountain west, Max rode in the car with Mom (w/safety harness) while Alpha drove the 22-foot belongings truck. While checking out the local shelter, High Sierra, for possible short-term boarding, we met Clio (then Amanda). She popped up in a window as we were leaving past the cat room – “pick me!” So we took Max in and Cloi came over and did the leg rub on Max like had been feeding her. She’s beautiful and just like Max, sweet and innocent to make your heart smile. Oh, and last spring, the wife flew back east to collect the two little black 14-year-old rescued kitties we left with the boy when we moved. It’s a bit of a zoo but we introduced Tina and Aretha to Cloi very slowly and methodically, as prescribed, and we’re one big pretty entertaining family these days.

I’m off to watch Chuck. You all stay classy.

In another thread, someone asked:

Yeah, this blog is starting to rub me the wrong way a little with its knee-jerk anti-activist stink. Are you thinking of switching again, John?

No. Not at all. I’m not anti-activist, but I’m against doing self-defeating things, and what I see lately is a lot of magical thinking and self-defeating tactics at work. In fact, a couple months ago, when we were all working towards a worthwhile goal, I was linking to, quoting, and high-fiving the same activists I am now looking at like they are a freak show.

I understand a lot of what is going on predates my entrance into the Democratic party- progressives and gay right activists have a long history of being shat on by the DLC crowd, Clinton took them for a ride, and now they think Rahm an Obama are doing the same thing. Republicans didn’t pass DOMA, DADT, welfare reform, etc., after all. So I understand it to some extent. At the same time, let me tell you a story about what I see:

I’m walking down the street with my Obama/Biden button on, when up ahead of me on the right, I see a large protest. They are carrying signs, and yelling and ranting about Obama.

“Kill the bill! Obamacare sucks!”
“That’s not change you can believe in!”
“Obama’s Adopting Bush’s Terror policies! But He’s Still Weak on Terror!”
“No taxes on healthcare!”
“Just words.”

I pay no attention to them, then look to the left, and see a progressive counter-protest. They are all amped up, too, and they are yelling their own slogans:

“Kill the bill! No to Obama’s Insurance Sell Out!”
“That’s not the change I voted for!”
“Obama’s just like Bush on National Security/Gitmo!”
“No taxes on healthcare!”
“Just words!”

I recognize a lot of people in the crowd, so I walk up to them and ask them what the hell they are doing. They look back at me and tell me, “Oh. We’re just moving the Overton Window to the left.”

Now do you understand why I am wondering what the hell people are thinking? I don’t understand the logic of adopting the same frames as the right. I don’t understand the idea of killing HCR because there will be something better down the road. I don’t understand why everything has to be done immediately, the way the loudest want it done, or Obama is a sell out.

Maybe I am just an authoritarian at heart, and I know I am much more comfortable supporting a movement than I am attempting to lead one, but it just seems like the Democrats worst enemy right now is other Democrats.

It is probably worth pointing out that wishful thinking aside, if Coakley loses tomorrow, thirty million or more Americans will remain one slip on the ice and broken shoulder away from bankruptcy, with the alternatives being seeking more expensive and less thorough emergency room care with no follow-up rehab and costs passed on to all of us, or no treatment and debilitating injuries and pain in perpetuity.

You and I might think that is a big deal, but if you read enough left-wing blogs, it really is no big deal. If the bill fails, we can take Taibbi’s advice and just try again in 6-8 years. I mean really, the republicans aren’t much different from the Democrats, I’ve been told. Besides, won’t you feel better knowing that you didn’t sell out to immoral insurance agencies like Feingold and Sanders and the rest of the corporate whores?

No one said having firm principles was without pain, you know.