Was heading to bed, but since Tunch has been moonlighting as an outdoor cat, I now have to make visual contact with him before I go to bed to know he has not sneaked outdoors. Looked everywhere, and then found him cleaning himself in the tub in the guest bathroom:
It took all my self control to not turn the shower on, but I figured I was about to go to bed and he would bleed me in my sleep.
MikeJ
Tunch! Tunch! Tunchity tunch tunch!
Dave Ruddell
Have you ever tried leaving the tap just dripping as a feline entertainment device? I have a cat who will spend whole minutes just watching t he damn thing drip.
MikeJ
Fuck the fucking yankees!
gbear
Nice non-slip fish.
Comrade Luke
Did you ever figure out how he got out to begin with?
BTW, I figured out why I double post so often. It’s because the Submit button doesn’t have a “depressed” state, so it doesn’t look like I’ve pushed it, then I try again and boom. I’ve figured out to look in the tab title to see if it’s “working”, but if the webdev could put a style on it that would be even better.
Mark S.
Oh man, I was expecting pictures of Tunch getting a bath.
And the resultant blood and gore.
Yutsano
KITTEH!! And the Tunch KITTEH!!
3-1 Rangers lead. I never thought that thought would fill my heart with joy. But as the saying goes FTMFYTYVM.
Violet
He looks like he’s playing with the fish in the first picture.
Comrade Mary
@Dave Ruddell: What he said. Let Tunch play with some water and prove whether he’s a little bit Van or not!
Lovely pics — thanks!
Oh, and non-stick fish are good, but adhesive ducks will save your ass. Or Tunch’s. (Hopefully this clip won’t give you glenoid flashbacks.)
Roger Moore
Our lord and master, his Tunchness! And I guess that the tub is the perfect place for a cat to clean himself. Not that cats seem to think that there are any bad places to clean themselves, except maybe for the litter box.
Cat Lady
Oh noes Tunch sleeps with the fishes.
Roger Moore
@Comrade Mary:
Especially if you like the occasional naked mopping experience.
asiangrrlMN
@Cat Lady: Bust a gut at that one.
And, TUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH! Thank you, Cole, for providing pictorial evidence that Tunchie is A-OK. And, my Raven likes to drink from the tap (sink), and both boys drink from the tub as long as I’m in it.
Tunchie looks good. FTFY lost. Happy sigh.
Jewish Steel
Glad to hear you are not above gently tormenting your pets. I think they “get” being teased and mine at least dish it out as much (more really) they are served.
Related, we discovered that Cisco the basenji actually likes a hot shower. I think it’s because he is so lightly coated he digs the sauna effect.
arguingwithsignposts
Not in a tub, but Lady Smudge in a container.
Keith
Mine shits in the tub. Passive aggressiveness in cats sucks.
asiangrrlMN
@arguingwithsignposts: Aw, Lady Smudge is still sooo beautiful. How’s the bad wing? You making any trips to Philly in the near future?
@arguingwithsignposts: I’m glad on both accounts! Wooooo-hoooo!
@Keith: Ouch. One of my boys pees in the corner by the tub when he’s stress, but that’s relatively easy to clean up.
Mnemosyne
The late great Boris used to love to hang out in the tub, partly because we’re in California and he had a super-thick double coat (dark gray on top, silver gray underneath).
Then we got Keaton, who decided that the tub is the world’s greatest litterbox, so we have to keep the door closed. I’ll let Charlotte or Annie in sometimes, but Keaton is Strictly Forbidden.
arguingwithsignposts
@asiangrrlMN: Wing is healing well enough – still can’t quite play guitar with it, in a sling at least until next week.
Philly is coming up in November. A meeting in a midwestern city (not that one) is planned for the very near future. :)
marcopolo
So I realize this is a cat thread but just wanted to share this excellent Jerry Brown campaign ad just starting to air against Whitman.
Here’s the link.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a lot of these end of the campaign ads, including the pet dog ad by Sestak, this ad by Brown, and, yes, the Aquabuddha ad by Conway. Would love to see good House ads if anyone has a Rep that is running one.
Have a good night all you people and pets.
Mary G
My Sophie will sit in the tub and meow at me to turn the tap on a little so she can drink for hours. When we had to leave home for termite tenting, she got in the tub at the motel and refused to come out. We had to bring her food into the bathroom.
Jennifer
We used to have a cat who would pee in the tub. And she was really good about doing it right over the drain.
Then she would jump out and gallop up and down the hall to alert us to the fact that she had just been naughty.
stibbert
‘grats on your self-control, John – if you’d turned the shower on, Tunch would’ve sliced you into sushi!
a major consideration for Ethical Suicide: minimize the yuck-factor for the clean-up-afterwards guys.
Mnemosyne
I don’t think there are any other knitters on the night shift, but I will make my report anyway: I ripped the hat out last night and went down a needle size (technically, I think I went down 2 sizes, from 7mm to 6mm) and cast on 72 stitches instead of 80. So far, so good — the hat now looks like something that will fit a human head and not an elephant’s.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
Last off-season, the Texas Rangers took three *huge* gambles on starting pitching. Spending $12 million (including the option buyout) on Rich Harden would have been a disaster, except that:
1) They moved the still arb-eligible C.J. Wilson, woh made his only six major league starts back in 2005 and had never pitched more than 78 innings in a season to the rotation.
The result: 204 innings with a 3.35 ERA. In one of the best offensive parks in baseball.
2) They went out and got Colby Lewis. Lewis was a first round draft pick in 1999, who managed to put up a 6.71 ERA in 217 innings between 2002 and 2007 (including a total of 40 innings after 2004). He spent all of 2005 recovering from surgery and most of 2006 and 2007 in AAA (although he pitched pretty well there). He spent 2008 and 2009 pitching for the Hiroshima Carp. Something clicked, as he managed a 369/46 K/BB ratio in 355 innings. The Rangers signed him to a two year deal plus a 2012 option, worth at most about $10 million for the three years. That’s gutsy, given the lack of precision in statistical translations from Japan.
The result: 201 innings with a 3.72 ERA. This is still one of the best offensive parks in baseball.
That’s gutsy. Really, really gutsy. During the broadcasts, they go on and on about the effect that Nolan Ryan’s philosophy on working young pitchers has had on the team. That’s bullshit. It may or may not have a positive effect; we simply don’t have anything close to the amount of data to know. What the organization has done is either to get really lucky, or they have a great scouting department that can identify which pitchers who have previously been unsuccessful starters can, in fact, anchor a rotation.
It’s probably a combination of both, and they really should get more credit for it.
*Edit:* Sure enough, the Baseball Tonight guys talked about how C.C. Sabathia is the shut down guy for tomorrow’s game and praised his Cy Young level performance, without mentioning that Wilson has been almost as good this year. (Fewer innings, slightly higher ERA, much more offensive park)
asiangrrlMN
@Mnemosyne: I’m not a knitter, but I remember your distress from last night. Congrats on whittling down the hat!
Ash Can
Ooh, big soft huggable kitty! Looks like Tunch is none the worse for wear after his not-so-excellent adventure outside. All’s well with the world.
freelancer (itouch)
Home again, jiggety-jig!
JWL
Tunch, that little fuck.
I’m owned by a 16 year old feral cat. The weather is getting cold. “Did I turn on the electric heater for Her Majesty”? I have actually asked myself that during the past couple of weeks; and have gotten out of my warm bed to make sure I had.
I used to be different. On Iwo Jima, I threw myself on seven hand grenades. Until adopted, I was a pretty tough guy.
burnspbesq
Anyone heard the new Liz Phair record? Worth the money?
Yutsano
@stibbert: Did someone say Sushi Cat?
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
@Mnemosyne: What about an Elephant Man’s head?
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Oh, you are cruel! How you be besides tired of tests?
@JWL: Aw! That’s really sweet. My cats are used to me keeping things chilled. They use me as their heater.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
@JWL:
I’ve done that. Ringling is very good at making me feel guilty.
Monster complains about the same thing, but she’s a bitch, so I laugh at her. (They live in different parts of the house, because letting them mix ends with Ringling peeing on my hand while I’m asleep.)
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
I think the secret weapon this post-season has been Elvis Andrus’ afro. I have a theory that the team with the biggest hair wins, and this year, that’s Texas.
Steeplejack
@JWL:
Should have told your guys to quit fragging you.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
@Steeplejack: My question was which army he was fighting for.
TEL
@arguingwithsignposts: Awww! She looks especially happy in “Dreaming of mice”.
Art
Westboro Baptist is going to protest a fallen soldier’s funeral here in little ol’ Parkersburg, WV this Saturday.
Wish I had some rotten eggs.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
@asiangrrlMN: E.J. Henderson believes that a touchdown is worse than a concussion.
*Edit:* Tim Hasselbeck is either a moron or a liar.
burnspbesq
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN):
“Edit: Tim Hasselbeck is either a moron or a liar.”
They aren’t mutually exclusive. The Republican Party proved that many years ago.
MikeJ
@burnspbesq: I’m so far behind. I just got the new Belle & Sebastian and haven’t even listened yet.
The new Liz? Neato that they’re distributing girlysound with it, but I’ve already got that.
Mnemosyne
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN):
Sadly, it might have fit Merrick. It was a really, really big hat. It was even too big for G’s gigantic melon-like noggin, so into the frog pond it went.
@Art:
Judging by past history, you’re better off brushing up on a dance routine. Mockery seems to piss them off much more than hatred.
asiangrrlMN
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN): What about a horrific injury that takes you out for a year? Is a touchdown worse than that, E.J.? Sigh.
@Steeplejack: Ouch!
@Yutsano: By the way, check your email. I need some sassy gay hubby advice.
Mnemosyne, I LOVE that video. I LOVE those guys.
Mark S.
This is the third time in a year that I’ve read about something incredibly stupid written by the Vatican newspaper. This time: Homer Simpson is Catholic. Is the Vatican aware that Rev. Lovejoy is married? Scandal!
Mnemosyne
@Mark S.:
As an ex-Catholic, allow me to translate:
Once you’re baptized as a Catholic (as Homer was in that ep, IIRC), you’re part of the gang, and the only way you can get out is by being formally excommunicated. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter if you never set foot inside a Catholic church ever again. You’re always and forever a Catholic until you die or get the boot.
On the plus side, you get to go to Catholic Heaven, which is way more fun than Protestant Heaven. So it has its good points and its bad points.
ETA: Of course, YMMV may vary on the whole “Riverdance” aspect of Catholic Heaven.
freelancer (itouch)
@Art:
Capitalize, cause the Haters are gonna hate, irregardless of eggs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Of_2ykZpQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Mark S.
@Mnemosyne:
Huh, I guess I never saw that episode. I take it back, Vatican newspaper, Homer is as Catholic as I am.
(Also about as observant)
Yutsano
@asiangrrlMN: Read and answered. And you won’t like the answer, but I ain’t changing it, so neener.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
Motherfucker. My desktop computer was running slow, so I restarted it. Now it can’t find the mouse. I didn’t know what the problem was, and I switched the USB receiver (I have a Bluetooth mouse, which I love) it reinstalled the driver. Or so I thought. After rebooting several times, since I can’t figure out how to get out of a program with the keyboard, I got to the Control Panel mouse section. Under Device status, I’m getting “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)”
It’s telling me this for both the mouse that worked just fine before I restarted this evening, and the old mouse I still have around that worked crappily, but at least worked before I got the new one.
What the fuck?
Edit: I’m writing all of this from my laptop, which i love for when I’m away from home, but is really annoying compared to my desktop.
Mnemosyne
@Mark S.:
See if it’s on Hulu, because it’s actually a hilarious episode (with Liam Neeson as the voice of the priest). It’s “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star.”
Another suggestion for recovering Catholics: the BBC’s “Father Ted.” You can watch them online for free at Veoh or get them from Netflix. Good stuff.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@asiangrrlMN: In fairness, I played “Shorter Steven den Beste” a bit with
Henderson’s comment. He’s afraid that, if he eases up on his tackling, he’s going to allow a touchdown. I stand by my basic characterization, but the details may matter to others.
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Ta. I will check it out. I don’t particularly care if I like it or not as I am asking for your advice. I can take it!
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal: Oh, I know what you meant. And, I get his mentality. That’s why I think you may be right about it being impossible to tweak the system–the whole NFL would have to be revamped.
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Ta. I will check it out. I don’t particularly care if I like it or not as I am asking for your advice. I can take it!
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal: Oh, I know what you meant. And, I get his mentality. That’s why I think you may be right about it being impossible to tweak the system–the whole NFL would have to be revamped.
JWL
Way, way off topic…
“It took all my self control”.
That phrase rang a bell, and now I placed it. Two hours later…
The father of a friend once invoked it in describing a kamikaze attack he had survived on the USS Intrepid off the Philippines.
Bill was an officer, whose battle station was above a gun deck. When the suicide plane hit, it slashed in, and in striking, its fuel tank exploded and ignited the ship’s gun crew.
Bill looked down upon that negro gun crew, all of whom had been incinerated, yet many of whom still lived. Most were crying for their mother, he said.
A fellow officer looking down with Bill said to him, “At least they’re only niggers”.
When Bill told me that story, thirty-some years after it happened, he damn near trembled when he did. He said it took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to go for the SOB’s throat.
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: You are such a softy at heart. That’s one reason I fake-married you.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@asiangrrlMN: The one possibility is what I heard from Teddy Bruschi today. His position is not only that he’s in favor of the changes, but that defensive players need to go back to actually wrapping opponents up and tackling them.
I don’t know football well enough to know whether he’s right, but I do agree that there has been a change towards defensive players moving full speed at a ball carrier and just trying to knock them down. What I don’t know is:
a) whether that change would actually make much of a difference, and
b) whether players have grown so big and fast that going back to the old ways won’t allow defenders to make tackles.
I’m willing to give it a chance, though, if the NFL actually takes serious steps in that direction.
For what it’s worth, I am really loving Gophers’ women’s hockey. In some ways, no-check is actually better to watch than the regular rules. There is sufficient differences in upper body strength that it’s taking some getting used to, but I’m having a blast.
And the players are a lot hotter than the men are.
And Tim Hasselbeck is back on my TV, which means that it’s time to shut ESPN down.
Yutsano
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal:
I disagree with your basic premise here good sir, but I value the diversity of your opinion.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@JWL: The Navy was, by far, the most racist of the services, and was the hardest to integrate after Truman’s executive order.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@Yutsano: Put your money where your mouth is. My Mira Jalosuo Team Finland jersey is in the mail as we speak.
Yutsano
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal: I am seriously contemplating getting a ticket package for the Canucks this year, if I can find someone to go with me. I really should try to look up my ex, I know he’d enjoy it.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
If I lived in Seattle, I’d join you. However, I don’t, and season tickets for the Gopher women cost me $199, and I’m right at the end of the Gopher bench.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal: Besides, I’m engaged in a subtle campaign to convince your fake wife that it’s so cool she should join me.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
Fuck. Microsoft’s help page told me to go to the Device Manager and click on Action. How the fuck do I click on Action with no fucking mouse?
Yutsano
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal: I am still of the opinion that Seattle would make a great hockey town. But as that is not happening any time soon, I suppose I shall just have to make do.
And just to stay topical, German hockey anthems.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@Yutsano: Again, the problem is that Key Arena isn’t suitable for an NHL team. It can make ice, but can only seat about 12,000 if you do. Someone would have to build a whole new arena. As much as I think that teams/leagues should just build the damned things themselves, they won’t. Hence, no NHL team for Seattle, unless you guys change your mind about paying for arenas.
Yutsano
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal:
Nah. Gunna. Happen. Not until at least Safeco is paid off or Paul Allen gets some more delusions of grandeur. And even after the tax increase for the two stadiums I can’t see Seattle voting for a third. Not after the way Clay Bennett fucked us all over.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
What the fuck?!?!?!
Microsoft wants to charge me $50 to talk to me because their fucking product stopped working?!?!?!?
MikeJ
Have you turned it off and on again?
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@Yutsano: I’m on your side of this one, but that means that there’s no sense in wondering why Seattle won’t get an NHL team. It’s because one has no place to play, and they aren’t going to build one themselves. Not while they have a league ready facility in Kansas City waiting for a tenant, and people willing to pay nine figures to the league for the right to pay to build an arena somewhere between Missassauga and Hamilton to put an NHL team in.
The latter is a real sore point with a lot of us. An NHL team in Seattle wouldn’t be anywhere close to successful as a second team (or probably even a third team) in the Toronto area. If you want to start arguing rationality, you’re going to have to get in line.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@MikeJ: Multiple times. Same issue.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
You motherfuckers must be kidding. I tried to submit an email request, and it said that the system is down, so I should call their 1-800 number. The first time I did that, the voice mail maze told me to call my computer’s manufacturer or pay them to help. Given that it’s a Microsoft mouse that’s causing the problem, I tried again. I picked the right set of answers to get to a customer service representative, and they told me to call during business hours.
If these fuckers wanted to convince me to make my next computer an Apple, they’re doing a great job.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
And as a nice little, bonus, their website does autofill, except that there’s no way to get it to accept it. You highlight the answer you want to give, hit Enter, and it reloads the page telling you you fucked up.
Origuy
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal:
You can navigate with the keyboard. Window key + Break key brings up the System Properties dialog. Use the arrow keys to get to the Hardware tab, then the Tab key to get to the Device Manager button. The Enter key clicks the button.
In Device Manager, Alt-A should get you the Action menu. The down arrow will get you to “Scan for hardware changes”, which is what is suspect they want you to do. This is all on Windows XP; Vista or W7 may be a little different.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@Origuy: Thanks. If nothing else, I’ve figured out how to restart the computer from just the keyboard, even if it won’t let me do anything with Alt-Ctrl-Del.
Mark S.
And here’s the moral of the story from some doofus at Outside the Beltway:
Where does James Joyner find this kind of talent?
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
Sigh. I think I give up for tonight. I’d be serious about my threat to switch to Apple, except I’ve had my problems with them in the past. (Hint: Don’t expect any help with your iTunes account if you get divorced and it was in her name.) The way a lot of people feel about the political system is the way I feel about computer companies: there’s no point in voting, or even complaining too much, because they’re all going to fuck you. There isn’t any way to toss all of them out.
At least the Rangers won.
harlana
Oh my, this just made the rest of my week. I needed a Tunch in a tub shot soooo bad. Plus, I love the camera angle, which enhances his glorious girth.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Mark S.:
I guess Ginny Thomas is looking for an apology from Anita Hill.
That is just plain creepy but then again, she’s a teabagger and they pretty much define creepy.
SBJules
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Have you no sense of decency, Ms. Thomas?
Morbo
Awww, look at the pretty kitty ca-Holy crap, look at that thing! His family apparently watches a lot of Family Guy.
Mo Macarbie
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
Did the mouse come with an installation CD (that you still have)? Maybe you can remove it from the hardware and reinstall it.
BK
Want some real fun? Toss in a marble. (plug the drain first).
Steeplejack
@Mark S.:
It is telling that the author’s picture shows him wearing a Yankees cap. ‘Nuff said.
CynDee
Tunch does everything so much better than a regular cat.
With a regular cat we would get a picture of a cat in the sink.
But, WE get pictures of Tunch in a Tub. Maybe you could get us one of those buttons “Show me another picture of Tunch in the tub.” Opiate for us masses.
Wormtown
That is one handsome cat.
schrodinger's cat
Tunch @CynDee: A sink is too small for his Tunchness!
Aww Tunch looks so cuddly and squishable.
asiangrrlMN
@JWL: Wow. That’s a powerful story. I just saw it now. Thank you for sharing it. Man. It gave me chills to read it.
@Yutsano: Damn. I wish WE had that attitude. Sigh.