It’s not new, but I can’t listed to the song now without seeing this….
And here’s a bonus cat for you, only 35 seconds long:
In Closing: Looks like this judge found a way to ‘splain it; high speed rail coming to Texas; on poverty, wages, debt, and getting by; LEGO scientists; on Congress; a few more items on Israel and Palestine; pollution has reached Antarctica.
One last thing on Microbiology: We have perfectly good vaccines that prevent deadly diseases. Use them!
Freakin NSA: please, help yourself to the links.
Can you feel the love tonight: A wolf falls in love.
This is apparently a thing: Maybe I should have waited until Caturday, but heck, enjoy some Catios.
TIL: Anderson Cooper is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt — which means he is of Old Money. And that’s not even the most interesting thing about him. He was a model as a boy, and a CIA intern for a couple summers.
Radley is Back: And he reminds us that cops (and others) have no expectation of privacy in a public place.
Politics as Usual: Words of wisdom for Republicans and Democrats.
Study proves fruits and vegetables are good for you: duh.
Let’s end happy: A nice news story with a happy ending and a pretty picture.
Happy Caturday everyone! Instead of posting the traditional cat pictures as many bloggers do, I offer some items for your cat. Disclaimer: I am not receiving any compensation whatsoever for this post; these are merely products used and appreciated in my own home.
Yesterday’s News Cat Litter:
This stuff was recommended to me by a veterinarian. After years of using the clumping stuff, we’ve made the switch. There’s stuff I like and stuff I don’t about it. First the good stuff:
And now for the things I don’t like. Ok the thing I don’t like: It simply doesn’t control odor as well as the clumping stuff. Treat that as a gentle hint of when the litter needs to be changed.
Is your furry friend furry? Fluffy? Long haired? Easily matted? Not a sphinx? If you have a cat with fur, you need one of these. Heck, if you have a dog with fur, you need one. A quick Google Image search for “Furminator before after” will tell you everything you need to know about this product. You might just find yourself wondering how hard it is to turn pet fur into yarn so you can make a sweater for your cat out of cat fur.
Blue Wilderness Cat Food:
Ok, seriously now. We saw the dog-version of this stuff advertised on the idiot box (probably during an episode of Bad Ink, which is at least partly fun because it’s a local show), and began to wonder if it might help certain aromatic issues. We are on board with many tenets of the Primal/Paleo community, so why would we feed cats food with more corn grits than tuna in it? And who decided cats needed corn or soy in their diets? They’re carnivores that don’t digest plant matter well! The ingredient list on Blue Wilderness is impressive. My cats now eat better than some humans I know. And — unlike some healthy pet foods I can think of — the cats love it. Their coats are shinier and softer (and require a little less furmination). One word of warning, some cats might take a day or two to get used to it; imagine transitioning to healthy balanced meals from a diet of junk food and you’ll get the picture.
Hope you enjoy these. Let’s close up with a nice assortment of links on the Republican Party, government shutdown, debt ceiling battle, and the Chinese telling us to cut it out.
A couple years ago, I mentioned the Sea Stone wait I mean Hotel Baja California Restaurant. Guess what? It closed.
The rather expensive building sat vacant for a while before displaying a new banner: “Coming Soon! Boca Park Animal Hospital.” Another expensive build ensued. I found this rather curious. Repurposing serially failed restaurant space with a veterinary clinic? Who had deep enough pockets for this to be a good idea? The other day we found out.
His name is John Ensign.
Remember Nevada Senator John Ensign? He’s the one that was having an affair with his administrative aide’s wife and then had to cover it up by seeing to his future employment? The one whose replies to emails told me not to worry because he wouldn’t vote with the Democrats (scroll down)? Well, before he went to the Senate, he was a veterinarian who owned the West Flamingo Animal Hospital. It’s the kind of place that will try to talk you into hundreds of dollars of tests to determine that the reason your elderly cat has lost a quarter of her body weight in the last 2 months is that she’s elderly (in the interest of disclosure, they did send me a card upon that cat’s passing). He was forced to sell, but I understand from multiple sources that they were happy to have him back after he was forced to resign his Senate seat.
Now, Sen. Dr. Ensign is not a man without money. His step/adoptive father is a gaming executive, and Dr. Ensign has done well with his own ventures — to say nothing of his Congressional pension. So it’s no problem for him to put lots of money into a swank new animal hospital “with luxury suites for pets and treadmills for hefty canines,” and a “four or five star resort” feel.
He sounds very happy about this new business, and I do wish him well. Nevertheless, I think I’ll stick with the nice vet lady on the corner who squealed with joy when she saw my kittens.
In Closing: Your latest dose of NSA, government spying, Ed Snowden, and encryption links (make no mistake, this means anything sent over the internet for any reason must be assumed to be insecure); a nice healthy set of links about the Syria situation; unemployment is only going down because the labor participation rate is going down (that is, fewer people working) and by the way most of the new jobs are low wage; I love this minifigure; how exactly is it cost effective to ship chicken to China for processing and then ship it back again??; it pays to shop around; the gluten free fad; unpaid internship; and one man’s forest.
You can thank Drew for the title inspiration. It’s sometimes tough to keep thinking of Shorties titles!
Beating the same drum: so here’s today’s tab dump on the freaking mess that continues to be the NSA, DEA, FBI, and Edward Snowden.
And now for something completely different: a nice selection of health, health insurance, and healthy diet links.
Armchair economist: yeah, still collecting choice bits on the economy and how it effects Joe Average for you. But hey, at least Congress gets plenty of vacation days. After all, they work so hard preventing legislation.
Oh Look: the Duhpartment of Research has been at it again.
I can’t bring myself to spend that: Average price of a new car is now over $31k.
Education Official has Moment of Sanity: Huh, maybe school should start later.
On Libertarianism and Property Rights: Seriously.
Don’t you think you should have read the book before writing about it?: I did read the book, thank you. I wasn’t required to. I wanted to as part of a research project. How about we stop focusing on the fact that there was a lot of racism years ago, and celebrate the improvements that have been made to medical care, medical privacy, and race relations since then? Not saying everything is perfect, just better. How about we temper praise for the author compiling primary source materials with the fact that it’s hard to find any scholarship on the subject not filtered by her findings and bias?
Speaking of medicine: Gin and Tonic and the British Empire.
Shhhhhhh: A judge has thrown out the right of the US to maintain an international no-fly list.
Ok, just so you know, air quality in Vegas is absolutely awful today because of the massive fire on Mount Charleston. This also means that Vegas’s favorite get-out-of-the-heat spot is closed. So on with the Shorties.
A Few Words on Abortion: Don’t want one? Don’t have one. Don’t think others should have them? Support birth control or admit that what you’re really against is sluts having sex.
Insurance Companies Fixing Things: Heh, Kansas’s plan to let teachers carry guns has effectively been nixed by the insurance company. It makes me wonder if SWAT team tactics might not be fixed by enough insurance claims. Turns out Allstate and those guys have lots of lawyers on the payroll….
Always Low Wages: Walmart threatens to leave DC if they are forced to pay a living wage. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Speaking of Wages and the Mood of the American People: liberty vs security, where’s the outrage, I’m not sure it’s capitalism to blame.
On Health Insurance Reform: “The politicians’ consensus is that health care reform shouldn’t alter or disrupt the way the majority of Americans get their insurance today…. The policy consensus, though, is that the status quo is actually the problem and that it deserves to be threatened, undermined and replaced as expeditiously as possible.” Further, it turns out that when real people are forced to hold their noses and select coverage, they choose the plan that costs the least every paycheck and still pray they don’t get sick because the coverage sucks. I concede that means I was wrong about where cash-pay clinics are headed; we’re gonna need more, not less.
How about Lowering the Danger, then?: Pentagon wants to cut danger pay.
On the Millenials: Matt Bors. Thank heaven we have a better name for them than “Generation Y”.
Miscellany: Banks, Choirs, Sinners, Poor Little Pageant Queen, Cats, Planes, and freakin hipsters.
Hey Christians, can you do me a favor and stop pretending this song has anything to do with Jesus?
Ok, yeah, Light of the World. I get it. The lost without him thing. I get that too.
But there’s no way around the fact that none of you can think of a reason it would be appropriate to say “How can it be wrong when it feels so right” to Jesus.
In Closing: more nonsense they want to stick in the immigration “reform” bill; information coming out confirming what some people already suspected, Bank of America was actively trying to screw underwater homeowners; sociological research; and cheetahs.
I Would Watch That!: I have been given permission to share my son’s brilliant idea for a new TV show: he calls it “Law and Order and Batman.”
Dumbasses: There are plenty of vegan parents out there who manage not to starve their babies to death.
Leia: 20 facts, 20 pictures, one princess.
Startling: The amount of data that cell phone companies might have.
Pope Francis: I could like this Pope.
Coincidence, I’m Sure: The Feds cut off Vegas’s counter-terrorism funds (whatever) the same day a “suspicious package” forced evacuation of Nellis AFB’s hospital and the day after a suspected pipe bomb was left by the side of the freeway.
Sheila Bair Sounds the Alarm: the banks are getting ready to screw the economy again.
On Expanding War: “[Our leaders] should not casually initiate conflict with only limited understanding of complex situations. It’s past time for greater caution in commitments of U.S. military forces, particularly in the Middle East.”
Here Comes the Sun: Sunshine turns out to be good for humans.
Let’s Get Physical: So is exercise.
Imagine: Today and here are the important things.
What?: A man and his bike and his cat.
What Would Bryan Boitano Do?: Bacon restaurant and bacon cocktails (check the slide show).
Extremism and Understanding: Turns out they don’t go together well.
Yuck: Margarine.
About Time: Costa Concordia captain finally facing a trial. Hey, let’s not rush into anything, it’s only been a year and a half.
Dave is Right: Let’s fix the real problems.
German Efficiency: Not always a good thing.
Valjean’s Confession: Right, because preventing desperate people from feeding their families will totally solve the problem of crime. I’ve said this about Megan’s Laws and I’ll say it about this: if we have decided that some people will always be criminals, they should be put in prison for the rest of their lives, but then we need to have a serious discussion about what that means.
As we all know, all too soon we Americans will be required to purchase health insurance from the highly profitable corporations that got us into the health insurance “reform” debacle. Even people who should know better think we just have to have mandatory insurance to abolish pre-existing conditions because after all “people would buy insurance on the way to the hospital!” Clearly people who can say this with a straight face have never attempted to purchase health insurance.
Here’s the problem, as Massachusetts has already found out. All those newly insured people? They are going to want value for their money! They are going to want to see a doctor! We already have a physician shortage — which is being made worse by Baby Boomer retirements. Nevada has had a shortage for a decade, and it’s not getting better (don’t get me started).
Now there is news that — officially — it’s not going to get better for at least 4 years. It seems that even though medical schools are churning out doctors, those newly degreed docs with six figures of student loan debt sometimes can’t find residency programs! No residency, no full license, no insurance reimbursement, no job as a doctor. What a waste. Gee, your doc doesn’t seem so greedy now that you know what bills he’s facing, does he?
Want to bring down medical costs? You’d better find a way to make more doctors, more ways to train them, and better ways to pay for their education.
In Closing: a couple comics; the cat film festival will return for a second year; oh well then I’ll just try not to look like a dissident; if anybody finds any follow-up on FPS Russia, please let me know; oh the things musicians will argue about; and duh.
Gee, D’ya Think?: Turning underpaid undocumented workers into legal taxpayers making at least minimum wage could boost the economy.
I Could Like this Pope: Ok, he’s not perfect (No, I don’t believe in Papal Infallibility either). At least he has no Nazi entanglements, what with having been a little kid on the other side of the globe during World War 2. But there’s something to be said for a Pope who preaches things like taking care of the environment and those less fortunate than ourselves. It’s like he’s been reading some sort of… Bible or something.
Nevada is Catching On: I think we may just pass a legal marijuana bill here, mostly because the Legislature smells tax dollars.
Turns out it’s easier for everyone: When I was a kid in school, we were “tracked by ability” and we all knew it. Nobody ever told us there were the “smart kids,” the “average kids,” and the “dummies,” but we all knew who we were — and among ourselves, those were the names we used. No “bluebirds and redbirds” for us. That sort of self-labeling might be part of why schools discarded the practice. But it’s back. It has to be easier to teach (and learn in) a group of 20 kids with similar abilities than 20 kids that are all over the map!
Gonna have to try this: Veggie oil + baking soda = cabinet cleaner.
Security Theatre: The TSA is protecting us from people on trains who have had medical tests.
Considering a career in criminal justice?: Then please do check out DiscoverCriminalJustice.com.
On Perception of Aging: And why a good lipstick is really important.
Top Ten Candidates for Species Resurrection: Scientists think there is hope for bringing back these extinct animals.
The more you know: Failure to use a condom when planned counts as condom failure.
Who knew?: Big cats like classical music.
And finally: It’s coming. It’s slow, but it’s coming.
