An open thread — well, a semi-open thread — for all of those needing a respite from the news. No trolls, no arguments, no discussion of depressing stuff. Adorable animal pics encouraged.
If you have personal stuff to discuss that is more serious, there’s a separate thread for that here.
Email me if someone misbehaves here.
It occurred to me that I do have a picture of what happens when there is a cat in the dog bed in my bedroom.
Sharing is caring!
http://fromafar2013.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/catondogbed.jpg
Where by “sharing” we mean “the cat sits in the middle of the bed and the dog tries to find room around the edge.”
It’s just the natural hierarchy based on the innate biological differences between cats and dogs. Clearly, cats are just the higher ranking members of our overlords’ organization because cats are inherently superior in every conceivable way, but especially intellectually. BIOTRUTHS.
fromafar: Ginger cat! Yours looks like a bigger version of Biscuit.
The mighty B has been terrified all last night/today because there’s been thunder. Poor little dude is all big eyes and snuggles right now.
Yep, that’s my derpy orange kitty, Kyo. My avatar is based on him. He’s all snuggles and is super tolerant of even the worst dog behavior. Haru, his cow kitty brother, does not put up with any dog bull shit. None.
Okay, last set of animal pictures. Sorry for the adorable spam!
http://fromafar2013.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/twocatsonebed.jpg
http://fromafar2013.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/snuggles.jpg
Speaking of cats…
I’m kind of surprised that it wasn’t about Vox Day, really. He always inspires me to think anyone can get published, even me.
fromafar, animal pics are never spam! Your furry overlords are adorable.
cloudiah, I’ve seen some of the Zarathustra pics before, but never good big shots of them – I am SO ENVIOUS of Svetlana Petrova’s digital skills.
I love, love, love the Russian Woman with Cat in Vet Collar one.
How all weather reports should be done.
http://youtu.be/lV3GI-tIdWs
@kittehserf
Squueeeeeeee!
Me too, lurkerina!
… I want a job as a weather reader now.
I want eine Studiokatze.
I suggested to Mads we’d make a great weather-reading team. She’d have to stop doing the squirmsquirmsquirm thing, though.
Mind you she does like being cuddled baby-style, on her back. That would ramp up the cute factor, too.
My cat is the perfect weather-report companion cat. You can hold her either over your shoulder or baby-style for ages and she’ll just lay there purring and making cute paws. The occasional headbut under the chin might dislodge the mic, though.
Awww!
Random thought that I’ve been keeping around for a few years: If I ever have so much money that I don’t have to worry about making any more, I shall open a combined used-mystery-book and specialty-yarn store, and call it Get a Clew.
Some personal good news: After weeks of insomnia and bad quality sleep, my body finally gave in and allowed me to fall asleep right after I came home from work yesterday. I slept like a baby kitten for almost fourteen hours straight. My stomach started working again, my muscles don’t ache anymore, and I feel like I actually want to be active and do stuff that I’ve been putting off for far too long.
To make a bad analogy, I feel like a water bottle that’s been emptied of the old, stale water inside, washed, rinsed, and finally filled with cool, fresh water. Feels great.
I just found this song and can’t stop listening, very uplifting.
(I can see how this video might be upsetting to someone grieving or in a similar emotional state, so cautious TW)
Last year, on June 1st, my partner and I moved into our own place (we had been living with his mom for a couple of years), and as we were midway between out 7th and 8th anniversaries, the topic of marriage came up. He said he’d like to live alone-together for a year and make sure we didn’t hate it before making that kind of commitment, and since no one wants to be married to someone who doesn’t want to be married to them, I told him to take all the time he needed.
Last night, over dinner, he offered a vague apology for being behind schedule and not having bought the “round thing” in time for June 1st. We had a non-committal conversation in which he not-really-but-totally-did say “it’s gonna happen”. So it’s not official yet, but I’m like 95% engaged.
emilygoddess, yay, congrats!
Anarchonist, yay for sleep!
Ledasmom, I want to work at your shop. Or else buy stuff there.
There’ll be a shop cat, I presume?
Congratulations, emilygoddess and Anarchonist! May all good things continue for you both!
Emily: MOAR MAMMOTHEER WEDDINGS!
Update on roast pork. It came out tender enough to cut with a butter knife. The dry rub didn’t spice it up too much, so good that we had the barbecue sauce (which was peppery and vinegary, not tomatoey and sweet). After eight hours in the slow cooker, I moved it to the oven for an hour to get some crispy bits (I do love me some crispy bits), then tented it with foil and let it rest. So good, my husband had seconds. The pan juices were defatted and saved to make gravy for the meat pies on Saturday. So much collagen turned into gelatin during roasting that the refrigerated juices set like Jell-O. It’s a good thing I enjoy cooking as much as I do.
Oh, and last time I brought up D&D, someone invited me to share stories. One that comes to mind is the party’s visit to the Satrapy of Grond. A retired adventurer had negotiated a deal with a feudal lord to clear out a territory (defeat bandits, slay monsters, build a town, etc) and then rule it herself while acknowledging him as liege. She brought in advisors to help with the economic development. They were from an island nation called Freeport. Freeporters are descended from a successful slave revolt hundreds of years earlier, and have a culture that somehow combines egalitarianism with libertarianism. Now, Grond has a thriving economy and attracts settlers yearning to breathe free and work hard. Think of what would have happened if the U.S. constitution had been written by Benjamin Franklin and Adam Smith. The party was both fascinated and somewhat appalled, and very relieved to be just passing through.
One thing that has struck me in looking back on my career as Dungeon Master is how often economics has been a feature of my campaigns. As in, there are actual plot points regarding how the merchants are organized, what goods they deal in, where caravans come from and where they’re going. I even had an urban storyline in which the hobbits’ merchants guild was using organized crime tactics to overthrow the human merchants guild. The hobbits had urbanized and become (wait for it) small business owners. Given that I’ve never even worked in the private sector, it makes me wonder.
Hope the last five percent fills in smoothly emilygoddess:)