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This is a 100% irrelevant, a-political post … well, alright, it’s also a tgif hk2 open thread

By Bronwyn on August 24, 2012 at 11:49 AM in Current Affairs

I like massages before bedtime too. Not so sure about the pink comforter though. But the kitchen is ALSO my favorite place. However, I don’t like sugar in my coffee.

Yes, yes, yes … I admit that the open thread part is just to give myself an excuse for posting this video.

Here’s the description at YouTube:

Uploaded by skynews on Jun 29, 2007
Sky News report on a South African family who have a hippo living in their house as a pet.

I wonder if Jessica has had a baby since that video was made.

Oh, I also wonder if Jessica’s parents have had to take in the herd of wild hippos down the river a ways.

Then there’s that I most hope that all is well.

DianaLC

And thank you very much for posting it.
My parents were always a little concerned about me. I’ve mentioned often that I grew up with 34 cousins all close by (fewer than Ryan has). We were often visiting at the farms of my aunts and uncles for little family get togethers. All the cousins and my siblings would be together playing games; but to find me when it was time to leave, my parents had to search around to find which dog I had gone off with or which of the farm animals I was communing with.
Recently you asked what my dog had done for me when I spent three and a half weeks almost non-stop caring for him when he had a terrible reaction to what was supposed to be simple surgery.
This video explains it all. Animals are what Jesus said we should all become if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven: little children.
I just always feel so much acceptance and friendship around animals–no judgement and little in the way of expectations from me but my companionship..

jrterrier

may i be the person my dog thinks i am.

DianaLC

My wish also.

BronwynsHarbor

Diana, I have no doubt that your dog thinks you’re okay.

EllenD818

And I have no doubt your dog is right!

HARP2

Sort of like watching The Mooch at a buffet table …….only with charm.

HObama HObamanana

I was going to pile on but thought the better of it.
foxyladi14

lolololol

HObama HObamanana

The Hill has an article about Mitt saying that “big business is doing fine” and they have managed to equate it with Obama’s “the private sector is doing fine.” And according to the Obot author, this spells trouble for Romney.

Honestly, I don’t know if these people called journalists are so completely uneducated that they don’t know the difference between big business and small businesses (the ones that actually do most of the hiring). Methinks they couldn’t care less about the truth and will spin and lie and spin some more until they think we are convinced they are right.
LindaAnselmi

I got lost on the Jennifer Aniston connection, but enjoyed the video. Thanks for the smile.

BronwynsHarbor

Thanks for pointing out my error. Well, I’ll give myself an excuse: How about that I have bacterial pneumonia and am on three strong drugs (an antibiotic + 2 steroids) … oh yeah, and I haven’t eaten a meal in three months except for Ensure or other liquid fare plus four times the recommended dose of Prevacid. Silly me … to have missed that ! I’ll fix it right this second.

BronwynsHarbor

Mission accomplished. I’ll be sure to write myself a personal e-mail so that I know that i made that goof.

DianaLC

I just thought you were taking a jab at Aniston’s obsession with her weight and the tone of her body.

NoQuarterUSA

Thanks, Diana. (This is Susan logged in as NQUSA — because i need to edit some comments.)

You’re smart and you are a KIND person. It was mostly about that, but I did get the first names mixed up … I just got the meds late Thursday and couldn’t begin the steroids until yesterday, so I have a long way to go. Now I am frightened that my gastronenterologist is going to cancel my endsoscopy on Tuesday, since I’ve already had to wait two months for that one opening, and my friend is all lined up to take me to/fro — she even took a day of vacation, since everyone else is working. I have to have someone drive me, stay with me the entire time, drive me home, and not leave me for several hours. Ugha. At least I found a few books she hasn’t read written by a couple of her favorite authors. Sorry for rambling on … got lots on my mind.
BronwynsHarbor

Thanks, Diana. You’re smart and kind. It was mostly about that, but I did get the first names mixed up … I just got the meds late Thursday and couldn’t begin the steroids until yesterday, so I have a long way to go. Now I am frightened that my gastronenterologist is going to cancel my endsoscopy on Tuesday, since I’ve already had to wait two months for that one opening, and my friend is all lined up to take me to/fro — she even took a day of vacation, since everyone else is working. I have to have someone drive me, stay with me the entire time, drive me home, and not leave me for several hours. Ugha. At least I found a few books she hasn’t read written by a couple of her favorite authors. Am going to try to give her some $$ but I bet she won’t take it, so I’ll shove it in her pocket and tell her to donate it, if she must.

DianaLC

Wish I were closer. I do not have to teach this semester, am retired, and could take all the time to get you to your appointments. I could even bring my own books that I have lined up for reading and re-reading.
But I do know how awful it is to be at the mercy of a misbehaving body. It’s depressing and often frightening. I hope everything goes well. We’re all here sending you our mental and spiritual support.

LindaAnselmi

Ah, ha! I wasn’t aware of Aniston’s weight & body obsession (as explained by DianaLC) so it passed right over me. Hope you are feeling better, Susan.

BronwynsHarbor

Thank you, thank you, says Bronwyn … see, Linda? That’s how out of it I am — forgot to use my pen name! But now Disqus is ALL screwed up and I can’t edit that comment to get rid of that reference to my real name. If you could zap yours, I would be very grateful.

HObama HObamanana

I wonder about folks that believe pets are their children. But if Obama had a hippo, I bet it would look a lot like Jessica.

DianaLC

And I wonder about people who don’t see their pets as creatures whose lives totally depend on them, just as little children depend on parents.

HObama HObamanana

Don’t get me wrong, I love animals, even many bugs. And, of course, if you take responsibility for a domesticated animal they do become entirely dependent on you. But I’ve had a few cats that liked to take off for periods of time to fend for their selves. I just don’t think that other species are human children.

DianaLC

I’ve recently lost four cats who lived with me for a long, long time. The oldest (the one whom I use as an icon) was 21 and a half when he finally died. They never chose to go away for long periods of time. One I had to keep inside as its previous owner had her declawed.
I was not allowed to make pets of cats when i grew up on the farm, as they were there as mousers. They often never grew very old because of the hazards of living outside on their own.
When I call them my “children,” I think of it as my spiritual responsibility toward them. In my failth, I take seriously the command to have “dominion” over them. To me, it means we must act as God’s surrogates on this earth.

HObama HObamanana

So sorry to hear of your loss. I had a cat that I was very close to that ran away when I asked my brother to watch her while I attended a wedding out of state. It crushed me and I know that my brother intentionally let her go outside on her own. My cat was very much like a dog in that if I was laying on the couch she would come up to me and look waiting for me to pat the couch next to me so that she could jump up and lay down. She did like to go outside on occasion and one night she stayed out too late for me to continue staying up. So I left the screen open for her. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to find a raccoon licking my face and my cat just sitting there watching the whole thing. Was quite comical. I still miss her to this day and hesitate attempting to establish another good relationship like that with another though I do my share of pet sitting for my siblings.

DianaLC

On three separate occasion, three of my cats did not come home before dark. I had so many kids going in and out. Two times, I pulled out a small mattress and laid it by the porch window to sleep on, and one time in a different house by the patio screen door.
They each finally came to the door, all dirty from being trapped somewhere I guess.
When any of my pets are at the point of dying now, I tell them that I expect them to be waiting for me at the window when it’s my turn.

BronwynsHarbor

Diane, I am also so very sorry for your losses. They are as dear as children, sometimes moreso,

And the bastard who declawed his cats — I hope in another life, someone chops off his toes and fingers … well, of course I don’t. But it’s tempting to imagine.

It is INEXCUSABLE not only did people demand their cats be declawed but also that there are ANY veterinarians willing to do the surgery. Shame on all of them.

Now, I will admit that, after my child’s cat died and said child wanted another cat, I did call the animal shelter and requested a cat that had already been declawed. (That was because I had that home business, and couldn’t allow my sofa to get scratched up — although I should have bought a sofa with covering that wasn’t marred by scratching.)

I had to sign form after form PROMISING that I’d never let that cat outdoors. But, sad to say, they had SIX cats in the shelter who all had been declawed. My child picked a favorite — fortunately, a grown cat who was about three years old and who had a lovely temperament.

Thank god my child knew that most adult cats never get adopted. Everybody wants kittens, sigh.

Anyway, Maggie lived another 14 years and was much loved, and given the best cat food + taken to the veterinarian regularly. (Although, in retrospect, I wish we had skipped the rabies, etc. vaccinations — she never went outside, and some of those vaccines are carcinogenic. Seriously. Furthermore, on the West Coast of the U.S., rabies in cats is unheard of … the animal that gets the most rabies? DOGS.

DianaLC

My Hobbes–see the photo on the side—was so special to me. One memory I have of him (and his best friend ,my last Dane, from when I was in my clinical depression still brings tears to my eyes of gratitude that I had them in my life at the time.
He was the equivalent of 102 human years old when he finally died in my arms. Toward the end, I could tell he was just hanging on for my sake.
He was really what fits the definition of a soul mate for me.
I love dogs so much, and I always feel so honored that a cat likes me.

BronwynsHarbor

Yeah. I’m nuts about raccoons and once made the mistake — it was a mistake — of feeding them every night. But their antics made me laugh, which I needed to do.

I would fill a big plastic container with water and sprinkle a few grapes in the water, and watch them out the kitchen window as they DOVE IN to catch those grapes. Thank god that plastic container was on the grass because, the next morning, the amount of dirt in that water was astounding. Those little stinkers were full of dirt.
But did they ever have fun. And when the moms brought their babies with them, it got truly hilarious — watching those little babies upside down, with just their little tails visible.

I lived all day long waiting for it to finally get dark so that those raccoons would show up.

Then I got them unsalted peanuts in the shell from Costco — very inexpensive — and added them to the water or on the grass.

But the cool part about the peanuts was that the raccoons would miss some — and then I’d throw them out so that sometimes the peanuts hit the top of the separate garage.

The next morning, early, the crows would come out and grab those peanuts.

I’d never realized how smart crows are. They picked up the peanuts, and flew clear over to the street that got plenty of traffic, and dropped the peanuts right where the cars’ tires would run over them. The second the car tires broke up the peanut shells, the crows flew down and nabbed the meat of the peanuts and flew off.

Another thing: The crows would manage to get three to four peanuts, shell and all, in their mouths before they flew over to the street. After all, it wasted TRIPS! :)

It so happened that the Seattle NPR station had two guests on who had written a book about crows, and I listened to the show, certain I’d be bored to death. WRONG. Crows (and their raven cousins) are BRILLIANT. The two professors at the University of Washington who wrote the book about crows told remarkable stories.

One story was that they had captured and banded a few of the crows to track their movements. WELL. Those crows NEVER FORGOT which human beings had banded them. There were thousands of people walking around the UW campus — and the profs were mixed in among those thousands of people — but those crows remembered who those professors were, and dive-bombed them every time they dared to step out of their building.

It blew the profs’ minds that the crows not only remembered what they looked like but invariably found them and punished them for having captured them.

I just wish that whales, dolphins, elephants, tigers, lions, etc, etc., could do the same.

DianaLC

Great stories! We have so many raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, prairie dogs around her that it drives my two dogs nuts. They are only first generation non-feral, so that instinct to chase is so great in them. It hasn’t abated in fthe four and a half years I’ve had them here.
My Danes and various mutts that the kids had grew bored with the little critters after only a week.
But I understand your love for watching the critters. I have never ever bought into the “dumb animal” concept.
My religious background always kicks in. I watch the little critters around here and always think of the “birds of the air” comment by Jesus and wish we humans could be so certain of God’s abundance and so accepting. We wouldn’t be here typing in the middle of the night because we can’t stop worrying.

HObama HObamanana

I thought you might enjoy this.
HObama HObamanana

Going to try this again…

Thought you might like this.

jrterrier

your image is not posting. i always have the same problem.

HObama HObamanana

Yeah, Disqus is doing some weird things. Sometimes I have no edit button either. And I have a good image to share. At least I think it is.

BronwynsHarbor

God, I am so glad to read your comment! I thought I was the only one having problems. My Edit button doesn’t appear either sometimes. And when I changed outfits and became NQ administrator, I was unable to edit a comment — uh, which is one of the reasons to have an administrative account.

Sigh, will yank Disqus’s chain. I’m tired of writing abut blog issues today and need a nap. I may get lazy and lie down for a while. Just don’t tell Larry! (Kidding. … he is SO NICE TO ME — he has been calling me to make sure I am alright. I still don’t feel good — lots of perspiration — and those steroids are doing a number on my personality. I wanted to take heads off earlier today. Told Larry about it, and he said it’s “Roid Rage.” HEH!)

HObama HObamanana

I remember having to take steroids once. My anxiety went through the roof and my patience didn’t exist. After a few weeks of taking them I once looked in a mirror and didn’t even recognize myself because my face had puffed out like a balloon. And I ate so much it was nuts. Then the crazy doctor told me to just quit taking them. Fortunately I listened to my primary physician who told me that I could have killed myself following the insane advice of the “specialist.” I weaned off properly and after a month I knew that guy looking back at me when I brushed my teeth.

NoQuarterUSA

This is Bronwyn. I am trying to post my reply to you, Hokma, by using this account:

OMG. I have lived your story. First, yesterday, I inhaled food even though I am not supposed to eat “real food” until after my endoscpy next week.

Fortunately, it was my first test to see how well the Prevacid is working, and it was a success! That Prevacid is a miracle — it is so superior to Prilosec. Prilosec is garbage.

If you need a drug like Prilosec, hit Costco or WalMart and try the Prevacid generic (although I trust Costco’s generic a lot more than I trust WalMart’s). Prevacid is not cheap, but it’s worth it.

ALSO: Once, like Hokma, I took steroids for @ three months, but my pain level shot through the roof. Also: My blood pressure soared … it was @ 173 over 130. I kid you not. Thank god my child became alarmed.

My GP had SEEN my blood pressure and hadn’t said a word about it — I kid you not, again. My child picked me up at 8 pm one night and said, “We’re driving to Seattle.” I asked her where we were going — she didn’t know but she knew she had to get me to a good ER. (The local ER was a no-go since all the docs here know each other, and they perhaps wouldn’t have been frank with me.)

When I finally saw the young ER resident at the county hospital in Seattle, around 2 a.m., he ordered a BLOOD TEST. I wondered why. Well, I found out.

My potassium level was so low that I was NEAR DEATH. The ER doc was beside himself when I told him that my doctor had ordered me to stop taking Prednisone without tapering off of it.

Furthermore, the ER doc could NOT believe that my GP had not monitored my potassium level closely with once-a-week blood tests. I had had NO blood tests.

Then the ER doc got worried that I wasn’t comprehending what he was telling me, so my child had to pitch in. “MOTHER,” said child. “He is trying to tell you that this is very serious.” (I was so tired from not sleeping that I barely understood what he was trying to tell me.)

The ER doc repeated himself and told me that I WOULD DIE if I didn’t do exactly as he ordered:

1) Take the potassium pills every day, and also eat bananas, etc.;

2) Get back ON PREDNISONE, and taper off of it properly;

3) Get regular — weekly — blood tests.

Unfortunately, he said i had to go back to my GP who was LIVID that my child and I had gone to Seattle.

When I told him — instructed him, actually — on what to do, he wrote out a tapering plan that would get me off within TWO days. I got stubborn, and said we needed to taper me off the Prednisone more slowly. He was REALLY PISSED then.

And when I insisted on the weekly blood tests, he smirked.

Fortunately, and completely due to my child dragging me to an ER over 100 miles (and a ferry ride) away and that smart ER resident, I am alive. Otherwise, I would have been DEAD as a doornail.

I write out the above instructions in case any of you ever has a doctor as stupid as mine and Hokma’s. My doctor should not be practicing medicine — because there are more stories where that one came from. The medical profession is full of a lot of IDIOTS.

BronwynsHarbor

I don’t want to bring this up. But since this is an open thread, here goes. It looks like Mitt made an unforced error this morning.

(CNN) – Mitt Romney began his stump speech in Michigan on Friday with a joke which raised a sensitive issue: birth certificates.“I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born,” he said. “Ann was born at Henry Ford hospital, I was born at Harper hospital. No one has ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised.”

WHO NEEDS AKIN ANYMORE? The Democratic party has a whole new theme for their convention, and the MSM has a story that will last them from now until November!

BronwynsHarbor

Look on the bright side: Donald Trump will be happy.
HObama HObamanana

I’d much rather them focus on birthers than insane rape beliefs. And face it, the Dems are going to pounce on every single thing that can be misinterpreted about Mitt Romney. I’m so totally frustrated with the lock step media and the lying politicians that I am almost at a loss for words. And despite my better angels, I am leaning toward a gloves off approach toward Obama and the lib Dems. They certainly haven’t shown any respect, grace or courtesy. It’s probably about time they got a taste of their own medicine, in spades.
DianaLC

Bronwyn,
I know that it’s a hot topic because it gives the MSM an opening to attack him. But if you concentrate on the part about “no one asking” for his records, he can just defend his comment with the fact that they’re easily obtained there where they are.
And, from what I’m hearing around here, most people I know are watching the new documentary out (2016) and most don’t worry about the details of the birth certificate, definitions of “natural-born,” or any question of eligibility. They just know in their hearts he doesn’t fill the definition of patriotic American that they have. Romney can still say that he was just stating a fact. Did he mention Obama when he said it? If the MSM can explain away Biden’ “ya’ll in chains remark,” Romney will have no trouble explaining his comment.

BronwynsHarbor

I’m talking about how the MSM will react to this. It doesn’t matter if WE think it was no big deal. I’m going to repeat this below LJ’s post too, but you HAVE to look at Memeorandum.com’s section on this “issue,” and you’ll see what the MSM is already doing about Romney’s remark … which is why it was very unfortunate he ever said it.

DianaLC

I’m at the point of being unable to listen to already predetermined opinions put out by the MSM for all occasons.

jrterrier

not sure why he went there but i think it’s probably because he’s loosening up a bit after all the trash that’s gone his way. here’s the video of Mitt saying that:
http://youtu.be/4qDE3RBUfzM
and here’s Ann introducing him — she chokes up a bit:
http://youtu.be/2J7GBnd32hk

HObama HObamanana

Now, after watching it, I don’t think this could in any way hurt him. I didn’t realize the light nature of his comment. It was actually kinda funny.
foxyladi14

Wonderful get under Ozero’s skin.make fun of him.

getfitnow

MADE IN THE USA MUG

(SKU OFA0805)

There’s really no way to make the conspiracy about President Obama’s birth
certificate completely go away, so we might as well laugh at it
— and make sure as many people as possible are in on the joke.
Get your Obama birth certificate Made in the USA mug today.

$22.50

And this:
http://www.therightsphere.com/2012/08/you-know-who-else-makes-birth-certificate-jokes-president-obama

I guess it is only funny if you are That One or on his reelection campaign and selling crap to raise funds.

I thought it was funny and welled time.
FormerLiberal9

None of that has worked for the Dems so far why should people give a hoot now. It was just a joke from Romney. It’s a very big stretch to say Romney is a birther.
HELENK2

the joke got in the obot’s heads. It is fun to watch them explode.

HObama HObamanana

Banking on third time is a charm on this image.
HARP2

Obama has millions of fake Twitter followers

President Obama’s Twitter account has 18.8 million followers — but more
than half of them really don’t exist, according to reports.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/08/obama-has-millions-of-fake-twitter-followers/1#.UDfP_KOjTTq

HObama HObamanana

Purchasing followers. Sounds like Obama’s reelection strategy.
BronwynsHarbor

Effing unbelievable.

HObama HObamanana

OK, I created a photobucket account to try this photo one more time. If it doesn’t work, please accept my apology for the waste of bandwidth and your time.

http://s1070.photobucket.com/albums/u481/Hobamanana/

[IMG]http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u481/Hobamanana/9cacf7a3.jpg[/IMG]
foxyladi14

Awwwwww!!!!!!!! So cute
Hokma

What happened in NYC today was horrific
and tragic. But it pales in comparison to what happened in Chicago just
yesterday.

At least 19 people were wounded in Chicago shootings since Thursday
evening.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/14689810-418/at-least-19-injured-in-shootings-across-city-thursday-night.html

Yet you they don’t interrupt
cable news shows for expanded coverage on any of that.

Why is that?

Is it because the news media is
so morally corrupt that they want to cover up the horrific crime that has been
going on in Chicago for years now just to protect the Democrats and Obama?

Or is it the fact that the news
media is actually racially biased itself and doesn’t think the slaughter of
African Americans in the inner city is news?

BronwynsHarbor

Jesus. NINETEEN?

Yup, Giuliani took care of business. Rahm Emanuel doesn’t need to watch STARZ’s series “Boss.” He IS the “Boss.”

Although it must bother Kelsey Grammer to portray someone as uncaring and ruthless as his fictional character. Grammer is one of those stupid Hollywood types who is conservative “in real life.”

getfitnow

I guess Corey Booker is back in his place.
This was the beginning of an email today:
******************

This
week, the Republican Party demonstrated in so many ways how it does not reflect
my values — and I know it does not reflect yours. We cannot and will not
regress on women’s health and safety.

BronwynsHarbor

Oh dear. Well, as we learned from Jim Webb, it is best not to hope for too much from Democrats.
FLDemFem

Why doesn’t anyone realize that Romney, or anyone else, cannot “repeal or overturn” Roe vs. Wade. Do none of them understand that it was a Supreme Court decision and therefore cannot be “overturned” by either Congress or the President?? Don’t any of them understand how our government works? Don’t they get the “three separate branches” bit? Or do they just think the rest of us don’t? I am so tired of this crap.

getfitnow

I’ve been in a bad mood since Obama got elected.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/13-million-got-disability-mood-disorders-including-33-beneficiaries-puerto-rico
EllenD818

Yay Bronwyn.
I am so FED UP with this whole election.
Go HIPPOS!
getfitnow

Who in America is not acutely aware Obama
is a liar….Joe Wilson was simply the first willing to tell the truth.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterferrara/2012/08/23/dont-believe-obamas-ads-romney-is-a-middle-class-tax-cutter/
getfitnow

The GOP looks to have the biggest tent to me.
******************
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-gop-convention-romney-faith-
20120824,0,4308187.story

BTW, speaking of Mormonism, I posted an interview in another thread–A black conservative who is Mormon. The interview wasn’t about that, but it was mentioned.
shuisheng915

tinyurl.com/cyk9xz2
.
yudao661

http://tinyurl.com/c8b8a7y
.
http://www.lovemypetsupply.com/ Halloween dog costumes

Anyone realize that Romney, or anyone else, cannot “repeal or overturn” Roe vs. Wade. Do none of them understand that it was a Supreme Court decision and therefore cannot be “overturned” by either Congress or the President?? Don’t any of them understand how our government works? Don’t they get the “three separate branches” bit? Or do they just think the rest of us don’t? I am so tired of this crap.
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