Hump Day Tabs
Politics-free edition.
Steven L. Taylor
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024
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17 comments
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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I agree with the NYT piece about pets. I’ve loved my dogs–better than a fair number of people–but they’re dogs, and I treated them as such. Lots of affection, good shelter, good food, regular vet care, playthings to keep them occupied when I was at work or out. But I never treated them as if they were four-footed humans.
Just my $0.000002 worth, prefaced with a thank you for going through these tabs for us:
1. While I’m glad he found something to keep his mind occupied during the pandemic, I don’t like beer enough to take the project on.
2. Probably, we’re Americans, that’s what we do – we love people/things too much
3. I can’t afford a subscription to the WP, but I’m presuming it’s in the Freeze/puree list of preservation.
4. Although I’ve worked in restaurants and bars, I’ve never warmed up to the show, after the first five minutes. For those who love it, all I can say is “more power to you, enjoy!”
5. I’m thinking back to the roast of William Shatner, and George Takai’s infamous comment.
6. Unlike others here, while I enjoy reading, I’m not driven in this direction. History, sci-fi, fantasy, noir, romance, I don’t care, I’ll try anything at least twice.
7. Awful doesn’t even begin to describe how horrifying this idea is, so of course it’s glommed onto by TPTB with all their grasping, greedy paws.
But again, I appreciate your pulling this grouping together, and giving me an hour to think about something other than the log flume we as a society seem to be racing down. Skoal!
Not Howard Cosell, complete with racist comments? Lame.
Anyway, if it brings us closer to the dream of an all Wookiee Star Wars, I’m all for it. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, populated entirely by Wookiees.
Just ftr, I understand why people love their dogs so much. Has a husband ever treated his wife with such absolute adoration? Has a wife ever said, “If you rub my belly, you will feel so much better!”?
Dogs, and some cats, just want to be loved. I’ve never met a human so easily satisfied. And yeah, that includes me.
I was never a Trekkie, so ????????????????
@OzarkHillbilly: To the degree I recall, the suggestion was to do something to himself and the horse he rode in on. But I can’t remember why it was funny anymore. In my take, Shatner’s always been a ham, and I’ve watched episodes of Route 66 and The Naked City he guested on.
@just nutha:
John Belushi did a funny impersonation of Shatner on SNL He had all the hammy affectations down pat.
I had thought the paleobeer market had been cornered by Patrick McGovern, the Penn professor who uses gas chromatography to reconstruct the ingredients of ancient beverages, then gets Dogfish Head Brewing Company to produce them. Some of them, like Midas Touch*, have been turned into commercial products.
*Brewed from a mix of barley, grapes, honey, and saffron
@OzarkHillbilly:
In the intro to his roast, Shatner rode in on a white horse.
When Takai was speaking, he said something to the effect of, “and closing, Bill, fawk you, and the horse you rode in on”
I’m also thinking of the comment attributed to W.C. Fields, about never working with children or animals.
I suspect Glastonbury isn’t ready for her on a horse. I know I’m certainly not
Shania Twain does ride horses, so ready or not …
Without Googling, my memory of a WC Fields quote:
“Anybody who hates dogs and kids can’t be all bad!”
The point of the NYT article about pets is a little weird. It seems to advocate for free roaming, which is neither safe (for pets or people) or practical.
Yes, too many owners are imparting their own sluggish, inactive ways on animals. But advocating for free roaming is bizarre. Around here, that’s a good way for your dog to get shot.
@CSK:
I don’t think dogs are people. They do.
@Jen:
Having seen a lot of free-roaming dogs when I lived in Colombia (many of whom were dead on the side of the road), I have to agree that it is an odd position to take.
@Jen: @Steven L. Taylor:
When my dogs went out, it was always at the other end of a leash I was holding.
Advocating for free roaming pets is indeed odd, as Animal Control trucks were not that uncommon in the neighborhood I grew up in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles county) as packs of wild dogs were usually broken up by Animal Control officers.
Free range pets on farms or grazing land I understand that argument, if you have the land to allow a dog or a cat to be true to their nature let them roam free, but in most cities it would be very hazardous for the pets health to not be walked on a leash.
The thing that has me shaking my head is the trend of putting pets in strollers, and sometimes rather medium to large pets at that.
My mom had a teacup poodle, now that was a dog that was in her arms a lot, or draped over her neck in the car when she was a passenger.
She never considered putting a pet in a stroller.
Pets have four legs for a reason, the Creator expects them to do a ton of running and walking. Letting a pets legs go unused means the limbs get weak from no use and they get fat and sluggish. Honestly, this sounds over the top for me to say but it is almost a form of animal cruelty to shuttle a pet around in a stroller vs letting them use their four legs.
I would pay $$$ if I could get all my sports recaps with the voice and elocution of Al Michaels.
When he went from Baseball play-by-play to on the scene earthquake reporter, he went straight to my personal “Broadcaster Hall of Fame”