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Martini Glambassador's avatar

Look at this family! Mom, Dad... you've been busy! (It's yer hed gif info, yo!)

https://open.substack.com/pub/martiniambassador/p/having-a-quail-of-a-time-at-the-ol

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OneYieldRegular's avatar

"Alright, which one of you spiked the punchbowl?"

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Paulomatic's avatar

Cloud of Terror!

Trigger warning: More geese than you've ever seen in the sky at one time, probably.

https://substack.com/profile/671070-paulomatic/note/c-55671708?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=edsu

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Aunt Robyn's avatar

That's a scary number of geese and when I embiggened it there were even more. LOOKS NOISY!

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Paulomatic's avatar

Watch this breathtaking segue to - Geese in Iceland!

So there I was, in Eastern Iceland, September 2021. I'm trying to take a complicated photo sequence of a volcanic ridge, a multi-shot panorama with exposure bracketing, all handheld, in the typical light rain and high wind. About halfway through the sequence I began seeing some sort of visual disturbance in the viewfinder. As I kept shooting it got worse and worse. Then it started honking.

A small flock of geese had risen out of a depression and managed to insert themselves in every single shot of the panorama until they got close enough to hear. Bastards.

https://substack.com/profile/671070-paulomatic/note/c-55675608?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=edsu

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Menotsure's avatar

Celebrating the shooting of a potential bird dog.

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Linoleum von Curmudgeon, Esq.'s avatar

Is this a good place to OT the news that a 10 month old child abducted in Clovis, NM on Friday has been found alive and the killer of her mom is in custody?

Well wishes for Baby Eleia Maria Torres!

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Mavenmaven's avatar

That cheeping throughout the original video made my day

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RefillingThorsBeer's avatar

We have Muskovy ducks and Canada geese and some regular Murikan geese in our hood.... the baby Muskovys are just ADORABLE.... but moms aren't always super careful and allow the ducklings to run into the street... for the most part, neighbors are very good about avoiding them, but the other day I was on my way to work and saw one squashed in the road... it was turrible.

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Zap's avatar

Yep. I had some summer tanagers visiting the feeder and found one later squished in the road. Bummed me out.

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SkeptiKC's avatar

I used to LOVE being able to quietly but emphatically gesture my girls to the front window when they were small to see the families of quail bobbing through our front yard at our former rental home. That more rural property allowed for SO many beautiful, wild visitors that would really make gazing out the window WELL worth your while.

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noname's avatar

Awwww, that's so lovely, thanks: quail were the first birds my dad taught me to recognize ( by sight and song).

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Dutchman's avatar

It's the bob whites!!

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Bruce's avatar

Sort of; they're a related species, bigger than bobwhites. I have a friend who raises and releases bobwhites into her Richmond VA neighborhood; they used to be all over the place, and her neighborhood has a lot of good habitat for them. She often hears them out in the wooded area behind her house, she's also glimpsed new babies in the wild so she's happy that they're coming back, a little.

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tehbaddr's avatar

The two larger ones, big enough to roast!

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Martini Glambassador's avatar

Apparently some people do!

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noname's avatar

Love quail!

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Babe Paley's avatar

The first 6 months of the pandemic--when people weren't around much and not even a lot of cars in our slightly out of the way neighborhood...we normally have a good amount of wildlife but it was unreal during that time--on my walks I started seeing a lot of quail and I never saw them before. I remember one walk in particular with all the normal birds in the trees and then a mess of quail, some road runners scurrying past me, and somethings that may have been pheasants...I felt a little outnumbered!

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Fog of Jen's avatar

At the work place we get inundated with Canada geese, and they are rather protected here because no one wants an international incident.

They be everywhere right now with their fluffy spawn all over the place XD

Unfortunately we also got snapping turtles so that helps a wee bit, but I do adore seeing those tiny little poofs

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Andrea's avatar

I hate the geese. Too many of them, shitting everywhere, year round, here in Maryland

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SkeptiKC's avatar

Geese are notoriously ill tempered boids.

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Andrea's avatar

My daughter works in a secured government office facility but the geese get in over the fence.Once there was a nest near the parking lot. Signs and orange cones were put up to warn off anyone who thought getting close to look was a good idea.

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fair_n_hite_451's avatar

Hence the "cobra chickens" nickname

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Sko Hayes's avatar

A pair almost drowned one of my dogs, who went swimming in a LARGE pond, and the geese took an exception to her in THEIR pond.

One of the pair kept jumping on her head and pushing her head underwater (fortunately she was half Newfie and a strong swimmer and made it out okay).

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jltympanum's avatar

When the first goose showed up at my new house, of course I greeted him with "Oh wah, tah goo, siam!". He just hissed at me. The nerve! To hiss at me in my own backyard!

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Sko Hayes's avatar

They're cobra chickens, not geese (and yes, I had to google that, LOL).

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noname's avatar

They are just mean as hell: got bit by one as a toddler, nasty old bird.

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Bruce's avatar

I knew somone in Albuquerque who had chickens, a couple domestic geese and her doberman all coexisting in her yard. She had a sign up: "Forget the Doberman, worry about the goose"

Which was absolutely true..the Dobie was a big goof, whose greatest danger was to thwack you with his tail (he had both uncropped ears and un-docked tail, and I believe not going through that nonsense trauma as a pup definitely improved his personality). The male goose was MEAN.

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Andrea's avatar

Even more reason to hate them. We have signs here for geese crossings!

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Sko Hayes's avatar

I live in the southwest, so we see them occasionally, but not like back on the east coast!

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Andrea's avatar

They have just multiplied over the years. In some states, there is apparently a hunting season for them but not so far as I know here in MD. I don’t hunt but I would be willing to feed them birth control

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Toomush Expectashuns's avatar

We're saving those geese up for when the US is engulfed in its own end times shittery...

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noname's avatar

To eat? That'd be quite a way to go out.

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Sko Hayes's avatar

They're actually delicious, if you like dark meat.

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noname's avatar

Yes, indeed, that's what I meant to imply: they're extremely delicious, IMO, and that would be one hell of a pleasurable way to meet the end of the world.

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Bobathonic's avatar

Beware the Cobra Chicken!

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Stroke1's avatar

Those tiny little poofs will grow up to be mean poopy motherfuckers.

Rooting for the snappers.

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Stranger Than Friction's avatar

Canada Geese: Cows That Fly

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Stranger Than Friction's avatar

I once witnessed a crime: two guys pulled up to a grazing Canada goose and wrestled it into a bag and then into the trunk of their car and sped away. I was too far across the nearby pond to do anything. I'm not even sure I could ID their car. So I didn't report it, but I wondered, why?

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Zyxomma's avatar

I was in Tompkins Square Park one morning in 1970 at dawn. A guy came with a bag of popcorn and threw it on the ground. When the pigeons came to eat it, he threw a net over them, gathered them up, and took them to a waiting car. On the way, he saw me, ran back, and handed me ten bucks. I was too shocked to say or do anything.

Decades later, I knew an asshole whose favorite expression was, "I know the difference between chicken shit and chicken salad." Having heard it one too many times, I answered, "But do you know the difference between chicken salad and pigeon salad?"

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CambridgeKnitter's avatar

Food was my first thought.

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Deidre Snutz, Mind Goblin's avatar

Hey, you owe money to the mob, things happen, y'know?

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human being's avatar

Yep! I’ve always thought of geese as the ‘humans’ of the avian world- assholes

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Bruce's avatar

Jerk Bird laughs in seagull

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Stroke1's avatar

I count roughly 20 quail chicks, presumably all named Dan.

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Martini Glambassador's avatar

Potatoe

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Stroke1's avatar

Like being able to spell should be a required qualifier for high office. People focus on some stupid shit.

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Cincinnatus's avatar

WaPO: "Working from an inaccurate flash card prepared by a teacher, he corrected William Figueroa, 12, when the child spelled "potato" on the blackboard – making the boy add an unnecessary "e" at the word's end."

Or: https://publicapologycentral.com/apologia-archive/political-2/dan-quayle-potato-incident/

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Toomush Expectashuns's avatar

We needed some way to point out his evident stupidity and unworthiness for office. Don't shameblame us!...

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Stroke1's avatar

Pick something more vital to national security. There were plenty of choices.

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Toomush Expectashuns's avatar

Yeah, but this got everyone's attention. No one seemed to give a shit what they were doing in foreign lands...

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noname's avatar

We'll pick what we like, obviously. You do the same.

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Martini Glambassador's avatar

Murphy Brown.

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John_atx's avatar

You beat me to it!

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Sojourner Truth's avatar

Can you believe that chud tried to ride the single motherhood of a fictional TV character to relevance?

---

Later, he advised Vice President I Forget how to act like an American.

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Bobathonic's avatar

Chosen to prevent the assassination of Bush. "Look who's next in line, suckers!"

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Stroke1's avatar

Bush I was mocked for not knowing how a grocery scanner worked, like presidents should spend a couple hours a week buying their own vittles.

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Oblio's Cap's avatar

For their world-class chefs.

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Bobathonic's avatar

Hey, if they're gonna play Man-Of-The-People, they need to learn the part.

I want candidates who understand how the government works and who share my ideals. And that means anyone, ANYONE, who says "run government like a business" is right the fuck out.

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User's avatar
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May 6, 2024
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Resource NW's avatar

As George Carlin observed, take the average person in a crowd and half of them are stupider than him. Dan Quayle has moved up the bell curve through attrition, I guess.

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Teen Laqueefa's avatar

TMBG had a phase where they were the 2 Johns and 3 Dans, who were known as the Band of Dans.

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Bob's avatar

If the internet says we all have to visit Iceland this year I'm going some other year.

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ziggywiggy's avatar

Bear update.

The vet saw nothing obvious that could be wrong. Bear had improved a bit as he hadn’t vomited since 3 am, he’s drinking water but not eating. The vet wanted to give him every single test that was possible(because he is 14, so old cats need all the tests) and way more than I could afford. He got a full panel blood test(check for infection, diabetes, etc.) 4 injections(antibiotics, vitamins, anti-inflammatory) and fluids.

After getting home, he hid for a little bit and then came out, drank some water and used the litter box. He plopped down in his favorite spot, cleaned himself and is now relaxing. All good things. Next is to get him to eat. Going to get some baby food(meat only) which works wonders in this kind of situation.

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Chicken ate my Ballot's avatar

Crossing fingers and toes for Bear's full recovery!

PEEPS, if you can and want to help, pop over to ziggy's substack and buy a print or two

and that way you can help if you want and can with Bear's Vet bill.

https://open.substack.com/pub/ziggywiggy/p/photography?r=2knkk0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

You can DM ziggy to sort out the deets.

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WasX's avatar

((((((((((((((((((((BEAR&YOU))))))))))))))))))

Whew. Hope this vanishes, asap. That poo is such a good sign!!! And his behavior after coming home. He knows Mama loves him, he is safe and feeling a little better.

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Androgenous AF's avatar

He should get a shot for appetite stimulation. Butter works. Tuna. There use to be a product Pet Malt, that had vitamins and molasses...I believe. Messy but did the trick.

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WasX's avatar

Yes, still around, miracle calorie stuff. Also in laxative formula, "Laxatone". I forget what the regular kind is called.

EDIT: It's called NUTRICAL. Same company, used both for years.

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Androgenous AF's avatar

Glad to hear that it's still around. Works great.

Yrs ago...some friends asked what to give their potbelly pig who was off it's feed...I said molasses...one was pissed at himself, because he was born on a farm.

I'm just well read...

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Khavrinen's avatar

"Guys? The New York Times doesn’t want to alarm you, but have you considered that Donald Trump might be sounding sorta fascist?"

The New York Times -- All the News that Fit to Print ... Eventually. When We Get Around to it.

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Ward From Cali's avatar

"Trump is among the world’s most obvious political creatures, but the sheer constancy of his public communications, their assaultiveness and density, has sometimes made it hard to see clearly their evolutions, to trace changes in the signal through the formidable noise."

Yeah, I've noticed that, too. I had reason to look up speeches and quotes from Trump in 2016. The difference from what he says today is both striking and shocking. He was an asshole back then, but he wasn't openly a wannabe Nazi. And then there's the massive deterioration of his verbal skills. In 2016, the limits of his vocabulary and his articulation were apparent when you watched or listened, but not so apparent when transcribed into print. Now, holy shit! Chauncey DeVega at Salon has been hammering on that at Salon, citing experts who say that his verbal deterioration is clear, diagnostic evidence of advancing dementia.

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Wookiee Monster's avatar

Mississippi occasionally likes to reminds us that it’s only been a few years since they removed the confederate flag from their state flag.

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Wookiee Monster's avatar

“ Donald Trump Has Never Sounded Like This”

Has the NYT been in a coma for the past decade?

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LP's avatar

Yes, and it was deliberately induced

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Anzu's avatar

Mr. Anzu was so mad at the Internet that I told him to get off his computer and cool off for a few minutes. He took my advice, and I saw him staring at the mama bird outside, feeding her babies, until she flew off. The cat joined him. They were both very calm.

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Pilgrim's avatar

Tell the Mr I said hi Personally I'm going to go ride my bike if it ever xxxxxxx I mean as soon as it stops raining.

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JoannaJeannineJanet's avatar

Yeah, Airbnb is not ok in tight housing markets.

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Anzu's avatar

I love AirBNBs but I've learned to be really picky about who I'm staying with. Is it an owner occupied building? Was the space something that would have otherwise been available to rent? Are they charging me stupid cleaning fees on top of making me actually clean the place myself?

I've stayed in some wonderful places over the years - a 17th century farmhouse in Massachusetts, a converted garage in the Bay area, the attic of a historic home in Roanoke, Virginia, the top floor of a townhouse in Washington, DC (the owner was renting out the upper bedroom as an AirBNB to help pay his mortgage.)

But I've also stayed in some places that were clearly slapdash converted units that SHOULD have been apartments rented out to locals. They tended to be the worst - absent hosts that didn't live on premises, terrible furniture from thrift stores and the cheapest mattresses they could find, roaches, and absurd requirements (like doing my own CLEANING. No, I'm not stripping the sheets off the bed before I leave, you butthole.)

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

Yesterday I took down the tarp That hangs off my upper deck to protect the firewood stacked on the lower deck. Because spring!

It’s snowing. High today of 42. Wot?

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ZorPern's avatar

If you were in New England, I'd say, "of course!". Alaska may be the same? But it won't last long.

I've hexed everybody around here: I've put away my hats and scarves and mittens. (But not the boots!)

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

I really screwed up. I didn’t bother to bring in firewood. And now I need it, and the top layer is wet and covered with snow. I is a idiot.

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ZorPern's avatar

Pooh! Oh, & thx kats for a heads-up & a helping paw! Them lazy slackers!

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

Two of them came outside with me ready to hold back the forces of destruction. I saw the little flying squirrel in a tree branch just a few feet from the house. I had no idea that they were living this close.

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WasX's avatar

WAIT. That's cheating!!!

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

My own damn fault for taking down that tarp.

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WasX's avatar

Never.

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

I started a fire in the woodstove so the girls would have a warm place to stretch out today.

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Doug Langley's avatar

That NYT link confuses me. He just seems to keep saying what Trump is doing and saying, but I didn't see much on why it was a problem.

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Rags's avatar

From the nyt gift link above;

Democrats, again with the quiet but essential support of bureaucrats, had exploited the pandemic to many ends — not least expanding and making clever use of mail-in balloting in the November election, which, depending on whom you asked, had been stolen legally or stolen outright from Trump.

WTF?

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Cincinnatus's avatar

From HuffPo:

"A fraternity member who directed monkey noises at a Black University of Mississippi student during an anti-war demonstration was kicked out of the organization on Friday after video of the encounter spread on social media.

“Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters is aware of the video regarding the student protest at the University of Mississippi,” the organization wrote in a statement on Sunday. “The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter.”"

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Crip Dyke's avatar

No they aren't. The bad PR is antithetical to the mad dreams of power and influence of the entitled know-nothings of Phi Delta Theta's Mississippi chapter.

There is no way you live in a house with this schmuck for a year and have no idea he's this fucking racist. They chose him during rush and they stuck by him. And they did it for a reason: because they basically liked him, racism and all.

Machiavelli said kick him out, so they are, regretfully. But don't for a second believe that they have a fundamental problem with him and his racism.

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Renaissance Outlaw's avatar

Isn’t it sad when college frat boys exhibit righteous and adult behavior while all the Trumpanzees can do it spout obscenities and fling their poo?

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ziggywiggy's avatar

I need all the positive vibes and whatever else you got as Bear is sick. I have a 12:30 vet appointment. He started throwing up yesterday and he is not eating. I am really worried about my boy.

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Chicken ate my Ballot's avatar

Peeps! I'm worried about Bear, and I know y'all are too.

Now would be a great time to go over to ziggy's Substack and buy a print or two

if you can, follow the link and pick up a print or two to help with Bear's Vet bill.

BRB with the link.

https://open.substack.com/pub/ziggywiggy/p/photography?r=2knkk0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

love to all and healing vibes to Bear

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Chicken ate my Ballot's avatar

oh ziggy! all the best vibes to you and Bear!

I'll hover here. Be ok Bear!

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WasX's avatar

I'm with you, and not leaving. Thank Dog you can get him in and start hi]m getting better.

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ziggywiggy's avatar

Thanks Morgan, I need that.

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WasX's avatar

((((((((((((((((((Bear&Z))))))))))))))))

I bet it's going to be something easy to treat or at least not serious, darling Z.

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

You’re on the East Coast, so in another hour you’ll get him in. I find it really helps to talk to my cats about what’s going on as I get them off to the vet. Maybe it just helps me. Keep us informed. Will be wishing you all the best.

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ziggywiggy's avatar

Thanks, I will.

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

Any news? I'm at work, so this is the easy way for me to find you.

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ziggywiggy's avatar

The vet saw nothing obvious. Waiting on blood tests results. They gave him antibiotics, vitamins and fluids. He has stopped vomiting and seems a little better. He's drinking water and using the litter box. He has been sleeping most the day. Just need to get him to eat.

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

Please don't take my reactions to heart. It took four months to get a diagnosis for M, and it almost cost her life, so I tend to go zero-to-sixty on ambiguous medical stuff for cats.

Crossables crossed that he's just having a crummy day and will put this behind him and never look back.

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ziggywiggy's avatar

Oh I totally get it! Thanks OTOH.

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𝕺𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉's avatar

I only say this because I have FIPTSD, but on the off off off chance that you get an FIP diagnosis, be aware that that is not a death sentence, and if you have a Vet that tells you it is, you need a different Vet.

Máebh is here to tell you otherwise, and she, Serendipity, and Gryffn are keeping their paws crossed for Bear, and also sending Harry the love.

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Trux Mint In Box's avatar

Toe yoga! Get your toe yoga here!

Diehard taught me this 35 years ago.

“Fists with your toes”

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OneYieldRegular's avatar

That Emmerich climate change film contains one of my favorite scenes from any dumb movie, which is the one showing Americans fleeing the deep freeze of the north and trying to get across the border into Mexico. The scenes feature images of the San Ysidro/Tijuana border crossing, where the Mexican border patrol is pushing the American back and all like, "NO PASARAN!"

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