In "Curious George: medicating a cat"

The vomitnig could be CRF related? CRF screws up everything. I had to give Tenzin an antacid because the disease gave him ulcers. Definitely check out the CRF group. There are hundreds of members and many of them are very well-informed--they knew more about the symptoms and latest treatments than my vet did.

Koko, does your kitty have kidney failure? That's what it sounds like. My boy, Tenzin, died last fall after struggling with the disease. We caught it too late to really be able to help him. Sounds like you guys have caught it early--which is very good. If he has CRF, there's a great Yahoo Group you should join: Feline-CRF-Support. There are some very caring and knowledgeable people in that group. As for giving the medicine, we found that the towel and other attempts at kitty bondage just freaked him out even more. We would just hold him and pet him and talk soothingly and then gently-but-firmly force his mouth open and squirt the medicine in. Aim for the back of the throat. Get a pill shooter for any pills. I know it's upsetting to see your cat so upset, but she will get over it, and she will feel a great deal better for it. Oh--we used to put Tenzin in a cat carrier to give him his sub-q. Helped keep the needle in. You may want to consider a larger gauge needle. They call them kitty harpoons, and I'm sure they are not as comfy as the smaller ones, but the fluid will go in more quickly.

In "Odiferous George:"

A kid went missing on New Years Eve at Michigan State University a few years back. His face was plastered on flyers and billboards all over the area. His body wasn't found until spring, in the Cedar River, right behind my boyfriend's apartment complex. It had gotten hung up on some branches and debris and one day the water level was low enough for someone to notice the fabric of his shirt. Not a week before the discovery, I stood on the riverbank, looking right in his direction, and noted the smell of rotting flesh. I assumed it was a dead possum or something.

In "Vote For the Greatest American"

Muhammad Ali. Or Carl Sagan.

In "High school teacher dissects live dog for students' benefit."

I know. Why dont't we just use sedated death row prisoners for this this sort of thing? I mean, we were going to kill them anyway...*rolls eyes* I do think dogs have a sense of dignity. If you can't see it, you're not looking hard enough. I am against vivsection. I am in support of limited disection. I have cut up my share of creatures in biology classes. Fascinating, but unecessary. Every school child does not need her very own frog corpse to mutiliate in order to learn how the frog works in the inside, and they sure as hell don't need to gut a living, breathing animal that most people in the US see as a companion species.

In "Kitty Claw$"

Yeah, I'd say whether you let your cats outside depends on where you live. I have friends who live out the country who have always let their cats outside. One of my favorites of all time, a little tortiseshell named Chopstick, has to be at least 18 now. I could never let my cats outside in my neighborhood, though. I've picked up 3 dead cats from the street in front of my house in the last 2 years.

That pciture of little Yofi's face is breaking my heart, man. I'd be out for blood if a dog attacked one of my cats, for sure, but whether or not I'd sue the owner depends on whether there was any evidence to suggest that he tranied the dog to be a killer. I've personally known people to do things like that. Poor kitty.

In "Goodbye Hotmail!"

My job requires that I sometimes email customers. I always address them by their first names. No complaints so far. Also, I want to know where all the hostility towards South Asian phone reps comes from. I hear a lot if at work. My colleagues frequently complain of not being able to speak with anyone who "speaks English" at the insurance companies we call daily. But they DO speak English. Sometimes better than people in my office. And they're a damn sight more polite than their American counterparts. I understand that people are irritated about them for-ners getting our phone-monkey jobs, but jeez.

In "Sita Sings the Blues."

Yes, it's wonderful. Thanks, Homunculus. gheehappy.com is cute, too.

In "What weird/stupid/silly stuff have you done?"

Silly: Every time I see a dog I say, "Doggers!" Every time I see a cat I say, "Mitten!" Stupid: Sooo many things in the life-threateningly stupid category from my teenage years. I grew up in a pissant little town. Used to sneak out a lot in the summer when I was 13 and 14, which was usually extremely fun. There was a curfew for people under 18, and the cops, if they picked me up, would take me home and wake up my parents at 3am--a drag for everyone. So I would often get into cars with strange men, just to get off the street (me all tarted up in late 80s make-up and spandex, sex kitten wear). The offer of drugs or alcohol made the choice to get in a stranger's car all the more appealing. Surprisingly, I only had to fight off one would-be rapist. I hit him in the head with a wine cooler bottle and ran like hell. Weird: I feel "lucky" when wearing blue toenail polish. I feel empathy for inanimate objects. When I was a kid, I'd pick up horse chestnuts off the sidewalk on my way home from school and wash them in the bathroom sink and give them names. I don't really believe in Jesus, but sometimes I thank him for parking spots.

In "Who's old now?"

I've spent the last few years of my 20s thinking that I was still practically a teenager. This illusion was shattered last year, when a teenage girl came up to me at the mall and said, "Excuse me, ma'am, can you tell me what time it is?" Ruined my fucking day, it did. The truth is, though, I'm a lot more comfortable with myself at 29 (almost 30!) than I was at 19. I probably wouldn't give that up, even if I could reverse some of the more unpleasant effects of gravity and general wear and tear. I have a few friends in their late 50s/early 60s who wear pretty hip and young-looking clothes. They look great.

In ""

Watch When We Were Kings. This is one of those moments when life has you on the ropes. It will pass. I've managed to get through a few breakups by pretending I'm Muhammad Ali. Also, hatred. It's probably not the healthiest thing, but I will usually go through a period of of time where I hate the other person. Just forget everything that made them worthwhile. It makes it a lot easier for me. I eventually get over it and find that I can be friends with them again.

In "The Big Lebowski & Buddhism"

your

Well that's just like, you know, you're opinion, man.

In "Curious George; Rape VS Beat-down"

Well, men can be raped, too. Being anally raped by another man is quite scarring, I'm sure. I would guess that most people, regarless of gender, would prefer a simple beating to a brutal rape. But there are different kinds of rape--some definitely worse than others. I was acquaintace-raped when I was 14 by a 28 year old man. It was rape, because I didn't have a choice, but it wasn't violent. It bothered me, but the long-term scarring has been pretty minimal. Now, having someone attack me on the street and force their way into my body, god, it's the stuff of nightmares. It think part of what's so distressing is that the rapist gets inside of you. And the rapist takes something ordinarily happy and good--sex--and makes it something ugly and painful.

In "<b>Curious George: Growing Up Girl</b>"

A close friend of mine (who's actually a lot more attractive than she thinks she is) has similar feelings about caring for herself as Wurwilf. She hasn't had a pap smear in a decade. It's maddening. I would agree that the beauty should be addressed in manual for young women, especially given the number of completely inane magazines that are directed at them. How I look has always been way too important to me. I know that biologically it's important and people often can't help how shallow they are, blah, blah, but it would have been nice if I could have accepted that we can't all be supermodels, a little earlier in life. Also, the clitoris--what it is and what it's good for. I have friends who have never had orgasms. This is really, really sad. I found my clit when I was about 5 years old. My best friend didn't find hers until she was 17, which seems a little late to me. Different strokes for different folks, though, eh?

In ""

I have the same problem as Medusa. I regularly pencil mine in. I've always thought nice eyebrows were an important beauty feature,and I happen to like the Brook Shields look. Of course, there's probably a short distance from looking striking to finding oneself in John L. Lewis territory. I've started tweezing here and there, and I would actually like a better shape for the little brow that I have, but I don't really don't know how to do it. And I'm afraid I'll fuck it up. It's interesting to me that brow "styles" change over time.

In "Goodbye, Widget."

Koko--I thought I was the only person who had a cat named after Bessie Smith! Little Bessie. She was my first and greatest love.

Ditto what others have said. You and Widget are in my heart today. I had to put my beloved Tenzin cat to sleep in November, and I still miss him terribly. I will light a candle for Widget (and you) when I get home tonight.

In "News Flash!!"

Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers.

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