12/03/09 – Thursday

I was reading a blog the other day (for the love of god, don’t ask me which one, I don’t remember), and she mentioned that another blog – a “mommy” blog – had gone passworded, and if you were a frequent commenter, you’d get free access, but everyone else had to pay a monthly fee.

And that just blew me away. Because I truly do not get why anyone on earth would pay to read ANYTHING on the internet. There’s no information on this planet that’s not available for free on the internet – why the hell would anyone pay to read someone’s personal site? There’s no one so fascinating that I’d pay $5 a month to read what they have to say.

I mean, good for her for attempting to make money off her site and all, but (1) I’ve never heard of her before (this is a common thing – except for Dooce and…. well, Dooce, I only have a vague idea of who the “big” mommy bloggers are, and only because Nance tells me something about them and then has to explain who the hell she’s talking about. I sure as shit don’t read any of them. I didn’t know half of the names on the BlogHer list, mostly because mommy bloggers aren’t really my thing. I mean, I read plenty of bloggers who are moms, but I don’t consider them “mommy bloggers.” They might consider themselves mommy bloggers, but I don’t particularly. And it’s funny, I certainly enjoy reading about other bloggers’ kids, but most of them are bloggers (could I say “bloggers” just a FEW more times?!) who do not have their heads up their asses. I get quickly bored by the “Oh my special snowflake, let me tell you AT LENGTH about his/ her special snowflakeness.” shit. To be fair, I’m sure they’d get quickly bored by my “Let me tell you about MAH KITTEHS” shtick, too.) and (2) No one is that fucking fascinating.

I know y’all know of my deep and abiding love for Stephen King, but I wouldn’t even pay to read a blog personally written by him, that’s how opposed I am to paying for access to a site.

For a little while – about a year, I think – I paid to be able to get onto the Consumer Reports site, but then I thought “This is fucking ridiculous. There’s nothing Consumer Reports can tell me that I can’t find FOR FREE on the internet, fuck this paying horseshit.” and let my membership lapse. They email me sadly every few weeks to try to convince me to come back, but I will not be wooed back into that relationship, thanks. I HAVE MOVED ON.

There’s a site I read for a while about frugal cooking and such, and she recently started up a pay forum. Because there aren’t 3 million PERFECTLY free frugal cooking/ shopping sites? I don’t mind clicking on the occasional ad, but paying my own money to read something I could read somewhere else for free?

Ain’t gonna happen.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

This will only be interesting to those of you who use Google Reader to keep up on your blog reading. Swistle Twittered the other day about this awesome Google Reader add-on for Firefox.

This one here.

It is AWESOME. There are a lot of options that I don’t even particularly understand so I don’t use them, but the ones I really like are the “preview” one, where you can read those incredibly annoying truncated posts IN THEIR ENTIRETY right there in the Google Reader, and the “cleaner font” skin.

Highly recommended.

As you were, non-Google Reader users.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Grossmans Garden and Home is going to donate a $100 Gift Certificate to the Verona Street Animal Society’s Frosty Paws Silent Auction if we can help get their number of Fans on Facebook to 500 by the end of the year (they are currently at 170). It’s a stretch but doable.

If you are currently a member of facebook, you can become a Fan of theirs by going to www.grossmans.com – toward the bottom right there is link to become a Fan (or you can search on Grossmans Home and Garden in Facebook and then become a Fan that way).

They are also asking for people to post holiday pictures of their pets up on their Fan page.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The Wonkas have been spayed, neutered, rabies’d, and ID chipped! I picked them up yesterday afternoon, and the boys spent the evening racing around like wild things, then sleeping in my lap. The girls were still a bit dopey, and slept the evening away at my feet.

This morning, it’s like nothing even happened to them. It’s amazing how quickly they recover!

A couple of people asked when they’ll go off to the adoption center. It all depends on when there’s room, but I imagine it won’t be too long now.

I am CERTAINLY going to miss them, so I’m spending as much time loving on them as I can. They’re such a sweet and friendly bunch, I don’t imagine it’s going to take long for them to get snatched up!

I calls him “SnuffleFLOOFaGus.”

::thlurrrrrrrp!::

Peekaboo!

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Forever Foster asked how I resist the urge to smooch my fosters all the time. The truth is, I never ever resist the urge. I am ALWAYS kissing a kitten. If there’s a kitten near me, I’m usually kissing it, about to kiss it, or have just kissed it. I am a kitten-kissing fool. My lips are actually chapped from all the kissing.

Fred occasionally wonders aloud what cats think about all the kissing that goes on, whether they understand that it’s a sign of affection. I think they might not understand exactly what’s up with the kisses, but they must like it, because they almost always start purring as soon as I do it.

I forgot to mention about Pink’s eyes in yesterday’s post. Basically, the vet doesn’t know what’s going on. She says it’s probably not herpes, because it would be unusual for only one in the litter to have it. Her eyes aren’t goopy or bothering her, and there’s no corneal abrasion. She said that it’s possible that Pink is just more sensitive to her environment, and suggested a few things to try. For now, we’re giving her Chlorpheniramine, and Lysine. I think it might be helping, but I’m not quite sure. I’ll probably be better able to tell after a few more day.

All the kittens are getting Lysine right now, as a matter of fact. A cold/ virus started making the rounds with our cats, back before we let the Cookies out of their room. We hoped that it wouldn’t spread to the Cookies, but of course it did. It doesn’t seem to be hitting them as hard as it did Spanky and Miz Poo, and it doesn’t seem to be all of them, but we’ll see if it really develops into anything in the next few days. The Wonkas don’t seem to be affected so far, though I’ve heard one or two sneezes from a couple of them. I’m hoping like hell it doesn’t spread to them!

(And if you guys have any advice on lessening the length/ severity of a virus in cats/ kittens, I’m all ears!)

Pretty Cookie in the sun.

I believe there was a hiss from Spanky right after this picture was taken.

Meezers, but no Tuxie. (Wouldn’t “Tuxie and the Meezers” be an excellent band name?)

Orange and The Brick.

When I took Pink to the vet, I put Hydrox in the carrier with her, as her travel buddy. After the vet had examined Pink, I made her hold Hydrox (she laughed when I told her we call him “The Brick”), and she was amazed at what a solid, heavy cat he is. He’s got such big paws and such long legs, that I think he’s really going to be a big cat. He’s certainly headed that way!

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The cold started with Sugarbutt. I’m calling him Typhoid Suggie. (What? You don’t pile your dining room table with cat beds and clean laundry with the intention to fold it and put it away (or find places for the cat beds), only to leave it all piled there for days?)

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Previously
2008: I’m off to get my boobs squooshed!
2007: Sitting in the portal, waiting for the mother ship to arrive.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: Meester Boogers howled even more forlornly.
2003: I’ll be ONE OF THOSE FUCKING PEOPLE WHO WALKS AROUND SMELLING LIKE CAT PEE WITHOUT KNOWING IT!
2002: Lay on it!
2001: Fred smiled his asshole smile.
2000: No entry.
1999: No entry.